by Sam Crescent
He’d make it his business to make sure she was taken care of in all things.
Opening the top button of her uniform, Kent averted his eyes and removed the dress from her body. He took a quick glance at her beauty before covering her up with a blanket. For the longest time he stood over her watching her sleep. He wondered what it would feel like to climb into the bed behind her and have her wrapped in his arms.
Instead of doing what he craved, he turned away and made his way to his own room. He switched off the television on his way to his room.
Kent turned the lamp on before going through to his bathroom. Staring at his reflection he saw every one of his forty-five years reflected back at him. Lana was the first woman to sleep in his apartment without him having sex with her.
His time for sleeping around had ended the moment she entered his life. Did Lana even realise the impact she’d had on him?
He doubted she even understood her value to him.
Removing his clothes he climbed into the shower. He squirted some shower gel in his palms and massaged the gel over his skin. His cock pulsed as he remembered the sight of her naked body. He cupped his cock thinking about touching her silken skin. His mind was filled with her moans of pleasure.
Kent pumped his shaft until his seed released from the tip. The orgasm was satisfactory but nothing like he imagined taking Lana would be.
Later that night he fell to sleep thinking about Lana and the future he could have with his cleaner. She meant so much more to him than being a cleaner.
Chapter Twelve
Lana opened the mail on Saturday morning and almost spit the coffee she’d been drinking all over the door. She’d been sent a bonus for her cleaning work and the amount had her gasping for breath. Looking over the numbers she decided the amount had to be a mistake.
She went down to the pay phone they kept in the building. Putting a few quarters into the machine, she punched in the number for the company where she worked. Once she reached the boss she asked her about the amount.
The amount was correct, and the bonus would be paid in full. All she needed to do was take the check to her bank and cash it.
Gazing down at the amount she wasn’t paying attention as someone knocked on the door. Looking up she saw Kent stood with a key in hand. He was unlocking the door as she made her way over to him.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I’ve been sent a bonus.” She lifted the check up for him to see. “Do you have anything to do with this?”
He took the check from her. “No, but you must have gotten good feedback.” Kent raised his brow. She slapped him with the check.
“You’re the one responsible for this. I shouldn’t take this money.”
Kent glared at her. “You earned that money. The work you do around the office is amazing. Lana, working the hours you do, you deserve a bonus. When the company asked me for feedback I gave them the truth.”
“This has nothing to do with our friendship … or the kiss?” she asked, nibbling her lip.
“I’ve never had to pay for it, Lana, and I don’t expect to start now. I suggest you cut the crap. You earned this money because your work is brilliant.”
He stormed past her making his way up the stairs. “Do you have to look at every gift as if it is a bad fucking thing?” he asked.
Lana followed him up the stairs cringing at the words he was saying. “I’m sorry.”
“You better be. I can’t believe this. You’ve made me feel guilty for telling your boss you were a good worker.”
She closed the door behind her. Several of her neighbours came out to see what the commotion was.
“Sorry,” she said.
Turning back to Kent she saw him pacing her short living room. “Does this mean you don’t want to go shopping with me? Why does everything have to have an angle with you?”
“I’m not used to something like this,” she said, lifting the check up for him to see. “I don’t take anything for granted. This means I can go shopping with you without holding back. I can buy all of your family presents.”
Tears filled her eyes at the true meaning of what the money meant to her.
“Thank you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Deep gratitude filled her at the gift he’d given her. “This was really thoughtful of you.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything else to her.
“Are you ready to do some shopping?” he asked.
Lana saw he was uncomfortable and decided not to push him. “Yeah,” she said, following him out of the door.
They spent the day moving from shop to shop in the city centre. She went with him when he visited designer boutiques, and he followed her into the more reasonably priced high-street stalls.
After some lunch in a French bistro, they finished shopping for his siblings.
“Sophie will want something designer,” he said.
“Why?” Lana took a lollipop out of her bag, unwrapping the foil around it and started to suck. Kent paused in talking to watch her.
“What?” she asked.
He shook his head, smiled and carried on talking. “Her theory is down to the fact I’m made of money I should splurge on her.”
“That’s not very nice,” Lana said.
Kent chuckled. “One Christmas I bought her a pair of slippers from the corner shop. She went mad because they were too big and ugly for her. It’s kind of a long running joke for us.”
She smiled even though she didn’t understand the joke. Lana stood with him as he checked through several items of jewellery. While the assistant was flirting with him Lana gazed over several of the jewels. A ruby pendant caught her eye. The jewel in the centre was surrounded by a silver serpent. The design was entirely feminine and beautifully crafted. When she spotted the cost of the piece she shook her head. There was no way she’d ever be able to afford such an extravagant piece of jewellery. She’d be terrified to wear it.
“What are you looking at?” Kent asked, making her jump in the process.
“You startled me.” Lana pressed a palm to her breast.
