I Bet You're Fae

Chapter Sixteen:

Lanie

Ian was at the foundation promptly at six like I told him, but instead of dinner at his place, we stopped at a drive through to grab burgers. The greasy fatty food was something I typically wouldn't eat but comfort food is comfort food for a reason, right?

We made small talk about our days, our work weeks, and the weather. It was torture for me to not just blurt it out and ask Ian to donate money to the foundation to help save it. I hated that Richter had even brought it up. I knew he was still working his angle with Ward Nelson but at this point he was desperate, and so was I.

I didn't just need this job; I loved it. It was a part of my identity now. I invested so much into GlobalCare and the fight to preserve the marshlands that without it I felt a little lost. What would I even do next if I didn't solve the puzzle I'd been working on for years? And if we didn't get money quick, at least in the short term, the entire project was going to go under.

"You seem a little distracted," Ian said as he tossed his burger wrapper in the brown fast-food bag perched on the center console of his Rolls. I was sure the burger joint employees that it was a strange sight to see a Rolls Royce pull through the drive through.

"I am a little distracted." I took the last bite of my burger and chewed thoughtfully. When Ian initially asked me on a date, the night of that fundraiser, I had only accepted with the intention to turn the entire thing around and ask him for money. But that wasn't how it worked out at all, and Ian became so important to me. I felt guilty even thinking of asking him now.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked, giving me the perfect opening to run right in and ask for money but I was still chewing.

He shoved a fry in his mouth as he turned into a ritzy neighborhood. I vaguely remembered these streets from the night I spent here previously, but even the next morning I had to rush out of his house while it was still dark. He had ushered me in and out so quickly I couldn't even remember what street it was or what his house looked like

"I, uh... It's a work thing," I told him, waving my hand in the air. Then I took my own fries and started shoving them in my mouth so I would have time to think about an answer before he asked any more questions.

"I know how that is. Work has been stressful for me lately too." He pushed a finger into his collar and pulled his tie away from his neck a little. I instantly felt so selfish for reaching to him for comfort without even pausing to think about his life and how he felt.

"God, I'm a douche. I'm so sorry." I dropped the fries into the bag and wiped my fingers with the brown paper napkin. "Do you need to talk about it?" The seatbelt felt like it was cutting across my chest. I was suddenly aware of every uncomfortable thing in my immediate vicinity and I felt sad that I had been so selfish.

"Nah, it's not that big of a deal. It's just normal adult stuff." He tried to sound convincing but something was bothering him.

I sat in awkward silence the rest of the way to his house wondering if this was the place we'd gotten to in our relationship. We were both bothered but unable to talk about it, and for some reason it felt like the beginning of the end.

When we pulled into his driveway I was impressed by the house. Under cover of nightfall I had missed the entire beauty of it. The topiary had been recently shaped and the under-window lighting gave the front of the brick troubadour-style house a welcome feel. I was amazed and again reminded how wealthy Ian was. It was intimidating and awe-inspiring all at the same time. Someone like him had chosen to date someone like me and I had no clue why.

"Wow, this is..." I knew I'd been here before but I'd been drunk and I didn't remember the lighting being on out front.

"Yeah, it's not as special as you think." Ian held the car door open for me as I climbed out and his nerves seemed to be getting worse.

"What are you talking about? It's incredible, Ian." If this was one of those "keeping up with the Joneses" sort of self-pity acts, I was going to shake him out of it.

"Let's just go inside," he said, placing a hand in the small of my back. I shut the car door and we walked up the path to the front door. He used his number pad to let us in and as soon as we stepped through the threshold I felt the wind leave his sails. He shut the door behind us as I meandered deeper into the belly of the mostly empty beast.

I expected lavish furnishings, art on the walls, a staff ready to serve me. Ian was a billionaire, or at least a millionaire. His web development agency was successful and he drove a Rolls. But his house wasn't at all reflective of that.

I stood there staring at a futon and a set of modest end tables with floor lamps I could pick up at any Walmart. His sneakers were on the ground near the fireplace that looked like it hadn't been used one time. Bare walls surrounded me but at least they were clean, and the carpet had one well-worn path from the futon toward the kitchen, which I'd seen more of than this room. Either Ian was posing as a wealthy person or he was so down-to-Earth he didn't have a need for material trappings. I prayed it was the latter.

