STAY THE NIGHT (The Phillips Family Book 1)

by Vicki Keener

  “Please, don't let me stop you.”

  “You want to see me nude?”

  He chuckled and said, “It's my heart's desire.”

  She turned her back to him, stripped and stepped in the huge shower. As the water warmed, she called, “Cray, I forgot a towel. Where are your spare ones?”

  “It will be on the towel rack when you get out, honey.”

  “Two please, one for my hair.”

  “Of course,” he said with a wry tone, “How could I have forgotten that?”

  “Cray, surely you've lived with a woman before this.”

  “No, you're the first, but I'll get the hang of sharing space with you because I'm motivated.”

  “Thank you, darling. You're so sweet.”

  She entered the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and the other around her breasts, tucked in and dropping to her knees. She stopped and stared at him in his boxers with calf high dress socks and buttoning a white dress shirt over his chest. “You have the nicest shaped legs. They're perfectly straight, not bowed in the slightest.”

  He grinned and said, “Thank you. I like your legs, too.”

  “No, Cray, I mean it. They're muscular and strong, hairy but not too much. I should have known your legs would be as good as your ass, tight and shapely.”

  He laughed and said, “Angelica, you're embarrassing me. I'm glad you approve, but I feel like a specimen under a microscope.”

  “That's silly, darling. I'm sure I'm not the first one to comment on your legs and ass.”

  “If others' thought it, they didn't say.”

  “That's dumb; men like compliments as much as women. I'm sorry I didn't get to see your chest before you covered it.”

  “You'll see it later tonight.”

  “I'll touch it later tonight, too.” She grinned and smirked at him.

  “From your mouth to God's ears.”

  In the back of the limo, headed to the Royal Norwegian Consulate General, Angelica said, fingering Cray's cufflink. “You are so handsome tonight, darling, and I love a man who wears cufflinks. They're Tanzanite set in platinum, aren't they?”

  “Yes, does that offend you?”

  “No, sweetheart, you deserve the best.”

  “Really? Will you let me buy you precious jewels?”

  “I'd rather you didn't. Not this soon. Cray, I earn a good living as a full professor, but I can't compete with you.”

  “Honey, I don't expect that from you. When I give you a gift, it's because I want to do it, not because I expect something of like value in return.”

  “Please, let's not get into that.”

  “We're spending Christmas together, Angel. I will have a gift for you.”

  “Well, sure, and I'll have one for you, but it doesn't need to be ostentatious.”

  “I'd like you to write a Santa's wish list in the next day or two. Will you do that for me?”

  She removed her glove, tucked her hand in his and leaned against his shoulder. “Cray, there's nothing I want or need, except for one thing and that's for us to be at the beginning of an amazing journey that we'll travel together.”

  He turned her head to face him with his unoccupied hand, kissed her and said, “Angel, I'm not falling in love with you, I am in love with you. Please, don't let that scare you because it's too soon.”

  “It doesn't scare me, Cray. Do my eyes reflect my feelings for you? Your eyes tell me more than your words can. Each hour I spend with you convinces me how real this is between us. I'm not afraid. We'll work out the details as time progresses.” She closed her eyes as his lips sought hers in a kiss that promised eternal love.

  As she had that afternoon at the faculty tea, Angelica introduced many people to Cray at the consulate, but this time Cray met people he connected with on a personal level. He engaged in serious discussions and laughed heartily with the United Nations delegation who attended and those working at the consulate. Angelica did her bit of circulating and talking to her friends. One of the delegation close to her age, a single male, said, “Are you serious about this man?”

  “Yes, I can't explain why and we met for the first time Friday evening at a party we both attended. My feelings for him are so deep, but it doesn't scare me. My heart and my head are in complete alignment. Does that strike you as crazy?”

  “No, Angelica, it strikes me as love at first sight. What surprises me is your lack of hesitation to admit this to yourself, let alone publicly.”

  She smiled and said, “You know me so well. Never step into the unknown without all the facts researched, checked, double checked and double sourced. Yes, indeed, it's a departure for me and I'm taking the leap with perfect confidence I'm doing the right thing.”

  “In that case, I wish you great happiness. Can he provide well for you?”

  She threw her head back and laughed her throaty laugh and noticed Cray glance in her direction and smile. “He can afford to drape me in diamonds, but that's not what I want. I want his complete and faithful devotion to me as I'll give him in return.” She checked her wristwatch and said, “Oh, my, I convinced him to come here with me and promised we'd stay no more than an hour and we've been here over two.”

  “Judging by his stance and demeanor, he seems to be enjoying himself.”

  “Yes, I agree. I dragged him to a faculty tea this afternoon and that bored him. Excuse me, I promised him some alone time tonight and I'm anxious to fulfill my promise.”

  She sauntered to the group Cray talked to and sidled next to him. His arm went around her and he smiled at her. She said, “Darling, have you checked the time? It's after nine.”

  “Are you tired, Angel?”

  “It's been a busy day.”

  Cray turned to face the men and women in the group. “Ladies, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure chatting with you this evening, but milady is ready to retire. Early in the new year I'm hoping you will do us the honor of joining us for dinner some evening at our place. Angelica, do you have their contact numbers?” She smiled and nodded. “We'll be in touch soon. Merry Christmas. Good night.”

