Chapter 74: Maintenant et Toujours

His blue eyes, so brilliant, so penetrating, gaze into hers as his lips cover hers. "I can't wait any longer," he breathes, "I want you, maintenant et toujours."

"Oh, yes," she sighs, "I want you," as she wraps her leg around him. He presses against her, teasing her   with his cock, promising but not not giving her what she wants. "Please," she moans, begging him now, "I can't wait."

"Petite amie," he sighs in her ear, in his light teasing tone, "I am yours." And he thrusts himself inside her. It's absolutely divine.

"Portia!" her father calls sharply.

Rainier doesn't stop, beyond hearing. Portia wriggles beneath, trying to get free. "My father!" she gasps, trying to get his attention, "You have to--"

"Portia!" her father barks again.

"Portia!" Bill repeats, calling her for the third time. This time she stirs, her eyes fluttering open.

"Don't you ever knock?' she asks as she yawns awake, trying to appear nonchalant, hoping she didn't talk in her sleep. Of all the dreams for him to have to interrupt...

"I did knock, four times," Bill says, his voice short and sharp. He's not happy. She wonders if she said Rainier's name while she was dreaming. "I need to see you. Now. Downstairs. In my office."

"Okay," she says in sheepish acquiescence. There are times when Bill allows teasing and her playful backtalk, but this will not be one of those times.

He says nothing at first, merely pointing to the photo on his desk. From the security camera in the garage; what a fool she was to forget about that, positioned just above his precious Shelby, protection against thieves or vandals. This is her fault, she thinks, she invited Rainier to get in that car, and then she let him kiss there, in front of the camera.

"Please, Daddy, don't have him deported! I love him!" she pleads.

"Portia," Bill says her name with all the disappointment he can muster, "What have I told you about begging? And don't break down right at the start of an interrogation. Have I taught you nothing?'

"I--I'm sorry," she stammers, losing her grip on the situation. Is he angry at her, at Rainier, or what?

"Now, explain to me why Rainier is sitting my Shelby, making out with my underage daughter, while I was out of town."

Portia falls back into a chair and slouches over her knees, "It's my fault, Daddy," she says, "You can't blame him."

"I'll blame who I decide to blame, Portia," Bill says evenly, "I don't want to hear excuses, I just want you to tell me what is going on between the two of you, and for how long it's been going on."

"I lied to him about my age," Portia starts, "When we met, I told him I was 21. I, uh, have a fake ID that backs up that story." She'll admit to anything at this point, if it will keep Rainier out of trouble. All her father can do to her is punish her, a grounding maybe, or take away her credit cards, but Rainier...she shudders to think of what could happen to him. "We went on a few dates. And then he figured it out, somehow. He found out my real name. I lied to him about that, too. And my age. And he broke up with me, because of my age. That's the day I told you about him. I didn't want to let go. I pursued him, Dad, it's my fault."

"What did I say about excuses?' Bill sighs heavily. "Even if you pursued him, he's responsible for his own actions."

"But he didn't do anything," Portia insists. "All I got for going after him was a promise that we could get together again after I turned 18. Until then, he didn't want to see me."

Bill points at the photo on his desk.

"Emma set up a double date with Sean Davis and Jake Irvine," Portia continues, "Rainier happened to be there. Jake got a little handsy with me, and Rainier tried to stop him. And, you know Jake..."

"Jake Irvine," Bill growls the name in distaste, "Oafish jock."

"Exactly," Portia says, "He and Sean pummeled Rainier. Emma and I got them to stop, but poor Rainier was barely conscious. So, I took him home with me, let him spend the night in a guest room." At least her father doesn't have a security camera over her bed, she thinks.

"Why not take him to his own place?" Bill asks.

"I don't know where he lives," Portia says, glad for the cover Rainier's move provides her. She doesn't have to tell him about the times she'd been to Rainier's apartment in Hollywood when they were dating, before he knew her age. "And so, the next morning, I had to drive him back to the bar, to pick up his car. And, when he admired your Shelby, I invited him to get inside. I know, I shouldn't have done that. But if you could have seen his face light up when he saw it," she sighs with girlish affection, "He even refused at first, he wouldn't even touch it. But I insisted. And then, he kissed me. But that's all it was, Daddy, just the kiss. I'm going to be 18 in just a few weeks, and this waiting, it's been so hard on us..."

"I'm sure," Bill grunts. "Give me your phone."

"What?"

"Give me your phone," he repeats. Portia complies, taking the phone out of her pocket and handing it him. "Go practice your piano," he says, a little more gently, "I'm playing golf with Rainier this afternoon."

