by Sherri Hayes
He didn’t know exactly when it happened or if it was even one moment, but there was no denying it. He loved Elizabeth Marshall.
As he watched her, he wondered how she felt about him. He knew she enjoyed his company, but he had no idea what, if anything, she wanted from him. How would she react if he told her he loved her?
Even though she was nothing like Carol, his old insecurities were still there. And if he thought what Carol did hurt him, Elizabeth had the power to ruin him.
The rest of the week passed without incident. Elizabeth continued to sleep upstairs with Chris. After those first two nights, it had just sort of happened without discussion.
When they’d gotten home Monday night, the baby doll had been forgotten. After the stress of the day, they’d worked together to make a simple dinner before climbing into bed and just holding each other. She thought it would have been weird to stay in Chris’s bed when they hadn’t had sex, but in some ways that night had felt more intimate than the previous two.
They did finally break out the baby doll Saturday night and it was even better than she could have imagined. He’d complimented her and kissed every inch of her as he’d slowly removed it. It had been a sweet torture that led to the most intense orgasm of her life.
It was now Sunday afternoon and they were on their way to Chris’s parents. Even though she’d been there before and met his entire family, this time it felt different. They hadn’t been together then. Now they were. Sort of.
She had no idea what she was to him. That wasn’t entirely true. He’d said she was important to him, but this was all so new to her. Did he feel the same way she did? She knew that he was more important to her than anyone had ever been. He held her heart in his hands, and she knew that if he chose to, he could crush her to the point she wasn’t sure she’d recover. The intensity of her feelings for him scared her.
Over the last week, they had spent most of their time together, and at work he was never far away. When they came home, they’d stop by her apartment for whatever she would need before disappearing upstairs to his place. They’d make dinner, watch television, and then make love. It didn’t really matter to her what they did. She just enjoyed being with him.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, attempting a smile. “I guess I’m just a little nervous.”
He frowned. “What are you nervous about? You’ve met everyone before.”
“I know. It’s just . . . things are different now.”
He didn’t deny it. “They are. But my mother wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t want you there. It’s going to be fine.”
She nodded.
“Gage has a game today, so after we eat we’ll all huddle around the television and watch.” He gave her a small smile. “You should like that.”
She laughed. “I’d never turn down watching football, though it’s sort of neat actually knowing one of the players.”
“Gage was always a standout player, and his high school coach had encouraged my parents to send him to camps whenever possible, given his potential. It’s paid off though. Now he’s one of the best in the league.”
“He’s the youngest in the family, right?”
Chris nodded. “Yes. It’s Paul, me, Trent, and then Gage. There’s a five-year gap between Trent and Gage. We always tease him about that.”
Over the last week, Chris had been laughing and joking around more. She loved it.
“How far apart are you and Paul?”
“Two years. It’s almost the same between me and Trent.”
“I can’t imagine having three little boys in the house all under the age of six. Your mother is a brave woman.”
“She is.” He smiled, obviously proud of his mom. “She’s amazing. She also didn’t take crap from any of us.”
“So tell me more about your brothers. I know some about Trent.” Chris snorted and she ignored him. She already knew he was trying to forget that she’d been out of a date with him. “I know nearly nothing about the other two. Are either of them married? I mean, I know Paul has a little girl . . .” She let her voice trail off, hoping he’d pick up the conversation.
“Paul’s wife was killed by a drunk driver two years ago. Chloe is his world. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.”
“Oh, that’s horrible.”
“It was. He’s better now. Having Chloe helped. He had to stay strong for her.”
“And Gage? Is there a woman in his life?”
Chris laughed. It wasn’t a nice, full of fun and humor laugh, but more of a sarcastic one. “Women would be more accurate.”
She gave him a puzzled look.
He sighed. “Gage is what you’d call a player. What he does and who he is . . . I don’t want to make him sound like a horrible person or anything, but his relationships, if you can call them that, never last long.”
“Oh. I see.”
“He’s a good guy, but women throw themselves at him all the time because he’s a star and they want a piece of him. He just doesn’t say no.”
She wasn’t sure what to think of this new information. Gage barely spoke to her when she’d met him at the barbecue. Of course, Trent had been monopolizing most of her attention. Maybe there was some unwritten rule with the brothers that they wouldn’t encroach on each other’s territory. That certainly seemed to be the case with Trent when he’d found out her feelings for Chris.
He continued to share stories about his brothers as they drove, and she thought about how flattered she was that she’d been included in their family get-together.
He wasn’t sure when his mother had told him to bring her with him to dinner, but knowing she was being included gave him a sense of pride. She was his, at least for now, and he was going to enjoy it.
He parked and helped her out. She’d insisted on dressing up, wanting to make a good impression, and she looked positively beautiful.
