The Chauffeur Page 19
“There you are, April, last one,” Sully says, cleaning the affected area with an alcohol swab.
“So, is she cleared for driving next week?” I ask.
“I don’t see why not. Just take these next two days easy, and there’s no reason for you not to resume driving.
Before April can speak, I ask another question. “She’s having some friends over tomorrow for a pool party. Is she clear to swim?” Sully raises his brow.
“You seem to have taken on quite a roll as her caregiver, haven’t you, Jason?”
“Thank you, Sully!” April sighs. “He’s been hovering all week, and the sooner you allow me to work, the sooner I can tell him to back up a little.”
“I know, but I feel responsible, and I just want to make sure you’re right again.”
“You’re smothering me, Jason!” Despite her criticism, her eyes look full of love. I can’t wait to hear it from her lips.
“Okay, April, yes, you can swim. No diving, though. No heavy drinking. You can drive starting on Monday. How’s that, Jason?” he demands sarcastically. “Does that sound all right to you?”
“Yeah, because I’m not in the room or anything,” she says, folding her arms across her chest, cocking her head at me.
“Okay, okay. I’ll back up and quit being so protective. You can have your apartment back to yourself, and you won’t see me around anymore,” I say, sarcastically, pulling her into my arms.
“I wouldn’t go that far. I kinda liked that part,” she confesses shyly.
“So, Sully, um, is it okay if I, um …” she stammers, shifting on her feet. “You know?” I grin at the look on April’s face as she tries to get her meaning across to Sully.
She’s so blasted cute.
I look up at the doc, and I think he’s still trying to piece together her vague question when I see the light bulb connect.
“Oh! Yes, perfectly fine,” he replies with a slight blush when he looks at me.
“Okay, let’s get you home, so you can start working on your party,” I say, taking her hand in mine.
“Thanks a lot, Sully. You should come over for dinner soon, all right?”
“Okay, Jason. Tell Grace to call me, and we’ll set it up. April, you take care of yourself.”
“Yes, sir, I will, and thank you. For everything.”
We say our goodbyes, and I pull April in close to me as we walk down the hall to the exit. Her phone starts ringing as soon as we get in the car.
“Sammy! Where in the hell have you been? Do you know what I’ve been through?” When I glance at her, she’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Well, that’s what you get when you lock yourself in a room with a nympho. Hey, you’re still coming to the party tomorrow, right?” “Are you bringing your cougar?” “Oh, that's a shame.” “Alright, then. I’ll see you at eleven. There’ll be a lot of people.” “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, hunky,” she says before she hangs up.
I look over at her and scowl. She glances nervously at me.
“I’m sorry, it’s habit.”
“Hunky?”
“Yeah. I’ve always called him that. I’m sorry.” I don’t respond. “Jason, come on, we’ve been best friends for eight years.” She rummages through her purse for the key card to her door. I can see that I will never win this argument with her.
“Think about it, April.”
“It’s just a pet name. I’ve called him that since we met,” she explains as I pull the car into the garage.
After I get out, I walk around to open her door and help her out. Escorting her to her door, I wait until she opens it and is inside.
“Good night, April.” I bend down to kiss her cheek.
“Wait, you’re not staying?”
“Not tonight. Sleep well, and for your safety, please don’t go out alone.” I stroke my finger along the soft skin of her cheek. “Good night.” I rush back to my car and head for town.
When I turn the corner, I see her standing on her balcony. I know she wanted me to stay, but I need space. I need to sort things out in my head, so I don’t behave like an ass. Sam has me genuinely concerned. What if he’s the person who hurt April?
After arriving at my condo, I take a hot shower and then get comfortable in a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. Feeling hungry, I open the refrigerator to see what I have for dinner when my phone starts ringing. I look down, thankful it’s Kyle.
“Hey, bro,” I answer while checking the freezer. Rita, bless her heart, has stocked it with frozen meals.
“Hey, mom wants to know if you’ll be here for dinner. Rita saw you drive away.”
“No, I’m staying at the condo tonight. Let her know that, will you? Talk to you later.”
“Whoa, hey, what’s going on?”
“Not tonight, Kyle. I’ve got to go. Let mom know I’ll be around tomorrow. Good night.”
Finding a container of beef stew, I defrost it in the microwave and while that’s heating up, I flip on the TV. Bored already, I surf through the channels, looking for something good. I roll my eyes when the phone rings again, and let it go to voicemail. After the microwave beeps, I place the bowl of stew on the breakfast bar, pour myself a glass of milk, and dig in. The phone rings five more times.
When I finish lunch, I check my emails and renew my appreciation for how efficient Sue is. She takes care of so much when I’m away, knowing what needs to be done. When I open a message from my brother wondering why I won’t take April’s calls, I nearly toss my computer in the garbage.
My phone rings again, and when I look to see who it is, my brother’s ugly mug looks back at me.
“Kyle, Dear Abby has an opening, you might check there for a fucking job,” I say going back to my emails.
“Sorry, April called Emily and Emily called me. April’s upset and Emily wants me to do something about it.”
