It was going to be nerve-wracking to be near him for however long this was going to take. Who knew what someone like Edward had up his sleeve? I had known him long enough to know that he was always one step ahead of me… and I didn't know just what that would entail.
As I rifled through my dresser for a few decent outfits, I skimmed over my bathing suit for just a passing second. What would I really need a bathing suit for? This wasn't a vacation! Yes, Italy was beautiful, and the beaches were unmatched… but that wasn't why I was going! This was a business trip. Did CEO's take their bathing suits when they left for work? No, they didn't.
But as I passed it once again, I threw it in the suitcase anyway. Maybe I'd sit in my hotel's tub and imagine that I was poolside with a glass of wine? A little bit of imagining never harmed anyone, did it?
A loud series of honks sounded outside, queuing that knight in shining armor was here for me. I tried hard to convince him that I could taxi to the airport and fly commercial, but he did his typical Edward thing and forced his itinerary on me. This was so typical of him! He was the ultimate control freak. The egomaniacs from the likes of American Psycho and Sleeping With The Enemy didn't have anything on him!
I took one last look at the mirror in my hallway before dragging the silver suitcase behind me carelessly. The poor inanimate objects didn't deserve the abuse, but it was the closest thing to beating in Edward's face that I could get to. Since going to his office and begging him to help me, he hadn't made things easy. He had my number now, and he never hesitated to use it.
Sometimes the calls were demanding, harassing, or downright unnecessary- at first, it seemed as if he were just trying to be thorough about our trip and the children. But I quickly learned that he was on a mission to wreck my patience! He would call and chew me out about something he thought that the foundation had mishandled, and then would hang up.
He was a brilliant businessman (albeit, partly a criminal) and ran his own legitimate company flawlessly, but that didn't mean I needed his big nose in my business! Zach and I had handled his family's foundation very well up until now, and it would stay that way. This was a favor for me, and he needed to remember that.
I slipped on a pair of shades and went to the trunk of the black car, pounding on the trunk as obnoxiously as I could to get the driver's attention. When the trunk didn't pop immediately, I put a hand on my hip and scowled at the reflection of the driver in the sideview mirror. "Hello? Want me to stand out here all day or something?"
He took his sweet fucking time getting out of the car, just to stare me contemplatively when he was fully standing. He was so obnoxious! Who brought the world's smallest sports car when there was luggage to be stored? We were going on airplane ride, not roaming the streets of Athens! God, he was so stupid to me! "Dressed like that?" He snarked back. I suddenly felt awkward in my baby doll dress, which was usually very comfortable and stylish. "You might get mistaken for a $2 whore."
I grit my teeth against all of the things I wanted to say.
He's doing you a favor, he's doing you a favor, he's doing you a favor…
So, I buried my instinct to snap and let him put the suitcase in the trunk before making my way to the backseat. It was a cramped fit and it would have been much smarter to just sit in the passenger seat, but I refused to risk rubbing elbows with him. And he had a habit of putting his hands where they didn't belong! So, I wasn't going to risk anything. I chose to focus on the passing scenery rather than the way he was angling his rearview mirror to get a look at the opening of my dress. Who did he think he was anyway?
"Hey!" I snapped involuntary. When his eyes met mine, I lifted the entire skirt of my dress so that he could bare witness to all that there was. There was nothing new there- he had seen everything I had to offer so there was no modesty left. His eyes widened for just a second before his mask slipped back over his face. "Happy? You got your peek and now you don't need to risk our lives in the car while doing it."
He said nothing but let that signature smirk peek out for a few seconds. At least it shut him up!
We didn't speak until we were boarding the jet and the stewardess asked for our orders. I interrupted whatever he was going to say by ordering a flute of champagne from her and then said that'd be all, sending her away promptly. Either Edward was too stunned to speak, or extremely irritated. He was used to being the one that dismissed everyone.
His laptop was opened in front of him, covering most of his face- but I knew there was something brewing underneath. I thanked the flight attendant for my drink when she returned and ordered a black coffee for him without his input. I knew what he liked, I didn't need confirmation. When she came back with it, I gestured towards Edward and watched his face slightly twitch when she sat it down on his cup holder. He caught me staring at him when he flicked his eyes towards me but said nothing still.
