by Roxy Wilson
“What’s going on here?” Aron joined them. “You girls are cooking up a scheme, aren’t you?”
“No, we’re not.” Dayna turned to rest her hand on his shoulder. “We’re just telling the girls about the hundred differences between men and women.”
Aron shook his head. He could see the amusement on Mellie’s cherubic face. Just six, but already wise beyond her years. He enjoyed spending time with them. It always felt like a quick trip back to his childhood. When Brett joined them and picked Aubree up, depositing her into his lap, Aron tapped a finger on the counter. “Brett, as your new friend, I find it my duty to warn you that you’re being outnumbered right inside your own home.”
“You don’t say?” Brett tickled his daughter.
“I was just telling Aunt Dayna that daddy leaves his shoes outside his door and trips on them. One time, he sprawled on the floor and hurt his knees.”
“It was a deliberate jump,” Brett defended. “I was showing your mom a complicated Tai Chi move. It’s a dangerous and deadly defense art, like karate.”
“Yeah! You stick to that story,” Jamie muttered as she finished peeling the apple and put it into a bowl.
“Daddy went, Owww!” Aubree exclaimed as she pulled her father’s cheek. “He got a bump!”
“Daddy didn’t get a bump. I was showing your mom this amazing move.”
Aron laughed as he pulled Dayna closer. “Brett, my man, what you need is a son to bring some balance in this house. When he goes bump with you, at least you won’t feel as alone and vulnerable with these three ladies.” He glanced at his watch. “Hey! We’re late.” He turned to Dayna in mock anger. After all, she’d been reminding him about the time all along. “Why didn’t you tell me? Graham will be waiting.” He turned to the family of four. “Adiós, guys. See you later.” He linked fingers with Dayna’s and they both strode out. It was only when they were safely ensconced in the elevator that he got a close look at her face. It looked set in stone. “What happened? We’re not that late.”
“No, it isn’t that.” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“What? Tell me.”
“It’s just—never mind.”
Aron marched out of the elevator and held the main door open for her. “That way…” He pointed towards his car. “What did I say?” He assisted her into the front passenger seat, and then jogged to the other side. “Don’t you think that it was a little insensitive of you to mention the fact that they didn’t have son? What if Jamie and Brett didn’t like that statement?”
Aron put the car in gear and pulled out. “I didn’t mean it like that. It was a joke. They have a lovely family and they both know it.”
“Some people are sensitive about the gender of their children.”
“True, but I doubt Brett and Jamie are like those people. I’m sure they cherish their daughters as much as they would have cherished any sons, if they had any.”
“Having a son isn’t all that important.”
“I didn’t say it was important.”
“You implied it.”
Aron stopped at an intersection. “I didn’t imply it. Like I said before, it was a joke and I’m sure they took it as such. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Having a son is not important for every father…or mother, for that matter.”
He gazed at her face. Her jaw looked clenched and he could see a muscle moving in her cheek. This was about something else entirely. Aron didn’t understand how an offhand comment could’ve made her so angry. “Mi Dios! Having a healthy child is important. Gender of the child isn’t important. And I never said or implied that it was.” Aron drove into the parking lot of Graham’s building. “And I don’t understand why we’re fighting over it.”
Dayna shook her head, collected her bag and stepped out.
Aron took a moment to calm down. What the hell had gotten into her? She’d turned his simple statement into something more complicated. He’d certainly hadn’t meant anything close to what she was saying. In fact, it hadn’t even occurred to him that Brett or Jamie would take his comment seriously, but she’d planted the seed of doubt in his mind. Aron wondered if he owed them an apology. Finally, he got out of the car.
Dayna turned to face him. “I’m sorry. It’s—I guess I just overreacted.”
He saw the set of her shoulders and the stiffening of her spine. She looked braced for a sharp retort. He swallowed his temper. “No big deal. Maybe I said something I shouldn’t have. I never meant to cause them any dolor…grief.”
