“I will mommy. Have a good night.”
I kiss him on the cheek and step outside, waving bye to Juliette and Declan. Declan shuts the door behind me as I step onto the city streets and head toward Major’s.
You can do this.
8
Relapse
I step toward the restaurant, only to find it empty. Curious and concerned at the same time, I move closer to the glass, staring inside only to see one table setting in the center of the restaurant.
A small smile creeps along my face as I pull the door open, only to find it locked. Tapping on the door, I wait for Major to let me in. The cool night air gusts through the city, flowing through my golden locks.
A shiver travels through my body as I glance around, waiting for Major. I knock harder this time, hoping he hears it. At that moment, a sense of urgency and fear seeps into me as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Feeling like someone is watching me, I spin around, hoping it’s no one. That familiar sense of fear scares the shit out of me as I glance around, looking for anyone that might look like one of those thugs from Atlantic City.
I can’t even imagine they’d still be after me, after all these years, but you never know how long people will hold grudges; especially if money’s involved.
A dark shadow emerges from across the street causing me to freeze in position. My breath hitches as my vision sharpens.
At that moment, the door swings open behind me and Major sneaks up behind me. I yelp out, startling as he touches me.
“Geez, it’s just me. Are you alright?”
I stare into his eyes, letting the warmth from his body, calm me down. I push the tears away and breathe. “Sorry, I thought I saw…nothing. It was nothing.”
Major holds me against him. “You sure? Your face is pale like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I laugh it away. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
He hesitates but lets go, ushering me into the restaurant. He takes my jacket and ushers me toward the table just for the two of us. Soft music plays in the background as candles light up the restaurant. The scent of our delicious meal wavers from the kitchen, making my stomach growl with excitement and hunger.
Major returns with a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes. I’m not sure drinking would be the right thing to do tonight, but I can handle one. Anything more, and I’d be a total goner. I smile as he pours the champagne into my glass. He takes a seat across from me and stares intensly with those deep dark eyes.
My body trembles with a heated yearning and I have to force myself to not lick my lips. We hold up our glasses for a toast.
Major chimes first. “To new beginnings.”
I smile shyly and click my glass with his. “To new beginnings.”
I pull the glass back, allowing the drink to spill down my throat, coating each layer with the warm sparkly buzz. We sip together in a comfortable silence. I can’t help but smile as Major sips his champagne and watches as I finish up mine.
His deep eyes brighten under the candlelight and I watch as he stands and heads back toward the kitchen. As he exits, I wipe away the sweat from my hands and fan myself with a napkin. Damn it’s hot in here.
Major returns with a silver dome, covering our food. I smile with anticipation as he sets the dome on our table. I can’t help but feel all giddy like a little girl, opening up Christmas presents.
Major places his hand on the dome, teasing me for a few seconds. “Ready?”
I nod, “Of course I’m ready. Stop messing with me!”
He snickers as he uncovers the plates of food. I gasp at the delicious display of a beautifully crafted meal. The scent of greens and savory sauce fills my nose, causing my mouth to salivate in an instant.
“Dinner for tonight is the chef’s specialty; Beef Wellington. Bon Appétit.”
“Wow, Major. This looks amazing!”
He glances at me from across the table as he sits in his seat. “I’m glad you like it. Now, dig in.”
We enjoy our meal together as we discuss work and his expansion plans for a third restaurant. I watch and listen to his plans as his eyes grow with determination and his face lights up with excitement.
I’ve always admired Major’s motivation for broadening his horizons. He’s never satisfied with meeting just one goal. He’s the type of person to always strive for more. It’s one of his great qualities that I admire so much.
“Refill?”
He motions the champagne bottle toward my empty glass, waiting for my answer.
“Oh sorry. Uhhh, yes please.”
I watch as he pours another glass, mentally spanking myself for giving in to another portion. It’s just champagne, what’s the worst that could happen?
I sip the drink, contemplating when I should bring up that specific topic and dive right into my secret. Should I tell him the whole story about Atlantic City and everything? Or just tell him about Crew? He’s going to want to know why I did what I did. And the truth is…I thought I knew but now I don’t.
I don’t have a good enough reason for why I’ve kept it a secret and that scares me. Time to just suck it up and spit it out.
Before I could muster up the courage, Major chimes in. “So, your friend, that was with you a couple weeks ago at Luce del Sole, I saw her again.”
My eyes grow wide with hesitation. “You did?”
Major nods as he bites into his beef. “Yeah, I think she was with her husband. They came into the restaurant again. They seem like a nice couple. She was very nice and gave my waitress a generous tip.”
I drink my champagne, wanting to just chug it, but I force myself to relax. Now’s the moment to speak up.
“Yeah, she is a great friend. It’s funny that you bring her up. I was just at her house before I came here.”
“Oh really, for what?”
I gulp. “Her daughter had a ballet recital and Juliette, my friend, is a dancer as well. She choreographed the recital and it was this whole major event tonight. They performed Swan Lake.”
“Ahh, so that’s why you look so beautiful tonight. All dressed up for the ballet.”
