A Designed Affair

by Cheryl Barton

  Loren expressed her concern about some of the women Mike had been casually involved with. Though she believed him when he said he hadn’t been seeing any of them, there was one in particular that didn’t want to accept that he was no longer interested. She also knew of his very active sex life and wanted to be sure he didn’t have desires that she didn’t know about. She believed in keeping things fresh and new and knowing how high his sex drive was, she wanted to be sure she was fulfilling all of his needs. He assured her, she was all he needed.

  Mike shared with her about this one woman that he had been seeing for a while. Though they were not having a relationship, they had fallen into a pattern of satisfying each other’s needs and doing so often. This woman named Shelly still continued to contact him as if he had never told her he was no longer interested. Mike assured her Shelly was no issue, but even after a lot of time has passed, she was still trying to be a part of Mike’s life. Loren figured what had occurred between Shelly and Mike was much deeper for Shelly than it was for Mike. She decided to let him handle it and she trusted him when he said it was over between them. One thing Loren knew was that women did not let go as easily as men. She knew what a great catch Mike was and she was sure this Shelly woman knew as well.

  She removed all thoughts of Mike and any other woman from her mind as she continued getting ready for the wedding.

  ~~~

  The seven weeks following her brother’s wedding was a very busy time for Loren. She was preparing for another trip to the west coast to work out some design finalities with Mike’s house. Completing the work on the office turned out to be easier than she thought. The house was another story. It was large and very beautiful. She had to convince Mike to brighten up some of the rooms and to get away from the plain, dull colors men often wanted.

  Since her flight was very early the next, she decided to stop by her parent’s house beforehand. When she pulled up to the house, she saw her oldest brother Jake’s car in the driveway. She also noticed the car seats in the back which meant her niece and nephew were with him. She loved Lyric and Milo as if they were her very own. She couldn’t wait to see them again. Lyric had served as a flower girl at her brother’s wedding and Milo was the ring carrier. They looked cute all dressed up for the affair.

  “Anybody home?” Loren hollered into the house as she entered.

  “We’re in the kitchen, Loren,” her mother shouted as she came through the door.

  When she reached the kitchen, her mother, brother and sister-in-law, Kim were sitting at the kitchen table looking at pictures from the wedding.

  “Hey everybody!”

  “Hey,” they all chimed at the same time.

  “Let me see the pictures when you’re finished.”

  “Look at them fast Loren. We’ve been here a while with mom and dad and we were about to leave. Kim wants to get the photos in a nice book for Duron and Taija and we need to get them to the photographer today,” her brother stated.

  “Okay, I’m not staying long either. I still have some packing to do and my flight is early in the morning.”

  Loren’s mother looked up at her, from viewing the pictures.

  “I really don’t like you taking these flights to California by yourself. It’s not safe for a young woman to be traveling there alone.”

  “Mom, I’m going to be fine. I’ll only be gone a few days and besides, Mike will be there this time. He flew out this morning to take care of some business and will meet me at the house tomorrow to go over some last minute ideas I have. I’ll be fine so don’t worry.”

  “When is Mike actually moving? I hear things are just about ready,” Jake asked.

  Loren loved talking about Mike. She hoped her over excitement didn’t show.

  “First, where are my niece and nephew? I saw the car seats?”

  “They’re with dad in the back yard. He’s having a mini playground built and they wanted to watch the men set it up.”

  “Okay, I’ll say hi to them in a few minutes. To answer your question, Mike has another couple of weeks before he actually moves. The project starts in about three months and he wants to be completely settled by then. It’s exciting and you should see the new offices they are opening. I’m planning to fly back out with Duron and Taija for the grand opening in a few weeks. Speaking of the newlyweds, has anyone heard from them since they got back from the honeymoon?”

  Her mother answered.

  “Yes, they stopped by last week for a quick visit. They were still in the midst of moving the rest of Taija’s things from her place to the house. They’ve also been adjusting to being back at work. Besides that, I think they’ve been hibernating like newlyweds should.”

  Loren had no doubt that they were.

  “Well I’ll catch them when I get back in town.”

  She flipped through the pictures while everyone talked around her. When she finished, she stopped to give her niece and nephew a quick hug and then left so that she could finish her packing.

