by Mia Ford
I escorted her to the door and I closed it behind her with my whole-body vibrating. There was no way that I was going to take care of that myself not when it was a possibility that I would have somebody else to do that for me.
I perused several old magazines; channel surfed and found absolutely nothing that was going to keep my attention for any longer than a few minutes. I kept looking at the clock and the sound of the ticking was driving me insane. Every time that I thought that I heard a noise, I would rush to the window and see if my paramour had come calling. I was turning into a basket case, running through the scenarios that might happen and knowing that I would never be able to come close to reality.
I heard what sounded like a car door slamming. I thought that it might be my neighbor Jensen coming home from a late-night shift at the call center. I heard the footsteps approaching and then the light and unassuming knock on the door. My heart stopped for one moment. I wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to get up to answer him.
I decided not to put on any perfume and I didn’t want him to have the idea that I was ready for more than a conversation. I stepped over to where the only thing that was separating the both of us was the door.
I opened it and was accosted with a dozen long stem roses. I wasn’t much into flowers as a sign of a romantic gesture, but it seemed to work for the occasion.
“I know that this is a bit cheesy, but I saw them and I thought of you.” I made the motion for him to pass through the threshold wondering if one day that he was going to carry me over it as a sign of our matrimonial bliss. I was getting ahead of myself and I hadn’t even mentioned the elephant in the room.
“I have coffee brewing and I thought that you could use it.” I was alluding to the fact that he had just done something painful and the caffeine would give him the jolt of energy that he would need to stand strong
“I arranged for us to meet at the restaurant that we first had dinner together. I didn’t get a chance to say anything and she went into a speech about needing to find herself. I didn’t interrupt and I let her continue until there was only one thing left to do. It was a mutual decision and we promised to still be friends. She told me that she didn’t feel that it was right for me to wait for her or to follow her if my heart wasn’t into it. She wants me to find somebody that is worthy of the changed man that I have become. She actually told me that you were a nice girl and that I should give you a chance.” I was stunned into silence by how Julia had talked me up.
I heard the whistle of the pot and I turned and strolled back to the kitchen. He followed while taking off his jacket and showing the heavy burden that had been lifted from his shoulders. Those were the kind of manly shoulders that could easily be used to carry me into the boudoir.
“It sounds to me like you both had the same idea. I’m assuming from the way that you came here that you are interested in seeing if we have something. I don’t mind telling you that I was jealous of Julia.” I poured him a cup and he took it and placed it up against his lips. There was nothing to say or do. I sat there and let him drink and stare at me with wanderlust in his eyes.
“There hasn’t been a day that has gone by since we’ve met that I haven’t thought about you. It doesn’t matter if it’s dreaming or in the shower or even when we are working so close together that I can smell your natural scent hitting me like a sledgehammer between the eyes. You’ve already expressed some interest in pursuing this. Is that still true, or should I go before we do something that is going to hurt our working relationship?” There was really only one way to answer and it came in the form of me putting down my cup and taking his hand.
“I have thought of nothing else. Let me freshen up and I just finished working out with my friend. I’m not exactly ready for company.” I didn’t make it sound like I was dressing for a night of passion. I wanted him to be totally floored by the vision that was going to step from the bedroom. “Finish your coffee and I won’t be more than a couple of minutes.” I passed by him and I stopped long enough to give him a light and noncommittal kiss on the lips. It was just a taste. Like a drug dealer, the first one was free, but the rest was going to have to come with more of a long-term promise.
I could literally feel him watching me as I walked away. I purposely put an extra swing to my hips to give him ideas.
I went into my bedroom, closed the door and pushed back against it with my heart thumping so hard that I thought it was going to leap from my chest. My hands were shaking as I peeled off the sweater to reveal the red and black bustier. I pulled down my sweat pants revealing the garter and the sheer hose not to mention the panties that I would love to see him pull off with his teeth.
I found my favorite lipstick and painted my lips with a color that was going to draw him to me like a moth to a flame. I felt ready. I didn’t feel like he was just here to plant his flag. He wanted something more substantial than one night where we would throw our bodies at one another for hours on end.
Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for the moment where he would find it useless to fight me. I opened the door and I stepped out looking towards the kitchen and then I found him with his eyes glued to me.
He said nothing, as he put down his cup and walked over to me. I nuzzled my cheek against his hand. I looked at him and I saw that the man that I wanted was ready to commit to one woman.
“I… I… I was expecting this. I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised. I hope that I don’t disappoint you. I never want to hurt you purposely. I don’t want you to wake up in the morning wondering what we have done. This will be the first time that I stayed the night and didn’t try to sneak out after the woman went to sleep. I want to stay for breakfast.” This was a bold claim to make and one that I was going to hold him to.
