by Celya Bowers
Peri looked at Brendan in amazement. She didn’t know if she could stay in a different country just because her child was there. Like Brendan, she probably would. “It must be great to do all that traveling and see great pieces of art?”
Brendan shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal way. “I love art. It comes with the territory. Eat up. I have a surprise for you.”
After Peri had dressed she discovered that Brendan’s surprise wasn’t exactly her idea of a good surprise. He drove to Skater’s Paradise, an in-line skate store, and got her fitted for rollerblades. As the salesperson sized Peri’s feet, she felt herself tense up. Hearing Brendan chuckling behind her didn’t help.
“You should see yourself.” Brendan rubbed her back to relax her. “You’re not going to the gallows.”
“I’m envisioning all the times I will fall,” Peri answered, relaxing at his touch.
Brendan kneeled in front of her after the salesperson went to go get her skates. “I’ll teach you. It will be fun,” he promised, “I taught Chelsey.”
Peri inhaled deeply. He looked like a little boy wanting to show off his model airplane; she couldn’t say no. “Okay, Brendan, but if I hurt something, I’m blaming you.”
“Deal. I can always give you a massage later.” Brendan leaned over and kissed her. “My treat.”
“Brendan, the skates and all this safety gear will be expensive. I couldn’t possibly let you pay for this,” Peri argued.
“Yes, you can.” He looked at her for a time, as if he were daring her to object. As Brendan produced his credit card to pay for her skates and the other necessities, he snapped his fingers. “How about I give you your first lesson today?”
“Where?” a very worried Peri asked.
“At the park. It will be fun.”
Two hours later Peri found herself at the park getting her first lesson. Brendan helped her on with her skates and pads. It felt so erotic when he caressed her feet that she knew she was in trouble. “I feel like I’m going to play football with all these pads and a helmet on,” she said as Brendan helped her upright.
“You look beautiful.” Brendan had his pads on as well, but without the helmet. Brendan skated away from her. “Come on, walk to me and move your hips,” he said as he skated a little farther away.
Peri’s heart was hammering very fast. She took a deep breath and wiped her brow with the back of her hand. She then wiped her hands on her shorts and attempted to walk to him. For every one step she had taken forward, he would skate a little farther away.
“Come on, just walk to me. Don’t look at your feet. Look at me.”
Peri put her right foot out first, then her left, and before she knew it she was skating. She was wobbly at first, but as she became more confident Brendan skated even farther away. She was skating on her own and not falling. A smile formed on her face. She didn’t think she would have been able to do it, but here she was skating.
“Wasn’t that fun?” Brendan asked her after a few hours of skating.
Peri hated to admit it, but it was. She used muscles she hadn’t used in some time. He helped her out of her protective gear. “Yes, after I figured out how, it was fun. Thank you, Brendan. As you said, you’re a good teacher.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Brendan put his arm around her waist and kissed her. He pulled her closer for a more intimate kiss. She felt the heat radiating from his body, sending a current of love down her spine. Brendan smiled as he patted her on the rear. “You are welcome. What would you like for dinner?”
Peri wondered if this was an invitation to stay for the night as well; she hoped so.
As Peri reclined in the Range Rover’s leather seats, she assumed they were going to his place. He stopped by the deli for sandwiches. “Would you like to go by your place for anything before going to my place?”
“Are you asking me to spend the night with you?” Peri asked innocently.
Brendan looked at her and he smiled. “I am sorry. Peri, after dinner would you like to spend the night with me?”
“Yes, I would like to.” She wanted to spend every minute possible with him, especially because he was leaving for Europe in two days.
After going to Peri’s condo and getting clothes, they headed to Brendan’s for the night. While Peri showered and changed into fresh clothes, Brendan set the table. They ate sandwiches at his massive dining room table. The dining table could sit eight easily, she thought. There were unlighted candles on the buffet table and a huge picture of his parents on the wall. An oversized picture of an infant—she guessed to be Chelsey—hung on the opposite wall. She watched Brendan eat his sandwich and drink a Guinness. She drank a soda instead with her sandwich. “Why are we eating in silence?”
He sighed and put down his beer. “Chel called while you were in the shower. I’m going to miss her so much; I’m dreading next week,” Brendan said as his long fingers caressed the bottle.
“Because you will be gone for so long?” Peri thought about her father and how it would have affected her at the tender age of five. Then she thought of her adult self and how his business trip was going to affect her.
“Yes, and I’ll miss her sixth birthday. I’ve never missed any of her birthdays. I’ve always made it a point to be here, but this time there’s no way around it. Claire is waiting until I get back to have the party, so at least I won’t miss that, but it’s not the same.”
Peri wasn’t concerned about his daughter at that moment. She was concerned about their relationship. He didn’t mention her. Would he miss her? “That is really nice of her.”
Brendan laughed oddly. “We divorced before Chelsey’s first birthday. These last few years Claire and I have gotten along rather well. We’re friends now. We get along better now that we’re divorced than we ever did while we were married.”
