Christmas and New Year's had passed by in a blur, both of them being spent by Aaliya by my side. After the trip to Mumbai, Aaliya and I had grown closer than ever, spending almost every single waking minute with each other. I'd come so close to saying those three little words to her. But I stopped myself every time, knowing that the timing wasn't right - though in my heart, I knew that I hadn't ever felt this way about anyone. It was getting harder and harder to not confess my feelings every single time we were in proximity of the other, however.
My parents had called me over to celebrate the holidays with them, but I'd politely declined because honestly, I didn't have it in me to hop on a flight and back just for a handful of days. Also...because I didn't want to leave Aaliya alone. From what I'd gathered, she hadn't spoken to either of her parents since we'd come back. Good riddance, I'd say. Why should she keep people who didn't value her around anyways? Her parents were the type of people who were hell bent on molding her according to their ideals. I'd be damned if that caused her to hide her true self. Mon soleil was perfect the way she was.
The ringing of my office phone snapped me out of reverie. I still had to get used to being back to work after a prolonged holiday.
"Neil Miller, speaking."
"What the hell, Neil? What is the meaning of this?" Keith's voice stunned me into disbelief for a second because I was totally not expecting for him to call. Nor was I expecting the angry shout at the other end of the line. Usually, he was so calm and collected.
"Keith," I said, using his first name instead. "What's wrong? I don't know what you're going off about."
A hmph sounded from the phone before he spoke again. "I've been slapped with tax fraud, Neil! That's what has happened."
"What?" My head reared back in confusion. "How...?" I trailed off as my mind catalogued over everything we'd done and I was sure we'd done it right.
"Your Finance Director that you were praising endlessly when we met? Yeah, it doesn't seem like she's done her job right if this is the result."
"Hold up." My muscles became rigid at the accusation. "First of all, Aaliya is the most professional person I've ever had the pleasure to work with." I took a deep breath before continuing. "And second of all, I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding. I made sure to check all the documents that were supposed to be filed to the tax department myself."
Keith heaved a long sigh. "Right. I'm so sorry. It's just..." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "It's been stressful ever since we got the notification from the department last week and I wasn't able to contact you because of the holidays."
"I understand."
"I didn't mean what I said about Miss Joshi. I apologise for that, by the way." His voice sounded haggard. "You need to fix this, Neil and see what's up because this could potentially be the downfall of my business that I've worked so hard to build."
"I hear you." My fingers were simultaneously typing as I went to access the online portal of the Seattle tax department. "And we'll figure this out, don't worry. I meant it when I said that your accounts are in the best hands. I'm sure it's just some confusion. It's happened before."
At my assurance, Keith thanked me before hanging up. My eyes roved over the screen and I cursed as I realised that the website was down for maintenance. Thankfully, the deadline for resubmitting documents or a query wasn't until next week - which gave us plenty of time to figure shit out. But it also coincided with the mandatory company retreat.
My hand automatically reached for the phone as I dialled the number for Aaliya's office. "Hi, could you just come into my office for a second?"
"Sure. Give me a minute." Came her cheery voice. My heart sank at the news I'd have to break to her.
Within a few moments, a knock sounded on my door and Aaliya entered, glancing around the room as a blush colored her cheeks - no doubt remembering what had transpired between the last time we'd been alone here together.
"You needed me?"
"Yeah, uh, actually." I cleared my throat. "Why don't you take a seat?"
I spoke again once she was seated, the anxious expression on her face making me send her a small smile. "Keith Madden just called me and let me know that he's gotten a notice for tax fraud."
"What?" Her gasp echoed around us, her head snapping back in shock - just as I'd imagined her reaction would be. "How is that possible? We made sure to thoroughly check everything and -
"I know. I know, Aaliya. Breathe, mon soleil." Her face had twisted into a panicked expression and I could see her struggling to breathe. I had no doubt that she was blaming herself for not detecting any mistake. "I'll tell him what I told you. That it's probably a mistake. Things like these happen all the time." Well, not really, but whatever. We'd figure it out as we'd go.
"But what if it's not? A mistake, I mean." She was biting her lip raw now as she fiddled with her fingers.
