Derailed (28 page)

“Liefie!” Vlad says in a firm voice. Then he goes off into a tangent in Russian, waving his finger at her as he speaks. I’ve never seen him like this before – scolding and angry. Obviously, he’s had enough of Liefie meddling in my life too.

After a few moments of arguing, Vlad turns and storms off.

“Look what you’ve done now!” my sister hisses.

“
I
didn’t do that,” I protest.

“Yes, you did, you jerk. You don’t think some –”

“Shaddup, Arena!” 

“You shaddup!” Arena spits back.

“No, you shaddup!” I say childishly. 

Bear plants himself between us, a palm facing each other us. “Okaaaay!”

I turn and storm off like a five-year-old.

Chapter Twenty

RIVAL

I awake at 7 a.m., get dressed, and head for WIN. It’s Saturday morning, still a holiday, so the roads are quiet. No doubt I will be the first person at WIN, and I can work uninterrupted for a couple of hours. Using my key, I let myself in and begin work.

Thirty minutes later, I’m startled by a sound behind me. No one is supposed to be in the building right now, except me. With my heart racing, I whirl around and come face to face with Ritchie. In his hand is a bouquet of peach roses.

What the…?

“For you,” he says, thrusting the bouquet at me. “For being a dickhead.”

I look at the bouquet, then at him.

“I’m sorry. I was out of line and I’m sorry.”

I don’t accept the roses, I just stare at him, totally taken aback by his bipolar actions.

He thrusts the roses at me again. “Please?”

“Thanks,” I murmur, accepting the roses.

For a few moments, we stare at each other.

“I miss you,” he whispers, sinking into a nearby chair, elbows on thighs, his eyes on the floor.

I walk up to him and touch his shoulder. “I miss you too,” I confess.

He looks up at me. “I know you did what you thought was best for me and my family. Logic tells me that you loved me and that you would never have left if there was another way, but…” he lets out a long sigh. “I’m an illogical prick, remember?” A melancholy smile appears on his face. “I was up at 4 a.m. disturbed by my behavior. Had to make it right, apologize.”

He was up at 4 a.m. I allow myself an inward smile. “Apology will be accepted only if I can get a hug,” I say.

Slowly, as if in slow motion, he unwinds from the chair and looms over me. It’s been almost a month since I held him in my arms, and a bubble forms in my throat at the mere thought of touching Ritchie again.

He squeezes me to him.
I’m holding Ritchie again.
Unable to help myself, and overcome with emotion, I mold into him. “Bradley can take me away from you, Ritchie. He can
force
me away from you, but he can never have my heart. It belongs to you. Forever. Because no matter what, I love you. I’ve never known the kind of love you and I shared, and I probably never will.” I look up at him. “No matter what.”

His response is to squeeze me so tight, I can barely breathe. All too quickly, and to my disappointment, he releases me, takes a giant step back and sticks his hands deep into his pocket. “I’ll let you get on with your work,” he says as he rocks on his heels.

I nod. “I thought you had a fishing trip today?”

He shrugs. “Cancelled it. Couldn’t get anything done yesterday, so I’ve got a ton of work to do, or Arena’s gonna have my arse in a sling.”

“You bet I will!”

We turn to look at Arena walking toward us, smiling. Behind her is Liefie, who isn’t smiling.

Arena nods when she looks at the roses. With a smile, she gives me a hug. Then she turns to her brother and makes a show of inspecting his butt. “I’ve got a couple slings in all sizes. FYI. Luckily.”

We all laugh.

RIVAL

Now that Ritchie is no longer furious with me, I feel an incredible lightness. Every time I look at the peach roses, a warm and fuzzy feeling overcomes me. For the first time in weeks, I actually feel hungry!

Ritchie and I immerse ourselves in our work, aware of both Liefie and Arena’s presence. But we take turns to look at each other. He’s still the first one to look away. But when he almost falls off his ladder. I realize I’m distracting him. 

I laugh behind my hand. 

“Not funny!” he snaps, even though his eyes crinkle.

I laugh harder.

“You okay?” Arena asks her brother.

“Of course I’m okay,” he says in an embarrassed voice. “I didn’t fall, did I?”

Then he bangs his thumb really hard with a hammer and immediately, he lets out a string of expletives, causing people around him to stop whatever they’re doing and look at him.

“Sorry,” he says.

