Authors: Marie Rochelle
“Yes, it almost time for winter.”
“Does it get really cold here?”
She asked, shivering.
Letting go of her hand,
Hayward
wrapped his arm around her shoulders, enveloping her with his body heat. “If you ever get too cold I’ve a nice warm spot waiting for you in my bed. I promise I’ll keep you warm all night long and early into the morning.” He breathed by her ear.
Pinching
Hayward
’s arm, True shook her head.
“Stop that.” What was she going to do with him?
She didn’t need any more fantasies about him keeping her awake at night.
“Ouch!”
Hayward
hissed, rubbing the sore spot on his arm.
“Damn it, that hurt!”
“Keep talking like that and you’ll get it again.”
She teased.
“Hasn’t making love with me crossed your mind yet?”
Hayward
asked as he stopped by her front door. Moving closer, he pressed her body against the door with his, it felt so hard against hers. She would definitely dream about this tonight.
“I know I’ve been thinking about it since the first time I saw you.”
A bird chirped for its mate in a tree somewhere behind them, in the forest, but True couldn’t get her mind off what
Hayward
just confessed to her. She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. “What? You acted like you hated me the first time I tried to speak to you.”
Her eyes drank up the sight of his handsome face, highlighted by the moonlight. All his wonderful features seemed so much sharper and sexier.
“Kitten, I didn’t want to scare you off, but I do want to work toward a being in your life for a while.”
“I would like for you to have a place in my life too.” She admitted.
running
her fingers through his thick hair; the cool strands felt good on her fingers. “I need to get inside and unpack my suitcases.” She pressed her back against the front door and peek up at
Hayward
from underneath her lashes.
“Do you need any help?” He asked hopeful.
Shaking a finger at him she said, “You know if you come in I won’t get anything done. It’s time for you to go home.” True reached inside her pocket and pulled out her house keys. She moved to unlock the front door, but
Hayward
placed his hand on top of hers.
“Let me do it,” he whispered, kissing the back of her neck.
He unlocked the front door with a flick of his wrist; then pushed opened the door.
True went inside then closed the door behind her and left
Hayward
standing on her front step. Resting her head on the back of the door, she exhaled deeply and sighed.
Hayward
’s sexual allure would be the death of her, if she didn’t learn how to control herself.
Shaking off the daze she was in,
True
grabbed her suitcases off the floor and went upstairs.
Tossing the first suitcase on the bed, she divided her clothes in two piles: one for dirty clothes and another for the clean ones. Stirring around the room, she placed things away when something strange caught her eye at the dresser, it was partly open.
“I know I closed that before I left,” True mumbled going over to the oak dresser. “Well, I know no one has been in my house, so I guess I’m wrong,” she shrugged, slamming it shut.
* * * *
Sylvester slid the purple nightgown through his hands, and then brought it back to his face for the fourth time that night.
God, he loved the smell of her. True had so many pretty things in her dresser. He wanted to grab more, but she and
Hayward
came back surprising him. For a few moments, he thought they might come upstairs and catch him, but they stayed down stairs. He hurried and jumped out her bedroom window. He had lurked outside the kitchen window and watched them kiss through the crack in the blind. Neither had sensed the gun he had pointed at
Hayward
and his trigger finger, had itched to shoot him, but he didn’t do it. Instead, he left with his prize stuck in his pocket.
Lying on his bed, Sylvester rubbed the slip across his chest. It was killing him to wait this long, but it wouldn’t be much longer. Soon enough True would know what it’s like to be in the presence of Sylvester Cantrell. Shoving the slip under the pillow, he picked up the cell phone and called his boss.
“You better have good news for me.” His boss’s sleepy voice muttered into the phone
“She came back home today.
Hayward
picked her up from the airport.”
“Good, I was getting worried she might have moved again. This is the closest I’ve been to her in six months and I won’t lose her this time.”
“What do you want with her anyway? What did she do to you?” Sylvester questioned.
“What I want with her isn’t any of your business. Just keep a closer eye on her this time,” his boss snapped; then hung up.