“I’m a little nervous. No… I’m a lot nervous. These last few weeks have made me want you even more. If it took you that long to become the man that I know you can be then I have no regrets. I want to touch you and explore your body from the top of your head down to your toes. I want to take my time to find all of those hidden areas on your body that you didn’t even know about.” I saw that hunger in his eyes and I wanted him to devour me and make me feel like I was the only woman in the world.
“You’re not the only one that’s nervous. For the first time in my life, I’m with a woman that challenges me and I don’t know what to do.” He held my heated gaze and then he put his hands on my hips making me gasp. I was waiting for that inevitable moment where I was going to scream for my neighbors to hear.
I could smell his cologne and the scent of him underneath it. I reached for his belt and I undid it with my hands trembling with the need to see him. I snapped the button open and was about to pull down the zipper when there was an insistent knocking at the door.
“Ignore it and they will go away.” He smiled at my comment and put his hand on my bare shoulder. That touch only elicited a moan of arousal from my lips.
The knocking continued and got louder by the second. Somebody wasn’t taking no for an answer and I was going to give them a piece of my mind. If it was Gemini, I would be so cross that I don’t know that I would be able to let her stay with me. If it was anybody else, then they were going to be lucky that I didn’t become like a feral cat.
“Get rid of them and I’ll meet you in the bedroom.” August disappeared down the hallway and I heard the running water and I knew that he was most likely splashing cold water on his face.
I stood there wanting to join him. I wanted to take him by the hand and drag him by bodily force into the bedroom. I would throw him on that mattress and show him that I was demanding. I wasn’t going to settle for second best. He was going to satisfy me and we were both going to wake up spent and looking at each other with that fire still in our eyes.
I walked toward the door and I stumbled on the high heels that I had forgotten about. They were stilettos. I thought about taking one off and using it as a weapon to admonish whoever was stupid enough to interfere
in this moment.
“Come on, Amanda. I know that you’re home. I can see the light on.” The voice had me flashing back to my high school years. Jones Adams was an athlete and girls were throwing themselves at him all the time. He had only eyes for me. I actually lost my virginity on the football field with him and the feeling of a phantom crowd cheering us on. “I’ve been a damn fool and I didn’t know how good I had it. Give me a chance to make it up to you.” I looked towards the door and then back towards the bathroom. My world was colliding in a way that I wasn’t expecting.
This was too much for one woman to handle. I had no voice and when I tried to answer Jones it was more of a squeak that I didn’t recognize. My future was behind door number one and my past was behind door number two. My head was swimming and what I thought was going to happen tonight had taken a dramatic turn.
I didn’t even realize that I wasn’t breathing. I had a decision to make and one way or the other it was going to hurt somebody. I found myself curious enough to walk almost like in a trance towards the front door. I thought about what this could do to my budding relationship with August and it became a moot point. I opened the door still wearing that outfit and not really caring what kind of impression that I was making.
I saw his face and the way that he ran his eyes up and down my body like he always did. It brought back old feelings that I thought were dead and buried. It was late, but I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. The drama that I was trying to prevent in my life was about to happen with two men that were vying for my affection.
BOOK 3: STEAL ME (PART 3)
Blueprints of the Past
Amanda Cochran had found the man of her dreams in August. He was what she considered a work in progress. She never did really believe that he could change his ways. Her jealousy had gotten the best of her when she found out that he was seeing another woman. They found themselves confessing their feelings for one another and was about to embark on what could possibly be the best relationship of their lives. That fairy tale was shattered by a voice from the past. She still has feelings for the one that got away. Amanda has no idea what she’s going to do. She’ll have to figure out which man is right for her before going off to China. What happens when August finds out about the man that she never was able to get over?
“I don’t know what you think you are doing here. I can’t have this conversation with you. You made your feelings abundantly clear on the last day of high school. Do you have any idea how bad I felt when you decided that I wasn’t marriage material? I didn’t fit into that image of the trophy wife that you wanted for your football career.” I couldn’t believe that he was standing there and he hadn’t changed. He still had that cocksure grin. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn that he had more muscles than he did back in the day.
“I know that this comes as a bit of a shock, but I never was able to get over you. I have to say that you look better than ever. There has always been something exceptional about you. You have a real quality that shines through like no other girl that I have ever been with.” He was wearing this very expensive black leather jacket. The motorcycle that he drove back when he was seducing anything with two legs was sitting out on the road.
“You can’t come here after all this time and expect me to jump at the opportunity to be with you again. You can’t be that fool of yourself that you believe that I didn’t move on. Didn’t you think that I could find somebody else after you left me to mend my broken heart? Don’t I deserve happiness after what you put me through?” I was wired tight and I knew that August wasn’t going to wait in that room forever.
