Ryan (Members From Money Book 16)

by Katie Dowe

  She would not let him go but clung to him. He was still inside her and to his amazement he was still hard. She was using her lips on his chest and it was very erotic and provocative. He tried to pull out but she had her legs around his waist and held on tightly. She moved restlessly and lifted her head to look up at him. “I need more,” she murmured.

  He stared down at her and did not answer but he started to move inside her slowly this time as if savoring the moment of being inside her. He bent his head and took her lips as he made love to her again!

  *****

  “I need you to leave in the morning,” he moved away from her and stumbled off the bed. He was still hard and not altogether satisfied. “The doctors said I need time.” He pulled up his zipper and avoided looking at her lush curves.

  “I have given you time and how else am I going to get you to remember if we are miles apart.”

  He looked at her then. “I need time.” He repeated tersely.

  “And I need my husband. Cameron needs his dad. I am not leaving unless we are leaving together. You used to commute. When I was having your son you held me and that was how I got through the horrible pain. There was a hurricane and Doctor Whittingham could not make it and you were there behind me, you were my rock.”

  He stared at her with a frown on his brow as something fleeting flashed across his mind. The winds howling and him holding her but then it was gone. “I need you to give me time to remember.”

  “You remembered something just then. What was it?”

  “Leave it alone,” he searched for her name and even though her heart broke she reminded him. “It’s Aaliyah Sullivan, your wife. Your birthday is next two weeks, the 4th of July and I want to plan something.”

  “No,” he stepped back and plunged his fingers through his hair. “Look, I want to remember as well but, I need to do it in my own time.”

  “I am staying the night.”

  “Suit yourself. I will stay in one of the other rooms.”

  “No.” she said firmly. “I am tired of sleeping without you, Ryan.” She climbed off the bed and approached him. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her nakedness. She just not too long had a baby and apart from her breasts looking bigger she looked as if she never had a baby in her life. She wrapped her hands around his neck. “Were you going to take a shower?”

  He nodded.

  “We will take one together.”

  That night she slept in his arms never knowing that he did not sleep, his mind tormented by flashbacks and sounds and smells. Was he in love with her? He wondered as he turned his head to look down at her. She was curled up into his arms with her fingers splayed over his chest. He groaned a little as he remembered how he had licked the water from her skin and when he had pushed his tongue inside her he had almost spilled his seed when she had screamed out his name. She had told him that she loved him over and over again as he pushed into her. She had a passion that was unlike anything he had ever seen and had not been afraid to show it. He had lost control as he suckled her nipples and had left his mark on her flesh. If he was not in love with her, God help him he was perilously close!

  Chapter 10

  When she woke up the next morning, he was gone and there was a note. “I am asking you to give me some time. I am stopping on my way to the office to see my son. Please, don’t come here again. I will come to you when I am ready. Ryan.”

  The note was as terse as he was and Aaliyah read it twice before flopping back against the pillows. “Okay Mr. Sullivan, I am not going to rush you but you are going to see me everywhere you go.”

  She called his secretary. “Hi I am–"

  “Mrs. Sullivan,” the woman said hurriedly. “I recognize your voice.”

  “Good, I want you to email me everything my husband has going on from business to social.”

  “Right away.” She said. “I meant to call you. There is going to be a charity function at his hotel uptown this Saturday and he is going to be the main speaker. It is formal so I don’t know if you want me to have something sent for you to wear.”

  “No, that’s okay. I know where to go. Just send me the email.”

  “Already done.”

  “Thanks so much.”

  She called Leesa next. “How did it go?”

  “Very well, but he is still resisting and saying he needs time. I am going to give it to him but he is going to see my face everywhere he turns. Are you and the others coming to the function at his hotel on Saturday?”

  “I know Kelly and Kelsey and also Ciara will be there, but as for the others I am not sure. What do you need?”

  “Moral support and a dress that will knock him dead!”

  “I will call Monique.”

  With a satisfied smile, she arose and went to look inside his closet. She touched his jackets and smelled the faint scent of his aftershave and his cologne, closing her eyes as both sent shivers all over her. He had made love to her restlessly as if he could not help himself! She looked at the few article of clothing she had hung there and made up her mind to put some more there. He was not getting rid of her! She went to take a shower and slipped into the cotton dress with the thin straps and went to get her son.

  “My dear!” Rosalie enveloped her in a warm embrace. “My grandson is certainly an angel! I fed him twice last night and he is still sleeping now. His dad was here and I can tell you that he found it hard to leave the little boy. I think he is remembering.”

  “I think so too.” Aaliyah said with a smile.

  “Will you be leaving him?” she asked hopefully.

  “No. But how do you stay for Saturday?”

  “Wide open,” she said in delight.

