AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He made me curious. There were so many things about James that interested me, like his personality, which could be likened to quirky and slightly off, but fun. He was handsome, charismatic in an understated manner, smart and eclectic, and yet somehow, all those things that annoyed me about him were now gone as I looked at him. I only saw the good, and I liked what I saw.
“I’m fine. It has nothing to do with the transition, although I really do like working with you, and our time was far too short. I feel like I’m being handed over to someone else and I’m not sure what to expect.”
“Terry needs all the help he can get, and you're going to do great things in that department. And, we will still see each other, but first, you have to get better.” He leaned in and stole a kiss, and my breath, away.
I wanted more and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him close for a long, lingering kiss that turned into sex.
Waking the following morning, still wrapped in his arms, set off all kinds of bells ringing in my head. I wanted to stay. He was still asleep because it was early. I wanted to go because we both promised ourselves this was over and done.
If I was honest with myself, though, I didn't want it to be done. I wanted this and many more moments to last forever. James was quickly becoming someone very important to me. I took one last look at his sleeping form and tried to slither out of bed.
“Where the hell do you think you're going? We’re going to take a shower together. I want to lather up all that sexiness and make sure you're clean.” He laughed.
That’s when I felt a sudden rush of sickness coming and pulled out of his arms, with my hand over my mouth. Two seconds later, I barely made it to the bathroom to dry heave. James was at my side, holding my hair from my face.
When I was done, he handed me a towel so I could clean up and wrapped me in his arms. “Still feeling sick, love? It’s okay, take another day off. I’ll notify Terry and Martie, but maybe you should see the doctor tomorrow if you're not better?”
I buried my face in the warmth of his body and didn't bother to answer. When we finally showered, he took special care to wash me and didn't even attempt to make love to me. His hands were gentle, his movements slow and methodical as his fingers and the washcloth moved over every area of my body. I did the same for him, and then we took turns washing the soap off.
He was tender, more than I’d ever experienced since first meeting him, and I was taken aback by how much I wanted more of this James. He dried my body and hair, wrapped me in a cotton white robe, and helped put slippers on my feet.
After he’d dressed, he called Margaret and asked her to bring me up something easy to eat because I was still sick.
“I have to go. Margaret will be up soon with some toast, and maybe tea. If you need anything, call me. I already told Terry, so don’t be surprised if he sends flowers or something cheesy. The man is just lucky I value him as a partner, so I’m not demanding a duel in the backyard.” He laughed.
“Thank you. You're being too kind to me and taking such good care of me. Do all men do this for their mistresses or the women they sleep with?”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t know. Terry likes to woo the ladies into his bed, but when he gets bored with them, he sends them flowers or jewelry and stops talking to them. My brother doesn't do relationships anymore, so he doesn't do much of anything for anyone. I guess it’s just me. Or maybe, it’s just me and you together. Whatever it is, don’t ask questions, just soak it up like a sponge and enjoy.”
His fingers came up to caress the side of my cheeks. I closed my eyes to let the feeling linger until he moved away from the bed. After he left, I tried to watch TV, but I was bored. I wasn’t consistently sick, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I wanted to get back to work, but decided now was the time I could finally use for my writing, so ten minutes later, I got down to business and had a full chapter by the time Margaret showed up.
“Here you go, miss, and here, I have something else for you I think you might need if you aren’t feeling well.” She placed a brown paper bag on top of the food tray and smiled.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome, miss. If you need anything else, just ask.” Margaret left before I opened the bag.
When I had a moment to stop typing on my computer, I took a few nibbles of toast and a couple sips of the pungent tea, which I’d never had before. What was inside the brown bag completely caught me off guard, but then everything made sense.
I took the pregnancy test right after I started feeling better. Hands shaking, I did the test, set it aside, and tried to go back to writing but it just didn't happen. My mind was blank, and the only thing that registered was that I could be pregnant. It felt like I couldn’t breathe the whole time I waited for my alarm on my phone to go off.
My nerves were on edge as I headed back to the bathroom and saw the results. I was shocked. There were no words I could form in my head that would make my life okay in that moment.
I’d always wanted children, but somehow, it happened this way with James, and it just didn't sit well with me. I wanted marriage first, a nice house, a full bank account, and a cozy, but secure career I could depend on before I brought a wee baby into the world. Instead, I was a billionaire's mistress, he was my boss, and I lived in his house.
When James returned at night, I wasn’t ready to mention anything. I was not even sure how I felt about a baby. Instead, I told him I felt better but wanted to relax for the rest of the night.
The following morning, I woke up and felt good enough to go to work, only to find out from Martie that people were talking about me and Terry now, which was odd, because we’d only been to an office party together, and I’d kept things all business that night after my time with James in the bathroom.
“Do you think someone is deliberately spreading rumors to get me fired, or make me quit?” I fussed with my hair in the bathroom mirror on break, Martie standing beside me doing the same.
She glanced at me in the mirrors and frowned. “I guess it’s possible, but it doesn't matter. Nothing is going on, so who cares?”
“Nothingisgoing on, right?” She stopped long enough to eye me thoughtfully.
I smiled. “No, are you crazy?”
“Good. One never knows with Terry. He’s not the man you want to mess with, unless you don’t mind being mistreated. He’s brutal. I’ve heard when he’s done with his mistresses, he doesn't even say goodbye, just stops talking to them one day.”
