Sophie grabbed her plastic spoon from Kendra and proceeded to scoop up the baby food and haphazardly bring them into her already full mouth. It was clear she was showing off and trying to impress her Uncle Tyler.
Kendra chuckled as she wiped the smeared food off with a bib. “Little Sophie here is learning to walk on her own. She’s quite a daredevil,” she shared proudly.
“Is that so? Isn’t she too young to be walking around?” Tyler’s brows furrowed with concern.
“Yes, she is an early starter, I would say. But it will be a while before she can walk around unassisted,” Kendra beamed at the little girl.
“You mean she’s advanced for her age? That’s my girl!” Tyler beamed at Sophie.
The little girl grinned back cheekily and babbled excitedly as if she understood they were talking about her.
“Ah Ty, I have been meaning to tell you, I plan to go out with some friends tomorrow night. An old friend is flying in and we’re having a small reunion,” she explained.
“Oh sure. You go ahead. I’ll look after Sophie. Are these your friends from the hospital?” he enquired politely.
“Yes. Sam used to work at Willow Creek a few years back before she relocated to Montana,” Kendra shared in between bites. She realized she missed her friends from the hospital. During the past couple of months, her world has revolved around Sophie and Tyler and she’s been totally disconnected with the outside world.
Sam’s invitation for a little get-together was just the thing she needed, a breather from Tyler. She badly needed to reconnect with her old self and gain a better perspective of what’s happening between them. Despite her struggle to stay calm and open-minded with their current setup, the situation was taking its toll on her.
Love was indeed a complex thing, especially when it’s not mutual, she thought sardonically. Tyler seemed to have a lot on his mind that night, so she tried to stay clear. She spent an unusual amount of time bathing Sophie and putting her to sleep. She then stayed in the living room to watch television for a couple of hours. By the time she went to bed, Tyler was already softly snoring.
She stood at the doorway for several minutes, simply staring at the man who had unwittingly given her so much joy and pain. She recalled how he stood there earlier today talking to Bianca. They looked so good together. In fact, she looked a bit scruffy if she were to stand beside the model. How does one complete with a bombshell ex-girlfriend, anyway?
But she had done enough for Tyler and Sophie. She refused to subject herself to any more pain and rejection. So instead of pining and wallowing over an unrequited love, she decided to allow nature to take its course. Whatever happened happened. That’s just how it is.
She cautiously lay down beside Tyler. The soft glow of a bedside lamp made his face softer and younger. Oh, how she had grown to love this man in such a short span of time. She had known him since forever, but it was only in the past couple of months that she had looked past his playboy image, and appreciated the man behind the polished exterior.
He had been so wonderful with Sophie. In fact, anyone who had observed him would agree he is a natural around the child. Kendra had also observed how he dealt with the people around him, especially his employees. Despite the stature he had acquired, he had never seemed to hesitate to pull up his sleeves and perform some manual labor. Kendra thought it was one trait that endeared him to many of his employees. He was fair and firm.
Just then, Tyler stirred and opened his dark, somber eyes and looked straight at her. Instead of feigning sleep, Kendra gave him a small smile. Her eyes glistening with the intense, all-consuming love she felt for the man in front of her. She loved him with all her heart and while the knowledge that he might never learn to reciprocate her feelings hurt like hell, it wouldn’t change a thing. She realized now, love is not something you can just switch off when it becomes inconvenient or unbearably painful.
Without a word, he reached out and pulled her close to him. He inhaled deeply as he nuzzled her neck. “You smell wonderful,” he murmured as he lightly nibbled the sensitive skin between her neck and collarbone.
“Hmmm....” she uttered in approval. A delicious shiver ran across her spine. Her body seemed to come alive at Tyler’s expert touch.
Her skin looked soft and dewy under the dim lights. Tyler’s hand skimmed across the thin layer of her lingerie before he removed the thin straps off her shoulders. Her breast stood full and proud, eager to be caressed by a lover’s touch.
