Deadly In Stilettos (44 page)

             
DEMI WAS in awe of what she saw before her. The entire patio had been transformed into a mini restaurant. A table set for a dinner of two stood in the middle of the room. There were lights hanging all over, creating a peaceful, charming, ambience. Candles lined the path and encircled the pool. Rose petals decorated the table and the floor around it. The distant ocean waves created a calming and tranquil sound. Demi loved every bit of the effort put forth in what she hoped would lead to the perfect evening with Makei. Champagne chilled in a bucket next to the table, and a chef stood by, waiting Makei’s signal that they were ready to begin.

             
Demi’s stomach fluttered like butterflies were whirling around inside. Her emotions got the best of her, and suddenly she was crying inside. No matter how hard she fought them, they continued to fall. Makei placed his arms around her for comfort. “This is…beautiful,” she managed to say trying to regain her composure. “How did you do all of this? You did not have to.” She turned, facing him. “Thank you! Thank you so much, Makei. You are a wonderful man. I am blessed to have you. But I do not deserve all of this.” She dropped her head, but he slowly lifted it. He looked long and hard into her eyes before speaking.

             
“Demi, I know that it was you.” He paused, watching the horror fill her eyes. She tried to pull away, but he would not let her go. “I know it was you who tried to kill me that day. I deserved it with all that I had put you through. I did not treat you as I should have, and I know that now. You helped me see that. I love you. I want you. I need you. I miss you in my life.”

             
Demi could not believe the words that came from Makei’s mouth. She had to get away. She had known this getaway was too good to be true. He brought her there to kill her. How could she have been so stupid again? He must have seen the look of horror on her face and pulled her closer to him. “I love you, Demi. I want to take care of you for the rest of our lives together.” He held her hand as he dropped to one knee. Demi gasped when she realized what was happening. “Will you be my love forever? Will you love me forever? Will you allow me to love you forever? Will you marry me?”

             
Tears streamed down Demi’s face faster than she could wipe them away, but she was overjoyed. She softly answered. “Yes! Yes! I will marry you, Makei!”

             
Demi was shocked that Makei knew about what she tried to do and still wanted to be with her. She was truly blessed. Her life could finally begin. The need to punish Sidney and Greg no longer mattered. They would get what was coming to them in the end. Demi fell into the arms of the man she would spend the rest of her life with. Their evening was perfect, beautiful. The chef prepared lobster, steak, and pasta, with crème brûlée for dessert, all of Demi’s favorite. She ate so much. She was barely able to move.

             
After dinner, they sat by the pool watching the stars, listening to the ocean, and holding each other. As the night grew darker, Demi felt as if she was finally living the life her mother would have wanted for her. She silently thanked her mother for looking out for her.

             
The sun peeked over the horizon, indicating they had spent the entire night in each other’s arms. Demi felt more passion between them than ever. The intimacy she experienced brought tears to her eyes and chills to her soul. She was loved in spite of what she done. Makei was definitely special. But how did he know she was responsible for trying to kill him? Demi pushed the thought from her mind. It suddenly did not matter anymore. She watched Makei sleeping. He looked at peace, until he opened one eye and caught her spying on him. “Hello beautiful.” She smiled and leaned close, kissing her new fiancée. Greg’s proposal no longer existed to her, and she refused to allow his lies to creep into her happiness.

             
“We should get some sleep,” Makei said. “We have a long day later. I want to take you somewhere. Somewhere I go whenever I come here to relax.”

             
What more could he surprise her with? She wondered. Demi knew Christmas was in a few days, so Makei would have a trick or two up his sleeve. If they had been in New York, they would not have been able to spend the night outside under the stars. The snow and cold would not have allowed that. She was again grateful to be anywhere but there. The morning air was cool, but not unbearable. The sky was clear, no clouds of any sort. “Where are we going?” she asked. “I just want to stay here with you.”

             
“Baby, we have all the time in the world. I really think you’re going to enjoy what I have planned for us. Now go get some rest and we will meet up again this afternoon.” Demi did not want to argue, she was tired. She kissed Makei again long and hard, and then turned to go inside to house. Makei watched the woman who was now his fiancée, admiring all he would spend the rest of his life making love to. Although he wanted to be with her in that way, now was not the time. She was still healing and processing all that transpired in the past few months. Soon Sidney and Greg would be history, and he would have Demi all to himself. Makei knew that she was plotting revenge against them, and already had someone on the job to take care of them. As Demi slept last night, he called Brian to share his good news. Tabitha was ecstatic. He also made arrangements for them to join him and Demi that evening. Demi would be pleased to have her best friend to share in her happiness, and spend the holidays with.

             
Makei slowly got up from the overlarge lounge chair they slept in and went into the kitchen. His skin smelled of Demi. He inhaled basking in such sweetness. Oh how he loved that woman. He needed something cool to drink because his mouth was dry. When he drained two bottles of water, he retreated to the second master bedroom for some much needed slumber.

                          
                     ~~~

Greg looked out over the city of New York. He was confused and upset with all the horrible choices he made concerning Demi and Sidney. It had been a month since he’d last seen or spoken to Demi. He wondered if she was okay. After hearing about the attack on her from a few of his family and friends, and the precinct he was working at while in town, he hated not reaching out to her. Sidney was responsible for the attack, but denied it each time he asked her. They were supposed to wait and make the move together, but she betrayed him. That would have given him more time to find a way to break things off with her once and for all.

