Lured into Lies by Melanie Martins
Chapter 13
Manatthan, November 24, 2020
Alexander Van Dieren
With a clear confession of Amanda lying about her assault, the judge had no other option but to dismiss the case. I have never seen a courtroom filled with so many journalists desperate for me to go on trial. Well, too bad for them—Ms. Parker lied, and the headlines aren’t gonna look like they expected––once again. Unless, of course, they decide not to cover the case, which wouldn’t surprise me. While Ryan gathers his files, I look at the table beside us and see Eric is pretty demoralized to have lost, again. There are few things in this world that can bring me as much joy as seeing this asshole so sad.
“You don’t say goodbye?” I ask him as he passes through us.
Despite looking at me with an air of annoyance, Eric moves back to get closer to me. Amusement tickles his lips as he says, “There is no goodbye here. I’m sure we’ll see each other very soon.”
“After losing the second case against me, you should really just give up, Eric,” I reply, containing a laugh. “Go and try to find someone else to play with.”
Eric stands inches from me, and drawing out a breath, he looks me in the eye and says, “Keep laughing as long as you can, Van Dieren. Something tells me it’s not gonna last.” Is he threatening me? There’s genuine disdain in his voice, and I believe at this point the hate he has for me is truly personal. His ego got a blow not once but twice, and he isn’t gonna give up until he wins.
“You will lose if you appeal,” I tell him straight away.
“I’m not talking about this case…” While I crease my brows in confusion, his lips twist in a wicked smile. “Have a good one.” And he turns and leaves the court with Amanda and the rest of his team.
“Alex?”
I turn and find Ryan holding his phone. “Roy would like to talk to you.”
Roy? Now that’s a surprise. “Yes?”
“Congrats for the win,” he says with an enthusiastic voice, like he used to when we were best friends. “The news just came in.”
“Thanks, I see you keep yourself updated.”
“I knew you’d win,” he tells me. “I hope you understand why I didn’t interfere with the case…”
“I do.” And I actually mean it. “Hopefully your little friend will leave me in peace now.”
“I don’t see why he wouldn’t.”
“Well, he seems to have taken those two losses pretty seriously.”
“Don’t worry about Eric,” Roy answers. “He’s just a sore loser.”
“Are you sure about that? It sounded more like a threat.”
“As far as I know, he doesn’t have anything else against you,” he says. “Um, should we meet and have a drink to celebrate?”
I have the feeling this is a way for him to ask me to turn the page. “Just one drink, then.”
“Alright, that’s fine by me. See you in fifteen minutes.”
After hanging up, I take my iPhone out of my pocket and text Petra the good news: We just won the case against Eric and Amanda! I’m gonna go and have a drink with your dad. But I should be back by 7 p.m. to celebrate with you.
Just a few seconds later, my iPhone beeps with a new message: Congrats! And I look forward to the celebration…
A big smile spreads over my face; when my fiancée ends a text message with those three dots it only means one thing.
“Alex?”
I turn at Ryan’s voice, ready to give him back his phone before he leaves. Yet it doesn’t seem it’s because of the phone that he said my name.
“I don’t want to put pressure on you or anything, but did you manage to check the prenup I sent you?” Oh jeez, I had totally forgotten to talk to him about it. “I mean, you are less than two weeks from getting married, I just—”
“Yes, I did think about it,” I say, cutting him off. And putting a hand on his shoulder, I add, “And, truthfully, I’m not interested in doing one.”
Ryan can’t hide the shock in his face. “Look, as your attorney, I strongly recommend you having one.”
“I appreciate the concern, but no one in my family has ever done one, and if we want to have a shot at making our marriage last, we need to start with a foundation of trust and honesty––not of pre-arranged agreements in case of divorce.” And I give him a slight shoulder pat.
I can feel Ryan wanting to fight me tooth and nail to force me to do one, but instead he just mutters a mere, “Alright…” And he takes his briefcase, ready to leave the courtroom. “But don’t come to me in a few years, saying I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t.” I just hope it’s true.
* * *
It’s odd how Roy has become friendlier with me all of a sudden. A few days ago he would barely speak to me, yet today at the lounge, he seemed to go back to the Roy I knew before Tess came back into his life. While I might enjoy his newfound agreeability and friendliness, I certainly can’t forget what he did to Petra and I, but for the sake of our upcoming wedding, I’ll just play along for now. After all, tension between us is the last thing I need.
