Seduced by Two

by Mia Ford

  I hadn’t had that feeling since I lost my best friend and his wife.

  I asked her about the job as she packed to go for the interview, trying to sound like a guardian would. In truth, I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful she looked when she came for me. I couldn’t ever forget how it was to be inside of her that first time, the first man in her life. I felt honored that her dad was the first man to love her and that I was the one she gave that precious gift to. I would never forget how it felt to hold her in my arms as I slept, and now my big bed felt empty and cold.

  Caroline was moving closer to her future, though. That was what mattered. She folded clothes for the two nights that she would be there, talking about the company and perks that came with the job offer. Caroline mentioned how much she loved the beach and I wanted to scream at her how much I knew that. I was the one making love to her every night and morning with the sound of the waves coming through the open windows. I wanted to remind her how it felt as I fingered her in the water, feeling her tremble against me as a climax tore through her. I remembered all of that as she kept talking, and I clenched my fists.

  Could she actually walk away from us?

  I drove her to the airport the following morning, hearing her nervous babble the entire way. Caroline wouldn’t look at me. When I dropped her at the curb, she gave me a loose hug and walked inside of the terminal with barely a backward glance.

  I thought that everything improved at the island between us once we gave into our desire. I wasn’t sure how it might work when we arrived home due to the nature of our relationship, and I didn’t think that she was either.

  I also didn’t expect her to be looking through job offers so quickly, but why was I surprised? She was brilliant, and I was confident that her reputation preceded Caroline after the impressive work during her internships. She needed to see what she could get, something that seemed to be a weight on both of our shoulders.

  I drove home from the airport alone, feeling a little lost. I wasn’t ready for Caroline to leave me, especially after the vacation. Everything about that was perfect, and what I wanted in my life, just with a woman I would have never considered before. She moved from a little girl that needed me to take care of her to a sexy, mature woman that got me going, even now sitting alone in this car.

  Fuck. I drove out of the parking lot and home, going right to work in my home office as the silence settled in the house. The last eight years played through my mind, the good and the bad. I finally admitted that I loved Caroline inside of my head, deeply and in a way, that I’d never feel about anybody else.

  I went to work early the following morning and stayed through the afternoon. Stella told me that I looked happy when I came back and told her that I had a great time. I wasn’t even as eager to be in the office, not like I thought I would be with the knowledge that Caroline was at home.

  Today, she poked her head in when it was time to go home and raised an eyebrow at me. “What are you doing, boss?”

  “Just finishing some stuff up,” I tried to sound casual despite the tapping of my feet under the desk. I was on edge and couldn’t get Caroline out of my head. I might not go home at all, knowing that the house was empty now.

  “So, you went to a gorgeous place for the better part of a month just to come home to being a workaholic? Didn’t you learn anything?” She sounded mildly angry, and I glanced at her, seeing the concern in her eyes.

  “It’s who I am, Stella.” I tapped on my keyboard to sound like I was working hard.

  “You need a woman in your life, Perry,” she snapped before turning to leave as I dropped my hands on my desk.

  I had a woman, and she was amazing. I made love to her every way that we could think of after I got to know her mind and soul. I was in love with her, and I sent her to find a life without me. I stared at my phone for a moment before picking it up. I dialed and leaned back in my chair, listening to the ringing until her voice mail picked up. “Hi, Caroline. I was just calling to see how things were going. Give me a call back,” I murmured before ending the call.

  I went home at nine that night, drinking a bottle of whiskey in her room as I sat against the bed. It smelled like her sweet apple perfume, and I closed my eyes as I took another swig from the bottle.

  I dragged myself into work the next morning with a hangover, drinking coffee to get through the day. When I got home at ten, I walked into the house and felt Caroline’s presence. I looked into the kitchen and then walked up to her room to see her staring into her closet. “Hi,” I said as she kept staring forward. “How did it go?”

  “I got the job,” she replied as she pulled out an armload of shirts. “They got me a condo, and I am going to drive there tomorrow and get settled. They need to fill the position soon, and I don’t have anything to hold me here.”

  “You don’t?” I asked as she moved to the bed and folded the shirts into a big suitcase with a fixed expression on her face. There was a part of me that hoped she’d come home and tell me that she wanted a future with me that formed in my head during those lonely nights at work.

  “I went to college to get my dream job, Perry. You can finally be on your own and start your life. You deserve to have something more,” Caroline told me as I tilted my head. She sounded robotic, and I stepped into the room.

  “More than what? More than what we had on the islands?” My voice rose in anger as she blinked at me. There was a pain in her eyes before she looked away.

  “I don’t want you, Perry. I want this job and my house on the beach.” I stared at her in a stunned silence for a long moment before I turned to leave the room. I got back into my car and headed to a bar, my emotions reeling at her claim as I tossed back a few shots.

  I couldn’t believe that she was moving away. I couldn’t believe that she chose the job over us, something that we hadn’t discussed since the morning that we left the resort. I ordered another shot, feeling my vision blur as the numbness set in.

