Soldier's Women (8 page)

Throwing his arm off, she got out of bed. She had things to do. She had to
get to work, and she didn’t need this distraction. She had never lived with
anybody and she wasn’t comfortable with being around him when she had to tinkle
and puke her guts out. She needed to pee-bad. He had to leave.

She pushed on him till he woke up.

“Yes, baby? Does that mean you want more? Just give me a minute to wake
up.”

Sera’s brow furrowed in irritation. Yes, it had been good sex, but she wasn’t
the kind of woman that wanted it so damn badly she couldn’t wait until the man
woke up to get it. God he was so full of himself! “No, you need to leave.”

That comment woke him up.

“Leave? Why?” It took him a little bit to get fully awake and aware in the
mornings. So he was a little confused, but after last night, he figured they had
gotten something started. “I thought . . . .”

“Nope. I don’t know what you thought and I don’t want to hear it. You need to
leave right now. When I come out of the bathroom, I want you gone.”

Sera went to the bathroom, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her.
She turned on the shower to let it start getting warm.

Nigel went to the door. He knocked on it. When he heard nothing, he tried the
knob and realized she’d locked him out. “Sera, we need to talk.”

Through the door, Sera said, “Look, Nigel, there’s nothing to talk about. I
already told you how I wanted my life. Last night was great and all that, but
that doesn’t change anything. I want you to leave.”

Nigel didn’t say anything else, and a few minutes later she heard her front
door shut. She swallowed hard past emotion that suddenly was making it hard to
breathe. This was what she wanted, she assured herself. Men only complicated
things. She couldn’t let him wear down her defenses. She was going to have a
good day. She wasn’t going to let anything ruin it because her friend Patricia
had called the day before to remind her that she was supposed to come to the bar
with them for a girls’ night out today, a sort of bachelorette party for their
mutual friend Nicole who was finally tying the knot. Of course, she couldn’t
drink because she was pregnant, but she planned on dancing her ass off. It would
probably be the last time she went out to the bar in a long time since she was
going to be a mom in just a few short months.

* * * *

Irene picked up the phone and dialed Sera’s home phone number. When she got
the answering machine, she decided to dial Sera’s cell phone number. She had
cooked one of Sera’s favorite meals and really wanted her to come over and enjoy
it. Perhaps it would help her to feel more like she was a part of their family.
And maybe she could see herself getting used to seeing Nigel over the supper
table.

Nigel watched his mother from across the living room. He knew who she was
calling. He also knew what she was up to. She was still trying to play
matchmaker. He knew she had every intention of asking Sera to supper, he knew it
as soon as she’d said she was fixing something that Sera really enjoyed. He
couldn’t complain. This way at least it didn’t appear that he would have
anything to do with it, and he would have more time with her, which was exactly
what he needed.

He leaned back against the couch and pretended to read the newspaper
employment ads that he’d already read and re-read while he waited to hear what
his mother said. As soon as he heard her start talking he didn’t even pretend
like he was reading the paper anymore, though. His mother wouldn’t notice since
she was involved in conversation.

“Hey, Sera.”

“Hey, Irene. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m just fine.” Irene noticed that Sera was talking really loud, as if
she couldn’t really hear herself. She also heard a booming noise in the
background that sounded like music.

“Did you call to chat?”

“Well, yes and no. I called to invite you to dinner also.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Irene. I already had plans for tonight to meet with some
girlfriends at a club.”

“What club are you going to?”

“Fantasia.”

“Fantasia? What kind of club is that?”

“It’s a dance club. My friend Nicole is getting married so we decided to go
to the club to celebrate with a few friends. I haven’t really seen any of them
very much since I got pregnant, and I won’t be seeing them much when the baby
first gets here, so I decided I wanted to go with them tonight. Actually, I
guess you can tell, I’m at the club right now.”

“Are you sure you feel up to it in your condition?”

