Her Every Fantasy (10 page)

“Are you ready for bed, sleepy girl?” She nodded and
lay
back so he could tuck her in as he did every night. “What kind of story would you like tonight?”

.“Tell me the one about me being born.”

The corners of his mouth curved upward and sat on the edge of the bed. Jenna had heard the story countless times, but she never grew tired of hearing it, and he never tired of telling it. The birth of each of his children had been special.

He launched into Jenna’s birth story, and at the end, her eyes drifted shut, and she was asleep. He pulled the covers up higher on Jenna before placing a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, princess.”

He left the room and walked toward Jana’s. The door was closed, and he knocked. One thing that he realized was that he had developing daughters—daughters who were going through puberty. The last thing that he wanted to do was traumatize anyone, including himself. He heard Jana call out for him to enter, and he opened the door. Jana was standing by the window gazing out as she always did. It was something that he’d done with her when she was younger until she started doing it on her own.

When rocking hadn’t worked, and it seldom had, he’d gone over to the window and held her up so that she could see the lights of the city and the stars, if they were visible. That had always seemed to calm her down.

“How is the view?”

She turned around and grinned.
“The same as usual.
Although, the sky is beautiful.”

He walked over to the window to stand beside her. She leaned into his side and he put his arm around her. Looking up at the night sky, he smiled. “We might need to get you a telescope so that you can see the stars better.”

She shook her head. “There is no need to, Daddy. The sky is so clear that I don’t need one.”

He nodded. “Are you ready for bed?”

“No. I want to look at the stars for a few more minutes.”

“Okay but don’t get in bed too late.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

And he was certain that she wouldn’t do so. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Her arms went around his waist and squeezed tight for a moment.

“I love you, Dad.”

His heart tattooed inside of his chest. It always made his heart swell when his kids said the words to him. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

Sometimes, he wondered if his children suffered more from their mother’s death than they let on. Toward the end, Nicole hadn’t been around a lot, but he could remember how lost he’d felt when his parents had decided to divorce. The only reason his mother had been able to give him was that she’d fallen out of love with his father and that they both thought it best that they go their separate ways.

The relationship between him and his father had grown tense. When things had become strained between Nicole and
himself
, he’d made sure to keep his children out of the drama. It had also been his priority to make sure that his kids’ relationship with him was still strong. So far, he felt as if he’d done a good job. Yet, something in Jana’s embrace made him worry. She’d always been the quiet one, and sometimes it took some coercion to get her to talk. He pulled back from his daughter and knelt down.

“Is everything okay? Do you want to talk?”

Jana smiled and shook her head. “I am fine, Daddy. I really am.”

She gave him another hug. “How could anything be wrong with a great dad like you around?”

His heart swelled with joy as gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Good night, Dad.”

He stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. His last stop would be to Jamie’s room. Then he could collapse into his own bed if he made it. He headed down the hall to Jamie’s room. It was times like this that he was happy his father had decided to keep this big house. He could remember playing hide and seek in it. Stopping in front of her door, he knocked. She gave him permission to enter, and he did. Jamie was sitting in front of her vanity mirror brushing her hair.

She grinned when she saw him. “I was wondering when you were going to come and tuck me in.”

He laughed knowing that she was being more figurative than literal. Her years of being tucked in were long over. “Your brother and sisters held me up.”

She put the brush down and frowned with concern. “Is everything okay?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and nodded, although he was concerned about Jamie as much as he was about Jana. “I want you to start hanging out with your friends more.”

She picked up the brush and resumed brushing her hair. “You know most parents are saying the opposite to their teenagers.”

James had to admit it did sound a little ironic, but he didn’t want Jamie to miss out on her teenage years. He knew that he relied on her quite a bit, and she’d never let him down.

“Besides, most of my friends are back in Austin.”

He sighed heavily. “Do you think that this was a bad move?”

She shook her head. Setting the brush down again, she turned to face him. “No, Dad, it was a good move. We needed to get away from the bad memories.” She stood and walked over to him and sat down beside him. “I will go out when I find people I would like to go out with.” She paused as if working out a plan. “If it makes you feel better, Somer and I hang out after school at least two days a week, and don’t forget my assigned team for my final exam grade.”

James smiled. “How is that working out for you?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Other than the fact that Holly, Violet, and Laurie are still snotty on occasion, Holly is actually smarter than I thought she was.”

He stared at her with slight disappointment. “That is not a nice thing to say, Jamie.”

Her expression became apologetic. “I know, Dad, but it is true. It is also obvious that they haven’t heard a word Ms. Smith has said.”

He could only shake his head. His goal was to make sure that his children had the most healthy and positive upbringing that they could have. “Just make sure that you aren’t missing out because you are worried about trying to take care of us.”

