“I do know that I love you more than anything.” The words scared me as I spoke them, an emotion I did not anticipate. Her eyes flew open and she searched my face, trying to figure out if she had heard me correctly. “I love you. I wasn’t sure it was even possible for me to care about anyone else again, but I can’t deny how I feel about you.” A wolf parading around in sheeps clothing, taunting the deer to play. I leaned close enough that I could feel her warmth. “Breathe” I whispered. She did as she was told. Her eyes continued to search mine and she didn’t speak. “What else do you want to know?” I tried to hide the coldness in my voice.

“I think you said all I needed to hear.” Her words melted me. I smiled and kissed her, desperate to feel her. There was a new passion in her that I wanted. I wanted everything she could give. I wrapped my fingers in her hair and tugged, holding her against my mouth as I let my other slip down the curve of her spine. Her body melted against mine. She pushed against my chest, her hands moving up to my neck. I let her touch me. She needed to know I was there and I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Make love to me.” She panted. I picked her up and carried her into my room. We couldn’t go back upstairs yet. It was too soon. I needed to start over with her more slowly. We stripped off our clothes and tossed them aside.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” I didn’t need to ask. I knew by the way she kissed me, the look in her eyes. I asked for her benefit. She needed to feel in control even though it was a lie.

“Yes, Sir” She moaned. I kissed her, needing to taste her. Getting what I wanted, giving her what she needed.

“What do you want me to do to you?”

“Kiss me…here” Her fingers wrapped in my hair and tugged, guiding me to her br**sts. She arched her back, pushing into my mouth. She was loving the control, the power. How could she not? There was no greater feeling. Not even love. I traced tiny circles over her, letting my teeth slide against her nipple. She moaned, loudly. The sound vibrated in her chest, against my lips.

“Where else?” I panted, looking up to see her face, twisted in pleasure. She held my hair and guided my lower. I licked my way down her stomach, dipping my tongue into her navel. I kept my eyes on her, watching her bite her lip and struggling to keep control.

“Please” she begged as I breathed against her sex. Begging me. Pure submissive perfection. Her having control was an illusion. I kissed her inner thigh. Her back arched again. I smiled against her skin. Slowly, I moved closer, pausing a moment before skimming my tongue across her center. She pushed back against me, nearly coming undone. I licked again and again as her hips moved with the rhythm of my mouth. I slid a finger into her hot wetness as I continued. She fisted the sheets, trying to keep from falling off the earth. I slid in another and increased my speed.

“Come for me” I comanded. Her body immediately obeyed, tightening around me. She moaned as she circled her hips, f**king my fingers. As her body began to calm down I climbed on top of her, pushing my c**k against her entrance. “You belong to me, Emma.” She stared at me, cheeks flushed. I rocked my hips so I would brush against her folds. She gasped as an aftershock of pleasure shot through her. “Tell me.” I pushed, slowly slipping inside of her.

“I belong to you.” She breathed. I pushed into her hard, claiming what was mine. Mine.

“Good girl” I breathed in her ear, letting my teeth skim her earlobe. Her hands trailed down my back, her nails scraping my skin. I moved faster, harder.

“I love you.” Her voice was my undoing. My body shook and convulsed as hers tightened around my cock. I spilled myself inside of her, my Emma.

I relaxed against her, brushing the hair from her sweat-kissed skin. Nothing else mattered. I had her and I wasn’t going to let anyone take her from me.

Chapter Twenty-Six

I kept my position on top of her as I listened to her breathing grow quieter and slow. Eventually, it grew heavier and I knew she had fallen asleep beneath me. I kissed her gently on the forehead and slipped off the bed. I grabbed my pants and pulled them on, glancing back at Emma who had not moved.

I walked out to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of bourbon before calling Stephen.

“We have a problem.” I swirled my drink in the glass before gulping it down, enjoying the burn. Stephen sighed heavily in my ear.

“She’s back.” It wasn’t a question. He was simply speaking his worst fear. I poured another drink, nodding to myself.

