by Amy Brent
"Hey, sweetie. Have you got a cold?" I asked her as I felt her forehead.
"Yes, Dada, and Clara too." I heard her congestion. I didn't like it when she got sick. "I’m still sleepy. I might stay with Clara in bed for a while."
"Sure, sweetie. That's fine. You can stay home today."
I left the room and found Karly just coming in. "Hey. Alexis isn't feeling well. She'll need to have a day off today. I'm just about to ring Linda."
Her face looked as radiant as ever. There was a new happiness that emanated from it. "Oh, sure. I can take care of her. The poor thing."
"Thank you."
I grabbed my cell and dialed the school. I had enough time to get to the drugstore to get some cough syrup and other necessities Alexis might need.
Before I left, I found Karly in Alexis's room, reading her a story about a hippo with a sore nose. "I'm just going to the drugstore for some supplies. Be back in a few minutes."
"Okay. Thanks," said Karly. Alexis's face looked swollen and red in places, but she was enjoying the story with Karly.
The drugstore was pretty quiet as I grabbed what I needed. Thank heaven Karly was there to help me each day. She was always early and went above and beyond for Alexis. She couldn't do enough for us in terms of her employment, and she was so rewarding sexually speaking. I could still smell her even when she wasn't with me. It was like I’d found a piece of me that had gone missing. I felt whole again. Apart from Alexis being unwell with a cold, everything was working out perfectly for all of us.
I got back in good time, and I found Alexis asleep and Karly cleaning the kitchen. I handed her the bag and kissed her. "Thank you for last night. You were perfect. I can't wait to do it again."
Her beautiful eyes shone in the light. "It was better than I ever expected it would be." Her face looked flushed as she said the words, making my dick stand to attention.
"I'm glad."
I pulled her in and pressed my groin to her. She felt good, and if I didn't have to be at the office for a nine o' clock meeting, I would've fucked her on the kitchen counter. Damn.
The kiss lasted about a minute. Her lips tasted like coffee and strawberry lip gloss, and I was completely taken by her breathlessness as our tongues moved together, entwining and tangling like we were lost in a maze of passion. It was just me and her, together. I felt like taking the whole day off to peruse her, smell her, and just breathe her all in.
She put her hands on my chest. That usual smile washed over her face, and she bit her bottom lip, making me groan. "You’d better get going, Damon. You'll be late."
Her words were half-hearted. The chemistry was electric, and I was lost in her. I knew she felt it too. But yes, duty called. I had to meet Cody Greer for an "if Chan's in, then I'm in" chat. It seemed to be the order of the month.
"I'm gonna miss you like crazy, Karly."
She bit her bottom lip, and those doe-like eyes shifted down to my groin. "Me too."
I gave her one more assertive kiss, taking her strawberry coffee flavor into my whole aura. I was going to have another perfect day.
"See ya!" she said as I headed to the door.
Fuck, she was more than I could have wished for. She was being perfectly innocent, like the hottest dream I could imagine. She was the perfect, sexy, better-than-hot-looking submissive.
***
At work, I was inundated with over two hundred emails, four clients who wanted to be in like Chan was, and about three staff who needed questions answered regarding our future projections. I really needed to organize a meeting so we were all on the same page and so Rhonda didn't lose her mind during the whole Chan debacle.
I sat and closed my eyes for a moment. I needed to center myself and get everyone to meet in the boardroom at two o’clock. I wanted to be crystal clear on how we were going to manage all the new clients and execute a three-step, easy-to-understand process. I wanted everyone doing the same thing. My staff was already picture perfect at handling their client loads, but that was only once the clients were already on board. Chan had caused a snowball effect, and we had dozens of new prospects calling and booking each day. The staff was becoming overwhelmed, so this meeting would simplify everything. Then we could all be on the same stress-free page.
As I grabbed my pen, I heard my phone ping. No one had my cell number unless they were close family or good friends with me. I opened the message. It was from Karly. There was a picture of her and Alexis with bunny ears and whiskers, the tops of their heads brutally cut off. Alexis had obviously taken it. My heart melted at the cuteness factor. They looked like two peas in a pod. It was a great break in my ridiculously crazy day.
