Back to Life Series Box Set

by Danielle Allen

  By 10am I was showered and dressed in a pair of dark denim skinny jeans, Ty’s grey New England Patriots hoodie and my workout sneakers. I put my wallet, keys, and phone in the front pocket of the hoodie. Sticking my earbuds in my ears, I hit play and opened the door. No one was in the elevator when I got in so I started humming the song that was in my head since it played last night. Searching my playlist until I found it, I hit play and exited the elevator. When I looked up, I froze.

  “What are you doing here?” I questioned him with a mix of shock and surprise.

  Chapter 25

  “Hello to you too,” Ben quipped back. Standing in a lavender button up and black slacks, he looked like my complete opposite. I pushed the sleeves of the oversized hoodie up before I crossed my arms.

  “What are you doing here, Ben?” I repeated, finally moving away from the elevator. I hadn’t seen Ben since I found out who his mother was and subsequently ended our friendship. We had talked over the phone twice after that and each time he maintained that I was overreacting instead of apologizing and recognizing he was wrong. In speaking about the situation with Dr. Summers, I realized that the only person I can control is me. Since my expectation for an apology wasn’t being met and there was nothing I could do about it, I had to make a decision on what I wanted out of the relationship based on what I was being given at that time. As a result of my self-reflection, our last conversation was indeed our last conversation.

  “I was in the neighborhood and I needed to stop by before I went home for Thanksgiving. I was going to call, but after our last conversation, I didn’t know if you’d answer. I thought I had a better chance just showing up. I just arrived. I—Have you talked to my mother?”

  “Not in a couple weeks, why?”

  “When I called her to see if she wanted me to bring anything, she asked about you. She asked me if I came to my senses yet,” he chuckled.

  “And did you?”

  “Look, for what it’s worth, I do apologize.”

  What’s the catch? I wondered as I squinted my eyes, glaring at him suspiciously. Where’s this coming from?

  “You apologize?” I asked skeptically.

  “Yes. I apologize. Mother won’t admit it, but she thinks I’m a sod of a son for what I’ve done and because I’ve yet to apologize. I’d like to put this whole thing behind us.”

  The apology was half-assed, but coming from Benjamin Sullivan, it may be the best he can do, I thought with pursed lips. And if I can be forgiven for the things that I’ve done, I should be able to forgive others.

  I looked at him blankly for a minute. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were sparkling with amusement.

  “You’re an arse, you know that?” I pointed my finger into his chest as I said it. “Apology accepted.”

  “Because you accepted my apology, I will forgive your horrid accent,” he laughed as he scooped me up in a bear hug. Lifting me from the ground and shaking me.

  “Okay, okay, okay…put me down,” I complained lightheartedly as I struggled to get out of his grasp.

  “What’s going on here?” The voice came from behind me and everything else in the lobby stopped cold.

  I tore myself from Ben’s hug and whipped around to face Ty. The few people milling around the lobby blatantly stared at the two good looking men. Ty’s model good looks and impeccable style were showcased in his grey designer suit.

  “Ty!” I gasped loudly when our eyes met.

  “Sahara,” Ty said evenly, looking at Ben and then back at me stone-faced.

  “Hey,” I whispered. I gaped at Ty with my mouth open unable to formulate my thoughts. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on you,” Ty answered in his deceptively quiet way. “But I see that you are busy.” His jaw clenched and he barely masked the scowl that graced his beautiful features.

  “I’m not busy,” I said quickly. Ty’s eyes moved from mine and landed on Ben.

  “Uh… I have a few more errands to run so I am going to leave you two alone to chat,” Ben announced, before turning on his heel and walking to the front door.

  I didn’t acknowledge Ben’s exit. I didn’t acknowledge anyone in the lobby. With my hands buried in the pockets of Ty’s hoodie, my eyes were glued to Ty as I tried to gauge his reaction. His brows furrowed and he shook his head slightly.

  “It’s not what you think,” I clarified. I licked my lips and prepared to explain further.

  “And what is it that I think?” Ty asked.

