The Promise of Love Read online

  “Are you okay, Katie?”

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “Does it feel good?”

  “God yes. I love learning new positions with you.”

  The thought of having a variety of positions available to me had never occurred to me, but it sounded like a hot idea. That was one of the things that I liked most about sex with Ben—it was always new. Riding him, he felt humongous inside me. He rocked into me slowly, continuing to meet my thrusts. I started rocking into him faster, letting the waves of pleasure crash into me repeatedly, never stopping for a break between thrusts.

  “Oh god,” I moaned.

  He reached around and felt for my pussy. He rubbed against my moist clit, giving me some added pleasure while he moved his cock inside of me.

  “Okay, baby, I want you to fuck me good.”

  I thought I would lose my mind with the words coming out of his mouth. He was sexy and experienced, and he was showing me a world I had never thought existed. Or one that I at least never imagined I would venture into. The sex had been good when we were together in Africa, but this was something more.

  The whole length of his cock slowly pushed inside me, causing me to let out a slow and powerful moan. There were so many different feelings and sensations going through my body at that moment. I was lost in a sea of pleasure, and I wanted to let go of another orgasm.

  “I want more.”

  I heard him chuckle, and he started pumping me hard as I thrust onto him. I was delirious with the pleasure he was giving me—I needed it, needed him.

  I was dripping wet, and I felt a buildup once again. I couldn’t believe I was about to cum again. God, the thought was just too delicious.

  “Ben, it feels good. It really does feel so good.”

  “I know, baby. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” I gasped. “I’m coming again.”

  My whole body shuddered as I came and he continued pumping inside of me. He was glorious—all of it was so incredible. The best sex of my life was happening in that hotel suite. Before the aftershocks had even finished I felt myself build up for another orgasm—I was so sensitive from all the orgasms that the smallest touch set me off. Shudders ripped through my body, causing me to scream his name.

  “Oh Katie, I’m ready too, baby. I’m going to fill up your pussy with my cum.”

  I moaned, loving how sexy he was with his dirty talk. He spilled inside of me and collapsed back onto the bed.

  I slid slowly off his cock, and I knew for certain that I was going to be very sore the next day. It had all been worth it. I leaned toward the end table where a box of Kleenex stood and pulled out some tissues. I cleaned myself off as best I could and slipped into my panties. I then put on my dress as I watched him rummaging around for his clothes that had fallen to the floor. Finding them, he quickly slipped into underwear and dress pants, pulling his shirt over his head.

  Everything was a little more rumpled than I would have liked, but hopefully no one would notice as I left the hotel. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face though. My hands shook from the toll the orgasms had taken on my body—a part of me couldn’t believe I was even able to stand. Ben was watching me get dressed, and when I looked up at him, he smiled. He had a stunner of a smile, and the look of him made me want to start all over again. Would I ever be able to get enough of that man, or was it always going to be this way? God, I hoped it was.

  I knew he wanted me to spend the night, but I wasn’t going to do that. He came to me and kissed me softly on the lips.

  “Come to Paris with me for a couple of days.”

  I laughed. “I can’t. I have work.”

  “You can take a few days off to celebrate the new client you have.”

  “No, I need to actually work on her dress now.”

  “Do it on Monday.”

  A small smile played on my face.

  11

  Chapter Eleven

  Katie

  The last day in Paris was a sad one for me. The city was just so beautiful that I couldn’t get over it. I couldn’t even believe I had allowed Ben to take me there. I had so much work waiting for me back home, but it had only been for a few days, so really no harm was done. I didn’t tell my design team the truth about where I was going because I didn’t want them to know that I had just skipped town with an old flame, especially since some of them knew about Matt. What a complication that was. I didn’t even know myself what I was doing, so having to try to explain it to someone else would be complicated and possibly embarrassing as well.

  I had called Matt before I left for Paris to let him know I would be out of town for a few days. I told him we would need to talk when I returned. One way or another, I needed to make a decision and decide what man I wanted in my life—and that was no easy decision considering the two men.

  Ben and I had flown to Paris almost immediately, taking advantage of his private jet. I loved Paris. Not only was it beautiful, but it was also the fashion capital of the world. I loved shopping there; they always had such unique collections.

  We had only been there for a few days, and the first one didn’t really count because we never left the room once—or even the bed. I had been terribly sore because of it, but it had all been worth it. The two of us weren’t big on sightseeing, so we spent most of our time lounging on the beach or in the pool on the balcony of Ben’s suite. It was luxurious and I loved the chance to soak up some heat before I returned home. It had been a truly relaxing time away.

  It wasn’t all beach time though. I had done a massive amount of shopping, but what girl wouldn’t? I didn’t just purchase clothing; I bought yards of fabric for my designs and had them shipped back home. It was all on Ben’s dime too; he spoiled me rotten while we were away.

  We were lounging by the pool sipping champagne, and I couldn’t remember a time that I felt happier about my life. Everything was going to plan. Ben got up to check his messages, and I continued to sip on the decadent wine. I refused to check messages because listening to any of them would have had me back on the jet and returning home. I had a hard time leaving my company in the hands of others, and if something went wrong, I wanted to be there. So I just made sure to check in periodically through text message.

