Accidental Parents

by Matthews, Evie

  Try as he might, he could not seem to exorcise the image of Kendra from his thoughts. Somehow, it made him feel vulnerable and frustrated at the same time. He is clearly not used to the idea of having a woman invade his waking thoughts.

  Kendra tried to act nonchalant when she heard the jingling sound of the keys as Tyler opened the door. All day long, she had been keeping an ear out for that sound. Since she had moved in, this was the first time Tyler had been away so late and it didn’t take a genius to realize what was happening. It was clear he regretted what had happened between—which was just as well, Kendra reasoned. She didn’t need complications in her life. Two weeks from now, she would be back in her little apartment and in no time, she would ease back into her old routine. The mere thought of it made her feel empty and alone—but something she knew she could live with.

  No matter how hard she tried to shrug off Tyler’s obvious avoidance, she was hurt. All throughout the day, she had gone through a jumble of emotions. Earlier in the day, she kept replaying the events of the previous night, building up the anticipation of what’s to come. She had even gone as far as planning a quiet dinner for them and if she could summon the courage, she had planned to offer Tyler a nice backrub.

  By four in the afternoon, she was irritated by Tyler’s seeming lack of effort. He normally called to check on Sophie at least twice a day but today, he’d only called once. He’d sounded very distant and formal, which took Kendra by surprise.

  After the short call, she had the chance to review everything and surmised he was distancing himself, which was totally fine with her. She had to remind herself of that fact, yet again.

  She pretended to be busy when she saw Tyler enter the living room from the corner of her eye. She was brushing Sophie’s hair while they were watching a cartoon show. Upon hearing the sound of her Uncle Tyler’s steps, Sophie babbled loudly while she looked at him expectantly. Sophie sure knew how to demand attention at an early age, Kendra mused.

  When she saw her Uncle walking towards them, she lunged forward, Kendra had to hold her tighter to prevent her from falling.

  “Hello, little one, look what I have for you.” Tyler grinned as he held out a medium-sized teddy bear in tutu skirt and pearl necklace. Sophie’s eyes immediately lit up at the sight of her new toy. She hurriedly pulled the bear from Tyler’s hand, which elicited a chuckle from him.

  “I see you have been busy.” Tyler looked around and noted the new play pen installed in one corner of the living room.

  ‘I... I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to have a place for Sophie to crawl around without the fear of breaking something. The bedroom has limited space,” Kendra muttered. It was difficult to feign indifference while at the same time pointedly avoid Tyler’s probing eyes.

  “Yeah, sure, sure... Whatever you need. You just let me know if you need assistance. I guess I will need to schedule some renovation later this month. This house was not built with a kid in mind, you know,” Tyler chuckled.

  “Yeah, this is more of a bachelor’s pad.” Kendra agreed absently.

  Silence hung thickly in the air. Tyler is not the marrying kind, Kendra thought to herself. The intimacy they shared had made him draw back in a not-so-subtle way. It wasn’t as if she were going to force herself on him or anything, Kendra thought darkly. She would just have to learn to grit her teeth and pretend like nothing happened. The next two weeks might just be the longest wait she has to endure.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kendra vaguely heard the sound of the baby’s crying. Still half-asleep, she stumbled her way towards the crib to get Sophie when she encountered a hard wall. Squinting to adjust to the limited light, she realized that she had walked straight into Tyler, who was on his way to check on Sophie.

  She had slept early that night. She felt unusually tired as if she were coming down with flu or something. With a soft voice, Tyler shooed her towards the bed and reassured her he will look after Sophie. Too sleepy to protest, Kendra laid down at the foot of the bed. She was just planning to sleep a couple of minutes more before she attended to Sophie.

  Tyler changed Sophie’s soggy diaper and fed the baby with warm milk before he put her back to sleep. Listening to his soft, reassuring voice, Sophie returned to dreamland after several minutes.

