My Kind of Girl (13 page)

“
You know I must really
like you because my housekeeper is going to kill me when she
realizes I’ve used one of the decorative hand towels.”

She giggled followed by a sniff. “That
would explain why your house is flawlessly clean.”

“
Good. I got you to laugh.
Let’s go into the great room to finish watching the game. Get your
mind off of what just happened. Plus, I brought you something to
eat from Raven’s. Your stomach rumblings are getting louder.”
Winking with a smile, he patted her stomach and pulled her off of
the tub. “I won’t pry anymore, but I’m here if you need a shoulder
to cry on or a listening ear. I’ve been told I’m pretty good at
both.”

“
Thank you. I’ll keep that
in mind.”

After she threw her damaged cell phone
in her purse and placed her clothes in the dryer, she met him in
the kitchen where he was heating up her food in the microwave. She
did feel somewhat better thanks to Sean. He was easy to talk to
which probably made his clients comfortable when spilling their
issues to him. Once she was settled on the couch with her salmon,
baked chicken, and kale salad, she decided to confide to him what
was going on with her mother. She sat her plate on the coffee table
in front of the couch and turned toward him. He stopped drinking
his Heineken and placed his eyes on her.

“
Are you ready to talk
now?” He turned the television off and rotated toward
her.

“
Yes. Do you want me to lie
down on the couch or on the chaise lounge in the
kitchen?”

A roar of laughter arose from him. “As
tempting as that is, no. You can sit there. We’re just talking. I’m
not Dr. Arrington. I’m your friend, Sean.”

“
So I won’t receive a bill
in the mail?” she asked teasingly, even though she did want to
confirm.

“
No. This one is on the
house. I’m ready whenever you are.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled
out. “My mom has a gambling addiction.”

He nodded as if he’d already figured
that out. “I see. When did it begin?”

“
About four years ago. She
went to the casinos across the river with some friends, won a
little money, and figured she could keep doing it.”

“
Had she’d ever gone to the
casino’s before?”

“
A few times when I was
growing up my parents would take out of town guests who wanted to
go, but it wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Maybe once a year and she
just played the slots.”

“
Mmm … any life changes
four years ago?”

She pondered for a moment. Nothing out
of the extraordinary had happened. “No. My dad had passed a few
years before that. Um … my brother was stationed in Hawaii, but he
hasn’t lived in Memphis since he graduated from high school so I
doubt that could’ve triggered something. However, I know she hates
him being so far from Memphis. It’s not like Hawaii is a car ride
away. So maybe that’s it? Maybe she doesn’t like the change of our
lives?”

“
I see. Were you
here?”

“
I was in grad school at
Vanderbilt at the time. It was my last year.”

“
So she was here alone? No
other relatives?”

“
No. Her sister lives in
Atlanta and her brother is in Florida. She has friends. They hang
out. You know, shopping and book club meetings.”

“
What about her dating
life?”

“
Mmm …
occasionally.”

“
So all of a sudden, at
least to your knowledge, she starts gambling and can’t
stop.”

“
At one point she did. She
went to a counselor and a few gambling addiction anonymous meetings
after my brother and I persuaded her to. This was after she lost
thousands in a private poker game and had to get a home equity
loan. She vowed to never gamble again, but fell off the wagon a
year later. She tried to stop at the end of last year, but a few
months ago she started going to private poker parties.”

“
And you give her
money?”

“
Yes. To pay her bills when
she has spent her entire pension check for the month thinking she
can double it. I’m not giving it to her to gamble with. Most of the
time I just write the check for the bill instead of actually giving
her the money except for food and gas.”

“
Have you ever thought
about not loaning her the money?”

“
That’s what my brother
says I should do, but she’s my mom. I can’t have her in a house
without lights or on the street corner with all of her belongings
because she didn’t pay on the home equity loan.”

A thoughtful expression reached his
face. “I understand. Do you think your mom would be willing to
speak to me?”

“
I don’t know.” Traci shook
her head and fiddled with her class ring. “She’s in denial she has
a problem considering she’s been winning a lot lately. She even
gave me five thousand dollars recently to pay me back and offered
to give me half of her winnings from her Vegas trip.”

“
Hmm … well, she’s repaying
your money so that’s a start, but there’s some underlying reason.
Has she ever been depressed?”

“
When my dad died she was
very sad for a few years, but she’s seems to be okay with his death
now. I mean, she misses him dearly. We all do, but she’s not crying
every day like she was the first year.”

“
Anything else?”

Traci racked her brain. She couldn’t
think of anything else, but she felt better getting everything off
of her chest. Sean really was a great listener. “Um … no. I think
that’s it.”

“
So why does her gambling
addiction frustrate you?”

“
Because she’s my mother. I
don’t want to see her spiraling out of control and ending up
homeless because she has no willpower to stop. I just want her to
be happy.”

“
So you don’t think she’s
happy?”

“
I …”

“
Or is it that you think
she has the addiction when maybe she doesn’t and instead you’re not
happy?”

“
Excuse me?” she barked.
“Are you suggesting that I’m the one with the problem?”

He reached over and grabbed her hand.
“Calm down. I just wanted to know how you felt. Now I do. However,
she apparently has some self-control because she has been able to
stop a couple of times over the past few years. I’m sure with some
extensive counseling she may be able to stop completely. Something
is triggering this, and until me or another professional sits down
with her I can’t give you an answer as to what it is. However, it’s
affecting you greatly so let’s concentrate on you.”

“
So you’re going to start
charging me?”

He slid toward her and kissed her
softly. “No. You’re not one of my clients, but whenever you want to
talk about it, I’m here.”

