by Tina Martin
Her breath caught in her lungs but her heart still managed to race.
Every moment...
She was beginning to panic as she thought about what that entailed.
“I’m going to take a shower and wash this makeup off my face.”
“Okay. Take your time.” Titus took off his suit jacket. “I’ll be here when you get out.”
She smiled. “Do you think you can help me with my zipper?” she asked, turning around exposing the zipper of her dress.
“You shouldn’t tease me like this,” he said placing his left hand on her shoulder while using his right hand to pull down the silver zipper on the sexy red dress she had on. He eased it past her black bra and on down to her tailbone. The heat radiating from her skin was enough to make his chest hairs stand up. She smelled so sweet, he wanted her to skip the shower so he could have this scent assailing his nostrils when she was wrapped tight in his arms.
And tonight she would be in his arms...
* * *
When she finished up in the bathroom, he took a quick shower then returned to the bedroom standing in the middle of the floor in his boxers looking at her as she stared back at him.
He smiled.
So did she, her eyes bathing his tall stature. She’d seen him this way before – once – the last time she was at his place, and here he was again showing muscles, abs and delectable, chocolate skin. He was comfortable with his body the same way he was with his work. Everything about him spoke to his confidence but unfortunately made her feed into her own negative thoughts about why a man like him would choose a woman with limitations when he was so...
So...
Free.
He walked over to the bed, pulled back the covers then turned off the lamp closest to him. She reached to turn off the light on her nightstand before scooting down and pulling up the covers as she rested her head on the pillow. Titus immediately covered her with his body and soaked up her warmness. He kissed her lips. Her hands easily rested at the nape of his neck while he controlled the kiss, taking it how far he wanted it to go.
She moaned a whimper and held on. Held on as he bathed her tongue in long, smooth strokes, sending her pulse racing. Titus felt her tongue glide back and forth across the roof of his mouth. The heavy kissing, the panting, the moaning had his soul ablaze, had him desiring to express his need for her in more physical ways. He knew she didn’t want that – knew and understood her limits. He only wanted what she wanted and he wouldn’t seduce or coerce her into doing anything she wasn’t comfortable with.
But times like this made it difficult, especially when her lips tasted so sweet. When her body felt so good beneath his – soft to the touch. When her tongue tasted better than the finest meal he’d ever eaten. When her moans sounded like beautiful tunes of music he couldn’t get enough of listening to. And he kissed, and kissed and kissed her – sucked on her tongue until her whimpers sounded more like cries than moans. He loved to hear her whimper, so he deepened the kiss, was running away with madness with kissing her until something happened that made him stop. He felt her body lock up tight and heard the worrisome sighs hum a tune when he released her mouth.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked close enough to see her face in the dark room.
“This—” she said winded. “I—I think we should stop.”
“Haven, breathe,” he told her, staring down into her worried eyes. “Why do you sound like you’re panicking?”
“Because I—” she panted. “I don’t think we—”
“Baby, calm down. Listen to me.”
“O-okay. I’m listening,” she said, her breathing still erratic as she stared up at him.
“There’s no need for you to panic. Nothing will happen. I know my limits. Breathe.”
“I am breathing,” she said struggling for air.
He brushed a kiss across her forehead. “There’s nothing for you to worry about, Haven. I’m only kissing you.”
“I know, but I also know you’re a grown man with grown-man needs and we probably shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be leading you on like this. It’ll lead to other things I’m not ready for.”
“Haven,” he whispered his mouth a breath away from her lips.
“Yes?” she whispered back and when she did, their lips touched.
“I know what you’re not ready for. I’m aware. What I want you to know is, I will not cross over boundaries you’re not ready to explore.”
“But I can feel you,” she said, her body aching in response. “I know you want—”
“Shh…this isn’t about me, baby. It’s about you and I’m telling you, sweetheart, that you don’t have to worry. All I want is to kiss these lips,” he said taking a quick kiss. “I miss you. I want this closeness. Want to feel your body beneath mine. If you need me to sleep on the sofa, I will, but I really would much rather be here with you.”
“I want you to be here with me, Titus.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Then let me be with you.” Titus lowered his lips to hers, burying his tongue deep into the recesses of her mouth and greedily taking all the kisses he wanted, making up for two weeks of lost time. He kissed away her worries tearing down the wall she put up to leave kisses on her neck and along the curve of her shoulder. “I love your body,” he said softly looking down at her.
Her eyes were closed but when she opened them, she smiled at the sight of him.
“I love the way you smell,” he continued. “The way you taste. The way you breathe. The way you look at me.”
“I love all those things about you, too.” She wrapped her legs around his muscular thighs then lifted her head from the pillow to nip at his bottom lip.
Turned on by the gesture, he took her lips again, kissing them softly, sucking one at a time into his mouth before feeding on her tongue again, wanting her so bad his body nearly exploded from the sensuous kissing alone.
“By the way, you shouldn’t wrap your legs around me like that,” he told her.
