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C L A I R E
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Vaughn growls as the curtain of the theater is lifted and the Romeo & Juliet banner greets his eyes.
"C'mon, Vaughn, you promised." I squeeze his arm, making him look at my hand on his.
His lips are pressed to a thin line as his eyes skate over my body. I am wearing a white blouse and a maroon skirt, just like I promised. More than once or twice, his hand already slipped under my skirt in the car, telling me that he approved of the look.
"Romeo and Juliet, seriously?" He leans back in his seat, dropping his hands casually between his knees. "You strike a hard bargain, nemesis."
Dressed in a simple white shirt and dress pants, he looks strikingly handsome as he watches the drama start to unfold on stage. His expression is disinterested and he gives a disgusted look when Romeo enters the stage.
"How can you hate them?" I shrug, looking at the stage where the man playing Romeo says his dialogue. "They are the most beautiful star-crossed lovers to ever exist."
"They are a bunch of damned fools in love," he mutters under his breath.
"You'll never forget that incident, will you?"
"Never," he grunts, shutting his eyes as Romeo lays his eyes on Juliet on stage.
We are at the grand theater which opened only last year in Rodeo Drive. Today's the first show for Romeo & Juliet and I booked our tickets for the balcony seats to get the best view possible. A part of me did it to piss Vaughn for sure but the other part just wanted to fulfill my dream of watching Romeo and Juliet live with my husband.
I'm kidding. I did it all to piss Vaughn.
Vaughn keeps his eyes shut as the drama progresses into the balcony scene. The girl playing Juliet stands at the top. Her eyes wander dreamily about her lover as he enters the garden. I stare fixedly at the stage, their acting pulling me into the drama I already know the ending of.
Vaughn lets out an exasperated breath and I turn to him. His eyes are open again and even though he pretends to be bored, I know that he is enjoying the show too. The actors are too good to not demand attention.
"You like it, don't you?" I ask, resting a hand under my chin as I watch him.
"No, I don't," he says but his eyes don't leave the stage.
He shifts a little closer as if to watch more closely when Romeo climbs over the balcony and cups Juliet's face between his hands.
I smile to myself. Never did I expect to be watching this Shakespearean drama with Vaughn Jackson. We are more suited for Macbeth.
It wasn't my first choice either. Rose gave me the idea, saying that it will bother her brother and get me some much-needed entertainment.
The show progresses and the lights around us dim or brighten with each scene. The hall is packed with an audience who laugh, cry and clap as one scene ends and the other begins. I forget about Vaughn for a while as I enjoy the show, the romance pulling me in.
"This scene always gets me," I sniff as Romeo gets the poison and settles on Juliet's tomb. "What do you think, Vaughn?"
I look at him only to find him dozing off with his head slouched to the side, arms folded over his chest, and softly snoring.
What the hell?
"Vaughn, wake up." I touch his shoulder and give him a shake but he grunts, shoving my hands away.
"Go away, Mom. I don't wanna go to school today," he mumbles incoherently.
The lights brighten as Juliet wakes up but Vaughn continues sleeping. I gape at him, unable to believe that he fell asleep after lecturing me all day about how he keeps his promises. His head drops further down, his large body cramping in the small seat and yet, he doesn't wake up.
As the drama ends, I see couples kissing each other, impressed by the actors' performances and rekindling their love. The audience erupts in cheers, clapping enthusiastically while my husband continues snoring, making me flush with embarrassment when people leaving the balcony give me sympathetic looks. I smile at them awkwardly.
Screw you, Jackson.
***
"Claire, please look at me," Vaughn pleads as we climb the stairs of the house to go to our room. "I'm sorry. I was just tired."
"You fell asleep," I remind him as I enter our room and switch the lights on. He has been begging me to talk to him ever since I hit him awake in the theater.
He grabs my elbow and makes me turn to him. "I was tired," he repeats. "I had a long day. I didn't want to fall asleep. You could have woken me up!"
"I did. You thought I was your Mom."
He blinks and a look of realization crosses his face. He closes his eyes and covers them with a hand.
"Shit, Claire...I'm so sorry." He withdraws his hand and takes a step towards me. I stare blankly as he puts his arms around my waist. "Let me make it up to you."
His fingers draw slow circles on my hips as he starts to inch a hand up my skirt, grazing the skin of my thigh with light touches. My legs start to weaken, goosebumps rising fast.
"Vaughn, I don't—"
I am cut off when he kisses me, shutting me up with a delicate flick of his tongue. I groan into his mouth, cupping his face with one hand and grabbing his shirt with the other. His touch is featherlight, birthing new butterflies in my belly.
He has taken his suit off and loosened his tie. The hard muscles underneath the cotton shirt urge me to touch him bare.
"It was just a little slip," he whispers as his mouth moves to my neck and he nips at my skin. "I kept my part of the bargain all day. It's your turn now."
His knuckles brush against my underwear, pressing at my sex.
"Ah...Vaughn!" I yelp when he pinches lightly at my spot, sending jolts of firing current through my body.
A smile shapes his lips. "I love it when you moan my name like that."
He showers me with more kisses, sliding lower until his nose is pressed against the exposed parts of my cleavage through my blouse. He drags his teeth against the neckline of my top, pulling it lower.
