by Kaylee, Katy
“I’m going to work.” I started out of the conference room.
“Hey, Kade.”
I stopped at Chase’s voice. “I’m sorry she hurt you, man. Really. I… if I can help you, let me know. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks.”
I headed to my office, locked the door, and turned off my phone. Then I just sat, trying to figure out if I could live my life like this or if I had the guts to risk one more time.
At five, I figured I could leave without being hassled about being a slacker. Not that I’d gotten any work done hiding in my office. I headed out of the building and into my waiting car. I loved living in New York City but lately, it felt too crowded and loud.
“Listen, when I get home, I’m going to pack and then I’ll need you to drive me out to the Hampton house,” I said to my driver.
“Yes, sir.”
I called Ash, telling him I needed to get out of the city but would check on the properties in the Hamptons while I was away.
“Take some time. Catch your breath,” he said.
That’s exactly what I needed. I hadn’t felt like I’d breathed since hearing about the baby. I packed and was back in the car within fifteen minutes, and two hours later, we pulled up to my parents’ beach home.
As a kid, I used to love to come out here, probably for the same reason I was there now. I liked the feeling of open space and quiet. Maybe I’d just stay here, I thought as I opened up the house. I went to the wine rack, opened a bottle of red, poured a glass, and then headed out on the large deck. The sun had set, but the moon shone brightly on the water.
My phone buzzed with a text. I picked it up to look at it, but then decided I wanted to go off the grid. At least for one night. I turned off my phone, and just sat letting the sound of the waves lull me into a meditative trance. I had no answer to my life. I couldn’t even begin to start to process my next step. But sitting there on the deck, I didn’t have to. Right now, I could just sit and be.
Another glass of wine later, I sat in a lounge chair, my eyes closed enjoying the slight buzz from the wine. I had no idea what time it was and didn’t care. When a knock came on the door, I ignored it. I wasn’t going to let anything invade this little sliver of peace. The only problem was, who ever it was wasn’t getting a clue that I wasn’t going to answer. After a few knocks, came the doorbell.
“What the fuck!” I stood up, striding into the house ready to give whoever it was a piece of my mind. I jerked the door open. “Can’t you take a fucking hint?” I stopped short when I saw Morgan.
Her eyes widened and she swallowed. “I’m sor — sorry.”
I closed my eyes and willed myself calm. “Sorry,” I murmured. “What are you doing here?”
She thrust something at me. “I brought you this.”
I took the envelope, wondering if was some sort of legal papers. I walked back into the house, not inviting her in, but not making her go either. When I reached the living area, I’d pulled the contents out, trying to discern what it was.
It was some sort of x-ray film with lots of dark and shades of gray.
Morgan came in, but she stayed in the foyer. “It’s our baby.”
My breath caught. I traced a line of gray, not knowing if that was the child, but needing to somehow touch it. My child.
“I texted you the next appointment. I asked her if we could hear the heartbeat and do another sonogram.”
My head jerked in her direction. “Heartbeat?”
She nodded, her expression still looking apprehensive.
I looked back down at the sonogram image. “I can’t make anything out.”
She came over to me. “This is the body, and here, this is the head. Isn’t it beautiful?”
It was fucking amazing. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know. She said it was too early to tell.” Her weight shifted side to side as if she was nervous. “Will you be there?”
“Yes. Yes, of course.” I looked at her. “Anything you need, Morgan, I’ll get for you and the baby.”
She gave me a small smile. “I know.” She cleared her throat. “I… I should go.”
I handed the picture back to her, but she shook her head. “No. You keep it.”
I frowned as I realized Morgan had come all the way out to the Hamptons. How’d she know that I was here? “What are you doing out here?”
“I, ah… I wanted to give this to you. I tried your place, but you weren’t there. I asked Beth and she said that Ash told her you were out here.”
“How’d you get here?” She didn’t have a car, and I didn’t think any sort of public transportation ran this late at night from Manhattan.
“Uber.”
Jesus, I wondered how much that cost her.
“He’s outside.”
By the time she got back to the city, it would be close to midnight. I might not want a relationship, but I wasn’t a complete asshole. “Why don’t you stay here? We’ve got room and I’ll drive you back tomorrow.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to intrude. I just… I wanted you to have that. I… I’d planned to give it to you when I told you.” She looked down for a moment. “I’m so sorry, Kade. I know it’s too little too late, but I’m wracked with guilt at how I hurt you. I’d do anything to make it right again.”
I looked into her eyes and could see the truth of her words. They were sincere and earnest.
“Do you think I’ll be a good father?”
“Yes, absolutely.” She smiled. “You’re good at everything.”
“Not everything. I wasn’t good at making you understand how I felt about you.”
Her smile faltered. “That was my fault. I… I never had a man love me before. I wanted to have what Beth and Ash have, but I couldn’t let myself believe it was something that would come true for me.”
“You mean you were never sexual with a man?” She’d been a virgin, but surely, she’d had boyfriends.
“Well, yes, but I’d never really dated either. I was a virgin at that too, I guess. I’ve learned a lot from you, Kade. Not just sexually, but how to be in a relationship, and how it’s important to say how you feel even if it scares the bejeezus out of you.”
