Charity's Secrets (17 page)

There
is a raw emotion here that he doesn't know how to express. I see it making him
tremble.

"I
wouldn't do that to you, Justin. I wouldn't have anyway, but now I can see how
even the possibility affects you and I don't ever want you to hurt like
that."

The
emotion quickly passes and he pushes me back a little. "I know you
wouldn't, and I will never—ever—hurt you like that either." He touches my
chin gently and runs his warm finger along my jaw as he stares into my soul. He
sets his promise into me with his eyes. Then he takes both hands and holds my
face. "You are my world. You're all I need to survive." With all the
passion he had for our first kiss, he lifts me to him, making me float on the
cold air.

I am
wrapped into the heat of his love. Our mouths play tenderly, lips caressing
each other. I adore him, and from now on I'm going to have to be a bit more
careful.

NEW YEAR'S EVE HAS
arrived in a blur. I can’t believe it's here already,
mostly because it means Melissa will be leaving. Just the thought of not seeing
her for a while again is making my heart heavy.

"How
are you making out?" Justin asks as he tucks the tail of his new, sage
green Armani into his custom Fioravanti suit.

For the
last twenty minutes I’ve been changing back and forth between a pair of
Christian Louboutin’s and gorgeous Miu Miu zip-front boots. I'm sure right now
I look like a ball of confusion inside a bubble of desperation. At least my
black Donna Karan jersey dress is a decision I made over a week ago. Shit—I'd
be crying by now if I still had that to think about.

"The
boots," he demands even though I haven't said a thing.

Well
there you go, decision made. I put the Louboutin’s away for another day and
slip the Miu Miu's on in front of the long mirror.

Fucking
sexy!

"See,"
he says like the cocky jerk that he is, making me smile. He steps closer to me
and puts his hands on my waist while I breath him in. "Truth is, it
doesn't matter what shoes you put on; you're so beautiful you make whatever you
wear look hot." His face moves closer slowly until I feel the heat from his
lips, but instead of leaning further, he tugs me forward by my hips. My mouth
crashes into his and I feel his lips part.

All I
want to do now is taste him. There's no time, I know. I'd wasted it all on the
shoes and we can't be late—not tonight. But my concern disappears as his tongue
slides along mine.

One of
his intensely masculine hands drops from my waist to the bottom of my dress.
Justin slides it under the back and I feel his fingertips dig under my panties
so that his hand is covering my ass. He groans from his throat as he squeezes
me and it makes our tongues vibrate.

We
should stop now but his other hand moves up my side and onto my breast,
gripping it gently before moving on to my shoulder and then gliding around my
neck under my hair. My knees buckle, but he catches me as if he anticipated my
reaction. As he supports me, I feel his tongue pull away and his mouth begin to
close. Justin uses his hand to turn my head, and I feel his tongue dart along
my cheek to my ear where his lips press into me again.

"Oh
my God, what you do to me—" I whisper in a breathy voice.

Justin's
tongue slides up my neck closer to my ear. He whispers back, "Warrior, you
have no idea
what
I'm going to do to you." Then he bites my ear
lobe softly, tugging it as he pulls away.

His
smile kills me and is causing my stomach to swirl with excitement. I know him;
he means tonight. Whatever he has planned could be at any time—probably when I
expect it the least.

"Are
you almost ready?" he asks. "We'll need to go soon." I can hear
the anticipation in him. He's so excited for Lena.

"Nearly.
I just have to put on my jewelry. What about you?"

"I
have to do my tie and my shoes. I'll be good to go in about five minutes.
Tony's already waiting downstairs," he says firmly. The wickedness hasn't
left his face despite his bossy tone.

"What
do you think she's gonna do?" I ask.

Justin
thinks about that for second with his green eyes on the ceiling. "She
hates attention; normally this would not be a smart thing to do, but its
Terrence. I remember the way she looked at him and how she melted whenever he
came around. It was nearly as strong as what you do to me and it was
beautiful." He pauses for a moment longer. "I think it's going to be
amazing to be there and see it. I like that you have Melissa's date coming
right after. It'll take the pressure off them, and Lena will need that. She
will not want to melt with everyone looking at her—and she
will
need to
melt for this."

"Now
I really can't wait," I add, my voice pumped full of adrenaline.

I try
to clip my necklace around my neck, but I keep fumbling it. Suddenly Justin is
pulling it out of my fingers without my asking him.

He's so
attentive.

Several
minutes later we are in the elevator holding our jackets and listening to the
beeps of the floors blowing by. Both of us are smiling brightly when the car
stopped on the ninth and picked up another couple. They're all dressed up and ready
for their night like us. This reminds me of John talking about the city having
a mood and it certainly does today. There was a blanket of excitement over New
York the entire day, and everywhere you go, you cannot get away from it.

Justin
helps with my jacket as we cross the lobby and then we step into the crisp
night.

Sam
raises his glass over the table at Cipriani. His long, black fingers are
wrapped around his drink firmly in front of his handsome face. "Before
anyone gets too drunk or vanishes into a coat closet, I'd like to thank a
couple of people for tonight." Everyone begins to scoop up their drinks as
"Royals" by Lorde begins to play. "First to Charity and Justin
for all the arrangements and work they put into this and getting us these
tickets and table."

"Yes,
absolutely," Trisha agrees while Justin and I modestly deny them. Despite
our efforts, they all raise their glasses and toast us.

My eyes
fall on Melissa and the empty chair beside her. She catches me looking and
winks at me. As planned, Lena is just opposite the empty chair and fully
believes it's for Melissa's date, who will actually be here soon.

Melissa
looks stunning in an abstract print, long sleeve dress from Crosby Derek Lam. I
melt looking at her, hopeful for her date, and grateful for her help with Lena.

