Being with Archer felt like being suspended in a fairy tale, and I desperately wished it would never end. As I sat on the bed, Archer lay beside me, his strong arm wrapped around my waist. Gently, I tore open the gift he had given me, pausing to admire his peaceful sleeping face. His soft breathing indicated that he was in a deep slumber.
We had returned to the cabin around 2 a.m., and Archer had kept me awake until dawn. I loved how he made me feel like he couldn't get enough of me, cherishing and desiring me. Raising my hand, I caressed his eyebrows with the pad of my fingers, adoring him with my eyes. For some reason, tears welled up in my eyes. I didn't know how to walk away after our time together had passed. With a sigh, I refocused my attention on the gift pack and continued opening it.
To my surprise, it wasn't just one gift but a collection of gifts, all practical items for starting a new life in the corporate world. There was a top-of-the-line laptop, tucked in a brown leather bag engraved with my initials. Tears blurred my vision as I took it all in. Among the gifts were five different wristwatches, necklaces, ankle bracelets, a gold-plated platinum debit card, perfume, and a car key. With trembling hands, I reached for the enclosed envelope.
Opening it, I found a note that simply read, "Each gift represents all the occasions I missed since I met you. Sincerely, Archer." Even though I knew Archer was wealthy, I doubted he could have arranged all these gifts and personalized engravings in just twenty-four hours. It meant he had planned this before we made love again. I couldn't bring myself to feel angry, realizing that this wasn't a payoff for our time together.
Overwhelmed, I covered my face with my hands and started to cry. I would give up anything not to go back, to spend forever with him in this beautiful bubble he had created for me.
"Adele?" Archer called out in his deep, husky tone. He tightened his arm around me, and I turned to face him, crushing my lips to his, still trembling with tears and taking a shaky breath. "What did I do?" he rasped.
"Your s-stupid gifts," I stammered through my tears. He chuckled.
"You're so adorable when you cry, you know that?"
"D-Don't try to butter me up!" I cried.
"Sorry?" he said, pulling me even closer, amusement evident in his voice.
"I-I don't want gifts, Archer," I sobbed, burying my face in his strong chest.
"I know," he rasped, pressing a tender kiss to the top of my head. "I'm a poor replacement for Mark, but it would hurt me if you refused them," he whispered. I held onto him tighter.
"Archer... I—"
"Don't say it. I beg you not to say it," he pleaded in a whisper. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he captured my lips in a hungry, passionate kiss.
On New Year's Eve, I found myself in the kitchen attempting to bake cookies when a video call popped up on my phone. "Oh, damn," I muttered, realizing it was Jade. "Damn, damn, damn," I cursed under my breath, lightly banging my head on the countertop. I had completely forgotten to reach out and apologize properly to both Jade and Tiffany for bailing on them the way I did. I couldn't bear the thought of facing Anthony Morozov again. I swear, I'd rather die. Taking a deep breath to brace myself, I reluctantly answered the persistent call, quickly putting on a smile as Jade's face appeared on the screen.
"Hi!" I greeted.
"Gurl!" Jade exclaimed with a dramatic flair.
"Gurl!!" Tiffany chimed in, joining the video call.
"As far as apologies go, gurl, you rock!" Jade declared.
"You rock!" Tiffany echoed, causing me to laugh.
"And your man!" Jade exclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Your man!" Tiffany mimicked.
"He is the GOAT!" Jade continued.
"The MVP! Dayuum!" Tiffany exclaimed. "We're in heaven!"
"Literal heaven!" Jade confirmed, sipping a cosmopolitan drink.
"Teach us your ways, Queen!" Tiffany pleaded, playfully bowing.
"You two are so silly!" I said, still laughing.
"I completely understand why Anthony Morozov doesn't stand a chance," Tiffany stated.
"Zero chance!" Jade emphasized.
I could see that both of them were in a luxurious spa. They were wearing white terry cloth robes and had towels wrapped around their hair. Two bottles of sparkling wine sat in an ice bucket beside them, and the place had a dimly lit ambiance with soft music playing in the background.
"I couldn't believe it when a car showed up to pick us up this morning. We've been living like royalty since we stepped into that limo, gurl!" Jade exclaimed.
"My mom is so jealous! I think she wants to be your friend now!" Tiffany added.
Although I wasn't quite sure what they were referring to, I could see Archer's handiwork all over it.
"I can't wait to send you a full video of everything we've been up to. You have to see the dresses we got from Vérité Couture! It's amazing!" Jade sang.
"I'm going to post it all over my social media! I'm officially a Vérité Couture shopper now, bitches!" Tiffany gushed, causing me to chuckle.
"Woohoo!" Jade cheered, joining in the laughter.
"I'm glad you're both having a great time..." I said, beaming.
"It's the best Christmas gift ever. The only thing missing is you," Jade said, a hint of longing in her voice.
"Yes, it would have been even more fun with you here," Tiffany agreed.
"I promise we'll do something like this together again soon," I assured them.
"You betcha!" Tiffany exclaimed.
"When will you be back?"
"In a few days," I replied, attempting to hide my sadness.
"Great! We have a surprise waiting for you too," Jade said, her smile growing wider.
"You weren't supposed to tell her!" Tiffany scolded playfully. I chuckled.
"I miss you two. I can't wait to see both of you," I said sincerely.
They continued telling me more about their adventures before being interrupted by the arrival of their masseuse.
"Sorry, girl, we gotta go," Jade said.
"Talk to you later!" Tiffany added. I waved and blew kisses to both of them before the screen went blank.
"I'm glad your friends are having fun," Archer said, walking towards me and catching me off guard.
"Jesus!" I softly exclaimed, holding my hand to my chest. He chuckled as I playfully pushed him in the chest. He pulled me into his arms, and I smiled up at him as he cupped my face and leaned in for a kiss.
"Thank you for what you did for my friends," I said in a soft, gentle voice, holding his gaze.
"Hmm..." he murmured, kissing me again. I felt his free hand gently stroke my left nipple through the fabric of my shirt, and he rasped, "I thought we agreed on no more underwear?"
"It's a bra top," I whispered against his lips, smiling with my eyes closed, as I felt his hand glide down the hem of my shirt and under it. "Hm-Mm…" I murmured when his hand made contact with my stomach.
"No more bra tops then," he rasped, lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing my feet against his firm backside. "Or maybe I'll ban all clothing," he threatened in a low, husky tone.
"I might defy you just to see you walk around naked," I teased.
He grinned. "So, you like what you see then," he rasped.
"You put all those men in Magic Mike to shame," I said, playfully biting his lower lip.
"Oh, really," he murmured, "so you enjoy male strippers?"
"I'm a woman. Name one red-blooded woman who doesn't enjoy watching a well-toned male body show off their assets?"
"Interesting… But you know what?"
"What?"
"You're my woman, and you don't get to do that," he said in a low growl that dripped with arrogance and possessiveness.
Strangely enough, I wasn't even mad. The fact that he considered me his woman sent a rush of desire through my veins. I cupped his chin, making him tilt his head for me, and kissed him fiercely, matching his possessive air, which left me breathless for more. "Good. We're on the same page," he added against my lips. He then let my feet touch the floor and whispered in my ear, "Strip, Adele. You broke my rules." He stepped back, walking towards the sidebar to pour himself a drink.