  As she drove, she couldn’t help but think of the conversation she and Mike had earlier in the day. He was getting frustrated that months later, they were still sneaking around. He felt that enough time had passed and that she needed to decide if they were going to work out or not. He would be moving soon and he wanted their relationship established openly before he left. To him there was no doubt. He knew she didn’t have doubts that they would work out. She just couldn’t find the right words to have the conversation with her brother and she knew she needed to tell him first. He knew the longer they waited, the angrier Duron would be.

  The last week or so they had both been busy that the subject didn’t come up until today. He wanted to be free to visit her in Atlanta and to have her visit him in California without the cover of a lie. His house would soon be finished and there would be no need for her to continue her trips out. How would she explain it then? Loren didn’t know. Right now things were going well for them and she didn’t want to rock the boat, not with his move on the horizon.

  Loren had made Mike a promise that if he let her get through this trip, she would tell Duron when she got back to Atlanta. He was back from his honeymoon and he and Taija were busy enjoying their new married life. She didn’t want to bring up anything that would cause drama. She asked him to be patient with her for a little while longer. Of course he gave in, as he always did, but he told her after this trip out to California, if she didn’t tell Duron, then he was going to tell him. She knew Mike was of dragging out the inevitable. He had done a good job proving to her what being in a relationship with him would be like. He had proved he could be faithful to her and deep down, she agreed with him that they were made to be together. She would talk to Duron when she got back and however things turned out, she and Mike were ready to deal with it, together.

  Chapter 15

  “Taija are you sure you’re going to be okay if I fly out to California to take a look at how the new office is coming along? I know you’ve been sick and I don’t want to leave you.”

  “Duron I’m fine. It’s morning sickness and it’s natural. I’m only six weeks along and I’ll be fine. I still can’t believe I got pregnant on our honeymoon. I thought it would take a while for me to get pregnant after being off of birth control just one month.”

  Duron was shocked as well.

  “I told you I was ready to start our family as soon as you were and it looks like our sooner came very soon. You’ve made me the happiest man around,” he said pulling his wife into his arms.

  “I’m happy too and wasn’t sure what I would continue to feel once the doctor confirmed my pregnancy, but I’ve been extremely happy and excited even with the morning sickness. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine while you’re gone. Remember Victoria is coming in from Boston for a few days for a meeting and she’ll be around while you’re gone so stop worrying.”

  “Okay babe. This is my first baby so I don’t know what to expect. All I see is you running to the bathroom to throw-up at the men
tion of food. If you say its normal, then I’ll go with that, but if you need me, I’ll be a cell phone call away and I’m glad Victoria will be here with you just in case.”

  Duron kissed his wife as if he were experiencing his last supper. He knew he would never get enough of kissing her. He couldn’t believe that after all they went through, she was now his wife and was pregnant with their first baby. They agreed to wait before telling their families. Taija wanted to tell Victoria because she knew Victoria would figure it out during her visit if Taija continued to suffer from morning sickness. Still, he had reservations about leaving her for a few days to fly to California. He couldn’t do much to help lessen the effects of the morning sickness, but he liked being able to get her ginger ale and crackers to calm her stomach and keep a cold wash cloth handy to wipe her forehead.

  As the kiss began turning into more than just a casual kiss, Taija pushed Duron away, knowing if they continued he would miss his flight.

  “That’s enough lover boy. Get going before you miss your flight. Did you call Mike to let him know you were visiting the California office while he’s out there too?”

  Duron continued packing.

  “No I didn’t. I’ll stop by the office and catch him when I get there. It’s early in the morning right now in California, too early to call him. He knew I would be coming out soon; I just didn’t tell him when. I want to go now because I have several big meetings coming up that I need to be here for and I won’t be able to get away again anytime soon.”

  “Have fun with Victoria this week. I’ll call you when I land to check on you. If you’re still going in the office this afternoon, don’t overdo it. My baby basting in the oven wants you to take things slow and easy.”

  Duron leaned over to kiss Taija’s still flat stomach though he knew his child was growing daily. He couldn’t wait to meet him or her. It didn’t matter to him what they were having as long as the baby was healthy and looked like his beautiful wife.

  “I love you babe,” Duron said heading out of the door.

  “Love you too,” Taija hollered at his back as he left.