As she moved closer to close the gap between them, Tyler held her still and pulled back. “Let me look at you,” he murmured sensuously, his eyes looked like hot coals smoldering with passion.
She was about to bite out a small protest but stopped when she saw the reverent look in Tyler’s eyes as his gaze hungrily travelled across her length. “You’re so beautiful, do you know that?” Tyler’s voice was gruff with arousal.
“Uhhmm...” she let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not tall or thin enough...” While her body was slender, her breasts were fuller and hips wider than was considered model quality. Her five feet five inches frame was also average at best.
“You’re perfect,” he assured her gruffly as he rolled one taut nipple between his forefinger and thumb. The action brought a bolt of pleasure that coursed through her body. “I never seem to get enough of you.” He voice sounded puzzled as if he was merely talking to himself.
His words bolstered her confidence. Like a vixen waking up from deep slumber, she felt an intense desire to pleasure him like no other woman had done before. Shrugging off the last vestiges of shyness and insecurity, she decided to take the lead.
She disrupted his ministrations by sitting up and running her hand impatiently through her tousled hair. Without breaking eye contact, she slowly took off her lingerie and revealed that she was not wearing any underwear. Tyler’s soft intake of breath revealed his surprise.
She then straddled him, his erection felt hot and hard through his boxers. Sitting erect, she looked down on him with fiery eyes as she guided his hands towards her breasts. She sensuously arched her back to give him a full view of her beautifully curved body.
Tyler was mesmerized at the sight of his wife turning into a sultry vixen right in front of him. She was putting on quite a show, with no hint of the hesitant and unsure woman he had made love with in the past. The woman in front of him seemed to know exactly want she wanted and did not hesitate to flaunt her feminine wiles to goad him into submission.
With his hands still on her breasts, she leaned down to give him a scorching kiss. She held nothing back as her lips moved across his with wild abandon. There was no doubt in both their minds she was in charge.
As she snaked her tongue to play with his, she started to move her hips up and down his length, allowing his hardness to feel the warm, moist folds that were above his boxers. Tyler groaned in pleasure. His mind was fixated at the thought of burying himself again in her warm tight hole.
“Ahhh Ken...” he groaned aloud. In response, she deepened the kiss. Her lips and tongue played havoc with his senses.
She flicked her hair to one side as she broke off the kiss and trailed wet kisses down his throat. Every once in a while her tongue licked the clean, musky taste of his skin. She nibbled at his collarbone and made soft, tiny bites before soothing the skin with her warm tongue.
With his hands on her hips to hold steady, she proceeded to rain wet kisses below. She sucked his nipples and made soft mewling sounds that pushed Tyler closer to the edge. When she finally reached his belly button, his head was pounding with the need to release the pent-up passion.
She looked up to him and gave him a slow, sultry smile as she pulled down his boxers to reveal his heavily aroused manhood. She studied his length for several seconds, reveling at its steel-like hardness and soft velvety skin.
“You’re so big,” she murmured as if talking to herself. Tyler could not help but chuckle at the sound of awe in her voice.
But his quiet lau
gh soon turned into a gasp as Kendra took his length into her mouth, enveloping it with its warm wetness. The sensation brought a jerk of surprise across his body. She then slowly swirled her tongue across its length, making playful strokes across him. She slowly moved her mouth up and down his hardness, forming a soft suction.
She was fully attuned to his body as she learned the ways to pleasure him from observing what action or sensation brought the most response from him. Soon she started to increase the speed of the sucking motion. One hand closed around the base of his manhood, squeezing and stroking in perfect unison with her mouth.
The onslaught of tidal wave upon tidal wave of pleasure racked his body. Without being fully aware, he was writhing and moaning out loud.
“Ah, sweetheart...” he groaned.
Kendra moved up towards him and gave him a smack on the lips, grinning mischievously. He leaned up to softly bite her lower lip.