He tossed the phone on the nightstand, and stretched his arms above his head. He didn’t have time to get upset with his boss, late as it was, because his mind was focused on something else - True and the scrap of purple silk she called a nightgown. “I’ll make her model it first before I tear it from her gorgeous body.” Grinning, he turned over in the bed and fell to sleep.
Chapter Twelve
“Good Morning sexy,”
Hayward
’s deep voice mumbled the next morning inside her mind. True heard
Hayward
’s deep voice by her ear and snuggled deeper into the covers. She knew he wasn’t in the room with her, so it had to be one of her early morning dreams about him. Pulling the covers more around her body, she tried to get back to sleep. She was almost back to sleep when she felt lips nibbling at the back of her neck.
Now, I know I’m not asleep
, she thought. The feel of warm lips on the back of her neck was real, and they were searing a path from her neck over to her earlobe.
Opening her eyes slowly she turned over and saw
Hayward
’s handsome face leaning over her. “Oh my God, what in the hell are you doing in my room,” she screamed.
as
she jumped up in the bed. The burgundy covers dropped to her waist showing off her nightgown. Her heart pounded erratically against her ribs and she laid her hand against her chest as she tried to catch her breath. How in the hell did he get inside her house?
A grin tugged at the side of his mouth, “Kitten, I love this nightgown,”
Hayward
whispered, pressing his lips against one silky breast, then he gently moved up her chest and covered her mouth with his.
Purring lightly True fell back on the covers and tugged
Hayward
with her, the feel of his mouth of her was better than any late night dream. Running her hands through his hair, she pressed her body closer to his. She drank in the sweetness of the kiss, the tenderness of it made her body quiver.
NO! She had to stop this or she’ll regret it later.
Shoving him away from her body, True yanked the covers up to her neck and glared at
Hayward
. “What are you doing in my bedroom at
“You didn’t take these back last night after I unlock your door, so I kept them.” Placing his hand over her legs, he tilted his body toward her.
“I couldn’t resist a peek of you this morning,” he whispered, tugging the sheet away from her with his free hand. His eyes raked up and down her body before he brought them back to her face. “You look and smell delicious,” he moaned, nibbling on her neck, before reclaiming her lips for another kiss.
True moaned despite herself. Closing her eyes, she let herself savor the taste of him and the hotness of the kiss.
How much longer can I fight the urge to make love to him
? The feel of his body over hers was intoxicating, his wide shoulders blocked out the sunlight from coming in through the window. She was so lost in the kiss that it took a moment or two for her to realize
Hayward
had stopped. Lifting her heavy lids, she raised her eyes and saw him sitting on the bed with his head inside his hands. Her fingers reached out to touch him, “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Please Kitten, don’t touch me.” He hissed, as he moved to the end of the bed. “I need a few minutes to cool off.”
Rearranging the pillows behind her back,
True
relaxed in the big oak bed. Lowering her lids, she watched as he tried to get his body back under control. “
Hayward
, I’m sorry to put you through this torture. Maybe we should rethink this relationship and where’s it headed.”
Hayward
yanked her from under the covers into his arms; he pressed his forehead against hers. “Don’t ever say that to me. I don’t mind taking twenty cold showers while I wait for you,” he stressed, holding her gaze.
“When you are ready to make love I’ll be there for you.” He shoved his hand into her hair and hugged her to him. “I love you,” he growled into her hair.
“Baby, I love you too.”
“You better get dressed.”
Hayward
said getting up from the bed. “I have an idea I want to run past you.”
“What is it?” She questioned.
“Don’t ask so many questions. I’ll tell you downstairs at breakfast.”
Crawling out of the bed, she stood in front of him and placed her hands on her hips. “See, if you weren’t so
mean
to me I was going to let you wash my back,” she teased, spinning away.
“Hey, come back here.”
Hayward
tried to grab her, but she was faster and ran into the bathroom and closed the door in his face. An involuntary smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She didn’t know how he did it, but
Hayward
always found a way to make her smile. “Don’t let my breakfast get cold,” she yelled at him through the bathroom door.
