Once I made it to the bedroom, I checked the time, then went to the bathroom, deciding I could take a shower to waste some time because he’d still be on the phone with Edward. He’d given me an exact time when he would be able to talk to me, and it was what I’d been waiting for since yesterday.
Out of the shower, I went to Ryan’s closet. With him gone, I’d started picking out some of his clothes to fall asleep in. it was probably wrong of me, and he didn’t know I was even doing it. I’d been scared at first because everything in his closet was designer, even simple t-shirts. But there were plenty of clothes just lying around, and I’d found the clothes that looked oldest and used those. It had been a week and a half after he’d left when I caved and put on his clothes to sleep in his bed with for the first time.
“I hope he won’t get angry,” I worried to myself as I hesitated to put on his clothes again.
I knew I would do it anyway, though. Because I didn’t think I would be able to see his face, even over video, and just fall asleep fine afterward. Having his clothes helped just a little bit.
So I found a t-shirt in pale cream with long sleeves and a pair of cotton sweats. The t-shirt practically drowned me, the sleeves swallowing my hands until my fingertips just barely showed. The sweat pants had a cord through the waistband, so I could tie them and they wouldn’t fall. The ends of them fell over my feet, and if I had to run in them, I would probably trip. I walked slowly over to the bed and lay back on it, making sure I was up against the pillows, lying somewhat in the middle.
I picked up my phone where I’d dropped it on the nightstand on my way to the bathroom and fidgeted with it, checking the time every so often until I saw that it was time. Exactly ten p.m. on the dot.
The remote was also on the nightstand, and I leaned over to pick it up. I looked over the buttons, remembering Ryan’s instructions, and I followed them, pointing it at the TV. First, I turned it on, then turned on the video chat feature. Ryan had told me I would know when he called, and he showed me how to answer. When the call came in, a notification appeared on the TV screen, and suddenly, I wasn’t so calm.
What the fuck should I do?
I was having a little freak-out on the bed, wondering whether or not I should take his call. There was a fine tremble all over my body, and when I tried to press the button to pick up the call, at first, I couldn’t. But then I took a deep breath, forced myself to calm down, and pressed down on it.
The screen lit up, and for a moment, there was nothing on it, but then the image changed, and I could actually see something. It looked like a lavish couch in a pale white that matched the carpet, and in the background was a glass wall. I could see lights beyond it, but I couldn’t see clearly. I figured quickly it was probably Ryan’s hotel room, someplace with a nice view, and again, I felt wistful that I couldn’t have just gone with him.
“Ryan?” I called tentatively. “Are you there?”
I waited, holding my breath. I wasn’t even sure if he’d heard me because my voice had been so quiet. But there was no reply, and I could feel disappointment starting to settle in my chest. Then someone came into view of the camera and sat down, and I could finally see him.
“Lexi,” he said with the biggest grin. “Sorry about that, I had to take an important call. I didn’t mean to make you wait.”
“It wasn’t that long,” I muttered. “Oh. Can you hear me?” I asked, making my voice a little higher.
Ryan just chuckled and leaned back in his chair, arms thrown over the back of the couch.
“You don’t have to raise your voice, I can hear you just fine. But don’t speak too quietly either.”
I nodded at the instruction, and we spent a moment in silence. I didn’t know what to say and looking at him, I wondered if I could say anything at all.
Ryan looked as good as he had the last time I saw him, if not so much better. He was dressed in a pair of slacks and a shirt with the first few buttons undone. He looked relaxed, unlike when I’d seen him off those three weeks ago.
“Why didn’t you video chat with me before today?” I asked, tired of the silence, slightly pouting. “Did you not want to see my face?”
The smile on his face was so gentle, I could feel my heart give a little squeeze in my chest.
“It’s the opposite,” he said. “I wanted to see your face so badly I just had to hold back. I didn’t think I’d be able to stay and do what I need to do if I’d gotten to see you before.”
“Does this mean you’re done and can come back now?” I asked hopefully, though he dashed those hopes pretty quickly.
“Not yet,” he admitted. “Everything is almost done, I just need to close this deal, and I’ll be back. I’m not sure when exactly, but it will be soon, I promise.”
I sighed and looked down, hoping he wasn’t just saying that to make me feel better. I tugged on the t-shirt sleeves, not that I needed them to fall any further, but anything to get me out of looking right at Ryan was fine with me.
“Hey, wait a minute,” he said slowly.
I looked up with wide eyes, guessing he’d only just realized what I was wearing. He frowned at me, actually leaning close to the camera and squinting. But then he jumped back, jaw dropped, as he looked at me.
“Are those my clothes?” he asked, voice incredulous.
I nodded, flinching slightly. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It kinda just happened…”
I let out a small nervous laugh. Ryan didn’t look angry, though. He just stared at me with this look of consideration before moving on to a different topic.
“How has Edward been with me gone? I talk to him, but I’d like to hear your opinion. Also, did the two of you get to hang out at all? Did he warm up to you?”
I smiled at the rapid-fire words, and I settled back, readying myself for a long chat.