I buzzed Rhonda. "Rhonda, I need you to organize an everyone meeting for 2 p.m."
I heard a breath escape her in an “about time” kind of sigh. "Absolutely, Mr. Jacobs. I will organize it right away."
***
I was exhausted when my feet finally touched down at home. The day had been challenging, and my staff had been stressed to the max. I believed the meeting had truly helped, and now there was a process for every new wannabee client. Usually, Derringer and I handled all of them, but at the scale we were seeing new ones coming in, that was impossible.
The staff would all sleep soundly tonight, exhausted from the workload. The incentive for each new client that signed on for two years or more was a five percent commission based on the investment being placed. This had made their eyes light up, and a newfound energy buzzed at the company. Most other companies gave their staff about two to three percent, so this was something worth fighting for. Their eagerness to make it work was off the charts, and the three-step process could be followed by a two-year-old.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Alexis had been struggling to eat. She ate about half of her meal before she went to bed early after a warm bath and some much-needed cough medicine. The cold seemed to be worse in the morning and evening.
I felt so grateful Karly was there for Alexis because work was somewhere I needed to be at the moment. It was the peak of our company, a historic time. Being the CEO was wonderful when the clients were banging the doors down to get on board. It was the best time of my entire career at the company. Although Rhonda might disagree about it all.
I waited for Karly to finish in Alexis’s room. I'd read the story tonight, something about a caterpillar who raced an ostrich to the market. Karly had been busy with her chores, putting away some clothes, and was just finishing up.
She walked out and gave me a smile as I sipped on my enjoyable Shiraz. "I'm all done, and Alexis seems to be a little less congested," she said.
"Come and enjoy some wine with me. It's a great year."
"All right. One glass would be nice." She sat down next to me as I poured her a glass.
My eyes fell to her beauty as she looked deeply into my eyes. My desire for her rose up in me as I watched her sip and smile. The fireplace flickered light onto her beautiful skin, and although I was tired, I was incredibly aroused by her.
"Last night was truly something else, Karly," I said honestly.
She closed her eyes briefly and then gave me her look of smitten appreciation. "I never thought it could feel so, um, raw."
That word was the best way to describe it. It had been raw and wild and absolutely perfect. "I can't wait for us to—"
"I'm not sleeping anymore,” Alexis said. “My bit right here is hurting.” Alexis touched her throat. “I have a frog in my goat, Dada." Alexis began to cry from the whole situation. She never did like getting colds, and this one was a doozy.
I gave her a warm smile. "Karly can give you something for that, and Dada will come and tuck you back in."
"I just want to play, but I can't when it’s yucky."
Karly smiled at Alexis and cuddled her, making the crying cease. They moved to the kitchen to get some cough syrup, and I went to her bedroom to fix up her bed.
When Alexis got snuggled up again, I sat and read a story about a dragon who made kites, an
d Karly played with her hair until she drifted back to sleep. She looked as if she would stay that way, especially now that the cough medicine and an orange-flavored lozenge had done the trick.
We moved back into the living room. "Would you like to stay over tonight? The guest room is across from Alexis's room, so if she needs anything, you'll be close by," I said.
"Sure. I think that's a great idea. If she gets up in the night, I can tend to her."
I smiled. "Yeah. At the moment I have a ridiculous amount of work on my plate, so that would really help me out. I can get in earlier tomorrow, too. Ever since this big client jumped on board, we've been crazy busy. I don't even think I could've dreamed it up."
"You look so tired," she said. "Go to bed, and I'll see you in the morning if you want."
She was right. My mind was exhausted, and my body was slowly drifting away while on the couch. I wanted to touch her, but the exhaustion had set in. Karly was yawning too. It had been a long day for both of us it seemed.
Chapter 14
Karly
I woke up with Alexis curled up next to me. She must've seen the reading lamp on when she’d gotten up in the middle of the night. Her arms hugged my waist, and I could hear that her chest wasn't totally clear by listening to her breathing. There was a crackle in her lungs.