"We'll figure it out." I put my hand on hers as she finally relaxed in the chair. "Besides, we've got until next week because right now, there's some technological glitch on the website."
"But we have the office retreat next week."
"Yeah. But the good news is that we'll be getting back in time to file a query with the income tax department. Until then, we can do nothing but wait. We'll be going for four days only as it is - I checked the calendar."
"Well," she sighed. "I guess you're right."
"I'm always right, mon soleil." She rolled her eyes at my cheeky grin, getting up to leave as I followed behind her. "I'll see you tonight." I whispered, just for her ear. "Naked and in my bed." Before she could chastise me, I smacked her ass and sent her on her way with a scandalised expression.
***
Turns out, office retreats could actually be fun and not boring as shit even though it was full of a bunch of middle aged people getting wasted on free booze. Huh, who'd have thought? Though I suspected that the only reason I was somewhat enjoying myself was because of the woman who was currently talking to one of her colleagues, a glass of wine in her hands.
HR had decided to rent a gated community of villas right on the outskirts of the city, about two hours of a drive away. The bigger one was obviously for me - which was a perk since it was isolated - while the smaller ones rested in a line ending on the other side. We'd gotten here yesterday and the remaining part of the day had been for us to relax and acclimate ourselves to our temporary surroundings. Today, however, was a completely different thing. We were supposed to go on a scavenger hunt in a few minutes. The twist to the game? The clues would be based on our company and its history and the ultimate prize was a week's worth of paid holiday to whoever won. Most of the older employees had opted out since the hunt meant that they'd have to walk through the entire expanse of the property. Others, along with some newer employees, were pairing off or going individually. Mac, as usual, was the host and had roped me into this nonsense. I wasn't really jumping at the opportunity to do this, but whatever. Team spirit, am I right?
Aaliya, on the other hand, looked far too enthusiastic - if the way she was hopping from one foot to another and constantly glancing towards the raised platform was anything to go by. We hadn't really talked about the whole 'us being in a relationship' thing because that would bring up a lot more questions. I mean, we were officially dating at this point - three months now - but were we ready to declare our relationship to HR? Was it too early? Who knows. I guess both of us were just pretending to be delusional - if we didn't address it, we didn't have to talk about it.
"You excited?" Aaliya had made her way over to me and smiled. Based on the slightly dazed look in her eyes, I'd say she was well on her way to tipsy.
"To play a game that's meant for seven year olds?" I asked, with an amused smile.
"Oh come on!" She rolled her eyes, thumping me in the shoulder. "Don't be such a Debby Downer."
"Look who's talking." I mused with an arched eyebrow.
"Hey, don't judge. Sometimes I like to let my inner child free, okay? And now is one of those times." She retorted as I fought the urge to pull her closer in front of everybody.
"No judgement from my side." I raised my hands, one of them clutching a beer bottle. Aaliya narrowed her eyes at me but before she could speak, Mac's voice boomed from a microphone as he announced that the game was about to begin.
"Wanna partner up?" Aaliya grinned as she asked me. I nodded my head, leaving my IPA on the nearest table before following her.
The bell that signalled the start and end of the game rang as everybody spread out, ready to hunt down the clues. Aaliya and I turned right, following a straight path ahead before we found our first clue.
"Aha!" She exclaimed, holding the piece of paper in her hand and raising it above her head as if it was a trophy. "What year was Benjamin Miller featured in the Time Magasine's 100 most influential people issue?" Aaliya hummed in thought for a second before her eyes lit up. "2013!" She snapped her fingers as the answer hit her before rotating in the spot so that she was facing left now. "Come on, this way! I saw a sign that had the number 2013 on it."
"How the fuck do you even know this shit?" I mumbled as I jogged behind her. I mean, Benjamin Miller was my father and even I didn't know this. Seemed like someone was a hardcore fan. The thought made me snicker as I stopped behind her, marvelling at the way my girlfriend's brain worked. God, she was amazing. And I was one lucky man to be with her.
***
It was late evening by the time the scavenger hunt had wrapped up and everyone had made their way to the firepit we were sitting around right now. A guy and a woman from IT had won the paid leave. To say that Aaliya was bummed would be an understatement. She was sulking. Like a child. It turned out that my girl was highly competitive when it came to things like these. Lucky for her, I had just the right solution.
