Gorgeous Consort (13 page)

“Uh…”

“He’s so in love with you. He better be the one.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a firm look. She wasn’t backing down.

“Again, you don’t know him very well.”

“I know everything I need to know.”

“You mean, the fact he’s rich, is good-looking, and likes sports.”

“Are you telling me he’s not a good guy?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Because you’re spending more time convincing me I shouldn’t like him rather than actually like him.”

I blew up. “I’m just irritated that the only time my family is interested in me is when a guy is involved. I’m perfectly capable of being on my own.”

Her eyes softened and she dropped her defensive stance. “We just want you to be happy. Sebastian makes me happier than I’ve ever been. We all just want the same for you. You’re missing out.”

“Boyfriend or no boyfriend, I’m very happy.”

“I’m not saying you need a man,” she said. “But having one—especially one as fine as that—is never a bad thing.”

Just when I opened my mouth to argue, Mom announced dinner. “Take your seats, everyone.”

Troy found me like he had me on radar. He pulled me into his side. “Thought I lost you for a moment there.” He pulled me into his body and I could feel the hardness of his body against mine.

Kara watched our interaction closely.

“You could never lose me.”

He grinned when he looked down at me and then he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“Awe,” Kara whispered.

I ignored her and enjoyed the touch, no matter how fake it was.

“Let’s get our seats.” Troy pulled me away and escorted me to the dining room. He pulled out my chair for me before he took the seat beside me. Then his hand moved to my thigh, naturally.

Dad took the seat beside him. “Was that a Maserati I saw outside?”

“Indeed,” Troy answered. “She’s my girl.”

“She’s a beauty,” Dad agreed. “How old is she?”

“Just a year,” Troy answered. “Before that I had a Range Rover. I definitely like the feel of the car more.”

Dad nodded.

I stared blankly at my glass of wine, wondering when this stupid dinner would be over.

Everyone was fascinated by Troy. They asked him every question you could think of, and they all looked at him with approval. He was the knight in shining armor of the evening. Even when they asked questions about our relationship, they were directed at Troy, not me. It made no sense at all. They were so concerned about me settling down with someone, but they didn’t care at all about me as a person. It baffled me.

Quiet conversation continued around the table as we ate quietly. Mom had honeyed ham and mashed potatoes with a side of greens. Her cooking was good and I missed it sometimes but I never missed her company.

Troy was pretty much being interrogated. They asked him where he grew up, where he went to college, and if he ever considered modeling.

“Mom.” I gave her a look that told her to back off.

“What?” she asked innocently.

Troy laughed it off. “I’ve actually done a few ads in the past—nothing fancy.”

“I’m a model too,” Kara said.

“Cool,” he said. “We probably have a lot in common then.”

Sebastian put a protective arm over her shoulders.

I tried not to roll my eyes.

When dinner was finished and dessert was served, neither one of my parents had spoken to me. Only Kara and Sebastian acknowledged my existence. I was getting fed up with it. I didn’t ask for much, just a little attention, and positive attention. Not, “When are you going to go back to school and find a more promising career? When are you going to bring a man home?” All I wanted was for someone to ask me how my day was going. That’s it. But nope, I never got it.

Pissed off, I stood up and excused myself wordlessly. No one probably even noticed, except Troy. I grabbed my purse then walked out the front door and sat on the steps. The cool evening air chilled my angry temperature slightly, but the fumes of my rage still burned. I opened my purse and pulled out a cigarette and lit it. I hardly ever smoked, only when I was really upset. I took a few drags and enjoyed the soothing affect. Then I purposely put it out on one of the vases outside. They probably cared more about that plant than they cared about me.

The front door opened behind me then quickly closed. Heavy footsteps came down before someone sat beside me on the steps.

I didn’t turn and look and I didn’t need to. I knew who it was.

“You missed the mousse cake,” Troy said. “It was delicious.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”

His knee touched mine and he rested his hands on his thighs. “They’re really nice people.”

“They are?” I asked curiously. “I wouldn’t know.”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. His eyes were fixed on me but I refused to look his way. “Why would your parents care that much about you settling down if they didn’t care about you?” His voice came out quiet.

“Their reputation.”

“To who?” he asked. “It’s not like they’re celebrities.”

“No, but they still like to brag about Kara to their friends. When people ask about me, Mom and Dad obviously don’t know what to say. I’m just a failure to them.”

“They don’t think that,” he said calmly. “I admit they aren’t the warmest people, but just because they struggle to show they care doesn’t mean they don’t. You can’t read their mind.”

“I don’t even feel welcome here. The sad part is, this is the most welcome I’ve felt in a long time—because I had a man to bring along.”

He squeezed my hand again. Then he leaned his face close to me. “Don’t let it get you down. They wouldn’t be so interested in me if I weren’t dating you.”

“I know you probably think my behavior is stupid and I get that, but you just don’t understand.”

“I think I do, actually,” he said quietly. “My brother has been gay his whole life and my parents won’t accept him. To them, he’s just an embarrassment. To them, he’s the kid that failed. At least your parents accept who you love and encourage it.”

“Don’t compare us,” I said. “The situations are completely different.”

“They are,” he admitted. “But my point is, maybe they aren’t extremely warm toward you but they never want to lose you just because you do something they don’t approve of. If you told them you were a lesbian, they wouldn’t be happy but they wouldn’t disown you either.”

I pulled my hand from his and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Knock it off,” he snapped.

My head turned in his direction.