“I’m fine. A little
loud music and dancing won’t hurt the babies. It’ll be good exercise. And, it’ll
be good for me to do something with my girlfriends since I never do anything but
work.”

“Alright. You have fun and be careful. Call me if you need anything.”

Irene hung up the phone. It was then that she noticed her son was pacing the
living room like a caged lion. He looked about as ferocious as one as well. He
had a fierce scowl when he looked at her.

“She’s going to a club? What is she thinking?”

Irene tried not to smile. “Apparently she’s already at the club with some
friends celebrating an impending marriage. I guess it’s like a bach . . . .” She
didn’t get to finish her sentence. Nigel had already grabbed the car keys and
was out the door.

Nigel knew exactly where Fantasia was located. Thankfully, it was only about
fifteen minutes from the house. He was surprised he didn’t have a cop stop him
and give him a speeding ticket on the way over. He probably would have led the
cops on a high speed chase to the club, because he didn’t have any intention of
stopping until he found Sera.

* * * *

Sera hung up her cell phone and grabbed the drinks she’d ordered for her
friends and her non-alcoholic one from the bartender. She made her way through
the crowded club back to the table where her friends were sitting, whooping and
hollering like teenagers. She couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm. It
was good to see them all together, like the old days when they were young,
before she’d lost her parents.

She was really glad that after all of the bad relationships that Nicole had
had she had finally found someone that she wanted to spend the rest of her life
with, someone dependable and worthy of her adoration. She felt a sudden pang in
her heart. She tried to ignore it, but it continued to bother her as she set
down the drinks she’d brought. All of her friends were having such a good time,
she couldn’t possibly be jealous. But, perversely, she was.

After all the talk about not needing a man, about them creating such turmoil
in a woman’s life, it was hard to ignore how happy her friends were. All of them
were in serious relationships, the only ones not married now were her and
Nicole. And in a few short weeks, it would be just her. She tried to shake off
her negative thoughts. Her friends had just been lucky. She herself had never
managed to find a decent man, a man that, no matter what, would lover her
unconditionally forever. She had resigned herself to life with just the love of
her children, and that would be more than enough. She didn’t need a man.

A few minutes later, a man approached their table, eyeing her appreciatively.
Her girlfriends, all taken, all fully aware that she was the only single one
among them, were giggling like school girls at the way the man was eyeing
her.

She blushed with embarrassment when the man stood staring at her for a minute
without saying anything. He must be so drunk he can’t talk, she
thought.

“Would you like to dance?”

Surprised that he was staring that hard and could still speak, she took a
minute to examine the man. She supposed he was attractive enough. He was tall,
well-built, he had a full head of blonde-hair, and he had brown eyes, but for
some odd reason she thought she preferred dark hair and dark blue eyes.

Nicole elbowed her under the table when she didn’t say anything.

Sera looked at her friend, giving her a scowl for digging her elbow into the
tender flesh of her abdomen and then looked back at the man.

He was still waiting on an answer.

Well, she’d said she’d come to dance. What she’d really meant was that she’d
planned on dancing with her friends not a man, but it wouldn’t hurt.

“Alright.”

“What’s your name?”

“Sera. What’s yours?”

“Tom.”

She got down off of her stool and tried not to smile as her friends cheered
her on.

Tom put an arm around her waist and led her to the crowded dance floor.

Even though the song that was playing was a faster paced dance song, Tom
moved in close as if it was a slow dance.

Sera immediately felt uncomfortable.

Tom continued to pull Sera closer and then he began to rub himself on her
hip.

At that point, Sera decided she’d had enough. She hadn’t agreed to a dance so
the man could rub himself off on her body. As if feeling some stranger’s penis
through his clothing was going to whip her into a sexual frenzy! Before she
could get loose from him, though, she heard a familiar voice that sent currents
of awareness coursing through her body.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Sera was certain the comment had been directed at her, but when she looked at
Nigel, she could see that his attention was focused on Tom.

