Mending (18 page)

“Ah, but you’re here.”

“And, so are you, Mr. Banks.” She winked.

“Yeah, but my mind is most definitely somewhere else.”

She swayed from side to side to the music.  “And where might that be?”  She took a sip of her drink and looked up to him under her thick lashes.

“Somewhere more private.”
  He inhaled sharply and gently grazed his finger down her skin that felt like satin, “Somewhere where I’d be perfecting undressing you” He closed his eyes for a moment, “And I’d be a work-a-
holic
to your body.”

She leaned up and slowly ever so gently kissed his bottom lip and then leaned into his ear so he could hear her husky whisper, “Oh, how I’d like that. 
Your place or mine?”

Bradley slid his hand to the small of her exposed back and pulled her in swiftly to where she was pressed firmly up against his body, “Baby, I’d take you right here, right now on that table.  Let’s get outta here.”

One week before the Williams’ Wedding

V
eronica got out of his bed and leaned down to pick up her clothes.  “So, where are you going again this weekend?”

Bradley was laying on his back with his elbows bent, hands behind his head watching the view of Veronica putting
herself
back together after their weekly good time.  “Charleston.”

After slipping her panties back on she was fastening her bra back, “And what are you doing there again?”

“My cousin’s getting married.  I’m a groomsman.”

“Are you taking a date?” Veronica glanced through the opening of her blouse as she pulled it back over her head.

He tilted his head to the side and gave her a crooked grin raised one eyebrow at her.  “And what do you think?”

She shrugged her shoulders.  She knew that he didn’t do dates, but she really was hoping that eventually he would give i
n and finally take her on one
.  They had been each other’s weekly fling for a year and he’d never asked her for anymore.  She had been happy with that, as well
because she had been busy advancing the corporate ladder.  “Well, I am available if you don’t have a date.”

“Thanks, but you know I’m not interesting in dating anyone.”

Veronica shrugged her shoulders picking up her skirt, “I know, but I thought you might like company. You know after the wedding.”

Bradley sat up and pulled her down to him, “But, then I’d have to introduce you to my family and I’d have questions from them that I don’t want to answer.”

“Are you ashamed of me to the point you wouldn’t want your family to meet me?” She hung her head low.

“No, I don’t introduce girls to my family.  I don’t want pressure to produce an heir or to get married.” He swiftly kissed her, “I
gotta
get ready.  I’m meeting Joe to go fishing.”  He patted her back, “We good?”

“Sure.” Kissing him slowly and passionately she said, “Just something for you to remember while you’re away.”

“
Mmm
, get outta here before I take all those clothes off of you again and make myself late to meet Joe.”

She swayed her hips in an exaggerated fashion towards him, “Oh, I’d like to make you late to meet Joe, though.”

He grabbed her head and pulled her into a passionate kiss and then pushed her away, “I bet you would.  See you for our mid-week appointment Wednesday?”

Veronica chuckled, “Mid-week appointment?  Well, I guess it is that.  But, I could think of a lot of other sexy things to cal
l it other than that
.”

Br
adley got up and opened his dresser to pull out a pair of boxer briefs.  He looked back over his shoulder
as he walked toward the bathroom to shower
, “It is what it is, Veronica.
  If it’s no longer enough for you, then we can just end it.
”

“
You can be such an ass.”  She grabbed her purse and turned on her heel, “See you Wednesday.  I’ll let myself out.
”
She hissed.

Bradley cocked a sideways grin, “See
ya
,
Roni
.”

He felt a little bad as he got into the scalding hot shower, but then again he didn’t.  They had agreed that they would be casual sex buddies the night at the bar.  He didn’t want anything serious and neither did she.  But, it seemed the more time that passed by the more attached she was becoming.  Bradley wondered what the hell she was thinking insinuating that she could
come with him to the wedding.  There was no way that he was going to bring a girl with him around his family.  He would be getting asked when he would make his parents grandparents within a week and he was in no, way, shape or form ready to think about having kids in the distant future
, let alone in the near future.  He shook his head closing his eyes as he pushed his hands back on his head, slicking his hair back.  He quickly tried to put her out of his mind.  The whole point with a
casual
relationship was to not have to worry about this kind of crap and he wasn’t having it.  If she couldn’t keep their deal any longer he’d just find someone new. 

