To Color Your Life

Emily stood on the balcony of Justin's apartment and looked out over the city at night. The view from the window of the room where she met with Denver was amazing, but she liked the view from here more. The bay was on the other side, and the number of skyscrapers was also greater here, but the emotions were different.

She felt calmness, confidence, warmth, and... love.

The man's palms slid along her shoulders, covered with a soft robe, and closed at the girl's waist, "You shouldn't have refused to take a shower with me. I was so bored alone." The boss rubbed his nose against her hair and lightly nibbled on her earlobe.

Emily smiled and leaned her back against Evans's chest, sinking into a tight hug. "That's because you wouldn't let me wash, you shameless pervert. Are we going to sleep tonight? It's already one in the morning."

Justin chuckled, "You don't seem to be sleepy, dear." He slid his hand under the collar of her robe and squeezed one of her breasts, "Mmm, I think I felt something hard. What is this bump here?"

Emily slapped his playful hand. "It's me who is feeling some kind of hard bump again. Have you forgotten that you have to be at work by eight in the morning?"

"I can't help it, you're too tasty." Justin kissed the girl on the neck and picked her up in his arms.

"Hey, I just went out to get some air!" Emily tried to be indignant, but her laughter said the opposite. Is it even possible to resist someone who looks at you with such adoration and passion in his eyes?

"Enjoy the air, and I'll enjoy you," the boss gave her a dazzling smile, sat down on the nearest deck chair, and sat Emily on his lap. "You're not going to swim in the pool right now, are you? Water is cold."

He noticed how the girl was looking with interest at the terrace where they were. This was not surprising, since the main places of their stay in the apartment were the bedroom and the kitchen. And they did almost the same things there. And it had nothing to do with food.

A small pool, three sun loungers, a barbecue area, pots with palm trees - there was enough space to feel like in a resort for a couple of hours, and not in the center of a metropolis.

"Why is Jacob selling this apartment? It's very cozy here," Emily asked. The other day she learned that the apartment where Evans lived belonged to his brother. This cleared up many questions. The child's room, home comfort, as if created by a woman's hand. Books about childcare on a bookshelf. Emily even found some diapers in the boss's closet.

And that folder with documents from the law firm that the receptionist gave Evans when she first came here was also in Jacob's name.

"They bought a house and recently finished renovating it. Jake is going to invest the money from the sale of this apartment in some new business. I haven't gone into details yet. I've lived here for the last couple of months after I moved out of the apartment I rented."

"Where will you live when this apartment is sold?"

"You mean, where will WE live," Justin pinched Emily's nose, "I chose several options. We'll go next week and see. Choose the one you like. I will say right away that those apartments will be much more modest than this one, but larger than the small room in which you live now."

"But my room only costs two hundred dollars a month," Emily said in defense of her apartment. "You can move in with me."

Evans gasped, "Won't you offer to split the rent in half too?! Listen here, Mrs. Evans-to-be, the fact that I will not be the head of a successful magazine does not mean that I will not be able to provide decent living conditions for my beloved woman. I like your apartment. But I'm afraid that if I live there for a couple of days, we will definitely break that old sofa. So," he made her sit comfortably on his lap and Emily knew immediately how he was going to spoil the furniture in her apartment. Shameless pervert. "The husband's word is the law."

"Yes, boss," the girl smiled. It's hard to argue with a man when he presents such solid, khem, arguments down there.

She ran her palms over his bare chest. Coming out of the shower, the man did not even bother to put on a robe, limiting himself only to a towel on his hips, which, however, was almost untied.

"May I ask a question?"

"You can ask whatever you want at any time, my love," Justin stroked the girl's cheek, noticing her thoughtfulness.

"Where did you get those scars?" Emily touched her fingertips to the man's skin, repeating the ragged pattern that was not only on his chest but also on his back and arms.

She never once asked Evans about this, as she was afraid to imagine what had happened to him, what had left such marks on his body. But her heart skipped a beat every time she touched it as if those scars were burning her.

And even though they looked old, the very fact of their presence was causing pain in her chest.

Justin passed his hand, repeating the torn drawing after Emily, as if he had already forgotten about its existence, "Hmm, I thought you would ask right away, but you surprised me." He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his chest in the area of ​​his heart, 

"Car accident. Seven years ago. The doctors put me together piece by piece. Jacob even had to give me one of his kidneys to keep me alive."

"Oh my God... How..." Tears welled up in Emily's eyes.

Justin pulled her to him and laid her on his chest. His hand was stroking her hair, soothing the girl, "I was stupid and paid a very high price for this, Em. That period was difficult for our family, but we coped with it. The same cannot be said about Denver. He still could not let go of the past, that's why he is so eager to get the Pharaoh," the man fell silent for a moment as if gathering strength to utter the following words, "In that accident, his younger brother died. And Christian thinks I'm to blame for this. To some extent, he's right..."

Evans spoke the last words in a whisper, his voice cracking. Admitting this cost him a lot.

Emily realized that she had touched on a topic that was the invisible barrier she felt at times. 

Justin Evans has always been confident and eye-catching. It was not his mask, he really was like that. But there was something else behind this confidence. What he tried to hide from himself as if he was ashamed about it.

Emily remained silent, giving the man time to collect his thoughts, and just hugged him tighter so that he could feel her warmth.

"Do you remember when you asked me if I seduced girls at the university?"

Emily nodded. "You said you didn't do it."

"Yes, it's true. I didn't like such games, but this is only part of the truth. In fact, the guys I spent time with did everything that Lala said. And Aaron Denver, Christian's younger brother, was the wildest of us."

The girl felt the man's chest rise and fall heavily. Justin exhaled, thinking about the past was unpleasant for him, "That evening I wasn't in the right mind. Aaron got drunk as usual. We fought. He crossed the line that I could not tolerate more. We were on a track where young people were organizing illegal races. Aaron suggested a bet."

Evans paused and wrapped his arms around Emily, burying his nose in her hair, as if the girl's scent could give him strength. His voice became a little hoarse and distant.

"I saw that he was drunk. I could silence my rage, let him spit in my face, and refuse to race. But I didn't. Instead, I got behind the wheel and hit the gas...

We were close to the finish line, the last turn remained. But Aaron's car skidded and we collided with him. He died in intensive care. Only a miracle saved me. Well, and Jacob."

"I'm so sorry," Emily said quietly.

"Me too," Justin sighed. "Sometimes I thought that if Christian got Pharaoh and got rid of the magazine as he planned, it would help him let go of the past. But now I understand that this is pointless. It doesn't work that way. The presence or absence of a thing does not mean that you are free.

Because real freedom is completely different," the man lifted the girl and pulled her lips to his lips, "It is in this."

He kissed her and moved to her neck, "In this and this," Justin continued the kissing path from Emily's neck to her chest. His hand slid down the inside of her thigh and touched the tender point between her legs.

He put one finger in and looked up to enjoy the girl's hazy gaze.

"Oh, Justin…," a light moan escaped Emily's lips.

"Come to me…," the man whispered and she obediently moved forward. "My freedom... I love you...." He caught another moan with a kiss, their bodies joined and the world around them disappeared.