“He seems…intense.” I looked at Brian in the empty elevator, shaking my head.
“He is when it comes to business, and it’s been busy lately. I am learning a lot, though. I like it here.” I defended Landon, knowing he hadn’t been nice in the least to Brian. The short time they had chatted had reminded me of some pissing contest.
“Is he interested in you?” Brian asked, and I gave him a forced incredulous look.
“No. Of course not.” I stepped forward as he walked across the lobby with me. “It’s just work. Landon isn’t my type at all.” I vowed to never let him find out that we’d slept together as we walked outside and looked around. “So, where are we going?”
I was surprised when Brian took me to the restaurant Landon had that first night. It threw me off, but he was sweet and romantic. He listened to everything I had to say and didn’t toss back a few beers with dinner. It was a great date, and I found myself relaxing about the choice I was going to make tonight. Brian had a great, stable job that paid well, and he spoke of getting an apartment on his own in just a few months. He was seemingly tired of the way he was currently living.
Brian was maturing, and while I didn’t know if I was the reason, I appreciated it. He was giving me new hope for our future as we talked over the meal and then coffee and dessert.
When we left, it wasn’t with the urgent rush it had been with Landon. I didn’t want to fuck Brian and leave, but there was a pleasant feeling inside my stomach. Brian told me again that he loved me over dinner, and I responded in kind. I thought I could.
We went my apartment that night, laughing as we walked back to my bedroom. His kisses didn’t affect me the same way Landon’s did, but they were sweet and slow. Brian wanted to prove his feelings for me, and I was willing to give him a chance. He paid close attention to my body. He made me come when he went down on me, me crying out his name as I tried to push Landon out of my mind.
After we made sweet, slow love, I snuggled into his arms and looked out the window. There wasn’t the sound of his roommates talking loudly in his living room or the smell of pot floating under the door. Brian didn’t usually used to come here with me, but he had tonight, and I smiled as I listened to the sound of his breathing.
I was doing the right thing. Brian loved me, and I knew he could be the man I needed, as well as a big part of my future.
PART 2
Lily
It was a bit of an adjustment, but I managed to stay at my job even though Brian and I were back together. It wasn’t easy at first, but I stood my ground with Landon about us not being together any longer.
Brian was safe and right. Brian was the right choice for me.
I settled into my days working at my desk and dealing with Landon alone as little as possible. There was still a strong sexual attraction between us, and I saw the pain in his eyes when he looked at me, but I’d made my choice.
I noticed the circles under his eyes within a month of ending whatever it was that we’d had between us, and I assumed he was out drinking at night. It occurred more and more often, and I’d just watch him as he walked in looking at his phone, ignoring me. When he walked by me in silence, I just reminded myself that this was best and I’d made the right choice.
The first time a woman came in just before I was leaving for the night, my blood boiled. She was pretty, and she looked exotic in her clingy purple dress as she gave me a wink and a smile before disappearing into his office. In that moment, I was torn from being the mostly content woman who was comfortable with her choice and became a raging ball of jealousy. When the woman laughed and then something bumped against the wall, I saved what I was working on with a scowl on my face. I turned off the computer and walked out five minutes before I was supposed to, cursing Landon under my breath.
It was stupid and I knew it. He had every right to fuck whomever he wanted. Landon was a big boy and could make that choice, but I was fuming when I reached my car.
I recalled the night he’d admitted to using this same woman to make me jealous before we made love. I had thought it was flattering that night, but seeing her again hurt deep down. Was he playing the same game all over again? I started the car and drove home to my apartment, where Brian was making dinner for us, walking in and dropping my purse as I made my way to the kitchen. I stopped as I watched him stirring something on the stove, taking in how toned and lean he looked in the shorts he was wearing. “Hey.”
Brian turned his head and smiled at me. “Evening, baby. How was work?”
