Promises of Forever

by Celya Bowers

  CHAPTER 13

  Sunday morning the sun crept through the wooden blinds and slapped Finn awake. He turned over, hoping to get a few more minutes sleep, when he caught sight of Kayleigh’s face. Her eyes were open.

  “Good morning,” he said. “Sleep well?”

  She smiled. “Yes, I did.” She pulled the covers more securely over her nudity. “I hadn’t slept that well in a long time. My body still feels tired. How many times…” She let the question hang in the air.

  She looked so cute, being bashful. “I lost count after the fourth time,” he admitted. During the night they’d reached for each other many times and ended up in a passion play.

  She yawned, looking around the room. “Where’s the clock?”

  He chuckled. “You don’t remember, do you? One of those times, you unplugged the clock and threw it across the room. You said the lights bothered you.”

  “I don’t believe you. I would never do such a thing.” Still, she darted a glance around the room, and sighed when she spotted the remnants of his alarm clock shattered in a corner. “Oh, my goodness. I’ll get you another one.”

  “It’s not necessary.” He scooted closer to her. “I’ll take a kiss instead.” He took his payment before she could spout her refusal. What was it about this woman?

  “Wow, those lips are going to get me into a lot of trouble,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “They have me thinking all the wrong things. Instead of thinking about my studies, I’m thinking about how nice those lips would feel on me in the shower.”

  The shower? He hadn’t thought about the shower, but now it sounded like a grand idea. “Why don’t we find out?”

  “Finn, you can’t be serious!”

  Oh, but he was. “I even have a shower cap for your hair.” He pulled her out of the bed and guided her into the shower.

  “Let’s see how good you feel underwater.”

  * * *

  Kayleigh decided against the shower cap. She stepped inside the glass-enclosed shower and waited for Finn to turn on the water. His hands somehow found the way to her body instead. The man was an octopus! One hand held her against the glass wall while the other one turned on the water. The hot water pelted her tired body, giving her a surge of morning energy. He had one of those waterfall showerheads, and that was exactly what it reminded her of.

  He pulled her under the water and kissed her hard as the water engulfed them. She tried to hold on to his wet, hard body, but it was proving to be quite difficult. Finally she had to wrap her legs around him.

  With such an invitation, it didn’t take Finn long to react. He kissed her as he entered her body. His body pressed against hers as Kayleigh moaned and groaned and promised him all sorts of things, as long as he didn’t stop.

  He buried his head against her neck as he buried his erection deep inside her. Kayleigh hadn’t felt this much passion in a long time. She could only hang on for the ride. Out of all the orgasms they’d shared the night before, she doubted she’d have another this morning, but she was so wrong.

  That was exactly the minute she realized they hadn’t used a condom. Even that couldn’t deter from having the most mind-zapping orgasm she’d ever had.

  Later she stood in the middle of Finn’s master bathroom, feeling exactly like a Nubian queen as he dried her off and wrapped her in a soft bathrobe.

  “I’ll put your clothes in the washer. They should be finished after we finish breakfast.” He wrapped a towel around his waist.

  Kayleigh needed a nap. She knew part of it was due to all of the activity she’d been having with Finn, but the other part was lupus rearing its ugly head. “I think a nap sounds much better.”

  “I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.” He kissed her gently on the lips.

  Kayleigh watched him walk out the bathroom, thinking Finn Callahan was one fantastic lover. She fell asleep with memories of Finn’s lips caressing her body.

  * * *

  Whistling a silly tune, Finn prepared Kayleigh a breakfast fit for a queen. Although she had a healthy appetite, he didn’t think she ate enough food. With her schedule, he doubted she ate properly. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed eggs, bacon, orange juice, milk, butter, and jam.

  He fried the bacon and made coffee. Surely Kayleigh would be down as soon as the aromas started wafting upstairs. He continued making his masterpiece, waiting for her to make an appearance.