We'd just finished dinner together a few minutes back, whiling the time away before one by one, people started getting up and retreating to their rooms. From the corner of my eye, I saw Tina leave as well with another woman. Soon enough, only a handful of us were left until it boiled down to Mac, Aaliya and I. With a pat to my shoulder and a wink in Aaliya's direction, Mac left as Aaliya got up to follow him and do the same.
"Wait." I held her wrist, still staying seated on the small folding chairs that had been brought. "How about you come over to mine tonight?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively as I got up.
"What if someone sees?" Her eyes darted around in the dark but there was no one to be seen, only the silent calls of owls penetrating the air.
"They won't." I reassured her, knowing that she only needed a little nudge. "Now come on. My villa's got a ton of privacy."
Aaliya sped up her pace to keep up with me, nearly tripping in the process as she giggled. The sound was so sweet and carefree that it almost made me stop. Almost. But I was a man on a mission tonight.
"Oooh!" Aaliya's voice was excited as she looked around in awe. "You have a pool." She whispered as she stepped closer.
"Perks of being a CEO, I guess." I shrugged out of my t-shirt, pulling it off swiftly over my head with one hand.
Aaliya turned around to face me, mouth gaping open just as I closed the gate behind us.
"Fuck." She cursed as her fingers played with the hem of her dress.
"Exactly. Fuck." I repeated as I stalked closer to her.
She whirled around suddenly, giving me her back and facing the pool as I stopped in my tracks, confused. "What -" My words trailed off as she slid out of her dress, only covered in a string bikini.
I moved closer, noting the goosebumps on her arms as the chilly air assaulted us. It was a bit warmer here than out in the city, hence why we didn't have to bundle up or wear jackets.
"Help me?" She turned, tilting her up at me, her eyes wide as a coy smirk played on her lips.
And I knew exactly what she was asking. My fingers went to the small of her back, trailing upwards as she shivered under my touch. Her reaction gave me a perverse sort of pleasure, as if she was as affected by me as I was by her. I swiftly undid the knot as her top slid off, baring her naked back to me. She turned to face me once again, the sight of her full tits making me want to fuck her right there on the floor.
"Fuck you're so gorgeous." I muttered, scrubbing a hand across my jaw.
"Show me." She demanded, right before she fell back into the pool, her body a blurry figure underneath the water.
I didn't waste another second as I stripped out of my khaki shorts, only keeping my boxers on. I dove right in as her head broke through the surface while she inhaled the air greedily. Pushing back the wet hair that was flopping in my face, I prowled towards her, taking her mouth in a bruising kiss as I poured every single emotion into it that I couldn't put in words. Aaliya moaned and sighed, those soft sounds making my cock as hard as steel beneath the elastic. We spent a long time like that. Just making out and mapping each other's bodies in the water. It could have been a minute or an hour before I pulled back, tracing the delicate lines of her face.
"I need you. Right now."
At her nod, we both got out of the pool and I lifted her into my arms, blindly moving in the direction of the door and pushing it open. I somehow managed to climb the stairs and into the room with her, uncaring that the windows were transparent and that anyone could catch us. I set her down to her feet as we both panted heavily.
"Where do you need me?"
In my bed. Anywhere. Everywhere.
"Here is fine." I said, instead, jerking my head at the neatly made bed.
She plopped onto the mattress as I placed my knees beside her legs, pulling her bottoms off. "You look so fucking sexy right now, mon soleil. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you." I said unthinkingly, taking a moment to appreciate her.
"What have I done to deserve you?" She murmured, her eyes growing soft as she cupped my face.
"By just being you." I replied easily. "The real question is, what have I done to deserve a smart and insanely talented woman like you? I'm so lucky to call you my girlfriend." I kissed the corner of her mouth as silence ensued between us. Confused that I'd said the wrong thing, I opened my mouth to say something, but she beat me to it.