  ~~~

  Loren and Mike were finally stirring after a night of love making that left them exhausted. As daylight began to pour through the windows of Mike’s house, Loren moved to get up first. As she was about to put her feet on the floor, Mike reached over and pulled her back towards him, kissing her shoulder blades as he pulled her back down on the bed. He attempted to roll her under him for what Loren assumed was another round of passion.

  “Not so fast. You’ve had me trapped in this bed all night long and remember there comes a time when a body has to relieve itself and my time is now. I have to go, so let go.”

  Loren heard Mike laugh as he let her go and watched as she ran to the bathroom.

  After she closed the bathroom door, he leaned back on his pillow and thought about how happy he was. He was glad he was able to have Loren with him in California and not just for work purposes. He loved that she was invested in making sure the interior of his home was exactly how he wanted it to be, but he wanted time with her where they were not talking about work. He only wished they didn’t have to continue to keep their relationship a secret from her family. It was getting tricky and complicated finding time to spend together, especially when they were in Atlanta. He was running out of excuses of why he would suddenly start showing up at Knight family functions, more than he usually would. Luckily her family had always considered him family so it wasn’t odd for him to be around as much as he had been lately.

  He was happy that they could go out publicly and go on actual dates, kiss in public if they felt like it and enjoy each other’s company without having to look over their shoulders wondering if anyone spotted them. He was worried that soon things would get even more complicated with his move. Loren had promised him that she would talk to her brother when she got back to Atlanta. He wanted to be there with her for the conversation so that he could help Loren explain the long term secrecy. She wanted to do it on her own and he was going to respect her wishes. All he knew was that soon, he would be free to love her anytime and anyplace he wanted. If there were any reservations from her family, he had no problem reassuring them that he wanted Loren and he would do anything for her and anything to keep her.

  Loren needed a hot shower. Her body ached, in a good way from the passion that she and Mike shared throughout the night. They can’t seem to get enough of each other. It wasn’t just the sex either. For years she knew him as Mike, Duron’s best friend, but now she gets to know Mike on a more personal level and everything she’s learning about him she likes. They have a lot in common.

  They both love football and are die hard Baltimore Ravens fans even though he’s from New York and she’s from Atlanta, two cities that also have their own football teams. Who couldn’t love a team that had Ray Lewis?

  They each love scary movies and the scarier the better. She didn’t always like them, but now that they were together, she loved being scared around him knowing that when she reached out in the night, he was there to soothe her.

  Loren exited the bathroom after her shower to find Mike in the same position she’d left him in. He was giving her that look that let her know that he would rather she joined him back on the bed instead of him getting out of it. She could see something making a tent of the blanket on the bed, an obvious sign that he had sex in mind. The man was an animal, always ready and didn’t need a break or a nap in between. His sexual appetite was insatiable and she was more than happy to accommodate his every desire.

  “So I see what you have in mind for us this morning,” she said looking at him with the same lust-filled look he was giving her.

  Mike never said a word. He simply pulled the blanket off to show her he was already throbbing, hard and waiting just for her and that’s all the invitation she needed.

  Loren dropped her towel.

  Mike knew he would never tire of seeing Loren in all of her gloriously nakedness. Just the sight of her sent his pulse spiraling out of control. He watched as she took her time, seducing him with her sexy walk towards the bed. When she reached him, he reached out and pulled her to him, tumbling her down on the bed. It never amazed Mike just how unglued he became around her. His body had come to know hers so well and was always ready to mate with hers.

  Loren was enjoying the kissing and caressing, but at her current heightened state of arousal, she wanted more. In between Mike kissing and caressing her, she uttered, “Condom, now Mike!”

  After Mike sheathed himself, he rejoined Loren on the bed. When he covered her body with his, Loren rocked her body into his letting him know she was ready. When she spread her legs, he answered the invitation and entered her body in one long, hard push.

  He knew he wasn’t going to last long when Loren started muttering that she wanted him to go faster, that she needed more, that she needed it harder. Her musings sent Mike’s love making to an all new level of raw abandonment. His thrusts were firm and deep and Loren matched him stroke for stroke. They were both surging to completion. They were dancing to the sound of music that only the two of them could make.

  Every nerve ending in Loren’s body was on fire. She was clawing, clawing, clawing to let go. She urged him on with her sighs of pleasure. She couldn’t help, but say his name over and over again. She needed him to know what he was doing to her and that she loved all of it. She knew what was at the end of the race and she needed it. She could only feel this way with Mike. His moans of her name were her undoing as she experienced an out of body experience. Her release shook her entire body as if she were going through convulsions.

  It was only after Loren was satiated that Mike allowed himself to join her as he shuddered through his potent release.

  Loren felt his orgasm and helped prolong his pleasure by clinching and tightening her muscles around him as he continued to fill her with his unrestrained passion.

  This release for Mike was blinding. He could feel the pulsing
behind his eye lids as he waited for his body to calm after the raging storm he’d just experienced. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t do anything, but kiss Loren over and over because what they shared went beyond mere words. If things were always going to be like this between them, he was ready to sign up to be on board for life.

  ~~~

  Duron landed at the airport and headed straight to the new office to see how far the construction had come along. He appreciated the pictures Mike had been sending him, but he wanted to see everything for himself.

  After picking up his rental, he drove straight to the site. There was a three hour time difference than where he boarded in Atlanta so it was actually eleven o’clock in the morning and he was happy to see the men busy at work, diligently working to meet the deadline of when they needed the office up and running. The project they were obligated to begin was on a tight schedule and if they were going to begin, they needed the office space to work out of up and running as well. From what he could see, things were moving along very well. He exited his vehicle and went in search of Mike. Not finding him, he asked around for the foreman.

  “I’m Duron Knight, one of the partners here at Pioneer. Looks like your men are making good time, which is great. Any chance you’ve seen Michael Bailey, one of the other owners around here today?”

  The foreman thanked him for complimenting the men on the work done so far.

  “I haven’t seen Mr. Bailey around yet today. He did mention he may be around a little later than usual today. The final work was done on his house yesterday so I believe he was hanging around there today to be sure everything was to his liking.”

  “Great, I’ll head over there and get my first look at this west coast mansion I’ve been hearing he’ll be living in. I’ll be around later and I’d appreciate it if you could make the time to walk me around the complex and show me what still needs to be done when I return.”