Bride by Design: Flights of Fancy (2 page)

I whimpered softly in anticipation and fear. “We shouldn’t be blocking this bathroom for so long.”

He nibbled my ear gently. “Everyone else in First Class is asleep.”

I didn’t believe him, though I desperately wanted to. A warning bell sounded in a distant part of my brain, but he was so close to me, his lips burning up my skin, and I wanted more of him. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my fingertips down and running them along his strong back.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pushed me forward, till I was pressed up against him, my breasts crushed against his hard chest. I could feel his hardness against me, and the knowledge of his arousal thrilled me. I leaned my head back, and he pressed his lips down on mine. His kiss was demanding, and I gave him what he sought, our mouths feverish and our bodies aching.

I felt him gathering up the long skirt of my maxi dress, pulling it up slowly and revealing my bare legs. When it was high enough, he slipped his hands underneath and crushed my ass cheeks in his palms. I moaned softly into his mouth and he pulled back.

“You look so hot,” he murmured, “I love seeing you so aroused.”

I flushed with embarrassment but I couldn’t control the way I felt as his hands moved along my ass, groping and squeezing.

He moved around till he was behind me, and his hands were on my lower stomach, just above my panties. He walked me to basin, forcing me to look at our reflection in the mirror. “I want you to watch yourself come,” he whispered. “We’ll both watch.”

I whined softly with embarrassment, pressing my ass against his hardness, grinding slowly and trying to make him change his mind. He moved his hands down, along the crotch of my panties. My face was flushed, reflected back at me through the mirror, my eyes glazed with lust, my lips slightly parted. I was thrusting my ass against him, but despite the hardness I felt, he seemed relatively calm. His face was a bit flushed, and his eyes were glinting jade with desire.

I closed my eyes as his fingers slipped underneath the material and discovered my swollen lips. He stroked me gently, making me wetter, and then his fingers left and moved to my thighs.

“Please,” I panted, “Don’t stop.”

“All in good time.”

His fingers pressed against my inner thighs and he made me spread my legs, wide apart, so my lips were spread and begging for his touch.

He moved his other hand down and found my engorged nub, which he twirled and stroked till I almost came right then. His lips were on my neck again, sucking gently, and I finally begged him for more, to put his fingers inside me.

He slid two fingers in slowly, and I felt myself spread wide as they entered me. I was trying to suck them in with my muscles, and I felt myself grinding under his fingers. He held me expertly, his fingers on my clit still teasing me, and then began to thrust harder into my pussy, his fingers spreading me and filling me over and over again, till I moaned and felt the pressure building up.

“Yes,” he murmured, “Come for me.”

His fingers slammed into me again and with a stifled groan I felt the release as the waves washed over me and I came wordlessly, trying my best not to scream. Even as I climaxed, he kept thrusting his fingers into me, his hand on my clit pressing down and rubbing, intensifying the sensation till I was spent and exhausted.  

When it was over, I leaned forward and grabbed the basin to steady myself. He pulled his fingers out of me, and I heard him grab some tissues and clean himself up, before he unlocked the door and slipped out.

Quickly, I locked the door again, and peeled off my drenched panties. They were too wet to wear, so I tossed them into the bin meant for tampons and pads, and cleaned myself up as well as I could.

Chapter Two

I unlocked the door and peered out, feeling guilty and expecting to see a long queue of angry people with small bladders, or at least a disapproving stewardess.

There was nobody there. Breathing a sigh of relief, I almost ran to my seat, sinking down into the soft, creamy leather and wrapping the blanket over myself. I turned to face the window, hoping nobody knew what had happened and feeling reassured by the dim cabin lights and heavy breathing of our sleeping co-passengers.

I sneaked a look at Green Eyes. He was staring at his movie screen, wrapped in headphones and seemingly engrossed in the lives of people on the screen. I shuddered inside - I still didn’t know his name, and he seemed to be indifferent to what had just happened.

I didn’t want to think. The exhaustion and alcohol combined into a powerful elixir, and I found myself drifting off to sleep. I’ve always slept soundly on planes, and tonight was no exception. Before I knew it, the cabin lights had been switched on and the stewardess was handing me a hot, moist towel.

