Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
A fter the driver dropped Damon at his building, he took the elevator to his floor, anticipation thrumming in his blood. He couldn’t wait to see Audra after being on the road for so long. He had called, told her what time his flight was landing, and that he’d love to see her. When she offered to wait at the condo, he quickly agreed and instructed the concierge to let her in.
He enjoyed their late-night talks, but he longed to hold and kiss her—which was becoming increasingly difficult because his body ached for more. His most vivid fantasy was of her riding him, her tousled mane of hair falling around her shoulders.
Truth be told, he hadn’t gone this long without sex since high school. He wanted to make her toes curl and find out what his name sounded like when she screamed it in his bed. The only time she had been in his bed so far was one afternoon when she’d taken a nap there.
He pushed open the door and dropped his bag on the floor. “I’m home!”
Audra came flying around the corner with a bright smile and leaped into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he cradled her bottom in his hands and kissed her hard and with passion.
“Damn, I’ve missed you,” he muttered against her lips.
“I missed you too. Welcome home.” She rubbed his bearded jaw and then slid her hand over his short-cropped hair. The comforting gesture immediately relaxed him.
“Thank you, baby.” He sniffed the air. “What’s that delicious smell?”
“Nothing fancy. A little something I threw together—pot roast, potatoes, and vegetables. I didn’t know if you’d be hungry when you came home, but I figured you’d like a home-cooked meal.”
Damon was speechless. Other than his mother and his personal chef, he couldn’t recall any woman cooking a whole meal for him and was surprised she’d gone to all that trouble.
“Was it okay that I used your kitchen?” she asked.
Probably because he hadn’t responded.
“Of course. Hell, I appreciate you doing that. Smells delicious.”
Anxious to see her, he hadn’t thought much about food because having someone waiting for him wasn’t something he’d ever experienced before. Normally, he came home and warmed something from the freezer that his personal chef had prepared or stopped to pick up food from a local restaurant. Having her waiting for him made coming home sweeter.
Audra dropped to her feet and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Put away your bag, change into something more comfortable, and I’ll finish up in the kitchen. Then we can eat.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her neck, taking a deep whiff of her scented skin, and groaned.
She was driving him crazy. With her here, cooking a meal, and looking all sexy in tight jeans and a red top that hugged her curves, he was definitely appreciative. He wanted more of this kind of living.
He watched her walk into the kitchen and released a heavy breath. “Hang in there, bruh,” he muttered, gently patting the front of his pants where his semi-hard penis threatened to embarrass him.
He took his bag into the bedroom and changed into sweats and a T-shirt. Checking his appearance, he smoothed a hand down his beard and then went to the kitchen. As he approached, he heard Audra talking.
“You promised , Kerry,” she said, tension in her voice. She was standing in front of the range and holding the phone to her ear.
Her daughter’s nickname was Keri, but Damon doubted that’s who she was talking to. Probably her ex.
She heaved a sigh and dropped her head in defeat. As he hovered in the doorway, Damon immediately wanted to fix whatever was wrong.
“You don’t get it, do you? She wants to see you. You’re her father .”
Her words confirmed what he had suspected.
Damon backed out of the kitchen to give Audra privacy, but he didn’t like the sound of heavy disappointment in her voice. From the little he’d heard, he guessed that her child’s father had flaked on plans, upsetting her—and not for the first time.
In the living room, he could hear her talking but could no longer discern the words. He stood in front of the glass doors looking out at the parking lot and waited until he no longer heard her voice. Then he returned to the kitchen.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” She pulled plates from the cabinet without facing him.
Damon walked over. “Everything okay?”
Audra nodded, but her hair had fallen across her cheek, hiding her expression from him.
Grasping her chin, he turned her head to face him. “Talk to me.”
Her lower lip trembled, and she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “I was talking to my ex, Kerilyn’s father. He promised to come see her next weekend, but now he says he can’t because he has a gig out west. I didn’t tell her that he was coming because I didn’t want to get her hopes up until I was certain he’d follow through. I’m glad I didn’t because of course he called to say he can’t make the trip now. At least this time I didn’t have to see the disappointment in her face and explain that it’s not that her father doesn’t love her or want to spend time with her, it’s that he’s so busy .” Her face crumbled, and her voice cracked on the last word.
