“I can’t.”
“Little mouse,” I warn.
I might be in another city, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hop on a plane and show her what happens to people who disobey me. Her eyes are wide as she moves on the bed, spreading her legs for me in front of her phone. Her pussy is swollen and red, glistening with her juices.
“Fucking beautiful. Now, touch yourself. We’re going to do this together.”
She moans as she touches herself. I keep telling her all the dirty things I would do to her until she cries out and her thighs clamp around the hand between her legs. Fuck. My cock jerks one last time as I shoot ropes of cum onto my stomach.
“Fuck,” I grunt.
She moves on the bed, and I miss the sight of her pussy. When she lifts the phone, I see shame in her blue eyes.
“Jafar, that was—”
“Fucking hot as hell.”
“It was wrong. I’m so sorry. Please, can we just forget this happened?”
Her eyes are full of tears now. Shit. That’s not how I wanted her to feel.
“Ellie, we did nothing wrong. You’re in New York. I’m in Chicago.”
She lets out a watery laugh. “I just had phone sex with my best friend’s husband. Yeah, we did do something wrong. Something that will never happen again.”
“Ellie—”
“It’s late, Jafar. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.”
The call ends before I can say anything else.
“Fuck.”
6
Ellie
The next week is torture. Guilt eats me alive to the point that I find a church just so I can go to confession, and I haven’t been to confession since my mother died. Saying the words out loud is hard, but it helps that the priest is a stranger.
I had phone sex with my friend’s husband. And I liked it. A lot. I’ve thought about it every night since.
There are no bursts of lightning that strike me down where I sit, nor are there flames licking at my feet. I still feel terrible about it, though. Thankfully, I leave feeling a bit lighter and now have goals for atonement. I start by donating to the church. My next goal is to be a better friend to Jasmine, and that means staying away from Malik Jafar at all costs. My cheeks warm as I think about him. God. What was I thinking? I’d like to say it was the wine, but I only had one glass. No, Iwantedto do that with him. The question is, why did he do it with me?
Crossing the street, I make my way to the restaurant Jasmine picked for lunch. She still hasn’t been back to the Met, and they’ve permanently moved me into her office. It felt weird at first. Now it just feels right, especially since I’ve added a few personal touches. I’ve even stopped getting questions about when she’s coming back. The team and I move on like she’s not even a part of it anymore, putting the final touches on the gala.
Jasmine is already here, which is surprising. She’s usually late. I glance at my watch. Crap. Looks like I’m the one running behind today. I lost track of time as Gemma and I worked together on seating arrangements.
“Sorry I’m late,” I say.
“No worries.” But she’s clearly irritated. “Our table is ready.”
We’re led through the restaurant, which has the most beautiful live flower displays that I’ve ever seen in my life. My mind goes to the botanical gardens, and I immediately think of Jafar. Jeez! What is wrong with me? I need to stop!
We’re seated at a table that overlooks the koi pond outside. It’s serene, but I’m so nervous that I doubt I’ll be able to enjoy it. Jasmine is angry, which never bodes well for anyone. The server says he'll give us time to look over our menus and rushes away, as if he can sense the tension between the two of us.
“You look nice today. Is that a new top?”
She glances at her designer blouse. “I’ve had it a while. You just wouldn’t know since you’re never here.”