Seven Years of Bad Luck (21 page)

Cheyenne nodded knowingly. “Well, I think that guy Stephen, or whatever his name is, is full of it. Clearly Ben has a thing for you. I think he wants you!” I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“Doesn’t matter what he wants. I can’t and shouldn’t date anyone, especially not Ben. Besides, last time I checked, diddling the boss is never a good idea! Probably won’t happen again.” I told a lie. I hoped that it wasn’t a fluke and that Ben would be a repeat offender. We both giggled.

“Kat, what y’all are doing to each other is hardly diddling. Y’all are flat out bangin’ each other stupid, honey!” Cheyenne mused in her southern drawl with her hands firmly planted on her sweat-pant-clad hips. She only employed that southern-belle accent when she was being dramatic, pissed off, facetious, or was in her mother’s company. According to her, I was the same way, although I don’t notice it in myself.

“Come on; its workout time, Kat,” Cheyenne said as she skipped out of the room singing “Kat and Ben kissing in the tree…”

I shook my head and traipsed off to my room to change into gym clothes. Truthfully, I was already plenty sore from the night before with Ben, but working out was a staple in our daily routines. Sweating out my stress and nervous energy at the gym sounded great at that moment despite my aching, over-sexed body.

We worked out until we were both physically spent and in dire need of sustenance. We went for Chinese take-out and an evening in front of the TV watching sappy romantic movies. A Saturday evening well spent, in my opinion. I left my phone at home while we were at the gym and hadn’t checked it since I got home. I went to get it thinking that maybe my mom would be calling like she always does on the weekends. I smiled when I saw the designer clutch sitting on my dresser. My smile quickly faded when I dug out my phone and realized that the damn thing had died.

Shit! Mom is going to lecture me about this.

‘Kat, you better answer when I call, or I will worry myself to death!’

My mother had a flare for the dramatic. Once I plugged in the phone to charge, I powered it back on. Immediately I received four text messages simultaneously and a bell chimed, alerting me to a new voicemail. I opened the text messages first. All but one from my mother. All consisting of the pretty run-of-the-mill chastisement for not making myself available to talk. I huffed and moved on to the last text message which was from none other than Ben.

‘Hope you are having a nice day. I want to see you again this weekend. I will pick you up tomorrow at noon. Be ready. –Ben’

“What the hell?” I muttered quietly to myself as I sat on my bed staring at the cell phone tethered to the wall by its cord.

What does he mean he IS coming to pick me up? Demanding!

I remembered how demanding he was in bed the night before and my blank stare turned into a scandalous smile.

Fine. I don’t care if he was being pushy via text as long as he got pushy with me in bed again. Oh, I will be ready Ben. You can count on that.

I ignored the niggling part of my brain telling me I should not be diddling my boss, that it would only lead to trouble, and texted Ben back with a sly grin on my face.

‘I’ll be ready Ben. Will you? –Kat’

Less than two minutes later he messaged me back.

‘I’m always ready baby ;) –Ben’

My smile broadened.

Did he seriously just send me a winky face?

I shook my head and texted my mother to let her know that my phone had been dead, and I would call her the next day. I left my phone to charge in my room while Cheyenne and I enjoyed our movie night, interruption free.

The next morning I practically skipped through the apartment with excitement to see Ben soon, which only further irritated my laser-eyed Cheyenne. I ignored her glares as I glided around in the kitchen making her favorite breakfast: fresh hash browns, eggs, thick-cut smoked bacon, and grits with salt, butter and cheese. The world may never know how on earth the two of us managed to keep feminine figures, considering the food we ate. Our daily caloric intake was embarrassing, really. Cheyenne and I ate like queens. Thank God for good genes and gyms; otherwise we would have been overweight queens. She always did most of the cooking, but I would occasionally wander into her domain and whip up something great. I knew her favorite breakfast would pacify the grumpy leprechaun that had taken over her petite body.

“You know, Kat? If banging your boss makes you this damn chipper, then you need to keep on banging, oh excuse me,
diddling
.”

I chuckled. “If your theory stands, then maybe you should
start
diddling your boss. Then maybe you wouldn’t be possessed by some evil leprechaun every morning,” I shot back with a smile and peeked over at her to see her fighting to contain a smile of her own.