I squirmed in my leather seat, trying not to show him how suddenly uncomfortable I was. He was still so ruggedly handsome, jagged scar and clouded eye included- it made his aura darker and more mysterious to me. Not that much of him was a mystery anymore; we knew too much about one another to ever be strangers again. We knew each other's family history, our upbrings, all of our collective hopes and dreams… I knew what kinks he liked in bed, he knew how to make me cum in under five minutes.
These last few years of not being in contact was only unknown left.
When the pilot announced the takeoff, I gripped the arm of the leather seat for dear life until we were already up in the air. I opened my eyes when the seatbelt chime finally sounded.
Edward's scoff resounded. "You're afraid of flying?"
I snapped in return. "I don't like landing or taking off, we could burst into a thousand pieces. It's a legitimate fear." He didn't look up from his laptop as he kept working. "And don't you know how many airplane crashes happen in privately owned planes? Way more than commercial."
"Then you should have flown commercial." Was his dry response.
I grit my teeth together. He's doing you a favor, remember that! I tried to ground myself to a humble reality, but he got on my nerves so easily! "I tried! Someone is a control freak and didn't trust me to get off and on a plane by myself."
Edward spared me just a glance before looking back at his work. "I have a few emails I need to get out, do you mind moving to the back? You don't seem to shut up anymore, and I need to focus." There wasn't any smarminess or playful tone to his words, he was merely dismissing me. I wanted to throw the remaining contents of my glass at him and possibly fry his computer, but I thought better of myself. I hadn't gotten much sleep last night and I could do with a nap anyway! So, I swept past him and slammed the shutter doors behind me; the bedroom setup was nothing near what I imagined. I thought of the back of an RV camper, with a plastic cot amongst a series of bland compartments. But this almost outdid my own room at home! It was a king-sized bed, adorned by a dozen throw pillows and a large, fluffy duvet. There were shower robes hanging near the door, and a fresh-smelling lavatory with lots of lighting en suite. Okay, this beat my room by a long shot!
I slipped off my shoes and dress and laid it neatly on the chair near the bed before tying a soft robe around myself and slipped into the bed. I had been on many long flights when I was younger and traveling with my dad on his various business excursions, but never in this kind of luxury! Twelve-hour flights on a particularly reclined middle seat was hell… this was heaven. As comfortable as it was, I tossed and turned for almost an hour. I thought about the kids in Capotia, and if they were safe at this very hour. I thought about the brooding asshole just feet away from me. I thought about Zachary and worried about what this would mean to our budding… romance? Was it a romance with Zach? I couldn't quite pull myself to put a label on anything with him. We were good as friends and got along well most of the time. Our anthropological views on life and the idealist ways we thought of the world meshed well together. He was non-aggressive, quiet, and reserved…. so opposite to the brute I definitely had a "romance" with once upon a time!
Part of me liked Zach because he had no idea who my dad was or what he had done. I liked that. I liked to separate myself as far as possible from the crime world and all of the heartache that came with it.
My relationship with Edward started when I was young and foolish, naïve to boot. He was the handsome and mysterious guy working for my dad and I was the young, idealistic girl he took an interest in. It started off with small things with us at first… he would leave notes in the sleeves of books I would put down, and always made sure to ride in the car I was in when we left to different places with my dad. Being around him became a sort of drug after a while! My dad knew nothing for a time, and that was when it was bliss. Dad just thought his youngest employee was an overachiever and made for a good "friend" for his precocious daughter. The more time I spent with Edward the less time I was buzzing around my dad and taking him away from work, and he liked it that way. He had boughten himself a babysitter in a way.
"Folle." Edward whispered as he passed me, his fingers gently brushing mine. It was his stupid nickname for me, but the thought of someone caring enough about me to give me one sent my blood rushing to my cheeks. He had said it meant foolish in Italian, and I believed him. He always thought I was foolish- from picking fights with my dad, showing up to protests instead of hanging out with my friends, etc. I spared him just a small look from under my eyelashes before returning my attention to my companion.