* * * *
After they were finished eating breakfast,
Hayward
raked all the leftover food from their plates into the trashcan and rejoined True at the kitchen table. He spent the better part of all last night thinking of different ways to bring this up to True. He finally decided the direct approach might be the best way to go for this one.
“Did you enjoy working with my brother yesterday?”
“Yes, I loved it a lot,” True replied. He noticed how her eyes light up at the memory. “It was so exciting! I hadn’t done work like that in a very long time.” She sighed and leaned forward resting her elbows on the kitchen table. “I forgot how much I missed it. Why do you ask?”
“Our administrative assistant is retiring after Christmas and since you did such an amazing job yesterday. Clint and I were wondering would you be interested in the job.”
True’s
eyes widened from shock at his job offer. He would love to know what she was thinking. Would he be able to handle it? He wanted her to take the job but not if it was going to cause her any kind of distress.
“How can I work for
Clinton
if I live in
Stamford
?”
“You wouldn’t have to spend anytime in the office because Rebecca worked a lot from home. We would get you set up with all the equipment I have at my house, so you would have contact with the office everyday.” He continued, trying to weaken her until she agreed to his offer. “On some days we could work together at my house. How does it sound?”
“I think I have to say yes to your offer.”
True grinned.
“Wonderful. After you fill out all the paperwork, Clint will fax all the documents back home and you’ll be a part of Campbell Design and Construction when Rebecca retires.”
“Should we go and tell
Clinton
the good news?” True asked standing up.
“You like
Clinton
don’t you?” He stood up and fought hard to keep the jealousy out of his voice.
“I think he’s a very lonely man and I want him to feel like he’s a part of our little relationship.” True confessed, walking around the table to stand in front of him. “I don’t want him to think you dumped him when I came into the picture.”
Hayward
felt a new and unexpected warmth surge through his body while he listened to True talk about his brother. Clint was right. True was one unique woman and she was all his.
Chapter Thirteen
Two days later,
True
noticed the yellow light flashing from her answer machine inside her bedroom and pushed the play button. She listened as
Jenisha
asked if she could come for a quick visit. Falling on the bed, she picked up the phone and punched in her best friend’s phone number.
“Hello?”
Jenisha
answered.
She envied her friend’s wonderful low soft clear voice. “
Jenisha
, I just got your message what’s wrong?”
“True I’m cashing in my ‘come to visit card’, if you don’t mind.”
True couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. “I would love for you to come for a visit. How soon do you want to come?”
“I won’t be able to stay that long. But I do have some vacation time coming up next week.”
Jenisha
said
.
“I’ll book the flight and call you tomorrow with the arrival time.”
“Leave a message on my answering machine if I’m not home.”
True responded excited.
“T
hank
s for letting me come. I truly need this break.”
“Not a problem. It’ll be so much fun for to have you around.” True replied. She talked to
Jenisha
for a little while longer; then hung up.
True drifted around the room in a daze totally taken aback by the week’s events. She got offered a wonderful job working with her boyfriend and now her best friend was coming for a visit. “This Friday night has turned out so much better than I thought it would,” she muttered.
She slowed her gait in the middle of her bedroom. “I can’t believe I forgot that this was Friday night.” Her eyes swung to the alarm clock by her bed;
Rushing into the bathroom, she turned on the tub and ran the water over her fingers until she felt the right temperature. Grabbing the vanilla bubble bath, she poured two capfuls into the tub and then left the bathroom to find the rest of her pampering supplies.
Inside her bedroom, she looked around the room for her footbath, but didn’t see it. “Where in the world did I place that thing?” True got down on her knees by the foot of the bed and lifted covers. She spotted it under the bed and pulled it out.
Sitting it near the foot of her bed, she got up to turn on her CD player and listened to the soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye, as it filled the room. Going back into the bathroom, she turned off the tub, got undressed and then slid her tired body into the relaxing bubbles.
