“Six hundred.”
“Seven twenty.”
“Nine hundred.”
Kate bites her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling.
I run my hand through my hair. “One point one.” My bidder calls.
“One point four.” A woman calls.
I smile at the ground, I love that this woman loves it, I bid against her at every auction. It’s almost tempting to let her have it.
Almost…
I rub my nose again, “One point six.” My bidder calls.
The room hushes as they wait for the next bid.
“One point six two.” The woman calls.
I nod.
“One point six five.” My bidder calls.
The lady laughs and shakes her head, “I’m out.”
“One point six five, once.” The auctioneer calls, “One point six five, twice.” His voice is loud and echoing through the art gallery. “Last call, one point six five… sold.” He slams down his hammer.
Kate shakes her head in disbelief and I put my arm around her, “Look at you go, baby.” I whisper. “Congratulations.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“I can. You’re amazing.”
Kate
“Could there be a more perfect night?” I smile dreamily as we walk hand in hand into our penthouse. We are met with a glass wall overlooking the twinkling lights of Paris.
Elliot’s eyes hold mine, he has that look in them.
The one that I love.
His lips take mine as he walks me backwards. “What was so good about it?”
“The art auction, dinner overlooking the Eiffel Tower, a date with the world’s hottest man.”
He kisses me as he backs me up to the wall, his lips take mine with urgency.
I glance over to see a crystal vase with a huge bunch of red roses sitting on the counter with a white card, “What does the card say?” I ask.
“Suck your husband’s cock.” He murmurs against my lips.
I giggle because I know in reality it says something desperately romantic about how proud he is of me, he can’t help himself.
He does it every auction.
I drop to my knees and unzip his pants, with my eyes locked on his I slide the top of his cock into my mouth, he inhales sharply as he watches on.
His hands grip my hair as we get into a rhythm as he fucks my mouth hard, and no matter how many times I do this, bringing Elliot Miles undone is my favorite thing in the world.
He shudders and I smile around him, “Don’t you dare fucking come.”
I sit on a stool at the bar and listen to Elliot speak to a man. They are laughing and chatting in fluent French and I have to say that hearing him speak the native language does things to my libido. It fires it up like a blazing volcano.
The man smiles over at me and picks up my hand and kisses the back of it. “Good day, Kate, lovely to meet you.”
“You too. Goodbye.” I watch as he then goes back to his table.
“Sorry.” Elliot smiles as he runs his hand up my leg. “That conversation went longer than I thought.”
“How do you know him?”
“He used to be a neighbor of our penthouse here in Paris.”
“Oh.” I turn and watch the man for a moment, he’s suave and handsome and the woman he is with is gorgeous. “What does he do?”
“He owns a record label.”
“Really?” I frown, fascinated. “You sure know some interesting people.”
“I do.” His mischievous eyes hold mine. “You know I married an artist that I had been admiring from afar for years?”
“Did you?”
“I did.” He kisses my fingertips. “Although I always knew that I would.”
I smirk over at him and lean onto my hand. “Did you really though?”
He takes a sip of his wine. “I actually did, although when I didn’t know it was you I was totally confused because reality wasn’t matching up with my gut instinct.” He frowns. “I have this weird sixth sense thing going on and it’s never ever wrong.”
I smile dreamily as I listen.
“It’s like I already know what is meant for me and what is not.” He sips his wine and frowns as if contemplating something. “Like I already know, I’m going to blow hard tonight.”
“That’s a no-brainer.” I giggle. “You blow hard every night.”
He raises his glass to me and throws me a sexy wink.
I sip my wine and fall silent as my mind begins to wander; I haven’t stopped thinking about his reaction to me wanting to go off the pill.
It was unexpected and it’s thrown me.
“What?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
He raises an eyebrow, ugh, I can’t hide anything from this man, he can read me like a book.
“Well it’s just…” I spin my wine glass on the table by the stem as I try to articulate my thoughts.
“Just what?”
“Your reaction to me wanting a baby has thrown me a little. I thought…” I shrug. “I thought we were on the same page with this.”
His eyes hold mine.
“I’m twenty-nine and you are thirty-six, we are not getting any younger, El.”
His eyes glow with a tenderness. “I never said I don’t want a baby, only that I don’t need one.”
“You really think we are not going to be able to have one, don’t you?”
He shrugs. “I’m scared of the process, I guess.”
“Why?”
“Kate, the contraceptive pill holds your endometriosis at bay. You’ve had numerous surgeries and also have polycystic ovaries. I watch you nearly die while in so much pain every month, I can’t imagine how bad you will suffer if not on the pill.”
“That’s what you’re worried about?”
“Of course I worry about it. I don’t want you to suffer to give me a baby out of obligation. Fuck that, I would rather you be pain free and happy. I don’t need a kid.”
I smile as my heart flutters. “I love you.”
He leans over and kisses me. “I love you more.”
“In a lot of cases, endo improves with pregnancy. Although it may be a little harder to fall in the beginning.” I take his hand in mine. “We can do it, I know we can. I want to try.”
He exhales heavily.
I smile over at my beautiful husband, so thoughtful and caring. Always putting my needs before his.
“Kate…”
“It’s going to be okay, Elliot.”
His eyes search mine.
“I know you have a feeling that this isn’t going to work out, but I have faith that it will.”
“I can’t watch you suffer, Kate. I won’t let it happen for anything, not even a baby.”
“So…” I think for a moment. “We put a time limit on it. If I haven’t fallen naturally in three months we go down the IVF route.”
He steeples his finger up the side of his face as he listens. “And what then?”
“What do you mean, what then?”
“What’s the time limit for IVF?”
“Well, obviously I’ll fall on IVF.” I smile. “It’s a given.”