The Embrace by Vivian Wood

22

It's been two days since I've seen Kaia. I took the majority of that time to sulk and generally be self-absorbed. But now I've hit my limit.

That is to say, I realize that I missed her smile and her funny little way of laughing after she hears a joke. Not to mention, I woke up earlier with a raging erection that has stuck with me throughout most of the day.

Now it's seven in the evening and I am ready to get my girlfriend back.

I finish getting dressed, wearing my new tuxedo and finish tying my bow tie. Then I stride into her apartment, a long white plastic garment bag in my hand. She looks up from her iPad when I strut into her bedroom, frowning a little. I toss the bag onto the bed and give her a hard look.

“Get dressed. I'm taking you out.”

She arches a brow. “Just like that? No apology? You must think that I've forgiven you already somehow.”

I shrug a shoulder. “It doesn't really matter whether or not you have forgiven me. Put the dress on. Get ready. I'm going to take you out and shower you with attention and admiration. You know, in lieu of an apology.”

She stands up and crosses her arms, looking irritated. “No.”

“No?”

“That's right. I want the apology first. Then we can talk about whether or not I will be seen out with you.”

I cross the room and grab her hand, pulling her snugly against my body. She looks up at me and I look dead into her eyes. “I’m sorry. Okay?”

Her eyes tighten. “What are you apologizing for, exactly?”

I sigh silently. “I’m sorry that I am a monumental fucking asshole. I shouldn't have taken my feelings out on you. I was wrong. I'm sorry.”

Her eyes scan my face. “What about all the things that you said about me being in your space? That's why I am still over here in my own apartment.”

I wince. “I didn't mean it. I'm sorry.”

Kaia’s expression softens just a bit. “If you regret asking me to move in, you can just say so. I can move my stuff back in here.”

I cradle her face in my big hands and heave a frustrated sigh. “Please don't do that. Okay? I overreacted. You obviously have as much right to the apartment as I do. I just… I lost it a little. Again, I am really sorry. And I am glad that you live with me.”

She stares up at me for a few more seconds before I see a gentle blush spreading across the apples of her cheeks. “Are you a hundred percent sure?”

I place a chaste kiss on her lips. “I’ve never been any more certain of anything in my life.”

She sighs quietly and nods. “Okay.”

I slide my hands down to her waist and press her soft body into mine. Although I didn't mean it to be sexual, the motion turns into grinding my cock against her belly.

“I have to say, I do love making up with you…” I say, looking at her body lasciviously.

“Being in a fight with you stresses me the hell out. I can’t believe you are just over it all the sudden.”

I sweep my palm up her side and cup one of her breasts. “I’m thinking with my dick now. If I just always did what my body wanted me to, we would never fight.”

She rolls her eyes but I can see the hint of humor in her expression. “You have a one track mind. Should I get dressed or not?”

I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “Maybe you should let me watch while you change.”

“You are literally the worst,” she says with a laugh. “Give me a few minutes to wrap up what I am doing and then I'm all yours for the rest of the evening.”

I growl a little at her words and step in for another taste of her unbelievably sweet mouth. Then I release Kaia and move back, raising my hands.

“I’ll be waiting for you in the living room…” I start walking backwards and she giggles a little, shaking her head me.

When Kaia finally steps into the living room, my jaw drops. She's wearing a slinky black silk dress that shows off her cleavage and there's a slit up the side that gives me a sneak peek of her fantastically muscled thigh. My cock instantly goes hard as a rock. She is wearing a simple length of gold chain around her neck.

“Holy shit,” I utter. “Good God. You are absolutely radiant.”

Her smile dims just for a second but she soon recovers. “Thanks. I would guess that based on my outfit, we are going somewhere special for dinner?”

I am too busy ogling her to give her a proper answer. “Uh-huh,” I mumble. My fingers are itching with the need to touch her smooth skin through that silk.

After hustling her into a floor length midnight colored sable, I hurry us both down to the waiting limousine. As the driver takes off, I pull her coat aside and find the side slit in her dress, my fingers exploring and probing gently. Just teasing her skin, nothing more. She bites her lip and looks at me from beneath her long eyelashes, with a mixture of humor and a naughty bit of desire.

When we finally pull up outside the private New York peer, I watch her face as she climbs out of the limo. Her eyes widen as she takes in the site of the scene I have prepared just for us.

Thousands of string lights lead down toward the water line. There I have set up a table for two, laid with crisp white linen and sparkling glassware. Off to the right, a string quartet is set up and as I gather her hands in mine, they begin to play. She looks up at me with such surprise.

“Oh, Calum,” she whispers. “You did this for me?”

I nod. “Just for you, beauty. I hope that it will make my apology mean more.”

Her lips lifts at the corners. Her eyes glitter with what I can only hope is love. “Thank you. Your apology was already heard and accepted, but this pushes it over the top.”

I jerk my head towards the table. “Come on. Let's celebrate.”

I walk her over to her seat, carefully pulling her chair out for her. She lets me to seat her and smiles as I sit down across from her. I gesture with one hand and a waiter in full tie and tails sweeps in with the champagne bucket.

I smirk at her as the waiter fills our glasses to the brim. I notice that she frowns a little as she accepts the champagne flute he hands her.