The water slid over her body like a lover’s touch. Content in soapy heaven, she allowed her mind to daydream about
Hayward
. How hard and hot would his erection feel against her back when he slipped into the water behind her?
Would little shock waves of pleasure shot through her if
Hayward
played with her breast and nibble at her neck at the same time? Her body grew wetter and it wasn’t from the tub. It was thinking about
Hayward
’s muscular body squeezed into this spot with her. It was roomy with just her, but with all his hardness not an inch of her body would be left untouched by his.
Damn, just that thought wanted to make her scream with need, she could almost feel his thickness inside of her body, thrusting in and out at a slow steady pace. Shaking her head,
True
brought her mind back from the fantasy, “Stop that right now,” she scolded. “You know where your fantasies always lead.” A long cold shower and tonight she wasn’t about to let that happen.
Later,
True
stepped out of the tub, wrapping up in a thick purple towel around her, and went back to the bedroom. Dropping the towel she reached for the bottle of vanilla lotion and massaged it into her wet skin “God, I love the smell of this stuff.”
Slipping the apricot nightgown over her head, she tied the matching robe over it.
After that she started on her usual routine of getting the footbath ready for her Friday ritual. When the hot water was in the footbath, she dropped two aromatherapy footballs in the warm water.
Sitting down on the stool in front of her footbath, she eased her feet into the water. As the soothing water lapped over her tired feet,
True
closed her eyes and let her body give in to the moment.
True didn’t know how long she was in that position when she got the strangest feeling someone was watching her. She slowly opened her eyes turning her head to the left and noticed
a silhouette standing in the dark hallway. A scream was slowly working its way up her throat as
Hayward
quickly stepped in her bedroom.
“My God, you scare the hell out of me!” She screamed, jerking her feet out of the water. She placed her trembling hand over her pounding heart. “What are you doing here?”
Hayward
raised one finger and her keys dangled from them. “You left them in the study,” he said his hot gaze burning a hole in her from across the room.
He walked toward her, as though he no longer had any control over his legs. “What are you getting ready to do?”
He glanced down at the plastic container filled with water in front of her feet.
Hayward came here to taunt me,
she thought.
He knew it was getting harder for me to resist the sexual tension between us.
Her eyes barely glanced at him, knowing he would see the desire hidden there, yet she took in everything about him.
He had changed from his black slacks and cashmere white sweater into a pair of well-worn jeans that hung low on his hips. A denim shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.
Hayward
looked as sexy as hell and he knew it.
“I’m getting ready to give myself a pedicure. I didn’t get a chance to do it last week.”
His eyes gleamed with fire as he looked down at her; “Can l do it?”
“Why?”
“Because I love any chance I get to touch your body.”
Her face grew warm at
Hayward
’s compliment and she was happy for her darker complexion, so he couldn’t see her reaction. “If you really want to I can tell you how to use everything.”
“Tell me.”
True spent the next few minutes telling
Hayward
how to use all the products arranged on the floor and secretly prayed that she wouldn’t embarrass herself by falling apart at the first touch of his hands on her feet.
* * * *
Hayward
rolled up his sleeves past his elbow as he studied everything on the floor and got it straight in his mind. Then he picked
True
up off the stool and sat her on the bed, ignoring her squeals of protest; then he sat on the stool in front of the footbath.
Lifting her delicate feet off the floor, he placed them gently into the warm water. Hints of lavender drifted up to his nose from the stream rising around them. He loved the smell, because it totally heightened
True’s
sexiness.
Taking her right foot out of the lukewarm water,
Hayward
placed it on his thigh. He couldn’t believe how small and fragile it looked in his hand. He ran his forefinger down the inside of her foot and True jerked it away from him. Her rich laughter rippled through the air. “Are you ticklish True Williams?”
He asked staring at her.
She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and looked at him. “I won't tell you.”
Just then he noticed how sensual she looked, her robe was off one shoulder and a lock of hair was lying on her smooth brown cheek.
She looked a vision. This is how he pictured her when he was alone in his bed at night. “Come on tell me,” he whispered, once again running a finger down the middle of her foot.
