Arguments
RENEE
“That was the plan, baby girl. The plan… the freaking plan…”
I shivered as Robert’s husky voice whispered in my ear, his breath fanning my skin.
As he trailed kisses down my throat, the sharp stubble of his beard grazed the exposed skin at the side of my shoulders, and I let out a soft whimper.
He didn’t stop until he reached the crook of my neck, his mouth sucking hungrily at the flesh there and nibbling with his teeth. I felt shocks run through my body like little lightning bolts, making me visibly shudder.
“Oh, God! Please, Robert.” I muttered, pushing gently with my shoulders. “For goodness sake, I’m cooking…”
“Good evening to you, too as well, baby girl.” He chuckled darkly, and before I could say anything else, Robert’s right hand reached for the spoon I was holding.
He turned me around, dropped the steel utensil on the kitchen countertop, and pushed me away from the cooking island.
“Rob… Robert? What are you doing?” I asked, my eyes widening as I looked at him, trying to gauge his expression.
“Fuck! You are stunning. I stood by the doorway, watching you dance and sway those hips, and I didn’t want to stop for one second.”
“Robert… I…” I began, but this time he silenced me with a kiss.
Despite my feeble attempts to struggle and push against him, his huge hands cupping my face held me captive as he deepened the kiss.
He kissed me greedily, savoring every moment, and I could only moan in pleasure.
His hands slid behind me, cupping my almost bare ass cheeks and my breasts pressed against his chest. Then his right hand slid up to cup them.
“Renee, what are you doing to me?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Damn! I could get used to finding you when I get home every day…” He muttered, pulling his lips away from mine.
“Me too, Robert. I can’t wait!” I suddenly paused and pulled away from him.
What was I saying? I wondered to myself and looked at Robert, who had a funny expression.
“Sweetheart, you were saying something.” His blue eyes twinkled.
“It’s insignificant. Just a slip of the tongue and-”
“It wasn’t a slip of the tongue, Renee. I know you want that.” He chuckled, his large hands running through my hair as he stared at me intently.
He was warmly smiling at me, his thumb rubbing circles against the smooth surface of my cheekbones. I could see a hint of disappointment in the corner of his eyes.
Was he put off by my choice of words? Did I say the wrong thing when I denied wanting to come home to him every day and…?!
“Robert… I-”This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
“By the way, my shirt looks great on you.” He interrupted, taking a step back, and my cheeks flushed again.
I was aware of what he was doing. He was changing the subject, not wanting to continue the previous conversation, and with my shoulders dropping, I went with the flow.
His dark gaze swept over my body, and my thighs clenched.
“What’s for dinner? I see you’re preparing a feast.” His deep voice rumbled again.
“Some pasta sauce and chicken. I figured you needed some good home-cooked food.”
“Do you mean for us?”
“For you. You haven’t tasted my cooking, so I decided to whip up something for you. Also, I searched your kitchen cabinets but couldn’t find any tangible cooking ingredients-just a few junk foods and fruits. I had to order some groceries. They just delivered them a few minutes ago. What the hell do you eat here?”
“The hotel’s restaurant takes care of my needs, Renee. You don’t need to be concerned.”
“I mean it when I say you need to eat well, Robert.”
“Of course. I could eat you now and be satisfied.” He said, his eyes twinkling.
He was already leaning in for a kiss when I said, sharply diverting and pushing at his chest, “You need to eat. If you want, I could come by every day and make something for you in the evening and-”
“That would be fantastic!”
“I know, right?”
“If that means seeing you every evening, that’s fine. I do, however, eat well, Renee. I also go to the gym. I’m a health buff who takes pride in staying in shape. That’s why I look younger than I am.”
“Just because you work out doesn’t mean you should eat poorly, Robert.”
“All right, sweetheart. I’m not going to argue with you. Besides, I love how concerned you are about me. It makes me want to-”
The ding of the microwave oven interrupted his speech, and our heads jerked toward it.
“Exactly at the right time.” I giggled as Robert took a step back from me.
“Go freshen up.” I said as I walked to the oven to remove the chicken. “I’m almost finished cooking, and we’ll eat when you get back.”
“Come on, come on. Go!” I said again when I looked over and saw he was still standing behind me.
“I will, baby girl. Arrange the dishes, prepare for me, and don’t leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Robert.” I chuckled as I heard his retreating footsteps and continued with my work.
~~
“This is delicious, Renee.” After swallowing a large chunk of pasta, Robert exclaimed for the umpteenth time. “So, so tasty, my darling-”
We were seated at the suite’s small dining table, digging into the small feast I’d prepared, and Robert seemed to be enjoying the meal so far.
I smiled as I heard his compliments, and leaning in close, I brushed some stray hair out of his eyes.
“Thank you.” I whispered, and his large hand snaked around me, yanking me from my seat and onto his lap.
“Woah, Robert!” I exclaimed when he caught me off-guard.
He chuckled, his voice low and deep. “Don’t thank me.”
“Why not? I’m glad you’re having a good time. Given that you’re still eating and I’m stuffed.”
“Do you not want to eat any longer?” He asked, bringing his fork to my lips, but I shook my head, moving it out of the way.
“My stomach’s very full, Robert.”
