REBORN (Metamorphosis Book 1) (5 page)

"I'm ready to get back home if you are."  I was getting both tired and cold and did not want to continue this conversation.

"We better get back then, I have dinner plans this evening and need time to look fabulous for my date." Her comment made me a bit envious; I wished I could have such a casual attitude toward dating.

By the time I got back to the apartment it was five and I was feeling exhausted and decided a nap was in order.  No sooner had I placed my head on the pillow than the phone rang.

"Ugh leave me alone, whoever you are.  I just want to rest!"  But the phone kept ringing and ringing until I finally decided to pick it up.

"Hello," I responded in a not-so-friendly tone.

"Ellie, are you okay?  I've been calling for a while."  It was Julian, the one person I was in no mood to talk to.

"What is it, Julian?  I'm tired."  I was annoyed by now.

"I just want to talk, we haven't gone on our weekly dinner for a while…" Then there was silence on the line.  "Was it that bad?  I mean, was our marriage that bad?"  There was hurt in his voice.

I felt guilty; my intention was not to hurt his feelings, I was just frustrated.  "No Julian, our marriage was not all bad, we had some wonderful years.  And, I'm sorry for snapping at you." 

"Can I interest you in dinner tonight?  Just two old friends catching up."

"Okay Julian, but just as friends.  I'll meet you in the lobby at seven if that works for you."  I did not want to be in my apartment alone with him, I did not want the memory of him in my space.

"That works great.  I'll see you at seven." Devious bastard, he manipulated me into dinner with him!

I turned off my phone and decided to lie down for an hour before getting ready for dinner with Julian.  Unfortunately sleep escaped me, so I got up and went into the shower.  I figured a long hot shower would relax my muscles and calm my nerves.  I was as tight as the strings of a guitar, one that has not been played in a long time and needed to unwind before meeting Julian.

The shower did not do the trick. "Perhaps a little yoga will help," I told myself and went in search of a yoga mat.  After thirty minutes of yoga poses and deep breathing my body and mind were ready to meet Julian.

I dressed in a simple navy blue sheath dress and black stiletto boots; I wore my hair curly and loose, knowing how much Julian hated to see it that way.  After finding a black fitted coat, I grabbed my clutch purse and was ready to go downstairs a few minutes early.  When the elevator door opened, Kayden was there.

Our eyes locked for a split second and I was lost, frozen in place at the sight of him.  His lips curled in an appreciative smile and then his hand reached for the door to keep it from closing.

"Good evening Ellie, you look lovely tonight," he said gruffly.

My skin prickled with anxiety and the lump in my throat did not allow me to respond.

And then I noticed; he was not alone.  A beautiful tall brunette was at his side.  She was dressed in a stunning long strapless silver gown with a split on the side.  Her hair was long and silky and very straight; her eyes were ocean blue.  She was quite stunning, perhaps a model from her looks.  And suddenly I felt underdressed and frumpy.

Kayden was wearing a very expensive custom-fit tuxedo.  He was leaning against the back of the elevator so I decided that it was best to stay in the front.  I could feel his eyes piercing through me and the sensation was nerve-wracking.  The slowness of the elevator was unbearable, and when the door opened I almost sprinted out.

Julian was already waiting for me.  He took my hands in his and proceeded to kiss me on both cheeks.  "What is that all about?" I asked myself.  Julian had never, ever kissed me on both cheeks before.  And then I saw the look of rage on Kayden's face; it was so brief that I might have imagined it had it not been for the clenched fist by his side.

"Julian, Ellie; have a good evening," was all that Kayden said and then he was gone.  All my efforts at relaxing early in the evening were gone.

"Are you ready, Ellie?  They look pretty serious, don't they?"  Julian said with a smirk, referring to Kayden and the woman at his side.  I decided not to take his bait and simply responded "yes."

We took a taxi to one of Julian's favorite seafood restaurants in the city, Shaw's Crab House on Hubbard.  We were seated at a quiet table for two; I ordered a glass of white wine while Julian opted for a beer.

"We can order a bottle of wine for both if you prefer," Julian suggested. He was being too nice, too accommodating.  I didn't trust him.

"No, I already had some wine with lunch and I think I'll stick with water the rest of the night," I responded in an even tone.

"So, tell me about your plans; have you found a job?  I can help you if you haven't."

"Thank you Julian, but I actually found a job in an area that I love.  I was fortunate enough to have my friend Ron from the Art Institute consider me for an opening.  I was able to interview by phone and Skype from Paris."

"That's exciting, I'm so happy for you."  He stretched his hands forward and grabbed mine, giving them a squeeze.  I tried to move my hands away but he held them tight.  Thankfully the food arrived and both of us focused on eating. 

The night progressed slowly, with polite conversation and even laughter.   We talked about the kids and their idiosyncrasies, about his law practice and about my move to the downtown area.  This was the most I had talked to Julian without fighting in ages.

When it was time to go our separate ways Julian said, "I had a wonderful time, thank you."

"Me too, thank you for dinner," I responded honestly.

After saying goodnight to Julian, I went upstairs with a feeling of relief and contentment.  I had dreaded going out to dinner with him and in the end it worked fine.

Less than five minutes after my arrival, the doorbell rang.  Thinking that Julian had forgotten something, I opened the door.  To my surprise a tall, beautiful, green-eyed man was at the door.

"What are you doing here?  Shouldn't you be with your date?"