             
Sidney was a smart, conniving woman, and Greg was trapped under her spell, but not anymore. All the manipulating and blackmailing would stop. She would soon give him the answers he needed. Anger rose inside him, but there was no one to blame but himself. If he had remained true to Demi, they could have been happy together. He proposed, she accepted, and now it was over. Well, Greg did not want it to be over. Deep down, he knew she was out there, still alive. When he’d asked the whereabouts of her body at the hospital, they told him her brother took care of everything. Greg knew Demi had no siblings, and the lie only made him angrier. What could he expect after waiting an entire month to go there? He suddenly thought of the anonymous call he’d received before Thanksgiving and the man behind it. Did he have anything to do with Demi’s disappearance? He would find her and explain. He would apologize and make things right between them again.

             
As far as Sidney was concerned, she was dead to him. Greg heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Sidney standing behind him wearing only an open trench coat and smiling. How had she found him? How had she gotten inside his cousin’s loft?

             
“What are you doing here, Sidney?” he barked. “And how did you find out where I am staying? We’re too old for these childish games, and frankly I’m getting upset at how you don’t respect anything I have to say or do. Please, close up your coat and leave. I am not in the mood, and don’t want to be bothered.”

             
Sidney only smiled. She would not take no for an answer and Greg knew that. She moved closed to him, putting her arms around his waist. Greg moved to the side, trying to get away. She moved with him. She grabbed his crotch and massaged. He moaned from the pleasure she gave him. He was unable to resist her touch. She made him do and feel things no other woman had, not even Demi. In a panting whisper, he asked Sidney to stop and to leave. She continued massaging, using more force until she saw the look on his face.

             
Sidney knew that look all too well. He was reaching his peak. Before she knew what was happening, he shoved her against the wall, loosened his clothing, and took her hard and raw. She cried out from all the pain and pleasure. Greg thrust harder, rougher, with anticipation and punishment. If Sidney hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was trying to kill her with his dick. Was he trying to kill her? The way he pushed into her was more than what she wanted. She tried to shove him away, but he pinned her arms to the wall, holding them over her head. When Sidney screamed, Greg held her arms with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. Suddenly, Sidney felt that pleasurable feeling she craved, pulsating, burning within her. She rocked, bucked, fought hard to push it away, but Greg moved stronger, like a raging bull attacking its prey. When she knew she could not control the inevitable, Sidney climaxed. She climaxed long and hard, like never before. Greg Stanley was a sex god.

             
When he was done, she smiled and dropped to the floor. The look of disgust on Greg’s face as he stood over her scared her for just a second. When he joined her one the floor, she knew that things were okay between them. He fucked her again and again, until they both were too exhausted and sore to move. They lay on the floor next to each other patting like animals, until utter silence, feeling the room. Sidney wanted to know if Greg was okay. She chose her words carefully. The fact remained that he’d accused her of the attack on Demi, and although it was true, she did not want him to know the truth yet. Sidney wanted to make sure Demi was dead before she confessed. Greg was in love with Demi, and if Sidney did not know that then, she knew it now. It saddened her that he did not love and care enough about her to just let go and move on with her. After all, she did love him. She’d never admitted that fact to anyone—and probably never would.

             
She quickly wiped away the tears that escaped her eyes. Weakness in front of anyone was not acceptable. The last words of her mother invaded her thoughts, and Sidney felt an indescribable longing to have her mother wrap her in her arms and tell her everything would be okay. She missed her mother so much. Why had she taken her own life? Why had she not thought enough about her to stay alive for her? Suddenly, Sidney wiped her tears away and focused. The power was hers. Her sadness and tears wouldn’t bring her mother back, nor make her father love her. Greg would never get away with hurting her like them. The time would come for that later. Sidney’s thought suddenly went to Demi. Theirs lives were different but in many ways the same. She cried harder because the woman she despised, had always been nice to her, her friend, yet she used and abused that. Now, if she lost Greg, she would have no one.

             
Greg heard Sidney’s sobs and moved sitting up to face her. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. That was an emotion he did not think she possessed. He wanted to reach out to her, but something inside him would not let him. Demi was the woman he wanted, and the woman who had changed that for him sat next to him. Still, he wanted to take her pain away. “Sidney, you okay? Is there something bothering you? You know that I am here for you, right?”

             
Sidney nodded. “I’m fine, just a bit chilly. The weather outside is crazy, and Christmas is in a few days. I guess I am just sad that I have no family to celebrate this time of the year with. Well, not anymore.”

             
Now Greg really felt like an ass. Here he was thinking about another woman, when the one right in front of him needed someone, needed him. The thought of finding Demi was blocked from his mind as he pulled Sidney closer to him, embracing her. She was like ice. “Let’s get you in a hot shower. You’re freezing. Come on. I’ll take real good care of you, Sidney Kickass.”

             
Sidney allowed her emotions to take over at how sweet Greg was to her. “Hey…hey, it is okay, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you and as long as I’m around, you won’t ever be alone,” Greg said drawing her eyes to look at him by lifting up her chin. Sidney smiled and hugged Greg never wanting to let go.

             
The shower was just what the both of them needed. They also made love for the first time that day. When Greg finished applying baby oil all over Sidney’s body and tucked her into bed, he made her some hot chocolate. It was special beyond words, and Sidney remembered all the things Melvin had done to and for her, as well as her mother. He had been the perfect lover, provider, and protector for her. Why had Demi taken him from her? Sidney got furious and sad all over again wanting to bring more punishment on the woman she hated even beyond her death.

             
“Hey, you okay?” Greg asked, returning with the mug of piping hot cocoa. Sidney put on her best smile. “Everything is great. Thank you for taking care of me.”