Anything But Mine (8 page)

“Why?”

“Well,” Jen hesitated, before continuing, “Someone will be at the party that I don’t want to see.”

“Who is that?”

“Chris, my former boyfriend, the one who cheated on me, will be there. He’s in the wedding party too. It’s going to be awkward, to say the least.”

“Would you feel better if you had a date for the party?”
Going with you would let me protect you, and play the role of the hero,
Vince thought.

Jen sat back in her chair and smiled at Vince. “It depends. Are you offering to go with me?”

“Sure. Why not?” When she lowered her eyes and stared at her lap, not answering his question, Vince continued, “Jennifer, we’ve been dating for well over a month now. Of course we’ll go to the party together, and if you want to leave early, I can be your excuse. We can always go out after the party, just the two of us, if you want.”

“You’d do that for me?”

Vince took her hand in his and, lifting it to his lips, softly kissed her. “Why wouldn’t I do that for you? In case you haven’t noticed, I enjoy being with you.” He leaned in towards her, releasing her hand and kissing her again, this time on the lips. Gesturing towards his empty plate, he said “This was delicious. I can’t wait to try to the seafood stew.”

When they finished eating, Vince complimented Jen on the meal. “You told me you liked to cook, but I had no idea how talented you are in the kitchen. Everything was amazing.”

“Thanks,” Jen said, smiling, as she stood up to clear the table. “I’m glad you liked it.”

Vince helped Jen carry the dishes into the kitchen and place them in the dishwasher. He reached for her, and as he pulled her towards him, he placed his lips next to her ear and whispered, “It’s so nice to finally be alone with you, Jennifer.”

Feeling Vince’s strong hands on the exposed skin on her back caused Jen to involuntarily shiver as he leaned in close to her, whispering her name as he kissed her. Jen returned his kiss, and as she did, he backed her against the countertop and pressed his body into hers so she could feel his erection through his jeans.

Jen felt her stomach do flip flops as Vince ran his fingers lightly down her neck, pausing at her shoulder, then down the deep v-
neck
of her halter top. When Vince slipped his fingers inside her top and began to caress her breasts, she was surprised, and squirmed, uncomfortably.

“Is something wrong?” Vince asked, as he loosened his grip on her body.
I’ve played the waiting game for far too long, Jennifer,
he thought.
I have to have you, and it has to be tonight.

Noting his serious tone, Jen became nervous, and she began to tremble. “No, nothing is wrong, nothing really,” she said. Diverting her eyes from his, she stumbled over her words, “It’s just that, um…well, I’m a lot younger than you are, and I don’t have the, um, experience you have.” When she saw Vince’s expression soften, she continued, in a hushed tone, “I’m just afraid I might disappoint you.”

Relief washed over Vince, as he realized that she wasn’t going to reject him. “Jennifer,” he said, pulling her back into a tight embrace, “my sweet Jennifer, you could never disappoint me.” He again pressed his body into hers, keeping her trapped between his body and the kitchen counter, and kissed her deeply. Tentatively, he again allowed his hands to roam her body and, this time, she didn’t stop him when he reached inside her halter top.

“Oooh,” Jen exhaled, feeling weak in the knees as Vince’s fingers massaged her breasts. “That feels good.”

“I can tell,” he whispered, as he nibbled at her earlobe, fanning the flame of her desire. “It feels good to me too,” he continued, as he began to grind his hips against hers. “I want to make love to you, Jennifer,” he said. “I need you. I need to be with you.”

The events of the last few months flashed before Jen’s eyes, as she recalled walking in on Chris in bed with Vicky, then nearly consummating her relationship with Drew before he received the phone call that changed everything.
That’s all in the past, now,
she thought.
I promised myself I’d get on with my life after Drew, and I’m going to do just that.

She heard Vince repeat her name as he clutched her tightly, bringing her back to the moment. “I need you too, Vince,” she whispered, as she hungrily sought out his lips, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth, and his hands to again explore her body.

When he couldn’t take it anymore, Vince begged, “I can’t wait much longer, Jennifer. I need you, now.”

Overcome with passion, Jen said, “Come with me,” as she took Vince’s hand and guided him down the hallway to her bedroom.

Once inside her bedroom, Vince grasped Jen around the waist and buried his head against her neck, teasing her with his tongue. His hands traveled down from her waist and underneath the top of her jeans, causing Jen to gasp with pleasure, as he brought his hands around to the front of her jeans and unbuttoned the button, pulling the zipper down, and pushing them off her hips.

Jen stepped out of her jeans as they pooled around her ankles, and turned her attention to removing Vince’s sweater and shirt. Before she had the chance to move towards the waistband of his pants, Vince pulled her back towards him, kissing her as he untied the two bows that held her halter top in place, causing it to fall to the floor. He then reached for her turquoise satin and lace panties, hooking his fingers into the sides to remove them, but Jen stopped him. “Don’t. Not yet. Let me finish undressing you first,” she said, as she removed his hands from her side, before loosening his jeans.