“He’s been just fine,” I said. “Well, he was pretty quiet, but you already told me he was like that, and Grace told me it was normal. Hmm. We spent some time with each other, and I don’t know if I can say he warmed up to me, but we’re on speaking terms now.”
“Really?” Ryan sighed in relief. “Good. That’s a good sign. At the moment he doesn’t talk to a lot of people outside of the family, so it’s a good sign.” He grinned. “I want him to get to know you. I know if he does, he will come to think of you as I do.”
I wanted to ask what he meant by that, my heart fluttering in my chest once more, but I didn’t.
“What’s Germany like?” I asked instead, genuinely curious. “I’ve thought about traveling a few times, but I’ve never really been out of the state. I’m a little sad that you couldn’t take me, you know?”
“I know,” he said, looking contrite. “And I’m sorry about that. Do you want me to describe the place for you? I’ve been here a few times.”
Again, I wanted to ask a question. This time, if there was a possibility he and I could go on a trip together outside of the country. It didn’t have to be Germany, just wherever, as long as he took me. But again, I held back.
“Describe it to me,” I requested, though it came out sounding more like a demand. “Maybe I can picture it, and it would be like I was there with you.”
His answering smile made me think he liked that thought just as much as I did.
We talked. It wasn’t all that different from how we’d spent the past several weeks, with Ryan calling me every so often to check on me. Except for this time I could drink him in as we talked, and I didn’t waste the opportunity at all. Also, it was longer, and the feeling that he didn’t want to cut the call was stronger, too, so the call dragged on for a while.
By the time we hung up, an hour had passed, and I was feeling content with myself. I wanted to feel a little happy, because it looked like Ryan missed me, as well. Then I remembered, and I sobered up.
Shit! Just what the fuck are you doing to yourself, Lexi?
I was this guy’s baby maker, and I was barely thinking about it. Instead, here I was, having fanciful
thoughts, like maybe there could be something between Ryan and me. I couldn’t keep thinking that, though, because it wasn’t true.
The contract…
I had it put away in a drawer in my room, and I hadn't looked at it since the day I signed it. Of course, I only had the copy, and Ryan got the original. Still, its existence weighed on my mind in times like these, when I was tempted to get carried away.
I knew I couldn’t let myself. It would be setting myself up for heartache later, and I’d had enough of that to last me a lifetime. I settled in for a restless sleep, feeling worried about my future.
So much more, though, I missed Ryan and wished he would be coming back soon, as he’d said.
Chapter 21 - Ryan
I woke up in the morning, my breathing heavy and my body covered in sweat.
“Fuck!” I cursed as I got out of bed, grimacing when I had to pull the wet sheets off my skin. “What was that dream last night?”
This at all because of that dream? Actually, no, this was all because of the video chat I had with Lexi.
It had taken even longer than the call I’d had with my son, and a part of me had felt just a little bit ashamed of that. But I hadn't wanted to cut the call, and the only reason I even ended it when I did was because I didn’t want her to stay up too late because of me. Going through the rest of my day after seeing her had been difficult enough. And then there was that dream.
Dammit! When was the last time I had such a vivid dream? And one like that? I looked down at myself suspiciously, tugging on the shorts I’d gone to bed in, only to sigh in relief when I realized that the only wetness in my shorts was the sweat. So, at least I didn’t have a wet dream. That would have been embarrassing at my age.
“Ugh,” I groaned to myself, walking over to the bathroom, because I felt sticky all over from drying sweat.
I paused to take a look at myself in the mirror. I would have looked normal, like any other morning, only my eyes were unusually focused and bright when I hadn't been up five minutes yet, there was a slight flush to my cheeks.
Running a hand through my hair, I moved over to the shower to turn the water on, stepping in before it could start to warm up. My body jerked at the cold, but I held still until it wasn’t so freezing anymore, and I took my time washing myself up. I ended up thinking about the dream while in the shower and let out a growl as my cock hardened.
I’d gotten myself off a few times on the trip in the three weeks I’d been away from Lexi. After seeing her last night, there was no way I wasn’t going to want to get off. I’d done it last night, twice, before I fell asleep. I had a feeling it was getting out of hand, though.
I looked down at my cock, taking myself in hand and imagining it was Lexi doing it, imagining she was here with me in the shower. I took myself in hand, closing my eyes as I stroked up and down my hard length. I came pretty quickly.
Afterward, I left the bathroom with a towel around my waist, the other around my shoulders. I went to the room’s closet, where I’d put up the clothes I’d packed, I picked out a suit for the day. I set it down on the bed and finished drying myself up.
My phone was still on the nightstand where I’d left it last night, and I was tempted to pick it up and call home. I wanted to hear Lexi’s voice some more. Screw that, what I wanted was to see her again.
Like last night. Fuck, but I hadn't expected the sight that met me to be so sexy.
She’d asked to sleep in my bed the one night, and I’d given her permission to use it while I was away. And there was the added surprise of seeing her wearing my clothes. But really, I’d been so happy to see her that I didn’t even notice it right away.
I miss her.
It wasn’t exactly a big revelation, but I felt it even more now. Doing the video chat was a mistake, but I couldn’t find it in me to regret it either.