After they finished their sandwiches, they settled in for the night. Lying in bed next to him, Peri felt her body growing rigid as his hands wandered over her body. She knew why. She felt too comfortable with him. Peri could lie next to him with next to nothing on and sometimes nothing at all, and didn’t feel inhibited at all. “I had better call Kyla to see how she is doing.”
Peri reached for the phone. She thought she had better explain to Brendan or he was going to think she was crazy. “We usually talk every day, especially if Ryan is out of town. I didn’t talk to her earlier because we were getting the skates.” She dialed Kyla’s number and to her surprise Ryan answered the phone. Kyla assured her all was well and they would talk tomorrow. Peri still had that look of concern as she hung up the phone.
Brendan saw the worried look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
Peri eased down on the bed, laying her head on his chest. “Nothing.”
“You are worried about Kyla?” He kissed her forehead. “That’s sweet.”
“A little.” Her hands glided over his flat stomach.
“You want to talk about it? Want me to drive you over?”
Peri looked at Brendan. He was being really good about the whole situation. Robert would have told her to shut up about it, but Brendan was here encouraging her to talk to him about it. She wondered how many pieces of her heart he owned already. “No, I’m sure they are fine. It’s hard to explain. I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but they’re having some problems. You know how it is, Ryan wants children now, Kyla just got a huge promotion…”
“I understand,” Brendan said as he snuggled a little closer to her. “I am sure Kyla and Ryan are doing just fine. Just relax. I’m sure they will come to some sort of compromise.”
Peri took a deep breath, grabbed Brendan’s hand, and kissed it. He made it sound so easy and doable. Feeling so secure, she fell asleep immediately.
Sunday morning, a ringing phone woke Peri. She didn’t want to open her eyes. The dream was too good to end. But as Brendan shifted in bed, Peri opened her eyes. Brendan reached for the phone and answered it. He gave the phone to Peri. “It’s Kyla.”
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nbsp; Peri sat up and took the phone from Brendan’s hand. “Is everything okay? Do you need me?”
Kyla laughed. “Hey, that’s my line! Everything is fine. Ryan wanted to surprise me by coming home yesterday. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Peri lied. She was relieved everything was fine. Her mind had gotten the best of her last night, imagining Kyla and Ryan having the fight to end all fights.
“He offered to drive me over to your house last night.”
“Oh, that wouldn’t have been good. We were making up for lost time. I don’t think there is a room we didn’t make love in last night. But Ryan’s getting ready to leave for London in a few hours. Why don’t we meet for dinner? I know I’ll look like a lovesick puppy.”
“I guess we both will.” Peri glanced at Brendan as he lay next to her. They both laughed. The friends agreed to meet for dinner and ended their conversations.
Peri looked at Brendan as she hung up the phone. He had been really great for her these last few months. She wondered if he knew how wonderful he made her feel. “What would you like for breakfast?”
Brendan stared at her with those blue eyes, making her heart skip a beat. “I’m not really hungry for food right now,” he moaned, rubbing her leg.
Peri had the same thought. Food couldn’t hold a candle to making love with Brendan. “What did you have in mind, Brendan? Shouldn’t you be packing or something?”
Before she knew it, she was being kissed and caressed very intimately. As he lowered her on the bed, Peri felt as if she could fly away. His kisses started slow and gentle, and Peri didn’t think she could ever get enough of him. They’d only made love a handful of times, but she couldn’t mistake the security and trust she felt with him. She touched him anywhere she pleased and he didn’t mind. Her hands roamed his naked torso. He helped her out of her night shirt and undies, while he kicked off his boxers. He was now lying on top of her and he looked back at her. Blue eyes searched brown. Words seemed unnecessary. Peri wondered if he knew she loved him. She hoped not. She enjoyed the hands that caressed her, and the mouth that savored her. His eyes said he cared. But he said nothing. He made love to her as though they had all the time in the world. He kissed her mouth, cheek, neck, and ears. He moved on top of her, taking a breast in his mouth and giving it that same slow love. Peri thought she was going to go out of her mind with pleasure.
He kissed her stomach as his hands roamed her waist, positioning her. “Move up, baby.”
Peri was in such a state she didn’t question the request, only obeyed. She moved closer to the headboard and watched him place her legs over his shoulders before kissing her most tender area. Once his tongue entered her body, Peri fell back against the pillows, letting the passion take over. “Oh, Brendan.”
He chuckled against her, vibrating her to an orgasm. She should reciprocate, she thought, but that would mean he’d have to stop, and she couldn’t have that.
Brendan did stop but just long enough to penetrate her body. Peri couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Each stroke, longer and deeper than the last. She didn’t know if she could take one more powerful thrust. She grabbed the sheet, but Brendan took her hands in his and Peri forgot about everything but the way he made her feel.
* * *
Peri awoke with a start later that evening, remembering that she was meeting Kyla for dinner. Brendan was sound asleep next to her, looking like an Irish sex god, which he was. She got out of bed as quietly as she could. Walking was still a little bit of a challenge, but it was sure worth it. He was an excellent lover. If it had been anyone other than Kyla, she would have canceled their dinner date and stayed in bed with Brendan.