The moment I step back into the condo, Maria lets me know Petra is upstairs, taking a swim in the rooftop pool. I head there and find my fiancée, so beautiful and fully naked, swimming in the warm indoor pool.
It’s one of my favorites spots in the condo, and honestly, one of the main reasons I purchased it. Not only is it stunning and allows me privacy while I take a midnight swim, but it offers a gorgeous view of Manhattan. Its open-space design allows me to look out the massive, wall-sized windows and just take in the sight: tall buildings that form the contours of the city. Before Petra decided to swim in her birthday suit, I used to think it was the most breathtaking sight I could ever enjoy from here.
The new heater hums softly, filling the room with both warmth and its rhythmic purring. It’s relaxing and inviting, but not more so than Petra’s incredible body, stretching enticingly every time she rolls her arms up and kicks softly, pushing herself forward, managing another lap.
With my hands inside my pockets, I take a few more steps toward the pool, watching as water leaps off her long, skinny legs with each new kick. “How is the water?”
She stops swimming, taking a moment to sink her head deep underwater before emerging with her hair sensually tucked away from her face, drenched against her head.
“Warm,” she replies as she swims lazily toward the edge. “Congrats on winning the case.”
My lips curve up at her words. “Thanks.”
“How was the meet-up with my dad? Is he easier to deal with now that you’ve won?”
Now standing inches from the edge of the water, I squat and dip my hand in, checking the temperature. It’s definitely warm, yeah, this could work, and I start taking off my shirt, smirking down at Petra. “We had a good, long conversation.”
“About?” she asks, arching her brow sharply. I can’t help but smile at her inquisitive yet teasing nature.
“About our friendship, about Tess, about you, about so many things…”
“That would explain why it took you so long to come back home,” she points out, and I notice the sweet jab in her voice. I glance at my watch, realizing I’m later than expected.
For someone who enjoys punctuality above anything else, I feel slightly embarrassed about being called out on my tardiness. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“You know…” She bites her lower lip as she stares up at me from the water, watching me unbuckling my belt with hunger in her eyes. “I was thinking the next time we come back to Manhattan, we’ll be married.” She tidies her hair and brushes her skin rather effortlessly––and I decide I need to feel her now.
I remove my pants and boxers, and her gaze rests on my erection as I lower myself into the water. She swims up to me, and we lose each other in a powerful, sensual embrace.
“And how does that make you feel?” I ask, my lips hovering over hers.
“It’s weird but exciting…” I can hear her heart beating away inside her chest as she brings her arms around my neck.
If I have to be honest with myself, the aching, the utter and disarming desire I feel every time she’s around, leaves me in a shameful state of despair. “I can’t believe my sisters are taking you away from me,” I say, recalling how in just two days she’s leaving to the Netherlands with Emma. “I’m gonna miss sleeping with you in my arms.”
“It’s just for a few days,” she purrs, her lips brushing so hotly over my skin. If the water felt warm before, now I can swear it’s close to boiling.
“Yeah, but it’s gonna feel like an eternity for me.”
“I’m sure you can survive.” She teases me even further, as my fingertips roll up and down her back, making her gasp.
“Barely,” I grunt, and I know she can feel my cock throbbing against her thigh. She stares into my eyes longingly, and I know what she wants before she says the words.
“We've never fucked in the pool, you know,” Petra reminds me in a tease, and I smirk as she pulls my lower lip.
“True,” I grunt back, determined to amend that mistake immediately. “Let’s fix that oversight, shall we?”
As I’m about to lean in and kiss her lips, she halts me by putting a hand on my chest. “Aren't you too tired? After all, you did have a very long day…” Her question is just to provoke me, loving to make my blood boil. I smirk against her skin, kissing my way down her neck as we swim lazily together, my erection brushing against her thigh, the promise of what’s to come.
“You let me worry about that,” I hiss right back, sinking my teeth playfully against her neck and making my beautiful fiancée gasp with a perfect mix of mild pain and intense pleasure.
“Mmm… It feels so good,” she mumbles, and I bite her neck again with an irresistible desire, while I hold her close to me. Her breasts pressed against my chest, her nipples scraping against my skin. She caresses the sides of my legs with her skinny thighs, and I grunt, aching for more.
I continue kissing a trail down her body and discover those perfect mounds as she arches her back sharply, giving me complete access to her boobs. I lap my tongue over them, flickering those tiny, hard nipples eagerly. I close my eyes, letting the memory of her breasts be burnt into my mind.
