“Um, yeah, thanks. My coffee just went down the wrong way.”
Suzy saw Nick give Beth a strange look and he actually picked up a towel to wipe the floor up while Beth cleaned the counter. Maybe there was hope for these two after all.
Nick had made a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. Suzy grabbed a plate and started eating with gusto. She was excited, yet nervous about Gray’s impending arrival. His plane was landing around eleven tonight and Nick was going to pick him up at the airport and drop him at home. Beth was also going home that evening and Suzy was looking forward to having the house to herself for a few hours before Gray arrived. She’d enjoyed Beth and Nick, but having some alone time sounded great.
“Hey guys, I thought I could go to the office for a while today. I’m going back on Monday anyway so I might as well get my feet wet.” Even as she finished her sentence, both Nick and Beth were shaking their heads.
“I don’t think so, sis.”
“I agree with the princess,” Nick said. “There is no way I’m facing my brother and telling him you got hurt today because I let you go to work on the day of his return. Can you imagine how much damage a man with that much sexual frustration could do to a face like mine?”
Suzy gave a groan of disgust. “You guys are such wimps. Wait until I get this cast off, I plan to dedicate at least half of my time to torturing you.”
With a chuckle Nick said, “I thought you already started that.”
Suzy elbowed him in the ribs and grabbed his last piece of bacon, laughing at his protests. “Maybe I’ll just work from home again today. I must admit there is something pretty sweet about lying on the sofa while you’re handling business. Beth if you could pick up those files I needed this morning it would really be great. What’s your agenda today, Nick?”
“I’ve got a meeting with Jason this morning and some conference calls lined up for this afternoon. I’m going to head down to Charleston in the morning to check on a few things there at Mericom. The parental troops are also requiring a visit from at least one of their sons so I’m going to see them while I’m there. You’re gonna owe me because this will stop them from coming here for at least a few weeks.”
“Here,” Suzy squeaked. “Why would they come here?
Nick pushed his chair back from the table and gave her a wicked grin. “I don’t know, let’s see, maybe they’re a bit curious about the woman that both of their sons are shacking up with.” Holding his hand up to stall her, he continued, “I mean, I know it sounds more exciting than it actually is, but Mom is probably already picking out baby names for her first grandchild. My father is probably the only thing that has kept her from showing up so far, and trust me sweetheart, that won’t last much longer.”
“Ugh,” Suzy shuddered, “why can’t all parents be as uninvolved as ours. I couldn’t even explain this living arrangement to people that know me much less to your parents. Please say whatever you need to say to keep them away for a while. When Gray gets home, he can deal with it.”
Beth stood up and started clearing the table. “I’m going to get dressed and go to the office for those things that you need, sis. Can you be trusted here on your own for a few hours?”
“Uh yeah, Beth, I think I’ve got this one. Maybe you can pick us up some lunch on the way back. I’d kill for a hotdog. No onions though.”
Nick stood saying he needed to get ready as well, and Suzy was left to her own devices. She really hoped they would be gone soon, she didn’t want to admit that she’d developed a secret addiction to the Price is Right. She’d never live that down. She settled onto the couch and picked up her laptop from the coffee table. Beth and Nick came out a short time later dressed for the office.
Beth looked pretty in a floral dress with flats. Even though it was fall, the days were still warm. Suzy noticed a pink flush on her sister’s cheeks and vowed to lecture Nick when they were alone. She was tired of him upsetting Beth all of the time. She couldn’t figure out why these two couldn’t just get along. She gave them both a wave good-bye and settled back with her remote control. What’s next, soap operas? I’m home for less than three weeks and I already know the television schedule for every daytime show. Pathetic. Just pass me the box of bon-bons and put me out to pasture.
She smothered a curse as her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, which wasn’t unusual since several vendors had her telephone number. “Suzy Denton.” She was met on the other end of the line by continued silence. “Hello.” After several other attempts, there was still no reply so she ended the call. Great if someone had to interrupt my TV show, couldn’t it have at least been a heavy breather instead of a hang-up? The same thing happened to her twice more that morning until she finally shut her phone off in disgust. Apparently some kid had her number and was determined to call her all day.
Gray had been working non-stop since early in the morning to wrap things up in California. He’d managed to book an earlier flight on another airline. It was going to cost him several hundred dollars just to get home a couple of hours earlier, but it was money well spent. He stepped outside to call Nick to arrange for an earlier pick-up.
Nick answered the phone with his usual, “Hey bro, what’s up?”
“My flight is coming in around nine tonight; can you pick me up earlier than expected?”
“Sure man, no problem. Does Suzy know?”
“No, I want to surprise her. Just make up some excuse for you and Beth to be gone earlier. Make sure she has everything she needs before you guys leave, though.”
With a tired sigh, Gray asked, “Nick, did Reva call you last night?”
“Yeah, she did bro. I wasn’t going to even mention it, but Suzy heard me talking to her and questioned me about it. I don’t think she heard enough to connect it to you.”
“Nick, I’m sorry you’re being dragged into this. I’m going to tell Suzy when I get home and then I’m dealing with it. I’m tired of it. My damn cell phone rings constantly, and apparently she’s been making a nuisance of herself at Mericom. The woman is just un-balanced. I’m going to talk to the police and see what my options are. I even thought about talking to her parents, which seems absurd considering her age. I don’t think they would be thrilled to know that their daughter is stalking me.”
