Unintended Lover

After a long reflection, I chose to re-edit this story to post it into the Mature category where I had intended it to be in the first place. It was not because of the comments but somehow, the whole marriage situation seemed to have taken the focus from the actual encounter, which bothered me.

*

Emma stared at the envelope containing the invitation to her company's annual fundraising evening and sighed. The prospect of being dragged into endless small talk made her dread the evening ahead, but more than anything, this was going to be her first time out since her husband had left her. She wasn't sure how she was going to feel about going out by herself and she wished she could find an excuse to not go but there was no way around it. Her boss and long-time friend, James, insisted that she come and this time, he gave her no choice. She suspected it was his way of drawing her out of her hiding.

She considered herself lucky to have a boss who, not only believed in her skills, but was also a dear friend to her. He and his wife Helen, both in their late fifties, kind-hearted and selfless people, supported her throughout the whole ordeal of her divorce. Without hesitation James offered his shoulder for her to cry on and Helen insisted that she dine with them every Friday, just to make sure she got out at least a little bit. She knew they worried about her and were always looking out for her, making sure she was ok. Without their support, she could have sunk low. Really low.

In one day her whole world had crumbled and was reduced to dust. He left her for a younger woman. The classic story. Just thinking about it made the bile in her throat rise. It was a good thing they never had children, that way she was able to cut ties completely, though news did reach her from time to time. Apparently he was happy. It seemed it was not a problem for him to forget her and their years together. Come to think of it, she had never been truly happy with him. He had a bad habit of pointing out her flaws all the time. James never liked him with the way he put her down even in front of others and told her on several occasions that she deserved much better. That was because James believed in her and valued her, in a way her husband never did. Well, it was over and there was no use to linger on what had been.

Perhaps the time had come to focus on what will be. She was doing much better since a couple of months, but she was not quite ready for the blind date James wanted to fix her up with. So she refused and finally, after much insistence, James accepted her decision. Too bad it was not possible for her to sit at the same table as him and Helen since they had important clients to entertain. She did not even ask with whom she was going to share her table. With her sour mood, she was already looking forward to the end of the evening.

While getting ready, her mind kept straying to her virtual friend, her other pillar of support. They had met a few months back in a travel forum she had joined before her trip to Italy, her last vacation with her ex-husband. He went by the alias Exes. They shared the same passion for travelling and since he had been there many times, he offered her good advice on Italy's hidden gems. Thanks to him, she made the most of that trip, which was her anniversary gift to her husband. Her marriage was over within a month after they came back, with her husband announcing her that he was leaving. She forced the thought of him quickly out of her mind and focused on Exes again. Pang in her chest, she sighed.

Clever, sarcastic and impressively eloquent, he was by far the wittiest and most interesting man she had ever encountered. As soon as she told him what happened, he started distracting her by engaging her into passionate debates that lasted for hours, sometimes well into the night. Over the time, he became a comforting presence, something for her to hold on to. They could talk about anything but before she knew it, their conversations took on a different turn. He had a way of seducing her with words that made her head spin. Creating stories and playing teasing games, he could stir her mind in a way that excited her body like no real life lover had ever done. When she was with him, he made her forget and transported her into a fantasy place he had created just for her, where no hurt could reach her.

With the way he wooed her, she came to desire him even without ever having laid eyes on him. A few blurry photographs were all she had to bring his image to life in her mind. She had sent him many of her, not minding the unfairness of their exchange. That he wanted more was flattering to her and the way he praised her beauty made it worth sending them to him. In his late twenties, he looked handsome from the pictures but it was from the way they had connected that made him so appealing to her.

She did not focus on their age difference, but when she did, she found it hard to believe that such fine young man should pay her that kind of attention. Still, she did not expect anything from him all the while she let him draw her away from the darkness in which she could have drowned, she simply indulged in their wonderful time spent together. Afraid of ruining what they had, they had both agreed not to use the webcam and it worked well that way. No real names had been given either. When she told James and Helen about him, they both thought it was good for her to have a distraction but suggested that she should meet someone for real, but that was something she was not quite ready to do.

Her connection with Exes was something that was part of another world, a dream that was too far away from her reality. She wanted him, but it was not like she was ever going to meet him though secretly, deep down inside her, she harboured the fantasy of spending one night with him and each time she thought of it, it made her heart skip a beat. He occupied her thoughts more often than not, a ray of light in her otherwise dull life. The way he called her his Goddess and sometimes, when in a teasing mood, his Cougar Lady, made her feel special.

Cougar.

Never in her life would she have imagined that one day, she would become one. At the age of forty, it was as if a part of youth had been restored back into her life. The same word she used to cringe at with resentment now made her smile. How easy it was to judge before one really had the chance understand something like that. It was by far the best part of what seemed to her like midlife crisis. Her husband would never believe it if he heard she had someone so young adoring her.