“Oh, so not only are you Abby’s assistant, you’re the messenger boy, as well?”
“Come on, Jason. I know you don’t want to talk to me about it, but you should be talking to April.” I rub my forehead with the palms of my hands, frustrated.
“I don’t want to talk to anyone.”
“But you will, right?”
“Yeah, but not today. Hey, listen, Kyle, I just sat down to lunch. Let me call you later,” I lie.
After hanging up, I just want to be alone and quiet the rest of the day. I nearly throw my phone across the room when it pings a text.
Are you coming tomorrow?
I’m not sure I can handle seeing hunky without crafting him a new asshole.
I don’t think so. Have fun.
It won’t be any fun without you. Please … can I call?
Apparently, my silence means yes because two minutes later, my phone rings. With a sigh, I answer it.
“I talked to Emily,” April begins.
“Big surprise. She and Kyle are becoming a pain in my ass.”
“Yeah, well I want you to know that I get it. Calling Sam hunky probably led him on. And it was disrespectful to you.”
“Go on.”
“Emily asked me how I’d like it if I heard you call one of your female friends a pet name like that. She asked me if it would bother me.”
“And?”
“It probably would if you’d dated her before, but Sam and I have only ever been platonic.”
“He’s not a friend though,” I interject, getting pissed all over again. “At least he thinks he’s more than that to you. He’s hiding behind the ‘friend’ card, April. He gets to put his hands on you.”
“I know.”
“I asked myself, what would April do if I touched, say, Francine, the way Sam touches April? And what if, as an example, I tossed Francine over my shoulder, just as a friend mind you, and walked around and called her sexy all the time? Not as my girlfriend, but just as my friend. It’s nothing, right? Because we’ve been friends forever, you know? Because I’ve known Francine for over five years.”
“Yeah. I
wouldn’t like it,” she says glumly.
“Sam wants in your panties.”
She’s so quiet, I wonder if she’s even still on the phone. “Are you in this for keeps with me, April?”
“Of course, I am. How can you ask that?”
“It’s not just me you should think about, but Sam. Calling him Hunky, allowing him to carry you on his shoulder, putting his arm around you, kissing you, touching you—leads him on. It’s not fair to him.”
Again, she’s quiet. I hear her draw a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“Will you still come to my party?”
I don’t think I can stomach it if he’s going to be there.
“I just need to be alone for a few days.”
“Jason—”
“I need to get some work done, April.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” She sounds like she’s nearly in tears and it breaks my heart.
“I don’t like it, April. I’m sorry. I’m a possessive man, but I suspect you know this already.”
“But—”
“There are no ‘buts’ here.”
“He’s seeing somebody now.”
“Really? That’s it? Him seeing someone is all it takes for you to put a stop to his overboard attention toward you? You guys have fun tomorrow. I’ll see you at the office on Monday.” I quickly hang up.
I return to my computer and start looking at the blueprints for my new white pearlescent MileHigh Challenger.
I doubt April will ever know that I named this plane after her because that’s what she is.
A challenge.
Chapter 15
~April~
I stand in my living room, looking around, trying to find something to occupy my mind.
Dusting might do the trick, and when that’s finished, I throw in a load of laundry and start the dishwasher. That takes me all of fifteen minutes. Then, I remember a task I’ve been putting off for a while.
“Hi Dad,” I say with false cheer.
“April Sanders! Where the hell have you been, young lady? Your mother and I have been worried sick about you. When you didn’t answer our emails or phone calls, we nearly got on a plane.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. So much has been going on. I moved into my new place and then there was the Guild Award dinner. And you know I teach on the weekends, and then I had a small accident,” I babble before he interrupts me.
“What accident?” he barks.
“Dad, when did you start getting overly excited?”
“Since you quit calling home, young lady. Now, what accident?” He hasn’t changed. He’s a get-to-the-point kind of guy.
“I was jogging the other morning and slipped on some wet grass, fell and hit my head. It wasn’t anything serious, just a few stitches.”
“Stitches? And you say it’s nothing serious? How many?” I can tell he isn’t going to let this go, so I sit back and take it. I better make sure I call more often.
“Just a few on my head, but they’re out now, and I’m all better. How’s Mom?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Oh, you know your mother. Busy with her community projects. She’s not here right now, but make sure you call her, all right?”
“I will. I’m sorry for not calling sooner. Things have been kind of hectic, learning a new job and all.”
I spend the next fifteen minutes filling my father in about my life, so he doesn’t feel left out. After we hang up, I immediately get on my computer and send a lengthy email to my mother just to touch base with her, as well. I make it a point not to mention Jason to her—just in case.
Recounting the events of the past few weeks, I jump to answer the phone as soon as it rings, nearly crashing to the floor in my attempt to reach it.
“Hello,” I answer excitedly.
“How are you feeling, hon?” Emily asks.
“Like a teenager who’s about to lose her boyfriend. Did you talk to Kyle?”
“Yeah. He said that Jason was pissed because he got involved. Have you spoken to Jason?”
“Yep. He thinks I’m not into this relationship.”