  “I don’t know. I just don’t want you to think anything was going on with me and Ben.” I looked around and took a step closer. If we are about to have it out, I’d at least like some privacy, I thought sullenly. “Can we talk upstairs?”

  Without a word, Ty walked to the elevator. Three people were getting onto the elevator when we joined them. They were loudly discussing their Thanksgiving plans. Ty and I stood side by side silently and watched the numbers increase until we got to my floor. The tension in his body was palpable.

  I opened the door and entered my apartment. After letting him walk past me, I closed and locked the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him. He was taking off his jacket and I watched as his muscles pulled against the material of his white shirt. Although I didn’t know what to expect in the conversation to come and my intuition told me things were going to go from bad to worse, I couldn’t stop my body’s reaction to him and my breath hitched.

  Thoughts flooded my mind. I need to explain myself. I mean, I didn’t do anything wrong, but it looked bad. Didn’t it? Especially after our fight last night. I should tell him that Ben and I were friends…well are friends now… God, why didn’t I ever tell him about Ben? Oh right because Ben and I stopped being friends so there was no reason to tell him about—

  “Who was that?” Ty interrupted my thoughts with a tired sigh from his seated position on the couch. He took his hands and rubbed down his face twice before clasping his hands together in front of him.

  If he wasn’t done before, he’s done now, I thought, preparing myself for the inevitable end. “That was Ben. We became friends—”

  “I thought you didn’t make friends.”

  I shifted my body from one foot to the other as I stood on the threshold of the living room. The desire to explain myself became overwhelming. Although his hardened face was expressionless, his eyes betrayed him. Instead of the anger that was there in the lobby, I saw hurt. “I usually don’t. But we truly are just friends. He’s Deborah Jones’ son. You remember me telling you about Deborah? My old supervisor, Deborah? The hug was completely platonic,” I pleaded with him because I couldn’t stand seeing the hurt in his eyes. The last thing I ever want to do is cause him any more pain, I thought as I waited for his response.

  He was quiet and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he processed the information. “I came here because I was worried about you. You weren’t responding to my calls or messages. The way we got off the phone…” He shook his head slowly. “It just seemed like we needed to talk face to face.”

  We could’ve talked in person if you would’ve been here like we planned, I thought unexpectedly. The thought immobilized me momentarily before I nodded in acknowledgement of what he had just said.

  “I’m not the jealous type Sahara. But I wanted to beat the shit out of your friend when his hands were on you.” He said friend as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

  The knots of worry that riddled my body instantly turned into butterflies when his eyes met mine. The possessiveness in his eyes made my nipples harden instantly. Even in the midst of the issues we were having in our relationship, his mere presence spoke to my body.

  I had to take a deep breath before I could speak. “It was nothing,” I whispered, making my way to the couch. I sat down next to him and looked down at my sneakers. I wanted to say I would never do that to him, but after what happened in June with Emanuel, I didn’t feel right saying it. I wish I could assure h
im that I wouldn’t do that to him. Not again anyway, I thought guiltily. But I don’t know how credible that would sound after this summer.

  I could feel him staring at me. The couch dipped slightly as I felt him turn his body toward me. I turned my head to look at him as he said, “I have to be back at Jimmy’s in...” He looked at his watch before continuing, “less than four hours.”

  Of course, I thought as I heaved a sigh. “And with the drive, you only have an hour before you have to go,” I pointed out.

  “I know. But like I said, we needed to talk in person.” He paused before he said, “I didn’t like the way things ended last night.”

  “I didn’t either,” I admitted quietly.

  “And I didn’t like showing up here and seeing you with someone else,” he continued.

  I didn’t know what to say so I just nodded.

  Reaching out, Ty trailed his finger down my cheek and under my chin. He held my gaze for a beat before he spoke. “I love you.”

  My heart rate spiked at his words. Combined with the sensation of him touching me, I felt the flush of heat warm my body. “I love you too, Ty.”

  “I want this to work.”

  “I do too.”

  “So move in with me.”

  I sighed and closed my eyes. The heat that I just felt cooled considerably. “Ty…”

  “Look at me, baby girl,” he commanded. I opened my eyes slowly at his request. “Give me a reason why.”