With Exes on her mind, she ran her hands slowly over her body, applying a special lotion that gave her skin a glistening glow. She then tamed and curled her usually wild dark red hair and created an elegant hairstyle which exposed her graceful white neck. Rolling on her light shimmering stockings she attached them to the silver suspender belt that matched her silk bra and panties. Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, she applied her makeup, with a thin line of liquid eyeliner and her long lashes lightly coated with black mascara, making her aquamarine eyes stand out, sparkling like gems. She glazed her full lips with a glossy lipstick of deep ruby red and painted her nails in the same colour.

The glittering black dress she bought for that occasion flattered her voluptuous figure exposing her cleavage in the most sensuous way and showing off her shapely legs with its hem ending just above her knees. Metallic silver stiletto shoes, silver earrings and a matching bracelet completed her attire. She kept her neck unadorned.

Satisfied with her image reflected in the mirror she wondered what Exes would think if he saw her like that. Just the thought of it made her head spin. Not for the first time, she wished he was close to her, his lips whispering all those beautiful words to her while turning the literary into literal.

Many eyes turned her way as soon as she had entered the hall in which the evening was taking place. The atmosphere was festive with countless fairy lights suspended from the ceiling and a live band performing mellow music during the dinner. She greeted everyone politely but her mind was always on the one she desired, the one she could not have, wishing he could be at her side. Taking her seat in the chair that had been appointed to her, she looked around absentmindedly. She was surprised to see the three couples that shared table with her. Why did James not make sure she was around people liked? It was not like him to be so careless when it came to her.

Having no other choice, she introduced herself to some of them and then engaged in a conversation with the arrogant middle aged man from the finance department who sat on her right. His name was Tony. Not only was he unpleasantly flirtatious, he was also friends with her ex-husband. His eyes widened when he saw her sit down next to him and she could tell that it was because he liked what he was seeing. It made her shiver in disgust. She never liked him and she was not the only one. He had a reputation of being rude and tactless and no one except some of the women he lavished with compliments liked dealing with him.

There was nothing she could do. Tony and his wife, and the two other couples she did not know personally were going to be her company for the rest of the evening so she had to make some effort in order to make it endurable for the hours to come. He was bald, short and sturdy and his wife was a severe looking type of a woman, blond and thin, the kind who looked down on most people. Her dark blue eyes were assessing Emma and she was frowning. At least, outside of the work environment, Tony seemed more relaxed and approachable.

Still, she felt quite out of place, being surrounded by the couples who clearly knew each other quite well. It was her impression that the two women were chatting about her, from the way they kept glancing her way. She could tell they were worried about the kind of attention she might receive from their husbands. As if she would care to seduce any of them. She nearly burst out in laughter at the mere thought of it. The chair on her left side remained empty and only when the meal started did its intended occupant show up. Lost in her thoughts she did not notice the young man who seated himself silently next to her. Having nothing else to do, she was really making an effort by trying to make a conversation with Tony. But he took the opportunity to make her feel small. So like her ex-husband.

"So how is your project coming along Emma? You are running a bit behind the schedule. I'll need that report soon." he snorted, clearly wanting to show off the authority of his position over hers.

"If you were not so late in releasing the funds which I needed to go ahead with the project, I would have been on target time wise. It's almost ready, so no worries. You'll get it on Monday afternoon at the latest." That should shut him up she thought. Because of him she had to work overtime just to catch up. She often wondered why James kept a disagreeable man like Tony in his company but apparently, he made it more profitable, so he had some talents for which he had been retained.

Just when she was starting to get annoyed, she felt a brush of a leg against her thigh. Automatically turning her gaze to her neighbour, she nearly choked on the sip of wine she just took when their eyes met.

"Sorry." He smiled at her apologetically but there was a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "It's ok," she said, smiling back nervously and then quickly turned her eyes back to her plate.

Cool composure on the outside but on the inside, her heartbeat was skyrocketing and she was struggling to keep her breathing under control. Her attraction to him was like a violent crush, one that she did not anticipate, and it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. He was a stranger and yet there was a familiarity about him she could not place or perhaps her conscience refused to do so for that thought was inconceivable. It took all her will to act as if nothing, as if she wasn't shaking inside. All her senses seemed to be tuned on to him, to his every move, to the sound of his voice and his laughter. His scent combined with his cologne was driving her crazy. It was as if she had been pulled into his orbit, gravitating around him by a force she could not oppose. To her disappointment, he spent the rest of the meal talking to the man on his left and ignored her. Still, his leg would regularly brush against hers in such a way that it seemed intentional. She overheard Tony telling his wife that the young man was an acquaintance of James and Helen. Strange, she never knew they had such a friend. Turning her head to their table, she saw James looking at her with a small impish grin. She frowned at him, tilting her head slightly to her attractive neighbour with a questioning look. James shrugged his shoulders and winked. She shook her head at him. He must have done that on purpose after she refused the blind date. God, she had now been officially labeled as a cougar in his eyes. A terrible idea crossed her mind, but she immediately chased it out of her mind. James would never think of hiring an escort for her. He was too much of a gentleman for that. Or at least she hoped he was.

