Page 213 of The Heart You Kept

“You told me that you were in love with another man and then when I saw him he was bald and had no teeth.”

“This is what you dreamed about?” I smile. “Toothless men stealing me.”

“His name was Cecil.”

I giggle in surprise.

“If I ever see that guy….” He clenches his fist and holds it up.

“Nobody is going to steal me, Edward.” I kiss his chest.

“Don’t leave me again,” he murmurs.

“I won’t.”

He holds me tighter, and unable to fight it, my eyes close. Finally safe in his arms, I fall asleep.

EDWARD

I pull my suit coat over my shoulders and tie my tie. The boys brought me my clothes early this morning so I could leave for work from here.

Alora walks into the bathroom; she’s wearing a tight black pencil skirt and a cream silk blouse. My eyes drop down her body. “You look…” I grab her roughly and push her against the bathroom counter, “…fuckable.”

I’m feeling more myself today.

“Stop, I have to go to work.” She puts in her pearl earrings as she looks in the mirror.

I turn her toward me and do the top two buttons up on her blouse.

“You don’t like my buttons undone.” She undoes the top one and I do it back up.

“No, I don’t.” I brush my hands down over her hips as my eyes linger on her breasts.

Maybe ten minutes late won’t hurt…. I turn her to face away from me and I cuddle her from behind. I feel myself harden.

“Cecil lets me keep my buttons undone.” She smiles up at me in the mirror.

“Well, he’s not expected to live long, is he?”

I feel her smile against my cheek and damn it, I want to undress and get back into bed with her, if I didn’t have back-to-back meetings I would be doing just that.

“I’ll pick you up from work,” I tell her.

“We can go to your house if you want?”

“No.” I pump her with my hips. “The last two weeks at my place have traumatized me. We’ll stay here for a while.”

My phone beeps with a text.

“I have to go.” I pull out of her arms and head downstairs; I lock the door and head out to the car. Philippe is standing beside the second car and I walk over to him. “Good morning, Philippe.” I smile.

“Morning, boss.” He rocks onto his toes with a big smile.

“Stay with her all day please.”

“Of course, sir.”

I look back up to the window in her bedroom and I imagine her finishing getting ready.