I catch his stare and he winks at me with ease and flirtation. Heat rises to my cheeks as I brush away a stray strand of hair away from my face, and tuck it behind my ear.
Major stands, taking my empty plate. “Ready for dessert?”
He stands above me, reaching out for my hand. “Uh, yea but why are we standing?”
“Must you always ask so many questions? Just follow me.”
He blows out the candles and I follow him toward the kitchen. He places our dirty dishes in the sink and we head further into the back, into a dark hallway.
“Uhh, Major?”
A deep chuckle escapes from him as he grabs my hand and enter into a dark space. He shuts the door behind us and he guides me up a stairwell. I feel for him and place my hand on his shoulder, letting him guide me up the steps. We descend upon a steel door as Major pushes it open and pulls me outside onto a rooftop.
I gasp with astonishment as the rooftop is completely decked out with lights all around. A trail of lights twinkle across the sky towering from one end to the other. Even though it’s chilly out, I don’t feel cold by the slightest. Major guides me to the center of the roof as I see another silver dome.
“Major, this is gorgeous. Did you do all this?”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “Ehh, no big deal. Piece of cake.”
“I didn’t know your restaurant had a rooftop.”
“We don’t. This is actually the rooftop of next door. Our spaces share a connected stairwell and my neighbors let me come up here tonight. I don’t do this stuff on the regular.”
He guides me to a love seat as we sit side by side. He uncovers the dome, displaying a decorated plate of strawberry cheesecake and chocolate mousse cake.
He smiles, “See…piece of cake.”
I laugh at his small joke. “Ha-ha, that was kind of corny.”
He smirks, “Y
eah, you’re right. That was pretty lame.”
Major passes me a fork allowing me to slice into my cakes and bite into the delectable deliciousness. The smooth creamy cheesecake fills my mouth and I moan as I savor every inch. Major slices into his piece of chocolate mousse and licks his lips. I catch myself staring as he licks his fork. Hot damn, this man is freakin hot.
Major peeks at me and I look away, hoping he didn’t catch me staring, so I stuff my face with cheesecake. My cheeks fill with the pastry filling and I can only imagine I must look like a chipmunk right about now.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Major holding in his laughter as I swallow the huge piece of cake. I slap his shoulder just as he bursts into laughter. “Not funny!”
Major calms down. “What, you looked hilarious with all that food in your mouth. Are you storing for the winter?”
Before even thinking it through, I find myself shoving a piece of cheesecake in his face, and smearing it all over. Major immediately stops laughing as I cover his face with cake. I stare at him for a brief moment before chuckling under my breath.
He huffs and licks a piece of cake from the corner of his mouth. He sucks his lips, tasting the cake. “Hmm, needs a hint of sugar.”
I explode into laughter at his reaction and before I know it, he hits me with chocolate mousse. My eyes shoot open in complete shock as I see him roll back into his seat, holding his stomach as he roars with amusement.
As my vengeance grows more and more, I grab another piece of cheesecake, and aim, right before Major grabs hold of my hand. “Truce. Truce.”
I hesitate, waiting for him to renig, but he seems compliant. “Sure, truce.”
He reaches for a napkin, tossing it to me, and I clean the mousse off my face. He uses another napkin to clean his and a few moments later we are good as new. I can’t help but cackle under my breath as we put the plate of dessert back on the table.
I motion for the love seat, but he pulls me toward him and grabs hold, as we stand hand in hand. He raises my arms, and nests them behind his neck as his hands stay on my hips. We sway together in silence for a brief moment before I state the obvious.
“What are you doing?”
Major’s deep voice mumbles. “Dancing.”
I glance around, feeling like a fool. “But there’s no music.”
He huffs with agitation and steps back to pull out his phone. Seconds later, music plays from his phone and he places it on the table. He brings me back to my earlier position as we sway to the song.
“There, better?”
My lips curve into a smile. “Yes, very.”
We dance to the beat of the song as the lights from above twinkle and light up the night sky. The smooth melody of the song deepens our connection as I listen to the lyrics.
I peer at Major, asking. “What song is this?”
“It’s Small Talk by Majid Jordan. They’re a relatively small group but I really enjoy their music. It’s R & B mixed with electronic beats. These guys got some serious talent.”
Our bodies move along to the sounds as another song begins to play. The famous beats of the drums immediately signal familiarity and I glance up at Major. “The Zombies?”
He nods, “Time of the Season is a classic.”
His arms squeeze tighter around my hips as his body presses closer into me. The heavy beats and dangerous song lyrics steam up the cool air around us as I stare into Major’s dark eyes. I notice that same intensity as before and in that moment, his lips are on mine.
His hands rush up toward my hair, gripping me tighter as our lips press against one another. My body heats with excitement and lust as my lungs gasp for air. He groans with fury as one hand dips lower and grazes the curves of my hips.
He steps forward pushing me toward the love seat and within seconds, I crash onto it. His body presses on top of mine and our lips meet each other again. Strong hands caress the curves of my body as his lips pull away from mine, and leave a trail of kisses along my neck. I let out a soft moan as my body fills with heat.
