Soaring on Love

by Joy Avery

  Tressa snatched her hands away as frustration kicked in. “Don’t fight you on this? You claim you want me, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel that way to me. You asked me if I could let you go so easily. Can you let me go?”

  When he didn’t respond, she stood. “We spent an amazing week together, one that I’ll never regret, but obviously, you do. If you want to walk away, Roth, I’ll let you. But you will not, will not,” she repeated, “put your cowardliness on me.”

  When she tried to walk away, Roth placed his hands on either side of her waist to keep her from escaping. She blinked rapidly to keep her tears from falling. “I’m giving you your out, Roth. Just take it.”

  He didn’t utter a word, didn’t budge. Instead, he pulled her close to him and rested his forehead against her trembling stomach. She couldn’t explain, but she could feel his fear as if they were one cell. Instinctively, her hand smoothed over his head to comfort him. This was one of the strongest men she’d ever encountered, but at that moment she truly believed she was his weakness. What she desperately needed him to know was she would also be his strength.

  Lowering to her knees, she positioned herself between Roth’s legs and cradled his face between her hands. A look of exhaustion played in his features. The sight clenched her heart.

  Neither of them uttered a word. Words would have only bottled something too powerful to contain. Besides, none were needed. All that needed to be said was conveyed by a method they’d seemed to have perfected.

  The stare.

  That stare.

  Their stare.

  His eyes said he knew. And she was sure he saw the same knowledge in hers. Nothing was accidental. Where they were on this journey was exactly where they were both supposed to be.

  Chapter 12

  It’d been a week since she’d returned from Silver Point, and Tressa missed her time there already. She and Roth were still going strong, and she’d been the happiest she’d been in a long time. Every time she thought about him—which was quite often—her heart skipped a beat.

  She glanced at the clock. Ten o’clock. A second later the house phone rang like clockwork. Without even looking at the caller ID, she knew it was Roth. He’d called her every day for the past week at the exact same time. Ten o’clock sharp.

  “Hello,” she croaked.

  While it had taken a few days, she’d finally succumbed to Roth’s cooties. In bed with a pounding headache, stuffy nose, congestion, a sore throat and a fever had not been how she’d envisioned spending her remaining time off.

  However, there had been a silver lining to this dark cloud, and he’d waited on her hand and foot. Every morning he’d dropped by with breakfast on his way to work. Every day at lunch he’d either personally delivered or had food delivered to her. Every afternoon after a long day’s work, he was at her front door ready to nurse her back to health.

  Roth’s smooth tone poured over the line. “Hey, beautiful. How ya feel?”

  Tressa groaned. “Ugh. How do I sound?”

  “Like a world-renowned opera singer.”

  “If you were trying to make me smile, it worked.”

  “That’s always my goal,” he said. “Have you had any of the remedy I mixed for you?”

  “Um...yes. Several ounces, I believe.”

  Immediately, she asked forgiveness for the lie she’d just told. Roth had attempted to remake the home remedy she’d whipped up for him at the cabin when he’d fallen ill.

  Unfortunately, what he’d brought to her bedside had been the color of dirty pond water and tasted like a lukewarm mix of turnip-green juice and hot sauce with a twist of lemon. But she’d taken several sips because he’d gone through the trouble of preparing it.

  She made a note to pour a few ounces down the drain before he arrived later that evening. Had to keep up appearances.

  “I wish I were there with you,” he said.

  “I wish you were here, too.”

  “I have several things here at the office I have to complete before I leave, then I’m all yours. Are you hungry? I can have something delivered.”

  She loved how this man took such good care of her. “No. My appetite is a bit wonky today.”

  “Well, get some rest and I’ll be by tonight.”

  “You’ve been spreading yourself thin, Roth. Go home and get you some rest. I’ll be fine. I am a nurse, remember?”

  Roth chuckled. “Don’t worry about me. And I’m perfectly aware of your profession, Nurse Washington, but I’ll see you tonight anyway.”

  She wasn’t going to argue. They said their goodbyes and Tressa snuggled against her pillow, wishing it was Roth’s chest instead.

  A beat later her cell phone chimed, indicating a text message. Eyeing the screen, she frowned. Cyrus.

  Can’t make the meet tomorrow. Something came up. Need to reschedule.

  “Again, huh,” she said to the screen, then sighed. This was the second time he’d squandered the opportunity to collect his things. Not giving him any more of her energy, she tossed the phone aside. She’d deal with him later.

  Tressa got her wish several hours later when Roth undressed and slid into bed next to her. Despite her low-grade fever, his warm body was just the remedy she needed. She felt so guilty taking up so much of his time, but craved spending every available minute with him. She prayed this new relationship excitement never wore off for either of them.

  Nestling under his chin, she wished she could smell his manly scent, but her clogged nose made it impossible. “I’ve missed you,” she said.

  “I seriously doubt more than I have you.” Roth placed a finger under Tressa’s chin and tilted her head upward. “Kiss me, woman. Just a little peck. I can’t stand my lips not touching yours another day.”

  “You want my cooties?”

  “Wasn’t it you who told me I can’t catch the same cold twice?”