She smiled. “I won’t.”

He nodded with satisfaction, knowing that she would make an effort to get out more. “And on that note, I will let you finish getting ready for bed.”

“Good night, Dad.”

“Good night, sweet pea.”

He left the room and headed into his own. He needed a shower, but he was too tired to take one. Reaching over he turned on the monitor so that he could hear Josh if he woke up in the middle of the night. He would wake up earlier so that he could take a shower in the morning. Rolling over to his back, he looked at the empty space beside him. He wondered what life would be like if Kayla were filling that space. Things would be different. He knew that for sure, but he was also certain that it would be a good difference.

This had been a bad idea, Kayla thought to herself. She’d thought her place would be a good location to have the private date James wanted to have. Now she was starting to wonder. Her heart had begun to beat furiously as soon as she’d looked out the peephole and saw him. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her raging hormones before opening the door. Her pulse began to race again as he came into view.

His hands were in his pockets in a casual way, which made her wonder how he could stand there look so unaffected. He smiled and shifted his weight, causing his jeans to stretch across the muscular thighs that she’d come to love in a short amount of time. His broad shoulders were covered by a leather jacket that revealed a gray turtleneck sweater underneath it. He had an athletic physique that made her drool. His expression told her had that he might be close to doing the same himself. She stepped back and invited him into her house. He stepped closer to her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Thanks for inviting me over.”

The warm sensation of the innocent kiss almost rendered her speechless, but she managed to respond. “You are welcome.”

Closing the door behind him, she motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. They should be safe there, considering they were going to be sitting across the table from each other.

“Come on in. Dinner is almost ready.”

“You look nice.”

Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at him. “Thank you.”

She knew that she’d made a good decision when she decided to wear the cranberry-colored, silk chiffon dress. Spaghetti straps held up the dress, and the flowing material stopped a few inches above her knees. She had to admit it was a little formfitting, although nothing that would give the man a heart attack, at least she hoped not. To keep things simple, she was barefoot. She heard him inhale deeply.

“Whatever you have cooked smells great.”

“It is spaghetti with cornbread, and thank you again.”

He rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. She stifled a sigh at the sight of his nice forearms.

“What do you need help with?”

The oven dinged, and she headed toward it. “The only thing that I haven’t done is set the table.”

He nodded. “Okay. I can help you with that.”

She instructed him to where everything was turning her attention back to the cooling corn bread. By the time she had the muffins out of the pan and onto a platter, he had the table set. She carried the muffins to the table. At the stove, she placed the noodles into one container and the spaghetti sauce into another. He had both containers in his hand and was moving toward the table before she could blink.

He sat them onto the table.
“Anything else?”

Shaking her head, she grabbed a sauce spoon and the spaghetti fork. She placed them on the table next to the right containers and took a seat. He joined her, and she snapped her fingers. “I forgot the wine.”

He stood back up. “I will get it.”

She stood up as well. “And I will get the wine glasses and the corkscrew.”

They both got up from the table and went in separate directions to get the wine, corkscrew, and wine glasses. She couldn’t help but notice how natural it felt to have him in the kitchen with her. When they returned to the table, he popped the cork and poured each of them a glass.

“I would like to make a toast.”

Picking up her glass, she studied him and wondered what he would say. He toasted to having a good meal and a wonderful evening. They drank to the toast before making their plates. She watched as he took a bite of the corn bread. He looked up at her, the corners of his mouth tilted upward.

“This is really good. Although I must admit that I have never eaten corn bread with spaghetti.”

Kayla smiled.
“Neither had my sisters nor me until we moved here to Baxley with Nana and Grandpa.
Once we had it, we were addicted and have been eating it since.”

He nodded. “Tell me more about your family.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I must warn you that there isn’t much to it.”

At his look of puzzlement, she told him her family history. Her nana and grandpa were no longer living, and both of her parents were deceased as well. Both of her parents had been only children. The only family members left whom she considered immediate family were her father’s parents, Kristen, and Keirra.

“What about you? Tell me about your family.”

* * * *

He paused. It was a simple question with a not so simple answer in several ways. “Well, you already know my father and children.”

She nodded, and he continued. He was the oldest of three as well. His mother had remarried to Louis two years after he and his mother had moved to Austin. Ross had come along less than a year later, and Elayne came along about a year after Ross.

“Sounds like you have a good family.”

He nodded although the relationship between his family and himself was strained at times. Once Ross and Elayne had come along, he’d been on the outside looking in. Louis had made more of an effort than his mother to make sure that he was included. But by the time he was in high school, he started going down his own path. He didn’t love his family any less, but his childhood had definitely shaped him into the man and the father he was today.