  He was about to leave the room when he caught sight of Kendra slumped haphazardly at the foot of the bed in an awkward position. She will wake up with a crick in her neck if she continues to sleep like that, Tyler thought.

  Without hesitating, he walked towards the sleeping body. Standing over her, he caught sight of her exposed thigh, which seemed to shimmer against the light. She was sleeping soundly, unaware of his hungry gaze skimming her body. He spent several minutes looking his fill—from the delicate arch of her neck down to the soft swell of her breast.

  He could see a light shadow of her dusky nipples that could be seen through the thin material of her lingerie. The very same nipples he had sucked and licked the other night. He could feel himself growing hard at the thought.

  Unlike her, he had spent the night tossing and turning. For the first time, a woman had begun to encroach on his waking thoughts, depriving him of some much needed sleep. Tyler was not used to it.

  Kendra moved to a more comfortable position. The movement exposed the lacy, barely–there underwear she had on. With a soft groan, Tyler, scooped her up and slowly carried her towards the upper section of the bed.

  Unaware of what was happening, Kendra snuggled towards the warm body against her. As if responding to a dream, she nuzzled the musky male scent of his neck. The action stopped Tyler in midstride. As he looked down, he saw a sleeping Kendra with a soft smile on her lips. This is turning out to be more difficult than I imagined, Tyler thought.

  As he slowly lowered her body to the bed, Kendra’s eyes flew open in surprise. “T-Tyler?” her voiced was slightly hoarse from sleep.

  “Shhh... It’s okay. Go back to sleep. I was just putting you back to bed.” Tyler murmured. Despite his restraint, his body responded to Kendra. His hands relished the feel of her silky smooth skin against. Oh, how he longed to just let go of his pride and take his fill. Had it been any other woman, he wouldn’t have hesitated. But he knew Kendra was not any other woman. He knew she deserved more than he was willing to give.

  Kendra thought she was dreaming. And acting on impulse, she snaked her arm around Tyler’s neck when she felt him draw back. “Uhhmm... you smell wonderful,” she murmured, her eyes still closed. She pulled him back towards her.

  Chuckling softly, Tyler gently removed her arms from around him. “Sweetheart, go back to sleep, you’re dreaming,” he whispered softly into her ear. It was the wrong move. Kendra turned towards the warm heat of his breath against her ear and found his lips.

  Drawing him closer, she kissed him with all the pent-up emotion she had bottled up inside her. Half-awake now, she knew she had somehow initiated this but she did not want to stop. She wanted this with every fiber of her being and for the first time she did not care and was not ashamed of it.

  Keenly aware that Tyler did not kiss her back, Kendra pulled back and gave Tyler a questioning look. He could see hurt mingled with deep longing reflected in her eyes. “Kendra... I...” She gave out a startled gasp, as if he had struck him. She realized he was fumbling for words to slowly turn her down. She was aghast by her actions and the rejection hurt like hell.

  Slowly sitting up, Kendra looked flustered. ‘Oh, God...” Embarrassed, she rearranged her lingerie and covered one exposed nipple. “I’m sorry, I thought...” she mumbled, still refusing to meet his eyes.

  With a heavy sigh, Tyler sat at the corner of her bed and reached out one hand to tilt her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Just leave, okay?” Kendra’s eyes were now fiery with tightly leashed anger. She hated the fact that he seemed to relish knowing that she wanted him.

  “Look at me.” Tyler demanded quietly. Taking one of her hands roughly, he placed it against his hardness straining agains
t his boxers. “Feel what you do to me...” his voice gruff with emotion.

  Kendra’s eyes widened in surprise. She felt more confused than ever. If he wanted her then why was he holding back?

  “Even in your sleep, you arouse me like no other woman could. You... you have kept me awake and all I could think of all day was to bury myself again into your warm, moist heat.” Tyler looked at her intently, trying to read her expression.

  Without thinking, Kendra closed her hand around his hardness, lightly stroking its length. Tyler groaned softly. “Ahhhh... make no mistake, sweetheart, I want you so bad.”