"What's this?" I asked him, spinning around to see his slumped shoulders and pained expression. He licked his lower lip and pulled it into his mouth, biting it.

Judging by the expression on his face, his nerves during our drive had nothing to do with the work stress he was under and everything to do with the facade of his life. "Ian?" I asked, taking a step toward him. I didn't know what was happening, but it couldn't be all that bad, could it?

"So there's something you need to know, which I've been too embarrassed to tell you about." He couldn't even look me in the eye. I had completely forgotten my work struggles at that point and all of my attention was focused on Ian and how he felt right now.

"It's okay," I told him, snagging his hand and folding my fingers between his. Every ounce of compassion I had in my body welled up and reached toward him. I created a space inside my chest to let him speak, forcing my emotions away so I didn't react in any way that might make him feel judged or not cared for.

"This is all a bit of a farce..." He sighed and he tried to pull his hand away from mine but I held it fast and he looked me in the eye. "I bought the house and the car, and the Rolex, when I had a lot of hope for my future. I was stupid. I could have reinvested that money into my firm but I wanted to fit in with the guys. Ward, Gray, a few others, they all had lots of success in their worlds. I couldn't be out done..."

I could hear the regret oozing out of his mouth. He was ashamed and maybe a bit disappointed in himself. I knew the feeling all too well. When Olivia got wildly successful and started doing things that made her seem more well-off, I was jealous and wished I had the money to do them too--regular manicures and hair appointments. But I wasn't that person. And it seemed to me that Ian wasn't cut from the same cloth as Ward or Grayson. I didn't even know he and Ward were friends, that was just how different they were.

"I'm the normal sort of guy who'd rather drive a big pickup truck and go fishing. I love web development and I love my firm, but I'm not a mansion-loving, Rolls-driving, Rolex-wearing fool. I can't even furnish my home. I mean, I make a decent salary and the company is doing okay. With a bit of capital we could do better, but it will come. I've even thought of selling my house or car to put the money back into the firm..."

His voice trailed off and as it did, I realized any hope there was of getting Ian to donate to the foundation was pointless. He didn't have any more money than I did, even though I knew his heart and if he did, he would give it willingly.

"Well, you know what?" I asked, swinging my hand back and forth. He still looked ashamed.

"What?"

"I wasn't dating you for your money and I was always kind of intimidated by the fact that you were so rich and I have like nothing. I'm just a geeky scientist." I moved closer to him and he let me put my arms around his waist.

"Nerdy--not geeky. There's a difference," Ian said, and I saw the tension leaving him.

"Oh, so now we're splitting hairs?" I chuckled. "How much money you have doesn't make any difference to me, Ian Gregory. I am in love with you for who you are as a person. Your heart is solid gold." I swore I saw him wince at that statement but he recovered quickly by pecking me on the forehead.

"If that were true I'd sell it to donate the five million you need to keep your research going--"

I pulled back with confusion. Searching his expression got me nowhere. He pulled me back and sighed. "Richter called and asked for a donation. You never told him we're dating?"

Time stood still for a moment as I realized two things: One, Ian never batted an eyelash when I told him I was in love with him. Two, Richter had already bombarded him and that was potentially why he was confessing his secret, but it didn't matter now. Ian had been more vulnerable with me than he had all of his friends. That was something special.

"We haven't labeled anything yet..." It was the only answer I had. But the truth was if Richter had known we were dating seriously, he'd have pushed me to beg for money sooner.

"And you love me? Is that what you said?" he asked, tickling my sides. I threw my head back in laughter and he sucked on my skin just below my jawline.

"I do, is that okay?" I asked, and he moaned as he began backing me deeper into the living room. "Have you ever fucked on that futon?"

Ian burst into laughter. "You think I have women frequent my billion-dollar mansion to fuck on a futon?"

I draped my arms around him as he continued to back me toward the black leather and let him bite my neck. So he wasn't a billionaire the way I thought, and he wasn't going to bail me out of the situation I was in. We'd have to have a hard discussion about me potentially leaving Charlotte at the end of the summer, but for now I wanted to enjoy the moment. I was in love and he was perfect, better than I imagined.