“Yeah, well, that isn’t really an option since my boss happens to be a stuffy older woman who I am convinced bullies small children for fun.” We both laughed boisterously.

“Hey, maybe that is the problem!” I snapped my fingers and pointed one at her. “You kind of look like a small child.” I cocked my head to the side, looking at her speculatively. “Yes, a small child minus the boobs, curvy hips, and round ass. She’s confused is all.” I saw Cheyenne reach for a linen napkin wrapped in a heavy decorative ring, and I ducked knowing that it would be sailing my way any moment.

“Shut up, you hooker! Are you saying I have a big butt?” I stood up, still laughing.

“No matter what kind of ass you have, it’s obviously one that Tuck loves!” She grinned and gave me a nod and a wink.

Oh. Tuck and Chey are diddling!

Cheyenne told me all about her and Tucker over breakfast. She gushed, dreamy-eyed about how wonderful he was to her, how his body was amazing, about how great his tattoos were, and about how successful his business was. Despite outward appearances, despite looking like a tattooed bad boy, Tucker was quite the entrepreneur. She told me all about the string of tattoo parlors across the state that he owned. She gushed some more about his Harley and his amazing house. It would appear that Cheyenne and I were both getting lucky in the successful-hot-man department. I went and ruined the mood by asking if she had been to the doctor in Dallas yet. She nearly bit my head off, and her mood went from happy to irritated, in two seconds flat.

“Chey, I’m not trying to pry, but that doctor you were seeing said that further tests could help figure out what the problem is.”

She stood from the table abruptly, snatched our plates and stomped back into the kitchen. “I don’t need or want to go back to any damn doctors. I won’t ever have kids. Simple. Drop it.”

I sighed and kicked myself for upsetting her. “Please, don’t get upset. I just… I just know that you and Matt tried, and you wanted a baby so bad. That can’t just disappear overnight right? What can it hurt to do more tests?” She turned to face me, pinning me to my seat with an icy glare.

“Kat, what hurts is getting my hopes up and having them dashed every time a new doctor confirms what the one before them told me. I’m infertile. It’s next to impossible for me to conceive. So pardon me for not wanting to go through more emotionally exhausting appointments to some fertility doctor who can’t do a damn thing to help me. Just leave it alone, please.”

Beneath her glare I could see the anguish in her eyes. I relented and dropped the subject. Cheyenne retreated to her room, to lick her wounds no doubt. I felt like a huge heel for upsetting her. I didn’t bother her before I left with Ben. I just left a note on the counter where I knew she would be able to see it.

“I’m sorry, babe. I’m an ass. Be back later. Love you. –Kat”

I decided to wait outside for Ben to show up. I needed out of the apartment. He drove up at noon right on the dot. He leaned over to the passenger side and with his long arm opened the passenger door for me. I slid across the cool leather in my simple sundress and gave him a tight smile.

“What’s wrong, Kathleen?” He didn’t try to disguise the concern in his voice. I looked down at my hands in my lap and sighed in defeat. “I upset Cheyenne.” I said weakly.

He arched a quizzical eyebrow. “Ah. A roommate quarrel?”

“Hardly. No, I just asked her about something that happens to be a sensitive topic. I hit a nerve. Quite unintentionally, though.” He nodded his head as he drove.

“So mind me asking what the sore topic is?” I narrowed my eyes on his profile as he looked ahead, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.

He is a lawyer, for crying out loud! The man knows how to keep secrets, Kat! Spill it,
I yelled inwardly.

The idea of him being able to keep secrets so well didn’t make me feel better at all. In fact, it made me rather uneasy. “Cheyenne and Matt, her ex-husband, tried to have children. When she didn’t get pregnant after a year of trying, they went to see a fertility doctor. He ran tests and diagnosed her with ‘unexplained infertility.’ He tossed out some numbers that did nothing to console her. Said that one in five couples deal with this unexplained infertility and that she has a less than ten percent chance to conceive a child.” I babbled on while Ben nodded and looked over at me occasionally. “She has been to a half a dozen specialists who have all said the same thing. But the last one she saw recommended that she do more conclusive tests to see if there was anything that could be done. I asked her if she had made an appointment to see a doctor here yet, and she kind of went ape-shit on me. I should have known better.” I pursed my lips as I stared down at my knotted fingers. Ben’s Escalade rolled to a stop in front of his house which was even more astonishing in broad daylight. He reached over and laid his large hand across my hands effectively stilling my fidgeting.