  When I grabbed my phone to send my check-in message, I noticed that Matt had sent me two texts. They were simple messages, asking how my trip was coming along. I quickly sent him a text asking if he wanted to have dinner with me when I returned to the city. I knew I needed to have a talk with him.

  When I turned from my phone, I found Ben standing behind me. He didn’t look happy to find me on my phone, which I found odd since he regularly checked in with his office.

  “I ordered us in some food so we could spend our last night relaxing. I hope that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure, of course.”

  “Was that work?” He nodded toward my phone.

  “They are just anxious to get me back in the office, that’s all. I can’t blame them. Like I said, it’s a busy time for us.”

  Ben was watching me intently, and I wondered if he believed me. Finally, he smiled and leaned in for a kiss. He claimed my tongue and roughly squeezed my breasts. I moaned and started rubbing his cock through his shorts, the way I knew he liked. We had taken a day off sex because I had been so sore, but I was ready to take him in again. In fact, it was all I could think about at that moment.

  Our hands were everywhere while our tongues mingled, and I felt myself grow wet with yearning. I wanted him inside me immediately.

  “Fuck me, Ben, right now.” I gave him a cheeky grin. “That is, if you can catch me.”

  I peeled off my bikini top and bottom and ran to the pool and jumped in. I giggled as I reached the surface and saw that he was plunging in after me. I swam to the shallow end and waited by the edge of the pool. He quickly found me, pushing me up against the wall. His mouth met mine eagerly, and I moaned loudly, aching all over my body. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and
he entered me hard, pumping into me fast. My body exploded with pleasure, and I wrapped my legs around him tighter. He bit into my neck, making me cry out with pleasure.

  “Oh, Ben, your cock feels so good.”

  “You’re all mine baby.”

  “Oh, it feels so good.”

  He plunged deep inside me, over and over until I came, arching my back into the edge of the pool. He continued to pump inside me, harder still, until he came too.

  Exhausted, I leaned into his neck and hugged him with my arms. He made me feel incredible—we had an undeniable chemistry that just made our sex life so much better.

  He pulled apart from me. “Let’s go see if the food is here,” he said. His grin made me laugh, and I climbed out of the pool with him. As I toweled myself dry, I watched as he went back into the room to check on the room service. I felt so satisfied I could have fallen asleep right then and there.

  I returned to the room and noticed my phone was buzzing. When I went to check it, I found that Matt had responded. I suddenly felt guilty for being there with Ben when Matt was so into me. But I wasn’t doing anything wrong—I had never slept with Matt, and we were nowhere near being exclusive. I just wanted to make sure I was making the best decision for myself.

  The last thing I had expected when I started talking to Matt was that Ben would walk back into my life. I had assumed it was over between us when I had left Africa. Since coming back in my life, Ben had made some huge romantic gestures that I just couldn’t ignore. I read Matt’s message, noting that he agreed to dinner and offered to pick me up. I put my phone away and returned to Ben.

  We dined on lobster and salads while we lay in bed talking about everything under the sun. We were talking about the future and what that meant for each of us. It was nice for me to catch up with Ben; I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him until now. Ben had ordered in strawberries and champagne, and I dined on them while we talked. We always laughed so easily together. That was one thing that was never forced between us—we always had such a good time together.

  I had never struggled to find good men in my life though. Some of my friends had some incredible disaster stories, and yet I never did. I regularly met good men who treated me well—in that way, I was very blessed. Falling in love was a pretty big deal for me, and being happy as well. If I had those things, then the rest was just a bonus for me. But that was what everyone wanted, right? To be happy and fall in love with an incredible person?

  As we lay side by side on the bed, I nuzzled up next to him and sipped my champagne. Now was as good as any time to feel him out about the future of our relationship. I needed to make a decision about my life, and knowing where Ben’s head was at would be a great help.

  “So Ben, what are we doing here?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I chuckled. “I’m asking you if you see this—I mean us—going anywhere.”

  “Oh man, are we having the talk? Really?”

  Surprised, I looked up at him, confused by his tone. “What’s going on, Ben? Is there a problem with discussing us?”

  “Well, I’m just a little surprised you’re bringing it up right now. We’re having a good time. Why do we have to define it right now?”

  My stomach felt like there was a piece of lead inside of it. I wasn’t sure if I should continue the talk; it was already going so poorly as it was. “I hope you’re joking.”

  “Well, I didn’t mean it that way.”

  “Okay, so explain yourself. How did you mean it?”

  He looked down at me, and I didn’t see anything good in his face. I was a little shocked because I believed that all his grand gestures had really meant something. But it looked as if his playboy ways had not disappeared, and now I was paying the price for it. I had been stupid to think that he wanted more than another roll in the hay.