  “I’ve given you reasons why. You just aren’t hearing me. The stuff I have going on is important too,” I complained softly, my eyes starting to water slightly. Why doesn’t he understand? I wondered. I don’t want to keep having this same argument.

  “I agree. It is,” Ty amended. “I just don’t want to have to choose between you and work. I need Jimmy’s to be successful. It’s in my grandfather’s honor. He didn’t fail and I won’t let anything carrying his namesake fail either. And I believe my grandfather wanted me to find you. I love you and I don’t want this relationship to fail.”

  Putting my hand on his leg, I said, “Well let’s not let it fail.”

  Giving me a sad smile, he put his larger hand over top of mine. He watched his thumb stroke the back of my hand a couple of times before he said, “The distance will kill both this relationship and Jimmy’s growth. And Jimmy’s won’t fail. That’s not an option.” Moving his hand back to my face, he lightly traced his fingers up my jawline and around the shell of my ear. His eyes followed his finger and my watery eyes followed his.

  If I don’t uproot my life for him, we’re done? I wondered in devastation. I don’t understand. We’ve been making this work. Is it as convenient as it was when we both lived in Libby Lofts? No. But I thought we were making it work. Or at least, I was making it work. I can’t just leave. Even if Ty is perfect for me, I can’t just stop therapy with Dr. Summers. I can’t move in with him and quit the job I’m growing to love. I can’t just uproot my life again. Can I?

  “What are you saying?” I asked with baited breath.

  “I’m saying that I won’t let Jimmy’s fail. And I’m saying that our fight last night started because I missed a dinner that I wouldn’t have missed if we were living together.”

  “Ty—”

  Inching closer to me, Ty interrupted in a low tone, “I’m saying that I miss you when I’m not with you. And that I don’t want us to be apart anymore. And that I want you to move in with me.”

  “What happens to us if I say no?”

  “You can’t say no,” he said simply.

  “I can’t move in with you, Ty.” My voice wavered unconvincingly.

  “Yes. You. Can.” Each word he spoke brought his mouth closer to mine and I had to close my eyes. His minty breath tickled my face as he exhaled. Running my tongue along my bottom lip slowly, I was hyperaware of how close he was to kissing me. All I wanted in that moment was to feel his lips on mine.

  “Please baby girl,” Ty whispered, the slight brush of his lips against mine jolted me. “Just think about it. Please. Please.”

  The fluttering in my stomach bottomed out and desire spread through me. He knows how much I love it when he begs, I thought as his fingers just barely tugged at my earlobe. With my eyes closed, the anticipation heightened my senses. He wasn’t kissing me and he was barely touching me, yet I was so turned on. I opened my eyes and when our eyes locked, I was likely to agree to almost anything.

  “Ty…” I breathed, pausing briefly. “I’ll think about it.”

  Shit, I chastised myself silently. Why did I say that? I know moving is not an option right now!

  With his hand cradling my head, Ty captured my bottom lip between his lips and sucked gently, effectively interrupting my thoughts. When he pulled away, his chocolate colored eyes pierced me and for a second, I stiffened. I lost the will to say no in that moment. Fueled by unbridled desire and unable to contain myself, I threw a leg over his lap and straddled him.

  Grabbing my head, Ty kissed me gently at first. As I felt him hardening beneath me, our kiss intensified. Our mouths and tongues moved together in worshipful kisses causing soft moans to escape me. The more he groaned, the damper my panties became.

  Ty’s hands moved from my head and down my back. I felt the hoodie lift up in the back and then Ty’s hands made contact with my skin. Even the innocent touch of his hand on my back was too much for me as I hissed. Our breathing became labored we explored each other’s mouths while I found myself rotating in small circles in his lap.

  Ty broke away from our kiss and looked up at me. My chest rose and fell quickly as I tried to catch my breath. With his hands firmly gripping my hips, Ty’s eyes traveled from my face down my neck and lingered on my chest before making its descent down the rest of my body. When his eyes traveled back up so did his hands. On the way up, he grazed my breasts, making my already erect nipples even harder. Slowly, he unzipped the hoodie. I watched his eyes follow the zipper, exposing flesh along the way.

