by A. C. Arthur
“Hey, where’d you go just now?”
He’d given her a little shake. “Oh, I was just thinking of something.”
“Of something or someone?”
“You are so arrogant,” she said, smiling. “All right. I was thinking of you.”
Ty hugged her again, pressing his arousal into her as he did. “Sweetheart, I want you, too. I don’t know why you’re putting us both through this.”
She held on to him, for the first time in months feeling the depths of her love for this man. “I just want to be sure. I want it to work this time, Ty.”
“Do you love me, Felicia?” he asked when he looked down at her.
“Yes. I do love you.”
“Then that’s all we need to make it work.”
His words sounded so simple, so easy. So just like Ty to say.
TJB Investments, Inc., was located in downtown Houston. It was a large building, twenty-eight floors, including two restaurants on the lower level.
Ty loved the location and had rented an entire floor for his company. He had six associate finance advisors along with staff that handled the day-today operations of his holdings—namely the large retail chains that he owned until he was ready to either liquidate or sell them. The finance advisors didn’t have their own accounts but worked to keep some of the clients abreast of their projects. Ty did the bulk of the research for new investors, as well as bringing in all new investments.
It was a demanding job, but one that Ty thrived at. To him, despite what his family thought, it was the thrill he got when the deal was closed. When he was able to acquire holdings, make his clients even more money and increase his own portfolio, he felt proud, accomplished. Like he was more than just Harmon Braddock’s son.
Because he hadn’t chosen to go into law like his father and like Shondra, he’d always felt he needed to work harder. He hadn’t followed in Malcolm’s and his mother’s steps, either, taking up one cause or another and fighting for it.
He was the middle child with a different set of goals and dreams. He only hoped that he would at least take from his father the ability to juggle both a successful career and a family.
“Mr. Brentwood is camping with his family up at Lone Star this weekend. He’s asking if you could meet him up there,” Marsha said. She was in his office going over messages and his schedule for the day.
Ty had been distracted since arriving in the office this morning. Leaving Felicia had caused an ache in his chest he wasn’t familiar with. As long as they had gone to their own places and slept in their own beds, he’d had a grip on this separation process. A slight grip, but one nonetheless. Now that he’d slept in the same bed with her again, it wasn’t so easy to go back to the idea of sleeping alone.
“Mr. Braddock?” Marsha called his name with an edge of concern and placed her notepad on her lap.
“Yes?” He looked at her and rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
“Is everything all right, Mr. Braddock? I mean, with the baby and your wife?”
“Everything’s fine. Why do you ask?”
“You look worried.”
Ty tried to smile. Marsha had been with him since he’d started the TJB Fund. She was a good worker and tried to be a friend. More often than not, Ty brushed that off. Today, he thought he might need her in that regard. “I’ve been reading about pregnancy and everything that goes along with it. I’m just wondering what else I can do for Felicia at this point.”
Marsha’s features instantly turned from professionalism to compassion. “Is she getting enough rest? Plenty of water, eating right and rest is all she can do right now.”
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze momentarily resting on his degrees and awards neatly framed and hanging on the wall. “She’s still working and that bothers me.”
“She’s a schoolteacher, right? That shouldn’t be too stressful. Her kids are still too young to give her too much trouble. Is there anything else going on at home? Any reason why you’d be worried about the pregnancy?”
Ty was not about to tell Marsha that he and Felicia were separated, no matter how helpful she was trying to be.
“I’m probably just being paranoid. She seems fine. All the normal symptoms of early pregnancy are there. Right down to the cravings,” he said with a smile, remembering last night.
She smiled. “That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah.” Ty thought about his wife for another moment before adjusting himself in his chair and clearing his throat. “Now back to business. Have we heard from Brentwood today?”
Picking up her notepad again as if the conversation switch was the most natural in the world, she replied, “As I was saying before, he called just before you came in. He wants to meet with you personally. Says all these conference calls and e-mails aren’t working for him. He needs to meet with you in person before he can make a decision as important as this.”
Ty steepled his fingers and rested them on his chin as he thought about her words. “Fine. Set up a face-to-face.” He hoped it wasn’t in the man’s hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. Leaving Felicia right now was not going to go over well. She’d never understand and would assume things were back to the way they were before.
“He’ll be in Texas this weekend. Camping up at the Lone Star with his family. You could go up, take Mrs. Braddock with you. Meet with Brentwood and get some R & R while you’re at it.”
Marsha was more perceptive than Ty had ever given her credit for. A weekend away with Felicia would be great. A change of scenery in such a restful atmosphere would be good for her. Not to mention the uninterrupted time they’d get to spend together. “Make the arrangements for a cabin. Set up a time with Brentwood and get my wife on the phone,” he said before lifting his cup of now-cold coffee to his lips.
He noticed the look of satisfaction on his secretary’s face as she left his office. Less than a minute later she buzzed him. “Mrs. Braddock on line four.”