There was no way I could get up without waking her. Her hair was strewn around my neck, and her grip was quite tight. I would need to wake her so I could get up and set the day in motion.
"Alexis. Hey, sweetie, I need to get up now and make some breakfast." I paused. There was a little groan. "Alexis, wakey-wakey, sweetie."
She gripped me tighter, and then she rolled backward. "Is it kindy today?" she asked, spluttering a phlegm-filled cough.
"No, sweetie. You still need a few more days to get better." I hopped up and gave her a warm smile. I needed to go to the bathroom and make myself look half decent. "I’m going to be back in a minute. I just need to go to the bathroom, and then we'll get you sorted."
"Okay."
Her cute little eyes looked puffy and swollen. It seemed she was worse today than the day before, and I was definitely feeling for her. I didn't like that she was sick. I grabbed my bag and made myself look as presentable as possible in the bathroom mirror. I finger-brushed my teeth, added a hint of mascara, a quick addition of blush and rouge, and some lip gloss to finish it all off. I brushed my hair and then went to get the cough syrup for Alexis.
As I measured the cup in the kitchen, she sat with Clara on the living room couch. She quickly turned her sitting position into a lying down one, and I knew the cold was really taking its toll.
"Here you go. Have this, and then I'll make you some toast with butter and honey. My mom used to do that for me when I had a cold. She said there was magic in the honey."
Alexis sat up slowly. "From the bees?" she asked curiously.
"I guess so. I think they know just how to make it perfect so it can fix us."
"Well, I want to be fixed up real quick. Clara said she’s unhappy about my coughing."
"Did she?"
"Uh-huh. She said the other dolls in my room caught it too. Some of them can't even count to ten anymore, and that's not good. Numbers are portant."
"Tell Clara that the word she wants is important. Numbers are important."
"I will. I wanna watch Dora now, please."
I made her toast and brewed the coffee. I knew Damon would be up soon enough, so I got breakfast ready. He liked his eggs with a runny yolk. He also liked some parsley and pepper on them with French toast underneath.
As he walked into the kitchen, he gave me a perfect smile. His eyes were doing that thing they did when he looked at my body in awe. He had a way of doing that, devouring me with his wild eyes. I blushed as he winked at me. God, he looked so good in his crisp white shirt. His tie had a paisley pattern set in blue hues, and his suit pants sat well on his gorgeous physique. My mind wandered as I cooked our breakfast.
"How is Alexis?" he asked, sitting at the table with his fresh cup of coffee.
"She's actually worse today. I woke up with her in the guest room."
"Oh, really?" He smiled. "I think it would have been a lot worse if you weren't here, Karly. Thank you. Would you mind staying again tonight?"
"No. Of course not. I'm happy to. She's at the worst part of it at the moment. She needs loads of rest and lots of cuddles."
He smiled as I placed his breakfast down in front of him. Mine was ready, too, so we sat and watched Alexis, who was lying down with Clara and watching cartoons on the TV.
"Um, I might need to ask my friend to drop some clothes and toiletries here. Would that be all right with you?"
"Sure. Anything you need. I really appreciate you helping us out. Alexis really looks up to you. Thank you."
After Damon left with a wink and a kind smile, I found myself checking on Alexis. She was half-playing with Clara and the other dolls.
I called Sarah. "Hey, you! How's my favorite girlfriend?" she asked.
"Not too bad. I need a huge favor when you get a chance. Can you please go to my apartment and bring me some pajamas, toiletries, and two pairs of casual clothes? Alexis is really unwell, and I can't leave here at the moment."
"Of course. I can take a half day off today. Hank owes me some time anyway. I've been doing some crazy hours over the past month."
"Oh, and also, can you get the ingredients for my chicken noodle soup? I think it will really help Alexis. The recipe is in the yellow cookbook Mom gave me. I’ll need that as well as the food."
"Yep. I know the one. I'll be there at about two."
