Chapter 81

ARTHUR

"Have you packed your bags yet?" I asked Doris when we finished lunch. Her eyebrows went up, and her facial expression said she was clueless.

I waved my hands open. "The Oscars, Little Dove. The Academy Awards. They're tomorrow. I thought we'd fly to Los Angeles tonight and stay in a fabulous hotel. A friend of mine owns it. If we leave tonight and stay there, we'll be fresh for the red carpet tomorrow."

She put both hands to her cheeks, a character of surprise. "Oh, my goodness, with all that's going on, I didn't realize they're this weekend."

"They are," I said.

"I have nothing to wear!"

"You could wear that beautiful Dior dress that you wore to the wedding." I couldn't bring myself to say Andrea's wedding or my mother's wedding, so I guess I was still angrier than I thought.

Doris didn't say anything, so I said, "Or we could spend this afternoon randomly shopping for a new dress, or Wheaton Werther, who I just happened to finance when he was still in fashion school, might have your measurements for a custom-made dress." I smirked.

"What?" If she had looked like a character of surprise before, she looked like somebody who just won one million in the lottery now. I might not know a lot about women's fashions, but I do know who had just become one of the hottest fashion designers in Hollywood.

"We can go see him now if you like."

Doris jumped up from the table like her pants were on fire.

"Can I go to?" Mia asked.

"I don't see why not." I called for a limo, and twenty-five minutes later, I was in the store showroom relaxing with a glass of champagne. Mia had a glass of orange juice, and we were waiting for "Mommy" to try on dresses that would probably cost me more than most people made in months, but it would be worth it.

I patiently waited as Doris tried to dress after dress. I wanted to take out my phone and check business matters out of habit, but instead, I pulled Mia up on my lap and asked her every opinion as Doris twirled around, looking more beautiful than ever.

Finally, my patience came to an end. I was trying to be a good lover, but even I can only take so much.

"My dove, buy them all."

Doris laughed and picked one that was green with sparkles that set off her eyes and had a long slit up the left side. It showed off her shapely legs and made me want to get to the hotel in Los Angeles as soon as possible to take it off her.

We went back to that penthouse so Doris could pack, Mia could hug us goodbye, and we could get on my private plane. I could pull Doris into my lap this time.

I have never been to the Oscars. There was rigmarole security, the trip down the red carpet, and assigned seating. All of which was to be expected.

There were ushers who had to take your place if you had to go to the bathroom so that every seat was filled in case the camera panned on your section. There wasn't a single empty seat while you were gone.

Doris found this extremely strange, but considering how long ladies could spend in the restroom, especially when they were grooming and re-primping for a special event, I guess it made sense.

Because I'd been spending the last decade fighting my way up to the top of the world of finance, I hadn't paid much attention to the acting world.

I knew there were many Academy Awards categories, but I had no idea how many there were until I was sitting in that velvet seat. Sure, I knew there was supporting actor and best special effects and lighting, etc., but it seemed like there were more categories than I had fingers and toes, and they went on and on.

Of course, best actress was saved till later in the night.

Unfortunately, there was a little bit of a controversy. Lisa Zeyna had been the sure front-runner, but at the very last minute, an adorable child who, I had to admit, was a fantastic actress was added to the category. She was only nine years old, so she would be the youngest winner in any category in the over 90-year Academy Award history.

That was enough to garner that kid an amazing amount of publicity and probably tip the scales in her favor. Still, the controversy came from the fact that the movie wasn't necessarily released this year.

The movie was released on New Year's Eve, so it was actually released in the prior year; however, at the last minute, the directors and producers claimed that it wasn't released on New Year's Eve but rather on New Year's Day at 12:01 AM and therefore qualified for this year.

The Academy hadn't made a decision about it until yesterday night, so the inclusion was new, and Lisa was beyond nervous.

Lisa hadn't gotten a chance to come over and talk to us until the break, but I understood the nerves you could feel before a big deal, so I sympathized.