As soon as I covered my face and allowed the steaming towel to wake me up, the memories of Green Eyes and the bathroom flooded back. I groaned inside. What had gotten into me? I’m normally the least reckless and impulsive person around, and I’d just gone and had a one night stand with Green Eyes. Oh no.

So this was what months of silent lusting came to? My conscience shook her head, disgusted with me. I’d never go to the park again, and where I’d hoped for a dashing, sweet relationship, I’d certainly never see Green Eyes again.

Putting the hot towel away, I sneaked a glance at Green Eyes. He never once looked back towards me and seemed completely indifferent, as if the whole thing meant nothing to him.

I sighed, and ran my hands through my hair and straightened my chair, preparing for the landing. A piece of paper seemed to have drifted to the ground but I ignored it, it was probably the menu or something.

Once the plane had taxied up to the gate at JFK airport, I grabbed my bags and strode out.

Green Eyes slid along to my side, forcing me to walk beside him. I was a bit surprised, since I’d expected him to completely ignore me.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?” he asked.

I hadn’t heard him ask me anything, so I looked at him through narrowed eyes. “What about?”

“Umm, you know.”

No, I clearly didn’t. I had no idea what he was on about, and I figured he was playing some kind of game I didn’t understand. “We can let it go,” I said, “You don’t need to drag it out.”

I tried to outpace him. Both of us walked straight past the baggage claim carousel - I didn’t travel with checked baggage, and it seemed like he didn’t either.

He looked a bit surprised at my answer, but walked faster to keep up with me. “No really,” he said, “When and where?”

I gave him a look of disbelief. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“But what about the note?”

“What note?”

I waited for an answer, but he merely gave me a look of despair, slowing down and finally letting me outpace him.

So that was that, I thought. He was good looking, and obviously had a way with my body. I suppressed a smile of triumph as I remembered the shattering orgasm I’d had. But he was also rich, smooth and cold. I’d never go to the park again, and I’d never see him again.

Chapter Three

“Katie?” I called out as I entered the tiny apartment. I was sure she’d be at home - it was Sunday morning and unless she’d stayed over at Jeff’s she was probably asleep.

I locked the door behind me, and Katie stumbled out of her room, her hair a mess.

“You’re home!” she exclaimed, embracing me in a warm hug. “How was LA?”

“Yeah, it’s good to see you too,” I smiled, even as I tried to be cool. I dragged my bags into my bedroom and she followed me. The place was still a mess - I hadn’t had time to tidy up before I’d left, and Katie obviously never thought to put things away. “LA was ok, a bit boring. The designers were full of themselves, of course, and all the houses were really pretty. As you’d expect, if you have millions of dollars to spend.”

I looked around my own room wryly, thinking how ironic it was that an aspiring interior designer lived in a pigsty.

“Did you see anyone famous?” Katie’s eyes were gleaming with hope, but I laughed shortly.

“No, it was all work and a tiny bit of sightseeing. As you know, I’m far too broke to hang out with the rich and famous.”

Katie smiled thinly and nodded. “So, no news on the job front yet?”

I sighed and shook my head, no. “How about you? Is Jeff still away on business?”

“Yeah.” It was Katie’s turn to sigh. “I think he’ll be back on Monday.”

“Hmm. Any plans for today?”

“I’m having lunch with my folks, they’ll drive into the city. Wanna come along?”

I shook my head. “Thanks, but I better unpack and see if there are any ‘Designer Wanted’ ads.”

“Well, good luck.”

She wandered off, probably to call Jeff and not get a response, and I went back to unpacking. I sorted out my clothes, regretting that I’d wasted one of my panties on a completely undeserving (but
hot
!) guy, and now my First Class memory was bittersweet. Had Green Eyes paid for my upgrade? I breathed in deeply, filling my lungs with regret. Who did he think he was? I never should’ve let them upgrade me.

As I sorted my clothes away, a strange sadness started to come over me.