  I went home with a brunette that night, trying to fuck Caroline out of my system a few ways. I woke up the following morning with a stranger whose name I didn’t remember, stumbling out of the front door after I called for a cab. I had him take me back to the bar, hopping in my SUV to head home as my heart sank. Had I fucked up by leaving? Would Caroline be gone?

  I pulled through the gate, into the driveway and pushed the garage door button as I stared forward. It was empty, and I blinked for a moment before pulling forward. Did she get any sleep at all before she left? Would she be all right? I came to a hard stop and hurried into the house, calling out her name. “Caroline? Are you here?” I ran up to her room to see the closet emptied as well as her bathroom before I walked into the hallway.

  She was gone without saying goodbye. After all the years, we’d known each other, lived in the same house, I didn’t expect this. Maybe I did with what happened when we were on vacation, but when I looked back at all of it, Caroline seemed so happy. She appeared to be a woman in love every time that she looked at me, and I wondered if that scared her as much as it did me.

  I convinced myself that she would call once she was settled, or that I would. I wasn’t going to let it go this easily since she was under my skin now. I’d find a way to work this out with Caroline and convince her that we were perfect together, but for now, she could have some space. I knew how empty the house was going to feel, but there was not going to be another woman here to keep my bed warm, at least not until I spoke to Caroline about what happened between us.

  The first week, I worked a lot and let her have time to settle in. Everything felt empty when I returned home, and I didn’t even bother cooking too much anymore. I just grabbed food on the way home and worked it off in the gym before work in the morning. It became routine, but it didn’t make me happy. Nothing made me happy the way that she did, the women that used to tide me over not even getting my attention these days.

  I started calling the week after I assumed she was moved in and on a schedule. I g
ot her voice mail and left a message, sending her a text later when I hadn’t heard back. I did the same thing the following day with the same results and tossed and turned in bed as the worry set in. Caroline was a beautiful girl, and anything could happen, a fact that ate away at me as days went by without any response.

  I checked the news in Santa Barbara once another two weeks had passed, reading about every crime that happened anywhere nearby. I knew that she spoke to a lot of firms, but I couldn’t remember the name of the one that she was working for. I was in too much shock that it happened so fast. I never thought that Caroline would be able to leave so easily, not after the bond we formed after her parents died. I was still in control of her money as far as I knew, so we had to talk sometime.

  Within three months, I still hadn’t heard anything. I asked a friend who was a private investigator to find her for me, giving him the information needed. I just had to know that she was all right and stop keeping myself up at night worrying about all the possibilities. He came back with the name of her new company, Anagrama. I promptly researched them thoroughly, which I would have done anyway if she gave me half a chance, finding them to be one of the best in the world. I couldn’t fault her company, so I wondered what was going on as I read everything that he found out in the week that he’d taken.

  She seemed to be doing well as far as Matt could tell. I didn’t ask for intimate details of her life since I didn’t think I could handle that yet. I found out that she lived in a condo near the beach that was in a complex owned by the firm, giving me the impression that she didn’t have a permanent home yet. I knew that she was alive and I let it rest with that for now, giving her this time to be stubborn before I went there myself.

  I fucking missed her. I missed the mornings where we’d just talk, eat dinner together or just laugh. I didn’t know how much she meant to me until we got so close on the island and left shortly after coming home. I knew that I loved her as something of a daughter, but it never clicked that I’d fall for her on a romantic level. It was more than sex, and I thought back to the nights that we spent together, trying to remember if I told her that. I hated that idea that she might think I was using her.

  Once four months went by without any word from her and I knew that the holidays were in just a couple more months, I bought a plane ticket online. Caroline was going to know how I felt, whether she wanted to or not.

  Caroline

  I eased out of my car and walked towards the beautiful glass building as I took a slow breath. Everything was perfect about Santa Barbara, including my job and the condo that I was still living in thanks to the firm. Everything apart from the fact that Perry wasn’t here. I worked extra hours when I wasn’t exhausted, coming to the unit to shower and cry myself to sleep almost every night.

  It was pathetic.

  I entered through the doors and made my way to the elevators, smiling when I saw my coworker Lana. “Morning,” I told her as she blew into the cup of sweet chocolate and coffee with a need in her eyes.

  “Hey there, mama. How are you doing?” She asked as she handed me a cup of decaffeinated green tea with a rueful smile.

  “I’m tired. I miss coffee,” I responded as the doors opened and we walked inside. I looked down at my belly, starting to show now as Perry’s baby kept growing inside of me. Once I took the test when I was away on my interview to find it was positive, I knew that I was going to take the job if they offered it to me. I didn’t want to inconvenience Perry with a baby, particularly since I’d assured him that I was on the pill. I knew that was stupid even at the time, but I wanted him so bad. I wanted all of him, and a part of me wondered if there was an immature part of me that wished for a baby. What was I thinking? He asked me more than once if it was safe, so I knew that he probably didn’t want to start a family. He was at a high point in his life with the company and not having to worry about a thing.