“Why not?” she asked playfully biting down on her lip and tightening her legs around him.
“You know why, you lil’ tease.” He nibbled on her neck, making her laugh and moan at the same time.
“You need to stop so I can get some sleep,” she told him.
“You’re right. It is pretty late, huh?”
“Yeah. It is.”
He moved his body to lay next to her, then held her close to him. He could get used to this on a more permanent basis. He wanted this permanently. The back and forth, being in Greensboro alone without her was becoming too much for him, especially when he knew she was the woman he wanted to spend his life with. He wanted her close to him like this every night – not just on the weekends or whenever they made time to see each other.
Haven closed her eyes while listening to his heartbeat and thinking about how much this man meant to her and how much he was sacrificing to be with her. It was love, she knew, but she couldn’t help but think she was doing him a disservice – holding him back from living.
Chapter 4
Haven watched as Kirsten, Daniel Wassermann’s sister, checked in a customer. She was slowly getting the hang of it but still had a little trouble navigating the computer system.
Titus had gotten up early to find out if Haven needed help with breakfast, and after he helped her cook sausage and refill the cereal canisters, he returned to the apartment to sleep. Haven was back standing next to Kirsten when a call came through from Angelina. Haven excused herself, stepped outside in the crisp, morning chill and answered, “Hey, girl?”
“Hey, woman. How’s it swinging?”
Haven laughed. “I’m in the middle of training.”
“Oh. Do you have to go?”
“No. I have a few minutes.” She glanced at her watch. “Are you on the way over here?”
“No. I left super early and I’m sure you were still in bed at the time so I rolled on out.”
&nbs
p; “Seriously, Angelina? Ain’t no telling when I’ll see you again.”
“It won’t be that long. By the way, did you talk to Titus about your concerns?”
Haven smiled thinking about the night she’d spent with Titus. It was picture perfect – one of their best nights yet. “Yes, we talked. A little. Dinner with my parents went well if you don’t consider my mother chiming in with questions about when we would get married and have kids.”
“No, she didn’t!”
“Girl, she did. I was so embarrassed. Titus handled it pretty well, though.”
“But other than that, it was good?”
“It was. It turned out real nice,” Haven said, staring down at the sidewalk, kicking a few pebbles out of the walkway. “That’s a good sign, right?”
“I’d like to think so. See…you were all worried for nothing.”
“No, it wasn’t for nothing. My worry is valid.”
“Why? Because it sounds like Titus is not concerned about your marriage rule.”
She was right about that. He wasn’t concerned about it, but she was. “He’s not bothered by it. He really likes me. I think you were right when we talked Thursday night. I’m more bothered by it than he is.”
“Exactly, which means work it out within yourself, girl. You don’t want to go losing your man over something that can easily be squashed. So, squash it!”
“Okay…I have to get back in here before this girl blows up the whole computer system. I’ll talk to you later. Drive safe.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Haven walked back inside to make sure Kirsten was comfortable with answering the phones for a while before continuing to the breakfast room to check on the food. There were plenty of eggs, bacon, sausage and grits to last until 9:30 a.m. when breakfast was over.
After she finished doing inventory, she saw Titus sitting in the room amongst other guests, looking at his phone. He had a tablet on the table and a cup of coffee. She walked over to him, placed a hand on his broad shoulder and said, “Oh, so you wait until I go outside then sneak back in here with your notebook. Is this a working breakfast, Mr. Cassidy?”
A brilliant smile glowed on his face when he responded, “Yes. Sort of, although I’d much rather be spending the day with you somewhere away from here.”
“Okay. As soon as I get this area closed and make sure Kirsten is okay with the front, I’ll be ready.”
He glanced at his watch. “So, we’re looking at about 10:30 or 11:00 before we leave?”
“Yes. Is that good?”
“It is, but let’s shoot for closer to 10:30. We have an appointment at 11:30 and I don’t want to be late.”
“An appointment where?”
“It’s a surprise. Just wear comfortable clothes and shoes.” Titus gathered up his phone and notebook. “I’m going to run a few errands but I’ll be back here by 10:30 to pick you up.”
“Okay.”
He stood up, left a small kiss on her temple then headed out.
* * *
Titus was back at exactly 10:30 a.m. waiting for Haven in the parking lot. He saw her the moment she emerged, rocking a pair of Levi’s and a long, yellow blouse. Her hair was done differently – she had a curly side-bang and a ponytail swinging in the back as she walked toward the car. He got out, opened the door for her and took a kiss before she got inside.
“Ahh,” she said, settling in the seat, feeling relaxed already. Mid-sixties outside, it was balmy in his car and what a beautiful, sunny, Spring day to spend with her boyfriend.
Boyfriend.
Did grown women – like thirty-year-old grown women – refer to their man as their boyfriend? She didn’t know what else to call him.
She let the window down a little, closed her eyes and lost herself in the breeze as he began down the road.
“Are you hot?”
