by Francis Ray
Bowing her backwards, his teeth closed delicately around the hard nipple pushing against the lacy fabric of her bra. Sensations rocketed through him. He wanted; he needed.
A buzzer sounded. He thought it was in his head until the sound continued. Finally he recognized it as the oven timer. Lifting his head, John breathed in gulps of air and tried to control the desire racing through him. Brooke’s breathing was just as erratic.
“I–I need to cut it off, but I’m not sure I can stand.”
“Don’t look at me.”
She laughed and he joined in. She palmed his face. “You have a strange effect on me. You can make me madder than any man I’ve ever met. You can also make me laugh more.”
“I want to make you hot and wet.”
“That, too.” Her voice quivered.
His gaze narrowed. Getting up, he sat her in her chair, then went to turn off the timer. “What time do you have to be at the shop?”
Biting her lip, she glanced at her watch. “Thirty minutes.”
John’s head fell forward.
“I can get off early,” she quickly told him.
His head lifted, but there was disappointment in his face. “I always try to have supper with the kids and tuck them in.”
“I’ll guess we’ll see each other Sunday,” she said softly
“I’ll never make it.”
Brooke sighed. “I don’t think we have a choice.”
* * *
“I know you’ll enjoy these,” Claire said, as she handed the slim young woman a Bliss shopping bag filled with Honeysuckle Meringue bath gel, soap, candle, and moisturizing cream.
“I’m sure I will,” the customer said, then headed out of the store.
Claire glanced around and felt a burst of pride. They were going to make it. Their dream had become a reality. If only Hamilton was able to get past Lorraine being an active partner in the store, Claire wouldn’t have a complaint in the world. Seeing Lorraine helping a customer with a pair of silver candlesticks, she headed for the two women browsing by the candle display and yawned for the third time in as many minutes.
“You didn’t get very much sleep last night, I take it,” Brooke said with a twinkle in her dark eyes.
Claire smiled. “I’m not complaining.”
Brooke laughed. “You go, girl.”
Taking another look at the two women, Claire decided to leave them alone for a few minutes since they seemed to be systematically going through the various scents. Nothing she disliked worse than pressure when shopping … the few times she had gone shopping. “How are you and John doing?”
Brooke bit her lower lip. “I’m not sure. He came by for breakfast, but I had to leave for work and at night he likes to have dinner at home and put Mark and Amy to bed.” Brooke sighed. “We’re seeing each other Sunday for dinner at his parent’s house, but I’ll be ready to tear off his clothes by then or be a nervous wreck.”
Claire might have blushed, or not understood the concept of sexual frustration, before she and Gray became lovers. “As a partner, you can set your own hours. Why didn’t you call me or Lorraine?”
“I thought you might have been involved,” Brooke said.
“Point taken.” Claire glanced at her watch. “One-fifteen. The lunch crowd will be dwindling soon. As I see it, there’s only one way to handle this.”
“What?”
“Have John make a service call.”
* * *
“The battery you replaced is defective and I think you should come over and check it out.”
Brooke had been pacing the floor since she’d called John fifteen minutes before. She’d taken Claire’s advice and hurried home. Thank goodness he was in and had taken her call. He’d said he’d be right over. What if he thought she was too forward? She’d never made sexual overtures like that before.
The doorbell rang and she swung around. Rubbing her hand on her dress, she went to answer the door.
He came inside and closed the door behind him. “You have a complaint about a defective battery. I pride myself on customer satisfaction.” He swung her up in his arms and continued to the hallway on the immediate right. “I’ll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to put a satisfied smile on the customer’s face.”
The tension eased out of her. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He entered the bedroom and set her on her feet beside the turned-down bed. “How long do we have to work on the problem?”
Her arms circled his neck. “For as long as it takes.”
“I certainly plan to take full advantage of it.” His mouth closed her over. Once again white hot heat rippled through them. His mouth feasted on hers.
His hands fisted on the off-the-shoulders dress and dragged it down, stopping on the slope of her breasts and capturing her arms. “I was hoping you were wearing this so I could take it off you. An inch at a time.” His head bent and he kissed the slope of her neck, the swell of her breast.
John made good his promise and paid homage to her body as he stripped her of her clothes and left her panting and hungry. When he finally moved over her and his eyes locked with hers, she was quivering with need. She watched him as he slowly entered her, filled her.
When completion came, they reached it together. Brooke had never felt so wonderful, so bonelessly delicious.
“I hope you haven’t gone to sleep.” He kissed her shoulder.
“Mmm.”
I’ll just have to wake you up.” His mouth moved down her stomach to the most intimate part of her. She bucked and came off the bed, felt herself come undone, then the hard length of him was pressing into her. All she could do was lock her legs around him and enjoy.
* * *
“It’s five-fifteen,” Brooke said, her hand stroking John’s head as he lay on her breast. He needed to be home by six.
“I know.” His arm tightened around her for a fraction.
She didn’t want to let him go either. She was surprised how relaxed and at peace she felt after all the arguments they’d been through.
“I don’t suppose you want to come home with me?” he asked casually.