  He’d finished breakfast and still no Kayleigh. He went to his bedroom and found her asleep. Dead to the world. He sat beside her and felt her forehead. She was a little warm, but not burning up. Finn never had a date sleep her way through his breakfast, and was at a loss for what to do next. He decided to let her sleep.

  * * *

  When Kayleigh opened her eyes again, she instantly knew it was no longer morning. She glanced around, looking for a clock of some sort, and cursed when she didn’t see one. “What adult doesn’t have a clock hanging on the wall?”

  She sat up, stretched, and noticed her clothes folded in a neat stack on the foot of the bed. She reached for them and hurriedly dressed. Something told her she’d been asleep a lot longer than she thought.

  The house was eerily quiet as she stepped quietly down the stairs. Where was Finn? Her question was answered when she heard a noise in the kitchen. She walked into the room and smiled. He was watching a small TV and cooking.

  “Good morning,” she said bashfully.

  “Good afternoon,” he said. Finn was dressed in a polo shirt that showcased those glorious biceps and sculpted chest, and blue jeans that showcased his muscular butt. “I was getting worried.”

  “I guess I was really tired,” she lied. “What time is it?”

  “About two-thirty. Are you always that tired afterwards?”

  Kayleigh shrugged, not wanting to admit it had been the better part of two years since she’d had a reason to be that tired.

  Apparently Finn knew the fine art of changing the subject. “I’m fixing chicken saltimbocca.”

  “I’m not that hungry.” Okay, that was a lie, but she didn’t want Finn to think all she did was eat.

  He shook his head. “You didn’t eat breakfast. You have to eat. That’s probably why you’re tired.”

  Her mouth betrayed her before she could think of a suitable lie. “No, that’s not it.”

  He resumed making his meal, not exactly making eye contact. “Was it last night?”

  “No, why would you think that?” She walked to the counter and stood beside him. She didn’t want him thinking he’d harmed her in any way. “Finn, I don’t regret last night. I have to admit I’m a little out of practice.”

  He finally quit preparing the chicken, and then wiped his hands on a towel before he took her in his arms. “I thought you were having second thoughts.”

  He looked at her with those sincere, dark blue eyes. It melted her heart. He was worried about her! “No second thoughts.” She rested her head on his chest and relished being in his strong arms. She should tell him about her illness, but couldn’t bring herself to utter the very words she knew could end it all.

  He kissed her forehead. “Okay, sit down. This is almost ready.”

  She moved away from him and looked down at the pan. He laid a green leaf on each chicken breast, then turned the chicken over. “You must really enjoy cooking.” He was so confident with each move. “I don’t cook much. When I lived with my dad, he did most of the cooking. I’m a microwave girl.”

  He placed a slice of some kind of round white cheese on the chicken breast. “That’s not cooking, you know.”

  He sounded just like her dad. “I know, but it’s all I have time for. I had always wanted to cook, but just never had time.”

  “Well, there’s always now. I can teach you some basics so you won’t have to depend on TV dinners for nutrition.”

  “I don’t know.” She thought it sounded like an invitation to disaster. “Besides, I don’t really have time right now.”
She walked to the small table.

  “We can start small.” With a pair of tongs, he took chicken out of the skillet. “This meal is pretty easy. It only sounds difficult.”

  She nodded, noting that he hadn’t taken no for an answer. He continued with a litany of ingredients for the dish. “You have chicken breasts, basil, provolone cheese—you can add spinach if you like.”

  “Maybe this summer, since I won’t be able to take any classes. My doctor and Harley would kill me.” She wished she could have taken back the statement, and hoped that he didn’t question her.

  “Why?” He brought the platter of chicken to the table. “I mean, you seem healthy. Why would your doctor not want you to continue your education?” He walked to the refrigerator and took out a bowl of salad, two kinds of dressings.

  “He thinks I’m doing too much since Daddy passed.” It wasn’t a big lie, just a teeny-tiny one.