  “Good, I have somewhere to be.”

  “It would not happen to be the function at your husband’s hotel?”

  “The same.” She said with a grin. “I am calling in all the reinforcements I need so I am shipping Cameron here from in the morning.”

  “I will come and get him myself.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged her mother in law tightly and went to get her son.

  *****

  Ryan listened to the various reports absently, his thoughts not quite with the people sitting around the conference table. The hotel in the Bahamas was in the renovating stages and he had decided to reinforce the material that had been used. He had had a full investigation into the accident and had been relieved to know that the materials used had not been inferior. He was thinking about her! He had stopped at his mother and had held the baby in his arms and even before he had looked into the identical dark blue eyes he knew it was his son. He had a son! His heartbeat quickened at that. She had said something about being in labor during the hurricane and how he had been there for her. He had called the doctor and he had told him that he had not been able to be there but Nurse Whittaker had been and had said how his wife had been a trooper, enduring the pain of delivery without the benefit of an epidural. She had done that for him! He had asked his mother how he had met her and she had gone into the details. She had been a surrogate! So why did he have the feeling that they were so much more? She had said how much she loved him, but he remembered several years ago how his heart had been splintered by another woman. But this one was different, the thought came unbidden to his mind. She carried your child and stayed with you at the hospital. Even though you rejected her, she still came around. He closed his eyes as he remembered last night. He should have let her stay.

  “Mr. Sullivan?” the financial controller looked at him strangely, her eyes curious and he snapped out of it.

  “Go ahead.”

  *****

  The dress was new and one of their most expensive lines. It was a shade between green and blue and made one think of the ocean. It was also scandalous with a deep V in the bosom exposing slices of flesh and clung to every contours of her body. It had thin straps that crisscrossed at her back and there was no way she could wear a stitch of anything underneath. The old Aaliyah would have cringed at wear
ing something like this, but she was a woman fighting for her husband so there were no holds barred! She had called Lena and the woman had come over in the afternoon. Aaliyah had said goodbye to her son hugging him as she strapped him into the car seat. Now it was time to go to battle!

  “I am thinking of doing something different.” Lena looked at her thick lustrous hair for a moment.

  “Like what?”

  Lena had removed the mirror from in front of her and stood back a little to look at her. “You have put on a little weight in your face which makes it fill out somewhat and your hair has grown a lot!” she clapped her hands. “I have some products I will be testing out on you today.”

  “As long as it does not turn me into a chimpanzee.”

  Lena laughed raucously at that and went to get her bags. “Your husband is going to have a heart attack.”

  “I want him alive, Lena.”

  “Figure of speech, darling!”

  It took three hours and they had to break for the delicious lunch Loretta had prepared for them and Aaliyah had to break to take a call from Ryan.

  “Hi,” she said in surprise.

  “How are you?”

  “I am fine and you?”

  “I am okay. How is–”

  “Your son?”

  “Yes.”

  “He is with your mother. She wanted him for the day.”

  “Okay, I will see him then.” He paused. “What are you doing?”

  “I am planning on going to see Leesa and some of the others. I have been cooped up a bit.”

  “If you need anything–”

  “Darling, you are a great provider. I have little needs except you. Last night and this morning were amazing. We need to do it again soon.”

  Aaliyah smiled at the silence.

  “I will talk to you,” he said a little hoarsely.

  “Ryan?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you baby.”

  He hung up without responding.

  With a smile on her lips, she went back to Lena.

  *****

  The function was at eight and she waited until it was a quarter to nine before she made her appearance. She handed her coat to the coat person and made her way carefully into the conference room where the function was being held. She had called Leesa and she had told her that they were already there. Heads turned as she made her way in and she almost laughed at the look on her husband’s face when he saw her! She made her way to the front and sat at the table where the wives and their husbands were seated. She looked up and caught his narrowed gaze and waved at him a little. “You look–”

  Leesa struggled for words as she leaned forward.

  “Naked?” Aaliyah said dryly. “I almost did not wear it.”

  “Girl you wear it incredibly well and your hair!” Kelly whispered. “What on earth did Lena do to it?”

  “Don’t ask.” Aaliyah said with a grin. “I just know it looks fabulous.” She had flat ironed the thick strands and had swept it into a myriad of curls at the side of her head. Aaliyah had chosen to wear emeralds at her throat and her lobes and she looked unbelievably stunning!

  It was an hour later after the many speeches before Ryan could get away and he came right to their table. “Would you excuse us please?” he asked the rest sitting there in a polite tone as he took Aaliyah’s arm.

  “You did not tell me you would be here,” he guided her over to the corner of the room.

  “You did not tell me you had a function. I am your wife and I am supposed to accompany you. I had to find out from your secretary. But no worries, I am here.” She slid her hands over the lapel of his dark blue jacket and fixed his tie.

