Sending a huge shoutout to Trusoutherner, LoamiVuibau and jirapatel for being the first 3 persons to comment on the last chapter! Thank you! xx ❤
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I an
Spencer and I had agreed to travel closely behind each other so I wouldn't get lost getting to the party. After seeing Vanessa just less than two hours ago, my mind was in shambles, I could not get her out of my head and although I had seen her for myself I still found it a bit hard to believe.
I had actually found her. And yet not really, to put it dramatically, she had fallen right into my arms. I couldn't resist my smile as I thought back to the look of surprise on her beautiful face. And what a face - so incredibly fresh and beautiful, not a single blemish, just smooth pristine skin, pale pink lips, and big hazel eyes. She'd been like a schoolgirl then, a little messy bun at the top of her head, a few playful tendrils of hair feathering her skin. She still felt incredibly soft when I had held her and I could have done nothing in that moment but reflect on how she had felt when I had touched her body countless times before.
I wanted to ask her questions, seek on how she was doing - I wanted to know it all but she had shot me down yet again, seemingly in a greater hurry this time. And I had thought, after finding her, I was losing her yet again with nothing to keep in touch. I still pursued her, and luckily for me this time, I had gotten her number. I was eager to see how it would turn out in the morning when I'd give her a call.
"Ready?" Spencer asked as we arrived at the mansion and came out of our cars.
"Yeah, let's go, " I said adjusting my cufflinks and the gift bag in my hand as Spencer and I made our way inside.
It was the usual uptown, classy setting with people belonging to the high class, dressed in their best or close to their best. I had been to several of these functions over the years and all were the same where the people were concerned.
Nevertheless, I put my best smile in place and entered, hoping for the best but expecting the worse.
As I made my way through, acknowledging everyone with a smile, my gaze shifted to a figure at a far end, dressed in tailored black pants and a white shirt. I didn't know whether to think I was the luckiest bastard alive or what but I was seeing Vanessa again and it was downright incredible.
She obviously had seen me first, that surprised look was on her face again and I swear it was the cutest thing.
Can't run from me this time Vanessa.
I smiled and watched as she turned paper pale.
"Come on, let me introduce you to my sister first then you can attend to the beautiful Miss Webster," Spencer said as he rose a brow and smiled.
"You know her?" I asked.
"Well yes, she and her mother are friends with Simone. We've met occasionally. She comes from a very influential background - very nice people."
"Nice."
"Perhaps you'd want to tread lightly. She recently ended a relationship with a low life who called things off on their wedding day. Poor thing."
"What a son of a bitch, " I said as I pretended to be oblivious about it all.
"That he is. Come on, let's go see Simone, " Spencer said as he directed me to his sister.
Simone was talking to two other persons when Spencer interrupted.
"Spence, you made it!' She exclaimed as she embraced Spencer with a hug.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, " he kissed her on the cheek and then turned to me. "Simone this is Ian, Gregory's second son and now CEO of Matrix Appliances and Hollingsworth Enterprises."
Simone's eyes widened. "Yes, well I should have figured. You are the spitting image of your father, Spence has told me quite a bit about you, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you."
I smiled. "Thank you and congratulations on your 25th anniversary, " I handed her the small gift and she took it with a delighted smile as she searched the champagne bag.
Her mouth popped open. "Wow, Dom Perignon, thank you! " she said as she gave me a hug.
By now I was grinning. "You're most welcome."
"Arent you the sweetest. Well boys, make yourself comfortable and enjoy."
After a brief conversation thereafter, Spencer introduced me to a few others. I glanced around the room and realized Vanessa was in deep conversation with an elderly man. She was so engrossed and the bewildered look had melted from her face, now to be consumed by pure joy. She was laughing, at one point her head was slightly tilted backward showcasing such an aura of beauty and happiness.
A tinge of jealousy consumed me as I scrutinized the interaction but I quickly shrugged the feeling aside, thinking back to how I had made her head tilt back while I made her writhe in pleasure in Las Vegas.
I looked around in search of Spencer. He was in a full-on conversation with some man about golf and the new club they had joined. I figured it was now my opportunity to slip away and so I did as I moved towards Vanessa. The conversation between her and the man ended and he walked away, leaving Vanessa still smiling and unaware of my pursuit.
I stepped in front of her and this time she wasn't as surprised; perhaps she had been expectant.
"Are you stalking me?" She asked, arms crossed.
I chuckled. "Not in the slightest. This is what I call fate..."
"Or a huge coincidence, " she interjected pithily.
