A Spring Affair

by Té Russ

  He chuckled and held out his hand, "Come on, let's get out of here."

  Maya looked at him confused. "We're not going to eat here?"

  "Not tonight," he said, with a cryptic smile.

  "Okay," she replied slowly.

  As they walked back through the café, they passed by the bar and Xavier told Lena, "I'll see you later."

  Lena smiled, waved and in a singsong voice, shouted, "Have fun you two!"

  They stepped outside and he squeezed her hand.

  "I think you'll like where we are going," he assured her.

  "I trust your food judgement."

  He smiled at her words. They began walking down the sidewalk and after passing a few buildings Xavier stopped.

  "Here we are," he said.

  Maya read the sign on the door and gasped.

  Fuller's Bistro and Patisserie.

  "Welcome to my parents' restaurant," Xavier said quietly.

  Xavier opened the door to the bistro and let Maya enter first. As soon as he followed her in, he heard his name being called.

  "Xavier! What's going on nephew?"

  "Hey Uncle Bobby," Xavier said, as his uncle made his way over to them and gave him a quick bear hug.

  Robert Fuller was Xavier's father's younger brother. The passion for cooking seemed to run in the family, so when Xavier's parents passed away, they left the bistro to Bobby, knowing it would be well taken care of. And he'd done just that. He made sure Fuller's thrived and he kept the memory of Eric and Mona Fuller alive every day.

  "And who is this lovely lady?" Bobby asked turning to Maya.

  "This is Maya Thorton. Maya, this is my uncle Robert Fuller."

  "It's nice to meet you Mister Fuller," Maya said.

  "Sweetheart, if Xay here is bringing you to the bistro, then it's Uncle Bobby to you."

  Maya smiled and said, "Uncle Bobby it is then."

  "What's on the menu for tonight, Uncle Bobby?" Xavier asked.

  "You two sit on down, I'll send LeAnn over with menus. I gotta get back to the kitchen."

  Bobby turned back to Maya again. "Young lady, it was a pleasure to meet you. And I look forward to seeing you around here on a regular basis now."

  "If those croissants are as tasty as they smell, I'll definitely be visiting all of the time," Maya said with a grin.

  "I'll have LeAnn box up a dozen for you," Uncle Bobby said, then he turned and went back to the kitchen.

  A few minutes later LeAnn came over with a large pink box.

  "Hey, Xay!" she said, smiling.

  Xavier stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Aunt Lee, you're looking as gorgeous as ever."

  "Oh stop," she said, swatting at him as she giggled. "Boy you see me just about every day."

  "And you get more and more beautiful every day."

  "You shameless flirt you," she turned to Maya, "Hi, I'm Bobby's wife, LeAnn."

  Maya stood as well. "Maya," she said, shaking LeAnn's hand.

  "Aunt Lee," Xavier said, squeezing LeAnn's shoulders. "Maya works for Russell Oaks Winery."

  "Really?" LeAnn exclaimed. "Oh you all have some of the best wine in Napa!"

  "Thank you," Maya said, with pride for the company she worked for, "I'll make sure to let them know. You should come out to Napa sometime for a tour."

  "Oh that would be wonderful!"

  "Maya gives great personal tours," Xavier said, with a heated look in Maya's direction.

  "Well, I can't wait," LeAnn said. "Bobby and I have been talking about getting away for awhile now."

  Maya reached into her purse and pulled out a card.

  "Here's my number," Maya said, handing her the card. "Call me when you want to set it up."

  "I will," LeAnn said, tucking the card into her apron. "Bobby sent these out for you." She handed Maya the box of croissants and then placed the menus on the table. "You guys take another minute to figure out what you want and just holler at me when you're ready."

  After LeAnn left, Xavier and Maya sat down and picked up their menus. After a few minutes of silently perusing the menu, Xavier looked up to find Maya staring at him.

  "Is everything all right?" he asked, sitting down the menu.

