Page 53 of Dirty Little Virgin
Always the hopeless romantic, that girl!
But I’m not a romantic at heart. At least I’ve never been before Jade came along. It’s hard to believe this whole thing started with one question on a message board. But then again, the whole thing is unbelievable.
I managed to talk a vanilla virgin into trekking her way across the globe to become my submissive partner. And she became the best one I could’ve ever imagined.
Jade’s hand is shaking as we approach the steps. “Pierce, please …”
I stop her as I pull her into my arms and kiss her with a soft kiss, then lean my forehead against hers. “Baby, don’t stoop to begging me for what I can’t give you. Remember all we’ve talked about. I want you to walk away from me with pride. I want you to learn from what we’ve shared and take that with you through the rest of your life. You’re a vibrant woman, capable of anything you set your mind on. And one day, when you’re a famous author, I’d love it if you’d send me an autographed copy of your first book. One I hope will be dedicated to me, under the name Mr. Power, of course.”
She hits at my chest with a weak fist. “Jerk,” she mumbles. “Why do you have to be like this?”
“I don’t know.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “Why do you have to believe this fantasy of a love story can last forever? I’ve told you many times, if we stay together, I’ll end up neglecting you and making you hate me, a thing I never want to happen. This way, you’ll always hold love in your heart for me. And I will for you too.”
“Such a romantic gesture, Pierce.” Both her hands lace with mine, holding them at my side. “You’ve changed me. I’m going back a rich woman. A woman who is rich in more than just monetary value. You’ve shown me so much in such a small amount of time. I want you to know I’m thankful for it all. The money is the least of what I’ve gained from knowing you.”
I rub her nose with mine. “I’ve learned a lot from you too. I’ve learned that love really does exist. And before you tell me that I’m throwing it away, I want you to understand that I’m not doing that at all. I’m locking it away, keeping it safe from harm. A little place I can escape to in my mind from time to time. A perfect place, where only you and I reside. I hope you do the same sometimes.”
When I see tears moving in long streams down her pink cheeks, I can’t stand what I’m seeing and kiss her. Our arms close around each other as we take our last exchange. My body and mind are at odds. My body wants to keep her with me. My mind tells me it won’t last in the real world.
Her hands clutch my arms as I try to end the kiss. I taste her salty tears as they make their way into my mouth. She finally has to pull her mouth away as she gasps, then sobs, “I love you, Pierce. I will always love you.” Then she breaks away and runs to the stairs.
“Jade, stop,” I call out.
She stops and turns to look at me as her face is melting with sorrow. “What?”
“Jade, I love you. Please remember that. I’m doing this out of love and nothing else. What we shared was perfect, and I want it to stay that way. I love you more than I love myself, and one day I hope you can understand that, baby.”
My cell’s alarm goes off as it’s now midnight. The end of our contract.
Jade looks at my cell as I take it out of the breast pocket of my suit and swipe it to stop the sound that’s ending us. Another sob breaks out of her and she turns and runs up the stairs. I watch her take a seat next to the window. Her eyes hold me as she puts her hand on the glass as the stairs are taken away and someone shuts the door.
Our eyes lock as we take each other in for the last time. “Goodbye, Jade.” I blow her a kiss.
She’s breaking down inside the plane. She’s crying so damn hard, it hurts me as if she was stabbing my heart with a dull knife. Her mouth moves, and I can tell she’s saying, “I love you.”
“I love you, Jade!” I shout as the jet begins to move.
Into the night, the plane takes her away from me, the way I knew it always would. It had to end and I knew that all along. But I never knew how badly it would hurt us both.
I’d call it all a big mistake if we hadn’t each gained so much from our time together. What we shared can never be called a mistake. No matter what the outcome, it was no mistake.
Walking to the door, I look back as I hear the sound of the jet flying up into the dark sky. It’s unimaginable that anyone could fall so hard in only two months. If anyone ever told me such a thing before Jade, I’d have laughed at them.
Now I know it can happen.
My car is parked just outside the entrance doors. There’s barely any traffic at this late hour. I was able to park right at the curb. As I get into my car, everything crashes down on me like a brick wall.
Everything I’ve kept at bay comes bubbling to the surface like a geyser. Dropping my head on the steering wheel, I let it all out, crying like a damn baby.
“God, she’s gone! Why’d I let her go?”
Jade
My alarm goes off, waking me from the sweetest dream. Pierce and I were playing in the lake. It’s hard to believe three months have passed and he’s still so completely in my head. Even though not a word has come from him at all, I know my number is still in his cell. His is in mine too. And I find myself staring at it, wanting to call him but not daring to.
He was right about men seeing a change in me and coming on to me a hell of a lot stronger than they’ve ever done before. One in particular is finding it nearly impossible to take no for an answer. My much larger flat has been filled with various vases of flowers, as he sends them almost daily.
Charles Gilmore seems to be infatuated with me. He’s a banker, handsome, and charming. I met him when I opened a new bank account with the cashier’s check from the BDSM club. And I have a feeling he might be a gold digger. But he did send me to an investment firm that’s handling my money for me, making it grow into more money as if by magic.