The bulge from his jeans press against my inner thigh turning me on even more. His hand grazes underneath my dress, as his fingers slide up to my thigh and I can’t help but giggle underneath him. Major lifts himself up, meeting my gaze.
He takes a deep breath before asking me, “You wanna go back to my place.”
Without even thinking, I answer. “Yes.”
Without a second to spare, Major busts through the apartment door with me in his arms. Our lips tangle with one another as he shuts the door behind us. I kick off my shoes as he removes my jacket and his. His hands cup my ass as he lifts me off the ground and carries me toward his bedroom.
Major tosses me on the bed as I let out a chuckle filled with excitement and anticipation. He crawls over me pressing his lips back onto mine. My hands tangle in his black hair as he nuzzles his lips all over my neck.
My legs cradle around his body, pushing him forward and further into me. In an instant, he lifts off and slips out of his jeans. I sit up to pull his shirt over his head. Major bends down, kissing my legs and moving up toward my inner thigh.
I taste my lips, savoring each moment as Major’s press onto my skin, heating every inch with each touch of his lips. His strong hands rub all over my body, lifting up my dress over my head. In just a bra and panties, I sit still waiting for Major to make the first move.
I catch him staring, admiring my curves as his eyes travel up and down my body. At that moment, my inner conscience kicks in, reminding me of the task that I promised I would complete today.
Major inches forward just as I press my hand on his chest. “Wait, I have to tell you something.”
Major removes my hand. “Tell me later.”
He presses my back onto the bed, returning his kisses to the bridge of my neck. I listen to his command as I let go and let Major continue his exploration of my body.
Minutes later, he reaches over to his nightstand to grab a condom. He crouches over me and asks, “You’re not going to disappear on me again, are you?”
I shake my head replying ‘no’ and he smiles. He tears the packaging with his teeth and rolls on the rubber just as I slip out of my panties.
Hovering over me, Major eyes me with a fierce power of emotion and lust.
I know this isn’t right. But it’s better when it feels wrong.
9
Truth
The blaring sound of my cellphone ringer awakens me from a deep sleep. My eyes open to a familiar bedroom and I glance around, hunting for my cellphone. I catch the flashing light from the floor and realize it must have fallen on the ground last night.
Major’s snores echo next to me as I wiggle out of the bed completely naked and tiptoe to gather my phone. I hit the green button as I see Juliette’s name flash on the screen.
With a low whisper, I answer the phone. “Hello.”
Crew’s voice chimes through. “Mommy, are you coming to get me soon?”
Nerves shoot all over my body as I glance back at the bed, hoping Major can’t hear anything. I grab my dress and haul ass to the bathroom before I answer.
With ease, I shut the bathroom door and sit on the toilet. “Yes, sweetie. I’ll be there soon. Everything alright?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. I just want to go home now.”
Just as I’m about to answer, I hear knocks tapping through the door. Major’s voice echoes through with concern. “Dylan, you okay in there?”
Shit.
“Uhhh, yeah be right out!”
“Mommy, who you talking to?’
I whisper into the phone. “No one sweetie. I’ll be there soon. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I hang up the phone and decide to use the bathroom and wash up real quick. I slip into my dress, not sure if I should remain naked or not. I didn’t really think things through last night and now I’m in some deep shit.
I finish up and exit the bathroom, only to find the bedroom empty. T
aking Major’s hint, I slip back into my panties and pull off my dress, to put my bra back on. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I have that ‘just-been-fucked-hair’ but I could care less right now.
With a deep breath, I step out into the hall to find Major making a pot of coffee. Oh, thank god. I slip into the kitchen and take a seat on a barstool as I watch Major. My eyes travel up and down his body, glancing at his shirtless chest and bare back. Muscles exude from his broad shoulders causing my body to shutter with urge.
“Good morning.”
Major turns, facing me with a smile. “Morning Sunshine.”
I snicker at that stupid nickname as he offers me a mug. “Coffee?”
I nod, “Yes please. I absolutely love coffee.”
He pours me a cup and asks, “Cream? Sugar?”
“Black please. Thank you.”
His brow arches. “Black. Mmm, well aren’t you bold. I’d have figured you to be a latte kind of girl.”
I grab the mug allowing the bitter aroma to hit my nostrils. “Nope, I love my roast dark.”
He inches closer, sipping his hot beverage as his hands caress my waist. He bends, laying a soft kiss on my cheek. I give him a small smile, knowing that I’m going to have to ruin this moment soon.
Major takes a step back to sit in the stool next to me instead. “Everything alright in the bathroom?”
This is it.
I let out a deep breath and place my mug on the counter, knowing I need to be bold, just like my coffee. “Yeah, I just got a phone call I needed to answer.”
With a concerned look, Major bends closer. “You’re not running away right?”
“No, I’m not running this time. Listen, I want to tell you about the person who called.”
He inches away from me with a puzzled look. “Okay?”
Come on Dylan, just spit it out.
My voice trembles with nerves just as Major cups my hand. I glance at him, fighting the tears from spilling onto my face.
“The person who called me this morning was my son.”
Passion, Vows & Babies: Perfect Strangers (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 7