  He brought the salad to the table and sat down. Kayleigh inhaled the aroma. The chicken smelled delicious and she couldn’t wait to eat. If Finn thought she ate too much, that was just too bad.

  After they both had some food on their plates, they began to eat. Kayleigh took one bite of the chicken and sighed. “Okay, when I have some free time you’re going to have to teach me how to make this.”

  He smiled. “I made plenty. You can eat as much as you like, and you can stay as long as you like.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Okay, he’d overstepped the line and there was no way to backtrack. Think, Finn. You’ve gotten out of jams before. This should be a piece of cake.

  The nervous look on Kayleigh’s face told him differently. “Kayleigh, I meant for today. You can stay as long as you want today,” he lied. “There’s no rush about you going home.”

  “Oh, good.” She continued eating. “You can take me home after this. I need to finish my homework and get started on that English paper.”

  He nodded. That was too close for comfort, but luckily he was quick on his feet. He took a bite of the chicken. It was his favorite dish to make. It always turned out great. He’d been making the second batch when Kayleigh walked into the kitchen. He’d actually made her plenty to take home with her.

  “Finn?”

  He glanced at her. She’d cleaned her plate and was asking for seconds. He took her plate and placed more food on it. It made his heart swell with pride that she was eating.

  “Thank you.” She ate with little conversation.

  Finn watched her, already dreading the time when he’d have to take her home. She was fast becoming a part of him that he wasn’t quite ready to share.

  * * *

  Only after Finn left her house, did Kayleigh breathe a sigh of relief. As bad as she wanted all those kisses to continue, they both needed some alone time.

  She had to think. She’d had more sex with Finn in twenty-four hours than she’d had with Manny during the few months they’d dated. Even with Finn being ten years older than her, he had more energy than she ever could dream of having. She couldn’t keep up with him, that was obvious.

  She decided on a bath. A nice, hot bubble bath always helped her think things through. Now that she and Finn had crossed the line into intimacy, she didn’t know what was next.

  She turned on the bath, and after the small bathroom smelled like a bouquet of flowers, she laid out some clothes to change into. The phone rang as she headed for the bath. She already knew it was Harley. It was like Harley could tell the minute she came home. She picked up the phone on her way to the bathroom. “Hello, Harley.”

  “How was he?”

  Kayleigh tried her darndest not to laugh, but she couldn’t help it. “Harley, just once, I’d like to do the reporting. How do you know we even did anything last night?” She slipped out of her clothes and got into the tub. Oh, the water felt like heaven to her tired, worn-out body.

  “I know because, one, you didn’t call me last night. You know that’s girlfriend rule number one. Two, I blew your phone up and you never called back. So, I put one and one together and came up with sex. Am I right?”

  “Yes.”

  Harley shrieked into the phone. “Oh, my God. You finally got some! What’s it been, like two, riding on three, years? I’m so proud. Was he all the man he could be?”

  That was Harley. She’d taken one night with Finn to a whole new level without any help from Kayleigh. “Harley, will you calm down?”

  “Are you kidding? Mr. Hottie was eyeing you like a piece of meat at Manny’s party. I knew you guys were going to have sex, but I’d figured it would be a few months before you would put out.”

  She shook her head. In her heart, Kayleigh knew Harley meant well, but sometimes her brain just didn’t cooperate with her mouth. “Well, actually, I was so tired this morning I slept until two. I’m going to see the doctor tomorrow.”

  Silence. “Wow,” Harley said quietly, all her earlier excitement gone. “I’m going with you.”

  “Harley, you can’t miss tomorrow,” Kayleigh reminded her friend, still hoping that Harley would insist on accompanying her. “It’s coming up to the end of the month and the accounting cycle is getting ready to close. The idiot will have a cow.”

  “So? You need someone with you. I’m your family.”

  “Thanks, Harley. I’ll let you know what time in the morning. You’re a good friend, and I’m sure I don’t say it enough, but thank you for being there for me.”

