by Amy Brent
I finally found the strength to pull her close as I turned my lips into her forehead.
“Good morning,” I said before I kissed her skin.
“Morning,” she said, giggling.
“What in the world was that for? Not that I’m complaining, but I figured from last night that would be the last thing on your mind,” I said.
“I guess I just wanted to give you something to make up for it. I sort of fell apart before you could get yours,” she said.
“Melissa, look at me.”
She tilted her head up, and her morning eyes sparkled in the sun streaming through her windows. For the first time in years, I basked in the glow of the yellow speckles that peppered her brown irises. My eyes danced between hers as her hand came up to cup my cheek, and I turned my lips to kiss her palm before I finally spoke.
“There is never anything you have to repay me for. I gave you what I did last night because I wanted to. I wanted to make you feel good. I wanted to feel your body again. You owed me nothing. You never do.”
“Except payment for our therapy sessions,” she said, grinning.
“Was that a joke? Did you just make a joke?” I asked.
“Maybe I did,” she said, winking.
“It’s wonderful to see you in such a playful mood,” I said as I turned my body toward her. “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly? I’m still a bit confused. Uneasy. But, if I interpreted you correctly last night, I can’t let that hold me back from things I want. I woke up this morning, and I wanted to give you what you gave me last night, so I did.”
“And it was wonderful,” I said as I caressed her cheek.
“Thank you for staying last night,” she whispered.
“Anytime. It warms my heart to know you’re in better spirits this morning. And thank you for being honest with me.”
“It’s the only way I’m going to get any better,” she said.
“And I’ll be here as long as you need me to be.”
I didn’t want to, but I had to roll out of bed and get ready for work. Luckily, I was in a different set of clothes from work yesterday, so I cleaned myself up at her sink and went on to work. She made me coffee and sent it with me, telling me I could return the mug to her later. Then, she kissed me on the cheek before she watched me drive off.
Never in my life had I felt so close to fulfillment, and the feeling was distracting me all day from my patients.
My last two patients for the day canceled, so I headed to my mother’s to pick up Max. He came barreling out of the house and jumped into my arms, declaring he wanted to have pizza with Uncle Michael. I thanked my mother profusely for last night, and she gave me a smile, wrapping me in her arms before she kissed my cheek.
“It’s about time you got out with a woman,” she said. “I hope you had fun.”
I reassured her I did before I got Max buckled in. Then I called Michael, and we met him for pizza. We sat down and ordered pizza and drinks while Max colored in his coloring book, and I could feel Michael’s eyes on me as I sat back in my chair.
“You look different,” he said.
“What?”
“You look different. Have you lost weight?”
“Nope. Not that I know of,” I said.
“Have you gained weight?” he asked.
“Can’t say I have.”
“Then what gives?” Michael asked.
“Daddy looks funny,” Max said, giggling.
“Thanks, bud. Appreciate that,” I said.
“See? Even Max knows there’s something different. Spill,” Michael said.
“This isn’t appropriate conversation for Max to hear,” I said.
“Then talk vaguely. Come on. Something’s on your mind.”
“Talk vade-ly, Daddy. Uncle Mike said so,” Max said.
“I’d listen to your son if I were you,” Michael said, grinning.
“All right. Okay. Remember that new patient I was nervous about?” I asked.
“Monday at three. Yes. What about the patient?” he asked.
“Well, things have sort of progressed,” I said, grinning.
“How so?” he asked.
“The patient has been calling frequently. You know, just to talk. Our sessions have been productive. We seem to be unpacking a lot of things.”
“Is she getting some of the answers she’s looking for?” Michael asked.
“Answer time!” Max exclaimed.
“Answer time, indeed,” I said as I ruffled his hair.
“Pizza yet?” Max asked.
“Ten more minutes, buddy,” I said.
“Have boundaries been breached?” Michael asked.
I felt a grin cross my face as a blush crept up my neck. I thought back to last night. How soft her skin had been beneath my fingertips. Her thighs had been pliable and soft, giving way to my every movement as I approached that glistening pussy. Her smell had completely washed over me, stirring up a carnal desire I hadn’t experienced since high school. I thought about how warm her mouth was wrapped around my raging cock. How her pussy fluttered around my fingers perfectly.
Melissa was beautiful in ways I never could have seen in my wildest dreams, and when I came to and looked at Michael, he was absolutely stunned.
“Dude, I have never seen that look on your face before,” he said.
“What look?” I asked.
“Dude! Pizza!” Max exclaimed.
