by Tamika Brown
Shayla didn’t even give her time to say hello before she started babbling on about Calen being in Denver, and he was coming after her.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa girl, take a breath. Now, what is this about Calen being in Denver? Really, he’s in Denver?”
“He called me a few minutes ago. I let the machine get it. Tela, he’s here, in Denver, he wants me to call him back.”
“So, are you gonna call him back?”
“I… I don’t know what to do. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. I don’t want him to know about the baby.”
“So, don’t tell him, stick to your original plan. Anyway, how’s he gonna know if you don’t let on you are? You’re really not big yet,” Tela reasoned. “So, what else did he say?”
“Nothing really, he’s with his friend, Bryce, at a hotel and for me to call him when I got the message.”
“Oh, so he’s not alone. Seems to me he’s as nervous about seeing you again as you are about seeing him. I say call him. Set up a meeting. I gotcha back!”
“For real, you’ll go with me?”
“Of course, I will. I’m your best friend. I’ll always be there.”
“Thanks, Te. I owe you for this. Well, can you come to my house and help me? I need to fix my clothes so they will hide my belly. I don’t want him to be able to tell I’m pregnant if I have to confront him face-to-face,” she said.
“Sure girl, I’ll be right over. Let me get Duane out first.”
“Oh, Te, shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, girl. See ya soon.”
“Okay, and thanks again. Bye.” She hung up the phone more stressed and nervous than she had been since she found out she was having a baby.
“Get control; take a deep breath. It will be fine. Tela’s coming with you. It’s going to work,” she coached herself.
Twenty minutes later Tela pulled into her driveway, and Shayla was picking up the phone to dial Calen’s number.
His cell rang at least twice before he picked up the phone. For a moment, she convinced herself he wouldn’t answer, but when she heard his voice, all the emotions and memories she held at bay broke the levee and came rushing forward.
“Hey.”
“Hey. How’ve you been doing? I see you got my message,” he stated.
It really had been a long time.
“I’ve been doing fine. Yeah, I got your message.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad.” A pause as if he calculating how to approach the situation. Finally, a sigh came from the other end. “Can you meet me at my hotel? We need to talk.”
She was not surprised at his request. In fact, she prepared for it. “Yeah, I’ll meet you. I agree we do have some things we need to discuss.”
“I’m at the Springhill. Just off the airport exit.”
“Okay,” she said. “I know where that is. See you soon.”
Once she confirmed the address again, he hung up.
19
Calen
Calen hung up, confused. He wasn’t sure what, but there was a problem. Shayla sounded off to him. He was ecstatic to hear from her and grateful she accepted his invitation, but still, he knew in his gut something was wrong.
With urgency, Bryce asked, “So man, is she coming?”
“Yeah, she’s coming.”
“You don’t sound too happy about it though. What’s up?” His friend asked, concern etched across his forehead.
“No, it’s not that, she just sounded weird. There was this slight tremble in her voice when we were talking. It was faint, but she seemed scared. Of what, I don’t know.” Calen wanted to believe her fear had nothing to do with him.
Maybe it was just the anxiety of being in one another’s presence after such a long while. He wanted to believe that was it, but Shayla was on edge about something. He aimed to find out exactly why.
Bryce shook his head. “How do you know these things about her? You only spent a few weeks with her. How do you know what she sounds like when she’s scared?”
Calen’s memory went back to him and Shayla’s last night together, right when he rolled out of her arms and told her he needed to leave. She had been scared then. The expression on her face made it seem as if they were never going to see one another again. He hated it, but he had a duty to his country, one he was proud and happy to fulfill.
He let the memory fade, and silence fell between him and his best friend as they nursed their drinks from the bar and waited on Shayla.
SHAYLA
Shayla got ready in record time with Tela’s help, choosing the best outfit to flatter her new body but, at the same time, hide her pregnancy. She got a couple of glances of herself in the mirror. A satisfied smirk appeared with the hope she would be able to pull it off.
“We are meeting at the Hyatt Regency. I need you to come with me,” she said.
“Of course, I will. I’m not gonna let you go through this alone.”
Within twenty minutes of hanging up her phone, they were in Tela’s car heading for the hotel. The whole drive over Shayla was fidgety. She constantly fussed over her hair, clothes, and makeup. She checked the mirror more often than she should.
She glanced over at her friend to find out what she was smirking at. “What’s so funny?”
“You are. You should see yourself. Nervous, checkin’ your makeup every five seconds. For someone who’s been avoiding this person, you sure are going through a whole lot of trouble to look gorgeous for him.” She chuckled.
“Well, you know. I want to look good no matter who I’m meeting. Besides, he’s still the man I uttered those three words to. He’s still the father of my child.” She released a nervous breath. “I mean, Tela, I threw myself at this man the same night I came face-to-face with him. Then, slept with him three days after! So yeah, I wanna look good,” she said.
They pulled up to the hotel in less than ten minutes.
