Paris was everything Drulisa had ever imagined it to be and then some. They had spent a glorious twenty-four hours in the city of love and now they were once again on Joshua’s jet being whisked back to New York City.
Drulisa reached down and took a snack from off of the hors d'oeuvres tray that their flight attendant had provided for them. Then she tilted her hand to the side and inspected the diamond engagement ring that she had selected in Paris only hours earlier. She could have chosen the biggest rock in the chic, little exclusive jewelry shop — she knew Joshua could afford it. But she had chosen the ring that had caught her eye — it only contained a modest -sized diamond and she adored it.
She glanced up at her fiancé, who was sitting right beside her. "My mom and Lexi are never gonna believe that I've gotten myself engaged and I've just come from Paris."
He chuckled and pulled out his cell phone. He held it up so that she could see it. "We have plenty pictures to prove it. Look...you and I in front of the Eiffel Tower...you and I in front of the Louvre. Us walking down the historic Avenue des Champs-Elysées.”
Then he reached over and lovingly held her hand that bore the engagement ring that he’d given her only hours earlier. “I’m sure you having an engagement ring will convince them that we’re really gonna tie the knot.”
She'd said yes to his proposal, but it suddenly hit her. I'm getting married. I'm really freaking getting married!
He smiled. "It seems a little too good to be true, doesn't it? You’re everything I ever dreamed of having in a woman and then some, Drulisa. I honestly believed that me falling in love would never happen. But yet, you've stolen my heart. I never believed that a woman like you would actually walk into my life."
Her lips stretched in a slow smile. Then she giggled. "I wouldn't exactly say that I walked into your life...I kinda sorta crashed into it."
He chuckled. "That you did, babe, and I'm so happy about it, too. You totaled my car and stole my heart." He lovingly placed a soft kiss on her lips. "You're a criminal, I should have you arrested. But I swear you're just too cute for all that."
Feeling bold and sexy, she looked him in the eye and asked,“You think I’m cute, Joshua Forrester?”
He cracked another grin. “Yes. Definitely.” Then he leaned towards her and began whispering in her ear. “If we were alone in this airplane, I’d show you just how cute I think you are, Drulisa Johnson.”
She blushed and became turned on at the same time. That’s the type of effect that Joshua had on her, and she kinda liked it.
Feeling emboldened by the love that they shared, she leaned in and whispered, "The flight attendant said he'd come back and check on us in about an hour. In my estimation, we have about fifty-three minutes of that hour left. I think I can keep things quiet." She winked mischievously at him. "You think you can give me a little demonstration of your affections for me in those twenty-three minutes?"
Joshua was turned on by her proposal, he didn't even try to hide it. The very obvious sudden bulging of his manhood was evidence of his arousal. It was evidence of just how much Drulisa turned him on.
Since she had on a skirt, he slowly walked his fingers up her thigh and straight to her slick folds She was so wet and responsive that he had no problems at all getting her off. “Do you like that sweetheart,” he whispered harshly in her ear as his index finger stroked her G-spot and his thumb circled the swollen nub of her clit.
The things that Joshua was doing to her was making her feel so damn good that she had to bite down on her bottom lip just to stop herself from screaming out her pleasure. A sensual grunt was her only response to his question. She knew that if she opened her mouth to verbally respond, she’d scream. At the moment of her release — the moment of her climax — he smiled in satisfaction. Yep, making her happy definitely makes me happy.
“What about you?” she whispered against his ear seconds later.
He grinned then huskily whispered right back, “Babe, that look of rapture that you’re wearing on your face at this moment is plenty good enough for me for right now. I’ll get my main course later. Pleasing you makes me happy.”
Drulisa realized how very lucky she was to actually be engaged to a man like Joshua. He wasn’t selfish at all. He was the exact opposite...he put her needs first. Not only that, he apparently adores me. She grinned. I really am one lucky girl.
But she still had the urge to please him like he’d just done for her. Of it's own accord, her hand reached over and molded itself over the sizable lump in his crotch.
Joshua closed his eyes and pushed his head back into the leather of the seat-rest as he felt Drulisa slowly pulling his zipper down. When his manhood sprang free, she took it into her hand. His already large erection seemed to inflate even more, right before her eyes, and turn into a rod of granite. Drulisa smiled at the sight, she was beyond turned on and had an overwhelming urge to sample him.
“Oh, shit, sweetheart.” Joshua looked down at her through half-closed eyes as her lips made contact with his hot flesh. She put all the love she had for him into making him feel good...just like he’d just done for her.
Minutes later, Joshua knew that he was about to reach his orgasm, so he tried to pull away. But Drulisa wouldn’t let him. She loved Joshua with all her heart so she wanted all of him....right down to the last drop.
Seconds later, Drulisa laid her head in her fiancee’s lap. As his manhood finally began to soften, she slowly raised up and re-zipped his trousers. As soon as she’d settled herself back into her seat, Joshua leaned over and gave her a very sensual kiss, full on her lips. “I love you, babe,” he whispered.
She smiled. She knew he was telling her the truth...she could see it in his eyes. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
*****
Later On That Evening:
Drulisa glanced down at herself in the designer gown that Joshua had convinced her to allow him to buy for her in Paris. He’d said that he’d had a dream...more like a fantasy...about her wearing this particular color of mint green. Of course she couldn’t help but oblige him. Now she was happy that she had. The dress was gorgeous and it looked good on her. Then she frowned. She was the tiniest bit hesitant to attend the event that she and Joshua were going to.