She methodically moved down his body, first kissing his bare chest and working her way down his stomach until she reached the top of his jeans. She slowly lowered her body into a squat as she pushed his pants down his legs, continuing to tease Vince with kisses until she reached his crotch, where she nuzzled her face and breathed in his musky scent.

Vince moaned with pleasure at her touch. He stepped out of his jeans, and pulled her back to her feet, before easing her backwards onto her bed and climbing on top of her. “Jennifer,” he whispered as he caressed her breasts. “My Jennifer,” he repeated as he teased her nipples with his tongue, causing her to gasp and writhe in pleasure.

Vince reached down to remove her panties, and finding they were soaked, said, “My beautiful Jennifer, you are so wet, so hot and ready.” After removing her panties, Vince removed his boxer shorts, exposing his massive erection. He climbed on top of her, covering her body completely with his, and pushing her legs apart so he could find the right position.

The anticipation caused Jen’s body to be covered in goose bumps, as Vince began to ease himself inside her, a little at a time, until she was filled with him. Jen could barely breathe as Vince moved slowly within her, back and forth. She tried to match his rhythm, and after a few moments, they began moving together as one.

Every nerve ending in her body felt as if it was on fire, and she convulsed in wave after wave of pleasure as she reached her climax. As she came back to reality after her orgasm, she felt Vince’s pace quicken until she felt his body stiffen as he called out her name and collapsed on top of her.

Once his breathing returned to normal, Vince rolled off Jennifer, propping himself up on one elbow while continuing to hold her with his other arm. He gazed at her lovingly, taking in her slender legs, full breasts, and long blond hair tangled and askew beneath her head and shoulders.
You’re that perfect, irresistible combination of sexy and innocent,
he thought as he watched her chest move up and down as she breathed.
You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and more.

Jen slowly opened her eyes, and saw Vince looking down at her. She quickly cast her eyes downward and looked away, but Vince took her face in his hand and turned it towards him, causing her to blush. “Jennifer, are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded in reply, before asking, shyly, “Was it okay for you?”

“Jennifer,” Vince said, overwhelmed with love for her at that moment. “It was more than okay, it was amazing.” He leaned down to kiss her, before continuing, “You were amazing.”

They held each other closely, as Vince ran his fingers through Jennifer’s silky, honey-
blond
locks. “You’re so beautiful, and so sweet. It’s hard to believe that you’ve only been involved in two relationships before,” he whispered in her ear.

“It’s true,” she said. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I never went on a date, and never was kissed, until I went away to college.”

“You’re kidding me,” Vince replied, feeling his heart melt at the thought of her sitting home alone on weekends when she was in high school.

“Really, it’s true. I went to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan, from the time I was in pre-
kindergarten
. It’s an all-
girls
school, and because I’ve always been very shy, and so skinny and awkward when I was younger, I never went out, and never dated.”

“My beautiful, sweet Jennifer,” Vince said, as kissed her gently. “I’ll bet there are so many guys who knew you back then that are cursing themselves now for not asking you out.” He held her for a few more minutes, before sharing, “You know, I didn’t go on any dates until I went away to college, either. I didn’t even go to my high school prom.”

“Why?”

“I asked a girl, but she just laughed at me. It was incredibly humiliating,” he said, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. It took him a moment to let the resentment he had harbored through the years subside, before he allowed himself to continue, “You know, Jennifer, we’re really kindred spirits. We’ve both reached the top of our fields, we’re wanted and desired by members of the opposite sex, but deep down, I think we’re both somewhat insecure, because we can’t shake loose from the rejections we suffered in the past.”

Jen nodded her head in response, before whispering, “Maybe.” She kissed his chest, and sighed, before repeating, “Maybe you’re right.”

As they snuggled together, Vince closely watched Jennifer until he was sure she was sleeping soundly. He then carefully peeled back the covers, exposing both their bodies, and tip-
toed
across the room to where his jeans lay on the floor. He extracted his cell phone from one of the pockets and quickly texted his driver, Lou, to tell him that he would not need him again until the morning, before turning towards the bed and gazing at Jennifer, naked and asleep.

I’d really like a souvenir of tonight,
he thought, as he turned his cell phone over in his hand and opened the camera app.
I never want to forget how she looked the first time I made her mine,
he rationalized, as he snapped photo after photo of Jennifer, sleeping, and blissfully unaware.

CHAPTER NINE

D
uring the ride to Queens the following Saturday night, Jen was even more quiet than usual. Vince asked her some questions about her friends from college, and she did her best to fill him in, but she was filled with anxiety, and she kept her answers short.