  She nodded, then said, "Your aunt is very sweet."

  "Yeah, Aunt Lee is the best."

  "Your entire family is great," Maya added. She was quiet for another moment before saying, "Thank you for bringing me here to meet them. You can feel the love your parents put into this bistro and your uncle and aunt continue to pour into it. I know this place is very special to you."

  Xavier reached over the table for her hand.

  "You're very special," he said.

  And he meant it. If she hadn't been, he wouldn't have brought her to the bistro or introduced her to his family. In a very short amount of time, she'd managed to burrow herself deep into his heart. She was important to him now and he hoped whatever was growing between them continued to blossom into something wonderful.

  Chapter 10

  Maya had a great time with Xavier and his family at the bistro. She couldn't recall a time laughing so much as Uncle Bobby retold tales of a young Xavier and all of the trouble he got into. They didn't end up leaving until closing time.

  "I didn't mean to keep you here so late," Xavier apologized.

  "What? Xavier, I had a blast."

  "I'm glad. They really seemed to love you."

  "Well, the feeling is mutual."

  "Are you ready to get out of here?" he asked.

  "Yes." Her heart fluttered at the thought they were about to head to his place. He'd instructed her to park her car in the employee lot behind the buildings when she first arrived so that they could ride to his place together.

  The drive to his house didn't take long and soon, Maya realized the houses were growing bigger with more distance between them.

  Maya inhaled sharply when they pulled into the driveway of a large one-story Spanish style home.

  "This is your house?" she whispered.

  Xavier chuckled as he opened the door. "Yep. Like you, I got lucky finding this place. And I got it at a steal because it was a foreclosure."

  He got out of the car, and went to open her door and help her out. He took the pastry box from her hands and they went up to the front door.

  "I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful door," she mumbled, admiring the arched french-style door.

  Xavier glanced over at her and gave her that sexy grin that made her want to melt into a puddle.

  "If you're this impressed by a door, wait until you see the wine cellar."

  He unlocked the door and then opened it.

  "Welcome to my home," he said and stepped aside, allowing Maya to enter first.

  Maya stepped out of her wedges and left them by the front door. She looked around in awe. Just like the front door, windows and archways outside, all of the ones inside were high and curved as well. She loved the open floor plan and how everything seamlessly flowed from one room to the next.

  The gourmet style kitchen took Maya's breath away.

  "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you have such an exquisite kitchen given your background," she said, turning to face him.

  "It was definitely a big plus," Xavier said, as he turned and headed back toward the front of the house where the formal dining room was.

  "Of course the real clincher..." he said, pushing open a set of glass doors, "...was this."

  Maya slowly walked into the cavernous wine cellar, in complete adoration. While she took pride in her little make shift wine cellar in her small spare bedroom, hers didn't hold a candle to his.

  "Xavier," she breathed. "This...this is..."

  She couldn't find the right words to describe exactly how amazing the room was.

  "Let me show you my set up," he said, moving to one of the side walls.

  "This side," he began, "Is for my 'everyday' wines. The ones I drink on a regular basis."

  Maya smiled when she saw a lot of them w
ere from Russell Oaks.

  He moved to the center wall. "These are wines, I break out for 'special occasions'." Finally, he moved over to the other side wall. "And these...these are the very rare, very hard to find wines."

  Maya stepped forward and picked up one of the bottles.

  "The '98 Chateaux DuBois!" she turned and looked at him. "You really do have one."

  "Did you not believe me?"

  "Well, I did...but...oh my goodness." She seemed to be constantly at a loss for words.

  He pointed at the spaces above and below the rack where she'd picked up the bottle. "I've been saving these two spaces for the other two bottles...I know they're still out there, and now I know where one of the other ones is," he said, smiling at her. "So I guess I'll have to settle for having only two out of three one day."

  Maya placed the bottle back on its rack and turned to face Xavier.