“Sorry. What were you looking at?”
Pointing at the necklace, she waited to see his reaction. “It’s beautiful. I want to see it on you.” He signalled to the assistant.
“No, I can’t afford anything like this, Kent. Please, don’t.” She grabbed his arm, giving him a shove, but he ignored her.
The assistant walked over with an easy smile. Lana watched as she checked out Kent. “What can I help you with, Sir?” she asked.
I’ll give you Sir.
Her jealousy was going to land her in heaps of trouble.
You’re friends. Stop acting like you’re something more.
“My friend will try on the ruby serpent,” Kent said. There was no asking; he simply demanded.
The woman smiled. She unlocked the case and carefully brought the necklace toward her. Lana stared at the necklace, which was even more beautiful when it wasn’t covered by the safety glass.
She lifted her hair up as the woman secured the clasp. Lana turned toward the mirror and stared. She wished she could be frivolous with money and buy it. Instead, she lifted her hair up and waited for the woman to remove the necklace.
****
Kent saw her desire for the necklace. The cost of the jewel didn’t faze him, and yet Lana looked so unhappy by it. He gave the assistant a nod. This would go with Lana’s gifts. He wouldn’t leave the shop without having the necklace put away for her. The way her eyes lit up at the sight of the jewel was more than worth the effort of coming back to get it.
He handed the assistant his card, which she used to finish paying for his gifts.
As he took Lana out of the shop he spotted the woman packaging the necklace for him. Once they finished all of their shopping, they made their way towards his car. They were laden with shopping bags. He filled the boot of his car before climbing behind the wheel. The winter chill was upon them. He rubbed his hands t
ogether before starting the car. The heater blasted ice cold air. Lana shivered.
“Give it a few minutes to warm up,” he said.
“It’s so cold.”
Her teeth started chattering, which for some reason he found to be the cutest thing. Kent turned the engine over and waited for the car to heat up before turning the heating on. She rubbed her hands together over the heater.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I timed the heating to come on in my apartment. We’ll be okay if you want to start driving.”
Putting the car into gear, he headed in the direction of her apartment. She’d promised to cook for them. Even though it was pitch black outside the clock said it was only after six.
They’d been shopping for a good eight hours. It was the longest time he’d been with a woman shopping and enjoyed it.
She didn’t ask for a single thing.
Lana asked for his advice on purchases for his parents but nothing else. She never expected for him to get his cash or his card out of his pocket. When they went for lunch she paid for her own meal as he paid for his.
She was the first woman to not expect him to foot her bill. The knowledge was refreshing for him. He parked the car in the parking lot, and together they made their way toward the front of her apartment building. Their arms were laden with packages. A couple were exiting the building, and they helped them through the doors.
By the time Kent and Lana made it to her apartment, they were overcome with laughter. He couldn’t stop as he listened to her laughing. They fell together in a heap amongst the packages.
“I have no idea what I find so funny,” Lana said.
“Me neither.” Their laughter died off. “I think we need to get up off this cold floor.”
“I agree.”
Kent got to his feet first and held his hand out for Lana to take. He helped her up, and together they placed the bags onto the spare sofa.
“Shit, I forgot wrapping paper,” he said.
“No worries, I’ve got some.”
She disappeared into her bedroom and came out several minutes later with the stuff they needed to wrap the presents. He watched her remove her coat before going into the kitchen. Her body called to him. The glorious curves tempted him, and it was getting harder to resist her.
“I’ll get started on dinner. You can take your coat off, use the bathroom, and make yourself at home,” she said, smiling.
He liked how fun and easy his life was with her. She never expected him to talk about work or for him to give away some important point about a business deal. There were no strings attached with her friendship.
They had a great time together, and he loved it.
Disappearing into her bedroom, Kent forced himself to ignore her bed and go straight to the bathroom. He quickly did his business and was wiping his hands on a towel when the colour red caught his attention.
Her laundry basket was full. He knew she’d be going to the laundrette tomorrow to do her washing. Lying on the top for him to see was a lacy bra and panties set. Kent checked the size and quickly typed the size into his phone. Touching the fabric, he felt like a creep and quickly placed them back inside the basket. Her body had been rubbing all over the underwear.
Licking his lips, he took several deep breaths before returning to the living room. She was making some meat sauce with pasta. The garlic and onion scents filled the air. His mouth watered, and his stomach grumbled. Grabbing the remote he turned the news on and then wandered into the kitchen.
Lana was stood at the counter, stirring the sauce.
He gazed at the curve of her back and the full roundness of her ass.
“I bought you some beers,” she said.
“Thanks.”
Kent grabbed the bottle from the fridge. He moved beside her and popped the top off on the counter.
She whacked his shoulder. “You break or damage my work counter in any way and you’ll be paying for it, buddy. There’s a bottle opener in the far drawer. Use it next time.”