When Vince’s driver brought the limousine to a stop outside of Catherine’s parent’s house in Belle Harbor, Jen sighed and said “Showtime, I guess.”

“Wait,” Vince said. “Before we go inside, I want to give you something.” He reached into his coat pocket, and extracted a small, robin’s-
egg
blue box tied with a white bow, and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Jennifer.”

“Vince, you shouldn’t have…,” Jen’s voice trailed off, as she untied the bow with a trembling hand and opened the box. “Oh my goodness, this is beautiful,” she said, as she lifted the sparkling diamond filigree heart and key pendant out of the box. “I don’t know what to say, other than thank you,” she said, as she leaned in to kiss him.

“You should wear it tonight,” Vince said. “Let me put it on you.”

Jennifer lifted her long hair as Vince reached behind her and fastened the clasp of the necklace around her neck. “I want you to wear it always, to remind you, and everyone who sees you wearing it, that you have the key to my heart.”

She touched the pendant and said, quietly, “I will, Vince. Thank you again.”

“Jennifer, look at me. Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, no…nothing is wrong. I’m just a little overwhelmed.” She paused, before whispering, “No one ever gave me a Valentine’s gift before.”

“You’ve had boyfriends before, though. Are you telling me that none of them ever gave you a gift?”

“Not for Valentine’s Day, although last year Chris brought home a bunch of flowers from the deli.”

He’s an even bigger idiot than I realized,
Vince thought.
But he only makes me look that much better in comparison.
“You deserve so much more,” he said, as he leaned in to kiss her. “Ready to go inside now?”

Taking a deep breath, Jen replied, “Yes, I’m ready.”

Holding Jen’s hand as they ascended the front steps, Vince tried to re-
assure
her. “I won’t leave your side during the party, except to get you a drink,” he promised. “Everything will be fine.”

After congratulating Catherine, Luke and their parents, Jen and Vince entered the Gargano’s living room. Jen quickly surveyed the room, locating her friend Tyeisha and some other classmates chatting in a corner. After she introduced Vince to the group, he excused himself to get Jen a much-
needed
glass of wine, leaving Jen to catch up with her friends.

While Vince was gone, Jen scanned the room again. She noticed that Chris had arrived, and was standing alone in a corner drinking beer out of a bottle. When their eyes met, he appeared startled, and turned away as he took another sip of his beer.
At least he had the good sense to not bring Vicky,
she thought.
That would have been even more awkward than it already is.

Vince returned with her wine, kissing Jen briefly on the lips as he handed her the glass, and as they kissed, she could see Chris wince in her peripheral vision. Ignoring him, Jen returned her attention to Tyeisha and her other friends, but a few minutes later the conversation abruptly stopped, and Jen could feel her former boyfriend’s presence behind her before she even heard him say her name.

“Hey, Jen.”

Jen turned and, belying her nervousness, she said, with absolutely no expression, “Hello, Chris.” Summoning up every reserve of strength in her body, Jen re-
introduced
Vince to Chris, “The two of you met the night of the charity auction, remember?”

“Of course I remember,” Vince said, extending his hand towards Chris. After they shook hands, Vince put his arm around Jen’s waist and pulled her close.
You’re such a loser,
Vince thought, as he appraised the man Jennifer had once loved.
And your loss is my gain.
Keeping his arm clamped tightly around Jen’s waist, Vince made some small talk with Chris about sports.

As their conversation continued, Jen began to feel increasingly more uncomfortable, and was relieved when Catherine appeared at her side, asking Chris to help Luke replenish the bar with ice. Once Chris was out of earshot, Jen hugged Catherine, and whispered in her ear, “Thank you for saving me.”

“No problem,” Catherine replied, as she pulled Jen aside. “I love your necklace. It looks just like the one in the Tiffany ad in all the magazines. Is it?”

Jen nodded her head, and blushed. “Vince gave it to me tonight, for Valentine’s day,” she replied.

Stealing a glance at Vince, Catherine whispered in Jen’s ear, “Vince is so handsome, and it’s obvious that he cares about you. You should see the way he looks at you.”

When they returned to Brooklyn a few hours later, Jen asked Vince if he would like to come upstairs, and he readily agreed, sending Lou, his driver, home for the evening.

Once inside her apartment and seated on the sofa, Jen snuggled up next to Vince and thanked him for going to the party with her. “I never would have made it through the night without your support,” she said.

“It was my pleasure. I’m happy that you were able to show your friends that you’ve moved on, and that you’re in a new phase of your life.”

Impulsively, Jen leaned over and kissed Vince. “Oh, I’ve absolutely moved on,” she replied in a sultry voice as she climbed onto Vince’s lap, facing him as she straddled him with her legs.

