Ben was gentle, which surprised me. The passion in his eyes told me he could devour me, but he held it together when I needed it and released the beast when I least expected.
I was thankful when he undressed me slowly. Genesis had made me wear my best lingerie. He kissed my shoulders as my bra flowed down my arms. Ben touched my breasts gently, then placed wet kisses between them. When he pinched my nipple the first time, the sensation burned straight to my center. But with each pinch, his tongue soothed the pain and increased my arousal.
Ben laid us on the bed, frantically moving the numerous pillows to the floor. I couldn’t see the room clearly, but I could feel the silkiness of the fabric under me and the desired heaviness of Ben’s body on top of mine. Sparks of pleasure fired below, causing the warmth to grow.
Ben's fingers lightly traced up and down my sides. I couldn't seem to get closer to him as his cock pressed stiffly against me. His hand softly caressed down my thigh, shifting my legs to open, then pulled my panties to the side, rubbing his tip between my folds. Our hips moved in unison, and when he went in deep, I held my breath and enjoyed every inch he gave me.
Slow and precise, Ben's movements had me close to the edge before he started over again. When the build became too much, my body moved at its own pace, and I soon found myself on my stomach before ending up on all fours as he guided my hips to his, losing the control I needed with each thrust. The room filled with our moans and pleasure, building up to the crescendo we hit together.
Ben collapsed on top of me, and the feel of his weight comforted me.
Several days later, I could still feel him, and it felt fantastic. Genesis had made fun of my constant smiling, but I didn’t care. Having Ben Schilling do what he did to me would put a smile on anyone's face.
Ben called to check on me Monday, and we made plans for another date.
The vulnerability he showed at his home was appreciated. He wasn’t one to share, and I would never push, but was thrilled he did with me.
When my mother died, everyone wanted to know how I felt and what they could do. I didn’t have words about how I felt, and they couldn’t bring her back, so I would give them the generic, “‘I’m fine.” I was far from fine, but people couldn’t accept the truth. I told one of her good friends what I was really feeling, and she didn’t know how to respond. I decided to spare everyone and myself any more awkwardness.
The next week was busier at the coffee bar, and I was hoping it was because of the advice Ted gave. He was one of the influencers I had met who came to see my set. He had great advice, and my numbers on social media were rapidly growing.
I thought it was a perfect time to take Mr. Schilling’s offer and seek his advice. I was surprised he squeezed me in that week. His assistant stated he wasn’t available for months, but she called back to let me know he would see me.
Harper Group was in Manhattan and housed on the top floor of a building I had admired from afar. The tall building’s architectural structure was on the tourist list as a must see. It had a hole carved out in the middle of the building where you could see straight through it.
Security let me in and escorted me to the access elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, it was surprisingly bright, everything white with accents of color here and there. I walked up to the receptionist who buzzed me in, past the double doors into a beautiful space of dark mahogany and walls of albums and pictures of artists. I was directed down the long corridor, passing offices and conference rooms into another reception area.
“Hello, I have an appointment with Peter Schilling. My name is Melody Dumas.”
The guy looked me over and instructed me to sit in the reception area. I sat there, trying to control my bouncing knee as I waited.
“Hello, beautiful lady.”
I stood, looking into his green eyes. He had on a burgundy three-piece suit and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.
“What a nice surprise. Are you here with Ben?”
Thomas, that was his name. Ben’s cousin.
“It’s nice to see you, Thomas.”
“You can call me Tom.”
“I am here to see Peter.”
“Randall, when Uncle Pete is ready, call me. I am taking this beautiful lady to my office.” He glanced at me. “Shall we?”
Thomas led me down the hall, into his office, and shut the door. Taking off his suit coat, he walked over to a bar in the corner. His office was large, uniquely decorated in an old-world type of way with tapestry rugs and artwork that looked like they belonged in a museum.
“Please sit. Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you,” I said, sitting on the dark leather sectional.
He poured something for himself, then came and sat by me. I scooted over a bit, wondering why he didn’t sit across from me or utilize the rest of the large couch.
Thomas crossed his long legs and placed his arm over the back of the sectional. His long blond hair was slicked back, and his emerald eyes seemed to be focused on my breasts.
“I don’t want to hold you up from anything,” I said, trying to get his eyes back to mine.
“You aren’t. I needed a distraction. Peter mentioned you’re a singer?”
“Yes, I’m here to get his advice on my career.”
“I work with many artists, sweetheart. I’m sure a few of them could help you out. After you’re done with Uncle Pete, why don’t you join me for lunch, and we can discuss it.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do lunch.”
“Dinner then? A girl like you would want to hear what I have to offer.”
His fingers brushed over my shoulder.
I stood.
“Thank you, but dinner won’t work. I better check to see if Mr. Schilling is ready. I don’t want to keep you away from your important work.” I left quickly and headed back down the hall. When I turned the corner, the guy at the desk stopped me.
“Ms. Dumas, Mr. Schilling said you can go right in.”
“Mmm... I missed you.”
I loved hearing Ben say those words. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him firmly.
“I missed you, too. How was your day?”
“Typical. Yelling at assholes who can’t do their job.”
“Poor baby,” I teased, kissing him again.
“This is making it better.” He laughed. Giving me several more pecks before taking my hand, he led me to his couch and sat next to me. “What do I owe this very pleasant surprise?”
After I left his father’s office, I was too excited to go home. I texted Ben to see if he wanted to do dinner and told him I was down the street from him. He invited me to his office.
Similar to his cousin, Thomas, Ben had a corner office, but his was much larger. He had a conference table to the right, his desk in the center, and the seating area to the left. He also had an en suite I saw because the door was open. The office was furnished in a contemporary style with a mix of dark and light gray tones.
Ben had very few pictures and nothing personal in his office, but the view of New York was stunning from that level.
“Your father set up some meetings with Blake and a few other artists. He also wanted me to create a demo and have a few producers work on it. Can you believe that?”