Regal

by Tina Martin

  “I know, but things happened and—” she shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  “What does that mean? It is what it is?”

  “It means that these are the circumstances we found ourselves in.”

  “To me, it denotes that the situation can’t be changed, and that’s not true. It’s not out of your control to pick up the phone and make an attempt to fix whatever it was that caused you to go so long without talking to your mother.”

  “You’re right, so here’s a better more truthful answer. I guess I don’t have it in me.”

  “Hmm…” he said. “When you get married, you don’t want your father to walk you down the aisle?”

  “I’m not getting married.”

  He grinned. “You sound so sure of yourself.”

  “That’s because I am. You said it yourself—who wants a woman with baggage, a baby daddy and a child she doesn’t know?”

  “That’s not what I said, Felicity.”

  “It is sort of. You said you didn’t want a woman with kids and who didn’t have a good relationship with her parents.”

  “Yes, I did say that, but—” he paused.

  Felicity didn’t want to take the conversation any further. She didn’t come here to talk about her parents. She wasn’t sure why she came but now she was ready to go. “Look, thanks for the coffee and the listening ear, but I have to get going.”

  “You haven’t finished your coffee yet.”

  “I know, but I really need to go, Regal,” she said, standing up from the swivel bar stool at the kitchen island. “I’ll talk to you later, okay.”

  “No,” he said joining her in standing. He boxed her in at the island. “No, it’s not okay. Why are you trying to run away from me, Felicity?” he asked, staring at her lips.

  “I’m not running away,” she said, her cheeks stiff, heart pounding at how close his lips were to her face. Her entire body tingled and flushed. She grew hot suddenly and for some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t move her hand to fan herself off. She couldn’t move at all. “Why do you think I’m running away from you?”

  “Because we’re in the middle of a conversation and having a good time talking to each other and you abruptly end it all by telling me you gotta go out of the blue, then that’s the first thing that comes to my mind—you’re running.” He dipped his head lower when he said, “And I’m not giving you any reason to run from me. I opened up my home to you. I want your company and not a mere thirty minutes of it, Felicity.”

  The warmness of his breath tickled her lips as he spoke. And why was he staring at them so much?

  She angled her head up just slightly to look at him. “Regal, I—”

  Before she could get out another word his mouth connected with hers and he wasn’t trying to take things slow. He was going in – tongue and all – as he did something he craved doing since the last time he stole a kiss. Only this time, he didn’t feel like he was stealing anything. You can’t steal what was yours and in his mind, she was his.

  He deepened the kiss, turning his head in a way that gave him free reign to every inch of her mouth. Every delicious taste of her tongue made him want more as it touched and meandered with his in long, unhurried strokes. He kissed her deeply. Passionately. Any deeper and he’d be her dinner. She was already his.

  Felicity was experiencing something she’d never felt before – raw desire that had the potential to grow into madness. Her whimpers said it all. The way her body tremble told the story but as good as his lips tasted, as delectable as his strong tongue was, as much as she wanted more, she wouldn’t allow herself to succumb to his advances.

  It wasn’t until she ended that kiss that she realized his hands were beneath her blouse and on her bare back, holding her body still for his personal enjoyment.

  “Still in a hurry to leave?” he asked, challenging her willpower by leaving small kisses around her mouth.

  “Yes,” she said, grabbing him by the wrists and moving his hands from around her. “I need to go.”

  “You don’t need to go. You want to go because you’re afraid of your attraction to me.”

  She didn’t confirm nor deny his assertion, but he was right. She was afraid. She promised herself that she wouldn’t allow another man to take advantage of her again. Didn’t matter if she was attracted to him or not.

  “Whatever the case, I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “No. That’s okay.”

  “I insist. Isn’t this one of those gentlemanlike things you asked me to do?”

  “Yes, on your date. Not with me.”

  “I’m a gentleman all the time, Felicity. Don’t get it twisted. Just because I like to laugh and have fun doesn’t make me some rude dude who doesn’t know how to treat a lady.”

  She was walking fast for the door, trying to escape him. He was right behind her. He opened the front door and followed her after she exited.

  Steps away from the car, he said, “I like you.”

  “I kinda figured that when I almost swallowed your tongue back there.”

  “It was good, wasn’t it?”

  “Are you always so arrogant?” she asked.

  “Are you always so beautiful?”

  “Stop trying to flatter me.”

  “I’m just stating facts, but in answer to your question, I’m not arrogant. I’ve been told once or twice that I’m a good kisser.”

  Standing at the car now, she turned to look at him, maintaining eye contact though it had been a struggle. Even though staring at him made her body shiver.

  “But I really do like you.”

  “I’m sure you probably like a lot of women.”

  “I like you,” he said with conviction in his voice.

  Felicity cleared her throat, still reeling from their kiss. “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Have a good night, Regal.”

  “Good night, Felicity.”