“I’m glad to hear that, Jennifer,” Vince said, as he ran his fingers through her hair, moving it out of her face, before pulling her in for a kiss. “We’re so right for each other. All I want to do is spoil you, and treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”

“Mmm…you’ve been so good to me,” she said, before lightly kissing him on the neck, and nibbling her way up to his ear. While she was teasing him with her tongue, she felt his erection straining against his pants, and reached down to massage his manhood.

Vince moaned with pleasure at Jen’s touch, and moved his hand underneath the full skirt of her dress and up her thigh, feeling, to his surprise, that she was wearing a garter belt and stockings instead of panty hose. He slipped his fingers between her panties and skin, and then deep inside her, causing her to gasp.

“You’re so wet,” he said as he removed his fingers from her most private part, and licked them. “Mmm…I just knew you’d be sweet. Have you ever tasted yourself?” he asked her, as he once again slipped his fingers deep inside her, as he massaged her most sensitive spot.

When she blushed and shook her head no, he removed his fingers and held them up in front of her lips, wet and shiny from being inside of her. “Taste yourself,” Vince commanded.

Jen hesitated a second, before allowing her tongue to graze Vince’s fingers, tentatively at first, and then with an increased abandon, taking them completely into her mouth. After Vince couldn’t take the sensation of Jen sucking on his fingers any more, he said “I’m not going to last much longer if we keep this up. Let’s move to the bedroom.”

Once inside the bedroom, Vince unzipped Jen’s dress, which she let fall from her shoulders onto the floor, revealing her matching black lace bra, panty and garter belt set. “You’re full of surprises, Jennifer,” Vince said, as his eyes devoured her nearly-
naked
body. “I’ve never been as turned on as I am right now.”

“Shh…,” Jen said, as she unbuttoned and removed Vince’s shirt. Leading him to her bed, she said, “Lay down, and relax.” Kneeling over him, she loosened his belt and unzipped his pants. “Lift your bottom up,” she commanded, and when he complied, she slowly removed his pants and underpants together, allowing his erection to spring free.

While Vince lay naked on her bed, he watched, transfixed, as Jennifer slowly removed her stockings and panties, leaving on the diamond heart and key pendant he had given her earlier that evening, along with her bra and garter belt. She straddled his lower legs, and placed her hands on either side of his hips, before leaning down, bringing her lips next to his erection. She tentatively brushed her lips against his manhood before taking him into her mouth.

She explored every inch of him with her tongue, back and forth, up and down, until Vince breathlessly pleaded with her, “Please, Jennifer, I need you. I have to have you, now.”

Wild passion overtook him, and his heart began to race as she moved up his body and slipped him deep inside her. “Oh my God, Jennifer,” he gasped as she adjusted her hips so they ground into his pelvis, taking him as far inside her as possible.

Vince reached up and removed her bra, freeing her breasts from the thin black lace. “Much better,” he said, as he took hold of her thighs, guiding her up and down his hard shaft. As they moved together, Jennifer’s breathing became more and more shallow, and as she shuddered with her climax, Vince cried out her name and exploded deep within her.

Each time Vince saw Jennifer, he found that he couldn’t get enough of her.
The more I see you, the more I want you,
he thought, as he scrolled through the photos on his phone that he secretly took while she was sleeping after the first time they made love.
I need you, I crave you, I have to have you,
he repeated over and over to himself, as he found himself falling back into some old, bad habits, setting up an alert so he would get an e-
mail
notification any time she was in the news. He assigned Brad Wesley, a private investigator and a member of his security detail, to follow and photograph her, so he could know what she was doing at all times. While at his Wall Street office, he spent hours peering through the lens of the new, powerful telescope he had purchased and focused on her apartment building across the East River, thankful Jennifer never closed her living room drapes, hoping to catch glimpses of her going about her daily life.

None of this, though, was enough for Vince. His need to possess Jennifer and make her his grew stronger with every day that passed. “Move in with me,” he said, one night over dinner.

Taken aback, Jen searched for the right words. “I really enjoy spending time with you, Vince. But I love my apartment, and I love Brooklyn. We’ve only been dating a short time, and I don’t want to rush into anything.”

Her words cut through his heart like a dagger, and he struggled to keep his composure as he spoke in a low, measured tone, “All in good time, my love.”

Every time they were together, Vince repeated his suggestion that Jen move into his apartment, and each time she turned him down. Her continued rejection of his invitation to move in with him made his blood boil.
No woman has ever rejected me as many times as you have.
“All in good time, my love. I don’t want to rush you or pressure you,” he repeated each time she declined his invitation to move in with him, trying to hide the rage and resentment bubbling up inside him.
I’ve never wanted anything or anyone as much as I want you, Jennifer,
he thought.
You will be mine.