The night of the Williams’ Wedding

Veronica, Atlanta

Veronica had met Bradley on Wednesday for their mid-week appointment as promised, but she was so frustrated with him.
  Not only had he made her feel like a cheap whore, he refused to even entertain the idea of taking her to an out of town wedding, even as a friend. 
She wanted
to be
more
than his mistress
and she didn’t know how much more obvious she could ma
ke that.  It made logical sense that they would be a young power couple if he’d just get over his commitment issues and make them just that, a couple.  At this point, she’d even settle for friend, for someone he would take in public.  She longed to just go on a date with him.  Her friends couldn’t understand why she put up with his crap.  She was gorgeous and she could have any guy she wanted.  But, looking at him was like looking at perfection.  He had a booming career and
was in a position of power.  He wasn
’t insecure with her powerful position.  But, those things aside, she’d never had someone in bed like him.  He personified the phrase sex on legs.  He took pleasure in spending hours on end worshipping her body.  She felt like deep down he cared more for her than he let on, how could he not?  But, for some reason he just refused to have anything more with her.  

She was pretty sure that he didn’t sleep around a lot in Atlanta.  He knew she was available and would be at his beck and call whenever he wanted her.  But, she wondered what he did when he went out of town and she wasn’t there.  She pondered the sickening thought that maybe the reason he didn’t want her to go with him was because he had every intention of picking up another girl and having a one night fling with her. 
The thoughts made her shiver and she jumped up from her bed determined to go out and have just as good of a time as she was sure he’d have.

Chapter 12

August
, 2010 ~ The Past

Gabby

They could barely keep their hands off each other.  Even though
Gabby’s
mind told her to take it slow, she had no will power to Bradley Banks.  He had been quite the gentleman stopping things before they went too far, but they had done everything but have sex with one another.  They had even showered together.  She had never done that and she was a little shy at first, but he nurtured and worshipped her body.  She could definitely get used to him taking care of her the way he did.  She loved feeling so important, loved.  Her face was hurting from the grin that had been plastered on it from the moment she had seen his face at Steak and Shake.  Heck, who was she kidding?  She had had that grin for far longer than that.

By the time they got around to eating, their food was like ice, except for the milkshake.  It had long been melted. 

They were
laying
in the bed, completely naked.  Bradley had picked up the bag of food they had gotten to go from Steak and Shake.  He pulled a fry and took a bite. 
“
Yuck, I hate cold fries. 
You
wanna
order a pizza?”

Gabby laughed, “I hate cold fries, too.  Pizza sounds great.”

Bradley reached over and grabbed his cell phone.  He looked over to her, “What’s your favorite pizza, Gabby girl?”

“Papa Johns.
 
The Works.”

“I don’t see one of those nearby, second favorite.”

“Pizza Hut.
 
Supreme.
  Pan crust.” She nodded with a grin.

“Pizza Hut it is then, doll.” He leaned over and kissed her.  “You look adorable rattling off your favorite foods.”

The next morning, Bradley’s legs were wrapped around hers.  Her back was to his front and he had his arm draped over her exposed stomach.  He nuzzled her neck, “
Mmm
, you smell good.”
He breathed in her scent and moved her hair, exposing her neck.  Trailing sweet kisses he whispered, “Rise and shine, beautiful.”

Gabby pulled the covers up over her head and grumbled something, not even opening her eyes.

“Gabby girl.
  Wake up.” He continued to plant soft kisses on her
arm,
removing the covers she’d just pulled over her head.  “C’mon, I want to take you for breakfast before you leave.”