by Lisa Dyson
“I put it in storage.” His demeanor became guarded. “Too many memories.”
“Oh.” His answer caught her off guard and she didn’t know what to say.
“We can eat anytime,” he said. “I made that Asian chicken salad with peanut sauce you used to like.”
“Sounds delicious,” she said. “I could eat whenever you’re hungry.”
They were heading to the kitchen when someone knocked on the apartment door. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the round glass-and-iron table in his small kitchen, set for two.
He jogged off and mumbled words came from the entrance. He reappeared at the kitchen doorway. “My neighbor needs a hand moving a dresser from his truck. It should only take a few minutes.”
“No hurry.” She had nowhere else to be. Unless there was a major disaster, her answering service was referring people who couldn’t wait until morning to the hospital emergency room.
She went into the living room and retrieved their glasses, refilled them with ice and water, and set them at their places on the table. She used the bathroom and when she came out she drifted into his office, remembering that she needed to call Mrs. Thornton to prod her into making a decision about funding Kyle’s charity. She also needed to touch base with the others she’d approached about possible donations.
His battered wood desk was cluttered, not unusual for Kyle. She smiled. He’d always referred to it as “organized chaos” because somehow, at any given moment, he could put his finger on exactly what he needed.
A long metal table set up behind the desk was home to a printer and several framed items that were probably meant to be hung on the freshly painted walls eventually. There was a lone framed picture turned facedown on the other side of the printer.
Her eyes watered when she picked it up. Their wedding photo. Through her tears she saw the two of them, over-the-top blissful. Kyle in his sleek black tux and with a sexy smile. She looked carefree and serene in the antique cream satin gown she’d found accidentally at a consignment store downtown.
She focused on the photograph of the people they used to be. Neither of them had had a clue as to how their lives would change in such a few short years.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“THANKS, MAN,” HIS NEIGHBOR said as Kyle was leaving the young newlyweds’ apartment after the two of them had manhandled a chest of drawers up two flights of stairs. “Gotta keep my wife away from flea markets.”
“No problem.” Kyle chuckled, waving back. “Glad I could help.”
He smiled as he walked down the hall to his own apartment. Having Ashleigh waiting for him gave him the urge to skip like a schoolkid.
His smile froze when he opened his door and came face-to-face with Ashleigh’s stormy expression and the pile of medical journals in her arms.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she shouted even before he was in the apartment and able to shut the door.
She flung the papers and journals on the floor in front of him. “I thought we agreed there would be no more experimental treatments, no more surgeries. Nothing.” She stared him down, hands on her hips. “I don’t need you going behind my back to find more ways to poke and prod me when the outcome never changes.” She went from angry to emotional in one sentence as her eyes became glassy.
He clenched his jaw as he fought to control his own emotions. “This is my baby, too. You can’t tell me to give up on my own child.”
She stared at him with narrowed eyes, her lips puckered as if deciding how to respond. “So it’s all right for you to talk me into doing some crazy new treatment you found? No matter what it might put me and my body through? I don’t think so.” Before he could stop her, she grabbed her purse and slammed the apartment door as she left.
* * *
ASHLEIGH MADE IT TO Paula’s minivan before processing her anger. Kyle was doing what he always did. He was trying to fix things. Why should she be surprised?
He didn’t understand. Unlike her car the other night with its dead battery, she wasn’t fixable. She was broken beyond repair.
She leaned her head on the steering wheel and allowed the tears to flow. He just couldn’t accept her, completely—failures and all.
The passenger-side door suddenly opened. Ashleigh straightened, her breath caught in her throat.
Kyle slid into the seat next to her and closed the door.
Neither said anything for a few minutes. Ashleigh swiped at the tears on her cheeks. Kyle turned his entire body in her direction.
“Go away.” Her voice was hoarse and her words didn’t come out as strong as she meant them.
“I’m not going anywhere. We have things to straighten out. And you’re in no condition to drive.”
“Stop trying to control me.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “The last thing I want to do is control you.” He paused. “I think deep down you know that.”
She reached in the console to pull out a tissue to wipe her runny nose. “If you’re not trying to control me, then what is it you’re doing?” She knew what she wanted him to say, what she’d always wanted him to say. That he loved her despite her not being able to give him a baby.
“Let’s go back upstairs and finish this.”
* * *
KYLE OPENED HIS apartment door, standing back so she could enter first. He’d picked up the scattered journals before going after Ashleigh. He didn’t want them to add fuel to her anger if he was able to talk her into coming back.
He motioned for Ashleigh to sit on the sofa while he sat at the opposite end. As much as he wanted to take her hand, he was safer sticking to his explanation and keeping his hands to himself.
“You know me,” Kyle began. “I can’t sit around and wait for something that may or may not happen. I had to see if there had been any new discoveries in the past two years.”
