by J. L. Ryan
“I need to hear you say it, Shelby. I need us to be real in this moment and together.”
He gazed at her. “I can stop if you want, but you need to tell me now before I can’t anymore.” His honestly made her want him even more. She slowly pulled her shirt off and tossed it to the floor.
“I want you Michael, I always have.” Needing no further encouragement, Michael stood and took off the rest of his clothes looking down. He stood back for a moment, letting himself take in her naked form. She was perfect.
Once, he thought her tiny, but looking at her now, he could see every curve she was given. Almost scared to touch her, she made the move first.
“I’m getting a little self-conscious Michael. What’s wrong with me?” She started to cover up again.
“No don’t “...he grabbed her hand. “You're beautiful, Watson, absolutely beautiful.” He laid down on the bed again, taking a moment to calm his racing heart. He was acting like a teenage school boy, wondering why in the world was so nervous.
This was different. He knew it and probably always had, but he needed her to feel loved, wanted, and cherished.
The night progressed, and the two made love into the early hours of dawn. Before falling asleep, the last thing she heard was him saying her name and draping one arm across her body. Sometime during the night, Shelby got cold, having been woken up by something, only to find herself naked as the day she was born. She tried to keep from moving, but right before she almost fell asleep, she felt Michael's arm grasp her stomach and pull her into him. He kissed her ear and they drifted back to sleep for a few more hours.
Never a late sleeper, Michael woke up to greet the day with a smile on his face. Shelby was amazing. She was not just beautiful, she was the type of woman men dream of. She gave as much as she received, and never held back. This was something Michael couldn’t help but admire. He looked at her lying among the sheets as he headed upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. He just didn’t have the heart to wake her up.
Shelby woke up to the smells of coffee and the clink of pans. She rolled over to snuggle in more and her eyes flew open as she remembered…everything. Oh wow she had never been so careless in her life. She scrambled to jump in the shower before he found her. Before she was soaped up she heard him come into the bathroom.
“Watson, I see you’re joining me today finally.” He chuckled.
“Michael really, I am in the shower, I’ll be right out.” She could only smile as she heard him hum a tune as he left.
What would she do now? It had happened and there was no going back, but she could stop it now. Now that they had gotten it out of their system, she could put Michael Jameson out of her mind altogether.
She entered the kitchen, dressed for the day and ready to go to the hospital. Michael was cheery and leaned towards her as if to get a kiss. She managed to avoid it discretely.
Frowning, Michael went back to cooking. Something was wrong. Breakfast passed with no mishaps and they set off for the hospital.
Grandmother was overjoyed to see them. They each took a side and listened to her tell them about how awful the night had been and the bed situation. She moved on to complain about the food and how happy she would be at home. She could tell something was amiss between the couple, but it would sort itself out.
Michael was having a hard time understanding what Shelby was thinking. The night had been something people only dream about and yet when he got close to her, she ran. Something wasn’t right, but he would find out soon enough.
The doctors came in and discussed the grandmother's situation. They equated it to a chemical reaction to something she ate, at which grandmother smiled. They passed the morning laughing with her, planning the next event. At lunch, the doctors ordered them out, saying she needed her rest, so the couple decided to go to a nearby restaurant for something to eat.
It was a beautiful café, overlooking a pond and situated amongst lush landscaping. They dined on wine and oysters, which were new to Shelby. Michael was about to broach the subject plaguing him, when a woman came up to the table.
“Michael darling, where have you been?” The woman was like something from the cover of a magazine. She had on long flowing pants and a silk shirt complete with a huge brimmed hat.
“Baby, I have missed you so much. How nice of you to bring the maid to lunch.” She smiled over at Shelby, who immediately excused herself and went outside.
Angry Michael pushed the woman back away from him. “I told you to leave me alone. Why are you here? Stop calling me and stop following me.”
Without waiting for an answer, he stormed out onto the street and to his car. Shelby was standing by the passenger side and he opened the door, then went to his side and got in.
“I’m sorry, Watson that was ...the number...” at her confused look he added “remember when you would call and I thought it was her?”
“Aha, that is her.” Shelby still felt awful about the exchange and self-conscious as well. The maid, really?
When they arrived at the house, Shelby went to her room. Thinking she would have some time to think, she was surprised when Michael stormed in behind her.
“What the hell Shelby, after last night I thought,”
“What...you thought we would just act like nothing happened? You think I would go away? Well I’m not. I love Grandmother Nancy and I’m not going anywhere.”
“What are you talking about Shelby? I don’t want you to go anywhere. I want you here. With me.” He said it with such finality, Shelby could do no more than look up at him.
“What?”
“I love you Shelby. I have since the day we met and you came here. But when I was at your place and heard that gunshot it was all I could do to not kidnap you myself and tie you up here so I could keep you safe.”
“But I’m not like you Michael. She called me "the maid" for goodness sake.” She looked down for a moment.