  I had a good job that was tremendously kind when they found out my condition when I started the job. They kept me on and offered the insurance sooner so I could see the doctor as needed. I was given as long as I needed in the condo until the baby was born and I had some idea of where I wanted to go. I was saving a lot of money that way with the lack of rent, money that could help me buy a place if I felt brave enough to go to Perry to get it.

  I left in a rush, not really thinking about the strings that connected us. There was the trust fund that my parents set up for me when I was born that was still doing very well. They had put away money for college, and Perry handled all of that for me while he supported me during school, giving me anything I could need or want. Perry was generous before we slept together, and I told Lana goodbye as I headed to my office.

  I thought about the nights that we spent together a lot, wishing that it had ended differently. I got scared the moment we came home, too spooked to try to make it work. I had the perfect excuse to avoid it with the emails about jobs, something that happened much faster than expected. When I started to feel a bit off before I was scheduled to fly out, all my ignorance hit me like a ton of bricks as I knew I had to face reality.

  That was why I took the pregnancy test in California. I could just be alone and cry my eyes out, so lonely and scared that it was tearing me apart inside. I sobbed most of the night, showering in the morning, and cleaning up for my interview. I wasn’t feeling the confidence that I projected but nailed it, and I was stunned when they offered me the job on the spot. It made sense to take it. I could fly home as planned and just come running back without Perry knowing about the baby. I didn’t have the heart to tell him, imagining his face as he offered to take care of us because it was the right thing to do. That wasn’t what I wanted.

  I took a seat at my drafting desk and hung my purse up before setting the coffee cup on the table beside me. I had done a good job since being hired, in part because I started the job pregnant and felt like I needed to prove myself more than some of the others. It was also the way that I was and always had been. My supervisors were happy with me and assured me that I would be here for a long time to come.

  It was a generous offer, but I still missed Perry. I slept because being five months along wore me out. It was a restless sleep, but I seemed to me able to nod off every time I sat down at home. I worked hard to stay alert at work, and it made me smile when my coworkers told me not to work too much since I had someone else to take care of.

  I was finding out what the baby was in three days and I was so nervous. Finding out that it was just a single baby was a big relief to me since twins as a single mother sounded so complicated. I’d made some friends, but they weren’t close enough that I’d ask for a lot of help just yet. I didn’t get to go out and drink with everyone with the baby, although that was an excuse more than anything. I was always too tired from pretending how happy I was here. I loved the ocean but didn’t think any beach would be the same alone again. It just reminded me of everything with Perry.

  Every kiss played through my mind when I tried to sleep at night, and the way that he felt inside of me was something that I’d never forget. It was the best feeling I’d ever experienced, and I knew that even with my hormones going insane with the pregnancy, I wouldn’t sleep with another man for some time to come. I had a lot on my plate right now, and I was just trying to sort through the confusion of being a single mother.

  I missed Mom so much right now. She wouldn’t be happy that Perry was the father, at least I didn’t think so. She would still be here for me, though, helping with everything that I needed. I smiled as the other people that shared the large, open office joined me and we slipped into the comfortable routine. I worked steadily through until my break when I had a quick snack with Lana while she got another coffee. We went out for lunch a couple times a week as well, as I discovered what the baby liked as well as what they didn’t like. That was uncomfortable.

  I left for the night, walking across the courtyard towards the garage when I thought I heard my name. I looked around, through the groups of
people that were leaving for the day as well and didn’t see the man that I swore said my name. I barely knew any here. “Caroline.” I froze as the voice spoke again, all too familiar with it as I turned slowly to my right. Perry was there, walking towards me as I rested my hand on my stomach and whimpered to myself. He looked angry, and I pressed my lips together as he strode over with a scowl on his face. “I had to come here to find you. What the…” His voice drifted off as he glanced down to see my hand resting over my clearly pregnant stomach, and I watched as the color drained from his face. “Is it mine?” Perry lifted his eyes to my face as he searched it rapidly, reaching out to cover my hand as I stood frozen. “Caroline. Is it my baby?”

  “What do you think?” I shot back as tears slipped down my cheeks. I was far too hormonal to act like this was all right, and he reached his hand around my back to pull me against him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Why were you hiding it?” His voice was filled with pain as I started to cry harder, breathing in his scent. “You’ve been alone all this time. Have you been taking care of yourself? Have you been eating well?”

  “That’s all I’ve done besides work,” I told him as he led me to the side of the large fountain and held my face as he stared at me. He looked angry, sad and relieved all at once before he kissed me.

  “I was so fucking worried about you when you never called. Is this why?” Perry asked me as I nodded. “Why would you do that?”

  “I didn’t think that you would want us,” I admitted as he shook his head before pressing his lips to mine firmly as he seemed to take everything in.

  “You’re crazy. I wanted to tell you when we were away that I was falling for you, but I thought I’d wait until we got home. Then you pushed me away, and all the jobs came up, and you were here, interviewing. Then, gone. You just left me, Caroline, when you mean everything to me.”

  “You were falling for me?” I asked as I choked on my sobs, losing control of my emotions.