Silva and the Stars

17 | you were perfect

Rachel is dressed for battle. 

She's a vision in a deep purple dress, red heels and a matching trenchcoat. 

Every time I glance at her, I'm gripped by the urge to peel off her trench coat, run my hand up her dress and shove it higher. Then have my way with her in the back seat of this car. 

Memories of the night before consume me – the way she bit her lip with bruising pressure, her quiet gasps as I moved inside her, her cries of pleasure, how she pulsed around me as she fell apart.

Our driver, Stephen, is bringing us closer to the office. The closer we draw, the more nervous Rachel becomes.

She has been shuffling and rereading the proposal we formulated the whole trip, her lips moving as she reads, even though we know it off by heart. Her leg hasn't stopped bouncing in her tight-fitting dress.

I want to draw her into my arms and let her know that we have the best defence. My voicemails prove that Connor has no right to the company.

But the words keep sticking in my throat.

I reach out a hand to Rachel, wanting to comfort her. "It'll be okay."

She flashes me a terse smile, stiffening as her attention is stolen from the papers in her hands.

"It has to be right? Our proposal won't be popular. But we're going into an economic downturn, we can't afford to focus only on short-term profits like Connor." She pauses, her lips pursing together, before sighing. "I just wish we never had this fight on our hands to begin with."

Nausea curdles within me. I can stop this fight right now.

"But it's foolish to wish for what if's," she's saying. "Isn't it? We have to face our reality."

"Right," I echo.

I feel trapped in the confines of the car. She'll be able to see straight through me. My confidence wavers, I want to tell Rachel. With her, I've felt happier than I have in years.

With a sinking ball of dread, I realise why I haven't told her.

Not to protect some clean image of my father - his reputation was already questionable - but because I don't want to risk losing her.

"We'll just have to stay married indefinitely." She flashes me a smile, squeezing my hand in return. "Or at least until Connor decides to sign over his shares." She hums contemplatively, looking out the window. "I really thought we'd find something on him."

"You would want us to divorce if Connor signed over his shares?" I clear my throat. "What about last night?"

"Last night was amazing, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting we break up, just that it might be wise to take a step back." She tries to soften the blow. "We didn't even date before we married."

"But I like having you as my wife," I add softly, looking down at our linked hands. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"It does," she reassures me. "And you've been the best husband a woman could ask for. But we agreed from the start..." She trails off.

I don't say anything. She wants space. Despite last night, despite my feelings for her.

I don't want to let her go. Distance is the last thing our fledgling relationship needs. Especially when, back in the real world, she's trying to throw our relationship in the trash.

But if we're still married she can't do that.

The thought is a seductive whisper. But if Rachel ever finds out what I've been keeping from her, she'd gut me before throwing me out on the streets. It would ruin us.

I swallow. My throat feels dry.

Rachel turns to face me in the small confines of the back seat. Her sweet frangipani and vanilla scent surrounds me.

She leans forward to examine me more closely. It's almost as if she can see the shame covering me in a shroud of moral blackness.

"Hey." My attention is drawn to her soft, extremely kissable lips. The things she said to me last night lit my being on fire.

I remember how reddened I made them and control the urge to lean over and pull her bottom lip into my mouth, tugging, grazing with my teeth.

"Are you okay?"

I nod sharply. I feel like she can see straight through my chest at the heart that is beating too fast.

She looks unconvinced. "Was it something I said? Did you disagree... was the sex bad for you?" She pauses, frowning in thought. "I thought when a guy ejaculates, it usually means it's good."

I release her hand to slide my hand to her knee, squeezing. I wish the fabric of her dress wasn't in the way and I was touching her warm, soft skin beneath.

My voice comes out gravelly. "You were perfect."

Her answering smile glimmers on her lips until Stephen tells us that we've arrived.

We both get out of the car, looking up at the building towering before us. 

Our offices are on the higher floors, giving us breathtaking views of the city.

In silence, we walk through the building and into the elevator. My gut is churning.

"We've got this," I tell her as we're vaulted upwards. 

The elevator dings and Rachel takes a step closer. "Remember we have to be a convincing picture of love, we've just had our honeymoon."

I nod. To anyone but her, I think it's obvious how much I'm tripping for this girl. Whipped.

The elevator doors open and I frown at the sight before us. Connor, dressed in a grey suit is leaning on the receptionist counter, flirting shamelessly with a red-haired woman with large breasts. She's young and blushing.

The phone rings and they both ignore it.

Rachel and I walk towards them. My voice comes out stern; imbued with the authority earnt from working my ass up this company, "Where's Penny?"

I've spent too much time here to see Connor squander it.

Connor stiffens before turning around, a sneer on his chiselled face. I have slightly darker eyes than him, but apart from that, we look shockingly similar – same cut cheekbones, same blonde hair.

"Nice of you two to show up," he says snidely. "And Penny was getting too old for my tastes."

"You had no right," I growl. 

Penny had worked for the company going on twenty-five years and was the best damn receptionist we'd ever had. And what Connor was admitting to is blatant age discrimination. It rankles like a knife twisting in my gut. He's a blight on this company and everything we stand for.

"That's why I hired Sarah here," Connor smiles at the young woman, his gaze trailing down her neck to her sizeable breasts pressed high in her blouse.

My nostrils flare and Rachel touches my forearm.

"Connor, we'll see you in the boardroom at 12 pm," she says calmly. She's cool, suave perfection.

He's not stupid enough to ignore Rachel. "Until then," he says, his eyes moving back to Sarah.

I'll need to apologise and rehire Penny after we sort out this mess.

As we walk away, Rachel tips her head to murmur in my ear, "I really hate your cousin."

Her hot breath tickles my neck, sending me back to the night before; her lips on mine, her heaving chest.

I slip my hand around her waist, drawing her into my side. "Believe me, I do too."

Her face is determined as she raises our proposal in front of us. "This better work. I want to give that bastard what he deserves."

Her words hit uncomfortably close to home.

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a/n: Thanks for reading! I'd be so grateful for any feedback you have so feel free to vote and comment your thoughts. ♡