“She was pretty cool. Besides, I know that you two are crazy about each other.”
Darius reached for his beer and took a swig. “I guess good things must come to an end at some time.”
“Crys feels bad about her part in the whole thing. She feels partially responsible.”
“Tell her I said not to worry. Deception has a way of coming out sooner or later. You two just concentrate on setting a wedding date and let me know so I can fit you into my schedule.”
Later as Darius lay in bed, he succumbed to the image of the cinnamon-hued beauty with the layers of glossy hair and sexy smile gazing at him through amber, passion-filled eyes.
He inhaled deeply, trying to recall the sweet feminine scent of her perfume. He envisioned himself kissing her sweetly and filling his hands with her womanly curves.
“Damn,” he muttered. He missed her more than ever. He had to fight the feelings as Alexa had made it quite clear where her loyalty lay.
As he had told his mother, he didn’t have time for indecisive women who couldn’t appreciate his goodness. He felt that the whole situation could have been avoided had Alexa come to him in the beginning and allowed him the opportunity to give his input on her taking the job. But, like the headstrong woman she was, she handled matters without him.
The thoughts of them together that had so captured him were quickly diminished by Alexa’s defection. Just when their relationship looked promising, the scales became unbalanced because of her ardent desire to succeed.
Groaning in disappointment, Darius rolled onto his side. In a few months, he would be starting a new life. Once he moved into his own place and the business was up and running he would find himself one day not reflecting on what could have been. Maybe one day he would finally leave Alexa Kirkwood in his past. The thought of this future date lifted his spirits. Maybe one day, the sorrow he felt today would no longer be his partner. There would be a day when he could look back at this situation and view it as a lesson learned.
Chapter 23
“Oh, Darius!” Alexa cried out in her sleep.
The sounds of her own voice made her bolt upright in bed. She was surprised to find her breathing ragged and beads of perspiration lining her brow. The tender spot between her thighs was pulsating in sync with the rapid thudding of her heart.
She hugged her knees to her chest and prayed that the urges would go away on their own. But each time she closed her eyes all she could see was Darius’s dark image standing tall before her. His penetrating eyes pulled her into those deep dark pools as if communicating with her without words.
In an attempt to erase his image from her mind, she jumped up from the bed and stomped into the kitchen. If there was one thing that would calm her anxiety, it was ice cream. She was getting tired of these dreams of Darius coming to her every night. Recollections of the two of them flooded her mind: making love, wrestling in play or sometimes just holding one another without words as if communing with their minds. The dreams had grown stronger over the last couple of weeks particularly since she received the divorce papers from Darius’s attorney.
She remembered when they arrived by certified mail to her office. She was in a foul mood and receiving the papers hadn’t helped any. According to the document, Darius’s only request was that Alexa take back her maiden name. His request hurt her because he knew how much it meant to her to have his name. She cried in her office, not sure how she had made such a mess of her life.
In a daze Alexa was surprised to find herself standing in the kitchen before the refrigerator. She opened the freezer door and pulled out the half-gallon tub of Moose Tracks ice cream. The only thing that eased the need burning inside was a large bowl of her favorite ice cream and a good movie.
After scooping out a heaping serving, she wandered into the great room and plopped down on the sofa. She picked up the remote and began to channel surf. Usually if nothing caught her eye on one of the many movie channels she would turn on music videos.
Flipping through the channels Alexa couldn’t find anything that she wanted to watch and settled for Midnight Love on BET. A video was just starting. She pulled a throw over her legs and settled back in her seat as the music started to play. The ballad sounded faintly familiar, she thought as she ate a spoonful. When the artist began to sing, she immediately recognized the lyrics of the song that Darius belted out to her when they were dancing in each other’s arms.
She closed her eyes, remembering how special she felt in his arms. Then all the memories came flooding back into her mind. She visualized scenes of the two of them together both past and present. In each image they were happy. She could almost feel a veil of exuberance coming over her. Her final image was of the two of them standing before one another in the church in Las Vegas, sharing their wedding vows.
She had been nervous when the minister asked if she took Darius to be her husband. However, when she looked up into his eyes, there was nothing that could make her say no.
A strong sense of longing and emptiness immediately enveloped her. The pull was so unforgiving that she could not think to do anything else but try to soothe the ache. Regardless of the possible repercussions her actions would cause, Alexa knew that she would be abandoning her sensibilities once again.
The doorbell rang with urgency as if the person was deliberately trying to hurry him along. Darius swore aloud as he stepped from the shower. He wrapped a towel over his waist and almost slipped on the bathroom floor leaving the room. He rushed into the living room to the front door. The irritation he felt prevented him from checking the peephole as he normally would. Rather, he simply turned the dead bolt and flung open the door prepared to give the perpetrator a piece of his mind. His jaw dropped open at the sight of Alexa.