“Are you?”
“I’m in love with him, Em.”
“He’s at his condo. I suggest you get your ass over there. I’ll get the address from Kyle and text it to you. Good luck.”
I brush my hair and teeth and rush out the door. After entering Jason’s address into my GPS, I head to town.
~.~
“My heart beats double time the closer I get, and after finding the parking garage, I hurry into the lobby only to be met by the doorman. I had wanted to walk up to Jason’s door, avoiding being turned away. But, thankfully, after the man rang Jason, I was allowed to go up.
As soon as Jason opens the door, I know I’m home. I run into his arms, saying the only thing my heart feels.
“I love you!” I cry against his chest. “I love you so much. Don’t quit me, Jason. I’m so sorry I didn’t see it. I thought about it, and I’m sorry,” I plead, my arms holding him tighter.
“You … love me?”
“Yes. Yes!” I cry into his neck as his arms wrap around me, filling me with warmth and comfort. “I get it, and I’m sorry.”
“Ah, April girl,” he says, raising my chin. I sigh when his warm lips touch mine.
“I’m in this with you, Jason,” I say, nuzzling his neck. When he growls, he bends to lift my legs around his waist, and I hold on for dear life. When he turns and kicks the door shut, I lock my ankles behind him as he walks me down the hall to his bedroom. After he sits me on his bed, we race to see who can take their clothes off first.
“April,” he whispers, laying his beautiful body over mine, holding my face in the palms of hands. “You are so beautiful.”
My hips instinctively move on their own, seeking him out. I feel his hard cock touch me and inwardly beg him to thrust forward, but he doesn’t. He only moves his hips slightly, teasing me by running the length of him over my most sensitive spot. I move my hips in tandem with his and close my eyes at the sheer pleasure of feeling the weight of his body over mine.
“Open your eyes, baby,” he says in a voice so quiet, so utterly sexy, I melt. My eyes flutter open while he runs his nose alongside mine. When my eyes meet his, he aligns himself with me, making me beg for more.
“I love you, April,” he says against my mouth. Holding my gaze, he slowly penetrates me at last.
“Oh, god!” I whisper, giving over to the pleasure.
Our bodies move in sync, and when I feel him push into me, I use his shoulders as support as I try to take him deeper.
“You feel so fucking good,” he says into my neck. I circle my hips, feeling every inch of him, feeling an intense love for him. “Keep that shit up, and you’re going to make me come before I want to.” This gives me the incentive to throw my body and soul into making him feel exactly how I’m feeling this very moment.
Loved.
“Oh … oh, god, don’t stop!” I cry when the fire builds inside me.
“Can you feel it? Can you feel how much I love you?”
“Yes. Oh, yes, I feel it.”
Locking his fingers through mine, he raises our hands above my head and lifts up onto his knees. As he slowly enters and withdraws at a calculated pace, I feel every glorious inch of him. He uses his entire body to push into me again, and as he withdraws, he slowly slides his rigid cock over me, giving me the ultimate sensation. My body vibrates at the feeling of it.
“April,” he mouths when my body responds to him.
“I’m … coming, baby,” I sigh quietly with each thrust of my hips as they meet his. I can’t help but cry his name through the most exquisite feeling.
Once we reach that place together, holding on to each other through the peak of it, he relaxes his body next to mine and keeps his face nuzzled in my hair.
“Was that make-up sex?” I pant. “Because if it was, that’s everything they say it is.”
“Oh, Jason,” I whisper, rolling over to bury myself as close to him as I can. “I love you, too, so much.”
His fingertips lightly skim across my back, and I can tell he’s deep in thought.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask, raising my hand to his neck, playing with the fine hairs there.
“You. Me. Us.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“No doubts?”
“None.”
“Okay, then.” We stay wrapped around each other drifting off to sleep, waking up only when it’s dark outside.
“Hey,” he says, “you hungry?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yeah. Let’s order pizza.” He gets up and slips on his sleep pants. He hands me his T-shirt, and as I put my arms through the sleeves, I can smell him. It’s my favorite smell in the entire world.
“Hey, Jason?” I call from the living room, while he searches through the vast collection of take-out menus.
“Yeah,” he says, turning around to look at me.
“You don’t have any more concerns, do you?”
“April, you told me you loved me. That, and you called me ‘baby’ while you made love to me. Those two things right there were the best things I’ve ever heard.”
~.~
Dear Jason,
I had to leave early to do the shopping for the party today.
I didn’t want to wake you, so I’ll see you at the house.
I love you.
April
I place the note on my pillow and watch him sleep. I’d rather be snuggled up next to him right now, but I only have a few short hours to get all the things done that I had planned to accomplish yesterday afternoon. I blow him a kiss and rush out the door.
As soon as I get home from shopping, I run over to the house and check in with Rita. When I walk into the kitchen, I can smell chicken frying, and my jaw hits the floor.
“Rita, what are you doing? I wasn’t expecting you to do all the work!”
She’s arranged assorted vegetables and cheeses on platters with dips. There are also beautiful fruit trays and chips and sweets.