“And I’m sure they didn’t take it that way. It’s just—well…” She shoved her fingers through her hair, looking flustered. “Can we just forget this happened? Let’s go. Graham will be waiting for us.”
Aron joined her as they strode towards the building. “That wasn’t too bad.”
“What wasn’t?” she asked as they stepped inside.
“Our first fight.” He pushed the button for the elevator and gestured for her to step inside. “It was quite okay.”
“That wasn’t our first fight.”
“It was. And I enjoyed it.”
She shook her head, her face showing surprise. “You enjoyed it?”
“It teaches you something valuable about your partner, doesn’t it? The first fight, the first night you sleep together, the first breakfast.”
“We already did all that back in high school.”
Aron pushed the bell. “But this time, everything is different.”
Graham opened the door. “What took you guys so long?”
“Sorry. We started watching the game,” Aron explained.
“What a game it was! Totally disappointing,” Graham replied as he ushered them inside. “And I lost a hundred bucks on it. Damn it!”
“You bet on the game?” Dayna strolled in. After looking around at the messy place, she carefully made her way over to the only clean spot on the couch and sat.
“Dude! When was the last time your cleaning service came in?” Aron asked.
“Um…” Graham scratched his head as he gazed at the empty beer bottles, shoes and various other things that were scattered about in the living room. “Sorry about the mess. I meant to clean it, but got sucked into that game. I will just…move things around.” So saying, he picked up a few beer bottles, kicked a shoe out of the way and walked over to the kitchen counter to dump everything on it. “There, better?”
Aron sighed. “So, what happened to your cleaning service?”
“My wife took them.” He curled his lip as he opened the fridge and dug out beer bottles. “Dayna, what will you take? Beer or wine?”
“Beer is fine.” She accepted a bottle. “What do you mean your wife took your cleaning service? How could she take them with her?”
“She hired them and apparently, it’s a conflict of interest if they work with me too. Imagine that! I thought only lawyers had conflict of interest but apparently, the maids do also. So, here I am, without a cleaning service. I want to hire a new one…but how do you go about finding a new one?”
“The yellow pages would be a good start.” Aron picked up the magazine from the couch, put it on the table that was already groaning with a whole stash of them and sat next to Dayna.
“The yellow pages, huh? How would I know they’re reliable? I’m not home most of the time.”
“Why don’t I talk to Jamie? She has a good service and maybe she could pass the contact to you.”
Graham grinned at her. “Will you do that? That would be great. There! Problem solved.”
“The problem will be solved after this pigsty is cleaned, but—never mind,” Aron said when Dayna pushed her elbow against his ribs. He’d already said too much. To keep his mouth shut, he drank the beer.
Graham leaned against the counter. “So, you two are back together for good? That’s great. You always did make an amazing couple.”
“So did we Graham, back in fourth grade, but you ditched me for Lauren Rose,” Dayna teased.
&
nbsp; He grimaced.
Aron’s eyebrows shot up. “What? I didn’t know about this. You guys went out?”
“It wasn’t exactly going out.” Graham scratched his baldhead.
“He sent me a love note,” Dayna proclaimed. “It was so sweet. I slept with it under my pillow for three nights.”
“You did?” He perked up.
Looking at Graham’s expression, Aron could tell that this was bound to be interesting. “So, what happened?”
Dayna leaned back. A smile played on her lips. “On the morning of the fourth day, I went to school, happy and secure in the knowledge that someone LIKED me very much and what did I see, when I entered our class?”
“I don’t think Aron needs to know this.”
“Yes, I do.” Aron turned to face Dayna. A naughty gleam showed in her eyes. “What did you see?”
“I saw Graham sitting on his chair and the new girl, the one who came in a day before, Lauren Rose, was sitting at his desk. His gaze was fixed on her beautiful face and he didn’t even glance at me when I came in. My heart was broken into pieces and I don’t think I fully recovered.”
