Chapter 9: Five Months Later

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Rei couldn't believe that it had been nearly six months since she'd met Justin.  The details of their first week together still managed to astound her, but even now there were some aspects of it that she simply refused to think about. While she was no longer working with Justin as his personal assistant and secretary, she was currently attending business school. She wanted to open her own book franchise, and Justin was helping her work out the details of it. By this time next year she planned on having her first store in a chain of stores and it was hard to contain her excitement about seeing her dreams come to fruition. After the bookstores there was no telling where she would take things, and that too was its own brand of excitement.

Life with Justin was nothing if not interesting. She liked the fact that he treated her more like a partner than an apprentice. Most people thought that had something to do with the fact that they were seeing each other, but Rei knew that wasn't the case at all. The man was scary good at keeping business and pleasure separate from one another. It was probably thanks to his new mindset. After what happened with Stan and Bethany, Justin was very careful to keep personal feelings out of any of his business dealings. He treated employees like employees and often checked and double checked their information before allowing their findings to progress to the next level.

Rei was proud of him. She was sure some of his paranoia would wear off as time passed, but she knew he'd always hold a part of himself back. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Astoundingly enough, Stan had managed to spend most of the money he'd stolen from Justin. But that didn't necessarily mean that Justin had to walk away without some sort of recompense. After liquidating everything that Stan owned and digging through his myriad of bank accounts, Justin's lawyers had managed to get back some of what had been taken. It didn't hurt that some investments that Justin had made around the same time had begun to pay off. He wasn't as wealthy as he used to be, but he was still considerably well off.

The amount of time Stan and Bethany would spend behind prison was emotionally satisfying enough to make up for the money they weren't able to get back. Meanwhile, no one could prove that Bethany had been Stan's accomplice. There was too much room for reasonable doubt to take Stan's word over Bethany's, so attempted murder was the only sentence that Bethany would have to serve. It was unnerving to think that the woman would be free again in just a few years.

Absently, Rei rubbed her head, fingertips running over the area of her skull where she still felt a phantom ache every time she thought about Bethany Marcus. She may feel as if Bethany should have been put away for much longer, but she had learned not to dwell on it. Instead she focused on just how much she enjoyed being with Justin. Aside from the way he made her feel whenever he touched her, she'd found that he was one of the most descent people she'd ever met in her life. He was frank and open with everyone and he never sugarcoated anything. There was a new fire in him, a new purpose that drove him. It made him smile more, laugh more. Rei liked to think that Bethany had been right that night. About Rei being the reason that Justin was a stronger person.

Being with a multimillionaire had its downsides of course. Other than the publicity that came hand in hand with dating someone so well known, Justin was invited to attend a lot of functions. Functions that he expected Rei to accompany him to.

Rei hated them with a single minded focus she usually reserved for rats and very large spiders. No matter how many parties she attended, she just couldn't get used to rubbing elbows with the super elite. If she'd been a wallflower maybe things wouldn't have been so bad. But no. Rei was much worse than that. She was a klutz. The unwitting center of attention. The topic of the story that people regaled their friends and family with. She'd asked Justin after their last disastrous party why he kept inviting her to these gatherings at all. He'd admitted, in a shame faced sort of way that it was solely for his own personal amusement.

“You make me happy. Just go with it.”

Sage advice. If he had said anything else she would have staunchly refused to accompany him to any more social events. It was why she currently found herself smiling benignly at an older couple she neither knew, nor particularly liked if the last few moments were any indication of their personalities.

“-and the Hampton social was simply awful.” Mrs. Fuller huffed.

“Quite awful.” Mr. Fuller agreed, staring holes into his champagne glass.

“I don't know what Clarissa was thinking, hiring a bunch of minorities to plan her party. It's one thing to let them mow your lawn or build your house, but it's quite another to trust them with a budget.” She laughed gaily and took a swig from her glass. “I can't even leave them alone with my purse, isn't that right Henry?”

She nudged Henry and he lifted her tiny clutch in silent agreement. Mrs. Fuller tittered and then she looked at Rei's carefully blank face in dawning horror. It seemed to have just occurred to the woman that the person she was talking to was, in fact, a minority.

“Nothing personal dear.”

Rei gave a tight smile and opened her mouth to say something rude when she felt a warm hand caress the small of her back where her green dress dipped low around her waist. She looked over at Justin with a smile and he winked at her before turning the full force of his charm on the Fullers.

“You don't mind if I steal her away for a bit do you Mrs. Fuller?”

The older woman blushed and waved a dismissive hand.