“She is back.” I drank again as my eyes stayed fixed on the bedroom door, listening for any sounds from Emma.

“You can’t let her destroy everything I have. Everything you have.” I knew I had the mayor’s attention.

“That’s why I called.” I tipped the bottle to my mouth.

“I’ll be there in ten.” I heard the line go dead. I tossed my phone on the counter and rested my head in my hands. Emma groaned in her sleep. I made my way back to my room and looked in. She was still sleeping peacefully as my world began to crumble around me. I sighed and pulled the bedroom door closed slowly.

Stephen was right on time. I let him in and gestured to the room so he knew to be quiet. I explained my relationship with Emma and he looked at me disapprovingly, but did not say so.

“Why did she come back? Is it money? Is she going to say something?” He was panicked. I could sympathize. That night in our hotel a few years back hung fresh in my mind.

Abby loved the power she had over me. At least, the power she thought she had over me. Truth was I was never one to listen to others. I had met Stephen in the tenth grade. I was well into cocaine to numb the pain, or lack of feeling. I hung out at a park a few blocks from my house, selling some coke on the side. Misery loves company. Stephen was walking his dog one day who had gotten loose. I saw him dart across the park. I jumped from the old wooden picnic table and chased him down. We hung out almost every day after that. I shared my drugs and he gave me someone to talk to. To really talk to.

When I began seeing Abby he became jealous and distant that I was spending all of my free time with her. He called me late one night, crying and mumbling incoharently. I was worried he had gotten some bad stuff so I had Abby take me over to a hotel he and I often stayed at when we went on benders.

“Wait in the car.” I looked at her for a moment to make sure she would comply. Abby looked terrified, part of that was probably due to the drugs. She nodded and I got out of the car and made my way across the dark parking lot. I spotted Stephen as he stepped outside. His clothes were askew and was on the verge of a full on breakdown.

“What the f**k is going on man?” I asked as he stared at me in terror. He opened the door and I stepped in, scanning the lot before closing the door behind us. There it was. The beginning of our end. In the center of the twin sized bed laid a girl. Her hair was knotted and tangled. Her skin was a pale grey.

“What the f**k did you do?” I could barely speak. My mouth was incredibly dry. I rushed to her side and put my fingers on her neck. At first I felt nothing. I stared at him, his eyes locked onto mine. “Shit”

“What?What?What is it?” He was losing control of himself.

“I think I felt something.” There it was, a dull thump underneath the pads of my fingers.

“She has to go the the hospital.” His hand flew over his mouth than through his hair. I jumped off the bed and to him, backing him against the wall.

“What do you suppose she will say?” I locked eyes with him, hoping he was sober enough to listen. “Where do you think she will say she was? Who she was with?” I knew there was nothing stopping her from implicating Stephen. He was weak and it would take no time at all for him to sing my name like a canary. His hands fell to his sides as he thought about it. He stared off into nothing. I backed a way from him slowly and turned back towards the bed. I brushed the girls hair away from her face and picked up a pillow. She didn’t fight, didn’t move at all. I held it there over her mouth and waited. Unfortunatly, that was the moment Abby decided to check on us. She stood in the door, terrified, and high. Her body pressed tightly against the wood before she slid back out in the darkness. I nodded at Stephen and took off after her.

I closed the gap between us quickly. As she reached her car I was able to grab her wrist and spin her around. Her back was against her door as she stared in shock into my eyes. For the first time she saw nothing staring back at her. I was on a much bigger high than cocaine could have ever taken me on. I was in control.

It wasn’t easy but I was able to convince her that I could help her in exchange for her silence.

I left clues around so that even the most neglectful of parents would be able to figure out I was carrying on an affair with my teacher. My father, predictable as ever took the bait. He offered Abby two million dollars to never see me again. She took it without hesitation. I really had liked Abby.

She kept her word and never told anyone. She disappeared from my life and Stephen and I went on to college. Eventually Abby’s money ran out and her coke addiction only grew. She found me and begged for more. She was a sad, pathetic mess. I wouldn’t give her any more money. Instead, I offered to take care of her if she stayed with me.