When she’d told him this morning she needed to get ready in her apartment, he’d been slightly disappointed. Watching her get dressed was one of the highlights of his day. The way her body would bend and stretch as she put her clothes on . . .
Thursday he’d nearly thrown her on the bed and forgotten about work when she bent over to pick up her blouse she’d dropped on the floor. She’d just put on a pair of black stockings that hugged the tops of her thighs in a sheer circle of lace. He knew she’d not meant to tease him, that just wasn’t Elizabeth, but he couldn’t help the way he’d reacted. He’d come up behind her, grabbed her hips, and ground himself into her backside. It had led to an intense make out session, making them fifteen minutes late for work. She was slowly relaxing when it came to how he viewed her body, and he was loving the new, more confident Elizabeth.
Chris knew immediately when he’d gone downstairs to pick her up why she’d wanted to get dressed alone. She once again had sheer black stockings gracing her legs. Even now, after being in his truck with her for an hour, talking about his family, he still wanted to pull up her dress and find out exactly what she was hiding underneath. Not a good idea. He cleared his throat, trying to concentrate on something besides her body.
“You ready?”
She took a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Taking her hand, he walked into the house, pulling her after him.
The smell of meat and spices filled the air as they walked through the hallway toward the kitchen. His mother was at the stove, Chloe was sitting with Paul attempting to put icing on a cake, and his father and Trent were busy setting the table.
Chloe was the first one to notice their arrival. “Uncle Chris!” she squealed, causing everyone else to turn.
He hugged his niece. “What are you doing, Princess?”
“Daddy and I are icing the cake for grandma,” she said seriously.
Then her attention turned to Elizabeth. “Do you remember Elizabeth? She was at the barbecue we had after Uncle Gage’s game.”
When Chloe didn’t
say anything Elizabeth asked, “What kind of cake is it?”
Her face scrunched up in frustration. “Chocolate Chip.”
“Ooh, I love chocolate. Did you and your daddy make it?”
She shook her head. “Grandma did. Daddy and I are just helping put the icing on top.” She smiled with pride.
“It looks really good. I can’t wait to try it,” Elizabeth said. Chris was so glad she was getting along with Chloe.
“Have to wait until after we eat.”
Everyone laughed and Paul said, “That’s right, Chloe. We all have to wait until after we eat.”
“Chris, Trent, help me carry everything to the table and we can get started.”
Dinner was fun. As usual, everyone shared what was currently going on in their lives. The PG version of it, anyway, given there was little ears at the table. Chloe had just started her second year of pre-school and spent a good ten minutes talking about a new friend she’d made.
Elizabeth fit in as if she’d been there all along. She joined in conversations and laughed and joked with the rest of them.
As was tradition, the men took over clean up. After some convincing, Mom, Chloe, and Elizabeth went into the living room to relax.
“So . . . ,” Trent said as Chris took a stack of dishes to the sink.
When he turned back around, both his brothers were looking at him. “So . . . what?”
Chris’s father smirked, walked over with another set of dishes, and patted him on the back. “I like her.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“So is it official now?” Trent asked. “You finally decided to man up?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
They all laughed.
“Okay. Yes. We’re . . . together. Happy?”
“Oh, come on, Chris. No details?” Trent teased.
“Not on your life, little brother.”
At three thirty, everyone was sitting around the living room ready for the game to start. Chris’s arm brushed against her, careful not to get too close to her, given their audience. If they were at home, he’d have his arms around her or maybe she’d be sitting in his lap. Neither position he was envisioning was appropriate at the moment.
At half time, Tennessee was up by fourteen points, and Gage was having a great game.
One by one, everyone left the room. His mom and dad disappeared to get some snacks for everyone, Trent said he had to make a phone call, and Paul went to help Chloe in the bathroom. They were alone, and he couldn’t stop himself from taking advantage.
He nuzzled into her neck and pushed her hair to the side, grazing his lips behind her ear.
“What are you doing?” She gasped.
“Kissing you,” he said. “You have no idea what I want to do to you when we get home. I’ve been dying to see what you have on under that dress all day.”
That’s when Trent walked back in the room, clipping his phone back to his belt, and they broke apart.
By the time they’d left, Elizabeth was a mess. All during the second half, Chris had continued to tease her.
From the outside, she was sure it had looked completely innocent. He would lean over to whisper something in her ear, lingering just a little too long and blowing on the base of her neck. Or run the tips of his fingers up the underside of her arm. Or rest his hand right alongside her leg, playing with the fabric of her dress, reminding her of what he’d said at half time.
They got back and she looked up at the second floor where her apartment was. Her apartment. It didn’t even feel that way anymore. How is that possible? After only a week, she felt more at home at Chris’s than she ever had in hers.
But she knew why. Chris was what made the difference. It didn’t matter if it was her place or his as long as he was there with her.
