By the next Friday, things were nearly back to normal between Liam and Angelique. After a pleasant lunch at a local Mexican restaurant, they waited in their booth for Sarah to return from the ladies room.
“So, do you have plans for tonight?” he asked.
She threw back the last of her water and nodded. “I have to go pay my first month’s rent and pick up the keys from my landlady. She’s leaving for Paris tomorrow morning.”
“What’s she going to be doing in Paris?”
Angelique cleared her throat and met his gaze. “To quote Nan, ‘Whatever the hell she wants to!’”
Liam threw back his head and laughed. “She sounds like a character.”
“You have no idea,” she chuckled. “You know, I called her last night for some information, and I finally got the nerve to ask why she gave her house a guy’s name. I swear, her answer made me blush.”
“What’d she say?”
She looked through the large plate glass window out onto Ryan Street. “She said she’d loved each and every one of her male partners in life, whether they were husbands, fiancés, or just boyfriends . . . That the one thing she missed in life was the sexual satisfaction her men had always given her. She thought that if she gave her home a man’s name, she would feel comforted by being surrounded by a masculine presence.”
“Wow . . . Did she say if it worked for her?” he asked, leaning back to finish off his iced tea.
“It did not.” She blushed slightly and cleared her throat again. “So, she went out and bought the biggest, baddest vibrator she could find, and keeps it in her nightstand.”
Liam coughed and sputtered as tea shot out of his nose, cutting off his breath.
She laughed and handed him a napkin. “Her words, not mine.”
“She admitted that to you?” he asked, as soon as he’d caught his breath.
“I think Nan would admit it to anyone,” she said, nodding.
“How old is she, again?”
“Seventy-six . . . She was big into feminism and free love and all that, but she looks like every typical grandmotherly type you’ve ever seen. She’s tiny, maybe five foot, with white hair, beautiful complexion, beautiful smile, and crystal blue eyes, just sparkling with laughter.”
Nash raised one hand. “Oh my God. You just described my paternal great-grandmother. That image, along with what you’ve told me about her is enough to traumatize me for life. I think I’d rather forget everything you said, and I sure as hell don’t want to meet her.”
Once they’d controlled their laughter, he managed to ask when she would be making the move.
Angelique shot a look at Sarah, just returning from her ladies room break. “That depends on this young lady.”
“What does?” Sarah reseated herself.
“When I move back to Lafayette depends on when you think you don’t need me around, anymore. To tell you the truth, I think I could leave tomorrow, she’s such a quick learner.”
Sarah made a face. “I’m still a little hesitant with the payroll process. Would you mind staying one more week to make sure I can handle it next Friday?”
“That’s not a problem. I plan on moving a few things in this weekend, and doing some decorating. I don’t think Sonny will die in five days,” Angelique threw in.
Liam allowed himself a quick sigh of relief. That meant he had a little less than a week to work on his lady until she was back on Mike’s turf. A one week temporary reprieve was better than an immediate move, and he’d take it any day of the week.
“Well, honey, wish me luck for tonight,” Nan told Angelique as she looped her purse over her shoulder.
Angelique walked her out to a local taxi service’s van, where the driver was loading the last suitcase. “Good luck, Nan. Do you plan on doing some gambling tonight in New Orleans?”
Nan gave her an incredulous look. “Hell no. Mabel and I are hitting the male strip clubs tonight on Bourbon Street. Maybe one of us will get lucky.”
Already used to her wise cracking sense of humor, Angel barely flinched. “Only one of you?”
Nan made a face. “Mabel isn’t all that much to look at, and she’s got the bedside manner of a GD pit bull. Those combined traits don’t make for a very good roll in the hay,” she said with a cackle. “It’s my sex-capades that’ll keep her imagination going long after I leave this world.”
Angelique dropped her jaw in astonishment. “Seriously?”
Nan gave her a sly wink. “Never underestimate the power of a hefty tip, honey.”
“Well, all right!” Angelique said, giving her a hug. “Just don’t overdo it and miss your flight tomorrow. Oh, and make sure your guy is really a guy. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell in some of those clubs.”
Nan chuckled. “Not if you check in the right spot.”
Angelique laughed as she waved off the cab then turned to look up at her new digs. “Well, Sonny, it’s just you and me for the next two years.” She walked through the front door and stood gazing at the lovely house that Nan’s care and quirky sense of style had transformed into a place to be proud of. Angelique pulled a pad, pen, and measuring tape out of her purse, and carried the step ladder to the living room windows. No sense in wasting a trip when she could be gathering information she needed to put her personal touch into this place.