My whole life was coming apart, I thought melodramatically. I’d moved to New York to pursue my dream of becoming an interior designer, but jobs were always few and far between, and in this bad economy, no-one wanted to waste cash on a designer. The rich and famous were already catered to, and it was hard to break into the market. The one job I’d managed to finally get, writing interior design articles, was being taken away from me, and from next Monday I’d be officially unemployed.

I’m tough, I’ve gotten through a lot. And I could handle losing my job; I waited tables for an entire year, trying to break into the industry and I could do it again if I needed to. No, I had bigger problems.

Katie poked her head back in. “Have you talked to Alex recently?”

I nodded. “I called him from LA before my flight, he’s doing relatively well. The counselors sound pretty good, the food’s great, and he enjoys the hikes they go on. He’s already making friends, I guess he’s as outgoing and charming as ever …”

My voice trailed off with wonder. My baby brother Alex was so different from me. While I was timid and shy, he was happy and carefree, making friends easily and coasting through life.

Our parents had died when I was nineteen, and he’d stayed with me while I went to college part-time and worked part-time. I’d been responsible for Alex for so long, and even after he graduated from college and got a job, I thought of him as my baby brother.

I’d been proud of him for doing well, but clearly things hadn’t been easy for him either. He’d gotten into debt doing drugs, and I had freaked out when I learnt about his addiction. Thankfully he was in rehab now, and things would get better for him.

He worked in advertising and was great at what he did - his job would be waiting for him when he left rehab, but I’d promised to help out with the debt he’d gotten into. And now I’d just lost my own job. How would I help Alex out with his debt?

Katie smiled and said, “It’s good to hear he‘s doing well. Are you going to see him today?”

“No.” My voice was tinged with regret. “I’m just too tired and I wouldn’t have time to drive back. I told him I wouldn’t be able to make it today. I’ll go next week. Did you call Jeff?”

Katie made a face. “He’s not answering the phone.”

“Where is he again?”

“He says Chicago. Can you imagine? It must be so boring for him!”

“Mm-hm.” I stayed non-committal, not saying I thought he was with someone else. I’d seen him in the park one day, with his arm wrapped around another woman. I mentioned this to Katie and when she asked Jeff, he’d shrugged and claimed she was just a friend. “So how are things between the two of you? Gonna move in together someday?”

Katie refused to take the bait. “I’ll wait. He’s a great guy, he’s been hurt before, that’s why he’s scared of commitment.”

He’s a douche, that’s why he’s scared of commitment, I thought. But instead I just said, “How long are you going to wait, Katie?”

She gulped. “As long as it takes. I’m not going to scare him off. He’s a great guy.”

She sounded defensive. I tried to cheer her up a bit, “As long as he’s not cheating on you, it’s ok if he’s a bit flakey, I guess.”

But it was Katie’s turn to look worried. “I’m not sure, Lisa. I feel like he’s been ignoring me lately. Sometimes he takes a call and I feel like he’s talking to a woman…”

I was worried. “Look, Katie, just because you’ve been with him for the last three years…”

She shook her head. “No. I’m sure it’s nothing, I’m probably worrying over nothing.”

“You’re right. But if you don’t think he’s treating you right, you should just leave him. You deserve a great guy.”

Katie looked at me, her eyes soulful. “You think so? I’ve thought about leaving him, but I want to work things out. But if I did have to leave him… I’m not sure how I could do it, it’s been so long with him, I don’t know how I could move on…”

“Don’t worry about moving on. Trust me, if you do break up, I’ll be right here for you. I’ll help you through it.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. Now cheer up, I’m sure it’s nothing, he’s probably just busy with work. Give him a good welcome when he comes back.”

I winked and Katie laughed, hoping for the best, and then she left me alone to my cleaning and tidying.

Chapter Four

“See you tomorrow, Matt.”

“See ya, Lisa.”

My heart sank as I walked out the building. Three years, and this was what it came to. Tomorrow would be my last day in this tiny office, and I was sorry to be saying goodbye.

After I finished college, I’d moved to New York to try to get a job as an interior designer. I loved beauty and style, making homes look prettier and the joy that came with a successful makeover. I was determined that it would happen - I was prepared to follow my passion and I knew that somehow, someday, I’d be an interior designer.