  “Yes, but we can’t be certain you’re the one who gave me this cold.”

  Roth’s eyes narrowed in animated accusation. “Let me find out you’ve been out here, kissing other men and collecting their cooties.”

  Tressa kissed Roth under the chin, his five-o’clock shadow pricking her lips. “There is only one man’s lips I’m concerned with. But I’m also concerned about his well-being. So...” She kissed the tip of her fingers and pressed them to his forehead, the tip of his nose, his cheek, then his chin. “That will have to do for now.”

  “I’ll take what I can get, but just so you know, my lips are going to wither up and fall off if I can’t kiss you soon. And not just your neck and shoulders.”

  Tressa laughed, which turned into a ferocious coughing fit. Roth retrieved the glass of water from the nightstand and offered it to her once she’d settled. “Sick sucks,” she said, claiming her position back on Roth’s chest.

  Roth glided his hand up and down her back. “You’ll be 100 percent soon.”

  Tressa closed her eyes, but remembered the package she’d received earlier. “I have a gift for you,” she said, coming up with one elbow.

  Tressa sent Roth to the kitchen for the package on the counter. If there was one thing she was good at, it was one-click shopping.

  Roth slid back into bed with her, then removed the crystals. “Um...you got me coal? Have I been a bad boy?”

  She swatted him playfully. “They’re called black tourmaline.” One of her coworkers had told her the stone, along with amethyst, was supposed to help ward off negative energy. “It’s a protective crystal. Place it by the bed, and it’ll ward off nightmares. We’ll keep some here and some at your place.” Tressa ticked off the other benefits of black tourmaline: promotes detoxification, balances the chakras, relieves stress, improves mental alertness. “And there are a few more. I just can’t remember them all. I think it’s supposed to be good fo
r memory, too. That’ll—” She smiled when she saw the way Roth eyed her. “What?”

  Roth’s expression was unreadable. Was he trying to process all of the uses or was he thinking she was bat shit crazy? A second later he smashed his lips to hers. He didn’t try to gain entry into her mouth with his tongue; he just held his lips against hers.

  When Roth finally pulled away and looked at her, he didn’t have to say a single word, but he did. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You are an amazing woman, Tressa Washington. Your heart...” He shook his head. “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms again and lay back on the bed. “Woman, you’re the answer to all of my unspoken prayers. I’m a damn lucky man.”

  And she was a damn lucky woman.

  * * *

  Roth glanced over at the black torpo... Black toma... The black crystals Tressa had got him. He didn’t know whether or not he should put much stock into their powers, but the fact that Tressa had been thoughtful enough to purchase them gave him incentive. His heart had swelled even more from her kindness. When he’d said he was a lucky man, he’d meant every word.

  He glanced down at her, fast asleep in his arms. Her hair was strewed, she didn’t have on any makeup and she snored—loud. But in spite of all of that, she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. All he wanted to do was take care of her, protect her. In his head, he knew he needed to slow down, but Tressa made him want to move at the speed of light. His feelings for this woman grew more powerful every single day.

  Lifting her arm, she squirmed but didn’t wake. He gingerly snaked out of bed. If he fell asleep at seven in the evening, he’d pop up in the middle of the night, wide awake. Moving from the bedroom to the kitchen, he snagged a banana, laughing at the two monkeys climbing up the arm of the aluminum banana holder.

  Though he’d probably not have been ambitious enough to choose the color, the pear-green-themed decor in the room played well with the cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances. He wondered if she’d specifically chosen this house because of the spacious kitchen. Roth imagined her there at the oversize island, chopping, dicing, smiling as she prepared for him and their kids.

  Their kids. He chuckled and washed a hand over his head. “Slow down, Lex,” he mumbled to himself. There was no guarantee Tressa would give him the football team he wanted. At least six. Even more if she agreed. Possibly even adopt. There were a lot of kids out there who needed a good home and love. He had a lot of love to give.

  Abandoning the thoughts of his imaginary family, he moved from the kitchen and into the living room and dropped onto the chocolate sofa. Grabbing the tablet he’d brought with him, he tapped in his pass code. Might as well use the time to get some work done.

  With Tressa right in the next room, maybe he could actually focus with her so close. He laughed when he considered how one minute he could be positioned at the design desk in his office, working away, the next he’d abandoned all thoughts of work and had replaced them with Tressa.

  Damn, that woman is potent. She was all woman for sure. But she was also a flame that blazed through him constantly. A man on fire, he thought.

  Setting the tablet aside for a moment, he went back into the kitchen for a bottle of water. When he decided the banana wasn’t going to be enough to hold him, he grabbed the bag of sour-cream-and-cheddar chips from the top of the refrigerator.

  Taking the last paper towel, he moved to the storage room where Tressa kept additional rolls. A cardboard box sitting on the floor caught his eye. For whatever reason, he lifted the top and looked inside.

  The box was crammed packed with male toiletries. Obviously, Tressa had got around to packing Cyrus’s shit, but hadn’t got around to giving it to him. The idea of her meeting with the weasel bothered him. No doubt the slimy bastard would try to slither his way back into her life. His jaw tightened, then relaxed. He wasn’t worried about that loser.