  "Your home is stunning. Will you show me the rest?"

  "Of course," he said, guiding her out of the cellar before closing the doors.

  Since she'd already seen the kitchen, he showed her the other three bedrooms and his office first.

  He saved his bedroom for last. He noticed the way her cheeks became flushed with desire as she looked at the king size bed. He stood back and watched as she continued looking around his room. She went into his bathroom then came out and said, "That is the biggest shower I have ever seen."

  "You're gonna love all of the settings on it," he promised.

  She gave him a wicked smile that clearly said she was looking forward to finding out.

  She pointed at the door behind him. "Where does that lead?"

  "Come see for yourself."

  She went and opened the door, which went directly to the backyard. She'd gotten a small glimpse of it from the door off the kitchen, but the only thing that had been visible at the time was the large pool that was lit by lights at the bottom.

  Xavier hit a light switch on the wall and the entire back yard was flooded with lights, fully revealing the pool, as well as outdoor seating that surrounded a fireplace next to a state-of-the-art grill. Off to the side, was a perfectly manicured yard.

  "This is some backyard," Maya said. "I bet you throw one hell of a party here."

  "I've had a few nice get togethers," Xavier replied.

  She stopped in front a part of the pool that was sectioned off from the rest.

  "Jacuzzi?" she asked.

  Xavier pushed a button and within seconds bubbles were rapidly dancing around the small area.

  "Want to go for a dip?" he asked temptingly, as he moved closer to her.

  "Right now?" she asked.

  "Why not?" he stopped in front of her and watched as she thought it over.

  "I don't have a bathing suit."

  His face broke into a wolfish grin as he said, "You don't need one."

  "I don't?"

  "Nope," he said, as he reached up and pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders and watched it pool to the ground. She watched as his eyes grew wide when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. Now she stood before him in nothing more that a scrap of lace.

  She looked down at herself then back up at Xavier. "You do plan on joining me...don't you?" she asked, referring to the fact that he was still fully clothed.

  Maya turned around so he could get a full few of her backside in the thong she was wearing as she sank into the hot tub. The massaging bubbles shooting out of the jets felt amazing on her body and she made it known with a loud moan.

  Xavier stood there staring at her, looking like his tongue was going to fall out.

  "Xavier?"

  He blinked and looked her in the eyes.

  "You coming?"

  "Not yet," he said huskily before quickly shedding his clothes. She watched with heated anticipation as he joined her in the hot tub with absolutely nothing on. He came toward her with a hunger in his eyes and wrapped his strong arms around her body. He kissed her mouth and she felt her body grow even hotter than it already was from the Jacuzzi. Then he lifted her up and switched their positions so that he was now sitting on the seat and she was straddling his lap.

  She felt his hands move down her body until they reached her underwear. He hooked his thumbs in them and pulled them down. Her body floated back down and she gasped as he entered her with a strong thrust. They both sat there for a moment, enjoying the feel of being connected as well as the feeling of the warm water surrounding them.

  Then Maya gripped Xavier's shoulders and took the lead. She slowly began to ride him, moving up and down on his body.

  "Maya," he groaned, as his fingers pressed into her hips.

  She'd never felt this free with a man before. When she was with Xavier, all of her inhibitions seemed to vanish. That was the only way she could explain how she was outside making love in a hot tub in the middle of the night.

  Her eyes rolled back as he palmed one of her breasts then clamped his mouth around it, gently biting her nipple.

  Her body coiled tightly and when he started pumping upwards, something inside of her snapped and her climax slammed through her body, causing her to scream into the night.

  Xavier brought her mouth down over his to quiet her cries that pierced the silence. He pulled her even tighter to his body and she knew he'd found his release as well.

  After Xavier caught his breath, he went back in the house grabbed some robes, one which was incredibly too big for Maya, then he turned on the outdoor fireplace and they dried off in front of the fire. Eventually, he carried her off to his bedroom, where they made love again. As Maya began to fall asleep, wrapped in Xavier's arms, she realized that she was falling for him. She had no idea how he felt about her, but she hoped since he'd introduced her to his family that it meant that maybe he was falling for her too.

