You're All I Need (16 page)

“We're coming.”

Chris waited until after the doors closed behind the family before approaching Tia. “It was good to see them.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Tia responded, scooting her chair to the desk and clicking on her Word icon. She reached for a manila folder, opened it, and began scanning the pages for the task she would work on next.

Chris hovered near her desk, searching for a comment that would bring her attention back to him. Tia ignored him, spreading the work across her desk and picking up her pen to edit a document. Seconds later, she began typing furiously. After the way he had been treating her, he understood her reluctance to open herself up to him.

“What do you have planned for this evening?” Chris asked.

Tia's fingers hovered above the keyboard for a moment and then returned to her work. “Nothing much.”

“Have dinner with me.”

Again her hands halted. She swallowed loudly and flexed her fingers above the keyboard long enough for Chris to notice it. Hope exploded like a firecracker in his veins. Tia wasn't as indifferent as she wanted to appear. He hadn't killed their relationship or done irreparable damage.

“I don't know,” she responded, focusing on her keyboard.

Chris moved closer and lowered his voice, “Please, have dinner with me. There are things we need to discuss. This is not the place to do it.”

“Oh?” Tia quit typing and focused on Chris. “Really?” she offered in an offhand tone. “There hasn't been much communication from your end for the last few days. What do we need to talk about now?”

Okay, she's got you. Think it through and don't mess up,
Chris warned himself silently. He wiped his sweaty palms against his trouser legs and said, “I need to talk to you about my meeting with Reynolds. Please give me the chance to explain.”

Tia's expression remained impassive, but her fingers fluttered nervously over the keyboard. The tight knot of worry loosened. Things might work out. Talking meant a great deal to her. Such a long moment passed that Chris wondered if he'd misread her body language.

“Okay.” She gazed at him with hope gleaming from her beautiful eyes. She wanted to believe. “I want to know. I'm not going to deny it.”

“And you will. I promise. But not here.”

“Where? When?”

“Tonight. I'll pick you up from your place at six and we'll have dinner.”

At 10:00 p.m., Tia turned the key in the lock and opened her town house door. She fished around the wall for the light switch and pushed the button. Instantly, soft lighting illuminated the room. She entered the small hallway with Chris trailing after her.

“May I sit?” Chris asked.

Tia gave her consent with a wave of her hand toward the living room.

“Thanks.” He eased past her.

Annoyed, Tia made an ugly face at his back. After a moment, she shook her head and shrugged. It didn't matter. Everything she did lately had little or no effect on him.

The conversation Chris promised to have at dinner never materialized. He had taken her to Sindbad's on the Detroit River and encouraged her to order the whole lobster. Throughout the evening, her dinner companion kept a steady stream of dialogue going about every topic except the one he promised. Each time she brought up Reynolds's name or the company, Chris cleverly and quickly changed the subject. They dined, drank wine, ate dessert of key lime pie, and then headed to her place.

Tia folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot against the floor. They would not continue this way. If Chris didn't start explaining real soon, she'd tell him to leave her home and never come back. Their so-called relationship would be over. Granted, losing Chris would be devastating, but she'd survive. She'd get on with her life.

During her breakup with Darnell, Tia learned a valuable lesson—take charge and stop waiting for life to come to you. She didn't plan to repeat any of her previous mistakes.

Since all of her previous efforts to talk to Chris had been ignored, Tia had decided that the best course of action was to let Chris maintain his silence until he felt ready to talk. For three days, she had held to this resolution until today, when Chris asked her out.

As Tia neared the living room, the theme music from the ten o'clock news wafted through the air. She found Chris sitting on her sofa channel-surfing with the remote. Deliberately putting some distance between them, Tia sank into the leather recliner located across from the television. She waited for several minutes for Chris to open the conversation. The silence in the room grew louder and more pronounced.

Angry and frustrated, Tia opened her mouth to demand an explanation when Chris switched off the television, put the remote on the table, and turned to her. An impassive mask covered his face, but his eyes burned with an intense flame.

“I didn't want to talk about this at Sindbad's,” Chris explained.

Caught off guard by this turn of conversation, Tia snapped her lips shut and glared at Chris, waiting for him to continue.

He leaned forward, laced his fingers together, and let them hang between his spread legs. “When I stepped through the door of Reynolds's office, I thought he was planning to fire me.”

“But he didn't,” Tia responded.

Chris shook his head. “No.”

“What did he want?” she asked cautiously, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. Now that the time had come, she felt conflicted about what she would hear. Did she really want to know what went on in Reynolds's office that fateful day? Of course she did. Unfortunately, this added to Tia's insecurities. She didn't feel confident enough in their relationship to ask all of the questions that troubled her.

