“Personal issues …” Michelle repeated as if Brent had just told her he had landed on Mars and was currently searching for unicorns.
“Yeah, so can you do that?” Brent asked, irritated.
“Personal issues …” Michelle repeated the words as if they would make more sense the more she said them.
“Fine, you get the picture. I’m hanging up now.” As Brent tossed his phone onto the dining room table, he wondered why Michelle was acting so strange. He had a life outside of work. Didn’t she know that?
In all honesty, he had to admit, she wouldn’t know it. Brent never attended family events; he never had a girlfriend; and he never stayed away from work.
He glanced down the hallway to his bedroom door that was still closed and couldn’t resist the temptation to go check on Tia.
He slowly opened the door and noticed she was sleeping again. Her shoulders moved slightly in time with her breathing. As he stepped closer he noticed her dark brown hair was spread over his pillow and he couldn’t help but remember what she had looked like straddling him with that dark hair falling over her shoulders.
He felt a stirring in his groin but couldn’t force himself to leave. Her bare shoulder revealed smooth ivory skin, with a tiny mole. Long dark black lashes rested on her cheeks and Brent knew that if she opened them, her eyes could spark with fire or melt with desire. He had seen both, and both had aroused him equally.
Roger had said she was fine, that she could go home, but Brent didn’t want her to. For the first time in his life, he wanted to take care of someone. Now he just had to convince her it was the right thing to do.
He shook his head and grabbed a seat beside the bed, wondering if Michelle wasn’t perhaps right. With all the foreign emotions surfacing, he felt like someone searching for unicorns on Mars.
7
About twenty minutes after sitting down, Tia groggily moaned before trying to reach for the water on the bedside table. Without asking, Brent quickly stood up and offered her the bottle of water.
She drank deeply and gradually became more wakeful. As he watched her, Brent couldn’t help but think how much she reminded him of a ragdoll coming to life. Her tousled dark hair hung in strands around her face; her skin was ivory and blemish free from the sleep. Her chocolate-brown eyes slowly moved towards him until she met his gaze.
“Thanks.” Her voice was scratchy from the sleep.
Brent shrugged and smiled. “It’s the least I could do.”
Tia smiled at him and it felt like punch to the gut. Even tired and tousled from sleep, she was the most beautiful woman.
“Not just for the water. For letting me stay, for letting Roger come and take a look at me …”
“It’s the least I could do, Tia. I ran you over with my car and cost you a day’s work. You really have to tell me what I owe you—I was serious. I’m giving you double until you’re back on your feet.”
“Brent—don’t. You’ve done enough. I’m just going to take nap then I’ll get out of your hair. I’m sure you have more important things to do than to take care of me.”
Brent considered her words for a moment and realized there might be something more important, but Michelle had already taken care of the meeting. Besides, he thought, smiling at Tia, there was nothing he else he would rather be doing. “I don’t, and I honestly don’t mind you staying.”
Tia shook her head and moistened her lips with her tongue. As the pink tip darted over her lips, Brent felt a stirring in his groin until her voice brought him back to present. “Really? I find it hard to believe that you don’t mind me taking my time getting out of your—” Tia glanced around before a frown settled on her head. “—is this the penthouse?”
Brent overlooked the fact that he had told her that earlier; it just confirmed that she was more confused than she had let on.
“Yes, it is. But this isn’t like it was two years ago, Tia; I really don’t mind you staying. Besides, it’s nice to have a guest for a change. I haven’t had anyone over here in—I can’t even remember how long.”
“You don’t bring girls here?” she asked, confused.
Brent laughed. “No, never.”
“Really?” She dragged the word out, making it about ten syllables instead of three.
“Listen, I’m going to start cooking dinner. I actually enjoy cooking but never have anyone to share it with. So at least stay for dinner?”
“Brent, I don’t know. This is all … awkward, to say the least. Especially considering …”
Brent knew exactly what she was referring to, and he hated that he had left her with that bad impression. “It’s not awkward at all,” he said brightly, hoping he would convince her. “For the short time you’re here, why don’t we forget about two years ago. Maybe that will make it easier for you to feel comfortable here, at least until you’ve had a proper meal?”
He could see indecision floating in her chocolate eyes; falling back to a grade-school habit he crossed his fingers as he watched her.
“I’ll try, but I can’t promise I’m staying for dinner. I am staying until I’ve had another nap though.” Tia’s smile was open and friendly, exactly like it had been that night so long ago.
Feeling more confident, Brent stood up and smiled down at Tia in his bed. For a moment he wanted to take a nap with her and snuggle against her until sleepiness turned to need, but he wouldn’t. He had just promised her they would forget that night had ever happened, even though Brent knew he would never forget it. “I promise once you smell my food, you won’t be able to leave without taking a bite first.”
Tia yawned and took more vitamins before falling back against the pillows. “We’ll see.”
As her eyes fluttered closed, Brent knew he needed to make the best dinner he had ever made before. He wasn’t ready for Tia to step out of life again just yet.