  Leaning forward, he pulled the unzipped hoodie from my body and tossed it on the other side of the couch. My long forgotten about phone was in the front pocket of the hoodie and fell onto the floor hard. The cord to the earbuds dislodged on impact and slipped out of the port. ‘Need It’ played loudly through the phone’s speaker.

  “If it’s broken, I’ll buy you a new one,” Ty growled before his teeth grazed my nipple through my sheer, lavender bra. His hands worked to unclasp my bra.

  Unbuckling his belt and opening his pants, I murmured, “That phone is the last thing on my mind.”

  Sliding the soft fabric of my bra off of my body, his fingertips danced over my shoulders and down my arms. I had goose bumps from his touch. Every kiss, every touch sent an electric current through every inch of my body. I watched him as he parted his lips. Just as I thought he was going to return his mouth to my breast, he pulled back. He did the same thing to the other nipple, getting close enough for me to feel his closeness and then retreating, teasing me. “Ty,” I moaned, grinding harder into his lap.

  As soon as his name rolled off of my tongue, he gave in. I let my head fall back just as the wet suction of his mouth engulfed my nipples. Alternating between breasts, he trailed feathery kisses across my breastbone and then up my exposed neck. My skin was on fire and I fought the urge to rip his expensive suit off of him.

  After unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans, he tugged downward on the belt loops. My tight jeans only came down fractionally since I was straddling him. He stopped pulling and leaned his head onto my chest. I know he could hear my heart pounding. Taking a deep breath, he cupped my ass and squeezed. “Baby girl…” he groaned before lifting his head up and kissing me. “I wish I didn’t have to go.”

  I eased off of his lap and stripped out of my jeans and panties. His eyes were glued to my body as I worked the clothing down my legs. “Then don’t,” I whispered desirously.

  Leaning forward, Ty ran his hands up the side of my bare legs. “God, you make this hard.” His
fingers flexed on my hips before he splayed them over my ass. Still squeezing me with one hand, he ran the palm of his other hand across my pelvis. He slowly moved his hand downward until his fingers parted the slick lips between my thighs, stroking me. “And you definitely make me hard,” he groaned.

  “I need to leave soon and focus on work,” he paused, exhaling roughly. He easily slid his finger over the sensitive flesh before pushing his finger slowly inside me. “But all I can focus on right now is how good you feel when I’m buried inside you.”

  I cried out in lust as he pulled his finger almost all the way out before thrusting it back in. The sensation forced my eyes closed and my head dropped back again. Seizing the opportunity, Ty stood up with his finger still working in and out of my wetness. He trailed kisses along my collarbone and up my neck, nibbling and sucking a beeline to my mouth. As soon as his tongue met mine, I moaned loudly into his mouth.

  Putting my hand down his pants, I wrapped my fingers around him. He moaned as I pulled him out of his pants, hot and hard. His pants, weighed down by his belt, fell to the floor. As soon as I started stroking him, he thrust himself in and out of my hand. Our bodies were slowly grinding against each other; my breasts pushing against the fabric of his shirt. The fabric stimulated my hard nipples, sending shocks of pleasure through my aching body. As he pumped his finger in and out of me, my knees buckled.

  I knew he had to get on the road soon, but I needed it. Badly, I thought as my mind and body screamed for release. “Please,” I moaned loudly as I felt my body start to tremble.

  Without a word, Ty turned me around and pushed me onto the couch. Pulling me down so that my ass was hanging off of the edge, he spread my legs open wide. Ty pushed his boxer briefs down and started teasing my entrance. My wetness quickly coated him as he toyed with me. He grunted his approval as he ran his hands up and down my naked body. I couldn’t stop squirming. I need this, I thought as he pushed his thickness into me. I felt every inch of him throbbing inside me as I engulfed him. Moaning his name, the anticipation and desire sent a deep tingling sensation to every inch of my body.