Both women walked into the hotel.
There was no sign of Calen in the lobby. When they reached the bar, Tela ordered herself a Motorcycle and ordered Shayla a sparkling water.
She turned to people watch and glimpsed the man who at night haunted her dreams. The man she loved and at the same time was terrified to come face-to-face with. Shayla made a beeline to where Calen sat with another man, who she assumed was the friend he mentioned, Bryce.
As they approached, Calen and his friend stood to greet the two women.
In an instant, Shayla remembered all the things that attracted her to Calen in the first place. He commanded respect. His stature was poised, and he was just plain sexy. He dripped sex.
Shayla began to get hot and felt the moisture between her legs gather in a pool of desire. She chastised herself under her breath for staring at him and for her reaction to him. This was not the place or the time. Control yourself, Blackwell.
Calen stared at her, and she tore her gaze away from his and adjusted her clothing to make sure her belly was still hidden.
Tela followed her to the table, and they slipped into their seats.
Introductions were made around the table as the ladies settled.
CALEN
Calen couldn’t stop staring at Shayla. There was something off about her, well maybe not off but definitely different. Her face was a little fuller, and her skin, vibrant, not that it was not before, but there seemed to be something extra.
Another thing different, how fidgety she seemed to be around him. Why was she so nervous around him all of a sudden? They had great chemistry. She wasn’t afraid of him before, so what was different? She acted as though she was terrified of him.
He didn’t know what this new Shayla was so guarded about. It frustrated him to no end. Bryce pulled him out of his daze. “Calen, you want another beer?”
“Huh? Yeah, yeah sure, man, thanks.”
“No problem. Tela and Shayla, you want another drink?” he asked.
There were yeses from both women.
“Make sure mine is sparkling water,” Shayla chimed in.
“You’re sure? Sparkling water?”
She nodded.
“Okay,” Bryce said, a little confused. “Tela, do you mind going with?”
Tela rose immediately. Almost before Bryce even finished the question. Calen chuckled as the two made their way to the bar.
Calen was grateful Bryce had his back. He knew he wanted to talk to Shayla alone.
Once the two left, he turned to Shayla. “How’ve you been?”
“Pretty good. What about you?”
“I’m good. I’ve been missing you.” He got straight to the point. “Why haven’t you been returning my calls?”
Good, he thought. Don’t give her time to evade and create a lie.
“Busy at work. Big presentation I needed to focus on. There was no room for error.” Calen could tell a practiced lie when he heard one, but he let it go. For now. “So, how’s your shoulder? Giving you any problems on your missions?”
“The shoulder’s fine.”
But as the answer came out of his mouth, he suddenly remembered how she traced his wound with her fingers the first night they spent together. How she caressed and nurtured it from that time on. How those touches and caresses made his heart soar. The way she stroked his shoulders intimately, soothing, and sensual all at the same time. To think someone could care for him that much, to be so attentive to what he needed, it made him feel amazing, like he was the only one for her, who and what she needed.
Before he could redirect the conversation back to the real reason she didn’t want to talk to him, the flirtatious laughter of Tela and Bryce heading back to the table interrupted them.
Bryce set everyone’s drinks on the table and took his seat next to Calen. A quick peek at his friend confirmed everything was fine before he continued his conversation with Tela.
To Calen, Shayla seemed thankful for the interruption and the drink. She took a big swig of the sparkling water in front of her. Nervous, she fidgeted with her glass and nearly drank all her water before her dinner even arrived at the table. She became quiet as Bryce and Tela caught his attention once more, and he glanced between the two of them with a wary expression. Even though originally he believed Tela would be good for Bryce, witnessing the two now, he was not so sure.
The two talked it up as if they were long-lost friends instead of strangers while Calen and Shayla ate in silence, both watching their best friends’ newfound friendship blossom.
Calen caught the occasional glances Shayla stole at him. She was unusually quiet and distant. Puzzling him even further, her choice of drink, sparkling water. Sparkling water from a woman who was wasted the first time they met.
He laughed to himself, remembering what a great time they had the first day at the restaurant.
He sent her a glass of wine to go with her dinner, then joined her for the rest of the evening. By the time they finished getting to know each other, she was very buzzed, her tongue loose, and her walls had come down.
And for the rest of both their vacations, it pretty much stayed loose where he was concerned. He remembered their make-out session on her porch the night they first met. She whispered it all in his ear.
Just thinking about it now caused a stir in him. He would definitely get to the bottom of Shayla Blackwell.
After dinner, Shayla and Tela ordered dessert while he and Bryce went back to the bar to order another round of drinks.
“Well, seems like you’ve got a new friend,” teased Calen.
“Yeah, Tela’s pretty cool. I want to know her better. She’s smart, sexy, funny, and a little bossy.” Bryce laughed. “Just the way I like ‘em.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “But anyway, you make any headway with Shayla?”
