“Then how the hell did you end up at my office?” I interrupt her, wanting her to get to the most important part quicker.
“Last week, someone approached me. He told me that he was a private investigator and was hired to find someone like me,” she says, making air quotes with her fingers. “This whole thing was odd, and I was freaking out. I told the guy to beat it, but he wouldn’t let up and then he offered me a bunch of money.”
“Who was that guy and what exactly did he tell you?” Asher speaks for the first time.
Kelly glances over at my brother, then back to me. “I don’t know if I should tell you anymore. I probably already said more than I should have and I don’t want to get in trouble.” She starts to get up and I hold my arm up, blocking her way.
“Please, Kelly, tell me. I need to know who put you up to this.” My voice is soft, I lost my anger at her while I was listening to her. She is guilty uncomfortable and sorry about this. Someone preyed on this pregnant woman, used her vulnerability against her and I know all about that. I feel a kinship with her I haven’t felt before. I actually feel sorry for her now. All the rage I felt is now directed at the person who did this to her.
She sits back down in her seat. “That guy who contacted me, his name is Steve Thompson, and he told me that someone will pay me a lot of money if I come out and tell everyone that you are the father. I said no at first, but he was persistent. He told me that I never had to worry about money again. That my child would always be taken care of…” She trails off, looking around the room, guilt marring her face.
“Don’t feel bad for doing this. This isn’t your fault,” I tell her. She swings her gaze back to me, her eyes wide in shock about what I just said.
“I can’t believe you are so nice to me right now. I figured you would hate me, maybe even sue me or something.”
“I’m not mad at you, but please, do you know who hired Thompson?”
She nods slightly. “I don’t think Thompson was supposed to mention it. It looked like it slipped out.” She pauses for a moment before continuing. “At one of the meetings, he said, ‘my client’s son,’ referring to you. It’s your father. Your father hired Thompson, I don’t know why he did it, but according to Thompson, it was him. I’m really sorry… about all of this.”
I feel like the chair I’m sitting on is being pulled from underneath me and I am falling into a bottomless black hole. My father? Why? Why would he do this? More than before, I am grateful that Ash is with me now. I look over to him, finding the same shock I’m feeling plastered on his face.
“I should go,” Kelly whispers, getting up from her chair. This time I don’t stop her. “Again, I’m sorry.”
“If there is anything you need… for the baby or whatever, you can call me. I’ll help you out any way I can.”
“Are you serious? After everything… you are going to offer to help me?”
“Yes, I’m serious. Just please make sure everybody knows that the baby is not mine.”
“Of course, thank you,” she tells me, giving Asher a courteous smile and nod before walking out the pub.
For a moment, we just sit there in silence. Neither one of us knows what to say. It dawns on me that neither Ash nor myself, doubt what she said. It bothers me knowing that my father is capable of something like this. I don’t need Sherlock Holmes to figure out why he did this. He dislikes Bailey, he always did, he let us know more than once. He did this to drive a wedge between us, to end our relationship. Even worse, he almost succeeded.
When the waiter walks by Asher stops him to order two whiskeys. I tip the glass back, emptying the entire contents into my throat, before slamming the heavy glass back onto the table.
“I can’t fucking believe him.” Asher breaks the silence first. “I mean, I knew he didn’t like you dating Bailey, but this… that’s a whole other level of fucked-up.”
“Tell me about it.” Fuck, I almost lost her because of this. The thought still sits heavy on my heart. Just thinking about being without her the last few days has my stomach in knots and my chest aching.
“What are you going to do?” Asher asks. I know he is asking about Dad, he wants to know what I am going to do about our father, but right now I don’t want to think about that. All I want to think about is going home, seeing Bailey. Holding her in my arms, feeling her body against mine, breathing in her scent.
“I haven’t seen Bailey in three days. I’m going to go home, and I intend to make up for lost time.” My brother’s grin is the last thing I see before leaving the pub.
The drive home only takes me a few minutes, but even those feel too damn long. I park in front of my building and almost run inside and to the elevator. When I get to my apartment and unlock the door, I only have one thought running through my mind. Please be here.
I open the door and walk inside. I don’t see her, but I know she is here. The emptiness this place held for the last three days is gone. It’s been replaced with a warmth, a light, that is only present when she is here. My Sunflower.
I drop my keys and phone on the entry table and start looking around for her. I find her in my bathroom. The shower is on, steam escaping when I open the door and step in. She turns and wipes the fogged up glass of the shower stall so she can see me better.
“Hey you, I didn’t think you would be back so soon.”
“Do you mind if I join?”
“Of course not… come in.”
I strip out of my clothes, dropping them uncaring into a pile on the floor. Sliding open the shower door, another cloud of steam hits me as I get in. I step into the water, meet Bailey’s body in the midst of the spray of hot water.
“What happened? Did she meet with you?” Bailey questions.
“Yes, everything is fine, but I don’t want to talk about that right now.” I don’t want to talk at all for that matter.
I snake my arms around her, pulling her as close as I can without crushing her. My lips find hers and I lose myself in her. I feel like we kiss for an eternity, but it’s still not enough.
When we finally break apart, we are both panting. My hard cock is pressed against her stomach like a steel rod. God, I want her. I want her so fucking much. She reaches between us and wraps her small hand around my length. I almost come then. It’s been only three days since I had her, but it feels like years have gone by. I feel like I am starving for her.
She strokes my cock a few times and I can see the lust simmering in her eyes, reflecting back my own lust like a mirror. The last shred of my restraint rips into pieces and I can’t hold on any longer.
I bend down a few inches and grab her upper thighs, lifting her up. She gasps, her arms and legs wrapping around my torso as I take two steps forward until her back is pushed up against the tiled wall.
“I need to be inside of you, Sunflower. I need to feel you,” I pant, hovering over the edge of insanity.
“Please, Elijah… fuck me…” Her words have barely left her mouth before I press into her. Burying every inch of myself into her tight cunt. Fuck, nothing else feels like this. Feels so… so fucking perfect.
She is more than wet, she is drenched with need, ready for me to pound into her, and that is exactly what I am doing. I thrust upward, fucking her as deep as I can, claiming her from the inside out. Her nails dig into my skin as she holds onto me, pulling me closer, even though I can’t possibly get any closer, there is nothing but skin between us.