“Reynolds asked me about how I was settling in. He wanted to know if I felt comfortable with everything going on around me.”

“And then?” Tia asked quietly, leaning closer to hear each word of Chris's story. Her insides churned. Somehow, she knew their world was on the brink of a major life-changing moment.

“He put a stop to a lot of things,” Chris answered so softly Tia almost didn't hear him. The words were far too important to ignore.

“What did he want?”

Tia gazed at Chris's face and saw pain and frustration looking back at her.

“There's been some trouble at the home office.” Chris took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Up to this point, he'd focused on the floor. Now he captured and held her gaze as he continued. “Reynolds had to put the chief attorney on administrative leave pending an investigation.”

Tia's heart pounded erratically against her rib cage. She had an unpleasant idea where this tale might be headed. “What's that got to do with you?”

“With Pierce on administrative leave, there are some legal issues that need to be resolved. I can't explain further. Let's just say the office is in an uproar.”

Stunned, she leaned back in her chair and muttered, “Oh, man!” Now she understood part of the reason he'd kept this discussion to himself. Reynolds would not want this information hitting the office rumor mill nor reaching the media. Besides, if it were leaked, Reynolds would know from whom.

Her mouth went dry. The stiff set of Chris's shoulders and the taut expression on his face revealed that he hadn't reached the end of the story. There was still something more he needed to tell her. Her erratically beating heart kicked into a full gallop while her palms turned sweaty as she anxiously awaited an unpleasant end.

The room felt hot. Tia tried to draw fresh air into her lungs, but it didn't happen. Instead, all she could muster were short, shallow breaths. That didn't stop her from encouraging him. “Go on. Tell me the rest.”

“Because I trained under Pierce, Reynolds felt I would be the best person to replace him. He wants me to take over the home office's legal department.” His pale blue eyes begged her to understand.

Tia did. She understood what a huge leap in his career this offer meant. But an important question loomed: Where did that leave her and their new romance?

Wait, maybe this isn't all bad. Don't jump to any conclusions,
she cautioned silently.
Give Chris time to explain the whole situation. This is a wonderful chance for him. If he makes the right moves, he could wind up as a senior vice president like Adam. He could be gone for a few weeks and back before I really miss him.

“For how long?” Tia questioned in a small, emotionless tone. She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

“A year to eighteen months.”

Tia gasped and fell back in her chair. She shivered, feeling the heat seep from her body as the cold chill of reality took possession. That meant the end of their relationship. They couldn't survive an extended period like eighteen months. “What did you tell Reynolds?”

Chris rose from the sofa and crossed the room, crouching next to her chair. He reached for her hand and held it tightly between both of his, massaging the cold limb. “What could I tell him? Tia, I don't have a choice. Reynolds made it clear that I'm needed and must leave within the month.”

She looked everywhere but at him. “What about us? Where does that leave you and me?”

“Scrambling.”

Confused, she frowned back at him. “What?”

“We're searching for a way to be together, to not let this situation destroy us. Believe me, this is not how I wanted to do things,
chérie.
We agreed to take our relationship slow and easy, to get to know each other before taking things to the serious level.
Malheureusement,
the world of business and Gautier International Motors has no interest in our plans. So, I've had to make adjustments for our future.”

Tia didn't like the sound of his conversation. It almost sounded as if he'd already made a decision for the both of them and merely came here to tell her of his intentions. She braced for the worst.

“Look at me, Tia.”

Doing as he asked, she studied the man she'd opened her heart to and learned to love. “Yes.”

“I love you.
Je t'aime,
” he whispered in his native tongue.

That got Tia's attention. Those were the words she longed to hear from him, but she didn't expect to hear them, at least not so soon. Should she respond in kind? The feelings were there. After all, Chris planned to leave her. Was it the right thing to do, to expose her feelings this way?

He drew in a shaky breath and forged ahead, “This is where you say something appropriately similar. Even in English, I'd understand.”

Tia opened her mouth, but words failed her. Doubt filled her. Should she admit the truth and accept the consequences, or should she guard her heart and shield her feelings? Her first instinct was to protect herself, but nothing good ever happened when she hid from life. One thing she knew for certain: If she didn't try, she'd end up alone, regretting her decision. Ending up alone was still a possibility, but at least she would have given the relationship her best.

She'd spent years with Darnell, and it had gotten her nothing but a lot of wasted time. Since Chris entered her life, she felt loved, cared for, and treated like something precious. He sought her opinion and listened to her questions on many topics.

