Shawn
Calls, coffee, work. Lately, those were the constants in my life. I've faced oppositions, men who wanted to see me fail, competitors who had envied what I had built, but none like Benson Tsimikas.
We were once business partners. Back when I was just a man who wanted to prove himself to his already made father. Aman with a business idea and no investors, Benson bought in. But when things got tough, he got selfish. Sold his shares and invested in other businesses, stocks, football clubs. He thought I'd sink without him. Instead I soared. I took what we started and turned it into a global empire. And he couldn't stand it.
Now, he wants to work his way back, and he'd rather burn it all to the ground than watch me stand at the top without him.
I buried myself in contracts and documents when my wife walked into my study without knocking. "Baby," Susannah muttered, "I was thinking of going baby clothes shopping. What do you think?"
I looked up at her, rubbing my temples. "We are not even sure of its gender yet."
"Something tells me, it's going to be a boy."
"And what if you're wrong?" I arched a brow.
"My intuition is never wrong, my love." She winked.
I just sighed.
"So," she continued. "What do you think about my godson?"
Conor. The little boy who hurt Eva. There were no words to express how I truly felt about him. So I tried to deflect.
"I think you've been trying to lighten up the mood since my father's funeral."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah, it is. I'm grateful for that."
She leaned in closer, kissing me briefly on the lips, just long enough to remind me of what we used to be.
"I know how hard you've worked to become the man that you are now. And even though things are no longer as they use to be, I'm so proud to be yours." Then her tone changed to something serious. "No one can ever take that away from me."
"Enjoy your shopping, baby." I smiled, trying to shift the mood.
She smiled, and then she left, closing the door behind her.
I inhaled deeply. It was the first time I was calling her 'baby'in months. Truth was my love had died for Susannah a long time ago, and I hated admitting it, even to myself. Sex with her was like work. So I stopped altogether. Because my mind, my body, wanted someone else. Someone I was trying my best to forget.
Eva.
The thing is, I do not just want Eva Sutton, I crave her. I wanted her in my bed, lying next to me every night. I wanted her face to be the first thing I see when I wake in the morning. I wanted to make love to her, day and night. I missed every inch of her body.
The night she almost died hurt more than losing my own father did. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if she did die.
And now, Conor was back, talking about winning her back no matter what it took. I was jealous because he was her first love. But deep down, I knew Eva was mine. She belonged to me whether either of us admitted it loud or not.
Just as I was about to resume work, I got a phone call… from my mother.
"Have you buried the ingrate?" She asked flatly through the receiver.
I scoffed, incredulously. "Yes, your ex-husband has been buried."
"Good. I'm at the airport. You and your sister should come pick me up."
I spun in my chair, groaning. "Mother, I'm handling work. I'll send you one of the drivers."
"Oh, is the billionaire suddenly forgetting who wiped his ass when he was little?"
"No." I glared. "Nanny Fisayo did."
She huffed. "I want my children picking me up. If you send one of your drivers, I will sleep at the airport."
And just like that, the receiver line died.
"That is my mother. Camilla Bradley." I mumbled to myself.
I brought myself to get up and get Kiki. I knew she was mad at mother, but I tried anyways.
I found her by the pool, sun bathing with her shades on.
"I'm not going with you to pick up that selfish, entitled, old bitch." Kiki answered, flatly.
I hadn't even finished my sentence when she declined so abruptly.
"She said she was gonna sleep at the airport if her children didn't come to pick her up." I explained, even though I knew she wouldn't even care.
She took out her shades. "Fine. I'll ask Eva to go with you. Mum likes her. But I'm not going."
No, no, no. Eva coming would mean she and I would be alone in the back of the SUV. Was it something I could handle?
I'll reject it. But if I did, Kiki would want to know if Eva did anything wrong. She has always been too inquisitive for my liking. It was a miracle she hadn't found out about her best friend and I.
"Alright." I sighed. All I just had to hope for was that Eva would reject it.
She got out her phone and texted Eva. Seconds later, I got the response.
"She said yes. Yay!" Kiki celebrated. She had no idea that she just might have started something that won't stop this time around.
When the car was ready, Eva got into the back seat, sitting as far away from me as possible.
We had moved some distance in silence before Eva decided to break it.
"You seem stressed out."
She didn't even look at me when she said it. Though, there was genuine concern in her tone.
"Work," I answered, staring at the roof of the car.
"Work." She sighed. Her tone was soft.
"I don't wanna lay it all on—"
Before I could complete my sentence, Eva was already rolling up the drivers partition. The driver glanced back, suspecting, then just as fast as he glanced back, he faced front, focusingon his driving.
"Eva, that was too risky."
"Ask me." She whispered like she was surrendering her body to me.
"Eva," I stuttered.
"Just ask me, Shawn." She slid closer to me, her thighbrushing mine. "You don't have to pretend anymore. It's just us."
She was right. It was just us. No Susannah. No Kiki. Just us two in the back seat. My body begged for her. My heart too. But I couldn't. I shouldn't. I had a wife. Our child was on the way. Starting our affair all over again could cost me everything. I couldn't possibly—
I should have pushed her away. I should have resisted. But the mask slipped.
"Come here,"
I put her on my lap, like she belonged there and God so help me she did. I gripped her hips, my lips inches from hers.
We stared deep into each others eyes, thinking of ways to ruin each other, ways a married man shouldn't even think of.
"Do you want it gentle or rough?"
"Both."
I cupped her jaw, and kissed her like I'd been waiting lifetimes for this exact moment, her lips soft against mine. She tasted like a beautiful sin.
"You ready?" I asked, watching how her cheeks flushed from the kiss.
She nodded, excited. She then kicked off her pants while I unbuckled belt.
With Eva, it wasn't just about sex. It was about passion, understanding, satisfaction. She was the missing piece to my puzzle. And in that moment, I wasn't scared that this time, our secret would be out. I was scared that I was letting myself fallhopelessly in love with Eva Sutton. And I had no intention of stopping.