Chapter 48

DORIS

Saturday morning, I was smiling when I got to the penthouse. I still hadn’t made many deals at Heritage Properties, but I was so glad to see Mia that my happiness overflowed.

“I’m so glad you live here now,” Mia said, taking my hand. “Well, here in New York, it would be better if you lived here…” Mia said, letting go of my hand to point at the floor, “…at home.”

“Mia…” Arthur growled a reprimand at her.

“I know. Six weeks.” Mia looked at me. “Has it been six weeks yet?”

I bent down so I was at her level. “Not yet, sweetheart.”

“But you are going to move in then, right?”

My heart lurched. I looked at Arthur over the top of Mia’s head. His eyes were pleading.

I looked back to Mia. “We’ll see.”

I stood up.

Arthur, Mia, and I began our day. The streets were teeming with energy. We stopped at a bakery to get croissants and ate them as we walked.

Mia's laughter echoed through the air as we strolled through Central Park, filling my heart with joy.

We sat on a picnic blanket Arthur had brought. We had just sat down, then Mia jumped up.

“Mommy, I need new clothes.”

“Do you, now?” I asked. I didn’t know if I’d ever get over her calling me ‘Mommy’. It was something I wanted to be true so badly.

“I do,” Mia said. She gestured to the bottom of her cute blue jumper dress. “This used to be down to here.” Mia made a motion across her shins. “And now it’s up to here.” Mia made the same motion mid-thighs.

“Oh,” I said.

“If I grow any more, it will be up to here.” Mia motioned higher. “And then my underwear will be showing.”

I laughed.

“Can I get a new dress? Mommy? Daddy? Please?”

I looked at Arthur. He nodded.

“I don’t see why not, sweet girl,” I said. “We’ll go shopping after lunch.”

“Yippee!” Mia jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

Then Mia looked at us. “You two need to kiss now.”

Not this again, I thought.

“I think it’s you I need to kiss,” Arthur said. Faster than a striking cobra, Arthur grabbed Mia and dragged her to him. He tickled her waist and peppered her jaw with dozens of quick kisses.

“Daddy!” Mia said and giggled. “Stop. That tickles.”

He stopped tickling her, but kept up with the kisses.

We were all laughing when Arthur stopped, and Mia’s command for the adults to kiss had been avoided.

After the park, we walked to Midtown.

The scent of coffee wafted through the air, luring us into a café. I ordered a cappuccino. I savored the feel of the drink on my lips. I noticed Arthur’s gaze dropped to my mouth as I licked the creamy foam off.

Arthur and Mia talked, completely engaged in a conversation about their favorite superheroes. Mia waved her hands around as she explained the virtues of Wolverine over all the other X-men.

They never talked over each other, but they built on each other’s comments, taking turns outwitting each other.

Mia shoved the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth and chewed quickly.

“Shopping time!” Mia shouted.

“It is,” Arthur said. “Let’s head down to the fashion district.”

Each store promised an array of fashion delights.

We stepped into a boutique that had girls’ clothes in the storefront.

Mia bounced with excitement.

“Can I help you?” the saleswoman asked us.

“I need a dress for my princess,” Arthur said, gesturing toward Mia.

“Of course,” the sales lady said, and showed Mia a rack of purple dresses in her size.

Arthur leaned over and put his lips to my ear. He spoke in a soft, husky whisper. “And I wouldn’t mind finding something I can rip off my queen.”

I blushed. “Let’s focus on one thing at a time,” I whispered.

“Okay,” Arthur said. “But don’t forget the sentiment.”

I looked at Mia, who was happily flitting around the store.

The racks were adorned with a kaleidoscope of colors and textures. Mia's eyes widened with anticipation. The sound of hangers sliding along the railings harmonized with our laughter.

Mia eagerly tried on dress after dress, twirling in front of the mirror like a graceful ballerina. Each outfit showcased her vibrant personality.

“I can’t decide,” Mia said, still twirling. “I want them all.”

“You can pick two,” Arthur said firmly.

Mia found a dress that seemed to shimmer with its own inner light. Mia's eyes lit up like stars. “This one, this one. This ONE!!!!”

I laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that. Which one?”

“THIS ONE!” Mia shouted, thrusting the dress at me.

“Well, go try it on.” I pointed to the dressing rooms.

Mia ran there, the dress clutched to her chest.

She came out and twirled for us.

“You look like a Disney princess,” I said.

“Better,” Arthur said.

“Can I have it?” Mia asked.

I went to look at the price tag out of habit, but before I even saw it, Arthur said, “Of course, pumpkin.”

Arthur looked at the saleslady. “May she wear this dress out of the store?”