Tia’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she stretched again. This time she didn’t feel like she needed another nap; she felt rejuvenated. She glanced dubiously at the two vitamin jars on the bed table, fascinated that she felt so much better already. The scent of cooking teased her nostrils as she glanced around the room. Her eyes caught sight of a set of clothes at the foot of the bed. Brent had been kind enough to offer her an overly large T-shirt before Roger’s visit, but she would be glad to get dressed.
She had been lying in varied states of undress in Brent’s bed since last night; she would feel better if she saw him again on an even footing.
She tossed her legs over the side of the bed and besides the little pain in her one leg, they were no longer wobbly. A smile crossed her face as she noticed the ensuite bathroom.
Tia grabbed the clothes from the bed and headed straight into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, amazed to see it was some sort of fancy shower with jets blasting all over your body. Tia quickly pulled the shirt over her head and stepped in.
The water pounding against different parts of her body was simply amazing. Tia suddenly understood why people would pay so much for a shower like this; it was worth every penny. After a few minutes of just allowing the water to massage her entire body, Tia felt a million times better than she had before.
She reached for the shampoo that promised to envelop a person with the scents of fennel and mint and Tia soon realized it wasn’t an empty promise. As she worked the soap into her hair she thought back to the night she had shared with Brent back home.
At the time she had been waitressing at the diner, saving up to leave for the big city. Tia had never hated the small town, but she knew that if she stayed she would have just accepted her fate like all the others had done in town.
Get married young, get a stable (poor-paying) job, have kids, and wait for grandkids.
There was nothing wrong with those aspirations; they had just never belonged to Tia. Her mother had ridiculed her for it so many times she had stopped counting.
But one night Brent had stepped through those diner doors. He was unlike any man Tia had ever see
n before. He had carried an air of affluence and authority with him through those doors, and Tia had been attracted like a moth to a flame.
His eyes were intense blue and had smiled up at her when she had come to take his order and pour him coffee. His smile had made her heart flip a few times before she’d managed to give him the day’s specials.
She was still a virgin at the time, and so the heat pooling between her legs, her nipples hardening, and her mouth going dry, were all foreign to Tia. She only knew one thing as she stood looking into Brent’s blue eyes; she wanted him.
She had gotten her wish, all right. They had made slow sexy love all night long. What was supposed to be a horrible first time as all her friends had warned her had been a magical night with a stranger. They had never exchanged names, both knowing the night wouldn’t stretch beyond morning.
Tia hadn’t realized the night wouldn’t stretch that far even. When she had woken alone in that motel room, sore from lovemaking and yet eager for more, she had regretted allowing Brent to do all the things he had done the night before.
She had lowered her head and done the walk of shame, with nearly the whole town knowing that Tia Blues had spent the night in the motel with a man passing through town. After her mother had scolded her, even though she had been twenty-two at the time, Tia had promised to save up and leave town as soon as possible.
It had taken her another year before she had saved up enough.
Tia sighed as she rinsed her hair. And now she was saving to go back to everything she had run from.
The thought irked her, but at the same time she couldn’t help but be fascinated that fate had literally thrown her in Brent’s path again.
After she had scrubbed her body with his citrus body wash, Tia dressed into the clothes that had been left on the bed. She was surprised to find they fit her perfectly.
How had he done that, and where were her own clothes? Tia wondered as she proceeded to make the bed. For good measure she took two more vitamins when she heard Ed Sheeran’s voice faintly coming from beyond the door.
Brent had been nothing but kind to her since she had woken up in his apartment; the least she could do was to be civilized when she greeted him. Tia squared her shoulders and opened the door to face the man who taken her virginity two years ago, and all thoughts about leaving left her mind.
For the first time, Tia understood how cartoon characters floated towards the scent of food. She didn’t even feel her feet moving as she moved towards the kitchen. Brent stood barefoot in jeans and a plain white T-shirt, stirring something on the stove.
Her nipples did a rerun of their peaking act from two years ago at the sight of him. Shaking her head, Tia moved forward, hoping Brent wouldn’t notice.
“That smells amazing.”
8
Brent had heard her open the bedroom door and had had to force himself to tend to the curry and not go running to her.
When he heard her voice from behind him, he slowly turned around. The clothes he had had Lara, his housekeeper, go out and buy for her, fit her perfectly. But even better than the clothes were the smells surrounding her.
There was something to be said for a woman smelling like your soap, Brent thought as he took her in. Her dark ebony hair hung in damp strands over her shoulders; her face was bright and fresh, and a wide smile dominated her face.
“Thai chicken curry with coconut milk.” Brent shrugged. It was his favorite go-to dish. Easy to make, delicious to eat and everyone loves it.
“I’ve never had it before, but I think I need to reconsider my plans of leaving before supper.” The sleep had done her a world of good. She looked refreshed and Brent would even go so far as to say she looked happy.
“Well, I made it for you. I hope you’ll stay.” Brent found her chocolate eyes cloud with awareness as he moved closer. She gasped softly, but just loud enough that Brent noticed.
It was still there. Brent smiled as he shook his head. That same attraction that had pulled them together two years ago was back. This time Brent didn’t have to wonder what it would be like to touch her; he knew.