“Thanks.” Ty was smiling when he picked up the phone. “Hello, Mrs. Braddock. You miss me yet?”
He heard her chuckle on the other end and enjoyed the warmth that spread throughout his chest. “I just left you two hours ago.”
“One hundred and twenty minutes is a long time.”
“I agree. So you must be missing me to have called this soon.”
“Missing you like crazy, sweetheart. Never doubt that,” he said honestly. “Listen, I have an idea. How about you and I spend the weekend cuddled up, sort of like we did last night, in a cabin at Lone Star?” Ty just prayed that, unlike last night, this weekend would finally be the moment when Felicia gave in to both their desires.
“An entire weekend, just you and me?” she asked hesitantly.
Ty hated that questioning in her voice, like she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Of course, just you and me. I’m not about to invite anyone else along to cuddle up with my wife.”
She chuckled again. “You know what I mean, Ty. You’re going to not work for an entire weekend? What about the big investor you’re trying to snag?”
“Don’t worry about that. I don’t want you worrying about my work or your work or anything other than keeping yourself and our baby healthy. I just want to spend some alone time with you. You know when the baby comes we won’t have much of that.”
“That’s true. In that case, I’d love to spend the weekend with you, Mr. Braddock.”
“Great. We’ll leave around noon on Friday. I have a meeting in the morning but that should be over by eleven. I’ll pick you up and we can get right on the road. Lone Star’s only an hour away.”
“That sounds…Oh, no, wait. I can’t.”
For a moment, Ty was alarmed. “You can’t. Why?”
“It’s Halloween. The kids have a party Friday night at the school. I have to be there.”
Sometimes, Felicia was as dedicated to her job as he was, so Ty couldn’t fault her for that. “That’s fine. How about I meet you at
the party and we’ll hit the road as soon as it’s over?”
“That sounds like a plan.”
“Great. I’ll call you a little later and we’ll talk about dinner tonight.”
“Okay,” she said. “Oh, and, Ty?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“I love you.”
It was all worth it. All the changes he was making, all the work he was doing, everything he had planned. It was all worth hearing those words from Felicia and knowing she absolutely meant them. “I love you, too.”
Chapter 6
Friday night couldn’t have come sooner. Felicia had spent the past three days packing and trying not to think about how much she was going to enjoy this weekend. Three days alone with her husband. When was the last time she’d had that?
Deuce had come to her apartment that morning before she’d left for work to pick up her suitcase, so now all she had to do was get through the day at work and tonight’s party.
The kids were very excited about the Halloween party they had been preparing for all week long. It was only the first-and second-graders, and they were all dressing in costumes. After the last bell of the day, the kids were going home and returning to the school in full costumes at six o’clock.
It was now five forty-five and everything was in place. Felicia adjusted the apron of her Alice in Wonderland costume as she headed down the hall to the gym to make one final check of the decorations. She’d stuffed her cell phone in the bodice of the outfit, since she didn’t have any pockets. When it rang, she was a little alarmed, then laughed. The vibrating against her breasts had all sorts of sexual alarms going off in her body. This holding out from Ty was definitely coming to an end tonight. She was no saint and once a woman was Ty Braddock’s lover, going abstinent was no walk in the park.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sweetheart. How about coming to the front door to let me in?”
“Ty? Where are you? The party hasn’t even started yet.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here. How would it look, me showing up to a costume party once it was over?”
Ty did not do parties, and he definitely did not do children’s parties. “But I thought you were going to pick me up afterward.”
“As much as I love hearing your voice over the phone, sweetheart, I’d much rather see your pretty face. Can you come and open the door?”
“Oh, yeah. Sure.”
Turning in the opposite direction, Felicia walked quickly down one corridor then turned the corner, passed the main office and opened the front door. The kids would use the side entrance near the gym to get in. There were already a few teachers and aides there to receive them.
“Hey—” The words died on her lips when she looked at him. He was dressed in green scrubs and had a stethoscope hanging around his neck, and she couldn’t help but giggle. “You dressed up?”
“So did you.” He stepped through the door and touched the hair of her long blond wig.
She couldn’t stop staring at him. His body looked tight and fit even in the loose outfit. But that wasn’t the surprise. The surprise was that he was here, in her school, dressed as a doctor to attend her class’s Halloween party. To say she was happy was an understatement.
“What’s the matter? You’ve never seen such a sexy doctor?” he joked.
She wanted to smile. She wanted to cry. So many emotions were running through her right now she felt overwhelmed. “I’m, ah, just a little shocked, that’s all.”
He brushed a hand over her cheek. “I told you I would make things better between us. If it means dressing up and coming to an elementary school party, then that’s what I’ll do. Is that all right with you?”
Tears swam in her eyes as she tried to keep them from falling. “It’s…ah…just fine with me.”
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I don’t want anything to mar your pretty face. Besides, it’s a party. We should go enjoy ourselves.” He took her hand.
“Which way?”
“Down here.” She pointed. “To the gym.”
