“Don’t tell me you are nervous Sweetheart, no need to be. I’ll give you exactly what you want, and we’ll both be happy,” he said sweetly.
She shivered and the colour was leaving her face. She was speechless. She played with fire, and it looked like she was about get burned. She moved closer to her door grabbing the handle.
“I’ll appreciate it if you don’t try to jump out of the moving car, let go of the handle and come over here,” he demanded.
She looked at her death grip on the handle and didn’t loosen her hold. She was paralyzed with fear, and her brain was not reacting to anything other than the word danger.
“Azolah, did you hear what I said?” he asked in a deceptively soft voice.
“Yes,” she squeaked.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Scoot on over.”
“I can’t, I think my hands are stuck.”
He laughed sending chills down her spine. He moved closer and unwound her fingers one at a time from the door then kissed her fingertips.
“Such beautiful hands small and soft,” he said before pulling her towards him and crushed her mouth with his in a punishing kiss.
At first, she was not responsive but with the coaxing of his tongue and the softening of his mouth, she sighed and melted into his arms, all her fears evaporated as she burned with the passion he awakened within her. She groaned and clung to him deepening the kiss wanting him to touch her everywhere.
“Touch me,” she begged.
He complied pulling her onto his lap without interrupting their kiss or hitting Becky, who was sitting at her usual place at his feet. He raised the skirt she was wearing moving aside her underwear to dip two fingers into her wet core. She held onto him lifting her hips slightly towards him. She pushed aside his jacket breaking their kiss to loosen his tie and ripped open his shirt causing buttons to fly everywhere.
“More, more,” she demanded moving to the rhythm of his fingers strokes.
“Getting greedy aren’t you?” he asked as he inserted another finger.
“Damn right,” she said licking his neck, he tasted wonderful, salty, spicy, and very intoxicating.
He laughed softly as she pulled out his shirttail from his trousers. She needed to feel him inside her now, or she would combust from all this heat and the last couple of months of pent up sexual frustration.
“Easy, no need to rush,” he said moving her from his lap onto the seat.
“Easy for you to say, I want you now,” she hissed. Happy the car was big enough to be comfortable. She laid down on the seat pulling him to her by his tie. She grabbed his belt and pulled it out of his pants then began to work on the zipper. She had his pants down to his hips and within seconds he was between her thighs.
He kissed her and put her legs on his shoulders. She scooted closer to him and grabbed for his ass propelling him closer to her entrance.
“Now, I need you now,” she said sighing as he filled her with a thrust allowing her body to become accustomed to him again. It had been too long, and she almost forgot how great he felt.
She grabbed his buttocks as he tightened his hold on her calves penetrating her deeper. She moved with him thrust for thrust taking them both higher. She bit down on her bottom lip drawing blood as she tried to cover her cries of pleasure. He took the tip of his index finger and traced the blood then sucked on his finger. She groaned at the act and her pussy walls constricted with three final thrusts they climaxed in unison. Liam kissed her to cover both their cries of fulfillment. He collapsed and pulled her to sit on his lap.
“Satisfied?” he whispered.
“I am for now,” she whispered back kissing him before getting off him to allow him to get his jacket.
“Good, the car stopped a minute ago. Let’s go inside and continue this,” he said pulling his clothes back in place. She fixed herself held her head high and opened the door moving aside to let Becky out and waited for her husband to do the same. She looked at Jack, thanked him and held Liam’s hand as they walked to the house.
“Do you think he knew what we were doing?” she whispered in embarrassment.
He laughed, “Yes, I am sure we look a mess it’s nothing to be embarrassed about sweetheart, and we are married after all.”
***
Things were looking better between Laim and Zola. Since their little romp in the car three weeks ago, they had settled into married life again. They had a comfortable routine going among them, and they had hardly fought. The sex was mind blowing as always hot and fast at first then slowly the second and third time around. Life was perfect in the Bradford household. Had she known months ago, that a meltdown would lead to where they were now, she would have had one much sooner.
Her husband was always home before dinner so he could spend time with their son. Wyn was on cloud nine having daddy at home playing with him. The triplets were also doing well, and Zola gained back the ten pounds and was now at her ideal weight. She attributed that to her newfound happiness and the less stressful atmosphere.
It was Friday morning Liam had just left for the office and her mother and mother -in-law had taken their grandson to the mall. She had the house to herself and could do whatever she pleases without people around fussing.
“Mrs. Bradford, what are you doing? You are not supposed to exhaust yourself,” Betty the housekeeper said rushing immediately to her side.
Here she thought she had the day to do whatever she wanted without being treated as if she was a delicate flower. Zola shrieked being caught off guard. “Bloody Mary, Betty, you almost scared me to death. Thanks for your concern but I am okay.” She said when she saw the guarded look in the other woman’s eyes.
“Mr. Bradford said not to—”
Zola held up a hand cutting her off. “Well he isn’t here is he? What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” she cajoled smiling at the petite woman.
“Come on Betty, I’m going stir crazy here. I need something to do and knitting isn’t one of them.” She had tried knitting several baby sweaters and booties, and they had all been disasters. The booties had no heels and the sweaters had either one or half a sleeve. She had given up after her sixth sweater attempt.
