Chapter 9

Elle’s POV

I grabbed my phone and started listing things to pick up after work: his favorite wine, imported from Italy, and other ingredients needed to make something special for him. He liked aged cheddar with dark grapes. His favorite food was steak with rosemary and garlic. And for dessert, he always chose the chocolate cake from a small bakery that reminded him of his childhood.

I paused, my fingers hovering above the screen as I thought of the words, "his childhood." That was one of the few things he never talked about.

I shook the thought away.

Tonight wasn’t for questions. Tonight was for us.

Even if part of me still feared that the name "Nuelle" had opened a door that could never be closed again… I would leave that mystery for another time.

For once in my life, I wanted to enjoy what I had—before it slipped through my fingers.

***

I had gotten home a few hours ago to get everything set. I had also given the employees in the house a night off.

I didn't want anything or anyone to distract I and Raymond.

The house smelled like rosemary and garlic, a scent that instantly made me think of him. The steak was resting under a foil wrap while the wine chilled in a silver bucket beside the table.

I had gone all out with candles, soft jazz playing in the background, and dim lights that glowed across the dining room.

Raymond deserved this. And tonight, I needed to show him just how much everything he did meant to me.

I kept checking the time and glancing at the door every few seconds. My heart was fluttering like a girl waiting for her first date. Which was ridiculous. I was his wife. But that didn’t stop my stomach from tightening every time I imagined his reaction.

When the front door finally opened, I practically flew from the kitchen.

“There’s my Queen,” Raymond grinned as he walked in.

His eyes swept over the room, then landed on me.

I was putting on a black dress. The dress was a simple, soft satin that barely covered my thighs. It had thin straps, a low back, and just enough dip in the front to keep things interesting. It didn’t need sparkle or lace, and it hugged me in all the right places.

Raymond's smile deepened, and for a moment, he just stared...like I was the only thing in the room that mattered.

“You did all this?” he asked, in a husky voice.

“For you,” I replied, stepping closer. “It’s just a little ‘thank you’ dinner.”

His hands wrapped around my waist, and the warmth of his body melted every last bit of nervousness I was feeling.

“Dinner can wait,” he murmured, eyes darkening with hunger. "I want something better."

Before I could say anything more, his mouth crashed onto mine, hot and urgent. My hands tangled in his hair as he pulled me against his chest. In no time, his coat was hitting the floor and I found myself in his arms, being carried toward the bedroom.

We didn’t make it to the bed.

Somewhere between the hallway and the stairs, we got lost in each other—tangled in soft moans and desperate kisses, hands roaming like we hadn’t just seen each other that morning.

By the time we finally made it to the bedroom, our clothes were completely gone, and our bodies had already given in.

He kept me gently on the bed, his lips trailing a path from my lips, to the nape of my neck and further below. When his mouth took my tits and his hands squeezed them, I moaned.

He didn't stop there. His fingers traveled again, landing between my legs. He stuck one inside of me, sending ecstasy running through my veins. Before I could register the feeling that overtook me, he put another in, and then another, thrusting in and out of me.

"Don't..." I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Don't what?" He asked as he went faster, his tongue playing with my tits.

"Don't stop!" I cried out.

He let out a chuckle as he pulled out, placing a kiss on my lips.

"That's what I thought," He said against my lips.

Without warning, he pushed his length into me, leaving me breathless. With each stroke of him inside of me, my body went numb with pleasure.

When we finally got to the peak, we let out a sharp moan as we collapsed on each other, our ragged breaths the only sounds that filled the room.

It took a while before I was able to speak clearly.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what?” he asked sleepily.

“For everything. The office… the note… just… everything.”

He placed a kiss on my temple. “You don’t need to thank me, Elle. That’s nothing compared to what I plan to give you.”

I tilted my head to look at him, shocked. “You’re serious?”

He nodded, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I told you—I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never feel small again. You deserve the world. And if I have to tear it apart to give it to you, I will.”

My chest tightened at his words. He always knew exactly what to say.

“I never thought I’d get this,” I admitted quietly. “A second chance., and a real one.”

Raymond pulled me closer. “You’ve been through hell, Elle. But that’s over now.”

I was silent for a while, a thought filling my head.

“Sometimes I still think about him—Richard. The way he made me feel so worthless and so empty. I gave him seven years of my life, and he used me like a tool.”

Raymond's jaw clenched beneath my fingertips. It was obvious he was angry.

“Don’t say his name tonight,” he muttered. “Not when you’re in my arms. He’ll never touch you again. He’ll never get close, and I won’t let him interfere in our life. Ever.”

I wanted to believe Raymond, I really did. And part of me did believe him. Because if there was one thing I knew about Raymond Orlando, it was that when he made a promise, he kept it.

But another part of me—deep down, buried under the happiness and hope—couldn’t help but remember just how persistent Richard could be when he wanted something.

Still, I didn’t say that out loud. I just nodded and pressed my lips against Raymond’s chest, breathing in his scent.

“I trust you,” I said softly.

And maybe if I kept saying it, I’d finally fully believe it.