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“Still want to stay?” she said with a smile. “They haven’t scared you off?”
“Not yet.” He grinned back at her. “But Jeremiah has shaken my old bones and given them a good stretch, isn’t that right pal?”
“Old?” Raina raised an eyebrow and the corner of her lip turned up in amusement. Christian winked at her.
“Yes, Aunty, I’ve scored seven goals! Isn’t that great?”
“It’s fantastic; you’re a great soccer player.” Raina said and flashed Christian a grateful look. “Now come on in, I’ll show Christopher the basement and then come up in a while to wash you up.”
Raina turned to her houseguest as she led him inside. “Thank you so much for that, Jeremiah really enjoyed himself. It’s been a while since he had male company.” she said in a wistful tone as Jeremiah ran off to tell his sisters about his victory.
Christian followed her down the basement steps and into a wide-open space with an old futon in the middle and a battered chest of drawers against one wall. Boxes were stacked up against the back and it smelled a bit musty, but it was well lit with two small, high windows that faced the front of the house.
“It’s nice.” Christian commented. He looked down at her and gave her a grateful smile.
“You’re a good liar,” Raina said with a sidelong grin, clearly ribbing him. A twinge of guilt surged through him again—if only she knew how good a liar he really was.
“Well, it’s certainly kind of you to offer it to me, and it seems very comfortable.”
“I thought it would be better than where you’ve been.” Raina responded. Visions of his luxury penthouse flashed before his eyes—and yet, she was right about one thing. He actually did find spending time in Raina’s boisterous, crowded, tidy little house more comfortable than in the cavernous and empty opulence of the high rise condo.
“You’re welcome to have your meals with us,” Raina continued. “I cook a ton of food, a habit I acquired from my mother.”
“Thank you so much for all of this; I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. I’ll leave you to settle in then. If you want to join us, dinner will be ready in a few. Oh, and there is a bathroom in there.” She pointed vaguely at a door.
Christian saw the door, partway off its hinges, that she meant and nodded. He watched Raina disappear back up the steps and then noticed his rucksack on the bed; Raina must have placed it there while he was playing with Jeremiah. He unpacked his bag and placed everything carefully in the chest of drawers.
It felt odd but exciting to be so close to Raina, yet so far. She might have offered him a helping hand, but she certainly hadn’t shown any more interest except to help a friend in need. Somehow she remained warm but distant at the same time.
As he set himself up he wondered of the children and their circumstances.
Seeing Raina at work, it was impossible to imagine that she took care of three children. She was efficient and always looked so well put together. So far he hadn’t seen a nanny or anyone else who helped with the kids. He assumed that Raina rushed to get home every night; she probably made sure she was home when they got off the bus from school. She looked so professional in her skirt suits but now seeing her at home, he saw her in a different light. She was—maternal in a way he hadn’t expected her to be. And yet, somehow it suited her perfectly.
Christian felt as though he was peeling away layers of her personality bit by bit and he couldn’t wait to find out what else lay beneath. What drove her, and more importantly what did she want out of her life?
Christian lay back on the futon, testing the mattress, and his imagination drifted to the idea of testing out the same mattress with Raina. Jerk, he thought to himself. Here she is offering you a place to stay out of the kindness of her heart and your mind starts thinking dirty thoughts.
He couldn’t seem to help it though. His mind was often wandering to naughty ideas when he was around Raina. He imagined what the touch of her dark skin would feel like under his hand. It looked smooth, like the softest silk, and he wanted to trail his fingers over her body and feel every curved inch of her.
He groaned audibly as he felt his cock hardening in his pants. He tugged at the fabric, willing himself to get under control. He tried to turn his mind to the dull topic of toilet repairs. Anything to take his mind off of her.
He was starting to realize it would be more difficult than he had predicted to live under her roof. To walk around with a constant hard-on would certainly make him a poor house-guest.
Upstairs, he could hear her movements in the kitchen. If she could read his thoughts, she would throw him out in the streets without a shred of remorse, Christian thought with amusement.
Dinner was a cheerful affair as the children amused them with tales of school. Chantal did not speak much and instead remained content to listen to her siblings, and watch Christian warily. Raina had cooked them a delicious simple meal of lasagna and Christian even had second helpings. It definitely wasn’t from a frozen box, and he was amazed that she still had the energy after a long day at work to cook a home made meal. He saw compassion in her eyes as he devoured the food on his plate. She probably thought he hadn’t had a decent meal in ages, but the truth was that her cooking could rival that of the best private chefs he’d ever employed.
Guilt gnawed at him as he realized once again where her mistaken compassion stemmed from, but there was no other way, Christian told himself. After dinner, he carried the plates and proceeded to wash up, something that he hadn’t done since he was a little boy.
“No please, you’re our guest; we can’t have you washing up!” Raina protested.
“It’s the least I can do.” Christian insisted as he took the dishes to the sink.
The children carried their own plates to the counter and then ran upstairs to get ready for bed.
Raina joined him and dried the dishes as he cleaned up. They worked in companionable silence. Christian was painfully aware of how close she was to him and her light and airy perfume invaded his senses. He was reminded again of how long it had been since he’d had a woman.