  Xavier woke up early the next morning and rolled over reaching for Maya. He opened his eyes when he discovered she wasn't in the bed. Before he got up to search for her, he took a moment to inhale her pillow. He could certainly get use to waking up every morning to the addicting scent of Maya that was now deeply imbedded into the fabric.

  Finally he got up and left the bedroom to look for her. He smiled when he finally found her. She looked sexy as hell in the kitchen wearing his shirt that stopped right at the top of her thighs. As he moved closer, he noticed the pink box from Fuller's open.

  "Good morning," he finally said.

  Maya jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to face him with an embarrassed look on her face.

  "Good morning," she said, over a mouthful of croissant.

  "So that's how it is huh? Sneaking around and having breakfast without me," he teased.

  "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "You were still sleep...I was starving...I couldn't resist. I just had to try one."

  He chuckled as he moved closer to her. "How did you like them?" he asked as he reached behind her to grab one of the pastries.

  "They're amazing!"

  He tore a piece of the flaky bread off and held it up to her mouth. "You know, I know how to make these too."

  "Really?" she asked, her eyes lighting up slightly. "Are they as good as these?" She took the croissant into her mouth and his body stirred slightly when he felt her lips touch his fingers.

  "They're better. But don't tell Aunt Lee I said that," he quickly added.

  Maya laughed out loud. "You probably shouldn't have told me that. You may not be able to get rid of me now."

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his body closer to hers.

  "I'll have to keep that in mind," he said, leaning down to kiss her neck. "It might not be so bad, not being able to get rid of you."

  "You think so?" she grinned, as he fed her another piece of croissant.

  "As a matter of fact, I do."

  He picked up the box and handed it to her then swept her off of her feet. Maya yelped as he lifted her into his arms. "What are you doing?"

  "Taking you back to the bedroom, to have break
fast in bed."

  Maya glanced over at Xavier, then pushed her shades back over her eyes. She tilted her head back and took in the wonderful feeling of the wind blowing through her curly hair as they sped down the empty highway road with the top down on Xavier's convertible.

  She looked over her shoulder at the large picnic basket in the back seat. After they'd spent most of the morning in bed, eating the rest of the croissants for breakfast then making love again, he coaxed her out of bed with the promise of lunch and a surprise.

  "Where are we going?" she shouted.

  "You'll see," was his only response.

  Soon they were pulling into a park. Xavier put the car in park, turned it off and got out of the car. He came around to Maya's side and opened her door. After he helped her out, he grabbed the picnic basket from the back seat.

  "How did you find this place?" she asked, looking around the beautiful park. Even though the park was in a secluded area, Maya was surprised to find it nearly empty.

  "I didn't. My parents actually did. They liked getting lost on purpose, finding rare gems that people just seemed to overlook," Xavier said. "We would come out here on the weekends sometimes."

  He took Maya's hand in his. "Where do you want to set things up?"

  She looked around until she saw the perfect spot.

  "Over there," she pointed. "Under that magnolia tree, right next to the lake."

  She noticed the smile on Xavier's face and stopped. "What is that smile for?" she asked.

  "My mother used to sit under that tree with Lena, while my dad and I would fish at the lake."

  "Really?"

  Xavier nodded, then pulled her forward. "Come on, I want to show you something."

  He sat the basket down once they were under the tree and pointed to a carving in the tree.

  "These are my parents initials."

  Maya took a step closer to the tree and ran her hand over the letters.

  "That's so sweet," she said. She glanced around the tree to see if she could find anymore carvings.

  As if sensing what she was searching for, Xavier turned her to face him and said, "I've never carved my initials on here with anyone."

  She pressed her forehead to his chest. "Was I that obvious?"