But my sympathy was nothing compared to Doris's. My little dove was an empathetic thing.

Finally, it was time for Lisa's category. Halle Berry and Tom Cruise were doing the presenting.

Halle read all the nominees.

"Drum roll please," Tom said and made a little drum sound with his hands on the podium and his mouth close to the microphone.

Doris squeezed my hand tightly.

"The winner is… Lisa Zeyna," Halle said loudly.

Doris smiled at me, almost as if the win was her own.

Doris leaned over to whisper in my ear. “This is a wonderful wedding present for her. I'm sure her wedding will be even more amazing now.”

I put my arms around Doris and pulled her tightly. "I agree, sweetheart."

We had plans to go to one of the many Hollywood after-parties. But I wanted to get Doris back to the hotel. I couldn't wait to peel that dress off her.

As soon as we got into the hotel room, I pressed Doris up against the wall. I had my hands all over her.

Her mouth had never tasted as sweet. I almost ripped that dress. I had to get it off her.

I had dated models with beautiful symmetrical faces, actresses who were considering upcoming ingénues, and fitness trainers who had hard bodies and augmented parts to give them perfect curves. But nobody compared to Doris. It wasn't just her thick, shiny hair, beautiful, deep, soulful eyes, or soft skin. It was her.

I speared my fingers into her hair and made a fist. I tilted her head where I wanted it and plundered her mouth.

I tasted her, a dance of tongues that was more than physical.

I let go of her hair, grabbed her ass, and lifted her. She automatically wrapped her legs around me, and I carried her to the bedroom.

I didn't waste any time getting her naked. I barely saw the beautiful bra and panties because I hurried.

I kissed her neck, alternating between her kisses and little bites. Her moans spurred me on further. I knew they would.

I opened my pants, not even bothering to take off my jacket. I felt Doris's soaking wetness against the thin fabric of my boxers.

"That's my baby," I said in her ear. I ground myself against her. "Say it. Say you're mine."

But she didn't say it. She groaned. Doris hadn't heard my demand. She was too far gone to hear me.

I pushed my underwear down, hooked my elbow under her knee, and hiked her leg up toward her chest.

We froze. A moment caught in perfection.

Doris was mine. A possessive growl rose in my throat. I had shown her off to the Hollywood elite. To the financial world's elite, to everyone.

She never disappoints.

I rolled my hips, so I hit the apex of her thighs in a way that made her buck up against me.

I tilted her leg that I had up out to the side even more and plunged into her.

She screamed in pleasure. So loud I'm sure it echoed through the hotel, and my body surged with pride.

This was my woman. My glorious woman.

My Doris. My dove. My tiger. The woman I was always hungry for.

I hooked her leg around my hip and started a slow, steady rhythm.

"Harder, Arthur, faster."

"I love it when you beg." But I didn't speed up. I slowed down.

"Please!" Doris begged, her voice loud. "I need it."

"God, I freaking love that," I growled. And I gave her what she needed, what we both needed, pounding into her with all I had.

I was sweating into my designer suit, but I didn't care. It was worth it. Anything was worth it.

Doris clawed my shoulders hard.

Her eyes were screwed shut; her face scrunched hard with her intense effort to keep herself together against the onslaught I was giving her.

"Come on, baby. Break for me. Let yourself be carried away, overwhelmed. Give me those tears."

She shook her head vehemently against the mattress.

"Oh yes. Give it to me."

Doris shook her head again. Denying me. Refusing to let our souls fuse with the soul-shattering power we were racing toward.

Her facial expression got even more painful as she tried to resist what we were both barreling toward.

"Yes, baby. Give it to me. Show me your surrender. Cry with your overwhelm."

I thrust into her to punctuate each word. Getting off on the power I had over her and how her panting hot breath warmed my face.

Her body was like a bowstring as she came hard, clenching me, screaming on a note like a song, tears streaming down like multifaceted rainbow drops in the rain.

I kissed them off her cheeks as they fell.

"Delicious. Just like the rest of you."