A Crystal Love

Chapter 26 - Reddish Brown 🤎

"The Evermore Sports Fest?" Rome echoes after me.

"Mhmm." I hum, curious to hear all about it.

He pulls my legs over his thighs and spreading his fingers over them. I love watching his hand, all muscle and protruding veins against my delicate skin and try not to be distracted by his touch.

"It's a four day sports event held for one of mom's charities, the Evermore foundation. It's for all the stuff and employees as well as all the recipients that the foundation sponsors. Various sports activities are held and winners as given prices...but it's mostly just a social event really." he explains.

"Sounds interesting."

"It is..It's fun... and also humbling meeting all the people the foundation supports and seeing the difference it makes in their lives...I had been going since I was maybe, twelve years old, but then in my mid twenties, I just sort of couldn't find time for it anymore."

"Sounds like it means a lot to your mom, does she usually go?"

"Every year." he says thoughtfully.

"She's leaving him." he blurts out.

"Mhhm?"

"Vincent....she has decided to end their marriage..it's what she came to tell me."

"Oh....how is he taking it?"

"Vincent? Badly I imagine...especially now when his chips are down, this is probably his biggest blow yet."

"And her, how is she doing?"

He looks down thoughtfully.

"Honestly, I don't know....she's very good at masking her feelings..dealing with things on her own...like you."

'No..like you." I murmur and he smiles.

"You should go...." I say and he looks up.

"To the sports fest, do it for her." I suggest and he frowns.

"She will be there right? spend some time with her." I add.

"What's this?" he asks instead, lifting my hair up to scrutinize my neck and shoulder.

"Bite marks, you should be able to recognize your own work."

"Very funny." His fingers lightly graze my skin there.

"You just bruise easily, I will remember that next time. Does it hurt?"

I like hearing 'next time'.

"Nope."

"Well, it's only fair since I have your nail marks on my back and shoulders too." he charges.

"I don't scratch."

"You did today."

"But I liked it, every second of it...." he says gruffly.

The car sliding to a stop and the shadow of someone coming to our door causes me to avert my eyes to the tinted window, expecting the door to open.

"It won't open until we're ready, are you?" he says.

I take a quick look at my face in a mirror and find that other than a little redness on my cheeks and nose, I look ok and my lipstick held up just fine.

"Yes." I murmur, closing the mirror compact.

He gets out first, slow and leisurely, adjusting and buttoning up his suit jacket, before turning to give me his hand.

My dress parts, exposing my thigh as I step out, and I see his brow twitch as he follows the action and ends up gripping my hand a little too tightly as he draws me closer to him.