Ashleigh smirked. “You couldn’t even wait till we found out if I’m actually pregnant?”
“No.” His single-word answer made her eyes widen. “Every second counts. We don’t have time to wait and see.”
Her medical training must have kicked in because she appeared to be considering his argument.
When she didn’t disagree, he asked, “Would you like to know what I found out?”
She stared at him for a long moment before nodding. Her gaze moved to her hands, folded on her lap.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t discover anything useful,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “Nothing?” He had her attention now as she watched him carefully.
He went on to tell her about the woman who’d remained bedridden in the hospital with the end of the bed elevated for months before delivering a healthy but premature baby.
“That sounds appealing,” Ashleigh muttered sarcastically.
“Pretty much what your sister’s doing—minus the elevated foot of the bed—but for a much longer time.”
Was she considering the idea? Her silence was difficult to read.
Kyle glanced at his watch. Almost seven o’clock and they were at an impasse. “Would you like to have dinner? Maybe we can table this discussion until afterward?”
She didn’t say anything, but instead rose from the couch and walked toward the kitchen. He followed her and retrieved the salad and homemade peanut dressing from the fridge.
“Can I do anything to help?” she asked sullenly.
“I’m going to toss the salad.” He pointed to a cupboard. “There’s a loaf of bread on the counter and a cutting board in the cabinet down below if you want to slice it.”
They went about their tasks, carefully avoiding any physical contact. When they finally sat at the table across from each other, the table was so small that their knees nearly touched. He’d only eaten ther
e alone in the past.
His body was screaming at their nearness, craving the pleasure of touch. Skin-to-skin contact was preferable, but right now he didn’t even care if it was through clothing.
The fact that she was still angry didn’t matter to his overly sensitive body parts in the least.
“This is great,” Ashleigh finally said, a few bites into the meal, forcing Kyle to focus on food rather than sex. “I haven’t had this salad since—” She cut herself off, obviously realizing she’d have to refer to when they were still married. She pushed lettuce, shredded carrots, chicken and crunchy chow mein noodles around with her fork. “I haven’t made it since I moved to Richmond.” She concentrated on the salad as she spoke.
“I haven’t made it since you moved to Richmond, either.”
She lifted her head and their gazes collided. “Oh.”
He stared into her eyes and a realization became clear to him. He loved her. He still loved her. He had never stopped loving her, no matter how devastated he’d been when she left.
He swallowed, unable to speak. He went back to eating his dinner and she did the same.
Eventually they began talking about Mark and Ryan, trading funny stories about their nephews. The tension had eased slightly, but they still avoided any uncomfortable subjects.
And just like they did back when they were married and even before, they worked together to clean up the kitchen once they were finished eating.
He put the leftover salad in the fridge, turned quickly and collided with Ashleigh. He caught her upper arms to steady her and as soon as she gazed up at him, his urges acted before he could control them.
His mouth was on hers without considering the consequences.
Instead of pushing him away and rebuffing him, Ashleigh wound her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his. The heat they produced was nearly hot enough to cook by.
He cupped her face with his hands, controlling the angle and intensity of their contact. She moaned as he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth as their tongues clashed. She tasted like peanut and...Ashleigh—warm, sweet, and flavorful and, most of all, sexy.
He spun them around a hundred and eighty degrees so her back was against the refrigerator and his entire body was flat against hers. His heavy erection pressed into her abdomen. He ran his hand from her face and down the side of her neck until he was cupping her firm breast. Even through her bra and cotton blouse, he felt her hardened nipple and teased it with the pad of his thumb.
She moaned again and he moved his mouth in the same direction his hand had traveled until he reached her nipple. He bit the nub playfully and caught her around the waist with one arm when her knees buckled.
She arched her head back against the fridge and he licked at the skin on her neck. His hands roamed over her upper body, finding their way under the back of her blouse.
He wanted her now more than he’d ever wanted her before, at least that’s what his body was screaming at him.
“I want you.” The words weren’t his but instead came in a gasp from Ashleigh.
He wanted to ask if she was sure, but he couldn’t get the question out. His mouth descended on hers. With two hands on her firm rear end, he hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His bedroom wasn’t far. He carried her the few steps and they fell onto his bed with her beneath him.
He cupped her face again, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. He was finally able to find his voice. “You’re so beautiful.” He was lost in her deep blue eyes. Her legs were still wrapped around him, his erection pressed tightly against her. The heat from her core scorched him even through their clothes. “Are you sure?”
She didn’t speak, merely squeezed her legs tighter. He couldn’t catch his breath.
“Before...we continue.” He sucked in air. “I need to say something.” His body was screaming at him to shut up and get on with it, but his brain wouldn’t listen.