Sam
continued, "And I'd like to thank Trisha, for bringing me here with
everyone and making my New Year's Eve better; my days and nights better, my
whole life better. Since meeting you I haven't known a moment with
sadness."

Trisha
turns crimson until she is saved by Sam cradling her face for a kiss and the
rest of us cheering them.

Under
the table, Justin is caressing my leg. It's impossible to stop the thoughts of
having him move his hand under my dress and touch me right here at the table.
My secret warrior parts begin to demand pressure that I can't provide now. I'd
like to stop my imagination, but his hot hand isn't leaving my leg. I can
almost feel my hardened clit stiffly popping from under his wet touch.

The
hot jerk.

I know
what to do. Casually, I move my hand from the table and place it on his leg.
His thigh muscles flex instantly. I'll leave it right here just for a moment;
let him think about it.

Sam and
Trisha end their kiss with smiles and Melissa starts, "I won't make it a
toast, but I'd like to really thank you guys for bringing me out here and just
everything you've done for me—giving me the apartment to use, flying me in your
private plane. It was as insane as it was wonderful."

"It
was absolutely our pleasure," Justin says quickly. "And you're
welcome to stay or come back anytime. Just let us know and it's done."

Trisha
is shaking her head stiffly from side to side. "Don't think for a second
that tonight makes up for your lies. I'm still pissed that you felt you had to
lie to me and Charity about owning your own company.
Insurance agent my ass
."

Justin
simply let's her have that. He did lie to us, that's on him. We had to tell her
some of the truth, though, or things would stop making any sense to her. He has
to take the heat, so I let him dangle while I smile at him. He looks at me and
sees the joy in my eyes. "No help," he says to me. "You don't
have my back even a little."

Everyone
laughs.

"Not
on this one, Buddy. You dug that hole without me," I tease.

Trisha
laughs at him.

His
hand is still driving me nuts. It's time take care of that. I slide my hand
around his thick leg into his groin. He's mid-word telling Trisha that he's
sorry again when I squeeze the last bit of his leg that can be called thigh. I
can actually feel his cock under my pinky. Justin's voice catches, only for a
second, but I heard it.

Very
carefully, very slowly, he moves his hand from my leg to his own, gently
grabbing mine and pulling it from between his legs. He puts it back on top of
his leg and keeps it smothered comfortably under his.

Apparently
we've come to an understanding.

Lena is
smiling at everyone. I think she's glad to have people to be with tonight, but
she is apprehensive about staying through the evening. Lena made that clear to
me; once Melissa's date gets here, she's going to be terribly lonely—at least
that's what she believes.

Suddenly
Justin's mouth is brushing my ear. "It's time. I'll be back in a
few," he whispers. Justin stands and excuses himself to the bathroom. My
nerves explode while I watch him saunter off through the crowded space.

After a
minute, I turn to Lena. "Lena, your dress is stunning. It looks absolutely
beautiful on you. Is it from Emilio Pucci?" I ask as if I don't already
know exactly who the designer is.

"It
is," she answers with a smile. "I picked it up last week just for
tonight."

I see
Justin appear at the far end of the room and head for us.

"Well,
like everything else you touch—it's sexy as hell." I watch her laugh,
making sure her eyes stay with me.

Justin
is more than half way to us now approaching deliberately. It's probably close
enough, and tough shit if it isn't, because everyone else is transfixed with
their breath held. All of their eyes are smiling, and it's obvious that something
is about to happen.

My
heart races above my swirling stomach.

Lena
sees Justin coming. He's almost to us now, and when he reaches the table, he
steps aside and exposes Terrence behind him.

Oh
my fucking Christ—her face is priceless!
Its shock, love, anger, and joy all tied into one. Mostly
it's shock.
I see her mouth flap soundlessly as Terence casually swings
around to her side of the table. He kisses her check lightly, not assuming
anything, and sits beside her.

For a
moment it gets awkward. Lena not knowing what to do or say, and all of it
happening in front of a small crowd that is staring at her, makes me nervous.
In my mind I see her snap, suddenly dressed in leather and having an Uma
Thurman in "Kill Bill" moment with guns blazing and the rest of us
falling over with our heads blown open.

Shit!

She
turns to me and Justin. So far, a single word hasn't left her mouth yet. "Seriously,"
she says, the happiness becoming apparent in her voice. Her mouth begins to
turn up at the corners despite its quivering.

Okay,
the tears flood my eyes now.

Justin
firmly answers, "Yes."

Lena
turns to Terence. Finally, I see what Justin had explained to me, the melting.
The Lena I know slides off her and leaves a different woman with us.

"You're
really here?" she asks, tears pooling in her eyes. Suddenly it doesn't
matter that we're all watching.

"I'm
really here, and this time I'm not leaving—no matter what you say. I still love
you, and I think you still love me," Terence replies. "When the ball
drops tonight, I'm starting a new year and a new life."

He
touches her face softly. Lena surrenders, letting her tears fall while she
leans in to him. Terrence meets her half way and they kiss so passionately that
I can almost feel it. I think everyone can, judging by their happy faces.

Tommy,
Mellissa's date, comes to the table right on time. Fortunately Project Lena
went well, but it's time to stop staring at them like a rainbow colored fungus
in a petri dish.

Justin
knows the plan. "You must be Tommy," he says. "You look
different without the other guys."

"THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY
New Year!"

I'm quickly
coiled up into Justin's strong embrace, feeling his love sink into me as we
kiss. By far, it's the most meaningful New Year's Eve kiss I've ever
experienced. My hands are between his jacket and shirt, kneading the muscles on
his back like dough. I can't get him close enough, and his soft moan tells me
he's feeling nearly the same thing. His hands are tangled in the hair around my
ears.