“You look really hot in that costume,” he said as they neared the gym.
She laughed. “I’m a character from a children’s cartoon. How hot is that?”
“Your breasts are too big for you to be considered a child, and that dress is barely covering your knees. I’m so aroused right now I’m liable to poke somebody’s eye out, so you might want to keep close.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Braddock. I’m not about to let the sexiest doctor I’ve ever seen out of my sight. You’ll be right by my side all night long.”
And for the rest of her life, Felicia hoped.
As they entered the gym, Ty leaned over and whispered in her ear, “And what about tonight when we get to the cabin? Where will I be then?”
She looked up at him, knowing exactly where his mind was going and loving every minute of it. “You’ll be inside of me, where you belong.”
Felicia had taken a round of girls to the bathroom for the final time of the night. The party would be over in fifteen minutes. She was just headed back into the gym to find Ty when she spotted him across the room. There were only about twenty kids left, and the staff had already begun wrapping things up.
Ty was talking on his cell phone. Felicia took a deep breath to keep from getting angry about it. Hadn’t he come dressed to her Halloween party? On top of that, he’d been amazing with the kids.
At one point during the night, Amanda Darson, a very shy little girl who was dressed as Cinderella, had been sitting all alone in a chair near the punch table. Ty had excused himself from Felicia and the group of teachers they were speaking to and went to sit next to her.
Felicia couldn’t tell what he’d said to Amanda but after a few minutes she’d seen the little girl smile. In the next minute, Ty had taken her hand and led her to the dance floor. Felicia’s heart practically leapt out of her chest as she watched Ty put Amanda’s feet on top of his and dance her around the room. It was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen, and her hand had instantly gone to her stomach. Tyson Jamison Braddock was going to be a wonderful father. He was going to love this child she was carrying with all his heart. She had no doubt about that.
Ty closed his phone and walked toward her as she finished remembering the events of the night. That confident stride and self-assured attitude he possessed appealed to her more now than ever.
“Before you ask, I was talking to Shondra. Just letting her know where we’ll be for the weekend in case they need to reach me. Sometimes you can lose connectivity in the wilderness.”
Felicia could only smile, her heart overflowing with love for this man. She grabbed his hand, then told Lucy, her aide, to see the girls to their parents and continue with the pack-up, she’d be right back.
“Where are you taking me, Mrs. Braddock?” Ty asked when they continued to walk through the long halls.
“You’ve been a bad boy, Mr. Braddock.”
“Really?” he asked from behind her. “Am I about to be punished?”
“You bet your green scrubs you are,” she quipped. They came to a room that she knew would be unlocked. She opened the door and pulled him inside. Before he could open his mouth to speak again, Felicia was on him, taking his mouth with all the hunger she’d held at bay these last few weeks. Ty didn’t hesitate but snaked his arms around her back and pulled her closer to the hardness of his body.
Ty’s doctor outfit left nothing to the imagination. Felicia moaned as his thick erection pressed into her. Shifting positions, Ty moved so that Felicia’s back was now up against the door. Without a word, he lifted her legs. She obediently wrapped them around his waist. His hands slid under the dress she wore and slipped beneath her panties to touch the skin of her bottom. He gripped her there and took her mouth in another steamy kiss.
She was panting now, her body aching for him. “Ty,” she whispered desperately when he’d left her lips to trail moist kisses along her jawline and down her neck. “I need you.”
“Relax, sweetheart. I know what you need.” He slipped one hand from behind her to her pulsing center.
The moment he touched her there, Felicia wanted to scream. Instead she bit her lip, letting her head fall against the door. It had been too long since he’d touched her like this. He slipped one finger inside, pulled it out, then slipped in two. She trembled and whispered his name. His fingers went deeper as his thumb pressed firmly over her already tightened nub.
Her thighs clenched around Ty’s waist. He kissed her neck while working his magic between her legs. “How was I a bad boy?” he said before nipping her neck.
Felicia heard his words but couldn’t summon a response.
“Come on, sweetheart. I need you to talk to me. You know how I like it.”
And she did. Ty was a patient and kind lover; he only asked for one thing in return. He loved for her to talk to him.
“You haven’t touched me like this in too long,” she said finally.
He growled and pressed his fingers deeper inside her. “I wanted to.”
“I wanted you to,” she moaned. “Oh, God. I wanted you to touch me so badly.”
“I can’t wait to get you alone in that cabin.”
“Oh, Ty,” she whimpered. Her thighs began to quiver, her release humming along her very sensitive nerves.
“Yes, sweetheart. Let it flow.” He pumped his fingers into her again, holding her around her waist steadily with his other arm. “Let me take care of you right now. Then we can leave.”
Felicia opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by the rush of her orgasm tearing through her body.
Her breathing was just returning to normal when Ty let her legs down. Thankfully he kept his arms around her until she was steady. Then she stood on tiptoe, placing a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “And when we get to the cabin, I’m going to take care of you,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Is that a promise?”