Always My Baby. Martha Kennerson
to catch their breath.
“That was—”
“Cr... Crazy!” China said between gulps of air.
“Exhilarating,” he corrected, turning toward her. “Who knew you were so flexible?”
China turned her head toward him. “You should have. How many gymnastic competitions did you come see me in?”
“Yeah, but that was years ago. I had no idea you could still do the splits, and in so many different ways, too.”
China laughed and covered her face with both hands. “Shut up.”
“I’ll be right back.” Alexander made his way to the bathroom.
China dropped her hands. “Girl, what in the hell did you just do? You can’t even blame it on the alcohol,” she said to herself, giggling.
Alexander returned and scooped China up into his arms. “What are you doing?” she asked, loving the feel of his sweaty skin against her own.
“Shower time.” Alexander carried China into the bathroom, where they showered and made love again. After helping China dry off, Alexander offered her one of his dress shirts that he kept at the office. She slipped it on and they returned to the daybed where they lay snuggling, watching the rain and falling asleep in each other’s arms.
China woke to the sound of her cell phone beeping. She was naked and lying on top of a sound-asleep Alexander. At some point in the night they had made love again, but this time decided to forgo showering or clothes. Making love with Alexander had been better than China had ever imagined. His powerful yet gentle touch had awakened emotions that she knew she had to bring under control. China eased off Alexander, reached for his dress shirt that was now on the floor and quickly wrapped her body in it.
The automatic shades on Alexander’s windows had kicked in, preventing the morning sunlight from shining completely through the room. China picked up her phone, read the message and moved over to the conference table that sat on the other side of Alexander’s large mahogany desk. She hit her phone’s redial button and waited for the call to connect.
“Good morning, Jackson.”
Jackson Weatherly, a successful pediatric surgeon from a wealthy family of physicians, was China’s date from the previous night.
“You okay? I got worried when I didn’t hear back from you,” he stated, his voice full of concern.
“I’m fine,” she said, not quite sure if she really believed that. “Things got a little crazy here last night.”
“You’re still at the office?” Jackson’s voice raised an octave.
“Yes.”
“Wow, talk about dedication,” he replied.
“That’s one way of putting it.” China covered her eyes with her left hand and shook her head.
“How about I come pick you up and take you out for breakfast?”
“Not today, Jackson. I have some loose ends I need to tie up here.” China knew that no matter how wonderful their night may have been, giving in to her desires for Alexander had been a mistake. He wasn’t prepared to give her the one thing she so desperately wanted: a child. “How about brunch tomorrow?”
“Sunday it is. I’ll pick you up at eleven,” he promised.
“See you then.” China ended the call, sensing she was no longer alone.
“A loose end, am I?” a deep baritone voice asked.
China turned to find a naked and erect Alexander standing with his arms folded, glaring down at her. She quickly diverted her eyes, but her body was already responding to the sight. No matter how hard she tried, China knew she couldn’t hide her physical response to the man who’d provided her with an unendurable amount of pleasure all night.
“Put some clothes on, Alexander.” China shifted in her seat, trying to relieve the instant pressure rising between her legs.
Alexander’s expression dulled. “Oh, it’s Alexander now. Last night it was yes, Alex...right there, Alex...how do you like this, Alex?” He turned like a defiant child forced to follow his parents’ orders. Alexander reached for his pants and quickly slipped them on.
“That was last night, which was—”
“Don’t you dare say it was a mistake,” he said to the back of her head.
China placed her phone on the table, turned and met Alexander’s angry leer. She could almost see the fury radiating from his body. China stood, walked over to him and placed both hands on his chest. She stared up into his eyes and said, “No, it wasn’t a mistake. Last night was curiosity being explored. It was a magnificent experience that’s over and can’t happen again. We’re friends, remember?”
Alexander dropped his arms, placed his left hand over hers and sighed. “Always.”
“Good.” She pulled her hands free. “Now finish getting dressed and give me a ride home.”
“You really don’t think we should even talk about last night?” His forehead puckered. “Maybe see where this thing could lead.”
“No. One night doesn’t change the people we are...what we want. Our friendship works because we don’t try to push our individual needs and wants onto each other,” China reminded him.
“That’s because for years our needs and wants have always been in sync.”
China twisted her neck and raised her left eyebrow. “Almost all of our needs.”
“You mean the kid thing.” Alexander placed his hands in his pants pockets.
“Yes, the kid thing. I want them and I’m building my life around having them, and you’re indifferent on the subject. That alone prevents us from going any further than last night.” China placed her right hand on her hip. “You can wait until whenever to have children. Women aren’t so lucky. I know firsthand what it’s like to have an older parent and I won’t do that to my child...hopefully children.”
China had been raised by a single mother in the military, and while she’d loved the travel and different adventures they got to experience, having an older mother with sensitive, fair Irish skin prone to wrinkles had made things uncomfortable for China growing up; people assumed that her mother was her grandmother. Her mother’s love of the sun hadn’t helped the situation, either. She’d died from an aggressive form of skin cancer before China’s twenty-first birthday.
“You’re barely twenty-nine years old, China, and you sound like you’re on some deadline,” he declared, his apathy on the subject clear.
I am. “I need someone who’s of the same mindset as me when it comes to having children, and I think I may have found someone.” China started gathering up her clothes.
“Have you, now?”
“I’m not discussing this with you right now, Alexander.” Between thoughts of her mother, China’s own desperate need to create a family and dealing with feelings that being with Alexander unleashed, the last thing China wanted was for Alexander to see her break down; his kind heart and big strong shoulders would be hard to resist. She was drowning in emotions and needed space to pull herself together. China disappeared into the bathroom.
* * *
Alexander watched China retreat to his private bathroom. “Dammit,” he said, as he pounded his right fist into his left hand. Even after a rambunctious night of lovemaking with China, Alexander’s body still craved her unlike any other woman he’d had. He wasn’t sure what this thing between them was, but he was determined to figure it out. He was not going to just give up. Alexander