They barely made up to his place before his kisses turned urgent, lavishing her neck and unbuttoning her clothes as he went. He gathered her dress and pushed it up around her hips, groaning as he felt the lace tops of her thigh-highs. “I knew it. I knew you were wearing these.”
Before long, she was standing in front of him in only her bra and panties. She would have felt self-conscious if not for the way he looked at her.
He tugged on the hem of her panties, pulling them down her legs. “Take off your bra,” he commanded.
She was literally shaking with excitement as she complied, letting it drop to the floor.
He knelt before her and trailed his hands up her legs, lifting her right over his shoulder before placing a soft kiss on the inside of her thigh. No one had ever touched her this way, and she knew that if she had any say in it, no one but Chris ever would again. She loved him. Loved how he made her feel. Then all thoughts ceased as he kissed her most intimate spot.
She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feel of him between her legs.
Terry showed up at the office just after ten because Chris had to meet with a few clients that he couldn’t put off any longer. He was nervous about leaving Elizabeth even though he trusted Terry completely. It just wasn’t the same as him being there.
His first stop was a breeze. The clients were thrilled and could do nothing but rave about the guys and the work they were doing. Chris wished everyone were like that.
The second took more time, and afterward he called the office to see how things were going. He could hear the smile in Elizabeth’s voice and wondered if she was blushing. He’d spent a good amount of time that morning making sure she wouldn’t forget him today.
“How’s your morning going?” she asked.
“Two down, one to go. How are things in the office?”
“Terry’s watching me like a hawk,” she said conspiratorially.
He laughed. “Good. He knows I’ll have his head if he doesn’t.”
“Chris, I’m fine. Some pictures and an old newspaper won’t hurt me.”
That sobered him up quickly. “Don’t make light of it, Elizabeth. I know you’ve been through a lot, but you can’t just dismiss those things or the fact that someone was in your apartment. Have you forgotten that?”
“No. And I’m not. Making light of it, I mean. It’s just . . .” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to be scared all the time. And when you’re around, I’m not. I know that makes me sound needy, but . . .”
He knew exactly what she meant and the urge to tell her he loved her was on the tip of his tongue. The only thing that stopped him was that he wanted to look into her eyes the first time he said those words. He had no idea how she’d react, and that scared him. He knew how he felt, and he wanted to tell her. He just had to find the right time.
“I should let you go,” she said.
“I’ll be back to pick you up and take you home.”
“Drive safe.”
“I will.”
The urge to say I love you surged again, but he just hung up the phone and got back to work.
Two hours later, he was finishing up with his third client when his stomach growled. Had he really forgotten to eat lunch?
He pulled into a drive-thru and loaded up on more calories than he usually ate in a day, let alone a meal, but it was the quickest alternative.
He had pulled up to the window to get his food when he spied Carol across the street, and he grimaced, remembering her visit to his job site last week. He still needed to confront her about her behavior. To be honest, the only thing he’d made a priority lately was Elizabeth.
Just as the teenager handed him his bag of food, Carol slid behind the wheel of her car and pulled out. In a split-second decision, Chris followed her.
What was it they said about a watched clock? Elizabeth was finding that out firsthand after checking the clock again.
She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d told Chris that Terry was watching her like a hawk. He’d brought in a bunch of papers that looked like architectural specs, and he’d been poring over them all day, making notes. Chris did that as well, but he always stayed in his office. Ter
ry was out in the main room with her and every time she’d get a call, he’d look up, listen, and then go back to his papers. It made her wonder how much Chris had told him about her situation.
It was three o’clock when she heard a vehicle out front, and her heart kicked up, hoping Chris was back. Unable to help herself, she jumped up and looked out the window.
Her hopes were quickly dashed. Instead of Chris’s black pickup truck, it was a silver Lexus, and she hurried back to her desk, readying herself for what she assumed was a potential client.
“Everything okay?” Terry asked.
That’s when the door opened, and a well-dressed man stepped into the office. He looked around before spotting her, and she knew immediately that this wasn’t a client.
“Elizabeth Carter?”
“Marshall.”
“Excuse me?”
“I go by Marshall now, not Carter,” she said. “What can I do for you?”
She saw Terry move out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored him. She knew better than most that you never turned your back on men like this.
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope along with a single sheet of paper. “What is it?” she said, taking it.
She read over the paper quickly. She’d seen many of these in her past. A lead weight settled in her stomach, and she felt as if she were going to be sick.
With emotionless professionalism, he said, “Good day, Mrs. Carter.” Then he turned on his heel and left.
Terry waited for the door to close before coming over to her desk. “What is it?”
With trepidation, she lay the documents down and looked up. “I’ve just been served.”
“What?” Terry asked.
“My in-laws,” she said absently, handing him the papers. A lawsuit would mean so much more than just going before a judge. The press would get word of it, and her name and picture would be splashed across the front page like before. Just the thought of going through all that again made her sick.