The pizza was set in front of us, and Max pulled a piece into his plate. He was already covering himself in cheese and sauce as he devoured his dinner, but suddenly, I was no longer hungry. I could still smell her womanhood wafting up my nose. I could still feel her warmth wrapped around my cock. I could still feel her body pressed into the crook of mine.
“Oh, you’ve got it bad,” Michael said.
“I have no idea what to do. She’s my patient, Michael. But it’s not like I’m the one pushing the boundaries. She’s asking. She’s initiating. She’s calling. And I—”
“You what?” he asked.
“Mmmmm, pizza,” Max hummed.
“Slow down, buddy, or you’re gonna get a tummy ache.”
“No,” he said.
“Max, slow down,” I said.
“No!”
“Max, listen to your father,” Michael said. “Now, finish that statement.”
“Finish! Finish! Finish!” Max chanted.
“Max, calm down or I’m taking you home,” I said.
“I don’t wanna,” Max said.
“Eat your pizza and settle down, or you won’t get dessert,” I said.
“Ooooh, dessert. Better behave, Max. I wanna eat dessert with my best bud,” Michael said, smiling.
I sighed and leaned back into my chair while Max started to eat slower, but my mind was still racing. I could lose my license if this ever got out. It could destroy everything I’d worked for. The whole reason why I married that pretentious bitch in college could all go down the drain if it ever got out that I was fraternizing like this with one of my clients.
“Here’s my advice,” Michael said.
“Oh, here we go.”
“Shut up and listen. Transfer her. To me, or to David, or to anyone else in the office. I’ve never seen you like this before with another woman. And it’s a good look on you. There’s no reason for you to keep risking your job if you still have feelings for her,” he said.
“But we are making very good progress in her sessions,” I said.
“But professionally, you know this isn’t right. You could ruin everything, especially with this book tour coming up. Shit always comes out during book tours. It’s practically Murphy’s Law. Even if she just temporarily changes hands, you know that’s what you have to do.”
“I don’t even know where to go from here, honestly,” I said.
“Well, when did you see her last?” he asked.
“This morning,” I said.
Michael hooked his gaze onto mine, and his face slowly fell.
I groaned, putting my face in my hands as Max reached for his second slice of pizza. I knew what was running through Michael’s head, and I knew the tightrope I was walking was slowly caving underneath the pressure of my body.
But this was Melissa. The woman who got away.
“Transfer her,” Michael said. “That’s the first thing. But have you considered apologizing?”
“For what?” I asked.
“This whole Russia thing,” he said as he side-eyed Max.
“We did talk about that in our last session,” I said.
“Did you apologize?” he asked.
“No. I told her what happened and why I did it, but I don’t remember if I apologized or not. That session was a bit of a whirlwind.”
“Then, start there. Call her and have a conversation with her. Be honest and upfront. Apologize for all the crap you put her through when you entered into that deal, and then explain to her the bind you’ve put yourself in. She seems like an intelligent woman. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
I knew what Michael was telling me was true. All of it. I had a great deal of apologizing to do with her. She needed closure in order to process these things, and sometimes, simple knowledge didn’t cut it. Sometimes just knowing didn’t cut it. But I didn’t know if I could give up our sessions. I enjoyed seeing her. I enjoyed ending my Mondays with her. I thought we were making tremendous progress, and I thought it was helping her to talk to someone who had been involved in the events that led up to her walking into my office for the very first time.
“Call her, Brandon,” Michael said. “Don’t jeopardize your career. If she cares about you the way you obviously care about her, she wouldn’t want you to throw all this away.”
“I know. I know.”
“I’ve never seen you act this way with a woman before, and I’m happy for you. But you need to tread lightly. I don’t want to see you get hurt, not when it’s so obvious how you feel.”
“I get it. I hear you. All right?” I asked.
“Why are you upset?” Michael asked.
“I’m not upset.”
“Guess again, head doctor. Now, why are you upset?”
I peeled my head from my hands and looked over at Max. He was completely oblivious, covered in pizza sauce while he colored in his coloring book. Watching him color threw me back to the day he was born, the day I first held him in my arms. I remembered his first step, his first word, the first time he peed in the toilet, and the first time he got sick. I remembered our first hospital trip and his first day of daycare. His first shot and his first scraped knee.
My boy deserved better than what he was given. My boy deserved better than the life I’d brought him into.
“He deserved better,” I said.
“Then give him better,” Michael said. “Call her and start the road to better.”
Chapter 18
Melissa
I would love to take you out again if you’ll let me.