“Yes, I’m very ticklish, so don’t do that.” True laughed, jerking her foot away. He loved her laugh because it was low, throaty and filled him with thoughts of long nights of them making love in his bed.
“Kitten, do you care to tell me the other spots where you are ticklish?”
He made his voice low on purpose, hoping to seduce
True
into sharing all.
“No, I can’t tell you because if I do I would never get a moments peace.”
“You’re right about that, honey.”
Hayward
said winking at her. Grabbing her foot, he laid it back on his hard thigh.
He squeezed a small amount of the cream in his palm and massaged it into her foot, and then he made sure he gave her other foot the same attention. After he wiped his hands on the towel next to his chair, he gathered everything up and placed them in a pile next to him.
“Okay, I think I’m finished.”
“T
hank
you.” True stood, but he gently pushed her back down on the bed.
“Stay here and relax. I can get rid of this.” He said, picking up the footbath off the floor.
Inside the bathroom,
Hayward
glared at his reflection in the bright light of the bathroom mirror.
What is wrong with me? Why in the hell did I think I could do that and not get turned on?
Every time
True
moved her foot against his thigh the transparent silky peach nightgown rose higher on her thighs. At one point, he thought he would run from the room screaming when her foot had slipped and brushed his erection. He had bit down on his bottom lip to keep from moaning out loud.
“I’d better stay in here until I can get control of my body.”
He turned on the cold water and splashed some on his face. Grabbing a towel from the rack, he wiped the excess water from his face.
“Please let me make it out of here without embarrassing myself.
” .
He opened the door and strolled back into the bedroom. All of his good intentions flew right out the window.
Is
True
trying to make me lose my mind
? Her nightgown had
risen
high upon the back of her thighs, while she reached for something in the top of her closet. His blue eyes scanned the back of her toned legs, curved hips and her firm butt.
The sight taunted him, making him want things that he knew he couldn’t have.
* * * *
True knew
Hayward
was behind her. She had been waiting a life-time for this moment. Turning around slowly, she moved her body towards his. Even from this distance, the sexual tension hummed from his large body. Sticking out her index finger, she ran it around the collar of his shirt, down the front of his chest.
He stood perfectly still while she added another finger to the first and eased them both inside his shirt. Rising on her tiptoes, she nuzzled her nose between his neck and hair, inhaling the musky scent that she always associated with
Hayward
.
She felt the light brush of
Hayward
’s hands as he gripped her waist. She couldn’t tell if it was to pull her closer or shove her away. “True, if you aren’t really sure about this I have to leave right now.”
Leaning back she stared in his azure eyes and whispered the words she felt deep in her heart. “I want you,
Hayward
.”
She had finally overcome her past with
Dalton
, largely due to the help of the wonderful man in front of her. “You’re the man I’ve been waiting for.”
“Are you sure?”
Hayward
asked running his hands up and down her back.
“Yes, I’m sure.” She stuck her tongue out, licking the top of her lip.
Hayward
lifted her into his arms and laid her down on the bed behind them.
Untying her robe he tossed it on the floor, then leaned back down and kissed her gently on the mouth.
“Are you positive about this, baby? Once we make love I won’t ever be able to let you go.” He stared down into her eyes with such love, that it almost made her cry.
She knew
Hayward
was giving her one last chance to change her mind about this, but her mind was already made up the second he walked back into her bedroom.
“Yes I’m sure.” She whispered, running her hands down the side of his face. “I want you so much that it hurts.”
“Well, you’re going to get me.”
Hayward
muttered. Standing up, he stripped the shirt off his body and tossed it on the floor beside her robe. Bracing his knee back on the bed, he tenderly slid the peach nightgown down her body, kissing each part of her skin that was exposed. When she was completely bare, he looked at her body.
Hayward
stared at the vision lying beneath him. She was truly his to touch and love for as long as he wanted. His stomach clutched at the breathtaking smile that played at the corners of
True’s
full mouth. He didn’t miss the hidden desire in the back of her eyes. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.