  He opened the door, watched her get in the car and closed it back. Then after giving her a single wave, she backed out of the driveway.

  He’s a client, Felicity. He’s a client. She chastised herself on the way home. Why was she all in his house kissing him like she hadn’t set him up on a date? He wasn’t hers to fool around with. Danella was Regal’s woman – well, possibly his. And she had no time to be frolicking around with him, anyway. She had her daughter to think about and she’d learned her lesson when it came to what a man’s priorities were. She made the mistake of thinking she was a priority to Demontae. She wouldn’t do it again.

  Chapter 21

  Felicity waited for Tucker at the café. He’d told her over the phone that she had an interview on Wednesday with the Department of Health and Human Services to discuss the circumstances surrounding Rayne – how she had given her up and how she now wanted her back. His goal today was to prepare her for it.

  Since she had yet to meet him in person, she assumed the middle-aged white man heading directly for her table was him.

  “Hi, are you Ms. James?”

  “I am,” Felicity said.

  “Hi. I’m Tucker Harlow. It’s good to meet you in person.”

  They exchanged a handshake. “You as well.”

  Tucker took a seat. “I hope you’re doing well,” he said.

  “I am. I’m nervous about the appointment, though.”

  “Understandably so, but I’m here to help you prepare for it.”

  “Okay.”

  Tucker ordered two cold coffees after confirming she was a coffee drinker then went on to say, “The Department of Health and Human Services’ main concern is the welfare of the child. That’s number one. So they will probe into your life and yes, it will feel like a violation of privacy but if you remember their goal is for the welfare of the child—your child—you won’t be too bothered by it.”

  “Okay. Got it.”

  “The tough questions may be along the li
nes of, why do you want your daughter back now when you didn’t want her then?”

  Her foot bounced up and down beneath the table. “They’d actually ask me that?”

  “It’s very likely especially since you’re still single and unmarried like you were when you gave birth to her. And studies show that it’s hard to give up a baby at birth. Most mothers who think they want to give their newborn up for adoption usually have a change of heart when they hold their baby for the first time.”

  “I almost had a change of heart. It was hard for me to let her go, but I can tell you that financially, I’m in a much better place.”

  “What about mentally, Ms. James? As I just stated, it takes a lot out of a woman to give up her child. The caseworker interviewing you may be a mother herself who couldn’t fathom ever doing what you did.”

  “But they’re not there to judge me.”

  “Oh, but they are. They’re there to determine what’s best for the child so they will judge you. Your job is to make them see that you’re ready.”

  Felicity pulled in a deep breath and nodded.

  “Of course they’ll ask you the basics—if you smoke, drink, use recreational drugs.”

  “I don’t.” Felicity took a quick sip of coffee. “I do drink occasionally.”

  Tucker nodded and continued, “They’ll want to know about your living arrangements and if you have enough room for your daughter at your residence.”

  “I’m only staying in a one-bedroom apartment at the moment.”

  “Then my advice to you is to have a plan of action in place so you’ll be prepared. You could let your property management company know you’d be interested in a two-bedroom place.”

  “Okay.”

  “I don’t know if this will happen on Wednesday during the day of your interview but DHHS will have you take a drug test and they’ll run a background check on you.”

  “I’m not worried about that.”

  “Good.” Tucker checked his phone when it beeped three times. “Excuse me for a sec,” he said.

  Felicity used the opportunity to check her phone when she saw a text from Regal:

  Regal: Hi

  She instantly felt her breath catch in her throat, the norm when it came to any interaction with Regal these days. She responded back.

  Felicity: Hi.

  Regal: Are you busy?

  Felicity: Sort of

  Regal: Call me when you get a chance.

  Felicity: I’ll think about it…

  Regal: What’s there to think about? You know you want me—I mean ‘to’. You want ‘to’.

  Felicity: *rolls eyes*

  Regal: LOL

  “I think we’ve covered the basics,” Tucker said. “Do you have any questions for me?”

  “No. I appreciate your time.”

  “You’re certainly welcome, Ms. James. Your appointment is Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. I suggest you get there by one and try to take somebody with your for support. These cases can be very stressful and you don’t want to come off as overly nervous in front of these people. They may think you’re hiding something.”

  “Alright. I’ll find somebody to go with me.”

  “Good. Well, if you have any further questions, you know how to reach me.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Until then, good luck,” he said, reaching to shake her hand.

  “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Regal dialed Tucker. He couldn’t help himself. He needed to know what was going on with Felicity’s case so he decided it was best to go straight to the source.

  “Hello. Tucker here.”

  “Hi, Tucker. It’s Regal St. Claire.”

  “Mr. St. Claire—how goes it?”

  “I’m good, man. Look, I’ll get right to the point. I need an update on Felicity’s case.”

  “You know that’s confidential.”

