Bella
It’s been three months since the first night Marcus and I spent together and the time has been wonderful. I didn’t think that illicit night when I went over to retrieve my toy would turn into us dating in secret, but it has, and I’m thrilled because the man I’m with is gorgeous, handsome, and so caring as well. For example, most times after we make love, he goes to the bathroom and returns with a warm, wet washcloth to sponge me off. The first time, I was surprised.
“Oh my god, what are you doing?” I asked, my thighs slamming shut.
He merely parted my knees with firm hands.
“You’ve taken a lot of me, sweetheart, and my job includes after care. I want to make sure that you’re comfortable and not too sore. I did savage you like an animal, after all.”
I giggled because he was rather gentle that first time. It was only afterwards that I learned what “savaging” would be like, and I sigh happily at the memory. Taking me in my back end was a shock, but I’ve learned to like it, and now my bottom’s well and truly stretched out from his “savagery.”
Plus, Marcus still flies a lot, but he always makes time for me when he’s home. Fortunately, Faith is at the diner a lot these days, so there are plenty of nights when we’re able to have private time together at his house. Usually, we cook a meal and then enjoy a few hours of satisfying, deep, penetrative love. It’s amazing and beautiful.
Not only that, but it shows. Yesterday at work, Lizzy told me I was positively glowing, and I nodded happily although I didn’t tell her why. After all, Marcus has been in town for a whole week, so I’ve been in an amazing mood. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a spring to my step, and a general feeling of joy. My boyfriend does that to me, and he makes me happy, full stop.
Tonight, I’m at his house again, and we’ve just finished dinner before settling on the couch for a movie. I giggle a bit while looking at my man as he grabs the popcorn and takes his place next to me.
“We shouldn’t have last night,” I reprimand him coyly.
He pretends a shocked look.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh you know!” I giggle again. “Your daughter was just down the hall, but you kept doing that!” I say. After all, Faith and I had a girls’ night last night, and after my friend fell asleep, I crept into the master bedroom for hours of lovemaking with my man. We tried to be quiet but after he started licking my brown buttonhole, I lost it. I screamed so loud that the rafters shook, and I’m surprised the dead didn’t stir in their graves.
“Well, you did have your face buried in the pillows,” my boyfriend chuckles while swatting my bottom.
“The first time I did, but then after you put your tongue inside …”
He chuckles.
“Yeah, you did scream like a banshee then,” he acknowledges.
“Oh you!” I squeal, swatting him on the arm. “You’re so bad!”
Marcus merely growls with a smile and pulls me close. Ah, this is the life! I cuddle in next to his huge form, but then pull back for a moment.
“When are you flying out again?” I ask in a light tone.
One of his black brow raises.
“Not for another week. Why?”
I smile. “Well, I’m doing really well at Crème. I sold more lipsticks than the other two salesgirls combined last month, and so they want to send me to a make-up conference in Minneapolis. Would you… well, would you want to come with me?”
The handsome pilot grins at me.
“Me, make-up?”
“Oh you know!” I say with a smile, although my heart’s beating hard in my chest. “It could be fun! You wouldn’t have to attend the conference itself. You could entertain yourself during the day, and then we’d meet up at night for dinner.”
I hold my breath. This would be our first trip together as a couple, and even more, our first opportunity to be together in the outside world. We’ve been secretive about our relationship so far out of deference to his daughter, but I want to be seen with Marcus. I want to hold hands with him in public, and I want the world to know that this handsome man is with me. But will he say yes?
Fortunately, Marcus leans in and presses a kiss to my brow.
“I’d love to, honey,” he growls. “Although don’t expect me to learn anything about make-up. Or skin care. Or hair.”
I giggle, my pulse racing.
“You won’t need to, don’t worry! You’re just my plus one.”
With that, we smile and laugh, although my heart’s practically beating out of my chest. Is Marcus Randall really my plus one? It sounds right, and as we settle in to watch the movie, I take his big hand and clasp it in my small one. Our fingers intertwine, and I sigh with pleasure. I could spend the rest of my life with this gorgeous man, but first things first: an out of town trip will be the next step in terms of exploring the depths of our love.
“You alright? You seem lost in thought,” my man remarks as he steers the car with ease. We’re on our way to the beauty conference, and I’m enjoying the scenery while looking out the window.
I jump. “What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about how this all started.”
Marcus grins. He puts his hand on my thigh, dangerously close to my center and I immediately begin to heat. “I think about that a lot, too.”
“Good,” I giggle while leaning over the center console to kiss Marcus’s cheek. “We should pay tribute to that dildo because it’s what got us started.”
He laughs and squeezes my thigh.
“You’re right. We should call him … I don’t know. Mr. Happy? Mr. Pleasure?”
“Or how about Santa Claus?” I laugh. “For all the gifts he’s delivered our way.”
Marcus grins and squeeze my thigh again.
“Santa Claus it is then. He’s the big man bringing treats.”
I laugh because our rapport is always so easy and contagious, and I’m really looking forward to spending a weekend alone with my man. It’s going to be fun, romantic, and so freeing to be in a city where no one knows us.
When we pull up to the convention center, Marcus turns to me again.
“You ready? You’ve got this, Bella. You’re going to knock everyone’s socks off.”
I smile, warming at his praise.
“I hope so because my manager, Cardine, wants me to schmooze some vendor Crème has been trying to score. I guess the Cherry Bliss brand is very picky about who they’ll work with, seeing that they have the number one selling lipstick in the world right now.”
The pressure is insane. I can’t believe Crème trusts me to get Cherry Bliss to let us sell their products. If I’m unsuccessful … well, I can’t think about that. I have to do what needs to be done because really, it’s the primary reason I’m here.
After Marcus parks the car, I hop out and pat my hair.
“Do I look okay? Do you think we should go up to our hotel room first?”