“How do you feel, Morgan?”
“I love you.”
Her words covered me like a blanket. I wanted to wrap myself up in it, but my brain clanged with warning bells. This was the woman who’d lied to me. There was no excuse for that.
“I was a virgin, too.”
She quirked a brow and pursed lips at me. “I know that’s not true.”
“I mean a relationship one. I never loved a woman before you,” I clarified.
Her breath hitched, and I saw hope come alive in her eyes.
“I suppose I didn’t do a very good job telling you that. I thought I did. I felt like a lovesick puppy, the way I kept finding excuses to be around you. But I guess I was never explicit about how I was feeling.”
“You were clear enough when you said you’d wanted more than casual. And when you offered to care for the baby when you thought it was someone else’s.” Her voice caught on a cry, as her guilt over about that overwhelmed her again. “That was such a heinous thing for me to do. I can hardly live with myself knowing I did it.”
“What do you want, Morgan. If you could have anything?”
“You and the baby. And my mom. All I need is family and for everyone to be healthy. If I had that, I’d be the richest woman in the world.”
“You truly believe that?”
“Oh, I know it. I grew up among the affluent. I’m pretty sure most of them were miserable. Mom and I had almost nothing, but we were happy. You see, when you don’t have all this,” she said, motioning to the opulence of the beach house, “You have to find contentment in yourself and those around you. Mom and I would cook together. We’d figure out how to make beans and rice into something different each time we made it. Mexican, Caribbean, Italian. I know more ways to make beans and ri
ce than anyone, I bet.”
“Fusion.”
She smiled. “That too.”
“I cooked with my mom.”
Her smiled turned brighter. “Then you know what I’m talking about. You were close to your mom. I bet your happiest memories are with her. Not with your toys and travel and money.”
She was right. And over the last few months, my happiest memories were with her. My worst one was too. The question was, would I allow one wrong move get in the way of all the happiness we could have?
My mind flashed back to when my mom was so sick, dying from the cancer that finally took her. I’d cooked crepes for her, as they were her favorite dish of mine. I’d had to feed her.
“I bet you wish I was some Greek Adonis feeding you right now,” I had said.
My mother’s smile was weak, but I saw the glint in her eyes. “Don’t tell your father, but I plan to seek out Adonis first then when I get to heaven.”
I hated hearing her talk about her death, but I tried to smile.
“Kade, baby, promise me you won’t let your father bully you into losing yourself.”
“I promise, Mom.”
Her hand reached over and gripped mine. “Don’t patronize me. I love all my boys. But I’ve seen what he’s done to Chase. He ran Hunter off to war. Ash is a shell of himself over the loss of the McAdams girl. But you — you’re still here.” She put her palm on my face. “You’re full of life and love. You know what’s important. This, here and right now, is important.”
I pressed my hand over hers. “It’s the most important, mom.”
“Don’t forget that. The money; the prestige. It’s nothing without love.” A few days later, she was gone.
I realized now that I’d failed her. I had lost myself, just like my brothers had. But they’d found their way back. Not through some dumb scheme of my father’s to force them into marriage, but through the love of a good woman.
I remembered the dream I had weeks ago, the night after her restaurant opening. In it, I was here at the beach house surrounded by family. Initially I’d felt apart from my brothers and their wives and kids. And then Morgan had appeared, round with child. My child.
“It this real?”
“If you want it to be.”
I looked at Morgan. Yes, I wanted it to be real. It could be real. It was real. She was standing here now in the beach house. My child was growing inside her. All I had to do was reach out and grab the happiness that dream showed me I could have.
She stepped back. “I should go.”
I reached out and took her arm, pulling her back to me. I cupped her face. Her eyes widened in surprise and then they closed, as if she were savoring the feel of my hands on her cheeks. Yes, she knew what was important.
“I forgive you.” I leaned to her, drawing my lips over hers softly.
Her breath hitched and her fingers clutched my shirt.
When I pulled away, she let out a small sob. “Kade.”
“You owned up to your mistake. I know that I was a part of the problem. When you heard me talk about my concerns about not knowing if women wanted me for me or my money, that had only come about after meeting you. I was perfectly content to sow my oats. And then you showed up, looking so lovely and smelling like lavender and vanilla.”
She sniffed. I used my thumbs to wipe her tears.
“Something shifted inside me. Like my heart immediately latched on to you, and it wouldn’t let go. I didn’t understand it. It scared the shit out of me, and yet, I wanted whatever it was being around you promised. It made me crazy how you kept avoiding me, which I suppose contributed to my fear.”
“I’m sorry, Kade. I didn’t want to push you away. I wanted to grab on to you and love you from the minute I met you. But I didn’t feel like I was in your league. I decided to settle for being a notch on your bedpost just to have a chance to be with you. But the more you came around, the harder it was to keep my heart in check. When I learned I was pregnant, I was scared and confused. I knew I had to tell you but, I just… there’s no good excuse. At the time it made sense, but now I see that I was just being selfish.” She looked up at me. “I still don’t understand why you like me.”