He walked in uninvited, closing the door behind him.  Turning back around, he wrapped me in his arms and his green eyes bored into mine. For a long moment I felt the rhythm of his breathing; my pulse skittered alarmingly.  The sweet scent of his body intoxicated me.  He pressed his lips against mine, pushing his tongue inside my mouth, and began to ravish it first slowly and then with unrestrained ferocity. My knees were shaking, my heart pounding, and my core throbbing.  The worst part, or best I'm not sure which, I let him kiss me; a stranger, I let a total stranger devour my mouth!  And yet he didn’t feel like a stranger, he felt like I had known him all my life. 

His forehead was on mine, our eyes locked, and he placed his hands at both sides of my face. "I have wanted to kiss you like this since the first time I saw you, please tell me that you wanted it too."  He was breathless.

"Yes," was all I managed to get out.

He took my hand and walked me to the sofa. Sitting me on his lap, the pad of his thumb caressing my face, he began, "The young woman you saw me with is a friend, we had this date arranged long before I met you.  She accompanied me to a reception at the Palmer House and then my driver took her home.  I have slept with her in the past but I'm not sleeping with her or anyone else now.  As for Julian, I don’t care at what stage of our relationship we are, if I see him touching you again that will be the end of him.  Unless you tell me you are in love with him, he is not to come near you again."

"Kayden, you and I are not a couple, we just met.  You have no right to tell me who I can or can't see," I responded.

"I have been with many women in the last thirteen years, too many to count, but Ellie, with you is different.  You stirred things in me that I have not felt in years; that I had not felt since Megan.  I know you feel the same way about me; I just have to make sure that I don't scare you away." He sounded sincere, earnest.

"If we are to become a couple, you need to be clear about my expectations." His voice was soft but firm, seductive, and I was beginning to get caught in his pure animal magnetism.  My lips parted ever so slightly and a moan escaped my lips.  Before my brain could register what was about to happen, his lips were on my mouth again, coercing my lips open.  The kiss that proceeded was like no kiss I had felt before.  He took my mouth and began a slow exploration with his tongue, ravaging me until my brain could no longer think; until it was just pure animal instinct that responded to his kiss.  And then his phone rang, and the magic was broken.

"Do you need to take that?"  I asked him, while moving from his lap.

He looked at the caller ID and shook his head no.  When his hand tried to grab me again, I was prepared to refuse him.

"This is too soon Kayden, I'm not ready for all of this."  I knew that my mind needed to catch up to my body before I made the type of commitment he demanded.

"We'll take it slow," he responded.  "I need your phone so that I can enter all my numbers in case you need to reach me, and I'll need yours."

I moved to find my purse and Kayden came behind me, grabbing me by the waist, my back against his chest, my body feeling his arousal.

"Is this what you mean by taking it slow?"  My voice quivered.

"No, but if you don't want it, just say so."  I pressed my body against his, trying to absorb his heat, trying to feel his need.  Then abruptly I moved away from him.

"No, not now," I murmured.

"As you wish," he said with a wicked grin.

No more words were exchanged.  I gave him my phone and he proceeded to program all his numbers; he already had my cell number, all he needed was the apartment phone number.

"Make sure to set up a security code in your phone, in case you lose it; we don't want anyone accessing your information.  Feel free to use any of my numbers any time, day or night.  If you need me, my secretary always knows where I am."  With those words he began to walk toward the entrance.  My stomach dropped at the thought of his departure.  He lowered his head, the pad of his thumb caressing my lips, and gave me a brief kiss on the forehead.

"Good night beautiful, I'll see you tomorrow."  With those words he was gone, and I felt lost.  Then it dawned on me, I belonged overwhelmingly and irrevocably to Kayden Hale.  I didn’t know how it happened or where it would lead, but I was his for the taking.  It was just a matter of time.

Chapter Four

Saturday morning I woke up refreshed and energized.  I had a long to-do list that I needed to accomplish before the end of the day.  First, I had no more food in the house, not even for breakfast.  I made some tea and went downstairs to check on my car.  My trusted Lexus SUV started without a flinch.  With my list in hand I drove out of the city to the nearby suburb of Oak Park.  I chose to eat breakfast alone, opting not to call any of my friends or daughters to accompany me.  There was too much in my mind, too many conflicting feelings that I was going to have to sort out by myself.

The morning passed very quickly between breakfast and the farmers market.  I picked up some fresh fruit and vegetables, raw honey, a couple of baked goods, and flowers.  Then off to the supermarket for the rest of the groceries; when I left Oak Park my car was stuffed.  I was set for at least a couple of weeks.

By the time I returned to my apartment, I had several messages from Kayden reminding me that we had dinner reservations at
Ali
nea for eight forty-five tonight.  I had forgotten that I had agreed to go out to dinner with him; I did not realize it was to
Alinea.
  The restaurant, in Chicago's Lincoln Park, is very difficult to get into.  I had wanted Julian to take me there forever but he was either too busy or did not plan ahead to take me.  Now on our first date, or was it our third, Kayden had made plans for nothing but the best, and yet how could I accept his invitation when I was so ambivalent about our relationship?  I decided to return his call immediately.

"Kayden, I am sorry; I don’t think we should see each other again."

"Why?" he responded in a terse tone.

"I told you last night."

"For Christ's sake Ellie, I'm just inviting you to dinner not to make a life-time commitment."

"But you want more."  My voice was small, almost a murmur.

"Not until you are ready."  With that I agreed to see him again; let's face it, I wanted to see him, to be close to him even if it was just as friends.  Who was I kidding, I could never be just friends with Kayden.

I took a long shower and an hour-long nap.  Lucky for me I had unpacked, so I was able to access my new wardrobe.  I found a black dress that accentuated my curves; it was low in the front and had a plunging back.  Thinking about Kayden's eyes I decided to match it with a green wrap and black peep-toe shoes.  I combed my hair in a bun and found my white pearl earrings and necklace.  The look was one of pure elegance but with an edge of sexiness.