It worked for a few months. Her habit had gone down to just getting high once or twice a week. We were finally able to get past everything that had happened. One night she had taked a pregnancy test and it came back positive. We went straight to Vegas and got married and she swore to never do any drugs again.

Three weeks later I found her in the bathroom, wedged between the toilet and the bathtub. She was cold and sweaty and her thighs were smeared with blood.

She couldn’t resist the drugs. I hadn’t seen her since then. Not until today.

I looked at Stephen in his tailored suit and perfectly combed hair. He had left the past where it belongs and become a highly respected mayor.

“She wants two million.” I said as I poured us both a drink. Stephen drank his quickly, gasping as it burned his throat. I motioned for him to join me in the living room. We sat, staring at each other for a few minutes.

“I can help, but…jesus christ..two million?” His face twisted as he tried to come up with a plan. “How can we make her go away?”

The bedroom door squeaked and we both turned around to see a shocked Emma wearing nothing but a t-shirt. She made her way towards the living room, oblivious to our presence. I stood and her eyes caught mine, then went to Stephen’s.

“This is Emma.” I said, giving Stephen a hard look. Emma tugged at her shirt as she turned a beautiful shade of rose. “Emma, this is Mayor Locklin.”

“Pleasure” Stephen said, trying not to stare.

“I’m gonna..” Her voice trailed off in embarrassment. She ducked back into my bedroom and closed the door. I turned to Stephen, my expression grew serious.

“She can’t know.” I whipsered. Stephen nodded. He knew the consequences if anyone found out. The door opened again.

“Emma” I called for her to join us.

“Shit” She muttered and bit her lip as she came to my side. I pulled her lip free from her teeth with my thumb.

“Sit” She took her seat on the couch.

“Emma” The Mayor nodded his head to greet her.

“Mayor Locklin” She replied, ducking her head so he would not see her embarrassment.

“Please, call me Stephen.” He replied and she began to relax.

“Stephen” She repeated. I sat next to her and put my hand on her knee. Mine.

“Stephen is an old friend of mine from college. He also owes me a favor, which makes him trustworthy.” I smiled at her, trying to make her more comfortable.

“Now, how do you propose we get rid of your ex-wife?” Stephen asked causually, not being careful with his words. I shot him a warning glare as I felt Emma grow limp at my side. “What the f**k?” Stephen screamed in a panic. I shook Emma, praying she would wake up.

“Emma!” I shook her. She growned but did not open her eyes. “Get some water!” I shouted at Stephen. He ran to the kitchen and filled a glass, bringing it back to me. I splashed water on her face and her eyes bagan to flutter.

“What happened?” She asked, looking around, confused.

“Are you narcaleptic?” The Stephen asked, looking genuinely scared shitless.

“NO” She answered, tugging at her shirt. I placed my hand on her shoulder to soothe her.

“We didn’t mean ‘get rid of her’ like that.” I had to hold back a laugh. It was exactly what we meant. “We just need to figure out how to make her not come back again and again once she has been paid.” I rubbed her knee, trying to make sure she believed me. She looked to Stephen.

“Right, well, we need to negotiate terms and have your lawyer speak with her. Are you sure this is about the money and not about some sort of revenge?” He asked, his eyes burning through me.

“No, no. She’s the one who broke my heart, remember?” I glared at him. He was saying too much.

“Yea, I know. I just needed to make sure there was nothing else that would come out later.” He stood up and I rose from the couch. “Should be a pretty straight forward arrangement. Are you sure you want to pay her off? You could always let her say what she wants. It’s not like you need the teaching job.” I ran my hands through his hair and nodded. I knew he was really asking if I thought she would go through with it. If she would spill everything.

“You know I can’t let this come out. I would never hear the end of it from my father.”

“I’ll help as much as I can. I owe you that much.” Stephen replied, holding out his hand. We shook and the mayor nodded at Emma politely before leaving. I followed after him and locked the door.