Tia drew air into her lungs and took the plunge. A lump the size of a football made it difficult to speak. She pushed past it and said, “I love you, too.” There, the words were out, lingering in the tense air.

A smile of pure joy spread across Chris's face. He dropped her hand and took her face between his large hands. He gazed into her eyes. “Tia,
je t'aime,
” he announced a second time. Chris switched to English and repeated, “I love you. I have from the moment I met you in Adam's office.”

A light brush against her lips reminded her of Chris's first kiss. It left Tia quivering and craving more. His warm, moist lips moved over hers in an intimate caress. Eager, Tia parted her lips. Instantly, Chris tenderly sucked her lower lip into his mouth, nibbling gently.

His scent filled her nostrils, making her head swim. Tia wrapped her arms around him. Her hands crept up his arms and slid around his neck, tugging him closer. Moaning softly, Chris dropped his arms to her waist and pulled her hard against him.

Chris's tongue stroked hers, seeking, tasting, and teasing. Her hands ran through his blond hair, enjoying the feel of the fine tresses between her fingers.

He ended the kiss and stood. He took Tia's hand and led her from the room. They strolled down the hallway, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. Stopping next to the bed, Tia sank onto the mattress. Chris sat next to her. He leaned down and kissed her. Anticipation made her heart pump faster and harder as she returned the kiss. She grew warm with excitement as the taste of him flowed through her, and the idea of making love with Chris for the second time was becoming a reality. Everything she remembered about that ultimate act had been wonderful and satisfying. She really wanted to share it with him again.

As the kiss deepened and lingered, Chris's fingers lightly glided across the curve of her neck, gently settling on her shoulder. His nearness made her senses spin out of control, creating a sense of wonder and longing.

While he kissed her, she slipped her hand under his sweater and caressed the hot skin and tight muscles. Her hands stroked his nipples. She rolled the hard buds between her fingers and tweaked them. Chris moaned tenderly into her mouth.

He worked her top from her shoulders before ending the kiss. He removed the rest of her clothes and then turned his attention to his own. Once they were both completely naked, his appreciative gaze slid over her body. “You are magnificent.”

Tia examined the differences between their skin tones, running her hand against his chest. It amazed her to think that although they come from such different cultures, it didn't matter. They belonged together.

Chris took Tia's erect nipple between his lips and sucked. She arched her back, encouraging him to continue with a hand to the back of his head. He trailed a single finger down the middle of her throat, where he lingered against her Adam's apple before continuing its path to her breast. Her skin quivered every place that he touched. His thumb halted at her breast, stroking back and forth across the sensitive nipple. Not satisfied, he took her breast into his mouth and sucked on the bud, sending heat flowing through her and settling between her legs.

Tia cradled his head, pushing her breast farther into his mouth. “That feels so good,” she encouraged.

Releasing her, Chris answered, “It tastes good, too.”

She planted her feet on the mattress and scooted up until she reached the center of the bed. She lay back and opened her arms, beckoning Chris to her. He followed her down and spread himself over her, taking her lips in a series of loving kisses.

As Chris kissed her, his hand made a journey lower, finding her hot female core with his fingers. He combed through the curls shielding her slit, moving between the folds and stroking her most sensitive parts. He stroked back and forth, establishing a rhythm that she found herself moving to. They danced. With each pass of his thumb, Tia's insides grew warmer as the first involuntary tremor hit her and continued in waves until she could no longer control herself. She flew into orbit. Her hips flew up off the bed as she called out his name. “Chris!” Wave after wave of pleasure made her blood surge through her as she slowly returned to earth.

“Yes?” he rose from the bed, left the room, and returned minutes later with a foil-wrapped item. He tore open the packet and quickly rolled the latex over his thick flesh. Chris settled next to her and took her into his arms. Wanting to give him a measure of the ecstasy she'd just felt, Tia moved her hand between their bodies, searching for his rigid length. She found the engorged shaft and toyed with it, stroking up and down, learning its size, shape, and texture. Chris caught his breath and placed his hand over hers, demonstrating how he liked to be touched.

He removed her hand and in one quick thrust joined their bodies. Panting, he slowly began to move inside her, sliding deep within her canal and then almost withdrawing, learning how she enjoyed being loved. He buried his face against the soft column of her neck. Again and again, Chris's thrusts pumped inside of her, stroking her female walls with his shaft. Tia clenched her interior muscles and wrapped her legs around his waist. She met each downward thrust of his body with an upward lift of her hips, holding him tightly within her hot, liquid walls.