Page 25 of Dark Time

I was in the penthouse Emily and I claimed, and I looked out over the waves crashing on the beach. There was a winter storm rolling in, and the sea was a muddy gray color with frothy white foam that crashed against the beach like an angry, overfilled washing machine in the old cartoons. That thought made me smirk, but a bolt of lightning, far out to sea, brought me right back down.

Maybe the gods hated me, and this was my punishment. There was so much uncertainty at a point in my life when I actually felt stable for once. I wanted to make plans. I wanted to say to Emily, let’s do this next year, or in a few months we should do that, but I didn’t know that I could think that far ahead.

A stupid thought when I’d just invested in a resort that had cost me millions, but the resort was different. My father would take it over if something happened to me. He would know what to do with it. Emily belonged only in my hands, though. I wanted to make her promises. I wanted to talk about our future, but I couldn’t guarantee I had a future to promise her.

It ate at me, and I bumped my fist against the glass of the wall. Sometimes, I wanted to bundle Emily up, pack the car, and go hide from the world in that mountain cabin my friend had loaned me. We’d been at peace there, and we’d laughed so much. Emily had seemed to like it too. I could grow a beard, and she’d let her hair grow out. We’d become one with nature and learn to live off the land.

I hated beards, and she wouldn’t make it a day without those gel nails she loved so much. Which, to be fair, I loved too. The way they dug into my back made my balls go tight with exhilaration, every single time she did it.

Not for the first time, I wondered if I wasn’t being fair to Emily. She had a right to know there might come a day when I’d need special care and maybe even nurses. She needed to know that at some point.

I spun away from the window, my heart breaking at the thoughts. As a man, the idea of being so weak I’d need her to help me do the most basic things just made me want to run away from it all. I knew I couldn’t run away from my physiology, but I could try, couldn’t I? Logic, that old demon, told me I couldn’t and that it would be pointless to try.

“Fuck!” I spat out. Fuck this disease, and fuck the day it would bring me to my knees.

I would tell Emily when the time came. I knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t abandon me, not when I needed her most, but I felt like a total dick for roping her into it. Because that was what it would be. I hadn’t been upfront about my health, the same way she hadn’t been upfront about who she was in the grand scheme of things.

My distrust of that name of hers eased every day she was in my life, and I knew she was going to be a valuable part of my team here. For the first time in her life, Emily would have permanence. She would have a permanent address, she would know where she was every single night when she went to sleep, and she would know where she would wake up.

That was important to her at this point. I was sure a lot of people would envy the life she had before she put her foot down, but living that life would show why it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. There was a lot of loneliness with travel, especially if you traveled without a partner.

The way her family had sent her across the globe meant she’d had little time to form real relationships. The fact that an exotic dancer was her BFF wasn’t so shocking when all the acts of Emily’s life came together. Both Emily and Roxie were used to seeing people come and go when they’d found each other. It was almost as if they’d found kindred spirits.

Emily wasn’t as bold as Roxie, and not as big of an exhibitionist, but she had the same determination and the drive to have what she wanted. I was glad the pair had found each other. Not just because I wouldn’t have met Emily if they hadn’t, but because Emily brought out Roxie’s softer side, and Roxie brought out Emily’s adventurous side. They complimented each other.

I knew Roxie would be there for Emily, if she needed her, and one day in the future she just might. I’d seen myself how strong their bond was, and I was glad Emily had Roxie.

“Baby, what are you doing up here?” Emily called out, and I turned around. That damn elevator didn’t ding like the one in the other penthouse, and she’d snuck up on me.

“Hi, baby. Just checking that the paint is dry.” I opened my arms, and she walked right into them without a bit of hesitation.

I pulled her close and held her to me, absorbing her warmth and affection. I felt that warmth chase away the cold edges of darkness and let my head rest on top of hers.

“I can’t believe we’ll be in here so soon,” she said, her arms wrapped around my waist. I loved the way she breathed against my neck. Not in a sexual way, but a happy, contented way.

“Seems impossible, doesn’t it?” I asked and pulled away from her. I tugged at the hand I kept entwined in mine and pulled her through. The penthouse had a large living room, four bedrooms, a kitchen, two baths, and a small room we’d decided to put a gym in. Outside, we had a private hot tub, newly installed, and a privacy fence to keep our antics away from prying eyes.

“It does, but then, I know how fast some things can happen.” She walked up to the wall, placed a finger against it, and smiled when it came back clean.

The bathroom walls were painted a dark gray to match the granite of the shower tiles, and she smiled as she turned to inspect the new installation. “They did a grand job.”

“That will definitely take us both.” The shower had jets strategically placed to spray the entire body on all three walls, and two shower heads overhead would rain down two separate jets at the same time, if we so chose.

“The fun we’ll have in here,” she said and nudged my elbow with hers. I looked down and saw a teasing grin and eyes that promised a lot of sexy times would be had in this shower.

“It’s too bad the heating system hasn’t been installed yet.” I backed her up against the wall of the shower, accompanied by the squeak of our shoes on the new tiles. “I would fuck you right here, right now, if it wasn’t so damned cold in here.”

“We don’t have to get completely naked.” Emily’s voice was low and husky; it drew my eyes to her lips, and I leaned down to kiss the wet, pink flesh.

She’d started to wear less and less makeup, and I liked the change. Her clean lips were smooth and tasty under mine. She opened her mouth, and I felt her tongue snake out. I was already hard for her, and I grinned when her hands came around to grope my ass. She pushed me into her and gasped her need.

“Emily, we can’t do this here right now. We’ll both freeze to death,” I moaned the words against her neck, just before I gently embedded my teeth in that spot that made her sigh and her knees go weak.

“Fuck, then why did you do that?” She didn’t push me away or move her head to block my access’ she tilted her head to invite me in for more.

“Because I want to fuck you, but my ass might fall off from the cold.”

“We could go down to the car, turn the heater on…”