Mike knocked on the door once then cautiously stepped inside at the mumbled answer. His eyes were drawn immediately to Angelique, standing on a stepladder and reaching up toward the existing hardware on the windows. He paused to admire the shapely curve of her calves, clad in dark stockings that complimented her short, black skirt. Her blouse, normally tucked neatly inside, had pulled loose from the waistband and rode up, giving him a tantalizing view of smooth, bare skin.
He walked quietly up to her and cleared his throat.
Apparently startled by the sound, Angelique tried to turn too quickly and lost her balance. She overcompensated, and the step ladder tilted precariously, taking her with it. Before she plummeted to the floor, Mike caught her gallantly in his arms.
Her breath released in a startled gasp as the tape and tablet flew off in two different directions. She instinctively threw her arms around his neck and huddled closer to him.
“I’ve got you! Sorry, Angel, I thought you knew I was here.”
The rumble of Mike’s laughter pulsed through his shirt and undershirt, making her want to bury her nose in his massive chest and breathe him into her. She lay her cheek against his neck and let his clean, spicy scent tease her senses. Waves of heat and sexual energy travelled between their bodies, separated only by two thin layers of material. Eyes closed, she paused to savor the moment of being surrounded by the feel and smell of him.
Suddenly aware of his silence, she opened her eyes and encountered his surprisingly intense gaze. Without warning, he leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, then deepened the kiss. Her lips parted and his tongue probed tentatively at the soft interior. The kiss ended too soon for her tastes, leaving her wanting for more.
“Can you stand?”
“What?” One corner of his mouth lifted as she focused on the tiny scar just above his upper lip—caused by a fish hook during a Boy Scout Dad and Me camping trip. Feeling the oddest need to touch it, she placed a gentle kiss upon the scar then flicked it with her tongue, tasting the saltiness of his skin. His arms tightened, pulling her closer as she lifted her head to watch him.
Mike opened his eyes to meet her gaze, and slowly released the breath he’d been holding. “Angel.” The word came out in a tortured whisper.
“Hmmm?”
“I want you.”
“I want you too,” she breathed.
He gave her another kiss. The kind that lingered, ended slowly, with him gently pulling on her lower lip before he finally released her.
She gave a low, throaty moan as the need pulled throughout her lower body. Wanting to make him feel as vulnerable as she did, Angelique placed a soft kiss on the side of his neck then tasted him with her tongue. His pulse quickened, and she could feel him tremble, struggling to maintain control. The fact that he was failing miserably, just as she was, pleased her immensely.
“I’m dying here, baby.” He groaned, shuddering under her touch.
“I am too, Mike,” she gasped.
“Please Angel. Please let me make love to you, Angel. I promise to make it worth your while,” he said, his voice deep with need.
“Oh, God, yes.”
He carried her to the living room, and stopped. “Where?”
“The sofa,” she croaked, sounding desperate.
“There is no sofa.”
She looked around, realizing where they were. “Oh, damn.”
“Did she leave a bed?” he asked, hopefully.
She shook her head. “The only thing I asked her to leave were the china hutch and buffet, and a couple of armoires.”
Mike looked around and carried her over to the peninsula style kitchen cabinet. He placed her gently on the counter top then pulled her to him. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer. His mouth settled on hers as their hands frantically found each other, teasing, tickling, and taunting until they were both on the brink.
Suddenly he stepped away from her. “I’ve got a king sized bed in my place and it’s just down the block.”
The question seemed to pull Angelique out of the fog of sexual need and back to the present. She covered her face with both hands and groaned loudly. “I shouldn’t. I’m sorry, Mike. I can’t,” she said, regretfully.
He pulled her legs apart and stepped in between them. “Are you sure, Angel?” He pressed himself firmly against her.
“Oh…My…” she said, dry mouthed with need, and wishing like hell she’d never met her friggin’ therapist. She hung her head, shamefully. “I’m sorry, but yes, I’m sure.” She closed her eyes, waiting for him to protest. To cuss. To try to persuade her again. He remained silent and still. When she finally got the nerve to look up at him, his gaze was so intense, for a moment she thought he was angry with her. “I shouldn’t have let it go that far, I’m sorry.” To her amazement, he took a step back from her, and smiled.
“It’s not your fault, Angel. I knew the rules of the game before I started. But you just looked so damned good up there on that ladder.” He shook his head and flashed her a broad smile before helping her down from the counter top. “And damn, I’m glad to have you back in my town.”