“Okay, but I will help. If Mr. Bradford finds out I’ll be sacked,” she said taking hold of the other end of the comforter.
She let the other woman help her to avoid an argument.
Zola was in a good mood and was enjoying her day. She had gotten most of the things done she that needed too. It was after one, and she had just put away the chocolate macadamia cookies she had baked. They were Liam’s favourite. She had harassed the cook into letting her into the kitchen. He finally relented knowing that she would sneak in anyway.
She smiled as she sat at the table with a glass of milk and three cookies. She was half way through her first cookie when Betty brought her the cordless phone. She thanked her as she took the phone.
“Hello?” she said, swallowing the last piece of cookie, she was eating.
“Azolah is that you?” Liam asked.
“Yes, it’s me. Sorry, I am eating cookies,” she was glad to hear his voice.
“What cookies, Cook made cookies?” he asked excitement in his voice.
She laughed. She had found out his weakness two weeks ago and had gotten into the habit of making them as a treat for him. She enjoyed the way his eyes lit up when he saw them.
“No, I made them, and your favourite too.”
“Mmm can’t wait to taste them. How did you convince cook to allow you to ‘mess up’ his kitchen?” He asked with a hint of a smile in his voice.
“I do not ‘mess up the kitchen’ as you put it,” she said in indignantly.
His laugh was full of warmth and flowed through her. She loved it when he laughed and he had been doing a lot lately. She could tell he was happy.
“I did promise it would be the last time I would ask to use his kitchen.”
He laughed,
“I don’t see that happening anytime soon, and he believed you?”
“Well, he doesn’t have to know that. What goes on in his kitchen when he isn’t there shouldn’t bother him as long as I clean up afterwards. It will be as good as new by the time he comes back. It will be our little secret.”
“Ah, so you do have a backup plan? Devious. Anyway Sweetheart, I just called to let you know Natasha will be joining us for dinner tonight. Please inform Cook about our dinner guest.”
“Natasha?” she asked slowly.
“Yes, you know Tasha. That’s her name. She called to see how Becky and I were doing, and I invited her to dinner. I hope that’s not a problem.”
Azolah was speechless. Her brain was working overtime she hadn’t heard that name for almost a month. Heck, she had thought she would never hear that name again. Her hand tightened instinctively on the receiver.
“Azolah, are you there?” her husband asked a little impatiently.
“Yes, where else will I be? I’ll let Cook know about your guest.”
“Our guest Azolah, and please no more of this nonsense I thought we were over that.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about Liam. I’ll let Cook know about Natasha’s arrival. Is there anything she would like that I can have him serve?”
“No, whatever you think is best is fine with me.”
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get home then,” she said preparing to turn the phone off.
“Azolah?”
“Yes Liam?” she asked trying not to sigh in frustration.
“Make sure you leave me enough of those cookies.”
She looked at the phone as dial tone greeted her and shook her head. She hadn’t planned to meet the woman she tormented herself over when she had started out her day.
She looked at the elderly man puttering around the kitchen and smiled. The cook tried to give the impression he was a tough cookie, but he couldn’t fool her; he was as soft as a marshmallow. The old geezer was a sweetie and one of her favourite people among the staff.
“Cook that was Liam, he wanted me to let you know we will be having a guest over for dinner tonight. If you need me, I’ll be in my room taking a nap,” she said walking out of the room.
She trusted her husband if he said nothing was going on between Tasha and him she believed him. She walked the steps to her room and rummaged through the closet. If she was going to meet the famous Tasha, and keep her sanity, she was going to have to look her best even if she couldn’t make a definite promise she would act that way. At least her pregnancy had pushed her breasts to a C-cup bra.
***
Liam tiptoed into the room; it sounded as if his wife was still asleep. He had arrived early hoping to take both her and Wyn for a picnic down by the pond but was told she had been asleep most of the afternoon. He frowned Azolah rarely took naps in the afternoon and when she took one, it wasn’t for more than an hour. They had had many arguments on the topic since they found out she was pregnant and when the doctor had told them it was triplets, Liam had pushed the topic further.
He knew she conceded because she wanted him to shut up and get him out of the house when he had threatened to continue working from home. Her agreeing to take naps had not stopped him from worrying. He smiled imagining her being furious at him every time she took a nap.
He walked closer to their bed following the small snores and mentally counting the number of steps with Becky by his side. He sat on the bed picturing her curly hair in disarray on the pillow. He was glad her hair had grown and was back to its curly state since she had straightened it when he was away. He touched her cheek and heard her sigh. As she moved closer to him, the hard swell of her stomach grazed his side. He placed a hand over her swollen stomach, and a surge of protectiveness overtook him. Their daughters were snuggled up in there. He loved his babies more than life itself and knew that when their mother brought them into this world, his love will only get stronger.