“You can close off from everyone else but you can’t close off from me.” He lifted me and shifted me to his lap. I automatically wrapped my arms around his neck and held on. Our faces were close together, and I could feel him breathe. He looked into my face and examined me. “Never close off from me.” His fingers moved to my cheek, and they trailed the skin until they reached my lips. He touched them lightly then lowered his hand.

Silence echoed around us, and for just a second, it felt like we were the only people on the planet. The stars and the moon were our only company. Troy looked at me in a new way, like he was seeing a side to me he never noticed before. The usual smug look in his eyes was gone, replaced by a calm curiosity. The emotion that shined in his eyes was different, unidentifiable. Then he placed a finger under my chin and slowly inched my lips toward his.

He kissed me in a way he never had before. His lips lightly caressed mine, like he was afraid they would break if he pushed me too hard. Every breath he took was audible on my ears because it was so quiet. Our lips moved together, making a light smacking noise. The sound loosened the muscles in my core and made me crave more.

Troy wrapped both arms tightly around me, forming walls of titanium, and deepened the kiss further. It became more intense but the softness was the same. We breathed into each other’s mouths, taking as much as was aloud. One hand snaked into my hair and he gripped it tightly like I was under his control. I loved the way he touched me, like I was his and no one else’s.

Troy moved his lips to my neck and gave me the touch I craved. He somehow knew I loved it because he continued to do it. He was the only guy who understood what I liked and disliked without me having to explain it to him.

Then he moved back to my lips and gave me one final, long embrace. He let the kiss linger for seconds before he finally pulled away. His eyes emitted their own light while he looked at me. There was an expression there I couldn’t distinguish, like an image in an art galley that created a certain emotion, but what the image was itself was unknown.

He pulled me closer to his chest like he didn’t want to let me go then buried his face in my neck. His hand gripped me tightly, like he thought I might fly away. “I’m sorry you’re hurting. Believe me, it hurts me.”

His words spiraled into my heart.

“I think you deserve better than this, and it’s wrong that your family doesn’t see all the beautiful things about you, like I do, but the situation could be worse. The only person who can determine your value is you, not me or your family. So don’t let them bring you down.”

“I know you’re right,” I whispered.

He kissed my forehead and left his lips there for a long time. “I’m always right.”

A slight smile came to my lips. “I don’t know about that…”

“I do,” he said.

“At least my parents believe you’re in love with me. That’s quite a feat.”

“It wasn’t that hard.” He looked into my eyes as he said it.

I stared back, unsure what to do or say.

“Want to get out of here?” he whispered. “I’ll tell them you aren’t feeling well.”

“There’s nothing I want more,” I said immediately.

***

The drive was spent in silence, and when we walked into my apartment, it was clear Troy intended to stick around. I didn’t want him to leave anyway. It was like having a super hot best friend all the time.

Once we walked into the bedroom, I knew something was different about tonight. I felt it. And I could tell he did too. He stared at me in the dark. The limited light coming through the window displaced his face and body. Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt then tossed it on the floor.

His body was a slab of marble. A perfectionist chiseled every inch of him. The lines and grooves continued endlessly. One of my favorite features was his narrowed hips, which led into an obvious V. A light trail of hair disappeared into his slacks. Other than the hair on his arms, legs, and head, that was all he had.

He watched me like a hunter in the forest. Every move I made, no matter how slight, was obvious to him. He stepped toward me, a dark intent clear in his blue eyes. He stopped in front of me then looked down into my face. His height surpassed mine by a foot, but I liked the way he towered over me.

One hand moved to the front of my shirt and deliberately unbuttoned my cardigan until it was completely open, showing my deep purple bra. Without shame, he looked down at me, his eyes focused on the obvious line of cleavage my push up bra formed. Then he pushed it off my shoulders, the greed obvious in the way he ripped it off like it meant nothing. With one hand again, he unbuttoned my jeans and unzipped them. He fingered the top of my panties, feeling the soft lace. His fingers moved in further until they reached the nub between my legs. He pressed his face close to mine then touched me with the perfect amount of pressure.

I automatically gripped his arms and held on as he touched me. It felt so good because I hadn’t been touched there in so long. But it also felt good because Troy knew exactly what he was doing. He made me wet, and soon my panties were soaked. My breathing increased even though I wished it wouldn’t, and soon I was desperate for him, to feel more than just his fingers.

He stared at me but didn’t kiss me, examining my face while he touched me. I thought it would make me self-conscious but it didn’t. It only made the fire in my belly burn more. He slowly pulled his fingers away, making me wince, and then inserted them in his mouth. He sucked my juice off while looking into my eyes. Then he pulled my pants down to my ankles.

He kneeled down so I balanced myself by gripping his shoulders. When my pants were completely off he went for my thong. He slowly pulled it down my legs, like he was enjoying the slow way we moved. When they were free, he moved his mouth to the area between my legs and gave my nub a gentle kiss.

“Oh my god…” I immediately squeezed his shoulder because it felt amazing. His tongue circled my clitoris then penetrated deep inside me.

Troy moved on leg over his shoulder, forcing me to use him for balance. With my legs spread wider, he kissed me harder and with more pressure.

I was shaking because my nerves wouldn’t stop firing off. He was sending too much pleasure in my body and it was making me pant like a dog. I gripped his hair and moaned loudly, unable to control myself anymore. Just when I was about to hit the edge he pulled away and stood up.

I wanted to scream because I missed his mouth so much. My hands went for his slacks and I practically ripped them off. He needed to get naked as quickly as possible. I wanted him inside me, now. I got them off then yanked his boxers away. The long shaft leaned outward, and he was every inch of the man he claimed. And he was thick to top it off.