The ringing of Ian’s phone interrupted us as he pulled it out of his pocket and held his finger up. The conversation only lasted a few seconds with Ian saying “Okay, and thank you.” I assumed it was a business call.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “Now, back to you wondering if I always f**k women in the back of my limo. Why were you curious?”
“I don’t know. I just was.”
I never should have brought it up. But I took comfort in knowing that I was the only woman he’d done that with in the back of his limo. But then again, why me?
Ian poured some more wine into my glass as he started to speak. “Your plans for tomorrow night with Jordyn and Ollie have been canceled.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m throwing you a birthday party tomorrow night and they’ll be at my house.”
“A party? No, Ian, I’m not comfortable with that. I don’t like to be the center of attention.”
He chuckled. “You don’t seem to mind it when you’re the center of my attention.”
I cocked my head and narrowed my eyebrows. “That’s different.”
“Well, it’s too late. I wanted to do it tonight, but since you’re so stubborn and didn’t bother to mention that it was your birthday, there was no time. I’ve already made the arrangements and the party is scheduled for tomorrow evening at eight. Oh, and by the way, Adalynn is pissed at you for not telling her it was your birthday,” he smirked.
Just as he said that, my phone chimed with a text from Adalynn.
“Boo on you for not telling your friend it’s your birthday! Happy Birthday and we need to talk. I want to hear all about your boat trip with Ian. Love you.”
I smiled as I replied, “We have lots to talk about, lol. Thank you for the birthday wishes. I’ll see you tomorrow at the party. Love you back.”
“Oh good, he told you. We’ll have to sneak off and have a little girlfriend time. I’m dying to know what happened.”
As I looked up from my phone, I noticed Ian staring at me. “It was a text from Adalynn wishing me a happy birthday.”
We finished up our dinner and walked back to the limo. I would never look at that limo the same again.
When we walked into the house, it was dark. Ian reached over and flipped the light switch in the foyer. I went to go up the stairs and Ian stopped me.
“Where are you going?”
“I was going to put my purse away.”
“You can do that later. I want you to come into the living room with me.”
He grabbed my hand, and as we walked into the living room, he turned on one of the lamps. I shrieked when I looked over and saw a beautiful, dark cherry wood baby grand piano sitting in the corner. I covered my hand with my mouth, for I was in complete shock.
“Are you all right?” Ian laughed.
I turned my head, hand still covering my mouth, and looked at him. “What? When? Oh my God, Ian.”
“The necklace symbolizes that you’ll always have a home here and the piano so you’ll always have an escape when you need it.”
I threw my arms around him and wrapped my legs around his waist. As I crashed my mouth into his, he let out a moan. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” I said with each kiss.
“You’re welcome.” He laughed.
He held onto me tightly as his hands pushed my dress up above my waist. He looked down and then back up at me with seductive eyes.
“I’m going to need to f**k you now, right here, in front of the fireplace.”
“You can f**k me anywhere you want.” I smiled.
That was all it took for him to let out a low growl and carry me over by the fireplace and lay me down.
****
The next morning, I awoke to a strong arm wrapped tightly around me. I looked at the clock and it was 5:15 a.m. I was a little surprised that Ian brought me to this bedroom instead of his. I carefully lifted his arm and crawled out from underneath. I didn’t want to wake him because he looked so peaceful sleeping, and the alarm was going off in fifteen minutes for our run. I was feeling a little sore down below, compliments of Mr. Ian Braxton.
“Where are you going?” he asked quietly.
“To use the bathroom, if you don’t mind,” I said as I turned around and saw that he was staring at me.
“Can we just lie here and f**k as our morning exercise instead of going running?”
As tantalizing as the thought sounded, there was no way I was going to have sex with him again right now. “No, we need to run. It’s been a few days,” I replied.
“Are you okay, Rory?”
“Yeah, why?” I yelled from the bathroom.
“You’re walking funny. Are you sore down there?”
I flushed the toilet and walked out of the bathroom, pinching my thumb and finger together. “Maybe just a little.”
“Come here,” he said as he held out his arms.
I climbed back into bed and laid my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. There was nothing in this world that made me feel safer than his strong chest and strong arms.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”
“I do like knowing that I was the cause of it, though.”
I lightly smacked him on the chest just as the alarm went off.
“Are you going to be okay to run?” he asked.
“I’ll be fine. Go get changed so we can go.”
Ian got up from the bed, pulled on his pajama bottoms, and walked out of the room. I changed into my running clothes and headed downstairs.
“Good morning, Charles,” I said happily.
“Good morning, Rory, and happy belated birthday. When you and Ian get back from your run, I’m making you a special breakfast.” He smiled.
“Charles, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t. I want to.” He winked.
Ian came downstairs and we both headed out the door for our daily run. It was starting to get cool in the mornings. Fall was settling in and you could really feel the drop in the morning temperature. As we were running side by side, Ian looked over at me and asked a question.
“Is there one place in the world that you’ve always dreamed of seeing?”
“Yes, anywhere but Indiana.” I laughed.
Ian chuckled. “I’m serious.”
“I’ve always wanted to go and see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I remember when I was a little girl that my mom received a postcard with the Eiffel Tower on it from one of her friends that had to move there because her husband got transferred. She put it up on the refrigerator and I stared at it every day. So yeah, that’s one specific place I’ve always dreamed of seeing.”