“No. It’s just a little warm today—not bad for late March, huh?”
“Not bad at all—it’s a beautiful day. I picked the perfect weekend to come see you.”
“You did,” Haven said then touched his thigh, feeling those hard muscles through his jeans. Could Saturday mornings get any better than this?
“How is Kirsten catching on?”
“She’s not. The computer system is proving to be a challenge. I guess that’s what Mr. Wassermann gets for hiring a family member with no formal computer training.”
“Can she type at all?”
Haven chuckled. “She is a pecker...types with her index fingers…drives me insane. Would I be wrong to recommend a basic-level computer class for her?”
“No. If she needs it for the job, it wouldn’t hurt, but hey that’s on them. When May first rolls around, she’s on her own.”
“Not entirely—at least not like I was. Mr. Wassermann has a crew coming. He’s bringing on a part-time morning person to handle the cooking so Kirsten is only concerned with handling check-in and the phones, he’s hired two maids to clean rooms and do laundry and then there are the groundskeepers.”
“Wow! That’s a lot of people considering you were doing it all.”
“I was, except for the outside work.”
“You shoveled snow.”
“Not all the time. Plus, when this good-looking guy showed up one day this past winter, he helped me shovel snow because I think he liked me.”
Titus smiled, knowing she was referring to him. He changed lanes and merged off the Interstate.
“Mr. Wassermann is going to convert my current apartment into a fantasy suite during renovations.”
“That should be nice.”
“If you say so,” she said. “It all seems too extravagant for my taste. People come to the mountains for the country, log-cabin feel—not to feel like they’re in some fancy villa in Cali.”
“True, but this is his vision, so let him run with it. You’re almost done working there, remember?”
Haven smiled just barely, suddenly struck with melancholy about her time at the Bed & Breakfast coming to an end. It was her life for so long and she’d mastered it. Now, she had to leave. “Anyway, enough about work—where are we going?”
“Hold your horses, baby. We’ll be there in a few shakes. All I want you to do is relax and enjoy this day. Okay?”
“Yes, Sir,” she said adjusting the seat back a little. She placed her hands behind her head and enjoyed the drive, staring out at the scenery. A perfect blue sky illuminated by the sun made an impression but not more than the majestic mountains that decorated the terrain. Brown grass was becoming green again. Trees were starting to bud and thicken with luscious green leaves. Spring was nature’s ‘New Year’ – a new beginning. It was also a new beginning for her.
Titus glanced over at her. The window was still down. Wind blew through her curls causing her strands to bounce in her face. He slowed behind a few cars at a red light, placed his right hand on her left and asked, “Have you made a decision about where you’ll be moving at the end of April?”
“No. Not yet.”
Titus’ jaw clenched. She didn’t mention the obvious suggestion of moving in with him or at least somewhere near Greensboro, if not Greensboro itself. Instead, she was still undecided. “What about your parents? They mentioned something about Asheville during dinner.”
She shook her head. “They’re not going to Asheville. They want to retire somewhere warm. Most likely, they’ll end up in Florida like every other retired American with a little cash who hates the cold.”
“Is that where you’re going to end up?”
“No.” She looked at him. “I don’t want to move to Florida. I’m not a retired American.”
“Then where are you going?” he pressed.
“I don’t know yet, Titus. When I make a decision, you’ll be the first to know.”
He nodded biting back the bitterness he felt. If she wanted to be with him, she had a weird way of showing it. Or maybe it was his eagerness to be with her that didn’t match her desire to b
e with him – at least not this weekend.
They pulled up at a park. From a large sign, Haven could see the various activities available – zip-lining, laser tag, coasters and hiking. She crossed her fingers hoping they’d play a game of laser tag.
Titus took her hand and while they walked to the ticket booth, he said, “You seem nervous.”
“I am a little nervous...hoping you’re not out here trying to be a daredevil today.”
“A daredevil? I thought women liked men who had a sense of adventure.”
“Adventure and common sense, yes.”
“Don’t worry—you’re in good hands with me.”
She looked at him sideways. “That’s what you said when you took me on that ski lift.”
“And you lived to tell about it.”
“Yeah...barely.”
He chuckled, then squeezed her nervous, twitchy hand before plastering a kiss on her temple. “You’ll be all right,” he told her. He needed her to be open to trying new things because she was a virgin in many ways. Sheltered and inexperienced. Diving head-first into her parents’ business didn’t afford her the opportunity to have much of a life, but now that the business had been sold, he felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. That she was free. Right now, though, he could tell she was still holding on to that safe side of her life. The side that didn’t take risks and lived being comfortable with the ordinary. Truth be told, he didn’t like that side of her. It was the only thing interfering with their compatibility.
“Titus?”
“Yes?”
“What are we doing today?”
Standing in the ticket line, he turned to her and said, “We’re zip-lining.”
She frowned. “Nope. No way. I’m not doing that.”
He smiled off her hesitancy. “You’ll be fine.”