  “I just have a lot going on right now, especially with the trial coming up. I’m not even sure what’s going on with that yet. I don’t think it’s a good time to get serious with anyone. I love spending time with you, Katie, don’t get me wrong. It’s just I don’t see any reason why we need to rush things. I hope that doesn’t upset you.”

  I wasn’t sure how to take his answer at all. It wasn’t like I was expecting to be engaged or anything like that, but I doubted that either of our lives was so hectic that an exclusive relationship was out of the question. The fact that he had come looking for me at all… It should have meant something, and it turned out that it was just him showing off and nothing more. All I could do was stare at him, speechless. I didn’t have any words to explain to him how I was feeling. He looked slightly alarmed, probably because he realized I didn’t like a thing coming out of his mouth.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not trying to upset you. It’s not that I don’t want more, because I do. I just don’t see why we can’t take things slow for now. I’ve never been in a long-term relationship before, and it’s a lot to take in.”

  “Seriously, how old are you?”

  His mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “The way you’re talking it’s like you’re some college student not wanting to make a commitment to his college gal. It’s ridiculous that you’re afraid of commitment at your age.” The words stung him, but I didn’t care. It was ridiculous that I even had to hear these things, and I had a sudden urge to slap him across the face. I had given him more than my body on that trip—I had allowed him inside my heart, and for what? So that we could take it slow because it was a lot for him to take in?

  I wasn’t sure why I had allowed myself to get close to him again. Why? So I could be hurt all over again? I should have left Ben in the past where he belonged.

  “It’s clear to me that we are not on the same page and we’re looking for different things. Had I known how you felt, I wouldn’t have come to Paris with you. I thought when you came looking for me that it meant something special.”

  “It was special. What exactly do you want here? A ring?”

  His words stung like a slap, and I felt my blood boiling. How dare he treat me as if I had unreasonable expectations?

  “Don’t let your ego get too out of control there, Ben. I wasn’t looking for a ring. I just thought that I mattered to you.”

  He was speechless and I felt a small victory.

  “I no longer feel comfortable spending the night with you. Can you arrange for another room?”

  “Are you serious? Katie, please.”

  “Don’t, Ben. Just make the arrangements.”

  “Katie, don’t you think you might be overreacting a little bit? Come on.”

  “It’s pretty simple. We want different things. I’m sorry I don’t want to continue seeing you after tonight. You may want to take things slow, but I’m ready for something with some staying power.”

  His mouth formed a thin line, and he got up to make a call to the front desk. I started packing my things so I wouldn’t have to come and collect them the next morning. I quickly dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, knowing someone would be arriving to collect my bags. I felt sad inside but didn’t know what else to do. I wanted more and he wasn’t ready for it.

  He didn’t say a word to me as I packed, and I knew the thought of me sleeping apart from him was eating him up inside. I knew the very thought probably made him insane.

  “I’ll meet you in the lobby in the morning so we can catch our flight,” I said as I walked toward the door.

  He nodded just as the elevator opened into the penthouse. An attendant came in and collected my things. I took one more look at Ben before heading to my new room. Changing rooms, however, didn’t make anything any easier. I didn’t sleep a wink that night.

  * * *

  Back in New York, I was unpacking from my trip, feeling very uneasy about everything. It was important for me to have everything unpacked before I began my evening, as I hated coming back to disorganization. I had dinner plans with Matt, and I was torn up about it, confusion mixing my thoughts up into a mess.


  Originally I had planned on letting Matt down easy while I worked on a future with Ben, but that had crashed and burned with very little warning. I didn’t understand how I could have been so wrong about Ben, that I had read the situation so wrong. I thought he’d returned for me because he couldn’t live without me, but that hadn’t been the case at all. Nothing had turned out the way I’d envisioned it. I couldn’t believe he’d gone to so much trouble just to have a little fun. But I supposed for a billionaire, it probably didn’t seem like such a big deal to whisk a girl off to Paris or send her expensive presents. I had looked too much into it, and that was my own fault. I had misunderstood what he wanted from me, and it made me feel like a fool.

  Sleeping apart from Ben that final night had been devastating. The few days we’d spent together had been incredible, and I didn’t understand why he didn’t want more from me. I wasn’t sure if I was being unreasonable or if he was. I had cried myself to sleep that night wondering if I was making a big mistake. In the end, I had expected him to come looking for me, to apologize, and he never came. It was his decision, and I had to accept that and move on.

  That wasn’t where the torture had ended, unfortunately. I had to see him the next day and fly back home with him. It wasn’t a short flight either, and it had been incredibly awkward having him there with me. Neither of us spoke to each other the entire time. Ben clearly had a lot on his mind, but I would have been okay to speak to him and remain civil. It appeared as if he didn’t want anything to do with me after I had walked out on him the night before. I guess it really had been just about sex for him.

  Either way, he was upset with me, and I didn’t think that I had done anything wrong. I just wanted something more for my future, and he wasn’t willing to give that to me—how else should I have reacted? When we did finally land at the airport, there were two limos waiting instead of one, and we went our separate ways without another word to each other. I cried again on the way home, feeling more lost than ever.