Joshua took Drulisa by the elbow and escorted her into the upscale Conley Events Center. Just before they stepped into the main ballroom, he leaned down and began whispering into her ear. “You’re going to be the most beautiful woman here tonight, sweetheart. I’m a very lucky guy to have you on my arm.”
She grinned. “You think so, Joshua?”
He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He smiled too. “Definitely.” Then he winked his eye. He’d just remembered a conversation they’d had earlier when they’d been on their way back to the States. “And remember, there’s nothing to be nervous about. The people attending this party may have money and power, but they’re just people...just like us.”
She couldn’t help but admit that she was a little nervous about the private, invitation-only event his family was hosting. Even the freaking FLOTUS was gonna be in attendance. The only reason the President wasn’t coming was because he had a previous engagement overseas that he couldn’t easily cancel.
Joshua broadened his smile. Then he winked his eye. “Trust me...you’re gonna be just fine.”
*****
A Half Hour Later:
Drulisa laughed at a joke that one of Joshua’s female cousins had just told her. Drulisa couldn’t believe that she’d actually had reservations about hobnobbing it with members of the upper crust of society. Just like Joshua had told her, they were pretty much people...much like anyone else. Just extremely wealthy people.
“Well, Drulisa,” Joshua’s cousin, Antoinette said. “Now that my very handsome cousin is out of earshot — he’s way over there talking to the mayor — tell me what you really think about New York. I hear this is only your second time visiting my hometown.”
Drulisa liked Antoinette. She took a tiny sip from her champagne flute and grinned. “Um. I actually do like it here. I love the energy of The Big Apple.”
Antoinette held out her champagne glass and clinked it with Drulisa’s. Then she giggled. “In that case, I think we’re gonna make you an honorary New Yorker.” She laughed again. “Now that you and that knucklehead cousin of mine are getting married, I guess I don’t have a choice anyways. Welcome to the family, honey. I absolutely adore love stories, so tell me how the two of you met.”
Drulisa shared the story about her getting in the accident with Joshua and ripping his car door completely off, causing Antoinette to giggle. “He must have been absolutely livid. My cousin has a particular fondness for his road toys.”
Drulisa smiled. “Yeah. He was. You should’ve seen the murderous look on his face when I stopped my car and came over to talk to him about the accident. But that’s not even the half of it...it gets worse. I had an interview at Forrester Enterprises that day for a potential contract. I, of course, got there late because of the car accident. As my luck would have it, Joshua was the one interviewing me because the lady I was originally supposed to have met had already left.”
Antoinette couldn’t stop herself from chuckling at that part. Then she looked at Drulisa while wearing an apologetic expression on her pretty face. “Sorry I laughed at that. It was pretty funny. But I guess everything turned out okay in the end since you and Joshua are engaged.”
“Yeah.” Drulisa smiled. “That’s how I pretty much view it, too. I never dreamed I’d someday be happy that I’d had a car accident. But that little...I mean big collision brought Joshua and I together.”
Ten minutes later, Drulisa finally decided to take a breather from being a social butterfly amongst Joshua’s friends and family. She took a quick detour to the ladies room in the upscale Conley Events Center. Right before she stepped into the space, Drulisa heard Joshua’s mother’s voice as she apparently greeted an old friend of hers.
Kathy McDonovon smiled at her old college friend, Eleanor Forrester. Then she said, “Well, Eleanor. I hear your son brought a new girl home. What do you think of her?”
Eleanor sighed. She shook her head. “I tried to warn him about her right after we met. I don’t think she’ll make a good addition to the family. She’s not pedigreed. She’s uncouth you know...”
Drulisa knew that Joshua’s mother was talking about her. She felt a cold clammy feeling work its way down her spine. She immediately turned on her heel and began retracing her steps back the way she’d come in.
“Drulisa...what’s wrong sweetheart?”
Drulisa was so distraught that she hadn’t even noticed Joshua materialize by her side. She refused to look up into his eyes. “Um. I have a killer headache and a cramp in my neck. I think I’d like to go back to my hotel room.”
Joshua of course excused himself from his friends and family and escorted Drulisa from the festivities. As he whisked them back to their hotel in his sports car, he gave her a sympathetic smile. “I can come into your room and give you a massage, sweetheart. I’m sure it’s just stress that you’re feeling.” He reached across the console and took her hand into his. “Touch therapy will make you feel better.”
She shook her head. “No. That won’t be necessary. I think I’ll just take a couple of Tylenol and call it a night. It’s probably all the over-excitement from today.”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah positive.”
It took everything in her to stop herself from breaking down and crying right there in Joshua’s presence. He, of course, insisted on escorting her to her hotel room. But as soon as the door had closed behind him, she crumpled to the floor and began to cry. Ever since she’d been a little girl, she’d had the dream of marrying a man whose family would accept her as one of their very own. “I can’t marry a man whose mother thinks I’m not good enough for him,” she whispered to the empty room. “I simply refuse to do it.”
Five minutes later, with her eyelids puffy from her crying, she stood up and pulled the engagement ring that Joshua had given her off her finger. She placed it on the nightstand by her bed. “There can never be an us.”