She smiled up at him sheepishly. “Thank you, Mike.”
He reached out and traced her swollen lips with his large, smooth thumb. “Anytime, Angel.”
She took his large hand between her own. “You’re such a good man—one of a kind.”
He laughed. “There are plenty of good men out there, but I guarantee that I’m the only one who loves you this much.”
Taken completely off guard by his spur of the moment confession, Angelique stared up into his dark mocha eyes and believed him. The thought had her tearing up immediately. If that realization hadn’t done it for her, his next admission would have.
“You’re it for me, Angel. I love every blessed thing about you. From your need to curl up on the couch with a quart of rocky road ice cream and a bag of special dark chocolates once a month, to your penchant for destroying your cell phone.” He looked down at the floor. “I’ve never loved before, and I’ll never love like this again, whether you choose me, Nash, or some other yahoo. I won’t go hang myself if you don’t love me back, but I sure would be a miserable son of a bitch if you didn’t.”
“Aw, Mike.”
He met her gaze. “I love you, Angelique.”
His four simple words nearly imploded her wall of defenses, making her weak kneed with wanting him. When her legs buckled, he reached out to pull her up against his hard body.
“Hey, are you alright?” he asked, the look of adoration temporarily replaced by one of concern.
“I’m okay,” she murmured. “Mike . . .”
His heart plummeted at the sadness in her voice and he braced himself for her reply. He’d said he wouldn’t hang himself, but faced with the possibility that she didn’t love him, he wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t go out and do just that. Unwilling to hear the words come from her lips he said them for her.
“You don’t love me. It’s okay, Angel; I only wish the best for you and Nash.” He released her and turned quickly so that she wouldn’t have to witness a grown man cry.
She grabbed his arm with a strength he didn’t know she possessed and pulled him around.
“Look at me, Michael Harper,” she said forcefully.
He did and held his breath, waiting to hear the handful of words that would either break his heart or send his soul soaring.
“I love you, too, Mike.”
He stared at her for several seconds before the message sank in. “You love me,” he repeated, hoping he hadn’t heard incorrectly. “You love me?”
She nodded.
“Angel, I was afraid that when Nash came back. You and him, well, you have a history together,” he stammered. “And now that you know he had a reason for leaving the way he did . . . ”
“But I love Liam, too,” she said, sounding desperate.
“What?” He stared into her eyes and saw her dilemma. Suddenly it was clear as a bell. She did love them both, and was terrified to choose and hurt one of them.
“Try to understand. I’d just fallen hard for Liam when he left. It hurt, but didn’t alter my feelings for him. Then you came into my life.” She closed the distance between them and met his gaze. “How could I not fall in love with you?” She reached up to brush her hand gently along his face.
He closed his eyes and leaned his face into her hand. “Angel,” he murmured, reaching out to pull her close. “God I love you so much.”
“I know you do,” she groaned, burying her face in his shirt. “That’s not the issue, here. You and Liam want me to choose, and I can’t right now.”
Wanting to lighten the mood, he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “You know, any smart buyer would insist on doing some comparison shopping.” His mouth twisted in a teasing grin. “But how can you compare something you’ve never experienced?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you’re going to list the pros and cons of both Nash and me, don’t you think we should be playing on an even field?”
“You’re talking about sex,” she said, flatly.
He nodded then leaned forward to nuzzle her neck, spoke in a low murmur. “I don’t want you making a choice until you and I have had a chance to see how compatible we are together.”
“I see.” Her eyelids fluttered closed. “Take you for a test drive, so to speak.”
He grinned—glad to see she was getting into the spirit of things. “Exactly.” He nipped at her earlobe and found the sensitive spot at the back of her neck. Her head dropped forward as he used his mouth to drive her closer to the edge, eventually achieving the reaction he wanted from her.
“Oh God,” she moaned.
“Let me?” he whispered seductively into her ear.
“Oh, yes . . .”
He scooped her up into his arms, grabbed her house key and carried her to the door before she had a chance to change her mind. He locked the door quickly. “Is your car locked?” he asked, his voice husky with need, as she buried her face in his neck.
“Mm hmmm.” She opened her mouth and sampled the lobe of his ear.
He groaned and opened his truck door. Mike seated himself and somehow arranged her across his lap while he drove the block and a half to his own home. Determined not to relinquish his hold on her, he broke several laws during the short drive home. Within a couple of minutes, he’d made it to his front door and unlocked it without loosening his grip on her. He kicked the door shut behind them and strode down the hallway.
