by L. K. Lewis
“Ouch! Rub them, don’t eat them! Are you still hungry?” Morgan teases.
“I’m always hungry for you, baby, haven’t you figured that out yet? I can’t seem to get enough of you, you’re so … tasty.” I lay her feet back down and crawl over to her side of the couch. Leaning over her, I lick Morgan’s bottom lip playfully before pulling it into my mouth for another little nibble. She wraps her arms around me in response, pulling me on top of her, kissing me back.
“It’s a good thing you’ve seen this movie a million times already because I don’t plan on letting you make it ‘til the end,” I say between kisses.
“Mmm … forget the movie, mister, take me to bed,” Morgan whispers in my ear. I scoop her into my arms and carry her upstairs to bed where, tonight, I don’t plan on getting much sleep.
Chapter 19
Morgan
Amanda: It’s been a week, Morgie, I’m assuming things went well b/c I haven’t heard from u ;)
Me: Things went well alright. We r still in bed. Call u l8r?
Amanda: DAMN GRL!!! Call me later, I want DETAILS!!! Luv u
Me: Luv u 2
“Your phone keeps making noises, my love,” Drake mumbles as he squints open one of his beautiful dark brown eyes.
“I’m sorry, I was texting with Amanda. I’m done now but I’ll silence it.” I set my phone on Drake’s nightstand and roll over onto my side, gently stroking his dark brown hair. Drake puts an arm around me and pulls me closer to him. He opens his eyes and kisses me softly.
“How did you sleep, baby?”
“You mean once we finally went to sleep?” I laugh. “I slept great. I always sleep better when I’m with you. I know we only spent Thursday night apart this week, but I really didn’t feel as rested when I woke up alone yesterday morning.”
“It’s a good thing it’s Saturday then, we have all of today and tomorrow together. What would you like to do?”
“About tomorrow,” I say with a sigh, “I usually do Sunday brunch with my mom at the club, and I blew her off last week. I shouldn’t miss tomorrow or she’ll know something’s … different.”
“Damn, I loved sleepy Sunday morning with you. I guess you are right, you can’t miss brunch with your mom. Can I have you the rest of the day?”
“Amanda wants to hang sometime this weekend too. I don’t want to give up a portion of both of our weekend days together, so I thought we could have today together, and maybe you can stay with me at my place tonight? Then I’ll meet my mom for brunch and excuse myself from her to join Amanda for coffee and shopping?” Poor Drake looks heartbroken at the idea of not being with me for most of the day tomorrow. “Why don’t I pick up some takeout when I’m done hanging out with Amanda and bring it over here?”
“That sounds like a good plan for maintaining your single status, but I don’t think I like the idea of losing most of the day with you when we will be separated all week,” Drake says in a mock-huffed tone.
“I know, Drake. I’ll miss you too, but it’s necessary for me to do this, not only for keeping the norm in my single lifestyle, but it’s also good for us. We need to keep our independence. I know we work out after being apart all day during the week, and I want nothing more than to spend every moment of my free time wrapped securely in your strong, beautiful arms, but this will be good for us too. Do you have a buddy you can hang with?” Drake is now sitting up in bed and I am sitting in his lap, facing him.
“You’re right. Independence. It’s important for both of us. Unfortunately, when someone makes the mistakes I have, they don’t really end the day with a lot of friends. Maybe I’ll call my dad and meet him at the club for some golf. It’ll make me feel better that although we aren’t together, we are at least spending time at the same location. Does that sound a little too desperate to you?” Drake laughs.
I rest my forehead on his, and kiss him sweetly. “That’s not desperation, babe, that’s new and true love.”
“Right now I’d like to show you my new and true love.” Drake smiles as he pulls my satin camisole off. His mouth makes a bee line for my nipple as his hands reach down to my hips, lifting me as he slides my matching shorts down. My hands trail down his bare, chiseled chest and I reach into his boxers, slowly and gently massaging his hard length root to tip. Drake massages my clit before sliding a finger inside, his mouth now crashing down on mine.