Her hand paused for a fraction of a second. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
His head lifted and he stared at her. “No, but I don’t want to leave you. Nothing else has ever come close to keeping me from my kids.”
Her heart turned over. She palmed his face. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Catching her hand, he kissed her palm. “How about breakfast in the morning? I’ll take care of it. Then Friday night it’s the kid’s night to eat out and give Mama a break. I know they’d want you to come. Saturday afternoon you can come watch me play baseball and cheer me on.”
She lifted a delicate brow. “You certainly aren’t shy.”
“Not when I see something I want.” He nibbled on her neck.
She didn’t know whether to purr or sigh. “I’m the same way. Is there something you’d like besides what you’re bringing for breakfast?”
“You in this bed,” he said, rolling on top of her.
“I think that can be arranged.”
* * *
Surprise and delight widened Lorraine’s eyes on seeing Thomas enter Bliss Thursday evening. Excusing herself from a customer, she quickly walked over to him. They hugged each other without thought or hesitation. She smiled up at him. “Thomas, what are you doing here? I know your daughters don’t need any more bath and body products.”
He smiled down at her, his hands on her arms. “I happened to be passing and stopped to see if you wanted to grab a bite to eat.”
She’d only picked at her lunch. “Well, I—”
“Please, don’t say no.” His face clouded. “I just don’t feel like going home to that empty house again.”
In a way, she knew how he felt. She didn’t want to go home either and she could use some good company. “Brooke i
s doing the deposit tonight so I’ll be free to grab a cup of coffee at least, after we close. If you won’t be bored, you can wait.”
“How can I be bored waiting on a beautiful woman?”
Lorraine blushed and silently chastised herself for doing so. “Hamilton hates waiting.”
“I’m not Hamilton,” Thomas told her, staring down at her.
This time Lorraine didn’t blush; she felt an odd sensation in her chest. To give herself a moment to collect herself she glanced at her watch, then back up at Thomas. “I’ll be ready to go in about twenty minutes.”
“Take your time. I’ll just look around. Christmas is coming.”
Lorraine watched him move away. She wondered what had happened to her moments ago, then she dismissed it. She turned and almost bumped into Brooke, who was staring at Thomas with narrowed eyes.
“What’s he doing here?”
Lorraine frowned at the abruptness of Brooke’s question. “Waiting for me. He’s feeling sad and doesn’t want to go home to an empty house.”
“You’re sure that’s the real reason?” Brooke questioned, watching her friend closely.
Lorraine looked away. “What other reason could there be?”
Brooke brought her attention back to Lorraine then shrugged. “Don’t mind me. I’m not looking forward to going home to an empty apartment either. Tomorrow night will certainly be different. We’re all going out for burgers.”
Lorraine smiled, relieved that Brooke wasn’t pushing the issue. “Try to be good in front of the children.”
“I will.” Laughing, Brooke walked away.
Lorraine went back to the customer, completely dismissing from her mind Brooke’s comment.
* * *
Thomas and Lorraine found an all night coffee shop and took a seat in a booth next to each other. They were silent until the waitress had brought them their coffee. “I must be getting old if I have to order decaf,” Thomas said, his large hand almost hiding the plain white mug.
“Speak for yourself,” Lorraine admonished, taking a sip of hers.
He chuckled, then leaned back in his seat. “How is business?”
“Wonderful.” She sat her cup on the Formica table. “The web site continues to grow and, with the holidays approaching, we’re should continue to do well.”
“Then why do I see sadness in your eyes sometimes,” he asked softly. He leaned forward, his arm brushing against hers as she tucked her head. “Hamilton?”
She nodded. “I keep hoping and praying he’ll change.”
“I remember hoping and praying when Margaret was sick. It didn’t do a bit of good,” he said tightly.
Twisting toward him, she put her hand on his tense shoulder. “Things happen that we don’t understand, but there’s always hope. Never forget or give up.”
Thomas’s eyes darkened as he held Lorraine’s gaze, his hand covering hers. “What if it’s something you’re not sure about?”
She withdrew her hand. “Then pray about it and wait for an answer.” She reached for her purse. “I should be getting home.”
He slid out of the booth and reached to help her stand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you so long. I’ll follow you home.” Thomas paid the bill and escorted her to her Mercedes.
As she got inside and pulled off, Lorraine tried to figure out if perhaps Brooke had been onto something. Could there be a woman Thomas was interested in? Was the beginning of a new relationship what he wasn’t sure about? Lorraine glanced in her rearview mirror at Thomas following her in his Navigator. He couldn’t be expected to mourn forever, and he was certainly an attractive, supportive man that most women would jump at the chance to have.
And she had to tell herself that of course she wasn’t jealous.
* * *
Friday was a busy day at the shop. Claire was glad for more than one reason. She and Brooke didn’t want to discuss the men in their lives since Lorraine was having problems with Hamilton. She had made Bliss possible. It seemed a cruel twist of fate that the woman who changed their lives for the better was going through such a rough time.