“No, but something’s definitely not right with her. It’s like she’s a totally different person from the woman I met in North Carolina. She doesn’t even seem like the same woman. She’s dressed differently; even her mannerisms are different. But I promise, I will get to the bottom of it,” he vowed.
“Uh oh, I know that look.”
“What look is that? What do you mean?”
“It’s the look you get when we go on missions, completely focused on the target. Shayla’s in trouble. You won’t stop until you figure it out. She’ll have her hands full if she tries to avoid you.” His gaze moved past Calen to Tela. “Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to steal Tela away for a minute to the dance floor.”
With complete confidence, Calen watched his friend woo Tela to the dance floor. Good for you, Bryce, you deserve it, he thought as he watched them move together. He liked Tela and believed she was a good match for his oldest and dearest friend. She was tough, straightforward, street-savvy, and a sexy, no-nonsense type of woman from what he could gather. That’s what Bryce needed, someone to boss him around. He laughed aloud. But he needed Bryce to be careful as well, Bryce could really get hurt if he fell too hard.
“He better watch out,” Calen muttered.
After watching his friend with Tela, he moved back to the table with Shayla’s drink, the smile still on his face. As he sat, he waited for her to take her first swallow.
“Thank you,” she said.
“So, what’s your opinion of the couple?” He nodded toward the dance floor.
“Well,” she began with a snicker, “I think Bryce is nice, but he’s way out of his league. She’ll devour him, you know. She said it as soon as we walked into the bar. She already had her radar on him.”
This bit of information gave him a mental picture he wished he could erase, but he couldn’t help but laugh aloud at the vision of his friend finally getting beat at his own game. She grinned.
“Ahh, there it is.”
“There what is?” She took another sip.
“That smile I remember.” He gazed at her for a moment. “I missed you, Shay.”
With that, he leaned over caressed her cheek, waiting for her approval. When she didn’t object, he kissed her on the lips.
At first, it was a timid kiss, almost as if this was their first time, as if they had to learn each other all over again. The memories came flooding back of their weeks together at the Banks, and the kiss deepened, became the familiar passion they shared all those months ago.
It was tough for him to pull away, and when he did, he could see their kiss had gotten to her. A smoldering look filled her eyes that clearly screamed out to him she was ready.
He remained close to her, calling up the memories of what they shared in Carolina. Whispering his passions into her ear as his teeth nipped her earlobe. His hand slipped to her thigh, and he began to stroke and caress.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to have better access to her awaiting neck. As he dived in for another kiss, his hand snaked slowly up the inside of her thigh to her treasure.
He remembered she didn’t wear underwear too often when they spent those weeks together. He was hoping this was one of those times.
He had been dead-on, and when he reached what he searched for, she gasped. Calen smirk at the sound. Oh, how he missed that. He was happy to find that she was nice and wet, and he was very glad their table was nestled in the back, away from prying eyes.
Shayla didn’t resist his probe. This pleased him immensely. It was proof she still desired him. With one wave of his hand, he signaled to Bryce this was not the time for him and Tela to come back to the table. When he got a peek, they were headed to the elevators. That left just the two of them to explore where this would go. He knew where he wanted it to end up.
Her in his arms, in his bed.
20
Shayla
Shayla couldn’t believe what was happening. She forgot about her façade and gave in to him. Her breathing became more ragged as he worked his fingers. She knew she was ready for her release.
She became unaware of anything surrounding them. He put her in a daze, and she was so caught up in him that she barely registered Tela and Bryc
e, making their way to the elevators.
All she saw was the love of her life was here. All she focused on was the intense pleasure he was giving to her. She reached out to stroke his erection through his slacks.
His moan was captured by the kiss she planted on his lips, letting her tongue explore his all the while. She let all her worries, all her fears float away with the waves of her orgasm like the music in the air.
Once she could breathe again, she was lured her from her seat and led her to the elevators. Calen’s hands wandered over her body. He caressed her face and the curve of her behind as they were lifted to his room.
It felt like she was his, like she belonged to him.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said in between kisses. “I miss how you fit me. How your body reacts to me.”
She moaned softly at the words.
“You’re mine, Shayla, and I’m not gonna let you go so easily.”
“Yours,” she agreed.
He deepened their kiss just as the elevator doors slid open.
They reached his room, 1201, and slipped inside. He made sure he put the Do Not Disturb sign on the doorknob before he closed it with his foot.
As soon as the door clicked, he began taking his clothes off, revealing the hard body she remembered, and she reveled in its magnificence.
He was just as she remembered him, broad shoulders and well-defined abs converged in a V leading to his lovely erection. She couldn’t wait for him to take her, to feel him inside of her again.
He moved closer to her and slowly began to undress her. She was self-conscious. The prospect of him finding out she was pregnant made her nervous, ruining the mood. She caressed his hands, kissing him and making sure he didn’t remove the silk camisole she wore under her clothing. She was certain it would help further hide her truth. Be that as it may, she wanted him, and she was going to have him, regardless of the secret pregnancy.