“Hey. Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself. You are an excellent friend. You asked because you obviously love her. You shouldn’t beat yourself up. Understand?” I sat silent in my seat. He trapped my chin between his thumb and index finger and tilted my head up to meet his eyes. “Do you understand, Kathleen?” I suddenly felt consumed with emotion and did my best to swallow it down.

“Yes, I understand, Ben.”

“Good.” He said before he jumped out and walked around to open my door. Ben had not said what he had planned for me, so I was confused as to why we were walking up the front steps to his house, yet again. As soon as we entered and he shut the door behind us, I decided to find out what he had up his sleeve.

“What are we doing—” He stopped me before I could finish. He came at me full tilt and swept me up onto my tip toes in a passionate kiss. I was tucked in his arms close against his hard warm body as he kissed me like a man starved for affection. He groaned, and it sounded a lot like a sound of relief. As if I were pacifying a craving. He released my lips from his, and we both came up for air.

“I couldn’t wait another moment,” he said breathlessly as his forehead rested against mine.

“No need to explain. Not for that,” I replied, my voice sounding breathy and seductive.

“You’re very cute when you’re sad. I couldn’t resist that mouth of yours a second longer. I nearly stopped the car halfway here to kiss those pouty sad lips of yours. I had planned on taking you out to lunch, but I changed my mind. I want you in the privacy of my home right now.” A devilish smirk worked on the corners of his lips. My mouth hung open slightly, and the familiar tingle deep in my stomach returned. He turned me on so effortlessly. I was incapable of fighting against what came so naturally between us. I didn’t want a relationship, and I knew I should not risk so much by being intimately involved with the man who I worked for, but the pull between us dominated my every thought.

Maybe just a physical relationship. An agreement to have just sex between two consenting adults. That would be fine. Will he agree to that?

I thought to myself while the true Kathleen laughed at me condescendingly. I ignored it. I told myself that I had to find a time and a way to discuss this thing between us with him. I stepped into his space and placed my hands on his chest while I kept my eyes locked onto his. I slowly slid my hands from his chest to his toned, defined stomach. He sucked in a breath, and feral desire overtook him. He audibly growled and wrapped his arms around my hips, then pulled me forcefully into his body. I was shocked and turned on at how rough he could be. It only made me want him more. I wanted him to push me to my limits. I wanted to know how far Ben and I could push each other. I didn’t care about anything else, only hot, rough, heavenly sex with him. I wanted as much as he would give me. I was shamelessly greedy. His hand fisted into my hair, and he jerked my head back, giving him access. His mouth went directly to my neck and nipped my skin, then he soothed the love bite with his gentle rolling tongue.

“Ben,” I whispered as my eyes rolled back. His hands slipped down to the hem of my sundress, then underneath the fabric to cup my ass. With grace and little effort, his strong muscled body lifted me to wrap my legs around his waist. His growing erection pressed against the fabric between us. He kissed me madly for a minute, an eternity. I wasn’t sure. Time escaped me while I was under the spell of Ben’s seductive touch. One of his hands came between us as he held me up with the other. I felt him slip his fingers into the dainty lace triangle of my panties and rip them away from me. His hand quickly went to his pants. With a flick and a zip, he freed his erection and positioned himself at my center. I gasped.

“Ben! Wait. Condom” His eyes grew wide, and his features softened marginally from heated and possessive to embarrassed. I smiled at him encouragingly.

“Oh shit, sorry,” he said.

I giggled like a school girl, and he chuckled too as he carried me with ease up the stairs to his room. He laid me across his bed and quickly covered his twitching cock with a condom. The moment he was ready, he scooped me back up into his arms, and I once again wrapped my legs around his waist. He backed me toward the wall beside his colossal bed. My back hit the wall with a thud as he impaled me, and all the breath left my lungs. I gasped to draw in air.