Dad paired me up with one of his business associate's sons for the evening. For the life of me I couldn't remember his name and barely could think of his face. Edward was always my focus, even when he shouldn't have been!
Edward went to stand behind my dad's seat, his face in my direct vision. I tried my best to not look at him, but it was too hard. I could feel him staring me down! The boy next to me made a joke that sent everyone at the table roaring in laughter and I tried to join in. this was what I was supposed to do- this was how I got my tuition paid for. I had to be nice to dad's guests and always show up on time.
When the meal was over, everyone retired to the Drawing Room where surely my dad was passing around glasses of whiskey and lit cigars. He loved to entertain, and these things could take hours! I splashed some water on my face before leaving the hallway bathroom, content on being nice for at least another hour while the boy I was talking to could assert himself. Before I could step into the hall, Edward pressed himself into the doorframe and stopped me in my tracks. I was going to ask him what he was doing, but a part of me knew and I was too excited to speak. I wanted to kiss him for weeks now, but never had the courage.
So when he leaned down and planted the softest brush of lips to mine, my whole body sang out loud. I leaned into it and pursed my lips against his, hoping that we could stand here and do this forever. When he pulled away, I grabbed his arm and pushed my mouth back onto his. Just one more, I thought. Just one more…
When I felt a piece of my hair move from my face, I woke up with almost a start. I lived alone for years now, every nightmare of a break-in or robbery started with someone creepy in my room! It was dark in the room and I had to remind myself that I was on airplane, during a twelve-hour flight, with Edward… speaking of which!
He was kneeling on the bed, still dressed in his suit from earlier. "Wha…" I couldn't even get the question out but I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes anyway. It made no sense for him to be in here! Was I dreaming? "Edward?" It came out as a question. My eyes tried to adjust to the dim lighting of the room, but he was already peeling the blanket from my hands and tossed it off of the bed. Was he… what was he doing?
I sat up straighter, blood coursing through my veins at top speed. I couldn't speak, not even as he ran his hands up my legs and past my thighs. The idea of being intimate with him was what almost all of my wet dreams were made of, but this was too complicated! This would end terribly!
And I was going to voice that, I really was. But then he glided his fingers over the panties of my most coveted parts… and I was lost. He leaned forward and put his lips to mine, so much softer and gentler than he had the other day. Edward kissed me long and soft, putting me into such a spell that I hardly felt him when he wet his fingers and slipped two of them inside of me. He had excited me with just some kisses! Was I a teenager again? Usually it took loads of foreplay before I even felt wet.
He slid his fingers in and out, a smooth rhythm lulling me into a wonderous frenzy. I bucked my hips up into his and the outline of his erection pressed back into me. He was full-clothed, thank god- but I wanted to rip them off of him and reacquaint myself with his physique. "Faster." I begged him. "Faster!" I was begging him to do what he knew how to do- to unravel me with just his fingers.
Edward pulled his fingers out of me completely and I thought that I would die of desperation. I couldn't quite see him, but if he had plans of leaving me high and dry then he had another thing coming! I yanked at his collar in the dark, forcing him to stay on top of me. I couldn't see him smile, but I heard his tinkering chuckle. I wasn't too shy to say exactly what I wanted.
"Make me cum." I all but demanded.
And he did. Over and over again until my legs started to twitch, and I couldn't take it anymore. He knew when I had enough and removed his fingers from the slick spot he had been fingering for the last ten minutes. I laid back against the pillows and closed my eyes to enjoy the post-orgasm bliss I was going through. Sure, there would be shame and uncertainty when I opened my eyes! But for now, I felt amazing.
He slipped out without saying a word to me, leaving me laying there in my contentment. No teasing me, harassing me, bothering me! Just served me a series of small orgasms and then slithered away without a word. Not that I needed to talk to him about any of it. If this was his version of no strings attached "payback" then by all means- hopefully he had loads more payback where that came from!
I knew that he liked to watch me cum, and he liked to feel like he had power over me sexually. This was probably a power play and he had succeeded… but orgasms worked better than Melatonin and Ambien put together.
I was back to napping peacefully in no time at all.