He merely grins and presses another kiss to my forehead.
“You look perfect, sweetheart. Exactly the type of girl who’s going to be a success.”
My cheeks flush and a happy smile crosses my lips. I already feel more confident, and together, we stride into the convention hall. The space is cavernous, and partitioned into various booths. There’s a cosmetics section, a skin care section, and a hair care section, and everywhere around me are products that I’d love to sample.
“This is incredible!” I gasp. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Probably at the beginning,” Marcus chuckles. “Honey, I’ll accompany you a bit, but you know me. When I can’t handle it, I’ll just step aside and head to the Starbucks.”
“Of course,” I say with a wink while taking his hand. “I wouldn’t expect you to get into the latest blush techniques.”
With that, we amble up and down the various aisles. There are so many products that I’m overwhelmed. I see sparkle eye glitter in a rainbow of shades, and stop to ooh and ahh over a particularly striking purple. Plus, I’m obsessed with some of the fake eyelashes on display. They’re real mink and look so natural on the model that I’m astonished. Meanwhile, Marcus looms behind me, his big body hulking.
“You could be modeling these products, you know,” he growls in my ear.
I giggle. “No way. I’m too big to be a model.”
Marcus puts an arm around my waist. “Not a chance, sweetheart. Why does it matter what size you are if it’s fake lashes?”
I shrug.
“It shouldn’t but photographers and brands can be really picky. Sometimes, they want a “muse” and not many people envision a woman like me when it comes to muses.”
He frowns while pulling me closer to his form.
“You’re absolutely gorgeous, Bella. Literally the most beautiful woman in the room, and this is a huge conference hall.”
I smile and swoon, feeling heady. Marcus says things like this all the time, and it makes my heart burst with adoration. He knows exactly what to say to make me feel loved, beautiful and cherished. I tap his cheek fondly.
“I know you think so, but I’m really curvy, and in general, models don’t look like me.”
Marcus’s eyes darken. “I adore your curves, honey, and I can’t believe you’re not on magazine covers all over the world.”
I giggle slightly but then my brows come down.
“But have you always been like this? I mean, Faith’s mom is so skinny, and you married her.”
He sighs, a dark look coming over his handsome features. He grips my hand, his mouth going tight.
“One of the many issues Samantha and I had involved her constant diets. We’d go out to eat, and she’d have nothing but a salad, which she didn’t even finish most of the time. At home, we’d make dinner, but she’d push the food around her plate and then say she wasn’t full. It didn’t matter how hard I tried, but Samantha never wanted to eat anything.”
My eyes widen. “I had no idea she had these issues! I just remember seeing pictures that Faith showed me, and Samantha was beautiful.”
Marcus sighs again, his gaze forlorn.
“Yes, she’s beautiful and Faith has a lot of her mom’s features, but I’m glad my daughter didn’t inherit her mom’s food issues. It’s terrible to say this, but I’m glad we got divorced in part because Samantha was constantly worrying over Faith’s eating habits. It was getting compulsive, and with the separation, I was able to get my daughter away from that.”
I shake my head.
“I’m happy too, and you don’t have to worry because Faith doesn’t have any problems with food. She’s like me. She’s got quite an appetite.”
Marcus laughs. “Yes, my daughter certainly appreciates food, and why not? It’s one of the greatest pleasures in life.”
He squeezes my hand with a smile, and companionably, we continue to walk through the conference until I spot the Cherry Bliss booth up ahead.
“Oh wait, here it is,” I say, a bit nervously. “I have to make a good impression.”
Marcus grins. He merely leans down and kisses me thoroughly, uncaring of who sees. “You’ve got this, Bella. Good luck. I’ll hang out at the Starbucks so they’re not wondering who your stalker is.”
I nod, giving him another squeeze of the hand, and then my boyfriend melts into the crowd. That leaves me to approach the folks at Cherry Bliss on my own.
“Hi, I’m Bella Samuels from the Crème boutique over in Medina. I’m a big fan of your products.”
A tall woman with perfectly-done red lipstick stands and holds out her hand. “That’s great to hear!” she says with a laugh. “I’m always happy to learn that people love our products because I formulated most of them myself! I’m Linda Cherie, by the way, the founder and CEO of Cherry Bliss. Now, tell me more about yourself.”
Our conversation is off to a great start, and soon we’re chatting like two girlfriends who’ve known each other for ages. We talk for a full hour, and by the end, I’ve convinced her to let us carry her line. It’s astonishing and she waves as I leave.
“Good talking to you, Bella,” she calls. “Let’s connect again soon.”
I nod happily before leaving the conference center and immediately head to the in-hotel Starbucks.
Marcus smiles when he sees me, nursing a cup of black coffee in the corner.
“I take it that went well?”
I practically jump into his arms.
“Better than well! I did it. Cardine is going to be impressed.”
Marcus kisses me again. “I knew you’d nail it. I’m so proud of you, honey, and this calls for a celebration.”
I bask in his praise, glowing with pleasure.
“Thank you, and I couldn’t have done it without you because I was so nervous going into it.”
He grins and pats my bottom lightly.
“I just drove. You did all the hard work, sweetie. Never underestimate yourself.”
With that, I smile happily at him and wind my arms about his broad shoulders. It feels good to be like this, out in the open and affectionate for the world to see. I know Marcus enjoys it too because he merely shifts me closer, and captures my mouth in a breathtaking kiss.
“Marcus, people will see!” I gasp with a blush when he releases me.
“Let them see,” he growls in my ear. “You belong to me, and I want people to know.”
His possession sends a warm rush through my veins, and with a knowing smile, Marcus takes my hand to lead me upstairs to our hotel room. After all, we have the weekend together and even though we’re supposed to spend time at the conference, the privacy will be pleasurable as well.