“Shelby do you really think I care one moment about what people think?” I want you and I choose you.”
Tears were flowing freely now as Shelby looked up at him.
“Well,” He asked impatiently.
“Well what? “ She was confused.
“Damn it Shelby, you're killing me. Do you or do you not feel anything for me?”
Laughing, she ran into his arms and kissed him. “Michael I have loved you from the moment you opened that door.”
He let out an audible sigh. Happy and content, he pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply.
Hand in hand they headed back to the hospital. Grandmother had taken a nap and was refreshed as she looked out the windows to the parking lot. Seeing Michael, she smiled. He really was a good boy. But what made her happiest was seeing him hand in hand with Shelby.
Perhaps her plan had worked after all, and if she played it just right, she could somehow start planning a Fall wedding at the house. She may be getting old, but this was enough to keep her busy for at least a good many years to come.
The Billionaire's Wish
Braden Davenport was on cloud nine. Even now, as he pulled off his helmet, he felt great. He was on a streak and this was going to be his best season yet. He brushed his hand through his jet black hair and smiled at the people around him. It was nice having fans. They were the only constant in his life, always there to cheer him on. The problem was, they didn’t really know him.
That’s not to say that it isn’t great doing what you love for a living. He was able to buy his first house at the age of 23, and at 29, he owned three. He liked to have a nice place to stay whenever he was in his favorite places. Racing was a dangerous sport, but it was in his blood, a part of him. Being here in Austin for the MotoGP race had been a fluke, but a happy one. He was a last minute add in and he was happy he said yes.
He would always rather be racing than home alone or out with some nameless girl that didn’t know him very well. For now, he was home in Texas, at least for the next two months. It was the place where this all beg
an and he was happy to be there. He loved the dry air and the open grounds in the hill country, and the city life in Austin. His next race was in Vegas and he was happy for the break. The win today would put enough money in the bank that he could live off forever, but it was never enough. Having lived such a hard life growing up, he liked the better, secure, lifestyle he had now.
He basically lived his life in an orphanage. He never knew his father, who left his mother soon after he was born. His mother was heartbroken and soon became an addict. He still remembered what it was like finding her there when he was 7. She made the wrong person mad, and they gave her some bad stuff. He found her unresponsive, lying on the living room floor. They didn’t have a phone, but fortunately he was able to run to a neighbor and they called the police for him. He still carried around the guilt because he couldn’t save her. He eventually left the orphanage and made a few friends. He had a difficult time trusting people, getting close to anyone.
He got his first job at the thrift store in town. He learned the hard way that life was about making the right choices or you end up with nothing. Over time, he managed to secure a room, and that’s when he met Gerald and Abbie Smith. Older, they were frequent shoppers where he worked, and they always amused him. At 80, Gerald was a big bear of a man. Abbie was a tiny little thing at 77. Abbie would tell Braden he looked too thin, and Gerald would pull him aside and talk cars with him, something he always loved. After a year or so, they invited him to dinner. At 19, he still seemed like a kid to Abbie. She was always fussing over him and making sure he actually ate when he came over.
Gerald was the person who taught Braden to race. He owned many bikes, he was a collector of sorts, and the moment Braden rode one, his life changed. He maneuvered them like a pro. After some help from Gerald’s contacts, he quickly became successful and was able to secure himself a lucrative future in racing. When Braden was 21, Gerald passed away, and Abbie followed a year later. He moved in to help her after Gerald's passing, and held her hand when she died.
That was seven years ago now, and he could still remember it like it was yesterday. He shook his head, remembering, and smiled. He made sure his bike was always in tip top shape, and made frequent visits to his trusted mechanic and best friend, Mike's house. They met in his early years of racing, and had been friends ever since.
The most important thing that Gerald taught Braden was that the bike is your money and the only way you can ride it safely is if you have a hand in what goes on with it. The bike was his family, and he protected it as such. He finally set off for the hour drive to Marble Falls, where Mike lived.
Mike was always a party guy. One girl to the next and one disaster away from an addiction. What he did have was a nice house, and a serious garage behind it. It was the one thing he always took care of. His mother would come over once a month and clean up for him. As he pulled into the parking lot of the townhouses, Braden noticed the changes. The place next door was vacant the last time he was there, and he wondered if Mike even knew that someone had moved in.
He was taking the next few weeks to run off with his newest girlfriend and had given Braden the key so that he could drop some things off, and pick up some things for the bike. He noticed her the moment he pulled up. He watched amused as a woman was desperately trying to get her key to work in her door knob.
“Damn it.”
She was angry and she was beautiful. She finally kicked the door and turned to go to her car. She stopped when she saw him watching her. She gave him a half smile before pushing her hair back and squaring her shoulder.
“I’m not usually so easily flustered. My key broke off in the door… now I am rambling sorry… so yeah, I should go.” She turned to go again and he finally said something.
“I can probably get that out of there if you want me to try.” He crossed his arms as she gave him a half smile.