“Absolutely.”

Arthur paid for the princess dress and the other one, a simple purple jumper.

Later, we walked around Times Square, watching the lights of illuminated billboards light up the evening sky. We indulged in hot dogs from a street vendor, relishing every juicy bite.

Then we went home…I mean to the penthouse… and we watched “Frozen”. Arthur held Mia in his lap and didn’t check his phone once. He’d changed.

We put Mia to bed.

Arthur watched me as I got ready to sing at The Strip. His gaze was hot and intimate.

When I got back, I was tired. The crowd had been small. People were still hesitant because of The Paper Monkey shooting.

“Did it go well?” Arthur asked me.

“It did. Tourists mostly, I think.”

We held each other for a moment, savoring the feeling of being close to each other. Then, Arthur led me toward the couch.

“You want to watch something?” he asked.

“No. I’d like to just sit here for a moment, if that’s okay.”

“Of course.” He kissed my temple. “Anything is okay for you, Little Dove.”

We sat, and Arthur put his arm around me. We talked a little bit, catching up on our week.

Then we lapsed into silence. It was a comfortable silence. I felt secure and protected.

I let out a sigh.

I put my head on Arthur's shoulder and closed my eyes. “It’s nice to feel this content.”

Arthur kissed the top of my hair. “I know. I feel the same way, Dove.”

In a short time, Arthur had become my good friend, my employer, my pretend co-parent partner, my lover, and someone I loved too much if it all went south.

I felt him looking at me, and I opened my eyes. His expression was loving and also a little suggestive.

He leaned down and kissed me. The kiss started slowly, but as Arthur controlled the flames, it became more passionate. We kissed for a long time, until we were both breathless.

Arthur stood up and offered me his hand. “Time to bring this fire to the bedroom, Little Dove.”

“Oh, it is? Is it?” I said, making my voice as teasing as possible.

In return, he made his voice as deep, commanding, and dominating as possible. “It absolutely is, babe.”

A bust of desire surged through me.

I let Arthur lead. We hurried to Arthur’s bedroom.

Arthur closed the door and turned to look at me. The air crackled with anticipation.

“You’re a magnet I can’t help being attracted to,” I said.

He laughed. “And that’s bad? I don’t think so. I’m sucked in by you as well.”

Arthur kissed me again, hard and passionate, like fire and fury contained in lightning. My entire body lit up in response.

But in direct contrast to Arthur's hot, controlling kiss, his fingers roved lightly. He traced gentle paths over my shirt and along my arms. Each caress felt like a promise of love and unspoken desires.

“Why?” I whimpered into his mouth. “Why is it so good?”

He gave me a little shove onto his bed, and I fell willingly.

“Who cares why, Doris? The fact is that it is good. Great, even. It doesn’t matter why; it just matters that it is.”

Arthur unbuttoned his shirt as he spoke, and I stared at the chiseled muscles of his shoulders and chest.

“I don’t deserve you,” I said.

“And I don’t deserve you, so we’re even.” Arthur laid his body on top of mine, and instinctually I arched into him.

He kissed my jaw. “Baby, it doesn’t matter what we deserve. It matters what we have. And you have me. All of me.”

At that moment, I fell totally and completely in love.

Arthur undressed himself and me.

Arthur kissed down my collarbones to my breasts. He sucked one nipple into his mouth and played with the other.

“Oh, Arthur,” I moaned. I sounded like a woman who had lost herself. Maybe I had.

Then my hands were touching him everywhere I could reach, and he was doing the same.

We explored our desire.

“Baby, there are so, so many things I want to do to you,” Arthur said. He kissed down my sides, heading toward my core.

“Whatever you want. I trust you.”

Arthur stopped worshipping my skin to look me in the eyes. “Good.”

Then he feasted on me and I stopped thinking.

My body quaked, on the verge of an explosion, but Arthur pulled back.

He lined our bodies up, his hips poised to thrust.

“Ready, my beauty?”

So ready. I nodded.

With one sharp thrust, he joined us.

My eyes rolled back in my head with pleasure.

We were fused together in a dance of raging passion, and I loved it.

I surrendered to the intoxicating, increasing rhythm Arthur set. My soft moans filled the room, but when I couldn’t help getting louder, Arthur threw one palm over my mouth.

The sparkle in his eyes was all it took to set me off to a devastating climax. It’s a good thing his hand was there to muffle the screams.

He pounded into me, faster and faster, and I slipped into an odd state where there was only bliss.

I came again, a small orgasm twitching through me. Then I felt Arthur swell inside me; his body tightened.

He came with a huge burst of energy, and I followed him over into the abyss.