“I love you, Morgan.”
She bit her lip as new tears fell.
“I love you because you’re sweet, charming, funny, bold, creative, and sexy. Really all I have is money and a nice face.”
She laughed. “No, you have so much more. So much more.”
She launched herself in my arms and then pulled away, her expression apprehensive. “This means I get another chance, right?”
“Yes, baby. We both get another chance.”
34
Morgan — Monday
If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up. Kade was holding me like he wasn’t ever going to let me go. I clung to him to make sure he never did.
“I love you. I’m sorry. I love you. I’m sorry,” came out of my mouth like a chant I was so afraid he’d change his mind.
“Let me send your driver off,” he said, with a kiss on my cheek. “We’ll start fresh.”
I nodded, feeling a little wobbly from the roller coaster of emotions, but so happy. Blissfully happy.
He went outside, and a few minutes later was back.
“Now. Where were we?” he pulled me to him and kissed me breathless.
“I love it when you do that,” I said when his lips trailed along my jaw to my ear.
“Do what?”
“Kiss me. Touch me.”
“Fuck you?”
I grinned. “I really love that, too.”
He gave me a knowing smile as he took my hand. “Let me show you our room.”
Our. He used the word “our.” My heart cartwheeled in my chest. Or maybe it was the growl of my stomach.
He stopped. “Are you hungry? Do you need any food for the baby?”
I bit my lip. “I did miss dinner.”
He changed directions and led me to the kitchen instead. “You know, we haven’t really cooked together yet. This seems like a good time to start. What do you want? Eggs? Pancakes.”
“I make really good pancakes,” I said.
“Pancakes it is.”
We worked side by side, mixing the batter and cooking them in the griddle. It took a bit longer than usual, and we burnt a few because we got distracted by kissing.
Eventually, we sat at the table overlooking the ocean with a large plate of pancakes and warm syrup.
“All right. Let’s see how these taste.” He took a large bite of the fluffy hotcake. He let out a moan that reminded me of when we’d hade sex. “You win. These are fantastic.”
I grinned. Kade Raven, famous restaurateur, said my pancakes were fantastic.
“We should open a diner.”
I laughed. “That’s not too low brow for you?”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry I was such a pompous ass. I know what I know, but clearly, I don’t know everything. I should have supported your vision and trusted your instincts.”
“My vision was a food truck and my instinct had me hiring John Parker.”
Kade growled. “I fucking wanted to rip his throat out.”
I put my hand on his. “I never touched him, or him me. Never. Ever.”
He pulled my hand to his lips. “Good. I’ll let him live.”
We continued to eat and talk, and I knew I’d never been happier than I was in that moment.
“You have some syrup on your chin,” I said, reaching over to wipe it off.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to his lap. “Why don’t you lick it off?”
All my girly parts flared to life. I straddled his lap, wrapped my arms around him, and lapped at his chin.
“Mmm, you taste sweet, Kade Raven.”
He grinned as he ran his finger through the syrup on his plate. He coated my lips with the sweet sauce, then trailed his finger down my chin and my neck. “I want a taste too.”
Instinctivel
y my pussy ground against his hard cock as he kissed the syrup off my lips and then dragged his tongue down my neck.
“So sweet,” he murmured. He tugged my shirt over my head and quickly released my bra. “I want more.” He coated his finger again, then spread the syrup over my nipples. I gasped at the feeling of the warm, sticky substance on my breast. I cried out when his lips sucked one, then the other nipple deep into his mouth.
“I think it’s time to get naked and messy,” he said.
I couldn’t have agreed more. We undressed and he pushed me on the table, coating parts of my body with the syrup. When it was mostly gone from his plate, he used the small pitcher with syrup and drizzled it over me. It was sexy and fun and sweet, and oh my god, explosive when he sucked my clit into his mouth and had me writhing in orgasm.
“Fuck, that’s good. Syrup mixed with sweet pussy juice.”
I moaned as his words made me hot all over again.
“I want a turn.” I sat up, pushing him away as I reached for the syrup pitcher.
“You should just stick your dick in it,” I said.
He quirked a brow and then shrugged. I took his dick in hand, and held the pitcher of syrup, dipping his tip in.
He let out a low moan. “Ah, fuck…”
“Does it feel good?”
“The idea of you sucking that off me feels good.”
I scooted off the table and dropped to my knees in front of him. “Give me your cock, Kade.”
“Aw hell, I might come just from you talking like that.” His fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me toward his beautiful, long, thick cock, coated in sweet maple syrup.
I flicked my tongue at the tip, tasting the syrup mixed with his precome.
“Suck it, Morgan, oh fuck — take it deep.”
I wrapped my lips around his tip, and sucked hard.
“Fuck yeah!” His hips bucked forward, sliding him in deeper into my mouth.
I worked his cock, sucking and stroking. I released him, using my hand on his dick so I could suck on his balls.
“Jesus, you’re good at that.” He was panting and his hips were moving steadily faster.
I gripped him harder, and stopped.
“Oh baby, don’t stop.”