“You are so beautiful, Morgan,” Drake moans over my lips, “so warm and ready”. He lifts his hips as I slide his boxers down, moving his hand aside so I can ease him inside of me. Our slow, rhythmic build eventually changes as Drake grabs my hips, rocking them at a hurried and desperate pace. His kisses become more passionate as his breath quickens. We quickly find our release laying back on the bed holding each other close, while our breathing slows.
“It’s not even tomorrow, and I already miss you,” Drake pants as he leans to his side, kissing me sweetly.
“Then let’s focus on enjoying today.”
*****
Sunday morning comes faster then I’d like, but time seems to really fly when you spend the majority of your day in bed, barely coming up for air. Drake made a tee time with his dad for half an hour before I was to meet my mom so that it would look like a coincidence if we saw each other. I am just pulling into the valet when I see a familiar blond-haired, blue-eyed man smiling at me through my windshield. Handing my keys to the valet, I walk over to Adrian Thompson.
“Hello, stranger, it’s nice to see you out of the boardroom. Having brunch with your mom, I see.” Adrian beams at me.
It is hard to know that love is still there for him, when my heart so completely belongs to someone else. I know we will always be friends, but I still see a little bit of the pain I have caused him when I look into his eyes.
“I do love a good Sunday brunch! It’s a standing date I have with my mom. I let her think she still has control over me by meeting her here every week, but honestly, I just love the bloody marys and omelet station!”
“You have always been a sucker for an omelet station,” Adrian says with a laugh. “You still owe me a date on the driving range, do you have time after brunch? We could meet out there in an hour.”
“I’m sorry, Adrian, I’m meeting Amanda for a little girl time after I leave my mom. I’ve been busy with work as you know, so I’m trying to squeeze some time in with both of my favorite gals today.” Of course, I omit the fact that I’m really spending all of my other free time with Drake.
“Well, maybe you can squeeze some time in with me soon as well.” Adrian says, taking a step closer to me. I don’t like where this conversation is going. I don’t want to lead Adrian on, but I also don’t want to raise any suspicions with him either. I’m sure he sees our working together as a way to get close to me again. I’ll have to use that as an excuse to shut him down, not the other way around.
“Adrian, I’m so happy that we get to work together and reconnect again, but right now, I’m really focused on my career. I hope we can still maintain a professional and friendship only relationship, because that would mean a lot to me.” That was good. I’ll have to remember what I just said and use it in the future to politely excuse myself from any unwanted advances.
“I get it, Morgan, and I know how much your career means to you. That is why you broke up with me, remember? I’m just so happy to have you back in my life again. I have really missed you. I’ll respect your wishes, though, and any social invitations I extend to you from here on out will be strictly platonic.”
“Thank you, Adrian, I appreciate it. I have to get inside and meet my mom now.” I try to politely excuse myself.
“Can I still call you sometime to hit the driving range? As friends, of course.”
“Of course, but only as friends. I’ll see you soon, Adrian.” I say as I turn to enter the club.
*****
Fortunately for me, my mother is in a bit of a hurry today, so brunch doesn’t take long. We sip our bloody marys, nibble on our omelet
s, and catch each other up on the events of the past two weeks. My mother wants to know all about my new job, and I make sure to tell her every last detail of the projects I’m working on. I make sure to emphasize how busy and focused I’ve been on my work, so she never even asked me about my love life, which is good, because I’m not good at lying to my mom. I still haven’t come up with the perfect thing to say to her when the subject comes up, and my excuse for focusing on my career will only encourage my mom to find someone to set me up with.
Drake: Just finished golfing. R u still here?
Me: Yes, just wrapping up and saying goodbye to my mom.
Drake: I’ll be in my car in 5. Get in ur car and follow me.
Me: oooh exciting xo
“Morgan, sweetie, please put your phone away, it’s rude to have it at the table. What would Ms. Mary say about that?” My mom says as we are wrapping up our brunch. I normally silence my phone when I’m out, but I set a special alert sound to Drake’s contact so I would know if it was him texting. Of course my mom would mention my etiquette coach. Ahhh, a mother’s guilt trip knows no bounds.
“Sorry, Mom, that was Amanda just confirming our plans. I have to get going, actually, I’m meeting her downtown for some shopping,” I say as I put my phone in my purse and stand to leave. I walk over to my mom and give her a quick kiss on the cheek thanking her for brunch, then head out the door.
