Baby Kisses (12 page)

Tooty sighed and set the book aside. Stretching again, she decided to make a great breakfast for her and Miles. After a quick shower and dressing in a pretty pink skirt and white tank top, she knocked on his door. When he opened it, she said, "I hope you haven't eaten. I'm going to make a super breakfast. Would you like to join me?"

"As a matter of fact, I would. There are some things we need to discuss. I'll be out in ten minutes."

"Okay." She returned to the kitchen, wondering what he wanted to talk about. Maybe he was going to give her more responsibilities as his personal assistant. She'd like that. But then again, maybe he wasn't happy about something. Her mind went ballistic on her.

Miles joined her just as she flipped the Denver omelette she was making for him. "Here you go." She added some hash browns and toast. "Go ahead and eat so it doesn't get cold. It'll only take a couple of minutes to make mine."

When she joined him, he said, "Tooty, this is excellent. Thanks for making it."

"I enjoy cooking breakfast. What did you want to talk about?" Her heart pounded with curiosity.

"Well, there are several things, actually. I'm not sure where to begin. I guess I should start by saying I'll be leaving in a week. As much as I love it here, it's time for me to return to my obligations in New York. I want to thank you for everything. You've been a great personal assistant, but more than that, you've been a great friend."

The toast in Tooty's throat lodged and didn't want to go down. She sipped her coffee to see if that would help.

Miles continued, "I also want you to know that because of you, I'm more than satisfied with the way this last book ended the series. I've told my publisher I want the title to be
Anja,
and they've agreed."

"That's wonderful," Tooty said softly.

Miles tapped his fingers on the table. "For a long time, I've been thinking about a way to express my gratitude." He sipped his coffee and studied her face. "I've set up two trust funds, one for you and one for Harris. After I leave there will be no need for you to work outside your home. When Harris is ready for college, he won't have to struggle financially to make it through."

Tooty gaped at him and she started to say,
No way,
when he held up a staying hand. "Please let me finish."

She blinked.

"And lastly, I want you to know that Laramie Walker won't be bothering you again. I had my attorneys draw up an agreement for him to sign. For a certain sum of money, he's agreed to never contact you or Harris. If he breaks the contract, he has to pay the money back with penalties. He signed the contract yesterday."

Tooty jumped up. "What! How…how could you do such a thing without talking to me first? I-I'm not a child. I have a right to make my own decisions."

"Tooty, I thought you wanted him out of your life. You don't have feelings for him, do you? Because if you do, they are unfounded after he signed an agreement for money to leave you and his own son alone."

"God, no, I don't have feelings for him! But you did this behind my back!"

Tooty stormed out of the house.

Miles called to her from the porch. "Tooty, listen to me! Please!"

She ignored him and kept walking. She could hear his wheelchair rolling down the ramp. She started to run toward the trees, but a thud and a groan brought her up short. She jerked around. The wheelchair had toppled and Miles lay on his back on the uneven ground of the small patch of grass. "Miles!" she yelled, and ran back to him.

Going down on her knees, she leaned over him. "Are you okay? Do I need to call 911?"

Pushing up on his elbows, he said, "Shit, Tooty, just move the damn wheelchair next to me and stop treating me like a fucking invalid." He groaned and lay back on the ground. "Why do I even go on?"

Tooty didn't move. She just looked at him and listened to the words of Annabelle's diary.
Eli Riles has the sweetest mouth and I never wanted him to stop kissing me.

Slowly, she lowered herself, everything else forgotten.
By God, I'm going to taste his lips at least once in my lifetime.

Miles watched her descending face and read her intent. "No, Tooty. Don't do this."

She didn't care that he sounded like he was begging. She was going to kiss him. Her lips touched his and they both moaned. She didn't have much experience with kissing, but she gave it all she had. He moaned again and lifted his hand to the back of her head, angling his mouth over hers. He ran his tongue across her lips and she opened her mouth, panting for his invasion. She stroked his shoulders and put her hands beneath his T-shirt. He pulled her tightly against him. His passion gave her courage and she moved her hand lower, stroking him.

"Please, Tooty... Oh, God, that feels good. You feel good. I want you so much."

Without any foreplay she released him and herself of the clothing blocking consummation and impaled herself on him. Hungrily she kissed him and moved in the motion he could not. His hands were everywhere: on her face, neck, shoulders, arms, breasts, back, waist, butt; his kisses consuming.

Kissing him fiercely in an attempt to make him understand her passion for him, she suddenly felt him stiffen and heard his groan of ecstasy. His pleasure sent her into ripples of joy and she followed him into the land of bliss, accepting the fact that she craved Miles and loved him with everything in her.

When she could breathe again she rolled off him and tucked herself against his side. They lay like that for a long time and he stroked her face and hair. Feeling wonderful, she sat up and looked at the sky. Before God and the heavens, the trees and the birds, she and Miles had joined bodies. From the way he'd kissed and touched her, he had to love her. She smiled at God and turned her head to look at him so she could tell him how much she loved him. He wasn't smiling. His eyes were closed and he looked pained. Even as she watched, he opened his eyes and stared deeply into hers.