“Of course not. We've kept her occupied for long enough. You two love birds go and enjoy yourselves.”

Justin's grin was wicked.

“Oh we will.” he assured her earnestly and Rei found her own face flushing scarlet at the promise in his words. As they walked away from the Fullers she struck him in the chest with the back of her hand.

“What was that for?” he asked with a laugh. Rei simply shook her head.

“For being a constant pain in my ass.”

He hummed low and his gaze turned speculative.

“Speaking of things being in your ass-” he began.

“No.” she said, cutting off whatever he'd been about to say.

“You promised you'd try.”

“I promised I'd think about it.”

“Well how about this? I'll start while you think about it, and hopefully by the time I’m finished you'll have made up your mind.”

“Do you want to get hit again?” but she couldn't quite fight back a smile.

“Yes please.”

This time she laughed out loud and several party goers turned to stare.

“You're ridiculous.”

His sigh was dramatic. “Why would I deny myself the pleasure of your touch?”

Looking at him from the corner of her eye, she bit her lip in thought. Finally, she nodded.

“Speaking of touching and pleasure-” she began absently.

His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the area. “Quickie in the coat room?” He guessed.

She nodded and smiled a greeting at a woman who waved at her from across the room.

“Quickie in the coat room.”

“I'd thought you'd never ask.”

His fingers intertwined with hers and he pulled her after him. The benefit they were attending tonight was being held on the first floor of a hotel. The room was specifically designed to host large functions like weddings, fashion shows, and live concerts. Which meant that while the coat closet was relatively close, it took them a few minutes to work their way through the crowd that had managed to squeeze themselves within the space.

They stumbled into the coat room, hands already fumbling with one another's clothes. Rei had grown especially fond of wearing skirts and dresses in her time with Justin and even now she thrilled in the gentle glide of silk across her thighs as he lifted her off of her feet and slammed her back against a wall.  Hangers swung and coats cocooned them in a cave of faux fur and leather.

Rei lifted her legs, wrapping her legs around Justin's waist and lifting herself so that he could reach between their bodies and fumble with panties and zippers alike. He entered her with a groan and she couldn't help but whimper at the sensation. Even after all these months it felt good to have him there, between her thighs, inside of her. It was like finding her other half and it only doubled the pleasure, made it sharper, sweeter.

They moved together and it was like dancing. Hips grinding, thrusting, straining. A slide of flesh in flesh. Dragging her nails across the length of his back and stifling her cries against his shoulder. He rocked inside of her, and the motion set the coats to swinging. She locked her ankles at the small of his back, and held him there. Allowing her muscles to clench around him, lifting her bottom half so that she ride him in short bursts.

Leaning his head against her breasts, his fingers dug into her hips. Pulling her forward so that only her back touched the wall. He watched his cock pumping between her tight folds, eyes darkening at the play of light on dark skin, at the stretch of muscle and the way her cream made his cock glisten in the weak light of the coat room.

She was just beginning to feel the first stirrings of orgasm when Justin slipped out of her and pulled her to the ground with him. She felt his hands guiding her, the soft murmur of his voice against her skin as he trailed kisses along her body. He turned her around and Rei found herself kneeling in front of him on all fours.  Her body was still primed, still ready, and she was hungry enough for orgasm that when she felt his fingers spreading the cheeks of her ass, saying no never even entered her mind.

'If it hurts, I’ll just ask him to stop.' she thought to herself. Having him take the decision out of her hands and knowing that he would stop the second she seemed uncomfortable, stole the last of her resistance. It did nothing for the excited beat of her heart as she lowered the upper half of her body to the ground. Pressing her cheek into her cupped hands to protect herself from lying flat out on the carpet, she tried not to jerk away at the first swipe of Justin's tongue across the tight rose of her anus.

Pulling back slightly, he ran his forefinger against her, pushing against the muscles there to test her resistance. Then he leaned forward and licked her again. He bathed her asshole under the weight of his tongue and the wet heat of his breath. His fingers teased her, pressing forward before retreating and soon she found herself gasping beneath his ministrations. Pressing back to meet his greedy mouth and questing hand.

When his first finger slipped inside of her, her body gripped the digit, involuntarily pulling it deeper and clutching it tight. His tongue came back, and it was if she were already conditioned to respond to it, to relax when his mouth made contact with her. Her cunt was dripping and her body rocked in rising frustration. She sobbed out loud when he took pity on her, free hand rising so that he could finger fuck her pussy at the same time he worked against her ass.  One finger was replaced by two, then three and she groaned, blood rushing too her head as she tried not to fight against the pressure pushing against her asshole. Even with three fingers in her, the intrusion didn't hurt. It was just difficult to get used to.