“That would be… well… yes, please.” She smiled at him again and he went to the truck.
Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was standing here rambling like an idiot. It always happened when she met a guy, especially an attractive one. Attractive didn’t even begin to describe this one. He was, by far, the most attractive guy she had seen in a long time. He had black hair and dark eyes and just enough stubble on his face to give him that mysterious look. She never even kissed a guy like that and she never would. It certainly didn’t hurt to watch him though. He was all muscle, and it was obvious he worked out. She blushed as he came back towards her, hopefully he hadn’t seen her looking him over like that.
He smiled as he worked on the door. She was looking him over and it made him smile. The fact that she blushed when he looked at her made him like her even more. He finally broke the broken key out and he turned to look at her again. It was her eyes that struck him first. Deep blue and full of life, they contrasted the abundance of red flowing hair. She was a big girl, he liked that about her. She had curves in all of the right placed and he wanted to touch every single one of them. He glanced at her hand and didn't see a ring, which was a good first step. He handed her the broken pieces of the key, and when his eyes met hers, he saw her blush again.
“It should be fine now, I had to put some lube in it.” He gave her a half smile.
“What… oh thanks.” She gathered the pieces up and headed towards the door. “Thanks again…”
“Braden… my name is Braden.” He held his hand out to her and she shook it.
“I’m Chloe, nice to meet you.”
“Perhaps I can get you to have dinner with me sometime, Chloe?” He watched the myriad of emotions cross her face.
“Sure, that sounds like fun.” She turned to head back in again and he smiled.
“Chloe, can I get your number?”
“Oh, sorry.” She wrote it down and turned to go again.
She was a flighty one, but that was part of the excitement for him. He watched her go inside and he left, heading for his place in the hills. She was timid, something he would remedy. Even now he thought about her curves and how they would feel under his fingers. He rarely ever lost at this and he didn’t intend to start now.
Chloe shut the door with a thud. That was very sweet of him, offering to have dinner with him. It was typical of some guys, nicer ones anyway, to offer to take the big girl out. She didn’t need to get paraded around and everyone’s opinion of him go up because he did her a favor. Still, he seemed genuine. She made her way into the house and took a good long look at herself in the mirror. She had been working hard to lose weight, to be in better shape. She was down 20 pounds but she still hated the way she looked. Aside from her friends and her little brother, she was alone. In some ways it suited her. She’d had one serious relationship and that left her ready to just put the idea of love and romance behind her for good.
After, she made her way into her room to throw on pajamas and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning until Charlie got out of school. At 12, he was more than a handful of energy. In a week, he would be gone with friends on vacation, and she would really be alone all summer. He had been living with her a year and a half now, but some days it seemed like only yesterday that he had moved in. She was 22 and ready to tackle the world when she got the call. Her parents and her little brother were in an accident.
Like most people, she didn’t think anything could happen to her. She rushed to the hospital, but her parents were both gone, leaving Charlie, with her. It was a rough start, but they were good now. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t get lonely sometimes though. He kept her busy, one activity to another. Motherhood at her age was not part of her plan, but she was lucky they had each other. That thought brought her back to Braden. She wondered if he had a family. He seemed like a nice guy.
She never had an opportunity to meet her neighbor. As far as she knew the little lady that came in and out on occasion was the only one who visited that house at all. She sighed, she had rambled on and on about nothing, he must have thought her a complete idiot. Fina
lly, she sat down to calculate how to pull off everything this month.
She was a local teacher, well she was a substitute. She was still in school part-time but she was determined to finish. Most of the time she worked enough days to just barely pay the bills, but having a 12 year old with numerous after school activities put a dent in things. Not to mention the rent on this place was out outrageous. Since her parents were renting as well, their place was too much for her to take on.
They were always like the traveling circus, always moving and changing. Chloe didn’t want that for her little brother. She lived that life and he needed stability. She would simply have to cut out some things, but first she would have to find what those things were.
Braden walked into his house, well Gerald’s and Abbie’s house. They left it for him in the will. No children of their own, they took him in and loved him as if he were theirs. He didn’t live here, it didn’t feel like he should, and to be honest, he didn’t want to take over. He liked being able to walk in and see their things as they left it. It gave him a sense of peace. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t healthy, he should sell it, but for now he couldn’t let go.
He checked on things here and then headed to the place he lived in the hills. He called ahead the week before so that it could be opened up and aired out. He hadn’t been here in months and knowing it would be ready was one of the many luxuries he enjoyed. He had a house manager and a housekeeper, both trustworthy friends, and he compensated them well for the work they did for him.
Once he was there, he made his way inside and he poured himself a drink, leisurely making his way to the large windows overlooking the city. He wanted her. The thought crossed his mind and he smiled. Chloe, there was something about her that struck a nerve, and he wanted to figure it out. He thought at first it had been her coy and shy personality, but he had played that game before and knew that wasn’t it.