"Call it whatever, it's nice to be seeing you again after your hasty exits in the past."
She released a small sigh. "I'm sure you can imagine how embarrassing the whole ordeal was for me. I still am embarrassed I did such a thing, " she said, glancing to her side to see if she was at risk of being overheard.
"There's no need to be and if that's the case, how do you think I should be feeling - the guy who asked you to marry him in Vegas."
The faintest of smiles curled her lips and if I wasn't looking at her so closely I might have missed it.
"Come on, let's go somewhere private to talk, " I suggested.
"I'm working, I can't."
"Only five minutes... Please."
"Ian-"
"Five tiny minutes, " I asserted and watched as her posture eased and she conceded.
"Okay fine, meet me outside in two minutes."
"Okay, don't go running off now."
She flashed me a hard look and I grinned as I moved off, took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, and downed it in one go. I then proceeded to head outside.
"Where are you off to?" Spencer asked, stopping me in my tracks.
"I er- I'm just going to return a call."
"Ok don't be long, I think I spotted Jerry Bush, " he said, referring to shareholder.
"Okay, I'll be back shortly." He nodded and returned to his conversation with the other guests.
I stepped outside and compared to the warm inside, outside was really chilly. I moved to a dimly lit area where my car was parked so Vanessa could see me when she came out.
True to her words, she came. I watched her silhouette as she approached, her hips still evident in the pants she wore.
"I didn't think you'd actually come."
"I almost didn't."
"You didn't tell me you were a fancy caterer slash pastry chef."
"There is a lot we didn't talk about," she inserted smoothly.
"But we did a lot of things, " I said, watching as her cheeks flamed.
"Listen, I'm pretty straight forward, I don't beat around the bush so I'm gonna come right out and tell you, I missed you..."
"Ian-"
"I hadn't looked forward to you running away with the possibility of never seeing you again."
"Well that's usually the point of one night stands, " she argued firmly.
"Come on, we were a little more than that wouldn't you say?"
"I-"
"I'm not asking you to marry me...again, I'm just asking for a chance to be friends at least."
"I think we both know 'friendship' wouldn't work for us." She said, folding her arms to bar off the cold.
I instantly shrugged off my jacket and wrapped it around her. "Thank you."
"Well let's not be friends then, let's be more than that."
"I'm not ready for a relationship."
"I can make you ready."
"Ian-"
"It doesn't have to be serious - no strings attached."
"I'm not that kind of girl."
"So you're going to walk away from me again? I know you say one thing but if I come a bit closer, " I stepped forward. "I know your body has already started to react to me."
She visibly swallowed but kept quiet. I inched closer and held her by the waist, felt how incredibly small she felt in my hands - how good. I pulled her against me and immediately felt a stirring in my groin as our bodies made contact. A small gasp escaped her slightly opened mouth and my temptation prompted me to taste them with my own.
Her lips were soft and warm, certainly welcoming in the chilly night. I pressed my legs against hers as the clean, heady smell of her skin filled my lungs. I deepened the kiss, wanting to savor every moment, my hands tightened around her and we were like magnets, completely drawn in by the other. The hesitance I earlier felt on her subsided, she relished in the feeling as much as I did and I was happy with that.
My senses were completely alert, mixed with her smell, taste, and feel, it took everything within me not to rip off her clothes and have her then and there. She aroused such a fire within me that would be so hard to extinguish after. I cornered her against my car, our lips still joined while my tongue explored her sweet mouth, grazed against her teeth, desperate to taste more of her sweet flesh.
This woman was breathtaking.
Vanessa pulled apart, her breathing a bit labored, her lips slightly agape while she looked at me, her hazel eyes ablaze with lust. "I can't - I have to get back inside. My staff must be wondering where I am."
I didn't want her to leave – not yet."Have dinner with me tomorrow night, " I suggested, she rubbed her forehead.
"I can't. I will be crazy busy."
"At eight?"
"Ian..."
"I'm a persistent man, Vanessa."
"Fine."
I smiled. "Where should I pick you up?"
"Er- The Starling."
I choked out a laugh. "You've got to be kidding!"
Author's note:
Hey guys, I know I promised a double update about two days ago but I was completely held back. I suffered a tremendous loss which I'm still completely shocked and saddened by. My aunt died from the coronavirus and I was so devastated and uprooted ...I still am, but I am able to produce these chapters because I was almost done writing them when she passed. I didn't want yall to wait any longer after my promise so I decided to post.
Please be safe out there,
Live good, love. Love. Love
Xoxo ❤