"Thank you so much. I can't wait for you to meet Alexis. She'll probably be tired, but she's so cute."
"Okay. I'll go now. I need to let Hank know I'm taking a half day off. I already know the address."
"See you soon, Sarah."
The day went smoothly, and Alexis was fast asleep when Sarah arrived. I hugged her and looked through the clothes she brought, thankful she didn't forget my toothbrush.
"Thank you!" I said, smiling at her. I unpacked the groceries and began making the soup.
"Is she still asleep?" asked Sarah, looking around at the expensive furniture. I could see she was impressed.
"Yes. She looked so exhausted last night, and this morning, her cough was even worse. It's good she's asleep because it's helping her heal."
Sarah's face lit up as Alexis entered the room. Alexis’s plait bounced as she skipped over to cuddle Sarah. It was an unexpected reaction because she was usually quite shy around strangers.
"You're so pretty," she said, touching Sarah's blond hair. “Clara says you’re very beautiful. This is Clara." She placed Clara out in front of her body.
"Oh! Well, thank you. I was so excited to come and meet you today. Karly said you've been a bit sick."
"Yep. Karly-good-girl is making me better, though. She knows how to cuddle good and reads stories I like. And Clara likes her very much too."
Sarah smiled at the cuteness factor that made up the brilliant Alexis. I could tell she was impressed with her ability to converse, even if some of the words weren't quite right.
"I could redo your plait if you want," said Sarah, looking at the length of Alexis's beautiful hair.
"Oh, really?" She paused to sneeze and ran over to the dining room chair. She was super excited. "I've got hair ties in all colors. There’s pink and blue and green and yellow—every color of the whole rainbow. But my favorite color is ruby red."
Sarah beamed. "No way! That's my favorite color too."
I smiled at them both as I concentrated on making the soup. The smell of the broth permeated the whole apartment, reminding me of my childhood. My mom and dad were caring and loving parents, and I was lucky to have been cared for so well. It was a pleasure to do the same for Alexis. I truly loved taking care of her.
Sarah had to leave at three. She had some of her own errands to run, much to the disappointment of both Alexi
s and Clara. But it was good timing because she needed another nap. Her eyes were falling shut, and she was beginning to get a little whiny. The cold was determined to hang on longer than usual.
I had a few hours to catch up on laundry and cleaning as she slept. I thought of Damon and the time we'd shared together the night I lost my virginity. I found my body wishing he was home just so I could be near him and feel his presence. I wanted him to take me again. It had been the most exciting, most erotic thing that had ever happened to me.
The clocked ticked away, and I let the soup simmer all day. When dinnertime came, we'd all be able to dig into it and have apple pie with custard for dessert. The pie was the frozen kind, but a really nice brand. I had made the custard from scratch, so that would be a treat for us all. Alexis loved cinnamon, and last time we’d had it, she’d said, "The fairies must've sprinkled it on, just to make everything taste a million times more yummy." Damon and I had loved that explanation. It was quite ingenious and extremely cute.
Damon arrived home with a loose tie and a gorgeous smile. Alexis was happily watching cartoons when he came through the door. He walked over to her and peppered her with kisses. She hugged him tightly, and Clara gave him a hug too.
We sat down together and ate the soup. Sarah had spoiled us, buying us beautiful, crusted bread that went well with the meal. Alexis ate it quickly. Clara pretended to eat some, too, by way of puppetry that was expertly done by Alexis.
"Clara said this is the best human food she's ever had, like, ever!"
"It's the best soup I've ever had," added Damon.
"It's my mom's recipe," I said, enjoying the flavors as I finished off my bowl.
Alexis got up and went to the bathroom. "I'm ready for bath time," she called down the hallway.
"Okay," I called after her as Damon began clearing the dishes.
As soon as bath time was finished, she was out like a light. Her congestion seemed much better, and I was glad her fever was nearly gone. Clara didn't want to go to bed, but Alexis told her a story about a cat who never slept, and that had been the straw that broke the camel's back, metaphorically speaking.