  “Sure, if it was anybody else calling you, but I’m the one who sent her file to you. How confidential can it be?”

  Tucker paused a moment, then asked, “Am I correct to assume this woman is of interest to you?”

  “Very much so.”

  “Good.”

  “Why’s that good?”

  “Because Ms. James is going to need all the help she can get. She comes across as smart, so I know she’s educated, but the bottom line is, when these workers at DHHS see her, they’re going to see a single woman who lives in a one-bedroom apartment that decided on a whim she wanted her kid back the same way she decided on a whim to give her up. In four years, she’s made zero attempts to locate her daughter but now that she has financial stability, she’s supposedly ready for a child.”

  “You don’t think she’s ready?” Regal asked.

  “Oh, I know she’s ready. The workers, on the other hand, won’t think she’s stable. She doesn’t have a big enough place and even the way she dresses could rub some people the wrong way.”

  “Felicity dresses very nice.”

  “And therein lies the problem. She wants to come off as well put together but not uptight and pretentious.”

  “Okay. I see what you’re saying. I’ll work with her on that.”

  “And get her to settle down a little,” Tucker added. “She’s very on edge about it. When I was talking to her, she couldn’t stop fidgeting.”

  Regal hated to hear that. He knew the type of woman Felicity was – confident. Professional. She tried not to let things get to her so when they did, it meant she was running low on strength and hope. “When is the appointment?”

  “Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.”

  “Got it. Thanks for the info.”

  Chapter 22

  Later after Felicity had taken a shower and curled up on her bed with the remote, her phone beeped. It was a text from Regal:

  Regal: Still busy??

  Felicity: I’m about to go to bed

  Regal: It’s only 9 p.m., granny

  Felicity giggled.

  Felicity: What do you want, Regal?

  Regal: I WANT to talk to you. Pick up.

  As surely as he’d typed those last words, her phone was ringing. With each passing ring, her nerves were more unstable. She decided to just answer.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi…didn’t think you were going to pick up for a minute there.”

  “And yet, here I am,” Felicity said, lying back on her pillow. She yawned softly.

  “Yes. Here you are. Are you really going to bed right now?”

  “Yes and no. I’m just lying here relaxing—was about to watch TV.”

  “Is this your normal nightly routine?” he asked.

  “Regal?”

  “Yes?”

  She rose up to an elbow. “What do you want?”

  “I wanted to apologize for—”

  “For kissing me?”

  He chuckled. “No. Not that. I was thinking about our conversation last night and I was being too intrusive with asking about your parents.”

  “No, you weren’t. I can handle your questions.”

  “Then why did you leave so abruptly?”

  “Because I can only handle you in small doses.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Really.”

  “Hmm—I’m not sure how to take that.” He chuckled.

  “And yes, you are very intrusive into my life and for some reason, you think my lips belong to you.”

  His chuckles echoed through the phone. “I don’t,” he lied. “You just keep putting them in my face.”

  Felicity rolled her eyes. “You need to stop trying to be a playboy and focus on Danella.”

  “I am focused.”

  “No, you’re not. Whenever we talk, it’s always about me and Rayne when the only thing we should be discussing is your date.”

  Regal went quiet for a moment.

  Felicity looked at the phone to make sure the call was still connected. “Hello?”

  “I’m here. I was thinking of a way to respond to you. Um—I usu
ally don’t talk about stuff like this, but I’ll share it with you. When I was in high school—a senior actually—this girl moved to town and we became instant friends. I had a major crush on her and of course she didn’t know it because I didn’t tell her. I just liked hanging out with her. Being with her. It was like, we were on the same wavelength. Our vibes matched. We both went to the same college, but a few months after we started, she got into a car accident. Died at the scene. When I got the news, it did something to me because that night, we were supposed to have dinner together and I was going to tell her how I really felt about her. But I couldn’t tell her anything because she was gone. That experience made me realize how fleeting life is, so I try my best to be lighthearted—to not take things so seriously which comes across as me not being serious or focused. But I am focused, Felicity. I understand how it feels to lose someone. That’s why I ask about you and your daughter so frequently. I have no idea how painful it must’ve been for you to make the decision to give her up, but I see the pain when I look at you and if you would come out of your protective shell, I would love to help you.”

  “I appreciate you sharing that with me, Regal, I really do but it’s not your place—”

  “It’s my place if I make it my place, which I am, by the way.”

  “Regal—”

  “You like saying my name, don’t you?”

  “I’m trying to get your attention. Look—”

  “You can argue with me all you want,” he said, interrupting her again. “I’m like a house fly—I’m hard to get rid of, baby.”

  Felicity smirked. “A big ol’ can of Raid should do the trick.”

  “Go ahead and laugh but I’m serious this time, Felicity James.”

  “O-kay. What exactly do you think you can do to help me?”

  “First and foremost, I want to help you loosen up a bit.”

  “By doing what?”