  As they rode the elevator to street level, she said, “Do you want to entertain them for dinner?”

  “Yes, did I misspeak, honey? Don't you like them?”

  “Of course I like them and I'm anxious to invite them. It surprises me that you do.”

  “They're intelligent and urbane with good senses of humor. I'd like to get to know them better.”

  “Should we invite some of the faculty members you met today?” she said with a straight face.

  “That wouldn't be my choice, but I'll endure if that's what you want.”

  She laughed hard and the lyrical notes reverberated in the elevator. “I'm kidding. They bore me to tears.”

  In the limo on the way home, Cray said, “Did that fellow you were talking to tell you a dirty joke? I heard you laugh the way you did Friday night when it caught my attention.”

  She giggled and said, “He asked me my intentions toward you and yours toward me. I told him how much I care. He asked then if you can provide for me and that's when I lost it. I told him you'd drape me in diamonds if that's what I wanted, but it's not. He's happy for me, for us, I guess, but at one time he wanted to date me. I never succumbed. He's a dear friend and that's all.”

  He cupped her face and kissed her. “Are we going home and there will be no more disturbances for the rest of the night?”

  “Hey, I wanted to leave at eight like we discussed. You're the one who couldn't tear yourself away from my countrymen and ladies.”

  “Guilty as charged. I didn't realize how late it had gotten. You're not going to punish me by going right to sleep are you?”

  She faked a yawn and said, “It won't be intentional if it happens, darling.”

/>   “I am going to make love to you and I'd prefer you be awake while it's happening.”

  She laughed. “That depends on how exciting you make it for me, darling.”

  He chuckled and said, “You're making me nervous and when I get nervous I cry.”

  Chapter 6

  Five minutes later they stepped off the private elevator to the penthouse foyer. Cray embraced her in a kiss that had them both panting until someone cleared their throat from the living room. They broke apart.

  Cray stared at his sister sitting on the sofa and said, “What the hell, Mona?”

  “Don't fuck with me, Cray. If you'd answer your damn phone, I wouldn't have to traipse over here to see if you're dead or dying. I'm doing my sisterly duty.” She smiled, stood, walked toward Angelica and said, “You must be Angelica. I'm this cretin's sister. He told me you like dirty jokes. I have a slew of them. Want to hear some of them now?” They shook hands and grinned at each other.

  “Hell, no, she doesn't want to listen to filthy jokes now,” Cray said.

  Angelica said, “I might, but the cretin has other things on his mind right now.”

  “Cool your jets, cretin Cray,” Mona said, “and get us a beer.”

  “Mona, I want you out of here and I'm not giving you a beer. One won't be enough and you'll stay for hours.”

  “Tell me why you didn't call me or answer your phone.”

  He sighed. “We were at a reception at the Norwegian Consulate General. I had my phone on vibrate. I checked it, saw it was you and figured I didn't need to engage in an inane conversation with you.”

  “Inane?” she said in a loud voice. “I happen to have an important message for you, but since I only engage in inane conversations with you, forget it.”

  “Now, now children,” Angelica said and grinned.

  “Yes, inane,” Cray said. “You called me yesterday morning and this morning to discuss nothing of importance.”

  “The CEO and owner of Grayson Mills called an emergency meeting of the board this afternoon and they nixed our buyout offer,” Mona said.

  “Why didn't you tell me this?”

  “What in the fuck do you think I've been trying to do?”

  “Watch your language, Mona.”

  “Stuff it, Cray. You drop the F bomb every other word when you're upset at work.”

  “This isn't work. Do they want more money?”

  “So much for this isn't work,” Mona said. “I got a FAX: Offer to buy rejected. That's all it said. Did you want me to call Grayson?”

  Cray walked to the kitchen, retrieved three beers and handed Mona and Angelica each one and slumped down on the sofa. Mona winked at Angelica and she grinned. Cray said, “They're fools They can either pay their suppliers or their employees for one more month and then it falls apart like a house of cards. They're broke, finished and there goes another textile mill down the tube. How can they be so blind? We promised to keep the employees on for a guarantee of one year minimum and that includes their incompetent accounting staff, although we'll whip them in shape. Mona, I don't get it. Give me your thoughts.”

  “Cray the business goes back five or six generations. Southern pride? Heads in the sand? I don't know. When we left there a week ago tomorrow, I thought it was a done deal.”

  “Do you think they have another offer?”

  “You offered them seventy-five cents on the dollar. It's not worth forty cents on the dollar. I doubt there's another offer in the pipeline.”

  “We can afford it and we can turn it around to be profitable in less than a year. Why kick a guy when he's down?”

  Angelica listened and fell more in love with Cray.

  “What do you want to do?” Mona asked.

  Cray stood and paced. “I'm so damn sick and tired of America's textile mills closing and those jobs going overseas. It's been happening for decades now. Whole towns are suffering here because of it. Call a meeting for nine tomorrow morning with the managers and I want the bean counters there. I want a complete accounting of where we stand regarding this company. Mona, you sit in and figure out a way we can make this a win-win for Grayson and us.”