“Alright. So, I was wondering if your offer was still valid?”
“What offer?”
“Regarding you coming over every evening and cooking dinner for me. I’d really appreciate it, and-”
“Oh, that!” I paused, laughing. “Of course it is. Hopefully, I won’t have extended work shifts or other inconveniences.”
“Yeah. How are things going at work and with Nicole? I’ve barely asked about what’s going on with you.”
“Everything’s fine.” I mumbled. “Nicole is doing great, and she told me to say hi. As for work, I’ve already told you it’s going well. Nothing major, but I guess a lot has been going on with you?”
“What exactly do you mean?” He asked, clearing his throat and grabbing a nearby napkin.
“You know what I mean, Robert.” I stood up from his thighs and shrugged off his hand around my waist.
“I was waiting for you to finish eating so we could talk like you promised on Thursday evening.” I said, sitting opposite him and staring him down.
“Renee-”
“Do not Renee me right now, Robert. Let’s talk about it. I recognize that expression on your face, and it’s clear you still don’t want to discuss it.”
My hands reached out to his on the table, but he drew back and sipped his wine before saying anything.
“I’d like to talk about it, but not right now, Renee.”
“But you said you would! You promised!” I protested, my lips trembling. “And I don’t appreciate you breaking your promises.”
“Oh, Renee…” He drawled, his expression softening. “Do you not trust me, Renee? I don’t like how you look conflicted.”
“I’m at a loss for words, Robert. Of course, I’m conflicted. You canceled our date due to a pressing matter. What was it? I keep asking, but you keep refusing to tell me. It’s aggravating, and I hate it.”
“Renee-”
“I hate having to beg and pester you to talk. You wouldn’t have liked it if you were in this situation and I was hiding things. You’d have gone out of your way to find out what I was hiding. You would have done an investigation. But now I’m completely lost, and you won’t say anything. I look like a fool, and-”
“Renee, please stop saying that.”
“No, I won’t!” I half yelled. “This date is off to a bad start. You said you’d tell me where you went on Thursday, but here you are, making excuses and attempting to keep me from asking questions.”
“I didn’t promise you that, Renee. I just said we’d talk.”
“Then talk!”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing, Renee! Fuck!” He cursed and abruptly stood as if he wanted to leave.
With the atmosphere tense, I watched as Robert raked his hands through his hair, muttering incorrigible words as he paced around the room.
My heart broke even more because I realized he planned to keep this thing a secret from me.
“You’re keeping secrets. There are dangerous things about you, and you don’t-”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Renee. Nothing dangerous. I-”
“What do you mean?”
“Alright. What do you want to know?”
His jaw clenched as he said those words, and my heart tightened.
I knew I was putting him in a difficult situation, but I wanted answers.
“You went to see that woman on Thursday, right?”
“Which woman?”
“The woman who called while we were out on Wednesday. Is she the same woman you went to see?”
“Yes, s….” He responded slowly.
“Who is she? What did she want? Why did you reschedule our meeting because of her? Does she take precedence over me?” I kept firing questions at him, and the silence that followed hung heavy over us.
Sighing profoundly and walking toward me, he reached out his hands and gently grabbed mine, despite my resistance.
For a few seconds, he stared at me, gently squeezing my palms, but he didn’t say anything, and my chest tightened painfully.
“Robert… speak to me. Please-” I begged softly, tears welling in my eyes, and I blinked them away.
What was up with my emotions being all over the place?
“I want you to know that you’re the only important person in my life right now, Renee.” His soft voice filled the dim room, and my lips quivered.
“Do you trust me, Renee?”
“Robert… I…”
He crouched so our faces met and then said again. “I should put it like this instead. I want you to trust me, Renee.”
“But there are questions you don’t want to answer. There are things about you that you aren’t telling me. You’re withholding something from me.”
“I admit I am, but I will tell you soon. Not today, but perhaps later. We’re supposed to be having fun today-this weekend. But then you had to bring this up, and while I know it’s important, I can’t right now. I promise to tell you everything as soon as possible. Let’s just have fun tonight and enjoy each other’s company, okay?”
“But-”
“Please, Renee.”
When he begged me like this… damn it!
“All right, Robert.” I muttered and averted my gaze.
“Thank you very much, Renee, for being patient and understanding. I know you’re looking for an explanation. There’s a lot you need to know, I’m aware of that, but I’ll tell you everything in due time.”
“Okay.”
With one last squeeze and a small kiss on my knuckles, Robert stood up. “Let’s enjoy tonight. I don’t want you to think about anything else.”
“Sure, I’ll try.” I replied, nodding, and returned his smile with a fake one.
“Come now. I want to spend some time with my girlfriend.” He gently yanked on my wrists until I stood up.
“I have to do the dishes and-”
“The dishes can be done tomorrow. For the time being, I must make amends to you.”
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed, and he dragged me up from my seat.
As he led me out, I couldn’t help but think about how difficult it would be getting Robert to open up to me.
My curiosity was getting the best of me and I’d have to conduct my research. Should I or should I not? I wondered.
My life could change forever if I discovered any information about Robert and this mysterious woman. Was I ready for that?
Well, I seriously doubted it.