I was trying to keep my voice down and still consciously aware of looking down the hallway to see if August was going to announce his presence.
“I probably shouldn’t have come over at this time of night, but I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been involved with a woman for quite some time and I finally told her to hit the bricks. She always had her hand in my pocket. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t have my credit card. I’m through living without you. I can’t think of anything else. Why is it that we are whispering? Do you have a child?” It had been years and the possibility of me having children was likely. I just didn’t find anybody that was ready to be father of the year.
“If you must know, we’re whispering because I have a man down the hall in my bedroom. I would really like for you to leave. It would be better that we discuss this in the morning when we both can be rational human beings.” He looked slightly stunned by my revelation.
“Oh, my god… I’m so sorry and I didn’t mean to ruin anything. I would like to know if it’s serious and if I even stand a chance to win you back after all this time. Tell me to leave and never return and I will do that for you. If you can do that with a straight face and mean it then you’ll never see me again.” The words were in my mouth, but when I tried to say them there was nothing there. “I’m going to take your silence as hope that I do have a chance.”
“Amanda, what is taking you so long? I want to use my teeth and tear that thing off of you. Don’t make me pull rank and use my clout as your boss to get you to follow orders.” I heard the door to the bedroom opening and I panicked.
I didn’t even think about it. I opened the closet door and pushed him inside with my finger to his lips to indicate that I wanted him to stay quiet. From the expression on his face, I doubted seriously that this was the first time that he had been caught in the act and had to make a strategic exit.
I leaned back against it, slightly out of breath and turned to see that August was looking at me.
“I know that this is a big step. If you are having second thoughts, I really need to know about them. I don’t want there to be any doubts. I have so many fantasies and you have no idea how hard it has been to be around you without making some sort of move. I think for the most part that I have respected your wishes in regards to a workplace romance. I wasn’t worthy of a woman like you, but I am now.” He was saying all the right things and my heart had filled with the kind of joy that I had never experienced before.
I had no interest in making him leave, but that was not the words that I strung together “I’m not sure about this and I need some time to think about it without you breathing down my neck. I know that’s not fair, but I can’t just jump into bed with you without knowing that your heart is in this. I was foolish to put this on and try to seduce you. You just got out of a relationship. It’s still a fresh wound and I’m taking advantage of that. I think that it would be best that you go before I do something that is not very ladylike. We have time and you know what they say about abstinence making the heart grow fonder.” I didn’t believe a single word of what I said. It sounded like excuses, but I was grateful that he didn’t take it that way.
“I would never want to do anything to make you feel like I’m pressuring you into anything. It was never my intention and I apologize if this is a little bit too quick. You might be right. I haven’t fully grieved for the relationship that I just ended. At least one of us is thinking straight. I’ll go, but I’m not through discussing this.” He gave me a kiss with his hand on the small of my back lingering on that spot that was extra sensitive and the perfect way to make me melt.
“I hope that you don’t hate me.” I was worried that this was going to mess things up. I was going to give Jones a piece of my mind and his walking papers in that order.
“The one thing that I can never do is stay mad at you. I’m a little disappointed. I’m going to have to go up the mango tree with my five little friends tonight.” He indicated his five fingers and the need to take matters into his own hands. It was kind of a waste and I could’ve thought of a lot better things to do with what he had in his possession.
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I’m just confused and I need time to sort things out in my own head. I do care for you deeply and probably more than you know. I just need to be sure that this is forever and not some fling
. We owe it to ourselves to make sure that we are that soul mate that we have been searching for. I know that I probably sound like some hallmark card, but I can’t help to want that happily ever after.” I helped him on with his jacket and opened the door. I breathed a sigh of relief to see that the motorcycle that Jones had arrived on was out of sight. It was on the road, but it was underneath the shadow of a tree masking its existence.
“I know that I have no right to ask this. Is there something that you need to tell me? You obviously have doubts, but I sense that there’s something more going on here than meets the eye. I’m not going to push, but my door is always open. Tomorrow is a big day and we meet with Lionel in the morning to go over any changes that he might want to make with the designs that we made for his other three buildings. I really do want you to go with me to China. That is something that you’re going to have to decide for yourself. It could be the beginning of something.” He touched my cheek and I almost grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway to the bedroom.
“We have a few days before we leave the city. I still plan on going with you. You need to find some perspective and to really feel the loss of Julia. I know that you said that you ended things amicably, but there has to be a piece of you that is only going to be meant for her.” I closed the door, peeking through the curtains until he was driving away and then I felt a pair of hands on my hips from behind.