“Good,” I replied vaguely as I walked toward him and gazed into his eyes. I eased myself into his arms as I looked at the sauce on the stove, smiling as he set the spoon on a plate and pulled me close. Brian was doing everything he could to make it work with me this time, being sweet and romantic like he had been in the beginning. He was attentive now and spent most nights at my apartment, something that made me wonder what his intentions with me were. I kissed him, needing the contact as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Mmmm,” I murmured as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.
“Sauce,” Brian reminded me as I heard the thump from Landon’s office play through my mind again.
“Turn it off. We’ll eat later,” I said as I kissed him again, feeling him reach behind himself before pulling me against him. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he lifted me to carry me to the bedroom, where he pressed me down onto the mattress.
“You are relentless,” Brian said me as he kissed my neck and slipped his hands under my skirt. “I’m trying to cook you a nice dinner tonight and woo you, and here you are seducing me.”
“I want you,” I told him as I felt him slide my panties off before he pulled away from me.
“I want you as well. Take off that dress.” Brian watched me closely as I lifted the red vintage dress over my head, revealing my bare breasts. His eyes twinkled. “No bra at work?”
“I’m not that big and this dress is thick,” I said as I slipped my hands over my nipples to pluck at them. “Are you complaining?”
“Fuck, no. I want to pull your clothes off to find this every single night. You’re sexy, Lily.” Brian dropped his shorts and crawled over me. He kissed me long and hard before he moved down my body with his mouth, focusing on my nipples as he sucked one and then the other between his lips. He kissed down my stomach, teasing me with his tongue as I closed my eyes.
I tried to pretend it was only Brian and I in this room together, but memories played through my head as he eased me toward a release. I knew Landon had everything to do with the sensations in my body as I rocked against Brian, whimpering and moaning. He pulled back, breathing heavily before he moved up and slipped between my thighs to slide into my wet pussy. We didn’t use condoms anymore because I was on the pill. That was something I had taken care of right when we got back together, since it was going to last.
We moved together as our bodies dampened and I grew wetter for him, tighter. Brian knew I was tight after oral sex, which was when he preferred to be inside me. I came again as I dug my nails into his back, reminded of another time when it was with somebody else.
We returned to the kitchen to finish dinner after we recovered, sipping wine from the bottle as we fixed our plates. Brian went to the table first and I followed in my robe as we sat beside each other. Brian was smiling at me, and I gazed at him after another long swallow from the bottle. “What?”
“I decided to move out of the apartment and get away from the crowd. I’m looking for something more peaceful, and I was thinking you and I could make a go of things,” Brian said as my eyes widened. “I could move in here or we could get another apartment; whatever you want.”
“You want to live with me?” I asked, and he nodded and stared at me.
“I told you I love you. I want to make this work and take the next step.” Brian tilted his head and smiled at me. “Sounds good?”
I twirled some noodles around my fork slowly and took a bite. Brian had made a great sauce, and I chewed carefully as I considered the offer. Why not? He was a good man, and he’d more than proven his feelings for me over the last few weeks. “Yes, I’d like that. Do you mind staying here? It just feels like home to me.”
“This is a good place. We can turn the second bedroom into an office or something for us,” Brian said, and we began to discuss our plans. We ate slowly and laughed a lot, and I told myself this could work.
We cleaned up together and went to bed, making love again as I went down on my knees for him. Once we were done, I dropped to my side and curled up against him as Brian kissed my hair and told me he loved me.
Landon
Brian was playing the game well, sending Lily those flowers, though I would have gone for something a little more unique like she was. The ones I would have picked for her would have reflected her kind and generous nature, and they’d have been a color I saw her wear often, a color that made her skin glow. I noticed the little things about Lily, even now that we weren’t involved anymore.
Red roses. What a douchebag. Those could be ordered from any grocery store, much less a florist.
No matter what I thought of him, Lily cooled off towards me on that intimate level we were so good at. She was still an amazing worker and did everything she could as my employee, but it stopped there. Gone were the talks in my office when we were supposed to be working, as well as the way I had her on every surface I possibly could. We didn’t go to lunch anymore or plan working dinners.