She had to admit that the young man's sudden appearance brightened up her evening considerably and she was glad she came after all. The way his presence unsettled her was more than thrilling. Careful not to be too obvious she sneaked a peak his way. Everything about him was impressive; his appearance, his evident charisma and the way he held himself with confidence. He looked like a model from the cover of a fashion magazine with the way he was dressed; black designer suit and charcoal brocade waistcoat, silver cufflinks on his white dress shirt and a dark burgundy silk tie to add a becoming touch of colour. His light brown hair was short and styled in a trendy way which gave her the impression that despite his overall classiness he had a wilder side to him. She nearly dropped the fork with the raspberry she was bringing to her mouth when she felt his hand slowly brush the side of her thigh. With her heart racing, she remained still for a moment but it was definitely no accident this time. Slowly, he started caressing her leg and she could feel the heat of his touch over her stocking.

Observing him from the corner of her eye she saw that he was no longer talking to the man beside him but simply sipping his drink and staring into the now dancing crowd. For a moment, she was uncertain of what to do. Her chest was rising and falling faster and there was no way of denying it, she felt aroused by his secret invitation to a very dangerous game. Tony, unsuspecting of what was going on under the table, seemed more relaxed after his second glass of wine and was talking about something of no interest to her. She turned toward the stranger and as soon as she met his olive eyes, she felt even more drawn to him than before. Clearly pleased by seeing her all flustered, his lips curved into a smug smile while tracing the skin above her knee, squeezing the soft flesh on her thigh in a provocative way. The sudden desire she experienced was invigorating all her senses. She leaned back onto her chair and accepting his invitation, she parted her knees slightly. Insidiously, he moved his chair closer and bent forward as his hand, safely protected by the dark tablecloth and concealed in the dimness of the hall, moved higher up her thigh.

To feel him touching and teasing her in a room full of people excited her to the point that she never imagined possible. She leaned forward, trying to act normal, bringing a small piece of a raspberry chocolate mousse cake to her mouth, licking her lips in a provocative way. It did not go unnoticed. His touch became more daring and the air between them was charged with electric currents. When she felt his hand brush the hem of her panties, she gripped the side of her chair with one of her hand and turned to look at him but he smiled at her as if nothing, his self-assurance appealing and provoking her.

"You seem to be enjoying that very much." He said, lifting one of his eyebrows.

She froze. "Excuse me?"

"The chocolate mousse. It's delicious isn't it?" He said casually but his hand moved to brush over the moist front of her panties. It was almost too much for her to keep herself under control but she could not bring herself to stop him.

"Ah yes," she breathed out nervously.

She tensed more when his fingers suddenly slid under her panties, teasing over the gentle swell of her sex. To her consternation, in that moment, Tony turned his attention to her, seeming intrigued by her conversation with the stranger.

"Women and their love affair with chocolate. No man can compete with that," he chuckled, arrogantly resting his arm on the back of her chair, which had his wife instantly frowning. Emma looked at him and smiled, but inside she was panicking, when she saw that not only was her handsome neighbour put off by that, but almost as if to provoke her and push the game to the limits, she felt his fingers become more insistent.

"I would never dare to interfere between the two," he replied jokingly and the way her Tony laughed in response made her uneasy but at the same time, the precarious situation brought her excitement to another level. She was trying to concentrate on the verbal exchanges between the two men but not quite succeeding, with the fingers on her sex distracting her far too much. It was a relief when Tony's friend came back from the bar with a couple of drinks, clearly wanting to resume their conversation and took away his attention once again.

Her handsome neighbour's eyes were on her while he explored her folds, and she felt her cheeks turn hot from the way he looked at her, openly flirting with her husband's eyes safely diverted. He picked a raspberry with his fork and put it in his mouth.

"Hmm. I like raspberries but really, it is peaches I love. I sure could eat one right now."

She stiffened.

Exes often teased her by describing his peach-eating talents in such a way that made her tingle all over. That is when she realized what was familiar about the stranger. He reminded her of her friend. But this young man was next to her, flesh and blood and his hand was inside her panties, slowly finding its way to the most sensitive part of her body. Her head was spinning and she felt her body immediately respond to his skilful strokes. He wet his finger by slipping it inside her and caressed her in a way that made her unable to continue with their strange conversation.

She put her elbow on the table and pressed her right hand of her forehead, with her left hand still gripping the side of her chair. The tip of his finger circling her clitoris, he put her body into a mind-overriding mode, asking its due, needing the tension to rise to a level so high that would be followed by a blissful release. Feeling her climax approach with an overwhelming rapidity, she dug her fingernails into the soft fabric of the chair and bit into her lower lip. He was watching the band perform while his finger movement became faster, driving her to the edge of losing control. When her climax overtook her, she placed her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from crying out. He seemed to be enjoying driving her nearly insane and a look of satisfaction was on his face as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

Her nipples were hurting from the way they hardened from the intensity of the pleasure her orgasm brought her and it took a lot of effort for her not to let the spasms running through her body become apparent. Despite that effort, a light moan managed to escape her lips. She blocked it with her palm but it was too late. She was certain Tony heard. Slowly, her young neighbour removed his hand and then he brought his fingers to his lips and licked them, one by one.