She looked different. Her face was free of makeup and her eyes were slightly swollen and red. The playful glint that they were known for was gone, replaced by a look of desperation, which gave away her vulnerability. His eyes traveled down the full length of her. She looked as though she had lost weight. The tan leather jacket seemed to swallow her up and the jeans she wore, which were meant to fit slim, seemed to hang from her hips. Her hair was combed off her face and smoothed down her back in no particular style.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. If it weren’t for the cool breeze hitting his wet skin, he would have thought he was dreaming.
“Darry, I don’t know…I mean, I’m not sure why…” she stammered nervously. “I came because I miss you…I mean I miss us.” Finally with an exasperated sigh she blurted out, “I need you.”
His brow rose skeptically at her confession. It was their first encounter since the Kansas City incident.
His heart thudded rapidly in his chest and his mind replayed her words, trying to decipher the true meaning. He had longed for the opportunity to place all care in the back of his mind and take her words the way he wanted. Yet there were the conflicting thoughts that controlled him. Make her leave. Take her right there in the entrance. He didn’t know which suggestion was right. It was Alexa who made up his mind for him when she kicked the door shut and shrugged out of her coat, letting it fall to the floor.
With a smoldering gaze, seemingly hot enough to dry his wet body, she stepped towards him and slipped her arms around his thick torso. She pressed her nose against his damp flesh, inhaling his musky, masculine scent. A soft moan escaped her throat as she paused for a few seconds remembering the smell of him. She gazed up from her stupor, her eyes settling into his dark pools.
Darius wanted to push her away, but she was doing something to him. The arousing moans rising from her throat and her warm body pressed against him began weakening his resolve.
It came as no surprise when Alexa wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head towards her. Her tongue pushed through his lips as she claimed him with authority, beckoning him back home. The kiss was a mix of attitude, frustration and fear, along with a deep down desire to give in to the soulful reunion.
Dariu
s tried to fight his emotions by keeping his arms to his sides. But Alexa wouldn’t have it. She molded her body against him until he had no choice but to succumb, and he did. He groaned with defeat and pulled her against his hardness, cupping her healthy bottom in his palms.
Neither had the desire to think about where they were going nor the clarity to rationalize what they were about to do. Instead, they relished the consolation of being in each other’s arms again. With a sweep of his arm, Darius scooped Alexa’s bottom into his arms. He carried her into the living room where he eased her down on the sofa. With nimble fingers, he proceeded to remove her clothing until she lay nude before him.
Then as if trying to make up for the lost time between them, they made earnest love. She came first, muffling cries of joy against his broad shoulder. Darius was on her heels, shouting out his release. Finally when normal breathing resumed for them both, Darius rolled onto his back and shielded his face with his forearm.
Alexa propped up on her elbow and studied him for a moment. She teasingly ran a swirled pattern down his torso with the tip of her finger and was surprised that it garnered no response from him. Initially she thought he was still coming down from the high where their powerful lovemaking had taken them, but when he still hadn’t uttered a word after a few minutes she suspected something was wrong.
Sitting up slowly, Alexa pulled her clothing to her bosom. The buttons from her blouse were scattered everywhere on the floor. She retrieved each one within reaching distance. After doing so, she glanced back to notice that Darius still had yet to move.
“Alexa.” He finally called her name.
Her eyes brightened with hope in her heart. The scenario hadn’t developed the way she had planned, but she never claimed to be good at these things. She just did what she wanted to do. And at the present time the urgency was to be with her man. The moment she made the plane reservations hours earlier seemed like a flash of light. She went from eating ice cream and watching videos to boarding a plane to Ohio six hours later.
“I think you better go.” He choked out the words.
At first Alexa thought she did not hear him correctly and leaned in closer to him.
“What?” she asked incredulously.
“I said I think you should leave,” he repeated more firmly.
Alexa felt as if she was slammed into a brick wall. How could he tell her to leave after she came so far just to see him?
“This doesn’t change things between us,” he continued as he rose from his place on the floor. She watched him saunter across the room towards the bathroom, his muscles flexing with the slightest movement. “I’m going to take a shower now,” he announced over his shoulder. “When I come back, I want you gone.”
Chapter 24
One month later
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Maya’s soft voice interrupted Darius’s quiet reflection. Bryant had run to the office to pick up some paperwork and Maya had just put the girls to bed.
“I’m sorry, May, did you say something?” Darius asked, looking down at her. He was standing in the Bryants’ grand living room watching the magnificent view of the setting sun.
Maya placed a hand on the middle of his back and gave him a nurturing pat. “You seemed so distracted this evening. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
He nodded, not sure of the answer but not wanting Maya to worry. He also did not wish to bring Alexa’s name up. “Just thinking about the move and trippin’ off the fact that Bryant and I are finally going to do this.”
Maya sighed with eyes aglow. “I know. Can you believe it! My baby’s wanted this for a long time. It’s nice to finally see his dreams come true.”
Darius always admired the endearments Maya and Bryant shared. The two never seemed too shy to share their feelings for one another in front of anyone. Alexa used to call him baby, too, especially when she wanted something. In fact, Maya kind of sounded like her when she said it. He could picture Alexa with her head cocked to the side and her bright eyes shining against the glow of her smooth brown skin as she called him her baby in the same soft voice Maya had just used.