He watched her work about the kitchen. All the time he was imagining her in the red underwear he’d discovered in the laundry basket.
After they ate dinner, Lana did the dishes as he started wrapping their gifts. They fought over the tape, and Kent knew in that moment there was no other place he’d rather be than in Lana’s apartment, wrapping gifts. He was in love with her. His feelings for her were no longer in question. Their friendship meant everything to him, and his love would remain hidden.
Chapter Thirteen
Christmas at the Andersons’
Lana waited for Kent to pick her up. It was Christmas Eve, and everything had been arranged for him to collect her on his way to his parents’ house. He’d stopped off at his office building prior to picking her up. She checked her suitcase for the hundredth time then all of her bags to make sure she’d packed the presents. Her stay with the Andersons would last until the New Year.
She looked forward to bringing in the New Year with them.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she pushed her glasses up her nose before putting on her coat. She sat waiting until finally there was a knock on her door.
Kent stood with his hands in the air in surrender. “I’m sorry. Traffic was a nightmare. Is this everything?” he asked, grabbing some of her bags.
“Yeah, this is everything.”
“It’s snowing out.” He warned her as they got to the ground floor. She followed him out the door and around to his car. He’d put snow tires on the instant the bad weather hit.
They placed her bags alongside his in the boot of his car. He helped her into her seat then climbed in behind the wheel.
Lana watched as he pulled into the flow of traffic.
“Everyone’s panicking with the last minute shopping. I’m surprised you got the time off work at the diner,” he said. “I passed it on the way to you, and it was packed.”
She smiled. Lana wasn’t about to tell him she’d lost her job at the diner. After she’d asked for time off, the woman who owned the diner refused. She expected Lana to work Christmas Day, which she’d refused. She would worry after New Year on how she was going to pay for rent and food. The bonus she received from Kent would stretch and, she hoped, give her enough time to find a new job.
“Are your parents happy with me coming this year?” she asked.
“They are. You’d better be prepared, Lana. The whole family is going to be there. Sophie and Dawn are bringing their men, and Eric’s got his whole family. Christmas is always a big event at home. Mom is cooking up two turkeys to feed us all.”
The way he described Christmases made Lana envious. When she lived in the trailer with her own mother, Lana spent most of the holidays catching up on homework or avoiding the men who stopped by.
She shivered recalling that time of year. There were never any presents left by Santa for her or any decorations. The trailer looked a mess year in and year out. Her mother never changed no matter what their circumstances.
The drive was slow, and the snow thickened on the ground. Lana put the radio on for a distraction from her morbid thoughts. Red lights were in front of them from braking cars. She relaxed her head into her hand waiting for the roads to clear. Christmas Eve was always busy. Last minute shoppers were running to the shops to get the final gift that would make Christmas. If it wasn’t for Kent she’d be at home or the diner working through Christmas like she’d done every year.
“You’re very quiet,” he said.
“I’m anxious.” She didn’t feel like she belonged with the Andersons. Their family were so large and giving. Lana felt like a fraud when she was around them.
“You’ll do great.” He squeezed her leg offering her support. Lana took the support and hoped she could survive through this time of year without having an emotional breakdown.
She’d not spoke to her mother since she left the trailer after graduation. Shaking her head, she let her thought wander through her memories.
Kent finally g
ot them both to his parents’ house. It was past seven, and everyone was in a state of merriment. His brothers helped with the cases and gifts. Penny embraced her, as did his father.
The kids watched with wide eyes as they put the presents under the tree.
“There will be more tomorrow. Presents under the tree are for everyone,” Kent said, explaining the process.
“Come on, dear, we’ve got to get some drink inside you.” Penny took her hand and escorted her through to the kitchen where a glorious spread of food was on display. The turkeys were cooking in the oven, and the scents made her stomach growl. Penny handed her a drink and a plate filled with food. “I heard that growl, honey. You’re getting food inside you. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Lana laughed and took the drink along with the food. Kent made his way into the kitchen as she was eating. His mother kept talking about plans. She watched as his mother prepared vegetables for the following day.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“This is awesome.” The drink had loosened her up.
“I bet.” He took the drink and had a generous sip.
They stood talking with Penny until it was time to sing carols in the sitting room. She listened as Sophie played the piano and the children sang the tunes. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against Kent’s shoulder. This was the kind of Christmas she always dreamed about, the loving, welcoming warmth displayed by everyone.
The children were put to bed, and Kent escorted her toward the spare bedroom. She was on the floor below him.
Her suitcases were on the bed. “My family adore you, Lana. You’re an Anderson now.”
“I’m not.”
He cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. “You are.” Kent dropped down and kissed her lips. “I’ll see you when you’re done. It’s not bed time. There is still time for a late night drink.” He stroked her lip and then closed her door behind him.
She stared at the space he’d vacated. Her lips tingled from the small touch.