He laid me on the futon and transformed it into a bed before tearing at his clothes, and it didn't matter to me at all that he had hidden a few things. The fact that he thought enough about me to come clean was all I needed--and his dick. My pussy was screaming.

Chapter Seventeen:

Ian

I couldn't get my clothes off fast enough. My heart had gone from ready-to-explode to at ease and in love in a matter of seconds. Lanie's radical acceptance of my confession to half-truths stunned me. Add to that the fact that she told me she loved me and I was so undone I had to be close to her, so close our skin touched and we felt like we were one.

Lanie undressed much more slowly, her eyes never leaving mine as she unbuttoned her blouse one button at a time. The sight of her moving with such sensuality and control about her was so arousing it made my cock harden even more. Her bra revealed perfect round tits with only the barest hint of a nipple which only served to tantalize me further. She peeled off her jeans and lay there in nothing but her thong.

"Patience," she purred as I crawled onto the bed and straddled her, leisurely running my fingers up from her stomach to her chest.

I cupped one of her soft globes and a low moan came from her lips. She arched her back, offering herself up to me. I obliged by taking her tender peak into my mouth, leaving it with my tongue in circles only to have her cry out. I move down to her other one, giving it the same treatment before backing my way across her stomach.

Sliding her underwear aside, she parted her legs for me and I inhaled the heady scent that was distinctly her. My cock throbbed at the anticipation of entering her moisture and having all of her again. I dipped my middle finger into her entrance, eliciting a gasp from Lanie as she clamped down on my invading digit. "God I enjoy this," I groaned against her mound before flicking my tongue across her clit making her moan louder. Her taste, her smell, the feel of her wetness against my tongue drove me wild.

My cock throbbed, begging for relief but I wanted to taste every inch of her, to make her come before I took her. My fingers slid in and out as my tongue continued its torture, leaving Lanie moaning and writhing beneath me.

"God, please!" she begged, but I continued my assault on her pussy, and growled against her skin. Her fingers clawed at my hair, the fabric of her lacy thong scraping against the side of my fingers. She moaned and whimpered and I wanted unfettered access.

I hooked two fingers around the thread of material that barred me from fully enjoying her and yanked hard, splitting it at the seam. She gasped and pulled my head back by a handful of my hair.

"What did you do?" she hissed but there was a smile on her face.

"You didn't need those anyway," I mewled before returning my snack. I licked from hole to hole, then upward toward her clit. My hands splayed on her thighs kept her parted and open to me. Lanie moaned as my tongue danced over her most sensitive parts.

"Ian," she whimpered, her knuckles white on the sheets. With my lips pressed against her throbbing clit, I hummed a soft melody that made her jolt with pleasure. Her hips arched off the bed as she reached the peak of ecstasy, her sweet juices flowing and coating me with their warmth. The strong convulsions had her writhing beneath me and holding on for dear life. She squeezed my head between her thighs and I groaned. God I wanted to be in her.

As her climax faded, I crawled over her body and claimed her lips in a bruising kiss. The taste of her arousal on my tongue only made me hotter for her. I need to be inside her. Now.

My cock throbbed in time to my heartbeat, growing harder by the second. I knew I wouldn't last long once I was inside her. I snatched my slacks and grabbed the condom out of my back pocket to roll on before Lanie reached down and guided me to her entrance. I felt her warmth enveloping me as I slid inside her slick channel.

"Ian," she whimpered as I grinded back and forth, seeking that sweet spot I knew made her come undone. Her nails dug into my back, and her hips met mine with equal fervor. The futon creaked under our combined weight but neither of us cared. All I could think about was her, the way she felt around me. The press of her tits on my sweaty chest.

"Lanie," I growled, filling her and venturing deeper and deeper with each roll of my hips. Her pussy clenched around me, milking my shaft, the sensation so intense I had to bite my lip to keep from exploding too soon.

"Harder," she moaned out a mix between a purr and a growl. I obliged, picking up speed as I plunged in and out of her welcoming warmth. Her walls felt like silk against my cock, and her slickness coated us both, making it easier to move in and out in a rhythm that had us both hypnotized.