Damon pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Audra.”
“It’s so unfair. She doesn’t deserve this,” she said, her voice trembling and thick with tears.
He held her for a few minutes until she was able to compose herself. Wiping her eyes, she looked gratefully at him. “I shouldn’t be laying this on you.”
“I don’t mind, and I care about you. Because I care about you, I care about your daughter. I hate that she’ll be disappointed. Some people become parents without understanding the magnitude of their decision and how the way they treat their child will affect them for years to come.”
“They don’t understand or they don’t care,” Audra said bitterly. She sniffed, and then a soft smile touched her face. “When she was a baby, I used to stand over her crib and watch her for hours.”
“Hours?” Damon asked, teasing.
“Seemed like it. I couldn’t get enough of watching her little fingers and toes and listening to her breathe. And you know how babies smell—oh, I loved her little baby smell. Every time I looked at her or held her, I was amazed by this tiny person I’d created. I still can’t believe she’s already six years old, has such a big personality, and is so loving. She loves kisses and hugs and is very affectionate.” The light dimmed in her eyes. “I know she wants to give kisses and hugs to her daddy the way she gives them to me and her grandparents and her uncles, but he never makes time for her.”
“Not everyone was meant to be a parent.”
“True.”
“It sounds like you have a great support system with your parents and your brothers. I know it’s hard for her not to have her father in her life, but having a loving family—who shows her that she’s loved—I promise you, it helps.”
Audra looked at him with curiosity. “Are you speaking from experience?” she asked gently.
“I have two loving parents,” Damon said, unwilling to divulge more. He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “The good news is, she isn’t disappointed again like she’s been in the past. She didn’t know, like you mentioned.”
“Yeah, I’m learning.” She breathed through her lips and then fixed a smile on her face. “Ready for dinner?”
“I am, but are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, and thank you for listening.” She rose onto her toes and gave him a kiss.
Damon groaned and grabbed her bottom, pressing his lips against hers when she was about to pull away.
Audra licked his lips and placed her hands on his shoulders. “How about you fix our drinks while I prepare our plates?”
“All right.” He slapped her bottom, and she yelped.
Chuckling, Damon went to the refrigerator. He poured them each a glass of punch that his personal chef had whipped up and left for him.
During dinner, he told her about his trip, complained about where he thought he could have improved, and generally appreciated that she listened. After dinner, he washed the dishes and put away the leftovers while she relaxed on the sofa. When he joined her, she shifted closer and curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
He never would have thought a relaxing night at home would be enough to satisfy him, but with a full belly and his arm around Audra while they watched TV, he felt as if he’d won the jackpot. He pulled her closer. This was happiness. He had no interest in going out—not if she couldn’t be there with him.
He hadn’t seen himself getting married for at least a few more years, but there was something about Audra that made him look deep into the future and think about forever.
Forever with her.
“Baby, wake up.”
Audra heard Damon’s deep voice as if from far away. Her eyes fluttered open, and she lifted her head from his shoulder.
“Have I been asleep long?” Yawning, she covered her mouth and blinked rapidly. The room was dark because he had turned off the television. Beyond the windows, the lights of the city’s buildings and moving cars brightened the night.
“Thirty minutes or so,” Damon answered.
She knew why he’d woken her up. It was time for her to go.
His lips brushed over her forehead, slipped across her cheek, and moved lower to the corner of her mouth. She snuggled closer. She didn’t want to go home. Leaving him was getting harder and harder, and tonight felt particularly difficult. She wanted to lose herself in his arms.
Everything leading up to this had been foreplay: the gifts he sent for weeks, the dinners, dancing, the weekend retreat, and the late-night phone conversations. He’d torn away her hesitations, and now she trusted him. Completely. And wanted to lose herself in his arms.
Audra stroked her hands down his chest. “Damon,” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
Their eyes locked, and they both stilled. She didn’t need to explain.
He immediately pressed his lips to hers, and she welcomed him with an open-mouthed kiss as her body became consumed with the heat of desire.