Real Love

by Tracy Reed

  “Oh.” So the big plans weren’t for them to spend time together, but for her and the landscaper to spend time together. And based on Dexter’s statements, he wouldn’t be there.

  “So, if you don’t mind meeting with him I’d really appreciate it. Thanks. I’ve got to go.” Click.

  And just like her marriage, the phone was dead.

  She put on her best “Suzy Homemaker” look and waited for the landscaper. Her phone started vibrating inside her pocket and it startled her. That was the most action she’d had in twenty-two months. Just because Dexter was being an inconsiderate ass didn’t mean she had to be a bad hostess. She made a pot of coffee and some lemon bars and placed them on the table for her meeting.

  The door bell rang and she walked out to the front door. She took a deep breath, put on her fake smile; and opened the door.

  “Hello.”

  The man looked up smiling and she got weak in the knees. She held on tightly to the door. He was beautiful. This was a real life Roman soldier. Dark, wavy hair that just grazed his shoulder, and a little grey at the temples. His skin was a cross between caramel and dark olive. He was very tall, and rugged, with broad shoulders, unlike Dexter. She lowered her eyes to his feet and slowly examined him. My God, there was nothing small on him, she hoped. What was she thinking? She patted her chest, trying to suppress the lustful thoughts swirling around in her head. How apropos…swirl.

  She never considered herself to be down with the swirl, but damn, she definitely didn’t mind spending a little time in Swirlville, if it meant he was her tour guide. It was obvious he had a little chocolate mixed in with something else. Uhm…she thought about the place where the chocolate might be. She finally met his gaze and smiled.

  If this was how God had chosen to answer her request, she was certainly going to say an extra prayer of thanks tonight. She cleared her throat, patted her chest and spit out a reply.

  “Luc Rene`?”

  “Mrs. Abernathy?”

  Oh, Damn…the sound of her name floating off his lips was very arousing. She patted her neck and sucked on her bottom lip.

  “Yes.” She stood smiling at the sexy gentleman standing on her doorstep. She felt a tingle in her stomach and someplace else that had been neglected almost two years. She cleared her throat again. “Come in.”

  She stepped to the side and watched as he walked past her. She caught a whiff of his cologne and his scent seemed to surround her. It felt like she had been sucked into the eye of a powerful hurricane. He smelled as rugged and sexy as he looked. No sweet, citrusy scent for this man. No, he smelled like…tobacco, musk, rich spices and sex. What the crap! She had sex on the brain. It was bad enough she pictured herself as the sex crazed heroine in the erotic novels she read. Now she was picturing this stranger doing things to her that would make a hooker blush.

  He stood to the side and waited for her to close the door. They stood in the foyer smiling at each other.

  “Is your husband here?”

  “My husband...my husband…oh, my husband. No, he got hung up at the hospital. He wanted me to let you in the back way...I mean let you have your way with me...I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He smiled at her. “He wanted me to show you the back yard. Follow me.”

  She turned and his eyes immediately landed on her ass. Corianne and Kyla both inherited their voluptuous figures from their mother. Luc’s smile grew wider as he watched her hips sway from side to side as she led the way out to the terrace.

  “You have...a beautiful...home...Mrs. Abernathy,” he shook his head, thinking dangerous thoughts to himself. He may have said home, but he meant ass.

  She looked over her shoulder, smiled coyly and replied, “Thank you.” She reached for the handle on the French doors.

  “Here, let me.” He raced over and pushed the doors open. It had been a while since Corianne experienced such gentlemanly behavior in her house. She tried not to stare at the way his jacket hugged the muscles in his arms and back. He stood up straight and watched as she walked out onto the terrace.

  “So this is it.”

  He took his bag off and held it over the chair. “Do you mind?” he asked pointing to the chair.

  “No.”

  He dropped his bag onto the chair, took off his jacket, and draped it across the back of the chair. He leaned forward and she saw the hints of a wide, tightly defined chest. He pulled out his iPad, measuring tape and note pad, and placed them on the table. He rolled up his sleeves and revealed a tattoo on his forearm. She couldn’t quite make out what it said, but it fascinated her. He walked around the terrace and the grounds taking pictures and notes as she watched him intently.

  Her phone rang and she immediately recognized the ringtone, “Distant Lover”, her new identifier for Dexter. She picked up her phone and before she could answer…

  “Mrs. Abernathy.”

  She placed her phone on the table and ran down to join Luc.

  “Please, call me Cori,” she followed her comment with a wide, bright smile.

  “Cori, you have good bones, but it can be better.” He turned and the form of his behind took her breath away. “Is there anything specific you want?”

  What I want is for you to take me right here on the chaise. I don’t care if anyone sees us. And then I’d like for you to find that spot my husband has only been able to find a few times.

  “Cori...Cori...Cori...”

  His voice was smooth and she stared at his lips thinking how they would feel gliding along her cheek before easing down her neck to nibbled on that wet spot between her breasts. Every word he said seemed to linger and rest on his lips. She smiled as she watched his mouth.

  “Cori, Mrs. Abernathy.”

  The sound of her last name broke the spell of her fantasy. “I’m sorry, I was somewhere else.” She patted her chest and cleared her throat. “What were you saying?”