“Oh God, I want you so bad...” his words were thick with arousal. He then proceeded to guide her to sit on his erection, her back to him. His hands were on her hip holding her steady as she allowed his hardness to impale her already wet folds.
She stretched her upper body and began to move to the age old rhythm. The position gave Tyler an unhampered view of her perfectly rounded bottom as she gyrated on top of him. He kneaded her flesh, which intensified her pleasure, shooting darts of sensation throughout her body.
Soon, the need for a deeper, more intense connection overtook them. Tyler guided her to all fours. He then knelt behind her and penetrated her again with long, measured strokes. The position allowed better penetration and control.
Their unions have grown more intense and explosive than ever. This time, they climaxed together, which gave them both a taste of unadulterated pleasure even for just a few passionate moments. When they separated, their labored breathing sounded loud against the silence of early dawn.
“Ken, I...” Tyler struggled to articulate his feelings. He had never been like this with any woman before. It was poignantly beautiful and hedonistic at the same time.
Kendra waited with bated breath. A part of her longed to hear him profess his love for her but the practical, pessimistic side prevailed. This was just sex, an exceedingly good one but nonetheless, it was a form of sexual gratification.
Tyler felt a lump form in his throat. He did not know what to say to her. His emotions raged inside him, waiting to be voice out but for the first time in his life, he was at a loss on how to tell her how he truly felt.
With a deep, impatient sigh, Tyler moved out of the bed and stepped out of the bedroom. He needed some fresh air badly.
Despite the intensity and certainty of his feeling for her, he struggled with the vise-like fear that seemed to rob him of the power to think clearly. He had seen how his own mother had fallen a hapless victim of love or the illusion of it far too many times. He had seen how it had slowly destroyed her through the years and vowed not to give anyone the power to do that to him.
Saying “I love you” sounded so final to him. It was even more solemn than the vows they made in front of the judge. The words entailed commitment, a full submission of himself. For him, this meant giving that person the power to hurt and destroy him.
He knew Kendra deserved more from him. He could sense she was secretly waiting for the words to naturally spill out from his mouth. But they lay unspoken.
Tyler looked out over the veranda and inhaled the cool morning air. He was scared to death—that much he was sure of.
The sound of his footsteps and the dull thud of the bedroom door when he stepped out pierced through her heart. For the first time, she allowed her tears to roll down her cheeks unchecked.
It seemed like hours before Tyler finally came back to bed. The sight of Kendra’s tear-stained face did not escape him. He felt helpless and remorseful.
He needed to sort out his feelings fast and decide what he really wants from his relationship with Kendra.
Otherwise, he stood to lose her for good.
Chapter Nineteen
Kendra woke up feeling unusually tired and sullen. She woke up later than usual and by the time she was up and about, Tyler had already gone to the office and Martha was already there attending to Sophie.
“Good morning, Miss Kendra. Mr. Tyler asked me to tell you that he will have someone deliver lunch later so you don’t have to cook,” the nanny said.
Kendra only nodded in response. She was feeling lethargic and preferred to stay in bed. She might be coming down with the flu and as a precaution, she avoided being near Sophie. By lunch time, she was sniffling and running a low fever.
She was tempted to cancel dinner with her friends but decided against it. She needed a little time away from Tyler and to simply enjoy the company of good friends.
Tyler popped in for lunch and ate with her. When he realized she was sick, he insisted that she stay in bed and instructed Martha to contact him if she needed anything so Kendra would get ample rest. He made sure Kendra got everything she needed before he went back to work.
Despite being under the weather, Kendra didn’t fail to notice Tyler’s efforts. It felt great to have someone look after her since all her life, she had always been the one who took care of everyone around her—both in and out of her work.
She was amused when the doorbell rang and someone from Tyler’s office delivered a few magazines and medicines. By five in the afternoon, she was feeling a lot better. After a warm bath, she got ready for dinner with her friends.