Love, he thought he would feel again after Madeline. Yes, he was in love with this stubborn, strong willed woman of his. He wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened. Maybe it was when she had cussed him out at their first meeting, or it could have been on the day of their wedding when he worried she was having second thoughts. He smiled at the thought of her negotiating with the cook for kitchen privilege. Whenever it happened it didn’t matter, what mattered was sharing his love with his beautiful wife, son, and daughters.
He had sworn off love with its complications and emotions that came with it. Now as he sat inhaling Azolah’s delicate scent, he knew what it was like to have a second chance, a chance to experience a happy life full of love.
He felt like laughing aloud. He was so foolish to think he could close off his heart to this tender woman and move on as if he was made of ice. How wrong he had been. He felt joyous but for him to truly be free, and profess his love for his wife he needed a clean slate.
There was one thing he had to do first. He had to put the past to rest; he had to say goodbye to Madeline. He got up slowly and left the room. Before this night was over, he would be closing a chapter of his life to start a new one.
***
The cold winds bit at his back as he stood at the cemetery. He always had Jack bring him there when he was upset for some reason or the other. Being at Madeline’s grave always gave him a sense of serenity, but not today. Today he was at a loss for words. Today he had come to bid his first love farewell.
“Hi Maddy, I know I haven’t seen you in a long time, but I am here now. A lot have happened since we last talked, my life had gotten a bit more exciting,” he said laughing
“I’ve met someone since my last visit; her name is Azolah. We’re married; you would have liked her. She’s strong willed, a terrific mother, compassionate, funny and beautiful inside and out. She’s feisty yet at the same time could be so naïve about life I’m surprised she hasn’t been taken advantage of. You might think she’s too young for me; you could be right.
“She makes me happy, something I thought I never would be again. She has a little boy named, Wynter. I guess I should say we have a little boy. He’s a sweetheart and even if I can’t see him I know he imitates my every move.” He smiled shaking his head. “I adopted him after we got married. He’s a ray of sunshine. He loves me, and I love him, I never thought I could love someone as I do him.”
He shifted from one foot to the next clearing his throat before continuing. “I know you’re wondering why I’m telling you all this. I know I promised you I would never love again, and I meant it at the time. I never thought I would get a second chance at love until Azolah came into my life. I know she loves me; she may not say it, but it's there in her touch and everything she does. I tried to stay away from her as much as I could. I did not want to hurt her if I couldn’t give her what she needed. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. She doesn’t know how great she is, she’s a fighter, and I admire her strength. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind or put me in my place, I think that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with her.
“I wish you were here with us Maddy, that you could experience it all. I wish things had been different between us those last few months. I wish I had been more supportive and loving. Most of all, I wish I had the guts to tell you the truth and break off our engagement. I think you knew just as I did, that our relationship was falling apart. I see now why you wanted a big, perfect affair. However, I’m not sure that would’ve saved us. I’ve loved you for almost half my life, but to be honest, I believe that we both knew that love was gone. I love you, Maddy, I always will, but I have to move on with my life.
“I have to shed the guilt that is eating at me about your death. If I could go back in time and stop you from driving that car, I would. I hope you can forgive me for not being the man you needed me to be. I’ve found a new love, and I can’t fully give her my heart until I let go of you.
“Azolah is pregnant, and we are ha
ving triplets, could you believe it? triplets! And three girls at that. We never did get around to discussing children did we Maddy? I guess back then I was so self-centered that it never crossed my mind you may want to have kids someday. I never heard you talk about them when you discussed our future. I’ve known and loved you for most of my life, yet it seems that I didn’t know much about you. Did I take you and what we had for granted? If I did, I’m sorry, I guess I am learning from past mistakes.
“I am going to be the best father I can be, just like my father was to me. I can’t imagine my life now without Wyn and Azolah in it. I am looking forward to the birth of our girls. Be happy for me Maddy and please ask the boss to bless us with happy, healthy babies. I have to get going, but I want you to know that you’ll always be my first love Madeline Stevens. I’ll always love you and cherish the time we had together, but tonight I must say goodbye until we meet again.
“Azolah is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time, and I can’t lose her because I am hung up on the past. She is teaching me too much for me not to care. For the first time in years, I am learning I can’t always control the outcome of the things that go on in my life. Like falling in love for example. I’m learning how to be humble and patient, and I’m learning how to truly love another person. Goodbye Madeline, sleep tight.”
He turned around to signal to Jack he was done. He wiped the tears from his eyes and felt lighter than he did in years. His conscience was now clear. Now all he needed was to get the courage to tell his wife he was in love with her. He blinked again looking up into the sky and realized that his prison of darkness now had glimmers of light.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Azolah was already dressed when Liam entered their bedroom. She had taken care in selecting the dress because she wanted to look her best. She wasn’t too overly dressed nor did she look like someone on the verge of spinsterhood. For some reason, she felt she needed to make an impression on Tasha the great.
She turned at his voice, “You are up, how are you feeling?” he asked walking around the room with ease. He had come a long way from the day she had met him. He had adapted well and at times, she forgot he was blind. She was happy for him, happy for the sake of their children that he had given up resisting and accepted his condition. He had mellowed and stopped being the ogre he had been when they first met.
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