She froze, her eyes wide and unfocused less than half a foot from his. “What?” she said softly. “If you’re wondering about using a condom—”
“That’s not it. I’ve got that covered.”
She giggled at his choice of words and gave him a puzzled look. “What is it then?”
He swallowed. “I love you.”
There it was. Right out in the open. No taking it back, no filtering it with I think I might have feelings for you. Nope, he’d said it very clearly, so there was no room for misunderstanding.
Funny thing was, he was okay with it. Like a weight off his chest. A weight that had been vexing him for a long, long time.
Ashleigh stared at him wide-eyed. Her mouth opened slightly, but before she could speak he put a finger to her lips.
“You don’t need to say anything,” he said. “I just needed you to know. I didn’t want you to think I was saying it, you know, in the heat of passion.” The words kept flowing. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”
Ashleigh’s mouth curled into a smile. He removed his finger and she said, “Kyle?”
“Hmm?” he said.
“I love you, too. I always have.”
He wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “What did you say?”
Her smile widened. “I said I love you, too.”
“You do?”
She grinned. “I do.” Then she sobered when she added, “That doesn’t change anything. Love wasn’t enough before and nothing’s changed.”
He gave her a quick kiss. “At least it’s a start.”
She smiled in agreement. This time she cupped his face with her hands and squeezed him with her legs. “Now can we get back to what we were doing?”
They both laughed as he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, his heart light and his body hot for her as he kissed her and ran his hands under the back of her blouse to touch the soft skin there. His hands moved lower, cupping her butt cheeks and squeezing gently.
She sat up, straddling him while nestling his rock-hard penis tightly against her. She crossed her arms, catching the hem of her blouse in her hands, slipping it over her head and tossing it onto the floor. He reached around her back to unfasten her bra, but she was too quick for him. She released it and slipped it down her arms, flinging it on the floor to join her blouse.
He cupped both breasts in his hands, tasting and teasing each breast in turn. “You’re gorgeous.” He spoke against her skin, a catch in his throat that was pure emotion.
Rolling her onto her back, he continued to lick and suckle her breasts before slowly moving down her body to trail kisses to her belly button. He opened the button on her jeans and took his time as he slid the zipper down. Before pulling her pants off, he used the pad of his thumb to rub between her legs, causing her to raise her hips off the bed and pant desperately in anticipation. He touched the right spot and she moved in tandem with his hand until her entire body tensed and she cried out softly.
While Ashleigh caught her breath, he drew his T-shirt over his head and stripped out of his constricting jeans and briefs before sliding her jeans down her legs. He caught her brief wisp of pink satin panties in his teeth before teasing her with his tongue. He tossed the bikinis, then spread her legs, which were bent at the knee, and used his mouth to propel her into a frenzied state. He licked and thrilled her over and over again, until she let out an unabashed shriek of ecstasy.
He made his way back up her body and she grasped his erection in her hand. She slowly ran her fingertips over his shaft.
“Careful,” he gasped into her neck, automatically grabbing her hand to stop her before this encounter ended abruptly.
She chuckled deep in her throat and replaced her hand with the heat between her legs when she spread them. He slipped on a condom then entered her swiftly and deeply. This time they both moaned. He needed a second to get back under contr
ol.
He kissed her, their tongues sparring, until she began moving her hips, anxious to continue.
He obliged her and moved slowly in and out at first, building to a crescendo using both acceleration and force, thrusting into her until they were both spent.
* * *
ASHLEIGH MUST HAVE drifted off to sleep, because Kyle’s bedroom was dark when she regained consciousness. His arm rested across her stomach as she lay next to him on her back. His breathing was slow and steady—definitely asleep. Turning her head in the other direction, the bedside clock said 9:33 p.m.
She carefully moved Kyle’s arm and slipped out of bed. She grabbed the first piece of clothing she came to. Kyle’s T-shirt. She put it on, loving the feeling of being covered in something that smelled like him, as if his arms were still around her. She hugged herself and smiled, truly happy for the first time in quite a while.
She pulled the bedroom door closed behind her and used the bathroom. When she tiptoed into the living room to find her purse and check her cell phone, she had two missed calls and one voice mail.
Nothing about her pregnancy test. They were all from the same person. Mrs. Thornton.
Ashleigh stepped to the farthest point in the living room away from Kyle’s bedroom. She didn’t want to wake him when she played Mrs. Thornton’s message.
Right after she’d run into Mrs. Thornton at the hospital and convinced her to reevaluate her decision to not fund Kyle’s charity, Ashleigh had sent the woman everything available that referred to the accident and subsequent lawsuit. Hopefully Mrs. Thornton had learned that Kyle had been a hero and wasn’t the bad guy in the situation.
Ashleigh’s heart was in her throat. She’d put some feelers out about other sources of funding while still hoping Mrs. Thornton would come through.