She took her time putting on makeup and choosing what to wear. After twenty minutes of mulling over her wardrobe she settled on a slinky black bandage dress that seemed to hug her body. She complemented it with gold accessories and red and gold pumps.
After putting on the finishing touches, she surveyed herself in the mirror, satisfied with her appearance. It was that instant that Tyler arrived home looking a bit tired and haggard but his face lit up when he saw how ravishing she looked in her little black dress.
“You look...stunning.” Tyler enthused as he allowed his eyes roam freely and surveyed her look. Instead of feeling self-conscious, she felt confident, despite the slightly red nose. “I wish I could take you out myself.”
Kendra merely smiled. She had grown tired of the rollercoaster of emotions she had to deal with Tyler. Last night, she was crying her heart out and today, Tyler had said and done the sweetest things for her.
‘Listen Ken, I also need to go out and attend to something important. I will be back before midnight, though. I’ve asked Martha to stay in and look after the baby while we’re both out,” Tyler informed her as went through his closet to look for fresh set of clothing.
“Oh, okay. I’ll check on them from time to time,” she said as she prepared to leave. Tyler was just about to step into the bathroom when she left.
As she was driving towards where they planned to meet up, her excitement grew. She looked forward to seeing familiar faces, swap stories and reminisce the old times. Her friends from the hospital were a crazy and outrageous bunch.
They ate dinner at a grill and steak bar. She was the last one to arrive and when she joined them, the laughter and teasing were already in full swing.
Sam shrieked when she saw her walk towards her. It was easy enough to locate them since their boisterous laughter at the back corner of the restaurant stood out from the din. They hugged and gushed as they checked each other, like most girl friends do.
Everyone noticed a certain glow about her and teased her about her whirlwind romance. “I never took you to be the secretive type, Ken,” Jenny teased.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I felt a bit offended I wasn’t invited to the wedding,” Candice announced with exaggerated drama. Everyone laughed at her expression.
“You guys... You were right it was a whirlwind thing. I’m sorry if I didn’t announce it but it was a spur of the moment thing,” Kendra explained.
“So what’s it like to be married to one of S
ilver Bow’s most eligible bachelor?” Sam’s eyebrows wiggled suggestively.
A blush crept up and stained her cheeks, which brought on a fresh round of laughter in the group. Despite the impertinent teasing, she’d missed this kind of fun. She hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time. From time to time, Kendra called to check up on Sophie. Martha informed her that the little girl was already fast asleep and she would be sleeping on the spare room.
After dinner, their group agreed to go to another place for some drinks. Not quite fond of alcoholic beverages, Kendra still decided to tag along and spend time with Sam, who was flying back to Montana the following day.
As expected, they recounted some of the more hilarious moments in the hospital, including the colourful personalities of patients they have come across.
“Remember, Ruth? That patient who was adamant that she had to have her prized Siamese cat with her even when she underwent an MRI?” Candice asked.
“Who could forget?” Kendra asked dryly, rolling her eyes upward.
The little girl suffered an accident and fractured her wrist. She was a royal pain in the butt during her entire stay. Born to wealthy parents, she was spoiled rotten and her poor parents had no clue how to handle her.
“My favorite moment during my entire stint in Willow Creek was when the Kendrick’s took home their twin boys,” Sam shared.
“Ahh yeah...” everyone else nodded in agreement. It was no secret the Kendrick’s had been trying to have a baby for the longest time. A lovely couple and the rest of the pediatric department celebrated when they finally went home with twins.
They continued to exchange stories and share updates about their lives. Kendra tried to deftly evaded some probing questions about Tyler and directed the talk to Sam, who was regaling everyone with her adventurous sex life. It was already past midnight when they parted ways.
Kendra offered to drive Sam back to her hotel since her friend was already a bit tipsy. “I’ll walk you to your room,” Kendra offered.
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