  Harley started sniffing. “Don’t think for one minute all this sweet talk is going to make me forget about Mr. Hottie. What did he say when you told him about your lupus?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Kayleigh,” Harley said, dragging her name to at least ten syllables. “The more you’re with him, the more pissed off he’s going to be when he does find out.”

  “I’d rather take that chance. I know the minute I tell him he’s going to send me packing.”

  Harley sighed. “This is your decision. When this blows up in your face, and it will, remember this was your decision.”

  “I know.”

  “So, back to my first question. How was Mr. Hottie? Was he a tactile lover who had to touch and taste every inch of your brown body?”

  “Can I start from the beginning of the date? Even you would have approved of it.”

  “If you must,” Harley groaned. “Please keep in mind that I’m married to the most romantic man on the planet. Ben is going to be hard to beat.”

  Kayleigh realized her hot water was now tepid. “I’ll call you back and tell you all about it. I want to finish my bath.”

  “You know I hate waiting for juicy gossip, but I know how you are about your baths. I’ll be waiting by the phone.”

  * * *

  After she’d dressed in lounging clothes and heated up the meal Finn packed for her, Kayleigh called Harley back. To her surprise the doorbell rang. She put the phone down and headed to the door, hoping it wasn’t Finn.

  She got her wish. It was Harley.

  Kayleigh opened her front door to let her friend inside the house. “Harley, what the hell are you doing here?”

  Harley walked in the house, threw her purse on the table. “I wanted a face-to-face commentary. That way you couldn’t hide the fact that he made your eyes glaze over.”

  Kayleigh shook her head. She should be used to her friend, but every now and then, Harley still managed to surprise her. “Would you like something to eat?”

  “You’re ordering in?” Harley plopped on the couch and turned on the TV.

  “No.”

  “You’re not cooking, are you?”

  “I should be upset at your comment, but no. Finn made chicken saltimbocca and sent some back with me. He’s convinced I’m not eating right. So he packed up some of that, salad and French bread.”

  “Wow! He cooked for you.”

  “He says he likes to cook. You should see his kitchen. It looked like something off the Food Network.”

  “Okay, I’ll take some of the chicken t
hing, but you can keep the salad. You know I do want to hear about his house. Later, of course.”

  “Come on.” Kayleigh walked to the kitchen, with Harley right behind her. When she opened the refrigerator, Harley gasped.

  “You didn’t say he boxed up in cute little containers. He likes to add up those brownie points, doesn’t he?”

  She made a face at her friend as she took the heated dish and put the other one in. “You take this, and I’ll take this one.”

  Harley nodded, already reaching in a drawer for silverware. She tasted the dish and moaned. “Oh, this is so good.” She took her dish to the kitchen table and sat down. “This seems like a sit-down meal. Maybe, I will take some salad.”

  Kayleigh laughed. “I thought so.” She soon joined her friend at the table. After they both had salad and bread, they began to eat.

  Even though the food was good, nothing was going to deter Harley. “Okay, I know I talked to you while he was changing clothes. So what kind of pictures did he have? Were they all like priceless pieces of art?”

  “No, he had pictures of his family. His parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, apparently the Irish are a very close-knit kind of family. One of his aunts is African-American.”

  Harley stopped with the fork midway to her mouth. “Get out!”

  She hated to admit how shocked she was, as well. “I know. He says they’ve been married like forty-something years, and they had six kids and a ton of grandkids. They live in Virginia.”

  “If they’ve been married that long, they went through some serious drama.”

  “Finn said it only made their family stronger. He was very proud of his family. He has three sisters and two brothers.”

  “Okay, skip the good home tour and get to the good stuff.”

  “Harley, I can’t tell you everything that happened,” she teased. “It was wonderful. It’s a wonder I’m able to walk today.”

  “Let’s see, Finn is six-three, so I’m guessing pretty well endowed, huh?”

  “Do you kiss your husband with that mouth?”

  “Among other things.”