  “What are you wearing?” he asked her coldly. He had seen every male eyes on her and he had wanted to pummel every last one of them. Even Brad had been looking at her! Damn her!

  “You like?”

  “It’s indecent.” He gritted.

  “It will be easy for you to slip it off. I am not wearing panties.” She whispered. To his shock, she took one of his hands and slid it up her bare legs so that he was touching her bare flesh. “See?” she murmured throatily. He could not remove his hand and right there where he was supposed to be representing the hotels’ association he dipped his fingers inside her and stroked the flesh.

  She leaned into him as he continued to go deeper. “Ryan,” her lips were parted and her expertly made up face glowed. He bent his head and took her lips with his. He was hungry and desperate and if he did not stop he was going to take her right there! He had to make his excuses! He sprang away from her and looked around the room. “Wait here!” he rasped.

  She leaned against the wall and watched as he strode swiftly to talk to some persons at the table he had been sitting and came back to her. “Let’s go.”

  He took her up to an empty suite and the minute the doors closed he released his penis and took her from behind right by the door. The animal sounds coming from him were unrecognizable, but he had lost control the minute he saw her coming into the room! He tore at the dress in his haste to touch her nipples. Aaliyah cried out and clawed at his hand around her waist. She came against him immediately, bracing her head against the door and moaning uncontrollably. He used his foot to spread hers further as he plunged into her roughly. His head descended and he bit into the flesh of her back as he unloaded inside her. He did not stop thrusting even though his body had gone weak and he was shuddering. He pulled her down to the carpeted floor and switched position so he could be on top of her. He entered her again and reached for her nipples with his mouth. Aaliyah hugged him to her as she welcomed every frantic thrust he made inside her!

  *****

  It was several hours before he could rise and carried her to the bed. He stripped and finished taking off the ruined dress off her. She curled into his arms immediately. “I am hungry,” she murmured in his chest.

  He laughed silently at that. “Is that so?”

  “Hmm,” she lifted her head and used her tongue on his nipple.

  “Aaliyah,” he groaned.

  “Yes,” she lifted her head and looked down at him. “You remember my name.”

  “I do.” His eyes met hers. “How long have you been planning this?”

  She did not pretend to know what he was saying. “Since I came to your apartment.”

  “I see,” his eyes searched hers before he reached over and took the phone from the hook. “Please, send something up to our room.”

  “Just like that.” She climbed over him. “What do you think they will send up? Since you are the boss they are going to want to impress you. Do you think they have fried chicken at this hour?”

  “I am sure they do,” he said in amusement.

  She reached for the phone. “Hi, this is Aaliyah Sullivan. Could you add some fried chicken to the order? Thanks.” She said and hung up.

  “Aaliyah Sullivan.” He murmured as he touched her cheek lightly.

  “That’s my name darling.” She bent and kissed him long and hard. By the time their food arrived, they had barely finished devouring each other!

  *****

  His memories came back slowly and in patches. The first thing he remembered was their wedding day and then he recalled the arrangement with the surrogacy agency and then he remembered their first meeting and their first kiss. After the night at the hotel when she had crashed his function, he had started coming to the house several nights a week. He would sit with his son in the nursery and stay until he fell asleep. He made love to her every chance he got. She was addictive and he was getting to know her so well. She would not allow him to shut her out and insisted that they did things as a family. Like planning an impromptu pool party with just them, complete with picnic basket and towels spread out. She woke up the first Saturday he came back home and declared that they were going to take a walk on the grounds.

  “Why?”

  “Because I am yet to see the entire place. Very soon, summer will be over and then what?” s
he leaned over and kissed him lingeringly. “Come on.” She jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom. He had joined her there and they had not come out until several minutes later. He had hired a nanny even though she had insisted that she wanted to take care of their son. “We have a lot of entertaining and Loretta handles the house it is not fair to her to babysit as well.”

  So she had agreed.

  They pushed Cameron in the pram and sat by the lovely stream to listen to the birds chirping. It was a lovely summer day and not too hot. They sat beneath the Pine tree and she rested her head in his lap. “It is so peaceful here.” She murmured as she looked around. “I was thinking of having your birthday party right here.”

  “No.”

  “Ryan–”

  “Dinner. Just the two of us in Paris.”

  Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. “Do you remember us?” she asked softly.

  “I do.” He used a finger to trace her lips and she captured it between her teeth. “You were my surrogate who became more.”

  “How much more?” she whispered.

  He looked away for a minute and then looked at his sleeping son. “I had been in a relationship when I was younger and was foolish about it. She aborted the child we had made together saying she did not want a family.” His face hardened and she felt her breath hitch. “I swore that it would never happen to me again.”