  “But?” Kendra quirked one eyebrow. She knew there had to be a “but” somewhere.

  “But...I don’t want to hurt you. I value our friendship too much.” Tyler reasoned. Kendra was doing some magic with her hand, making it difficult for him to think coherently.

  “Who said anything about getting hurt?” Kendra challenged.

  “Let’s face it, Ken. You’re not like any other woman I’ve been with. I’m just afraid I’ll hurt you, even without meaning to.” Tyler explained earnestly.

  “Well, it’s not as if we’re falling in love or anything, right?” Kendra asked incredulously. “Since when have you grown a conscience in this kind of thing?” she chuckled.

  Tyler continued to simply stare at her.

  “Look, Ty. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a fully grown woman. I can go into an affair with both eyes wide open. Not that I’m trying to convince you to jump into bed with me or anything...” she tried to sound flippant about the whole thing.

  But the truth was, she was in over her head with this one. Even if she had adamantly refused to think things over the past couple of days, she knew she was falling hard and fast for Tyler. But she has no intentions of letting him know. At her age, she just wants to take her chances for once and simply live. All her life she had lived life by the rules, it’s about time she stepped out of her comfort zone and throw caution to the wind—the consequences be damned!

  “It’s actually hard not to notice you’re a full grown, devastatingly sensual woman.” Tyler teased, his eyes strayed towards her breast.

  “I can see how hard it is,” she retaliated by playfully squeezing her fingers around his hardness. Without warning, Tyler swooped down and ravaged her mouth in a fiery kiss, holding nothing back. Kendra met his kiss with equal fervor.

  She moved her legs to make room for Tyler without breaking the kiss. Like a schoolgirl in the first throes of passion, she was eager to take part of the carnal delights Tyler would show her.

  Impatiently, Tyler peeled her lingerie away and kneaded her breasts. Kendra could feel her skin singing with every sensation as he worked his magic on her body. Between them, she could feel his erect manhood jutting against her belly, giving her a sensual reminder of what was to come. The thought made her shiver in anticipation.

  As Tyler kissed her neck and nibbled her collarbone, she reached downward to stroke him through the thin fabric of his boxers. Opening her legs, she lifted her hips to rub herself against him.

  Tyler was busy making love to her breasts. It was apparent he was fascinated by the medium-sized white mounds that seemed to strain for his touch. Kendra closed her eyes as Tyler sucked, licked and nibbled one nipple before moving to the other.

  Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Tyler’s hands snaked inside her lacy underwear, invading the already wet and oh-so-warm crevice. He inserted his forefinger inside her and used his thumb to gently rub her clit. Kendra felt her body jerk convulsively as the lightning bolt of sensation coursed through her.

  “Don’t fight it, sweetheart. Let yourself go.” Tyler whispered heatedly, then proceeded to insert another finger inside her, further heightening the pleasure. He continued to move his fingers in and out of her while sucking her nipples. The onslaught different sensations made her gasp and moan alternatively. After several minutes, Kendra was writhing underneath Tyler, her nails dug deep into his shoulder blades as if holding on for dear life.

  Just as he felt she was about to climax, he inserted his throbbing staff inside her in one fluid stroke replacing his fingers. The change caught Kendra by surprise and the resulting sensation made her bite her lower lip in an effort to contain her moan.

  He started to move inside her, pleasuring her with every single stroke. She’d never experienced anything this good, she vaguely thought. For the first time, she could not think clearly and lost control over her own body as it arched and met Tyler’s body with equal passion.

  Without breaking the pace, Tyler flipped her over so she found herself sitting on top of him. Their bodies still intimately connected.

  With a wry smile, he placed both arms under his head. “Your turn. Show me what you got,” he said gruffly.