She went to shower and got dressed. Brendan slept through it all. She watched longingly as he turned over on his stomach, the covers sliding down his gorgeous body. She didn’t want to leave without telling him goodbye. She woke him and they talked as she got her things together to leave.
“I’m gonna miss you so much.” Brendan sat up, not bothering to cover up his nudity.
“Me, too.” He was making it extremely hard for her to leave, making an enticing, sexy picture. Still he didn’t bother covering his body, but Peri didn’t mind. It felt natural.
“Do you mind if I call you?” Brendan asked slowly.
“No, of course not.” She hoped he would.
“Peri?”
“Yes.” Why was her heart beating so fast?
Brendan patted the space by him. “Sit down for a minute.”
Peri complied, not knowing what was coming next. Being psychic would really have helped her out, but she wasn’t. “What is it, Brendan?”
Brendan looked directly into her eyes with his blue ones. “I want us to be exclusive.” He held her hand and caressed it gently.
Peri couldn’t think properly. She thought he said he wanted to be exclusive, that couldn’t have been correct. He repeated it. It was.
“Brendan, you’re leaving the country in the morning, remember?” She tried really hard to keep the excitement out of her voice.
“So?” He persisted. “What does that have to do with anything? My feelings would still be the same if I wasn’t.”
“We’ll talk about it later, Brendan.”
“When?” He still persisted.
“When you get back from your trip, we’ll talk about it then.” She avoided his eyes. She already knew what her answer would be.
CHAPTER 10
Later, Peri and Kyla looked over the menu at Omar’s. Omar’s was a restaurant located in the heart of Arlington. Because of the Texas summer weather, the women decided to eat outside on the patio. Omar’s was their favorite restaurant and the friends ate there frequently. They discussed the events of the previous week. Kyla stared at her friend, smiling like she had just won the lottery. “I have to ask.”
“What?” Peri asked, fearing the most dreaded question.
“Have you told Brendan?” Kyla peered at Peri, looking directly into her eyes.
“Told him what?” Peri asked innocently.
Kyla laughed incredulously. “You have a glow of a woman in love. You have lost a lot of weight. Guys drool over you, and you don’t even notice. Plus, you look happier now than you have in the two years I’ve known you.”
Peri realized what she meant. “I do feel happier now. I feel like I’ve been walking around in a fog, and have just recently been introduced to the sun. But there is no way that I have missed guys looking at me.”
Kyla shook her head. “Peri, guys watch you all the time, you are just oblivious to it.”
“Really? Wow.” Peri didn’t think about other men. Only Brendan. “But what about you and Ryan?”
“We’re doing just fine. After last night, we both decided on a compromise. We do love each other. Our careers just got in the way. But he’s willing to wait at least a year for a child.”
Peri smiled. “I am so happy for you and Ryan—”
The waiter interrupted the conversation, carrying a tray with drinks. “We didn’t order these drinks,” Kyla said, “in fact we haven’t ordered anything.”
“I know that, ma’am. The gentleman at the bar sent this with his compliments.” The waiter said as he produced a note.
Presumptuously, Kyla offered her thanks and reached for the note, but the waiter shook his head and handed the message to Peri. She quickly read the note and instantly thought of Brendan. She folded the note and returned it to the waiter. “Tell Mr. Brown thanks, I’m flattered, but I’m involved at the moment.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The waiter walked away as quickly as he came.
Kyla gasped. “You didn’t even look at him! That man is hot!”
“I’m sure he is, but tell that to my heart.” Peri didn’t have to think about it. Yes, Mr. Brown may have been attractive, but he wasn’t Brendan.
Kyla looked at her friend. “Peri, you know I’m happy that you’re happy with Brendan. I just don’t want you to miss an opportunity.”
“I know.”
>
“So are you sprung on Brendan or what?”
Peri narrowed her gaze at Kyla. “Where do you get these terms? I wouldn’t say sprung, maybe involved, we do things outside of the bedroom as well, you know.”
Kyla smiled. “I know. I was just pushing your buttons.”
Peri didn’t have time to answer. The waiter interrupted their exchange to take their order and left a complimentary order of bread sticks and salad. Peri was about to take a bite of the sinful bread when she noticed a familiar blue-eyed, brown haired little girl approaching her.
“Hi, Miss Reed,” Chelsey said.
Peri looked into Chelsey’s smiling face. She smiled back. “Hello, Chelsey. How are you?” She looked around the room for Brendan’s ex. Although Shaker’s was a huge salon with many stylists, she was hoping to recognize Claire.
“Fine, I’m here with Mom and Oliver.” Just at that moment a five foot, six inch very thin brunette walked up to the table as well. “Hi, Peri. I’m Claire. I work at the hair salon a few chairs down from Keisha. Don’t worry, I have heard all about you.” She nodded at Chelsey.
Peri thought the tiny woman looked familiar. Slowly, her memory clicked in and she remembered Claire. She was always friendly to her when Peri was in the salon. “It’s nice to see you.” Peri shook hands with Brendan’s ex-wife. Peri surveyed the first Mrs. Donovan with green eyes of jealousy.