“Damn,” he seethed, cursing himself for relating everything back to the woman.
“What?” Maya asked with caution.
“I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about all of the things I have to take care of before the big move,” he lied. Although he knew Maya was one of the few women he could trust with his feelings, he wasn’t ready to share them just yet.
“Darius, I’m not trying to get in your business, but in case you need someone to talk to, know that both Bryant and I are willing to listen.”
Darius’s heart melted from the sincerity of the woman before him. Feelings of guilt washed over him from the episodes that had brought tears to her eyes when he revealed his marital status. “Thank you, Maya. That means a lot,” he replied, giving her a hug.
Maya smiled broadly. “Now with that said, what do you have to take care of?”
“Well, first of all, I have to look for a place to stay.”
“A place!” she shrieked. “You can stay here with us.”
“Maya, I don’t want to burden you guys.”
“Darius, please. You know, Bryant wouldn’t have it any other way.” She replied. “It would be like old times.”
With the exception of Alexa, he thought.
“And don’t tell me you wouldn’t like to come home to a decent hot meal every once in a while?” Maya said, temptingly.
Darius’s eyes lit up. Now that thought was inviting. “Well, now that you mention it.”
“Sold!” she exclaimed, raising her fist in victory.
“But I promise it will only be for a month,” he assured her.
Maya gave him a hug. “Sure, whatever you say.”
When Darius pulled back, Maya couldn’t help but notice the sad look that remained in his eyes. Through his smile she could see the pain. She knew that eyes never lied. She learned that skill when interviewing people for a news story. As she left the room, she said a silent prayer for him and Alexa. Only time, and the love she knew filled their hearts, would present the results that were meant to be.
The telephone rang three times before Alexa answered. “Hello,” she growled huskily into the receiver. It was snowing again. Her voice had started fading the night before and when she woke up that morning, she didn’t have the energy to get out of bed.
The long hours at work and the commutes to New York were taking toll on her mentally and physically. When she awakened earlier, her head was pounding and she was running a fever. She sought relief with sleep-inducing painkillers, and was on her way to sleep when the telephone rang.
After calling her job, she meant to turn the telephone’s ringer off so that her machine would pick up, but she had fallen asleep before she could do so.
“Alexa?”
“Yeah?” she asked wearily. It was a deep male voice. One that was very familiar. But for the life of her, she couldn’t think of whom it belonged to.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” she wearily replied with a shiver. The thermal pajamas and flannel robe did little to stop the chill running through her body. One minute she was freezing and the next she was burning hot. It was also getting difficult to breathe. She raised her hand to her forehead to check her temperature and was surprised to find her flesh to be warmer than normal.
What’s going on? She thought. She tried to focus her eyes on the digital numbers on her alarm clock but the numbers were blurred. A sudden pain shot through her and she cried out. The room suddenly started to spin wildly and her heart thudded rapidly out of control.
“Alexa! Alexa!” The caller shouted her name. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not feeling well at all. Please, help me,” she whispered in delirium before the room went totally black.
When she came to, she found a man standing over her trying to remove her clothes. She tried to scream, but nothing came
out. Another man appeared and another as she struggled to fight them off, but she was too weak and she blacked out again.
The next time she tried to open her eyes, she couldn’t because her lids were heavy. She attempted to sit up, but it was like straining against a three-hundred-pound weight. She moaned with all the strength she could muster and sank back against the pillows, crying softly.
“Just relax, honey,” a soft voice gently urged. “I’m going to give you something that will help you to relax.”
Alexa moaned when she felt a prick in her arm but she did as she was told and gave in to the exhaustion that consumed her.
A warm sensation on Alexa’s arm awakened her. This time it was easier to open her eyes. At first, the images before her appeared dim, but after several blinks, she began to make out the smiling faces of her parents.
“Praise the Lord!” Beverly cried and began stroking the back of Alexa’s hand.
“Ma? Daddy?” Alexa whispered before coughing several times. Her father came to her aid with a squeeze bottle of water. Supporting Alexa’s head, he held the straw to her mouth, allowing her to take a sip. When she had enough to drink, Alexa held up her hand and allowed him to ease her back against the pillow.
Seconds later, Beverly returned with a doctor and a nurse who began asking Alexa questions as they checked her vitals. After much examination and only when it appeared that she was stable, the two left. Shortly after, her father announced that he was going down to the cafeteria to grab a cup of coffee as well as give Justin a call to let him know that she had regained consciousness. Once the room was quiet again, Alexa turned to her mother with a questioning look.
“Mama, what am I doing in the hospital?”
Several large vases of every kind of flower imaginable filled the room, making her wonder if her condition had been serious.
“Baby, you are sick. If it wasn’t for Sean, who knows what could have happened.”
“Sean?” she asked confused. What did he have to do with her condition? She didn’t even remember talking to him.