His goal was to make sure that he raised his children so they would turn into healthy and mature adults. There had been some kinks along the way, but so far so good or so he felt. The kids’ grades were good, and they seemed to have good social interaction with other people. He chuckled under his breath when he realized where his thoughts were going. His father was right. He worried too much. Here he was on a date with a very beautiful woman, and he was raising his children to the best of his ability.

“Has anyone told you that you are a good cook?”

“Yes, someone has, and thank you.”

He turned the conversation back to her finding out what her interests and hobbies were as well as sharing his. They teased each other relentlessly. He was truly enjoying himself, and from Kayla’s expression, she was enjoying herself as well.

* * * *

She’d never had so much fun and been turned on at the same time. A short while later they were both finished with their food. She took their empty plates to the kitchen sink for a short reprieve. The entire time that they had been at the table together, he’d teased her with touches. She gave as
good
as she got. Right now, she was turned on, and she was pretty sure that he was as well. She could feel his eyes on her.

“Do you mind if I ask what you have for dessert?”

She placed the plates in the sink while scolding herself mentally. For all the preparation of the meal and of getting ready, she hadn’t even thought about dessert. Turning around slowly, she offered him the only thing that she had. Something she’d wanted to offer him since she ran into him in front of Sam’s Café.

“Me.” A smile was trying to find its way onto her face at his reaction, but she fought it.

“Excuse me?”

Using her sexiest, slowest stroll, she made her way to where he was sitting. She grabbed her dress and lifted it some. His eyes widened at the additional skin she revealed, and her grin finally came to the surface. She was nervous as hell, but his response was helping her to hide that fact. She lifted her leg, swung it over his lap, and sat down. She felt brazen, but nervous, yet his expression told her that it was worth it. James’s hands automatically came up to her waist.

“You heard me correctly.” She brought her hands up to his shoulders and began to massage them. “I have to be honest with you. I have wanted you since I first laid eyes on you.”

His eyebrows rose.
“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really.
I just had to make you sweat a little.”

He shook his head, and she knew what he was thinking. Yes, she had been a little sneaky, but she couldn’t just throw herself at him. Plus, there was the fact that she wanted to be pursued a little.

“So you really want me?”

Leaning forward, she studied him features. “The question is
,
do you want me?”

His answer was to move closer and place a brief kiss on her lips. Pulling back, he slid his hands down to her thighs. “Wrap your arms around my neck.”

She did as he asked, and he lifted her up into his arms. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He headed out of the kitchen with her.

“Which way?”

She gave him directions and held on as he took the stairs and made his way to her bedroom. It was amazing that he didn’t trip and fall since their eyes never left each other. He made it to her room and set her on her feet. James walked over to the bedside table and turned on the small lamp. The lamp didn’t give off a lot of light for the room, but the lighting by the bed was great. When she noticed that, she almost grimaced. This being her first time, she was not sure that she wanted a spotlight on her, especially since she’d put on five pounds during the holidays. Looking him directly in the eye, she gave him a shy smile. “Do you mind if we leave the lights off?”

He walked back over to her. He brushed his hand across her cheek.
“Yes, I do.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. He would make this difficult for her.

“Look at me.”

She opened her eyes slowly, and it was a difficult thing to do. There was a look in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher.

“I want to see you when we make love.”

She started to protest, but he stopped her. “That is what we are going to do, make love, not have a quick tumble in the dark.”

She quickly averted her eyes then looked back at him. This was the first time that she’d ever been unsure.

His surprised expression told her that he read her uncertainty. “Are you nervous?”

She nodded. This was a big deal to her. “Yes, I am.”

He stepped closer to her. “It has been a while for me too.”

“Well, you are a step ahead of me since I have never done this.”

* * * *

He could feel his mouth dropping open in shock. If she threw any more surprises at him today, he didn’t know what he was going to do. The last thing he’d expected to hear from her was that she was a virgin. She was a beautiful woman. Men were attracted to her. He’d seen a few of the looks that she’d received, and he’d been behind a few of them. There was a reason she hadn’t given herself to a man before now, and a strong surge of uncertainty swept through him.

“Are you sure that you want to do this with me?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.

He was still hesitant in spite of her growing certainty. “Do you trust me to make this right for you?”

“Yes, I do.”

He conceded. “I want you to be as comfortable as possible to enjoy yourself. So I am going to turn the lamp off.”

“Wait a second. There is something that I want to do first.”

He groaned to himself as he watched the seductive sway of her rear end as she left the room. She returned a few minutes later with three candles in her hand. He watched as she lit them, placed one on the bedside table next to the lamp, and set the other two on her dresser. She gave James the okay to turn off the lamp. The corners of his mouth curved at the sight. The candles left enough discretion so that any flaws that she imagined she had wouldn’t show but enough light for him to see what he was doing.