  Kendra responded with a slow, seductive smile before she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “You know, I never back down on a challenge, right?” As soon as she said the words, she slid her tongue inside his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

  She leaned back and sat astride him, taking him deeper inside her. Without breaking eye contact, she started to move on top of him, tantalizing him with the graceful movements of her body. She started out slow and deliberate, almost pulling out his length then taking him all in again.

  The pace was designed to build Tyler’s anticipation and stoke the fire. While he looked on with half-lidded eyes, she arched her back and started to touch her body. First, she merely played with her hair and exposed her long, delicate neck.

  Then she started to increase the pace, bending her body low and she rode on top on him in wanton abandon. Kendra was a spectacle to behold, her eyes gleaming like fine jewels against the darkness. Her alabaster skin was dewy from exertion. She skillfully drove Tyler to the brink with each stroke.

  He clutched her hips as he guided her for a deeper, fuller penetration. And just when they were about to climax, Tyler took over the reins as he moved back on top of her. He placed her legs on his shoulders as he grasped her hips to steady her before he started driving insider her masterfully.

  Kendra was aware she was moaning loudly but she could not stop herself. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to freely experience the most powerful climax she ever had. Shortly after, Tyler pulled out his staff as he spilled his warm seed on her belly.

  Seconds later, reality started to seep in with every labored breath they took. They both reeled from the powerful and profound experience they both shared. After a few minutes, Kendra went to the bathroom to wash. By the time she went back to bed, Tyler was already softly snoring.

  The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Unable to sleep, Kendra checked on the baby before she climbed back to bed. She spent innumerable minutes simply staring at Tyler’s face.

  Something soft and tender swelled inside her. She suddenly gasped out loud when the truth finally hit her, she loved Tyler. Right at that moment, Tyler stirred and instinctively reached out to pull her closer to him.

  He might never know of her feelings and she dared to hope he would learn to love her back but at that very moment she had never felt more at peace and happy in her life.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next couple of days turned out to be pure bliss for Kendra and Tyler. He spent time with them as often as he could, often opting to bring his work home. For the first time, they took Sophie to nearby park and Kendra prepared an impromptu picnic.

  Tyler was a natural when it comes to handling Sophie. Kendra contented herself snapping pictures of the two, to capture memories for when the time comes that she had to leave. She resolved to simply dwell on the present.

  To onlookers, they presented a picture of a happy family. Two elderly women even came by and offered to take their picture and enthused that they had a lovely family. They were both too happy to correct the two.

  It was all too easy to pretend that they were a real family, in every sense of the word. If on
ly... Kendra found herself silently wishing it was so. Tyler had been beyond wonderful. He was very attentive to her and Sophie. Kendra was aware he was effortlessly drawing admiring glances from women both young and old, but he didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he was just used to it? Kendra mused. This is just an affair, nothing more. Kendra had to remind herself time and again.

  With her one month contract as a stay-in nurse for Sophie about to end the following week, Kendra had no choice but to bring up the topic with Tyler while they were having dinner.

  “Have you had any luck with the nanny applications yet?” Kendra asked, her voice neutral.

  Tyler placed down his utensils and stared at her for several seconds. “Uh, yeah... I guess. Sally, my secretary, recommended a distant relative of hers who just moved in from Canada. I still have to schedule that interview though, and ask HR to conduct a background check for me.”

  “Great. Uhhmm.. I don’t want to rush you or anything but my one month is almost up, and I need to report back to the hospital.” Kendra felt the need to explain.

  “Yeah, sure. I know. I have been putting off the interview but I’ll make sure to make time this week. I’ll update you, okay? I’d want you to meet the nanny first, and maybe we can conduct the interview together.” Tyler forced out a smile.

  “That would be great! I’d love that. It will give me better peace of mind when its time... I mean... when, I...” Kendra fumbled.

  For a split-second, Kendra saw a glint of emotion in Tyler’s eyes, which was immediately gone before she could be sure. He looked... vulnerable.

  “Do you really want to leave?” Tyler asked quietly. “You don’t have to, you know... You can still stay here... be with me.”