Angelique gasped as they both dropped to his massive, king sized mattress. He stretched out alongside her, his booted feet hanging off the foot of the bed. She turned towards him, curling her left leg up around his thighs, groaned in what he could only hope was appreciation as she felt his hardness.
He rolled over on his back to unzip his jeans, partly to get some relief, and partly to give her a glimpse of what she had to look forward to. He rolled back toward her, determined not to hide a damn thing.
“Oh my God,” she croaked, staring down at him. “I keep thinking of that movie line, release the Kraken…”
He laughed nervously. “Is that fear or anticipation I hear in your voice?”
She raised an eyebrow. “A little of both, if you want to know the truth. I’ve never seen-I’ve never been with-um-s-someone so . . . You’re very well endowed,” she finally finished.
He lifted himself on one elbow and shrugged. “I’m six foot seven, Angel. I think it’s just in proportion to the rest of me.”
“That so?” Her voice revealed a slight tremble.
He growled at her reply, anxious to prove that he had the skills as well as the equipment to make this the most memorable encounter of her lifetime.
Her eyes travelled the length of him, eventually ending at his boots hanging off the end of the bed. “You ready to shed those size fourteens, or are we going to do it with your boots on?”
“I’m ready to shed a lot more than that.” He pulled her close to nip at her lower lip with his teeth. He slipped his hands under her blouse and splayed his fingers across the flat of her belly, eliciting a gasp from her as his warm hand touched her cool skin. She moaned when he placed a gentle kiss on her flesh and slowly began to unbutton her shirt. Suddenly, he froze.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m trying to remember if I have any condoms.”
Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. “Where do you keep them?”
He rolled over and began to rummage through his night stand. When that didn’t produce anything, he checked the other one, then the bathroom cabinet. He walked out, muttering under his breath. “I’ll have to go get some.”
She fell back on the mattress and groaned. “Mike, maybe we shouldn’t—”
“No! Don’t say it!” He pointed at her. “I’ll be right back. Please don’t leave.” He grabbed his truck keys, went to the bed and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “Remember, there’s more where that came from. Be back in a minute.”
Angelique curled up on her side and buried her face in Mike’s pillow, breathing in the scent of him. She smiled to herself, and wondered what her therapist would think if she knew what her patient was considering.
Suddenly determined not to make another costly mistake, she sat up and reached for the phone on the nightstand. She’d never called the clinic before a scheduled session before, but it was understood that she could if she ever felt the need, and mama did she feel the need. In under a minute, she had been patched through to Dr. Carter’s private number, and had explained the situation to her.
“Hmmm. You say you love both of these men, Angelique.”
“I do,” she admitted.
“That’s understandable, but have you made a choice?”
“Well, no, but, this will help me make that decision, won’t it?”
“Will it?” Dr. Carter asked quietly. “Why do you feel the need to do this today?”
“Well, I know what kind of lover Liam is, but Mike and I have never been together. They should be on an even playing field, don’t you think?”
“Playing field? Did you come up with that concept?”
“Well, no. Mike suggested it, but I have to tell you, I totally agree with him.”
“Were you both already sexually stimulated when he made this suggestion?”
“Y-yes.”
“So, the whole basis for your celibacy is to learn not to make relationship decisions based purely on sexual attraction.”
“Yes, but this is different. Isn’t it?” Angelique sounded unconvinced, even to her own ears.
“Not unless you’ve already made your choice,” Dr. Carter insisted. “I’ll ask you again. Have you chosen which one of these men you want to spend the rest of your life with?”
Angelique hung her head, feeling so ashamed of what she’d nearly done. Again. “No, I haven’t.” She released a deep sigh. “You’re right, of course. This is a mistake. Thanks, Dr. Carter. I knew I could count on you to keep me focused.”
Mike pulled his truck into the driveway and barely had time to throw it in park before he had the key out of the ignition. By the time he made it to the bedroom, he had the box of condoms open and his boots off. He came to a screeching halt in the doorway and stared at the empty bed, along with the slip of paper placed dead center of it.
He walked over and picked up the note, knowing exactly what it would say. He unfolded it slowly.
Mike,
I’m sorry about this, but the time isn’t right. Please forgive me and believe me when I say that I’m doing this for us! I love you,
Angelique
He groaned loudly before he planted himself face first onto his big, empty mattress.