"That can never happen again. Please bring my chair to me."

"Wh-why can't it happen again?"

"My God, Tooty. What were you thinking?"

"But you enjoyed it, didn't you"

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "Of course I enjoyed it. But it can't happen again. You're only twenty years old! You have your life ahead of you. I'm thirty-eight and stuck in this fucking wheelchair."

"I don't care about the wheelchair."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "There's never going to be anything between us." And then he said something that ended any romantic hopes she held. "When I need a woman, I have several in New York. Women much more sophisticated and…skilled."

Tooty covered her mouth with her hand and launched to her feet. She ran into the woods.

* * *

Miles lay on the ground staring at a puffy cloud. He knew his calculated words had sliced through Tooty's heart like a guillotine. That was why he'd said them. She'd forced him into it after seeing the stars in her eyes. She refused to understand that he would never saddle her with a cripple. He squeezed his eyes shut, seeing sunspots behind his eyelids. For a moment he allowed himself to relive the feel of being inside Tooty. It was the sweetest thing he had ever felt, and she was the sweetest woman he had ever met, and he was head over heels in love with her. That's why he had to go. She was young and deserved a whole man.

Groaning, he dragged himself to his chair, righted it, and pulled up into it.

Almost Three Years Later

Miles listened to the pompous author of the latest thriller fad spout about himself. He'd endured one of the most boring nights of his life and wished he was still at his peaceful villa in France. After completing the business of writing
Anja,
emotional exhaustion and heartbreak had driven him from the country. He'd told his agent he wasn't doing book signings or making appearances, no matter the consequences, and then spent two years in France.

He squirmed in his chair and sighed when the author started espousing his current project. Beside him, Sissy Johansen, co-owner of Imaginings Publishing, whispered, "I feel the same pain."

After dinner, while he sat in the drawing room trying to think of a quick escape excuse, his attention was suddenly captured by something Sissy was saying. "One of my best selling authors, Mims Murphy, is pregnant at the age of forty-eight. Can you believe it? I couldn't handle it at twenty-eight! She married the cover model for one of her books. In fact, I was the one who introduced them. Believe me, it wasn't love at first sight. Anyway, since I was in the Denver area a couple of weeks ago, I decided to visit their ranch. Not only is Sage a gorgeous model, he's also a cattle rancher and runs a dude ranch during the summer. They already have twin boys, and I was almost afraid to ask if they were having twins again. Mims said no, but they're over-the-moon about having a baby girl. Sissy looked at Miles. "She told me to tell you hello if I saw you. So…hello from Mims."

Miles smiled. "She's one of my favorite people. I'll have to call and congratulate her." He started to excuse himself from the party when Sissy said, "Oh, and Miles, she also said to tell you hello from your former personal assistant in Colorado. She had a strange name…Tuney or Troopy or…"

"Tooty," Miles interjected. His heart banged his ribs.

"Yes, yes. And when I was leaving, Tooty showed up at the ranch, so I got to meet her. Sweet girl."

Miles wanted to clamp his mouth shut, but asked, "Did she have her son, Harris, with her?"

"Oh, yes. He's quite the character. Her other son is, too. He must be about two and he kept her running."

Miles felt the color drain from his face. "Was her husband there?"

"No, I didn't meet Mr. Townsend."

To Miles' relief, the pompous author started another spiel and everyone's attention was directed toward him. Miles didn't even have to calculate months to know the child could be his—probably
was
his. He felt sick…and angry. Already he was rearranging his schedule. He intended to confront Tooty. If the boy was his son, by God, he'd take her to court if need be to have his rights instated.

* * *

Tooty carried Eli to the grassy area she'd had landscaped for just such occasions as this. She'd used the advance money from her poetry collection that was scheduled for release in a few weeks. Now her children had a wonderful area to play in and swing and build sand castles. It was their haven and they spent hours there.

It was also a gathering place for family and friends. Annie Martinez reached for Eli. "Let me take him for awhile, Tooty. He and Angel can play together."

"Thanks, Annie." Tooty started back toward the house to get the chips and dip and snack foods.

"Let me help," said Sarah, and caught up with her. "This was a lovely idea. I'm so happy everyone's gotten together before the end of summer."

"Me, too. Hey, how are you feeling? Is the baby kicking a lot?"

"Oh, yes. You know those little butterfly kicks you feel at first?"

Tooty nodded.

"I think this little girl is going to be a boxer."

Tooty laughed and skipped up the porch steps. She and Sarah put plastic containers of food in cardboard boxes and then headed back to the picnic. When they reached the drive, Sage, Jackson, and Alligator, drove up in the Lazy M van with the older children. Harris spilled out first, followed by Toby and Preston. "Mom, we had a great time target shooting," called Harris.