“
Thank you, and you’re
right. You are easy to talk to. I just hope I don’t get too
comfortable and start spilling all of my secrets.”
Especially the one where I’ve had a crush on you
for years.

“
Well, I won’t judge no
matter what your secrets are.” He pulled her onto his lap and the
bathrobe came open showing her thighs. She pulled it closed
considering she wasn’t wearing any panties and with her thoughts of
making love in the shower still lingering in her head, she had to
remain composed.

“
I’m going to go check on
my clothes. They should be dry by now.”

“
Damn, I was sort of hoping
you’d just lounge around in my bathrobe. You look cute in it.” He
kissed her right dimple, causing her to giggle.

“
It’s way too big for me.
It’s dragging the floor.” She scooted off of his lap as he popped
her butt in the process.

“
Hurry back.”

Chapter Eight

Sean leaned back on the couch and took
a swig of his beer. He was glad he finally knew the reason why
Traci was working so hard to make extra money. That indeed had to
be a strain on her. Working full-time at the botanicals gardens
plus landscaping residential yards had to be tiring. Did she ever
have a day to herself? Lately, when she was off from the gardens
she was at his house and sometimes she would leave work coming
straight there to work some more. Sure, Traci was a young woman
with loads of energy, but he was certain she still needed to relax
and rest.

An idea popped in his head that would
help her to unwind. He figured she’d come back out in her clothes
and not his bathrobe, but with the plan he had in mind, he needed
her naked. His penis jumped at the thought.

“
Down boy,” Sean said,
retreating to the other side of his house where he had a massage
room set up in one of the spare bedrooms. He’d played football in
middle and high school and had been injured a few times. Plus, a
car accident a couple of years ago had reintroduced the same pain,
so whenever needed, he had a private masseuse give him body
massages. And when that didn’t work, he would have acupuncture
treatments given by Bria. Even though she was an allergist at their
medical practice, holistic medicine and healing was her
passion.

Sean lit the scented white candles
that were on floor stands positioned around the room and turned the
CD on to the tranquil Japanese music that the masseuse had given
him for relaxation whenever he needed. Sometimes, after listening
to his patients all day, he needed to kick back and relax his
brain.

Hearing Traci calling his name, he
stepped out of the room and trekked back to the great room. She was
seated on the couch with her legs tucked under her and fiddling
with the remote control. She was still wearing his bathrobe much to
his delight. He tried to muffle a smile but couldn’t.

“
Your clothes weren’t dry
yet?”
Gosh darn it,
he thought sarcastically.

“
I’m sure you’re happy.
It’s written all over your handsome face. And no. My jean shorts
were still damp, but I’m wearing my bra and panties.”

“
Perfect. Follow me. I want
to show you something.”

A curious eyebrow raised as her lips
swished to side. “Um ... where are we going?”

“
You’ll see.” He lifted her
up from the couch and carried her in his arms back to the massage
room.

“
Um …” Her eyes widened
like the two huge satellite dishes on his roof. “What’s all this?”
she asked as her eyes scanned the area, and her body trembled in
his arms.

“
I want to give you a body
massage. You’ve been under a lot of stress with your mom and
working two jobs. I just want to pamper you. I promise not to try
anything.”

“
Oh … I didn’t know you
knew how to give massages.”

“
You know who you’re
talking to, right? Trust me, I’ve never had a complaint.” He placed
her on the floor but still held her in his arms. She was straining
her neck to look up at him so he stooped down to her level. “You’ll
need to take off your clothes,” he whispered, patting her
bottom.

She stood back and unloosened the
bathrobe at her waist. She opened it, letting it fall to the floor.
He bit his bottom lip and his manhood bobbed as she stood there in
a matching black bra and boy shorts set. He was now having second
thoughts. He didn’t know if he could control himself from roaming
his hands over her body without his tongue wanting to join in as
well.

“
So how do you want me?”
she asked, walking to the massage table and leaning against it. It
was an innocent question, but as their eyes met an electric current
rushed between them.

Under me. On top of me. On
the side, and definitely on all fours so I can smack that fine ass
of yours.

He cleared his throat and slid his
hands into his slacks. “You can lie on your stomach.” His voice was
deep and gruff as his thoughts were still on the sexual visions
that had conjured in his head. He was proud of himself for holding
out this long; however, he could see his plan flying out the window
if she kept staring at him lustfully.

“
Okay.”

Climbing up on the table, she placed
her head down in the rounded pillow that saw through to the
hardwood. She wiggled her body and exhaled.

He looked under the rounded pillow as
she faced the floor. “Are you comfortable?” he asked.

“
Yep.”

“
Do you mind if I unsnap
your bra? I would hate to get oil on it.”

“
Sure. Go ahead. You can
take it off.”

“
With pleasure.”

Sean did so as his mind rewound to the
night in her apartment when he’d kissed and licked her succulent
breasts as she called his name over and over. He really didn’t know
how he was going to get through this massage. He usually used
massages as part of his foreplay, but hadn’t planned on going any
further with her until he did something very important
first.

Placing his palms in the bowl that
held the warm oil, he rubbed his hands in it and proceeded to place
them gently on her back. A soft moan escaped her lips and he had to
restrain himself for placing his mouth on her skin. He kneaded her
neck and shoulders which held a lot of pent up tension. Gliding his
hands down her sides and back up to her shoulders, he continued to
work out the knots he felt there. Her soft moans filled the room,
but he tried to ignore them as he worked his way to her back, being
careful not to press hard on her spine. His hands slid down further
until he reached the top of her boy short’s band, but skipped her
plump butt and massaged her thighs. Not that that was any better.
They were just as juicy and tantalizing as her butt. He put some
more oil on his hands and worked it into her legs. They were stiff
like her neck.