  Or should he have been? Would seeing him awake any dormant feelings Tressa still had for the man? There had to still be some, right? Roth shook his head. He couldn’t stress over that. He had to trust Tressa, trust what they had.

  Replacing the top, he grabbed the roll of paper towels, dropped it onto the wooden holder, then returned to the living room. Instead of working, as he’d intended, he found himself scrolling through the pictures of his boys—young men, he corrected—from the community center where he gave saxophone lessons to disadvantaged kids. They had been so excited about performing for their families at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. And not just the younger kids, but the sixteen-and seventeen-year-olds, too.

  They looked all GQ’d, decked out in their tuxedos and fedoras. He laughed at some of the jailhouse poses. He planned to do all he could to make sure none of them ever found themselves posing that way in a real jailhouse.

  “My bed gets awfully lonely without you.”

  Tressa ambled across the floor and he directed her onto his lap. Kissing the side of her head, he said, “I had intended to get some work done since you were sleeping, but I started looking at these pictures.”

  “There better not be any big-boobed blondes on that device.” She managed a lazy smile.

  “Jealous?”

  “Maybe.”

  He nuzzled her neck, then kissed it gently. “Your big boobs are the only ones I’m interested in. And I can’t wait until you’re better so I can show you just how interested I am.” Redirecting his wayward thoughts, he positioned the screen so that they both could see the images.

  “Are these the young men in your saxophone academy?”

  “Yeah. A good-looking bunch, huh?”

  “Yes.” Tressa pointed to one of the younger kids. “Aww, he’s a cutie-pie. Those glasses make him look like a young philosopher.”

  “Sebastian. He’s smart as a whip and doesn’t miss a doggone thing. He’s a little timid, but will say whatever is on his mind. No filter. He’s a good kid, though.”

  Tressa swiped through the pictures, commenting on most of them. “God, I can’t wait to have a house full of kids running around. It’s going—”

  Tressa stopped as if she’d realized a mistake she’d made. Maybe she thought the mention of kids had spooked him. It hadn’t. They could talk about kids all night long, because as far as he was concerned, she would be the mother of his football team.

  Chapter 13

  Tressa usually didn’t wake at the crack of dawn when she didn’t have to work. But Roth had shown up at her door at six that Saturday morning—six in the morning—blindfolded her and whisked her away to an undisclosed location. At least he had the common courtesy to bring her coffee.

  In the month they’d been dating, every day was an adventure with him. What she truly valued was the fact that he always made time for her. Whether it was whisking her off to dinner and a movie, or challenging her to a game of bowling. He truly made her feel like she was an important part of his life.

  “Are we there yet, Roth?” Tressa tussled with the silky fabric over her eyes. “This blindfold is chafing me.”

  “Hands off,” he said, swatting her playfully. “We’re almost there.”

  A short time later Roth activated the turn signal and made a right. He parked, then moved around to her side of the vehicle and helped her out onto the hard surface. Where were they? Using her available senses, she tuned in to her surroundings.

  She smelled...exhaust, maybe? No, gasoline. Definitely gasoline. A racetrack? No. If they were at a racetrack, she would have heard the roaring engines and cheers from a crowd. Plus, she seriously doubted anyone raced this early.

  What did she hear? Wind. Lots of it. And she felt it, too. A windmill farm? That made her laugh. Why in the world would Roth bring her to a windmill farm?

  Roth took her hand and led her forward. She remembered the last time he’d held her hand
for support. The Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain. That trip to Silver Point had been the start of something beautiful.

  Tressa’s steps were now just as hesitant as they’d been walking out on the bridge. “Don’t let me fall, Roth.” Although, she knew he’d never allow that to happen.

  “Do you think I’d allow you to hurt a pretty little hair on your head? Stand right here,” he said, placing his hands on both her shoulders as if to steady her. “Don’t move.”

  “And risk breaking my neck?” Her ears perked when she heard what sounded like a key being inserted into a lock. Then it sounded as if he’d opened a metal garage door. It clanked and rattled so loud it startled her. She reached out, her wiggling fingers searching for the comforts of his. “Roth?”

  “I’m right here, baby.” He stood directly behind her. “You ready?”

  “Been ready.” When Roth removed the blindfold, her eyes adjusted to the light. Squinting, she blinked several times, but the small personal aircraft was still there in all its massive glory. “What...”

  Roth placed his hand on her lower back and ushered her forward. “Meet Zoom.”

  Tressa’s eyes scanned the black-and-silver plane, then the hangar where it was being housed. If it was any brighter in the all-white, pristine space, she would have needed sunglasses. “Zoom?” she said absently.

  “You ready?”

  She whipped toward him, confused by the question. “Ready for what?”

  “Part two of your Valentine’s Day. We’ll only be gone overnight.”

  Still confused, she said, “Part two...?” Her words trailed off.

  Part one of her Valentine’s Day had been pretty damn fantastic. Roth had had four dozen red roses delivered to the hospital. When he’d arrived at her house to pick her up for dinner, he’d given her the largest box of chocolate she’d ever seen. After a dinner fit for a queen, they’d returned to his place and made love for hours.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”