Aron shook his head. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Graham! You insensitive bastard. You hurt mi querida, my darling!”
“Hey! Lauren Rose had these big, blue eyes and a cute, little mole, right here.” Graham pointed to his right cheek. “She stole my heart. What can I say?”
Dayna sniffed. “I never did get an apology.”
Aron raised an eyebrow and glared at Graham, quite enjoying the way his friend squirmed. “I believe you owe my lady an apology.”
Graham walked over. Leaning forward, he grasped Dayna’s hand. “My dear, please accept my heartfelt apology. I was insensitive and uncouth.”
“Still are!” Aron joked. He took a quick sip of his beer when Graham directed a steely gaze at him. “Fine. Go on…”
“I hope you’ll find forgiveness for me in the depths of your heart,” he pleaded. “And it might please you to know that Lauren Rose ditched me for that tall boy…what was his name…ah, yes, Marcus.”
“He was dreamy.” Dayna sighed. She laughed and pulled her hand away. “You’re forgiven. That Lauren Rose was flighty, wasn’t she?”
“Like a butterfly.” Graham flopped on the sofa. He raised his butt to pull out a magazine and dumped it on the table. “I heard she moved to the Congo and works in a United Aid Program.”
“Really. And how would you know?”
“I stay in touch with people. Maybe I should visit the Congo and see what she’s up to? But I suppose, I should finalize my divorce first.”
“You haven’t changed a bit.” Aron laughed. “So, what are we eating? And more importantly, are we eating here in this dump?”
“No! I’m taking you two out. There’s a great Italian place down the block. I love their food. You like Italian, don’t you?”
“Love it,” they both said in unison.
Dayna grinned at him. She put her beer bottle down. “I need to freshen up a bit.”
It was on the tip of Aron’s tongue to tell her that she looked amazing, but he stopped. The mystery of why women needed to refresh their makeup ten times a day baffled him and he would no doubt, earn a sharp retort if he said something about it.
“That way.” Graham pointed. “It’s reasonably clean, I think.”
“Reasonably?” Dayna sighed, stood and walked away.
Aron took another sip of his beer. “Man! I don’t know how you managed to survive a second divorce. I could barely function after the first.”
“Practice makes perfect,” Graham quipped. He glanced at the door Dayna just closed. “So, you and Dayna, huh? Still can’t believe it.”
“Yeah, me too. But she’s the one. Always was and always will be. I guess it was stupid of us to break up after high school…but circumstances were such that we both felt that we had no other option.”
“It was tough, even for her. I saw her around, especially…” Graham stopped, raised his bottle and gulped down what was left of his beer. “I mean, we met a few times and I could tell that she was having a hard time. But I guess it all ended well.”
Aron got the unmistakable feeling that Graham had been about to say something but changed his mind in mid-sentence.
Before he could question his friend, Dayna strolled back in. “Your idea of cleanliness differs greatly from mine,” she told him with a loud sniff. “I’m going to get you that number ASAP.”
“We should go.” Graham stood. “I’ve made reservations.”
With that, the moment passed. Later, Aron would wonder what his friend had been about to say, but it didn’t cross his mind to question him anymore. It couldn’t have been anything important. The dinner was delicious and the company more so. It felt nice to hang out with mutual friends. Graham knew Dayna as well as he knew Aron and it made the comfort level easier to manage among the trio.
Several hours later, they dropped him home and then he took Dayna back to the apartment she moved into two days ago.
While Aron parked the car, he thanked whichever higher power that had motivated him to come to his high school reunion. Everything looked good. He felt sure that this time around, he would make a success of his relationship with Dayna.
CHAPTER NINE
Dayna flipped wayward strands of hair from her face as they entered the apartment. The painting she’d recently purchased decorated the front wall. The studio apartment was tiny, but sufficient for her needs. The bedroom area was separated by a half-wall from the lounge that extended into the kitchenette with marble counters. “What did you do with the painting you bought?” She took out her cell phone, put it on the side table and placed her bag in its proper place in the cupboard.
