by Kay Harris
Alice collapsed onto his chest, her cheek pressed against soft, blond hairs. “Oh, man.”
Darius’ big hand moved up and down her back smoothly. “I agree.”
“I want this every day.”
“Done.”
JULY
Chapter 14
Darius shoved a pair of socks into the top of his bag and tried to keep the frown off his face. He wasn’t even sure which part of this ordeal was the worst, five days without Alice or the knowledge that this was just the first in a string of family events he’d have to attend without her.
“So what’s your plan for our wedding?”
Darius’ head snapped up. Alice stood in the doorway to his bedroom, hands folded over her chest.
“What?” he asked.
Alice sat on the bed beside his bag and looked at it with distaste before tipping her head up to gaze at him. “You’ll propose to me someday.” She cocked her head. “Won’t you?”
“Of course, I will.”
“So, how are you going to marry me when you’re afraid to take me home with you?”
Darius shoved the bag to the center of the bed and sat on the edge beside her. “I haven’t figured it out. I thought we would talk about it.”
“But you weren’t planning to push me into anything I didn’t want to do.” It wasn’t a question.
“No.”
“So you were just going to have to suffer? You and your family.”
Darius took Alice’s hand in his. “That’s a little overdramatic. I’m sure we can figure something out that will work for us both. But we don’t have to do that now.”
“Why not now?”
“What?”
“Why not deal with it right now?” she pressed.
“Okay,” he agreed. “Let’s talk about it.”
Alice looked up at him through long, dark lashes. “You didn’t invite me to your brother’s wedding.”
It took Darius several long beats before he was able to overcome his shock and speak. “No. I didn’t.”
“Because you didn’t think I’d come?”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Until recently, I wouldn’t have thought so either. But I’m not the Alice I used to be. And this Alice isn’t defined by her past. And she doesn’t put up with bullies. So why would I be afraid to face a tormentor from another lifetime that I am no longer afraid of?”
Darius swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying: I think I should go with you to your brother’s wedding. I think you should officially introduce me to your parents as your girlfriend. And, yeah, it’s weird that I used to date your brother, but that was a long time ago. And, yeah, your brother was really awful to me once, but that was also a long time ago. And I don’t think I’m crazy to think he’ll be nice now.”
“I can guarantee he’ll be a perfect gentleman. Not only because he’s changed, but also because he values his life.”
“So? You gonna invite me or what?” she asked.
“You’ll really go?”
“Did you not just listen to my speech? Oh, is it too late to get another ticket, though?”
“No. For the right price anything is possible.”
Alice grinned. “Sometimes I forget you’re rich.”
“Me, too.”
Alice took a deep breath, and it was apparent to Darius that she planned to drop another bomb on him. After the last one, he was ready for anything.
“So, here’s the thing I’ve failed to tell you up until now.” Alice turned on the bed, draping her legs over Darius’ lap. “I’m rich, too.”
This was not a huge surprise. He’d known something was up. “You know, I was starting to wonder. The new car. The new condo. Did you win the lottery?”
“No. I inherited it.”
Everything clicked into place. “From Trudy and Everett?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Yeah. You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not.”
“Are you mad that I didn’t tell you sooner?”
“No. You had your reasons. And I didn’t ask. It’s not like it affects our relationship. Right?”
Alice pulled her feet off his lap and slid over on the mattress to sit right up against Darius, her thigh touching his. She placed her hand on the crease between his legs. “You know why I didn’t tell you?”
“Why?”
“Because I was still coming to terms with it. I had to decide that I deserved it. And that was something I had to do on my own without any more voices telling me why I deserved it. I already had Everett and Trudy doing that. And I knew you would, too.”
Darius leaned down and placed tiny kisses on her neck. “And have you figured it all out in your head?”
Alice tipped her head back, giving him better access. “Yes. I have. I am their family, and if they want me to have family money then I will take it, and I will use it well.”
“Hmmm.” Darius pulled Alice back onto the bed, knocking his bag to the floor with a thick thump. They lay on their sides, facing one another. “How are you going to use it?”
“I don’t have plans for all of it yet. It’s a lot of freaking money.” Alice ran her hand down his chest, slipped it under the hem at his waist and ran it back up beneath the shirt. “But some will go to charity. In fact, I’m hoping you will help me with that.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You’re going to start a foundation, remember?”
Warmth spread into his heart. “Yeah. Maybe we should start it together.”
“Okay. But I have a job and soon I’ll be going to school, so you’re going to have to do most of the work.”
“Deal,” he agreed.
Alice’s hand moved back down his chest and torso. Her nimble fingers worked at the button on his jeans. “I also plan to use it for my kids, Trudy’s grandkids. I want us to adopt a few of them. It’ll be expensive and they’ll need college funds and stuff.”
Darius nodded, the smile on his face quickly becoming permanent. “Good idea.”
Alice had managed to get his pants open and pulled down around his hips, which allowed her to dip her little hand inside. He moaned as she stroked him. “You’re going to kill me, Alice.”