“I’m going to miss you, gorgeous,” I grunt against her skin, and she moans out my name so gently, making my cock throb against her body.
My fingers run up and down those perfect shapes, feeling her floating against me, her hands rolling up and down my skin, making me shiver with anticipation.
“Take me now,” she demands, and she wraps her long, sensual legs around my hips.
Though she’s already lithe and easy to lift in our everyday life, in here, underneath the water, she’s almost weightless. I drag one of my hands around her hips, squeezing her ass hard as I pin her closer to my body, my cock teasing the stream of her lips. Staring into her eyes, I adjust my hips so that all I have to do is thrust forward to slide right into her, and then, with a single push, she gasps, feeling me inside her. Petra’s so tight, so soft, like a velvet glove wrapped around my girth. I grunt hard as she engulfs me so thoroughly.
“Oh, yes, yes,” she moans, tilting her head back. She lets me thrust into her time and time again, and I pull my hips far enough to allow only the tip to remain behind, only to plunge myself back inside.
She bounces on me, moving in perfect tandem with my every thrust. Then she wraps her legs even tighter around my hips, helping her move with ease, gyrating her hips every time she grinds against my cock. I push inside her, grunting and moaning with pleasure.
“I love you,” she whispers softly, placing her hands on either side of my face and staring deep into my eyes before kissing me with blinding, searing rapture. I kiss her back, our tongues dancing together as we continue to make love in the warm water.
I love you too, I think to myself, though my tongue’s too occupied to whisper those words. As she holds me close, her tender touch resting on either side of my face, my free hand rolls up between our bodies, and I squeeze her breasts eagerly, wanting to see her quivering with desire, lost in the throes of passion as she trembles with excitement. The room is soon filled with the sound of our moans intertwining beautifully with water rolling all around us. Then I twirl her around in the pool as we continue to fuck each other’s brains out, water spilling everywhere. She giggles against my lips so sweetly, enjoying the way I tease her.
“I love you too,” I whisper at long last, as she finally lets go of my mouth. Her lips are red and puffy, and her skin is so delightfully flushed as she keeps bouncing on my cock over and over again.
As our pleasure grows, as her movements become more erratic and my thrusts faster, fiercer, she tilts her head back, closing her eyes and letting her long, dark-brown hair float behind her back on the clear water. She looks like a mermaid beaconing me to her embrace, and I let myself fall into her spell. How could I ever resist her?
“Oh, yes, yes, yes… please don’t stop… I’m so close, mmm….” she moans loudly, her voice growing high-pitched and desperate for that perfect moment of bliss. She’s right there at the edge, I know it: not just because she’s screaming it out, oh no. It’s the way her pussy clenches around my cock harder and harder, almost as if she’s trying to milk me for every last drop.
She’s pushing me toward the edge too, and I’m holding back just enough to let her cum first. I want to see that gorgeous firework display before letting go and embracing my own gratification fully.
“Cum for me, gorgeous,” I whisper, thrusting into her over and over again, plunging myself as deep as I can go. I feel her thighs tensing around my hips, her pussy clenching so hard around my throbbing cock.
And then it happens: the perfect, impossible-to-miss explosion. No matter how many times I watch it in motion, it never fails to enthrall me—the way her skin flushes so sensually, how her moans grow louder, more desperate, how her breasts heave hypnotically up and down. And how her pussy embraces my cock viciously, massaging every inch. She reaches her climax, screaming out my name over and over again, lost in the depth of our passion. And it’s then that I let go, that I let myself fall over the edge. My balls twitch underneath the warm water as I bury my cock as deep inside her as possible, grunting hard, pressing my lips against her neck and lavishing her with soft kisses.
I feel the heady sensation of my pleasure wash over me like waves crashing upon the shore, and we merge into a perfect, mind-numbing orgasm that seems to last an eternity.
When the pleasure slowly begins to recede, we float around the pool lazily, lost in each other's arms, kissing and caressing one another.
I’m going to miss my fiancée, there’s no doubt about it.
“You are a wild one,” I tease her gently. Catching her neck, I suck on the flesh, and she gasps at the pressure. After releasing it, my lips curve up at the reddish bruise emerging—a little reminder for when she leaves my side. “Let’s go get something to eat. I bet you’re famished.”
“Lead the way,” she replies with a teasing little wink as we swim toward the pool’s stairs. Looking down at her naked body, I know we’ll make love again before the night is over, if I have my way on the matter.