Claire had noticed that Lorraine hadn’t eaten the day before. She planned to see that she did today. She was about to order from the deli around the corner when Thomas entered the shop with a large carry-out bag containing succulent roast beef subs, potato salad, cole slaw, and iced tea. They had just enough time to thank him before he was gone again. Lorraine couldn’t stop talking about how considerate he was. Claire had to agree. They took turns eating.
Finally it was almost seven. Claire kept looking for Gray to enter the shop as he usually did, but as the clock ticked past seven she had to accept that he wasn’t coming. Disappointed, she said goodbye to Lorraine, who was making the night deposit, and left.
She understood he had a company to run, but she had quickly grown accustomed to him being there at closing, taking her home and spending most of the night with her. If she was having difficulty with one night, how was she going to handle it when he was gone for good?
Not wanting to think about that time, she hurried to the parking lot. She’d entered into the relationship with her eyes wide open.
Arriving home thirty minutes later, she came in the back door and headed for her bedroom. She suddenly stopped, then raced to open the sliding glass door. She was in Gray’s arms in two steps. “I missed you.”
Kissing her, he lifted his head. “We never had our picnic.”
Her eyes misted. How was she going to go on without him?
He frowned. “What’s the matter?”
Shaking her head, she smiled up at him. “Nothing. You’re just so sweet.”
His eyebrows knitted. “Men are not sweet.”
“I didn’t say men, plural. I said you singular.”
He turned her toward the door. “Go change.”
She smiled over her shoulder at him. They still had time. “I’ll go, but you’re still sweet.”
Gray watched her go, then turned to gaze out at the blue waters of the ocean. She wouldn’t think he was so sweet when he walked away. He went to the edge of the wooden deck and clamped his hands around the balustrade. That time was coming. He’d sworn he’d never let any woman be so important to him that he couldn’t walk away. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
“Ready.”
He turned as Claire came toward him. He just hoped it wasn’t too late already.
* * *
Where was she?
Hamilton glanced at his watch every few minutes as he paced the floor in the living room. It was past nine and Lorraine wasn’t home.
She’d never been this late since the shop opened. He’d tried to call her on her cell phone, but it was off. He’d picked up the phone to call Bliss, then slammed it down. The store’s phone hadn’t been answered the last two times he called; why did he think it would be now.
They could have been out doing God only knows what. Claire and Brooke were both single. As a married woman Lorraine shouldn’t be socializing with them.
Hamilton’s hand ran over his head. That was the crux of the matter. He was afraid Lorraine might become interested in another man. She was an attractive woman. He’d never even entertained such a thought until she’d changed so completely from the woman he’d married. Just like his mother had changed.
Going to the window, he stared out into the darkened night. His mother had told his father that she had found a part-time job in the evening to help with expenses. That should have alerted his father, since neither one of them liked to work. It hadn’t, since it meant he could sleep late and the refrigerator always held beer even when there was no food. His father couldn’t control her.
Then one night there was a fire at the local no-tell motel and his mother and the deputy mayor of the city had been overcome with smoke and had to be rescued. By morning the whole town knew. His father had crawled even deeper into the bottle.
Hamilton thanked God he’d been a month away from graduating from high school and
had an academic college scholarship. He’d left for Baylor University in the fall and could count on one hand the number of times he’d gone back home.
He heard the back door open. Wheeling sharply, he hurried in that direction. “I was worried about you.”
Lorraine continued past him. “I had to make the bank deposit.”
He stared after her. “Is that all you have to say? I was worried sick.”
In the middle of the spiral staircase, Lorraine turned to face him. “Apparently you got over it quick enough. Goodnight, Hamilton.” She resumed going up the stairs.
He wouldn’t be the fool his father was. “It shouldn’t have taken this long. What else were you doing?”
She turned again, her expression incredulous. “I don’t like what you’re inferring.”
“Then tell me why it took you two hours past the shop’s closure to make a deposit,” he demanded. He wasn’t backing down.
“You really want to know?” she asked.
Hamilton couldn’t decide if she was challenging him or questioning him. “Yes.”
Opening her purse she took out a box wrapped in gold foil with an emblem from an upscale jewelry store, then came down the stairs separating them and thrust it at him. “The gold cuff links you wanted. Happy birthday, Hamilton.”
He didn’t know what to say. The pain and hurt in her eyes made it worse. He’d completely forgotten he’d be sixty in a couple of weeks. Or perhaps he had just pushed it out of his mind. He couldn’t think of anything that would make up for his accusation.
Picking up his hand she slammed the box into his open palm. When she started to turn away, he pulled her into his arms despite her struggles. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was worried then … then I became angry because I couldn’t reach you on the phone.”
“Please, let me go.”
His arms tightened. There wasn’t a shred of warmth in her voice. “I don’t want to lose you, Lorraine.”
“Then why are you pushing me away?” she asked, her voice surprisingly steady. “Why do you make me not want to come home?”
Fear swept through him. “That’s not what I want.”
She pushed against his chest until he loosened his hold and she stared down at him from her higher perch on the stairs. “It’s no longer about what you want, Hamilton.” Turning she continued up the stairs.