  “You have a beautiful space, but it can be better.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  He started walking back towards the terrace and she followed, watching his behind. Oh yeah, the parts that were chocolate were in all the right places. High, tight butt and thighs that looked like large tree trunks. She noticed every curve and muscle of his body as he moved. He had the swagger of a brother, and the charisma of a European. If he didn’t have a little brother in him, he’d been spending a lot of time with them. Maybe this wasn’t the landscaper, but his son. Maybe his job was to come out and gather the information, and his father would call later with the proposal.

  “Your husband mentioned something about a party?”

  “A party...oh yeah, a party. He, we are hosting this year’s hospital staff barbecue and he wants the yard ready for that.”

  “So that means you’ll be using the space for entertaining?”

  “Yes.” She took off her sunglasses. “How long have you been…I mean will you be doing the work or is there…”

  He smiled. “I’ve been a landscape designer over twenty years.”

  “Really? It’s just…you look…I mean you don’t look that old.”

  He laughed. “No one has ever said that to me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  “You’ve just made my day. I was actually thinking about dying my hair or chopping it off.”

  “Why?” He had beautiful hair. Cori pictured running her fingers through it. Or imagined holding it as he sucked on…

  “I thought the grey made me look old.” He smiled. “That just made me sound vain.”

  She laughed. “No, it didn’t.” They continued up the steps. “How did you meet my husband?”

  “I think one of his patients referred me.”

  “Oh.” She needed to find out which one and send them a thank you gift.

  “Okay, so will you need a space for relaxing?”

  “Definitely. When I can, I like to lie out and read.”

  He smiled. “And your husband?”

  “When he comes out
side, he stays up here on the terrace working.”

  “Well, maybe we can design something a little more romantic down around the pool...”

  “Would you like some coffee?”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  I’ll say you are. “If we need furniture, I’ll check with my brother-in-law. He designs and manufactures furniture.”

  “Oh, who is he? Maybe I’ve heard of him?”

  “Sean Prescott…Prescott Designs.”

  “I’m not familiar.”

  “He just started doing patio pieces. I’ll send you his information.”

  “Thanks. As I was saying. If you want, I can include a romantic lounge area for you and your husband.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Cori quickly covered her mouth.“I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I need to make sure the entertaining area is done first.”

  “Okay. I’ll work on some drawings.”

  “Good.”

  She watched as he put his jacket on and his shirt slipped out of his pants revealing his stomach. She could see the lower half of a six pack. He straightened his jacket, tucking his shirt inside his pants and Cori had to grab the chair to keep from falling down. She desperately wanted to tuck his shirt inside his pants.

  “Will you call me or...”

  “I’ll call your husband day after tomorrow and...”

  “Dexter will probably forget to tell me, so why don’t you just call me.”

  “Okay, what’s the number?”

  She walked inside to her desk and he followed her. She picked up a card and handed it to him.

  “Corianne Abernathy.” He turned the card over and all of her contact information was there. “Nice. Corianne Abernathy. And what do you do?” He smiled.

  “I oversee Dexter Abernathy’s life,” she joked. “I’m a housewife, but I have a degree in business administration. My husband and I...what am I doing, you don’t want to hear this.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “Yes, I do. I want to know how you went from a promising career in the business world to...”

  “Promising career,” she laughed. “I don’t know about that.”

  “A career not given an opportunity to blossom is unfortunate.”

  “Well, I wanted or we wanted to start a family and my husband the doctor, thought it would be better if I were a lady of leisure.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know you had children.”

  “We don’t.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She folded her arms in front of her. That was a sore spot for Cori. She and Dexter had been trying to get pregnant, until they stopped having sex. His not wanting sex meant he also didn’t want children.

  “Don’t be. I’ve been thinking about putting that degree to use.”

  “You should.” He leaned against the counter. “What would you like to do?”

  She hadn’t given it any thought, and Dexter never asked her what she wanted to do. She always followed his lead. “I don’t know. I mean I have the degree, but I don’t think I want to work in the corporate world. Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  He placed his bag on the counter and sat down on a stool. “Tell me, Cori Abernathy, what would you like to do with the rest of your life?”

  She walked around the counter, poured two cups of coffee and placed one in front of him along with the plate of cookies. He picked up a cookie and took a bite.

  “I used to think...”

  “These are good.”

  “Thank you.”

  He took another bite. “These are really good.”

  “Thank you, I wasn’t sure...”

  “Did you make these?”

  “Yes.”

  “These are good.” He took another bite. “Really good.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “I know what you should do.”

  “What should I do?” She bit a cookie and sipped some coffee.

  “Cook or bake.”

  “What? You’re insane.” She smiled.

  “No, these cookies are great and if everything else you do, I mean make, tastes as great, you should consider a catering business.”

  “Funny you should say that.”

  “Why?”

  “A long time ago, I thought about starting a catering business.”

  “And...”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, I think you should give it some serious thought.” He looked at his watch. “I have another appointment.” He stood up and helped her off the stool.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll contact you by the end of the week to set a time for you to review the sketches.” He grabbed another cookie. “One for the road.” He smiled.

  “It’s a date...I mean, okay.” They stood smiling at each other. “I’m sorry.” She turned and he followed her to the front door. He shook her hand and she felt that flutter again in her stomach. He walked out and she closed the door. She leaned against the door smiling to herself. Her phone began ringing and the familiar ring tone interrupted her fantasy. “Yes Dexter...”