"Please, Daddy," Portia says.

"No begging," Bill interrupts her.

"I'd like to see if you can bullshit your way out of this one," Bill says as he slides the photo across the table. 

Try as he might, Rainier cannot come up with a lie to make this look innocent. He should have known Bill would have a camera on the Shelby. If it were his car, he'd do the same. 

But all Bill has is the picture, Rainier reasons with himself, and that's not enough to get him in serious trouble. 

"Bill, the truth is, I'm in love with your daughter," Rainier says, "I have been, since we met."

"She's seventeen," Bill says.

"I didn't know that, at first. I suspected, right away, that she was lying to me about something, but it took some time to discover it. And when I did, I did break things off with her. I meant to break it off permanently, but she was not so easy to let go of. So we agreed, we wouldn't see each other again until she was eighteen."

"But this picture was taken just two days ago," Bill points out. So far, Rainier's story matches Portia's, but Bill is going to take it the whole way through, hear it all again from Rainier's own lips.

"Yes," Rainier admits, "Running into Portia at the bar was a fluke," he stumbles at his story at this point. They have some absurd age restrictions on drinking in this country, but he can't remember what they are and where Portia is on that scale, and he hopes he didn't just get her in trouble for that, too. What's done is done, however, so Rainier carries on, "I was out with my secretary, and Portia was with her friend, and their dates. That was part of our agreement, that we would be free to see other people, and would get together again if we were still free,, still interested. But, I was jealous, and I'd had a few, and when he kissed her, I stepped in."

Bill laughs, "And got yourself quite the black eye."

"Lucky for me, I don't remember most of that beating," Rainier says with a smile, "And, even luckier for me, Portia stepped in and saved me from any serious injury. I was in no condition to drive, so she brought me home. To your house, because she didn't know where I live."

"And my Shelby?"

"Is, next to your daughter, the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on," Rainier says, "I know I shouldn't have touched her, but I did so with the utmost respect. Just to sit in her," Rainier sighs at the memory, "Do you take her out on the road?"

"I keep her off the streets," Bill says, "But I bring her out to Buttonwillow to race. Do you race?"

Rainier nods enthusiastically, "I'm licensed to, but I had to sell my Porsche to fund my business."

Bill frowns, realizing he let himself get distracted by car talk. At least it seems a genuine interest of Rainier's too, and not just a ploy to move him off topic. "Look, I'm having a hard tme believing you are seriously in love with a teenager. You're what, 26? Nine years older than she is."

"I know," Rainier says, "No one is more surprised by this than I am. But it's the truth."

"I could ruin you," Bill says, "Take everything you have. Have you deported, imprisoned."

All of Rainier's worst fears. But all Bill has is the one picture, Rainier is sure Portia would never testify against him. "As I just told you, Bill, I'm in love with the girl. I haven't touched her, and won't, until she's legal. But when she is, I will pursue this."

"You like taking risks," Bill says.

"I do," Rainier admits, "But that's not what this is about. Do what you will, I'm not backing down. I've waited for her, and I will have her, with or without your consent."

"Is it her money you're after?" Bill asks, "You'll have to wait even longer to get your hands on that, you know. I'm not dying off anytime soon. But, if you leave her alone, I'd be willing to increase my financial support for your company."

"You honestly think I'd let you pay me off like that?" Rainier gasps, "I'm not after her money. I'm in love with her. As ridiculous as that may seem, that's all I'm after." Rainier pauses, takes a breath, "Listen, Bill. Portia loves you, adores you. And she loves me. I don't know what your objections are to me, except for the age difference, but if you love your daughter, try to see past them. I'd hate to see her burdened with choosing between us."

"Someday, you'll know what it's like to raise a daughter," Bill says, "No father wants to see his little girl grow up. But only a fool tries to stop the inevitable. The wise man sees what's coming and takes control of the situation. Whether I like it or not, my Portia is becoming a woman, and she will have men in her life. My job, as her father, is to weed out the unworthy ones."

"And you think I'm not worthy?"

"On the contrary, you've passed every test I've thrown at you," Bill smiles. "You don't flinch, you don't back down, you name your terms and you stick to them. It's like I raised you myself. But, don't get any ideas, she's still underage. She's off limits until she's a legal adult, understand?"

"Just so you know, if you ever touch my Shelby again, I'll have you killed."

The threat is delivered with perfect timing, but Rainer's concentration is not broken, and his swing is perfect.