She rolled over so she was on top of him. “I figure we won’t have much time to fool around in Walker Springs. So we should take advantage of our alone time now.”
That wasn’t actually true. Darius was pretty sure he could find a rental at the last minute using his connections. He and Alice wouldn’t have to stay with his parents. But he wasn’t about to tell her that and put a stop to the attention he was getting.
“Another good idea.” Darius pulled the colorful tunic Alice wore over her head, then brought her to him for a long kiss.
Alice moved away from his kiss and attacked his shirt, tugging at it until she’d wrestled it over his head while he laughed.
“Stop. It’s not funny. I want you naked,” she said, slapping his stomach lightly. “Jesus. These things are ridiculous.” To demonstrate her appreciation, she licked the dip between each of his muscular abs slowly.
By the time Alice was pulling his jeans off, Darius was barely capable of thinking, let alone fully comprehending what she was doing. She stood at the end of the bed and pulled his pants off one leg at a time.
His long legs hung off the end of the bed. Alice stood between them. Then, she suddenly disappeared. Darius craned his neck up. She had dropped to her knees. She moved her smooth hands up his thighs slowly.
“Alice, Baby. Come up here.”
“Not yet.”
Then he felt her mouth on his inner thigh. His head dropped back on the pillow, and he moaned. Her tongue made its way all around his most sensitive places. He lay on the bed, at her mercy, and tried not lose his mind or the thin grip he had on his orgasm as she pleasured him.
When he started frantically begging, Alice stood. At the end of the bed she undressed the rest of the way. She took her time, making his mou
th go dry and his eyes water at the beauty and sensuality of it.
She crawled up his body on all fours. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. The way she embraced her sexiness had him on fire.
“Don’t wait,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Wait for what?”
“You’re always waiting, letting me drive. I did. I’m happy and turned on. Now I want you to drive.”
It was an invitation, and he took it. He flipped them both over, then propping himself up to keep his weight off her, he kissed her and pushed inside slowly. His controlled movements were just how he liked it. And so did Alice. She tugged at the ends of his hair and pushed on his back.
“Yes, Baby,” she cried.
Darius loved the precision, just the way he’d always loved a perfect play in football. He savored every moment of making love to Alice. And when she came, he timed his orgasm perfectly with hers.
He turned them again on the bed and tucked her into his side.
Alice ran her fingers over his sternum lightly. “Good play.”
He laughed and kissed her temple. “I love you.”
****
“Darius! Darius! Over here!”
It was a literal swarm. The women were the loudest. But the men were the pushiest. Alice was completely overwhelmed. She found herself moving farther and farther away from him in the crowd.
It swelled like a storm. She realized in retrospect she should have seen it coming. As they made their way through security, there had been a lot of looks. People started to whisper up and down the line. It felt like everyone in the airport was watching as Darius walked through the screening machine.
When they got to the other side of the TSA checkpoint and stopped to put everything back together, people started lingering nearby. Darius stayed focused on Alice, careful not to look around and make eye contact with the looky-loos. Alice was no good at it, and ultimately, that was their downfall.
By the time they got to their gate, they were definitely being followed. And it was when they sat down that the dam burst. Darius had just been about to tell Alice something when the first man approached. “Aren’t you Darius Fleck?”
Alice ended up a good twenty feet away. The bodies pressed in around her had been too much. So she’d scrambled out of her seat and made her way to the edge of the crowd.
Darius was gracious, as always. He signed autographs and took selfies. He accepted compliments and gave them back. He also kept track of Alice the whole time. It seemed he knew exactly where she was and met her gaze every few minutes.
After he’d spoken to most of the people they’d be on the plane with and a few other passersby he said loudly, “Thank you all so much. But I need to get back to my girlfriend now before I lose her.”
The casual way he said it, with a soft chuckle, was taken well by his fans. They looked around and noticed Alice for the first time. Most of them smiled at her. A few of the women gave her side-eye. But eventually, the crowd dispersed and Alice made her way back to Darius’ side.
“Sorry about that.”
She shrugged. “It comes with the territory. I guess I just have to get used to it.”
“Once upon a time my fame took me off the list,” he reminded her.
“Well. Lucky for you, I changed my mind.”
His eyes sparkled. “Yeah. Lucky me.”
Alice looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. The only people in nearby chairs were a family with screaming children. Everyone else seemed content to stare at Darius, but not approach. But, just to be sure, Alice moved her lips next to his ear to whisper. “There is one thing I’m worried about, though.”
“What? What are you worried about?”
“The press. I mean, even though you don’t play anymore, you still end up in magazines and those online gossip sites sometimes, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “Not so much anymore. But, occasionally, yeah. Usually its just stuff like fundraisers I attend and things like that these days.”
“But when you played, they were kinda into scandals. Like that chick you dated who cheated on you with the other football player.”
Darius sighed. “Thanks for bringing up that, by the way. I don’t get it. What’s the point?”
“What if they found out about me?”
He swiveled his head quickly to stare at her. “What? I mean. They’ll find out you’re my girlfriend. But I don’t think it will be a big deal.”
“You don’t?”