"God, Lanie," I moaned as she clawed at my back, her nails biting into my skin as I picked up the pace. All thoughts fled my mind except for the feel of her body around me. It was like we were made for one another. I pounded into her harder and harder, her mewls of pleasure filling my ears. I bent down and captured a breast in my mouth, suckling hard enough to mark her as mine.

"Ian," Lanie cried out as she came around me, her inner muscles clenching around my cock, milking me to completion. I grunted, emptying myself inside the sleeve, wave after wave of pleasure washing over me as our orgasms crashed over us in unison.

Collapsing onto the bed beside her, we lay there panting for air. The leather of the futon clung to my skin, but I pulled her against me anyway. The wash of giddiness that made me melt into the mattress beneath me almost made me drowsy enough to fall asleep when I remembered her earlier upset and the way she had tried to comfort me when she herself was hurting.

"I hope that helped you relax a little." I tucked a strand of hair around her ear and she leaned into my lips when I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I hope it helped you too..." Her breath dusted my chest and made me sigh contently.

I still had to tell her about Ward and the bet before it got back to her in some other way, but I didn't feel like now was the time, and that was confirmed when she continued. "I just don't want to think about anything stressful the rest of the night. Let's get wasted and screw like horny teenagers and eat ice cream and talk all night.

Lanie rolled to her side and tangled her legs with mine despite my deflating dick and the full condom still dangling from it. I liked that idea, though I still felt the looming presence of the secret bet hanging over my head.

"Okay, but first, I clean up."

I had managed for the past two months to keep this damn secret, I could surely keep it a few more days. Maybe she'd go away with me again, and when we were connecting deeply, I could get her to confess a regret, and then I could tell her my biggest regret. Because it was. I wished I'd never talked to Ward Nelson that night, and I wished I'd have been a stronger man when I did. I was a better man than this. And I would prove it to her.

As soon as I got this monkey off my back.

Chapter Eighteen:

Lanie

I was on cloud nine and I had been for the past twelve hours. Things between Ian and I had gone to a whole new level and it didn't even faze me when Richter gave me his stupid spiel about needing donors and money. He told me off for not asking Ian but he refused to understand that Ian didn't have money to give. I had to walk away to not let him ruin my mood.

I got straight to work. With the research trip coming up this weekend, already paid for months ago without any way to get our money back, I had a lot to finish up. It was the last big hurrah, which meant part of my preparations would also include sending out my CV to other firms. I'd thought long and hard about it and I knew Ian and I would make it work even if it was long distance for a while. And I hoped to invite him to come with me on the trip too, to make it a little easier to tell him the cold hard facts.

Nothing would ease that pain in reality, but the sub-tropical vibe of Hiton Head's marshlands in late August would make it a better atmosphere for a while.

I watched Ward Nelson stroll in like he owned the place and go straight to Richter's office. Gina stared at me from across the room but didn't venture my way. With Richter on the war path for weeks now, neither of us wanted to draw his ire. She seemed down though, and I made a mental note to stop by her desk to cheer her up later. For now, I kept my head down and focused on the work. If Ward was here, he had a reason. Hopefully that reason was to give us heaps of money and save our jobs.

I was so focused on my work that I didn't even hear them approach until Richter cleared his throat. Startled, I jolted and then sighed hard as I spun around to glare at him. He had such a "business" look on his face I knew this was important so I didn't snap.

"What can I do for you?" I asked, trying to keep my most-professional tone. I was tempted to rub my face to get the muscles there to relax but my resting bitch face just had to do. I hated being startled.

"Lanie, you remember Mr. Nelson..." Richter gestured at him and his sardonic smile made me queasy. The man needed no introduction. We'd heard far too many things about his money and how it could be put to good use over the past several weeks. It was like Richter had crawled up this man's ass and died.

"I do." I held my hand out and he took it gingerly and shook it.

"Ms. Gray, I'm so happy to have this opportunity to chat." Ward's eyes were beady like a snake's and though his skin was normal, it still gave me the creeps. I was grossed out and wiped my hand on my lab coat after touching him. Why did I feel like this? What was making me feel so off about the man? Was it his expression or the bile in his gaze?