I raise my glass and toast her. “To us.”

She looks vaguely uncomfortable as she puts the wine to her lips. Her sip is very quick and she soon puts the glass down and pushes it away.

I smack my lips and frown a little. “What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the wine?”

She gives me a small smile and reassures me. “No, I'm just not really in the mood for it. I have to dance early in the morning tomorrow.”

“Well, that's never stopped you before, but far be it for me to tell you when you should and should not drink.”

She smiles again and pulls the corners of her mink coat up higher. She changes the subject, using a bright voice. I notice her awkward behavior but I let it pass.

Hell, hasn’t she done the same for me time and time again?

“What's for dinner?” she asks.

I raise my hand again and the waiter reappears with two silver dome-topped plates. When he removes the covers with a flourish, he bows.

“Lobster thermidor, filet mignon, freshly shelled peas, and asparagus with lump crab meat.”

Kaia brings her hand up to her lips. Her eyes are wide as she looks at the lavish meal before her. “Gosh,” she says. “You went all out. I don't think I've ever had lobster thermidor before.”

She shivers as she picks up her fork. I frown and turn around to the waiter. “Can we get some heaters set up for the lady? She’s shivering.”

The waiter bows and makes himself scarce for a moment. I look back at Kaia and see her giving me a knowing smile.

“Do you have to do that?”

I pick up my fork and shrug my shoulders. “I don’t have to do anything ever, really. But if it makes you more comfortable, why not?”

She graces me with another small smile and picks at her lobster. Heaters are brought out and pointed at Kaia.

We progress through the meal, making small talk. I can't help but notice the fact that her behavior is really subdued the entire time.

Not to mention the fact that she doesn't eat anything except for a few peas.

I set down my fork, trying not to get angry about it. “Please don't tell me that you are on a restrictive new diet, I say.”

She looks up at me, a little surprised. “What? No? I'm just not that hungry. I… I ate right before you came into my apartment.”

I squint at her. I'm pretty sure that she's not being exactly truthful but I'm not willing to make a big deal out of it. After all, I am still trying to get back in her good graces.

I beckon to the waiter. “You can take these plates away.”

He clears the plates and we are left with a smooth expanse of linen stretching between us.

“I got you something.”

I reach in my pocket. Kaia’s eyes widen.

She blurts out, “You're not going to propose, are you?”

I frown at her. “Well now I'm definitely not going to,” I joke.

She looks so alarmed that I feel a little bad.

I wave her at her. “Relax. I wasn't going to propose. I did get you something though.”

I pull a small black velvet box out of my pocket and open it, handing it to her. In it are a pair of priceless teardrop diamond earrings, as big and showy as you please.

Kaia gasps a little bit and her hand goes to her heart. “Oh, Calum…” She looks up at me, her eyes filled with wonderment. “They're incredible. Thank you.”

I rock back in my chair, my lips pursing with a dark kind of humor. “What would you have done if I would've gotten down on one knee and proposed to you, I wonder?”

Her cheeks flush. “I just think that we should maybe talk about engagement and what it would be like to be married before you actually do something like that. In my mind, a girl should never be completely surprised by a proposal.”

My eyebrows arch. “Is that so?”

She turns an even deeper shade of red. “Yes. That is how I feel.”

“Well…” I lean forward and put my elbows on the table, squinting at her. “Let's talk about that, then. I’d like to be able to propose, if the moment seems right.”

Kaia blinks at me, looking as surprised as she has ever been. “Oh!”

I wait for her to say more, but nothing seems forthcoming

“That’s okay.” I prompt her. “So what are we supposed to talk about, exactly?”

She swallows and looks down at her hands, studying her nails. “I don't know. I mean… Marriage is a big step. We could talk about the importance of fidelity and honesty. But I think we both know that part. I guess… I'm just wondering what exactly you think the role of the future Mrs. Fordham would be.”

I lean back and throw my arm over my chair. “I don’t know. I mean, I can imagine a hundred different things. I think that it would just depend on what you want. For now, and for the foreseeable future, it would be a big wedding and a change in name for you. I could see you at some point joining multiple charitable boards. But that's probably years in the future.”

I pause, watching her face. She doesn’t react outwardly so I just push on. “Other than that?” I shrug. “I don't know. What you want me to say?”

Kaia still doesn't meet my eye. Her lips thin and she sighs a little. “I don't know either. I just…”

That's when I notice that she is trying to hold back tears.

“Whoa, whoa. What's going on?”

She shakes her head and her lips compress into a tight circle. I sweep around the table, pulling her out of her chair and into my arms.

“What is wrong?” I utter, completely taken aback.

She licks her lips and looks up at me, dashing away tears. “Nothing. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. I just… I think I'm just overwhelmed by the talk of marriage.”

Cupping her cheek, I gently lift her head and lower my lips to hers. Her kiss is sweet and sultry, her fingers digging into the lapels of my tux. She pushes up on her tiptoes, desperate to get closer to me. I respond by sweeping her off her feet and carrying her towards the limo, my mind settling on the back seat as where we are going to fuck.

We are too wrapped up in each other to say anything else and that is okay in my book.