“Hmm?” Tom said, too absorbed in trying to molest Sera to have heard what
Nigel said.

“I said, what the hell do you think you’re doing? That’s the mother of my
child, and it’s obvious she doesn’t want you rubbing yourself all over her.
Can’t you tell she’s trying to pry you loose? Beat it before I kick your ass,”
he said in a low growling voice that brooked no argument.

Tom immediately let go, evidence of the cowardice in him. He obviously didn’t
want a fight, or just realized that Nigel was raring for one. He slinked away
into the pulsating crowd, leaving Sera facing Nigel alone.

Nigel didn’t say anything, but his scowl was intense.

Sera swallowed hard past a knot that had suddenly formed in her throat. He
was so angry, but why? He couldn’t really be that angry with that man, could he?
Was he just mad because she was carrying his children and he’d found her in the
club or was he mad because he actually wanted her for himself?

Nigel pulled Sera close as the next song started, a slow song. The lights
dimmed.

Sera breathed in the intoxicating male scent of him. She couldn’t help the
pleasurable sigh that escaped her lips. He was so damn hot. He didn’t even try.
But, then again, her raging hormones wouldn’t let her ignore the intense
pheromones he was putting off. She tried to tell herself that if she wasn’t
inhibited by her now crazed sexual state, she wouldn’t have been nearly as
attracted to him as she was, but she knew she was lying to herself.

She wanted this man as she had never wanted any before, and she knew she’d
never want another man the way she wanted him. If only he felt the same way. If
only he wasn’t so damned full of his honor that made him blind to her as a woman
and made her just the mother of his children. She knew that was the only reason
he was involving himself with her. And, after she had the babies, he would only
want them. He wouldn’t want anything to do with her. It was terrible of her to
be irritated about that. She should be deliriously happy he wanted to be there
for the babies. If he wasn’t that interested in her, it shouldn’t matter. They
could have a civilized relationship where they both supported the children, an
arrangement that suited both of them in a completely non-intimate couple sort of
way. But, she realized, that wasn’t what she wanted anymore. She wanted more,
much more.

The song ended. She was immediately disappointed. She’d been enjoying having
him hold her so close. It felt almost like he wanted her, like he needed her in
his arms. It felt so right to be there, pressed tight against his chest, right
next to his heart. She thought she could dance with him all night. But he’d
broken the spell by moving away. She looked at his face. He wasn’t nearly the
raging beast he’d been minutes before. That was a relief at least.

“We’re leaving.”

Sera was more than a little irritated that he hadn’t asked, he merely said it
like she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She planted her feet and crossed
her arms, giving him her fiercest look.

Nigel took one look at her and smiled.

“Do you think I can’t take you by force?”

Sera didn’t say anything, she simply dared him to try it with her eyes.

“So be it,” Nigel said right before he bent down and scooped her into his
arms.

Sera started beating him on the chest.

“Put me down. I’m not ready to leave.”

“I’m taking you home.”

Realizing that beating on him was not affecting him at all and that it was a
lost cause, she looked back at the table where her friends were still seated and
waved goodbye. She could see that they were all wildly excited that Nigel was
carrying her away. She’d told them about her situation with Nigel, about how
she’d met his mother and decided to be the surrogate for his child and then he’d
shown up and thrown all her plans for a loop. They’d thought it was so romantic
the way he wanted to be a father to the babies, the way he wanted her. She tried
to tell them that he was only interested in her because she was pregnant with
his children, but they’d given each other looks as if they knew better. It had
irritated her. She knew the truth. He’d never claimed to love her. He’d only
proposed because he’d felt duty bound to do it.

Nigel carried her out into the parking lot and then set her on her feet.

“Now, are you going to walk or am I going to have to take you to the car
myself.”

Sera gave him another scowl but relented.

“I can manage on my own
two feet, thank you.”

Just then, they both heard the clink of beer bottles behind them, as if
they’d been kicked together and had rolled over the gravel in the parking lot.
It drew their attention.