He knew she would whimper at his kisses; she would moan when his fingers found her wet; and before she came she would say his name. He felt his groin harden at the thought.
Since then Tia would have had more lovers; she would have gained more experience. The thought of another man touching her irked him slightly. He would have loved to be her only, but she wouldn’t have been celibate for two years. Heaven knew he hadn’t been.
Tia finally broke the silence with a soft laugh. “I’ll stay, but just for dinner,” she said as if reading his mind.
“Great. You can take a seat by the kitchen island, unless you’d like to sit in the dining room?” he asked, confused. He hadn’t really entertained woman before and was completely lost as to what he should do.
Tia laughed and took a seat by the kitchen island. “The dining room? Honestly, save that for important people. Most days I’m lucky if I have time to sit down while I’m eating.”
Brent wanted to tell her about how bad it was to eat standing up, but refrained. They needed to keep this light and easy. “Would you like a glass of water or juice, perhaps?”
“I think I’ve had enough vitamins stuffed into me today, thank you. Water will be fine.”
“Great.” He quickly collected a bottle from the fridge and handed it to her after uncapping it. As she drank, he allowed his eyes to linger. “You really look much better after the nap.”
Tia licked her lips before setting the bottle down. “I didn’t realize I was missing out on so much sleep and meals. Maybe it’s a good thing you ran me over.” She giggled nervously.
Brent sighed. “I am really sorry about that, again. You still need to tell how much I owe you.”
“Stop with the money already. If you’re so eager to give it away, give it to a charity. Besides, if you pay me to stay here this all starts to feel slightly inappropriate.”
Brent laughed. “Like Pretty Woman?”
“Exactly, but without the masses of red hair and the large tub.” Tia propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand as she watched him.
“I prefer your hair, and my shower is quite big,” Brent’s back was to Tia but he could hear the sharp intake of her breath.
“Just as smooth as ever …” Tia said, letting the words hang between them.
Brent couldn’t help but smile as he took out two bowls and started serving the food. She felt it as well; she wouldn’t have said that if she didn’t.
After serving two decent-sized bowls and setting out fresh breadsticks he took a seat beside Tia. “Dig in.”
Tia laughed. “I don’t think I’ve heard that expression since I’ve arrived in New York.”
“Then you’ve been mixing with the wrong crowd.”
Tia twisted her fork in her hands as if what he had said troubled her. Brent decided to ignore it and tucked in.
As always, the Thai chicken curry was flavorful and filling. Brent tried to focus on that alone, but with Tia sitting so close to him it was near impossible. He noticed the small bites she took and how she moaned every time. Her bowl was finished before his.
“Brent, I don’t know what it is you do, but you should be cooking instead.” She turned to him, beaming, and Brent was certain that if he hadn’t had excellent self-control he would have kissed her by now.
“No, I shouldn’t. This is like paint by numbers, only it’s cooking. After Step A comes Step B comes Step C. Only difference is I’ve cooked it so many times, I don’t have to look at the numbers anymore.”
“Then you should give me the numbers. The recipe, I mean,” Tia said on a laugh.
“Would you like some more?” Brent asked, noticing she scraped a little more from her bowl and licked it off her fork.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t …”
“Honestly, you should,” Brent said as he stood up and dished the remaining curry into her bowl. “Doctor’
s orders.”
“Thanks. Roger is real nice.” Brent could hear the adoration in her words. Woman always adored Roger, even if they were half his age.
“He is. He is honestly one of those real honest-to-God good people you don’t meet anymore. I swear if you ask him for the pair of shoes he’s wearing, he’ll give you that as well,” Brent said with a smile.
“I can picture him doing that. Whatever was in those vitamins worked; it feels like I’m ready to stay up for most of the night.” Tia’s eyes flew to his and Brent grinned.
“I didn’t mean …” she quickly added.
With their gazes locked, Brent felt the heat rise between them. “I know.” His voice sounded husky to his own ears.
Knowing it was too soon to explore the attraction between them, Brent decided to change the subject. “So how come you haven’t been eating, or sleeping, for that matter?”
Tia sighed heavily as she scooped some more food onto her fork. “Honestly, you want to know the truth?”
“Yes. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have asked.”
“I’ve found that in New York people tend to ask a lot of questions, but barely any of them ever listen to the answer.”
“I’m listening.”
“I came to the city to make something of myself. To escape the small-town mindset and to prove to myself that I could. Only I couldn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“After a few weeks, all the money I had saved up ran out. I couldn’t get a good job without further education and since job is so scarce, I ended up waitressing. Although waitressing pays better in New York than it does back home, it still isn’t a career.”
“So you’ve been broke for a year?” Brent asked, concerned. If he had known … he would’ve helped. Given her a job, a place to stay, for heaven’s sake.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve been saving. I’ve been trying to save enough money to go home and to be able to take a tidy amount of money with me. Even if I didn’t reach all my dreams, I’d like to have something to show for it. Since I couldn’t save much of my waitressing money, what with expenses and traveling costs and all that, I took on a second job.”
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