"I love you." She blurted out, eyes wide and panicked. But she didn't take the words back. And that was the moment something eased in my chest as the woman I loved confessed her feelings for me. "You don't have to say it back. Like no pressure. I was just -
I pressed a finger to her lips, effectively shutting her up, before touching our foreheads together. "I love you too, mon soleil." The smile that broke out on her face after I'd said those words made me feel like I was the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.
"Say it again."
"I love you." I said. "I love you. I love you." I peppered kisses all over her face as she squirmed beneath me. "Ask me what you asked me before? About my nickname for you?"
Comprehension dawned on her as she instantly understood what I was saying.
"What does it mean? Why do you call me mon soleil?"
"It means my sun in French. Because you're the light in my life, Aaliya. Until you, I never knew that I was living in darkness, pretending to be happy. Last time, I told you that I called you that because you were grumpy. But that wasn't the truth." I admitted, giving her the real truth. "It's because you changed something in me. And I think I knew it the first night we met."
"I think I knew it too, somewhere deep down." She confessed with a sigh, reaching for my boxers.
I let her, revelling in the feel of her small, soft hand stroking my erection. I pulled back, knowing that even a little touch would set me off and would end up in me coming all over her hand. I didn't want that. I wanted to be inside her when I came.
"Need to be inside you. Like yesterday." I grit out as Aaliya glanced at me, nodding.
I reached out towards the drawer, remembering that I had stashed a couple of condoms the night before.
"Wait." She said suddenly. "I'm on birth control." My hand suspended in the air as I took a moment to process her words, her nervous gaze locked somewhere on my stomach.
"You want me to go bare?"
My question had her fumbling for an answer as she snapped her eyes to mine. "I mean, yeah, if you want to. I've never had sex without a condom before. But it's totally fine if you don't want to." She continued, backtracking. "I get -
"Aaliya." Her word vomit stopped when I said her name. "Me neither."
She let out a sudden breath as she rolled her lips together. "Okay."
Well, fuck. The thought of no barriers between us sent shivers through me as I retracted my hand and placed it on her hip instead.
My fingers toyed with her clit, applying pressure as she whimpered lightly. I didn't play with her too much thought, too desperate to give us both what we wanted. I notched my cock at her entrance and with one surge, I was seated inside her. Her back arched with the force of my thrust, a quite keening sound coming from her throat. I held myself still, fighting against the feelings that I was going through. Because there was only one word to describe this - euphoric.
"Shit." I cursed as her pussy clenched me tight. "You're so fucking wet for me, mon soleil." My jaw tensed before I started out with slow, testing thrusts. "So tight. I haven't even done anything and your pussy has got me in a vice-like grip."
"Neil. Fuck." She gasped, her hands latching onto my biceps as we stared unblinkingly at each other, holding eye contact. "Fuck me harder."
"Your wish is my command." Was the only thing I said before I increased my speed, the sound of the headboard banging against the wall the only noise in the room apart from our heavy breathing. "Jesus. Look at how well you take me." My words came out rough and gritty as my eyes snagged on the way we joined.
I continued my pace, praising the way she fit me so perfectly as I felt my balls draw up tight.
"I'm gonna come." I said through harsh breaths.
"Me too." Aaliya's desperation mirrored mine as she lifted her lips. Her fingers found their way down, lightly grazing the spot where we met, before rubbing her clit. "Just like that. Make yourself come, baby." My molars were grinding so hard together that I was sure I was about to hear about it from my dentist. "Come for me. Now." I commanded in a deep voice, right as her walls fluttered around me, almost choking my dick. With one feral cry, my cock swelled and pulsed as I came inside of her, pouring every single drop of me.
I braced myself on my forearms before flopping down to the side, a combination of sweat and chlorine water making the bed sheets stick to my back. "We should probably tell HR about this, shouldn't we?" I said once we'd caught our breath.
Aaliya rolled to her side, facing me as she laughed. "Yeah we probably should."
"I love you, Aaliya." My eyes were slowly drifting shut as I cocooned her in my arms, resting her head on my chest.
"I love you too, Neil." Were the last words I heard as I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
♡♡♡
sob sob their first love confession🥹 this chapter is def equal parts swoony and spicy hehe. we're so close to the ending besties...can't believe it's gonna be over soon😭
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