I read his message over and over on my lunch break. I couldn’t believe it. I was giggling like a little schoolgirl as I scrolled through my phone and called Carl’s parents. I wanted to know if they would be willing to keep Sarah again, and I was ecstatic when they told me they wouldn’t mind. They said something about a movie night and caramel popcorn, but I wasn’t paying attention. All I could think about was going out with Brandon again.
“It’s wonderful you’re getting out like this,” Joanne said.
“Thanks, Joanne. I appreciate it. I honestly didn’t know how it would come off. You know, with everything that’s happening,” I said.
“Can I be candid with you, dear?” she asked.
“Of course. You can say anything to me. You know this.”
“I’m glad you’re putting yourself back out there again.”
“You are?” I asked.
“Melissa, our son loved you. You were his entire world. But when he died, you crumbled. Mark and I watched you crumble for months, and we had no idea how to help. You’ve grieved too long, sweetheart. He’s been gone almost three years.”
“I know.”
“And I want you to know something. We are Sarah’s grandparents, and we know you would never introduce her to someone who you thought would do her harm. Whoever you choose to spend your life with, if anyone, will be embraced wholly by us,” she said.
“Wh-what?”
“You need a support system, and it sounds like you’re slowly piecing one together. Melissa, you were the daughter I never got to have. Not only is it time for you to move on and find your own slice of happiness, but I want to rejoice in that happiness with you. Take your time. Have fun tonight. We can keep Sarah into the afternoon, if you’d like. Plus, Mark likes watching morning cartoons with Sarah. It’s sort of their thing.”
“Thank you so much, Joanne,” I whispered.
“Enjoy yourself tonight. We’ll pick up Sarah from school.”
I sent Brandon a message telling him tonight would be wonderful. I squealed with delight, excited about the prospect of kissing Brandon again. All week I’d felt the ghost of his lips upon mine, and now the idea of sharing that again shivered me to my bones.
He picked me up and took me to Sushi Gen. I hadn’t had sushi in years, and I hummed with each bite I put upon my tongue. Brandon looked incredible in his tailored suit. The light blue of his tie matched his eyes, and the black-on-black suit and button-down shirt made me want to reach out and rip it off him. He smiled at me, watching me eat as I took bite after bite of luxurious fish. But then, he said something that caught me off guard.
“I’m sorry.”
I stopped chewing and put my chopsticks down.
“For what?” I asked as I swallowed.
“For everything.”
“You’ll have to be a bit more specific,” I said, giggling.
“For Anfisa,” he said.
I felt my neck flush with shock as my mind began to slowly turn over what he was doing.
“Was that her name?” I asked.
“Yes. It was,” he said. “And I’m sorry.”
I watched this hollowed out sorrow carve itself out behind his beautiful eyes. The sparkle behind them faded into an empty storm cloud. It surged over his face and pulled his shoulders taut. It tainted his manhood as he sighed and sat back in his chair. It was the first time I’d ever seen the confident Brandon Black succumb to something other than pride.
“Thank you for apologizing,” I said lightly.
“What I did to you was wrong. I should’ve been upfront with what I was doing. I should’ve trusted you with it. I should’ve known you wouldn’t have done anything to jeopardize what we were—”
I held my hand up to stop him before I reached over and took his hand. I squeezed it twice, calming his nerves as he looked deeply into my eyes.
“Thank you for apologizing,” I said, grinning.
When we got into his car after dinner, I realized we weren’t headed back to my place. I watched the streets roll by as we navigated a part of town I wasn’t familiar with, but the moment we pulled into the driveway, I knew where we were. His house suited him wonderfully. Spacious but not overbearing. Prideful but not boastful of his wealth. It had a wraparound porch he had decorated with chairs and tables and hardwood floors that gleamed even in the moonlight.
But I didn’t get a good look before he crashed his lips into mine.
Clothes fell to the floor as we stumbled up the steps. His hands were everywhere, cupping my breasts and tugging at my dress. His tongue was on fire, sending ricocheting flames lapping over my body. We both fell to his bed in a heaping pile of skin, my hands dancing across his chiseled muscles as my body was bared for him.
His lips placed openmouthed kisses down my neck before he wrapped his lips around my nipple. My hands ran through his hair, feeling his soft tendrils curling around my knuckles as my hips rolled into his. His hands roamed my body, taking in every curve and dip as his tongue flicked across my breasts.
I’d grown slick with moisture sliding down the crack of my ass as my legs splayed open for him.