I walk to my car, and start to pull out of my space when Drake drives by in his black BMW sedan, giving me a quick wink and a smile before he heads out of the parking lot. My belly instantly stirs, and I’m covered in goose bumps as I smile and head out of the parking lot to follow my man. A few miles down the road, Drake pulls into a community dog park. It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and there are a lot of people out walking their dogs and enjoying the sunshine. After a quick scan of the cars, dogs and their owners, I don’t notice anyone I know, so I get out of my car and climb into Drake’s passenger seat.
“How was brunch?” Drake asks as he leans over the middle console to kiss me.
“It was nice catching up with my mom. Luckily she had to cut our time short, so I got out of there early. That means I can meet Amanda now, and be at your place around five, giving us the whole evening,” I say, leaning in for more kisses. I seriously think I need to attend a meeting, I might be addicted to Drake’s lips. God, I’m such a dork.
“Five o’clock sounds great, baby, that gives me time to head to the gym and maybe even get a nap in. For some strange reason, I’m pretty worn out today.” Drake winks at me. I brush my hand along his strong jawline, and kiss him some more before opening my car door to leave.
“I should go, babe, the sooner I hang with Amanda, the sooner I get to come over and continue our make out session. I can’t seem to get enough of your lips!” I say with a smile.
I turn to Drake and give him one more kiss, saying I love him before exiting his car and walking over to get into mine. As I walk past the driver’s side door of Drake’s car, I hear a gentle knock. As I turn back toward him, he gives me a sweet smile, and mouths the words “I love you too” before he pulls out of his parking space and leaves the park. God, I love that man. I smile to myself, then climb into my car, and head downtown to meet Amanda.
*****
“OMG tell me everything!” Amanda squeals. We have grabbed some coffee and are settling into a secluded nook in Starbucks.
“There is so much to tell! We have decided to remain private about the matter, and he wasn’t very happy when I told him that I told you everything, but he also understands that you are my best friend and I’ll need someone to talk to when times get tough, and believe me, they will,” I sigh. I’ve decided to refrain from mentioning Drake’s name in public if I can help it, just in case someone overhears us.
“Morgie, you are young and have so much to look forward to in life; a career, love, marriage, travel, and fun! Why are getting yourself into a relationship that you know will be so tough? Don’t you want to be young and have fun for a while before you get serious with someone?”
“I’m in love, Amanda. I want to be with him. I can see a future with him … we want to build our lives together. Obviously we have a large … hurdle ahead of us, but I’d rather tackle the hard stuff now and enjoy the rest of my life with him, than live it up and be carefree with different people and lose out on being with him at all.”
My voice starts to crack as I think about not having Drake in my life. I sip my coffee and take a few calming breaths before I continue.
“This last week has been absolutely amazing. I knew I loved him as soon as I laid eyes on him. You’ve seen him, Amanda, he’s gorgeous! There was something so special about him that drew me in. We made it official last Saturday after you and I went shopping, and we have spent the last week really getting to know each other. We know we can’t be a couple out in the open, and believe me that gets really hard sometimes, but we are using this time to be productive in our careers, which is a huge goal that we both share, and are setting ourselves up for a wonderful future … together.” I look down on the table as a tear drops down before me. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.
“Oh, Morgie, I’m so happy for you, really I am. I’m just so worried you are going to get hurt. What if someone finds out? What will you do then?” Amanda asks as she rests her hand on my forearm.
“I’m not sure, and I hope I never have to find out. The love that I have found with him is so amazing, every moment we have together is worth the risk.”
“Well, what can I say to that? You know I love you, Morgan, and I’m so glad you have found happiness. Now, the important question … I know he has spent the night a few times, how is the sex?!” Amanda laughs. I knew that was coming.
“Amazing! He is such a good kisser, and he makes me feel so beautiful and confident. We barely came up for air yesterday!” I don’t want to let on that I can barely walk today. I am a lady after all, and a lady needs to keep some things to herself.