I dressed up quickly, then picked up my phone and put it in my pocket. The moment I was out of my hotel room, it rang. I was tempted just to ignore it, but I picked up the call.
“We’re all waiting for you in the lobby, sir,” Beth, my PA, told me.
“I’ll be right down,” I said brusquely.
I took the elevator to the first floor where I met my team. Besides my assistant, I’d brought employees from my team along with me to share some of the burdens.
“Morning, Beth,” I greeted as I neared them, exchanging nods with the others, and they fell into step with me as I walked past them. “Is there time for breakfast?”
“I’m afraid not, sir. We’ll have to pick up some coffee on the way.”
I’d expected it, but I still sighed in disappointment. It was pretty usual for me not to have much for breakfast, actually, but I’d gotten used to more since Lexi had moved in. And I couldn’t help thinking of being back home, having breakfast at my dining table with Lexi and my son both there. I was determined to make the dream a reality—once I was back home.
“What do we have on the schedule today?” I asked Beth.
“There are three different meetings between…”
We stepped out of the hotel where a couple of cars were waiting on us. We filed inside, Beth making sure to sit next to me. I only half listened as she went on to explain what we had to do for the day, who would be doing what, or going where, or meeting who. Though the rest of them were here to lighten my load, because I was still the boss, I had the most to do.
Fuck this, I thought mutinously. I want to go home.
We made a stop on the way to get coffee, and then the day got busy.
I barely had a moment to myself the whole time, with my PA following my every move, and meeting a bunch of bigwigs in meetings throughout the whole day. I only got a fifteen-minute break for lunch, and I couldn’t have the big spread I wanted because there wasn’t time to eat it in between the drive to and from the diner we went to eat at.
By the time everything was over and I could go back to my hotel room, I was feeling exhausted. I didn’t let it show to my subordinates, though. It wouldn’t paint the right picture for them.
Beth and I stopped at the hotel’s lounge where we both got some non-alcoholic drinks and talked about what had to be done tomorrow.
“Have you heard anything about the final decision?” I asked after we’d exhausted everything else.
She shook her head slowly like she was afraid to give me any bad news.
“I’m afraid not, sir. I’m not sure why there’s a delay, if another team is making them hesitate, or if they’re still just deliberating…”
I sighed. “I hate that uncertainty.”
“But we have more than a fifty percent chance of winning this,” she cut in to say. “At least one other company is close enough to be our competitor, and the margin between us is seven percent. I’ve included everything relevant to the conclusions and even compensated for any setbacks. So unless someone has a last trick up their sleeve, we won’t lose.”
There was still uncertainty, but more than a fifty percent chance was good. It would have been impossible had the figure gone higher, and I didn’t think there would be any last tricks because this was cutting it a bit close. I knew the numbers were right because Beth rarely ever made mistakes, and her accuracy was the reason I’d hired her when she came to me all fresh-faced out of college with low experience.
But then why are we still here?
I didn’t voice my displeasure, though, and not only because my PA didn’t deserve to deal with my bad mood just because I was horny.
“Thank you for your insight today, Beth,” I said as I stood up, and she followed suit. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With that, I turned my back and headed back to my room. I took my phone out of my pocket to call Edward. I was feeling a bit restless, so the call didn’t last that long, and I sent several apologies to my son, telling him all the great things we would be doing together the moment I got back.
I was about to put the phone down and go for a shower when I thought to call Lexi, too. I held ba
ck, but now that I was safe back in my room, thoughts of her were rushing through my head again. In my mind, I saw her lying on my bed with my oversized clothes on. Then in my dream, where she lay beneath me on a soft, white bed, just waiting for me to take her. Of course, it wasn’t a temptation I could ignore, and in the end, I’d woken up right as we both came in the dream.
Fuck!
Now all I could think off was all the times that I did have her like that. And after the long weeks, it felt like I could snap, finally.
“I stayed away too long,” I grumbled to myself, moving over to the couch and draping myself over it. “Shit, this is bad. I really can't. Especially not after last night.”
I knew better than to just give up on my work because of a woman. I’d done it for Kora when she was sick, but this was nowhere near the same thing. The company would survive even without me making this much effort… but it could be improved, and the one thing I hated was to stagnate, never move forward.
So, the decision was easy enough to make.
“Tomorrow,” I told myself decisively. “Tomorrow, I’m going to that damn office, and I am going to close this fucking long-ass deal.”
Her body was out there waiting for me. It couldn’t wait much longer, and neither could I.
Chapter 22 - Lexi
Ryan came back early; he couldn’t stay away from me. He rushed over to me as if I have fire all over my body and he needed to put it out. He threw the chair backward and I pulled on his shirt. I cradled my nails around the collar of his shirt, and then I popped his buttons off with urgency. He pushed me onto the wooden dining table, pushing everything on the floor, just out of our way.
He ripped off my panties.
“Oh, my,” I said while I watched him drop his trousers. My legs opened in anticipation. I lifted my leg up, and he pushed it to the side as he stretched across and took the bottle of wine and poured it on my body.
The Baby Contract: A Single Dad Romance Page 10