“I got it shipped back home. No sense keeping it here,” he answered.
Dayna turned to face him. “I can’t believe you’re going to leave in a while.”
“My plans are fluid.” Putting his arms around her, he drew her forward. “And you know that I would love for you to come with me. But if you want, I could work from here.”
“I wouldn’t want you to make such a big change for me, when I’m not even sure what I want to do next year. I suppose we could decide in a couple of months, if you’re still around?”
“Oh, I’ll be around,” he promised. Drawing her closer, he deposited a kiss on her lips.
As always, the light, gentle touch kindled desire within her gut. Dayna couldn’t believe how close she’d come to having a fight with him over an issue that he certainly didn’t understand. How could he know his comment about a son opened her old wounds? She’d given up her—no their –son for adoption. Aron didn’t know about it. Again, she wondered how important it would be for him to know he’d fathered a male child. Would he curse her for not telling him?
When his hands moved over her back and he wound his fingers in her hair, she forgot everything except the sensations he invoked in her body. Goosebumps flitted across her skin when he opened the zipper on her dress and took it off. His tongue thrust through her lips, tasting her mouth with abandon. Dayna surrendered without pause. She could never get enough of him. Their clothes came off in a flurry of wild activity.
When she pressed her hand around his hard on and pumped it up and down, he picked her up.
“The bed is that way.” She pointed.
“Screw the bed,” he whispered breathlessly, “Demasiado caliente. You’re way too hot for me to wait.” Then he claimed her lips again.
Dayna slipped her fingers inside his thick hair while his tongue mingled with hers in an erotic dance. His lips trailed down to kiss the pulse beating at the base of her throat. She was startled when he held her against the counter, her butt resting on the ledge. “Here?” She trailed a line of kisses down his throat and onto his shoulder. When she nipped his skin between her teeth, desire undulated inside her. Then his hand closed around her breast and he took the delicate bud in his mouth, as she groaned and arched her back. H
is tongue flicked over the sensitive nub while he caressed and stroked until she squirmed with need. Dayna panted when his mouth moved to the other nipple. Her hands dug into his shoulders, urging him to quench the hunger burning bright like fire inside her.
I’m hot? He’s going to burn me up!
When she felt like she couldn’t take it anymore, he put his hands around her waist and pulled her down. She wrapped her legs around him as he slid inside her with ease. The musky, spicy fragrance that always enveloped him hit her nostrils. She wanted to savor and relish this moment, have him inside her forever. Dayna also yearned for release from the storm brewing inside her.
Aron moved her body up and down and himself in and out of her as she clung to him for dear life. She rode him, hard and good while he pounded deep inside her with each thrust. Momentum built sharply, carrying her along a wave of ecstasy. She felt the current take her on a blazing ride, only he could give to her. His lips found hers just as the orgasm rippled through her. Her breath hitched in her throat as the climax made her curl her toes. Her muscles shuddered and trembled in the devastating aftermath. When he came a few seconds later with his mouth still on hers, she felt his seed spill inside her. While she put her arms around his neck to anchor her body, Aron put his hands on the counter to brace himself.
Both of them couldn’t move or catch their breath for a few long minutes.
Finally, he put his arms around her waist, picked her up as if she was a bag of feathers and carried her to the bedroom. After they both lay down on the bed, he pulled the covers over their naked, sweaty bodies.
Dayna lay down, savoring the moment. They both slept with their arms around each other.
….The next morning Dayna prepared breakfast.
Aron cocked an eyebrow at the egg and bacon that she put in front of him, along with coffee. “I could get used to this.”
“Well, don’t. I was in the mood today, but I may not be tomorrow.”
“We could take turns. I know how to cook.”
Dayna paused and glanced over, as always she felt amazed by his hidden talents. “When did you learn?”