Then his fingers started to move, thrusting in time with his other hand as it teased and pulled at her clit. She felt lightheaded, aching. When he finally removed his fingers from her ass, he didn't waste any time rising to his knees behind her and placing the head of his cock against the gaping hole his fingers had created. Even as he worked to push into her ass, he could feel the walls of her anus closing around the length of him. Like his fingers, once he pushed through that first layer of resistance her body accepted him. Even pulling him in deeper.

She made a low, groaning sound in the back of her throat. Once he was seated to the hilt he had to hold them both still. His body screamed at him to push forward, to fuck her raw, but if he listened to that part of himself he'd last a minute, maybe two, before blowing his load. Even if he did cum quickly he wanted it to be because they were good together not because he lost control. Justin like to plan ahead. If she didn't enjoy herself this time there was no way in hell she was going to let him have a second go at it. So in this case, first impressions were everything. 

He probably shouldn't have initiated this in a coat closet now that he thought about it, but hindsight was a bitch that wouldn't allow him to pull out. The feel of her inner muscles were like a fist around his throbbing length and there was a heat to her that was nearly searing against his overly sensitive skin. He tested her, pulling out slow and watching the way her body tensed and shuddered beneath him. He did it again, and then again, until she started to relax, shuddering now in pleasure rather than discomfort if the little sounds she made were any clue.

He liked watching the rounded globes of her ass bounce each time he pumped inside of her tight canal. Justin found himself moving faster, pushing deeper if only so that he could watch that dance of flesh, hear those needy little moans, and watch the way her asshole stretched around the width of his cock. She began to meet each of his thrusts, grunting with the force of the motion. Staying on one knee he lifted his other leg and pulled her tighter against him, hands pressing into the small of her back and holding her waist so that he could hold her still against the power of his thrusts. He felt her body buck and watched as she slipped a hand between her legs. She drove her fingers inside of her dripping pussy while her other hand gripped one of her nipples and pinched. Rolling the tender nub between thumb and forefinger.

He had broken a taboo entering her from behind and it sparked a sweet sort of pleasure. Rei felt wicked and dirty and the thrill of those sensations mixed with the knowledge that she and Justin could be caught in the middle of the act. She'd never known she was such an exhibitionist until she met him. Never knew that fear of embarrassment or discovery could make her cum so hard that she momentarily lost the ability to see or speak as her body rode out the sensation. Now was no different from all the other times Justin had convinced her to have sex in a public place. In some ways it was even better.

She could feel the heavy weight of his cock against her fingers as she fucked her pussy. She felt full, overly so, and when she felt his cum fill her bowels she came with a violent shudder that had her back arching and her fingers twisting cruelly around her nipple. She pumped her cunt a few more times with a hand that shook and cried out again as those last few thrusts drug forth another orgasm on the tail end of the last.

Justin allowed himself to slip from her. Curiosity had him spreading her cheeks apart and he watched in fascination as her asshole contracted, as if still hungry for the feel of him. When his cum began to slide out of her body and down her skin, he felt himself harden once more. The sight of her, vulnerable and used and open was enough to make him want to fuck her all over again. Though admittedly it didn't take much for him to want to get into her pants. As much as he wanted to try for round two, he was painfully aware of the fact that they had been missing from the party for far too long. Rei may not know it yet, but she was going to be the guest of honor in just a few short minutes.

The idea was that if he asked her in front of a lot of people, she would be more likely to slip up and say yes if only because of all the peer pressure. Trying to trick a woman into marrying him wasn't his proudest moment, but Justin was a man who did what it took to get what he wanted. Pulling her up against him so that her back was flush against his chest, he nuzzled her neck and chuckled.

“What is it?” she asked dreamily.

“I was just wondering how much you liked the Fullers.”

“I don't.” she replied simply. “Why?”

He nodded his head to indicate the fur coat that they had managed to pull free of its hanger.

“Because you just came all over Mrs. Fuller's mink coat.”

She made a sound of pure horror and tried to pull away, but he bit her shoulder and wrapped a restraining arm around her waist.

“Spread your legs.” He said gruffly, pulling her dress just a little higher.

She complied, and grabbing the expensive Mink by the sleeve, he reached between her thighs and wiped away the sliding trail of his cum. She shuddered as the soft fur made contact with her clit and caressed the swollen folds of her anus. Kissing her shoulder, he let her dress slip back down over her hips. Then, getting to his feet he hung Mrs. Fuller's coat neatly back on the hanger.