Arena walks up to him. “
Boet
, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“Need some ice?” She glances behind at me.

I nod, and run off to fetch some ice in a tea towel. “Give me your thumb.”

“I’m okay,” he mutters, turning red in the face. 

I glance at Arena, who’s taking a phone call, then look back at Ritchie. “Give me your thumb,” I repeat. 

“Geez, you’d think it’s the first time I’ve hurt my thumb,” he mumbles as he reluctantly sticks it out.

With a chuckle, I wrap the iced towel around it. “Five minutes and it won’t swell as much.” As I speak, Ritchie looks directly into my eyes, causing my face to burn. His nearness is wreaking havoc on my senses.

“You gon’ kiss it better?” he whispers, his eyes narrowing.

I give him a shy smile. He smiles back. Finally. Causally, I shift my body around to block out Arena and Liefie, then slowly raise his injured thumb to my lips. Gently, I press my lips against it. Then, unable to help myself, I clutch his hand to my breasts for a few seconds, squeezing my eyes shut as I savor his touch, his nearness. I feel a stabbing pain in my chest. An ache. I miss Ritchie so much, I feel like giving in to the tears that burn behind my eyes. Then, remembering that there are people around, I quickly open my eyes, kiss his thumb one more time, and hand him back his hand. When I look at him, he’s swallowing hard. Quickly, I walk away.

A short while later, Liefie walks up to Ritchie and hands him a Coke. “I know how much you enjoy Coke from a glass bottle,” she says.

“Great! I love it. Thanks, Lief.” He takes a couple of swigs, then heads over to me. Without a word, he thrusts the Coke bottle at me.

With a smug smile, I take the bottle from him, and take a large swig of it. I’ve got a chance to get Ritchie’s saliva in my mouth. That means so much to me right now. Quickly, I take another two swigs before I hand it back to him. “Thanks,” I say with a smile.

Without a word, he returns to his work. Behind him Liefie’s face spasms. Not that I give a crap.

At one stage, I sit on a chair and flip through a manual. When I feel Ritchie’s piercing gaze, I look up at him. As he drinks a bottle of water, our eyes meet. This time he does not look away, and we lock eyes with each other. When he tears his eyes away from mine, they travel down to my breasts. Immediately, I feel my nipples harden and my face flushes. As he stares, my thighs involuntarily (or maybe even voluntarily) part slightly. Ritchie’s hand freezes in mid-air. Neither of us are smiling anymore.

When I hear voices, I slap the manual shut, hop to my feet, and turn my back on Ritchie. When next I look at Ritchie, his eyes burn bright and he eyes me like I am prey. The damage is done – the air between us is now sexually charged, and I know I have to have Ritchie.

With tape measure in hand, I slowly climb up the stairs and enter a bedroom on the first floor of the property.  

Within seconds, Ritchie is behind me. Aware of his presence, I do not turn around. He walks up to me and almost slams his body into my back, pushing me against the door of a closet. His body so intimately pressed against mine causes my head to spin. With a groan, I lean back into him, pushing my butt into him. He presses harder against me, a low growl escaping him. One hand cups my breast while the other hand reaches around, brackets my face and brings it around for a kiss. I part my mouth, eager for his lusty kiss. I want him, he wants me – our wild kisses are proof of that. Weakened by lust, I turn around and clutch on to him. My hands slip under his t-shirt to rake my fingernails along his back. He groans and sucks on my neck, then my shoulder before his lips blaze a trail to my hardened nipples. A bolt of pleasure shoots through me as he sucks at them through my clothes, his mouth hot, wet, and greedy.

Muted voices outside the room remind me that somebody could walk in and catch us. “Somebody…” is all I manage to say.

He nods but does not stop. Instead, he grabs my hair with both hands and sticks his tongue down my throat. My hand slides down his back, around to the front to his erection. He groans into my mouth as I stroke and caress.

“Rival?” Arena’s voice drags us back to earth. I shove Ritchie away and quickly straighten my hair. “Wait a few minutes before you come out,” I whisper as I back away from the room.

He motions to my breasts. “Your shirt…” 

I gasp when I see two wet spots on it. Quickly, I grab a clipboard, hold it in front of my chest and rush out of the room.   