“No offense, Baby. But you’re not famous. It’s not news.”
“What about my sexuality?”
“What about it?”
Alice shifted in her seat. “I won’t hide it. I’ll be marching in the next Pride parade. Everett will march with me, and last year he was on a couple gossip sites because he’s kinda locally famous, and I was right there next to him. But this year, instead of ‘Everett Evans and friend’ in the picture caption it might say ‘Everett Evans and Darius Fleck’s girlfriend.’” Alice had said all this so quickly she had to suck in a breath after she finished.
“It probably will be on several gossip sites since I’ll be on the other side of you.”
Alice stared. “Oh.”
“Honey. I don’t know why you think I care about that? Maybe you don’t know this, but I’ve marched in Pride before as an ally. And I love to work with You Can Play. It’s one of my favorite sports charities.”
“I know you support the LGBTQ community. But we’re talking about your girlfriend. We’re talking about out-of-control paparazzi and maybe even hateful crazies.”
Darius kissed Alice lightly on the lips. “Fuck ‘em.”
Chapter 15
Darius’ tight grip on her hand, while bordering on painful, was also welcome. They stood together on the front stoop of a house she’d been to many times before. But today it seemed like a foreign place.
“Starting over, remember,” Darius whispered.
Alice just smiled at him and hoped it would suffice. She couldn’t bring herself to talk at the moment.
The door swung open, and Mrs. Fleck peered out at them. There was a split second when the three people all stared at each other. Then Mrs. Fleck launched. She threw her substantial body into Alice’s slight one and completely enveloped her in a massive hug. Only one hand, still held firmly in Darius’, was free of her grip.
“Mom, don’t crush her,” Darius warned.
Mrs. Fleck pulled back and turned to her son. “Come here, Baby Boy.”
Darius accepted his mom’s hug with one massive arm before pushing the lot of them over the threshold and into the house.
They didn’t make it past the foyer. Mrs. Fleck stood in their way. “It’s so nice to see you again, Alice!”
“It’s nice to see you as well, Mrs. Fleck.”
The older woman laughed. “Oh, heavens. You’re a full-fledged adult now. I think you ought to call me Ina.”
Alice nodded.
“Is there some reason we’re stuck in the foyer, Mom?”
“No. I’m just so excited! Okay, okay, come in.”
As they moved through the entrance and into the cozy family room, honeyface came running at them and launched herself at Darius’ shins. He picked her up and headed to toward the couch.
Alice wandered slowly behind him, taking in her surroundings as she went. The space had been completely redecorated since she’d last seen it. Dark brown furniture and beige carpeting had been replaced with hardwood floors, a cream-colored couch, and two deep red classic chairs.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Alice said.
“Isn’t it great? I did it all myself last year. And this time, my crabby-ass husband didn’t complain for one second about the money I spent.” She smiled at Darius, who looked away shyly.
Alice guessed that Darius had paid for the remodel. It meant so much more to her than it should. She appreciated that the room she’d spent hours making out with Derek in held no trace of it
s former self. As she sat on the new couch, she squeezed Darius’ free hand, the one that wasn’t occupied with a small pile of fur.
Ina stood in front of the couple. “Okay. I’m going to get us all drinks.”
“Is Dad here?” Darius asked.
Ina shook her head. “He and Derek are moving stuff around at the reception hall. But…um… Stephanie is here. She really wanted to meet Alice. She’s in the kitchen. Is that okay?”
“I don’t know, Mom—” Darius began.
“It’s fine. I’d like to meet her,” Alice interjected. She felt Darius’ concerned gaze on her, but she didn’t turn to look at him. Instead, she focused on Ina, who seemed delighted by her acquiescence.
“I’ll be back with lemonade and Stephanie!”
Ina bounced out of the room. Alice turned to Darius. “She’s cheerier than I remembered.”
He chuckled. “Retirement has been good to her. Plus her son is getting married this weekend. And she’s really, really happy you’re here.” He leaned over and kissed her sweetly. “And so am I.”
Alice had been doing a lot of meditation and Yoga. She’d managed to reach a state of calm basically on demand. She put that exercise into practice as Ina returned to the room with a full-figured, smiling, red-head in her wake.
The younger woman kept her gaze locked on Alice as Ina made introductions. “Alice, this is Stephanie, Derek’s fiancée. Stephanie, this is Alice, Darius’ girlfriend.”
Alice was certain Stephanie knew the whole sordid story about her and Derek. She could tell by the way the other woman looked at her. Alice took a deep breath. “It’s nice to meet you, Stephanie. Congratulations, by the way. Are you excited?”
Stephanie lowered herself slowly into the chair that sat directly opposite Alice. “I’m very excited. And nervous. And there’s a small part of me that just wants it to be over.”
Ina laughed. “Ignore that. She’s just exhausted from all the work that went into this wedding.” Ina placed a tall glass of lemonade in each of their hands before sitting in the chair beside Stephanie.
“Two days left.” Stephanie let out a breath. “It’s hard to believe.”
“Tonight is the bachelorette party, Alice. Are you up for that?” Ina asked