  “That means upping the ante. I understand you're not the type to want to win at any costs so what's the motive?”

  “This country needs to be more than a service industry and that's what we've become. We need to include manufacturing and heavy industrial plants to grow back to the country we once were. We used to produce the world's steel, now we import the majority we use. It sickens me.”

  “Labor got greedy,” Mona said.

  “Yeah and management didn't help and unemployment grew. People's thinking is so skewed.”

  “Cray, make the meeting for one tomorrow. Give our people a chance to get their ducks in a row, or it'll be a waste of time. I'll blast an email to them tonight so they see it first thing tomorrow and can prepare.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Mona. I'm sorry I ignored your calls and I enjoy our inane conversations.”

  Mona said, “Angelica, I'm sorry to interrupt your evening. Are you joining us for Christmas?”

  “Yes, I am and I'm looking forward to it.”

  Mona faced Cray and said, “Am I to assume I'm losing a roommate before I even get one?”

  “You assume correctly. Now please leave.”

  When Mona left, Angelica said, “You and Mona are good together.”

  “Yes. Let's see how good we are together, honey.”

  “Cray, will you give me a few minutes alone in the bedroom?”

  “All right,” he said, drawing out the words. “I'll get rid of the beer bottles. Is there anything you want?”

  “Just you. It won't take me long.”

  Cray dumped the bottles in the trash. He'd removed his suit jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves as he talked with Mona. Now he took off his belt and removed his shoes and socks. By the time he finished, Angelica floated to the room where he sat in the diaphanous nightgown and matching robe that he watched her pack earlier that day.

  His breath caught in his throat as he stood and approached her. “Angelica, you take my breath away with your beauty. You truly are sent from heaven.”

  “No, Cray, I'm flesh and blood and I want to be yours in every way that a man and woman are meant to be.”

  He scooped her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, setting her on her feet at the foot of the bed. She said, “Do you want to undress me or watch me disrobe?”

  He shrugged out of his open shirt, threw it aside and did the same with his trousers. “I don't trust myself to touch you, I want you so much.”

  She unfastened the jeweled clasp at her waist and let the robed fall off her shoulders and float to the carpeted floor. He took one step closer to her, placed a hand on each shoulder and slipped the thin satin straps down her arms, caressing her arms. The gown flowed from under her breasts to her feet and he pulled the tie of the bow holding the bodice up as he bent his head and kissed her throat.

  He planted warm kisses along her jawline and below her ears and felt her tremble, listened to her sighs. His lips moved down over her silky skin, lower, until his teeth grasped the opened bow, tugged and the gown slid down her body, puddling around her feet. He straightened and gazed at her magnificent, perfect body. Her hands tugged at the waistband of his boxers and he helped her remove them. They studied each others' nakedness for a full thirty seconds and then simultaneously stepped closer to embrace.

  To an onlooker, their moves might have seemed orchestrated, contrived, rehearsed, but not to them. They were coming together to consummate their love and it didn't matter that a mere few days had elapsed since meeting. What mattered was they'd found their mate.

  He suckled her breasts, she stroked his erection and cupped the tight globes of his manhood.
She took his hand and led him to the side of the bed and in a graceful move slid over to give him room beside her. He pulled the drawer of his nightstand open, extracted the silver foil packet, opened one side and handed it to her as he knelt on the edge of the bed. She rolled the condom over him, opened her legs and raised her arms in invitation. He placed himself between her legs, her legs encircled his waist and he eased over her body. Their lips met. He entered her, gentle, slow, easy, a long slide inside her and she accommodated him, stretching to accept his full length.

  The kiss continued and he began to move, not much. Her fingertips tightened on his biceps, whimpering moans escaped her captured mouth and then the climb began and she rocked beneath him, her body telling him she wanted more movement. He complied, sinking deep, withdrawing, over and over until she broke contact with his mouth and gasped, drawing in huge amounts of oxygen. His mouth lowered and took her nipples, first one, then the other. Her orgasm built high, higher, her muscles clutching his erection, not releasing, but squeezing harder and then she shattered and Cray let go, no longer needing to wait. They rode their climax together, reveling in their joy, making the sensations last and then she laughed.

  Wave after wave of laughter rolled out of her and he laughed because she did. She pushed him off of her but followed him as he rolled to his back, half on him, his arms keeping her close. Her laughter subsided, she kissed him and said, “I planned to make you wait until Valentine's Day. Almost eight weeks totally ignorant of what I would have been missing. Oh, Cray, I didn't dream it could be like this. Did I please you?”

  “Need you ask? You carried me to heaven. You are an angel.” He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.

  “Where are you going?” she said, worry etching her tone.

  “I need to flush this condom. Don't move.”

  She did move, following him to the bathroom. “Darling, I have a wonderful gynecologist. She always asks me if I want a prescription for the pill, but I tell her no because there's no reason. I'll call her tomorrow. She'll call a prescription into the nearest pharmacy and I'll start the pill tomorrow. I don't know how long I must take it until we're safe, but the minute we are, I don't want you leaving our bed afterward.”