She looked up at him, still a little flushed with satisfaction, and he reached down to take her hand. Rei allowed him to help her to her feet, straightening her clothes with her free hand and hoping that there weren't too many wrinkles now embedded in the silk.

“You think she'll notice right away?” she spoke low and he shook his head, lowering his own voice to humor her.

“No.” he assured her. “That will give us enough time to come up with an alibi.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You're not funny.”

“Of course I am.

Rei didn't bother to respond, mostly because anything she said in the negative would be a lie. They stepped back into the party and Rei was relieved to note that no one seemed to have noticed their absence.  As she and Justin made their way past the other party goers, Rei looked up to catch Mrs. Fuller waving enthusiastically at her. Flushing she turned away and pretended like she hadn't seen her.

“Try not to look so guilty.” Justin whispered from the corner of his mouth.

“I can't help it.” Rei muttered back. “Every time I see her now I’m going to remember the fact that I got bodily fluids all over her clothes.”

“She can afford a new one.”

“That's not the point.”

“What is the point?”

“It's the principle of the thing.”

“I see.” He said musingly. “Thinking about what you just did to that poor woman must upset you.”

Rei looked up at him in disbelief.

“What I did?” She began in outrage but his next words cut her off mid tirade.

“I know just the thing to take your mind off of it.” he told her smugly.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Oh really?” she drawled. “And what would that be.”

“We should get married.”

“What?” Her laughter was edged with disbelief.

“You heard me. Let's get married.”

“You're insane.”

“Insanely in love.”

She raised an eyebrow at that and his face flushed in embarrassment.

“Too far?”

“A little.” she admitted.

“Then how about this.” pulling her up short, he turned her around until they could look at one another face to face. His hands cupped her cheeks and the laughter drained from his face as he looked down into her eyes. “I love you Ms. Donovan.” he told her. “I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. For the first half of my life loneliness was a constant companion and you're the first, and only, one who's strong enough to push her away.”

His hands traveled down her face, over either side of her throat, and along her arms as he lowered himself to his knees. The crowd stirred and the people around them fell silent. But Rei only had eyes for the man now clutching her hand between both of his own.

“Rei Donovan.” he began, the involuntary tightening of his fingers the only sign of his sudden case of nerves. “Will you marry me?”

The silence in the room was deafening, the eyes trained on the couple unflinching, and Rei Donovan was just as astounded, maybe even more so, than their spectators. The men and women watching the drama unfold were already spreading their gossip. How Justin Reese went through women like a person with allergies went through Kleenex. How Rei was just another gold digger, though that was expected when you dealt with someone who came from nothing. You could almost hear the censure, both unspoken and otherwise, and Justin began to feel the first stirrings of doubt as Rei's silence stretched on.

Maybe she didn't love him nearly as much as he loved her. Maybe he was just fooling himself like he had so many times before. It was enough to leave him feeling sick.

Meanwhile, the source of the tension, could feel only one thing.

Joy.

She'd found it, she thought in wonder.

That spark.

That certain something.

That je ne sais quoi.

As it turned out, she did have a Happily Ever After, and he was 6'2 with red hair and more heart than common sense. When she finally nodded her head she did so through a veil of tears.

Justin scowled.

“Does that mean yes? You're crying so I can't be sure.”

“Yes. You idiot.” She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and sinking to her knees as well. “It means yes.”

He sighed against the curve of her neck and all around them applause and congratulations broke out. Justin came to his feet, lifting Rei along with him.

“Wanna get out of here?” he asked on the sly, and she looked up at him in surprised pleasure. The well-wishers had begun to converge and a portly woman he didn't know hugged Rei tight. 

“Yes please.” she managed finally, and Justin chuckled.

Since his master plan had worked out so well, there was no longer any reason for them to stay. But just because he didn't have to watch her get surrounded by a gaggle of gossipy women didn't mean that he couldn't enjoy the spectacle. So, instead of rescuing her as she'd obviously anticipated, he began to back away.

“I'll wait for you in the car.” He told her sweetly and she cursed as yet another curious heiress blocked her route of escape. Justin walked away whistling, the sound of his future wife's curses like music to his ears. He'd go back for her. Eventually. But first he'd let her sweat a little while he had Valet pull their car around. She'd probably make him pay for his abandonment later on, but honestly, that had been the whole reason for provoking her in the first place.

After all, what was life without a little mischief?