With a laugh Nick said, “Yeah there’s something about finding out your daughter is a fruit loop. I’m just glad you’re finally ready to take care of this. You’re too nice, you always have been. I like Suzy, a lot, and I don’t want anything screwing it up for you. I’ll see you tonight.”
As Gray ended the call with Nick, he placed another call to Declan. He was probably at the airport right now and hopefully had a moment to talk. Declan knew people from every walk of life. If anyone knew the best place to start to deal with someone like Reva, it was him.
Suzy flopped back against the couch cushions with a sigh of satisfaction. It felt good to be working again even if it was from home. She’d gotten the ball rolling on a formal cocktail party being held for a new customer in a couple of weeks and a training seminar for their telemarketing staff next month. She’d have never gotten so much accomplished away from the office without Beth. She knew it was selfish, but she hoped her sister would consider staying for at least a few months because she was the best assistant she’d ever had. Since they knew each other so well, Beth anticipated everything she needed without having to ask. She also understood her off-beat sense of humor, so there was no offending her.
She was surprised at how fast Beth had caught on to her new job. Of course she was very intelligent so there was never any doubt that she could do the work, but Suzy had been unsure of how she’d feel in a different environment. They weren’t on a regular schedule yet with her still working from home, but Beth had been going into the office every day for the past week and she seemed comfortable. Having made friends with Ella was probably a help. Apparently, if Ella’s new appearance was anything to go by, their friendship was of great benefit to them both.
Suzy had told her to go home earlier. She and Ella were going to have dinner and she was more than able to fix herself something. She’d also told Nick not to bother to come back that evening, so she finally had the house to herself. Taking a shower on her own might be a little challenging, but they pretty much had that down to a routine so she knew she could handle it. A quick look at her watch showed it was just after six. Gray would be home in just hours and her stomach was knotting in nervous anticipation.
How could you prepare for something you had wanted for so long? She wasn’t even worried about being let down, she was worried about being consumed. After they had sex, Suzy knew it would be impossible to continue denying the bond between them. They were so involved in each other’s lives now it was if they had been a couple for years. When had she finally let her guard down with him? They had established so much intimacy between them since her accident that sex seemed like the next natural step in their relationship. Had there ever been this level of anticipation with Jeff? They had really just grown into a relationship. He was comfortable and reliable, kind of like a Toyota. She’d enjoyed sex with him, but never craved it so badly that her body ached as it did for Gray. Tonight she knew would be the turning point in her life; Gray had finally broken down all of her walls and there was nowhere left to hide.
Suzy prowled around with restless energy. It was just after ten and she’d showered, layered her body with scented lotion and dressed in her new Victoria’s Secret lingerie. She still had hours left until Gray was going to be home and was far too wired up to watch television. She walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the one thing that always settled her nerves. There sitting on a shelf of honor in the freezer was her pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream. She never made the mistake of taking it to the table or anywhere away from the freezer. If she did, she’d eat the entire thing. If she stood near the cold confines of the freezer, she could only stand so much before she had to put it up and shut the door. She grabbed a spoon from the nearby drawer and closed her eyes in bliss at the first explosive taste on her tongue.
Gray walked in the front door wondering if he should call out his arrival or try to surprise Suzy without scaring her to death. The house was quiet and there was no sign of her. As he was walking towards the bedroom he noticed the kitchen light was on so he quickly detoured there and stepped in the doorway to a sight that damn near made his heart stop. Suzy was standing in front of the refrigerator with the freezer door open and a pint of ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other. A black thong showcased the cheeks of her ass and a matching black top in the same lace barely skimmed the top of the panties. Even the cast on her ankle looked sexy. Her crutches were leaning on the counter next to the refrigerator as she stood propped against one of the doors for balance. From his angle, he could see her eyes close as she stuck the spoon in her mouth and moaned in pleasure before slowly pulling it out to repeat the process.
Gray was afraid he was going to literally explode in his pants if he stood there for much longer. He dropped his briefcase on the floor, watching as her startled gaze flew to his. The air practically sizzled around them as he strode purposefully towards her. He took the ice cream from her hand and shoved it back in the freezer with the spoon still inside. He wanted her here and now, on the kitchen floor or the counter, he didn’t really care which as long as he was inside of her. The sight of the crutches reminded him that he’d have to be careful, but there was no way he was being denied.
Neither one of them spoke as he reached for her, pulling her close and taking possession of her mouth. His hands slid down and cupped the cheeks of her bottom squeezing her against his rigid length. He’d no idea if he had enough control to make their first time last. He’d wanted her for so long that he felt incapable of gentleness. He reached down to hook his arms under her knees and carried her to the bedroom before he took her against the refrigerator.
Chapter Fourteen
Suzy felt like she was in the middle of a dream. One minute she was eating ice cream and the next minute Gray was carrying her through the house towards the bedroom. His jaw was clenched, and as she traced his bottom lip with her finger, his eyes blazed. This wasn’t the planned seduction that she had in mind for the evening, but it was so much better. She was desperately aroused and so sensitive that the feel of her thong between her legs was coming close to bringing her to orgasm.
Gray lowered her gently to the bed, stepping back long enough to impatiently kick his shoes off and remove his shirt. Suzy sucked in a breath at the naked beauty of his broad shoulders with muscles rippling and his taunt stomach with a thin line of hair disappearing into his slacks. His hand went to his belt buckle when she reached out and stopped him. With a hoarse laugh he said, “Baby if you’re trying to stop me, you might as well shoot me because it will kill me.”