*****
Eager to get the back to the arms of my man, I decide to forgo shopping with Amanda and end our visit after coffee talk. I stop by Vines on 3rd, and get some delicious takeout and a few bottles of my favorite Shiraz. I’m so excited to get to Drake. It’s only 3.30 in the afternoon, a good hour and a half before he was expecting me. I decide to surprise him and just show up at his house. I reapply my lip gloss and check my hair in my rearview mirror, grab the food and wine, and head up to Drake’s front door. I ring the doorbell and wait for a bit, but Drake doesn’t answer. I walk around to the driveway, and his car is parked. I start to get worried so I go back to his front door, knocking this time instead of ringing the doorbell. Still no answer. I try the doorknob but the door is locked. I’ve just pulled my cell out of my purse to text Drake when strong, sweaty arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close.
“May I help you, Miss?” I can hear Drake’s smile.
Turning around in his arms, I set my bags down and wrap my arms around his neck. “I was getting worried about you! I’ve been here knocking and ringing your doorbell for a little while now. I wanted to surprise you by showing up early. I missed you too much today to be away from you much longer. Wait … what were you doing? Why are you sweaty?”
“I got bored and was missing you so I thought I’d try doing something you like to do,” Drake says with a wink as he bends down and picks my bags up.
“You went for a run? I thought you were more of a gym rat?” I tease. I love that fact that he was out trying something new because it’s something I like.
“I warm up on the treadmill, but I focus on weights and strength training. Plus I get a lot of cardio in when I bout with some of the guys.” I knew that was a boxer’s body! “What’s for dinner, baby?”
“Caesar salad, roasted new potatoes and … steak,” I say with a shy smile.
“Steak, baby? It’s not your birthday.” He remembered.
“I know … I guess I was in the mood to celebrate.”
>
“Celebrate?”
“Yeah … I was talking with Amanda, and she was worried what might happen if someone finds out about us, and instead of getting upset and worried about us, I decided to celebrate us. We have had some hard moments this week and we supported each other through them. I think it is important to celebrate those small victories. We will need to remember these little triumphs when we have harder moments to get through,” I explain as we make our way into Drake’s kitchen.
Drake sets the groceries on the counter and reaches for a bottle of the Shiraz. As he turns around to face me, I see a frown replace the smile on his face.
“Drake, what’s wrong?” I ask as I reach my hand up and cradle his cheek.
“I wanted so badly to tell my dad about you today,” he starts. “We were talking about work, then he mentioned how my stepmother is redoing their master bath, and how she has plans for other remodels she wants to do, and how they are taking a vacation next month to someplace fabulous, I don’t know, I stopped paying attention … All I could think about was how happy we are, and how I want my dad to know his son has fallen in love with a wonderful woman that he sees a future with. I wanted to tell him how happy you make me, and how whole I feel when I’m with you.” Drake takes a deep breath and looks right into my eyes the way he always does right before he is about to tell me something about his past. Right before his lets me in, just a little bit more.
“My dad married Gloria when I was ten.” He pauses for another moment, his eyes suddenly brim with tears, and his voice cracks slightly. “My mom killed herself a few weeks before my ninth birthday. She was a very depressed woman, but as a little boy, I didn’t understand those signs. She was very kind and very affectionate with me, showering me with hugs and kisses … constantly telling me how proud she was of me and how much she loved me. Whenever I walked into the room, a smile crossed her face. She would tell me about how I was the only thing that brought joy to her life. I was too young to know just how much she meant it. It was the nearing the end of the school year, and I came running home to show my mom some dumb award I had received that day for something I don’t even remember. I ran into her sitting room where she normally waited for me in the afternoons, and she was sitting in her usual spot on the couch. When I ran in the room, she had a weird blank stare on her face, and she didn’t greet me. I knew something was off, so I stopped running and approached her slowly. I asked her if she was alright, but she didn’t answer. She didn’t even blink, she just kept the same blank stare. It wasn’t until I was right about to reach her that I noticed the blood. She had slit her wrist, and draped it over the arm of the couch, and let it drip until she bled out. She was dead. Her eyes were still open, so it took me a moment to realize what had happened, but when I saw the blood, and noticed how pale her face was, I knew. I cried out for someone to help her, but no one was home. My dad was still at work and the housekeeper must have left for the day, or my mom sent her home, I don’t know. I called 911, and they came but there was no helping her, she had been dead for a few hours.”