I let him do as he pleases. If he thinks he can get away with sleeping on me then he is in for some torture.
He pushes me a little and I find myself being dropped on the huge bed. I watch him as he pulls open his tie and unbuttons the top three buttons of his shirt before leaning in. He doesn't go for my lips first but instead grabs a mound of my ass with a hand and squeezes hard.
I yelp again and the sound deflates to a moan when he bites my nipple through my clothes, teasing me. His hardness presses against my thigh as he finds the waistband of my underwear and pushes it aside, leaving me bare to his touch.
"So wet..." he groans, pushing his hips against mine.
In this position, his erection through his dress pants hits my spot and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from crying out at the sensation. It is deliriously good.
"Vaughn please..."
He brings his eyes back to my face and places a full kiss on my lips.
"Please what, Claire?" He bites my bottom lip and then curls his tongue to lick the upper part. "Tell me and I'll give it all to you."
"Will you?" I ask, playing a game of my own when I feel him getting even harder as moments pass by.
"I will. Tell me what to do."
I make him look me in the eyes. His cheeks are colored pink and his heart beats loudly against the palm of my hand.
"Stop," I say.
He freezes, his hand under my skirt going still at my answer.
"What?" His throat bobs as he hisses, looking at my lips.
"I want to sleep." I move my hand under my skirt and grab his wrist. "I'm tired too."
I make him let go of me and he falls on his back on the bed when I get up. I walk over to the closet and throw it open, scanning through my clothes until I find the nightgown I was looking for.
"I don't understand," Vaughn says as I turn around and start to open my earrings, putting them on the bedside table. "That wasn't part of the deal."
"Really?" I meet his eyes in the mirror. His brown pupils are boring holes into me. "What was the deal then?"
His jaw clenches and he jumps up from the bed, not caring to hide the still-evident erection.
"The deal was that I get to fuck you today—"
"If?" I interrupt him while getting my nightgown and walking toward the bathroom.
"If I let you have me for one day."
"And did you fulfill your part or did you not fall asleep for the whole time that we were together?"
He looks at me like he is dumbfounded. "I did spend the rest of the day with you," he snarls, stalking toward me in brisk steps.
As I am about to open the bathroom, he puts a hand over mine and keeps it close with his strong hold. He has me trapped between his arms, my back to his face. However, I act unfazed. The spot between my legs starts to ache at the warmth of his body. Instead of heading to the bathroom, I want to lean back and let him snake his hand up my skirt, having his way with me.
"So, you fulfill fifty percent of the deal and expect me to grant my whole?"
"Fuck the deal, Claire!" He hits the bathroom door hard and I bite back my laughter. The agony in his voice is clear. "We both know what we want so why wait like fools? Come back to bed."
I don't face him as I cross my arms over my chest.
"No."
"Come back to bed, Claire. You can't leave me like this. I have waited all day." He presses his hips to my ass to make me feel how hard he is. His erection digs against me, making me squeeze my legs together. "Come back to the bed and take care of it."
"You can't take care of it yourself?" I taunt him. I can imagine the way his face must have twisted at that.
"Claire..." he deadpans.
"Vaughn..." I drawl.
He lets go of the door and I find his warmth vanishing as he walks away, distancing himself. I have the urge to look at him but know that I will lose the rest of my courage and give in if I do.
I pride myself on my victory and disappear into the bathroom.
***
When I come out dressed in my short silk nightgown, I find him sitting at the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He looks up at me and his pupils dilate as he takes in my appearance.
"What the fuck?" he growls. "You can't wear that to bed!"
"Why not?" I raise an eyebrow, walking over to my side of the bed, making sure to display all my assets to him as I walk.
"Because I can't keep my hands off you if you wear that."
"But you won't touch me, right?" I ask as I sit on the bed and run my fingers through my wet hair.
"Of course, I won't," he says. "But this is my room too and you can't stop me from jerking off then."
My hands stop halfway through untangling my hair when I hear that. Silence breeds between us as I think of something to say, but surprisingly, I can't. I instead find myself being curious to see what it would be like if he stays true to his words.
I turn and find him looking at me with an intent look in his eyes. The bed is huge but he occupies half of it with just his presence while I am like a tiny creature beside him. I slide up the bed and crawl over to him on my knees. Even though we are both on the bed, he is still taller than me and watches me with curiosity when I reach him.
"You are hard for me?" I tease him, lifting a hand and brushing the tiny strands of hair falling on his forehead.
He looks messy but ruggedly good. The top few buttons of his shirt are still undone, giving me a good view of his taut chest, dusted with fine hair. My touch makes his body tense, his jaw setting hard and his eyes turning hooded.
"Always," he replies, pressing his lips to my wrist when it brushes against them.
"Well..." I say in a thoughtful voice. "You did fulfill half of the deal. It means I should do my part too."
Something sparkles in his eyes at that and he swallows deeply. "Are you changing your mind?"
"No..." I shake my head. "But I have only done it once before so you'll have to teach me."
A crease appears on his forehead as he frowns, confusion skating through his face. "Teach you what?"
"Teach me how to make you come."