RIVAL

Concentrating on work after having Ritchie’s tongue in my mouth is next to impossible. I’m switched on, wet between my thighs, and I seek nirvana. Now! Judging by his lusty, dim eyes, so does he. Something has to happen. Please! I fan my heated self with a book as I wait for it to.  

The sexual haze around us is now thick and heavy, but the afternoon drags, to my frustration. Luckily, volunteers start to filter out of WIN. Finally, there’s just Fatima, Ritchie, and me left in the building. I know Ritchie’s done with his work, but he’s hanging around for me. And I know why. The looks between Ritchie and me become more frequent, and the question burns in the afternoon air: when will Fatima leave?

Ritchie and I are going to be all alone in this building. Just the thought of that has my blood racing through my veins and my body twitching. 

Finally Fatima starts to pack up. Ritchie and I exchange knowing and somewhat excited looks.
Ritchie and I are going to be alone.
There will be an explosion. It is imminent. 

Finally, the moment I’ve waited for: Fatima starts to walk out the door.

Ritchie and I are going to be alone.

Ritchie walks Fatima to the door, says goodbye, and locks the door behind her.

Ritchie and I are alone at WIN.

He turns around and looks at me on the upstairs landing. Our eyes lock. Slowly, with my eyes fixed on his, I back into the room. Ritchie takes the stairs two at a time, then barges into the room, which shrinks in his presence. I hear his erratic breathing as he locks the room door behind him. When he turns to look at me, his eyes shine with crazed lust. It’s just Ritchie and me and our dire need for each other.

As he creeps toward me like a lion eyeing a deer, my pulse thrums, my body trembles, and my legs shake like a newborn foal. He slams his body into mine, and we take off where we left earlier on. Ritchie impatiently lowers me onto the floor and climbs over me. I part my thighs and arch my humming body toward his, desperately seeking relief. Within seconds, he’s stripped me of my shirt, my shorts, and my panties. He licks, then sucks greedily at my breast. 

“Don’t mark me!” I warn, albeit feebly as he ravages my body. He ignores my warning and sucks harder, marking me. I wrap my thighs around his waist, my damp, pulsing crotch seeking his bulging erection. Then my need for skin-on-skin has me yanking off his shirt. When I struggle with it, he, in true Ritchie style, yanks it off and throws it behind him. My hands skim the familiar planes of his muscular back, taut, broad, and beautiful.

His pants – they’re in the way. I fight them off. Soon it’s just his hard-on between us, satiny and twitching. I stroke the silken shaft, and as my head lowers toward it, my breath buffeting its head, Ritchie throws back his head and lets out a low, long growl. When I take it into my mouth, his says my name over and over again. 

Then he pulls out of my mouth, pushes me onto my back, and he kisses his way to my crotch, his stubble grazing me along the way. I writhe and moan as his mouth devourers the aching flesh between my thighs. I grab at his hair as I rock my hips against his hot mouth.

But I need more. Nirvana can only be achieved when he’s buried deep inside of me. When he fills the emptiness
inside
of me.

“Fuck me!” I whisper.

With a nod, he looms over me, pulls my thighs roughly around his waist, and drives into me. His thrusts are fast and furious, rocking my body. As he fills, then empties me, as we become one, a rolling wave of orgasm causes my body to jerk and shudder. My eyes shut as brilliance blinds me. He presses his hips against mine, allowing me the moment I need.

When I open my eyes, he leans in for a kiss. Then he rears up, slips his hand under my butt, lifts it up, and with renewed force, resumes his bucking and thrusting. With a harsh cry, his whole body goes hard and stiff, and he shoots hot lava deep into me. 

RIVAL

I am having an affair with Ritchie. I am having a
torrid
affair with Ritchie. Bradley keeps tabs on me, I know that. He’s always checking to see where I am in the evenings. Since I have too much to lose, since I don’t ever want to put Ritchie and his family in jeopardy, seeing Ritchie in the evenings is out of the question.

But like most cheats, most people who have affairs, I am creative enough to find a way to see Ritchie. We see each other in the
mornings
. Nobody has time to have a tryst in the morning, except Ritchie and me. After we drop off the kids, I rush to meet him at his friend Jai’s house. Jai is holidaying overseas, so Ritchie pops over to pick up the mail and check on the property. It’s perfect for our rendezvous. Even better, Jai’s house is two minutes away from my kids’ school, so we don’t have to waste precious time traveling to motels.