Second Chances: Novella One (12 page)

“
The thought did occur to me in the beginning, but once I saw her on the ultrasound machine, when she was still a tiny cluster of cells, I decided she would stay mine, no matter what. She needed to have someone to take responsibility for her care, since Caggie would be precarious about it, at best. I wasn’t involved with anyone, so I didn’t need to worry about hurting anyone's feelings, and thought being tested held no meaning. I’d still want to provide for her, even if she isn’t mine.”

Layla understood Evan’s need to monitor the child's welfare; he had always wanted to care for others before himself, and her heart softened to the idea. She hoped he would be just as accepting of the situation when she finally confessed to him about Bennett.

The vibrating noise of a mobile phone moving upon the surface of the dressing table brought Layla back into the world of the living. She got out of bed and grabbed the smartphone, which was still buzzing in a distressed state.

The caller, her interior designer, had left her a voicemail. Layla could not contain the excited squeal building within her as she replayed the message. Her house was finally ready! She was thrilled at the prospect of being able to go straight to there, once she and Evan returned from the surprise he had planned.

Layla had just slipped back into bed to text the woman back when Evan walked through the bedroom door that was slightly ajar, carrying a cup of coffee, which had become their routine during her brief stay. 

“
Happy Birthday,” he greeted, his bedroom hair giving him a sexy, tousled look, which caused Layla’s heart to flutter as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips, before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“
Thank you,” she blushed, as she caught his gaze skipping between the low neckline of her nightwear and her face.

"I didn’t interrupt a call on the phone, did I?" Evan asked, indicating the phone lying abandoned on the top of the rumpled duvet.

"No, I was just checking the voicemail; my interior designer has confirmed that my house is finished." Layla could not keep the excitement out of her voice, even though it meant that her stay with him was drawing to a close and her confession ever closer.

"Oh," was all Evan managed to say in a solemn tone. His forehead creased into a frown as his clear, cobalt eyes turned a stormy grey.

She sensed his body tense up. "Evan?"

"Just don’t want it to end." 

Layla instinctively lifted her hand up to his cheek to caress it. "I may not be staying in your house, but that doesn’t mean our new understanding will falter. We can still see each other regularly." Her voice gentle, she added, "Maybe even manage some proper dates, and let you woo me in a more traditional manner."

"Have I not been wooing you in a traditional manner then?" Evan asked, his mouth curving into a smile.

"Well, ignoring our earlier history, staying in a man's house after knowing him for less than a week is not usual behaviour for me."

"Mmm, true.”

"I’ve no plans to abandon you as soon as we arrive back from wherever you are taking us, if that is what you’re worrying about,” she continued. “In fact, I was hoping that maybe you would stay there for a night or two. We still have more things to talk about, and at the same time we have to see Cameron and Ava at some point, now that she’s being discharged."

Layla felt more comfortable with the idea of finally telling Evan about Bennett on her own territory, rather than his, just in case everything came crashing down around her.

Evan nodded. "Sounds like a plan." His fingertips traced the outline of her collarbone and up to her tattooed shoulder as he wore a thoughtful countenance. “I didn’t think you were an inked type of girl.”

“
Me, neither, but I liked the idea of a permanent dedication to Bennett.”

“
It’s a Calla Lily, isn’t it?” he asked.

Layla’s tattoo was of the petals of a large pale-blue lily, with two vines curving down her upper arms. It was an unspoken understanding between them that this type of flower was her favourite, and therefore no explanation was needed of their significance in their relationship.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“
Why two vines?”

Looking him directly in the eyes to gauge his reaction, Layla whispered, “One for the memory of our baby and the other for Bennett.”
And the flower itself is you.
 

Evan’s eyes started to water as she spoke. “Oh Ley,” he said, almost choking with emotion as he leaned forward to kiss the tattoo, before pushing her back against the messed-up sheets and pillows. His mouth descended on her flesh, devouring its softness with his tongue and parted lips.

Layla’s quivered warmly at Evan’s use of his old nickname for her.  Sliding her hands up, she started to push the dressing gown back off his shoulders, easing each of his arms out of their sleeves with his cooperation.

With his upper body now naked, Evan moaned softly as Layla’s hands glided slowly over his lower back, her long nails grazing against the skin roughly.  Leaning into kiss her once more, his firm chest rubbed itself against her aching breasts, her nipples hardening in response.

They kissed eagerly, a fervent heat building slowly between them. Evan pulled away first, panting, as he hastily slid her negligee straps down her arms to free her breasts. Moving down the bed slightly, he began to trace the outer edge of her nipples with his tongue before taking their perkiness in his mouth.

Layla arched her back, pushing herself against him harder and exhaling a shallow gasp of breath.  Her hands pushed underneath the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, kneading and exploring the curve of his buttocks, and then pulling him fully on top of her. Layla closed her eyes as she enjoyed the emotions that coursed through her body whenever he touched her like this.

Pulling her upper body to him, he elevated their bodies slightly and pulled the satin negligee over her head. Evan proceeded to kiss in a downward direction, from Layla’s cleavage all the way to her flat belly, while one hand remained on her breasts, squeezing each of them gently as he kissed and licked at her soft skin, wandering ever lower.

Evan’s other hand paused to part her legs, allowing his body to slide between them as his tongue and fingers continued their slow journey over her yielding flesh until they reached their destination, where the top of her thighs met.

“
You smell as sweet as I remember, Ley,” said Evan softly, as he lifted his head up from between her legs and caught her staring at him. Her head was tilted, watching him as he pressed his mouth down there.

His tongue probed in and out of her folds repeatedly, lapping at her arousal while she made a shuddering moan as the exquisite torture began to overwhelm her.  

As Evan continued to tease her swollen clit, Layla’s hands moved up from his buttocks to his jet-black, curly hair, pressing his head closer to her apex to enhance the exhilaration. 

“
Come for me, baby,” he egged on in a raspy voice, continuing to rub her sex over and over as she writhed desperately against his touch, until she came explosively.

Evan slid off her and lay on his side, with his head propped up by one arm, watching her descend from her pinnacle of climax.

“
That was quite a start to my birthday!” she admitted, breathlessly, turning on her side to face him. A satisfied smile spread itself across her face.

Evan smiled and winked as Layla leant over to reach for his long shaft, bulging through the material of his pants, alert and seeking attention. Pushing the material down over his hips, she gently freed the beast of an erection from its prison. Enjoying the feel of his thick girth in her palm, Layla massaged it up and down, before leaning in and tilting her head, taking the tip into her mouth and tasting the pre-cum liquid that had escaped.

Stroking his balls as she pulled him fully into her mouth, she sucked his cock to its hilt.  Evan fell onto his back and closed his eyes, rumbling laments loud with excitement.  In one fluid motion, he pushed Layla down on the mattress and placed himself entirely on top of her. He buried his face against her neck and plunged his aching erection into her tight core.

Their rhythm began at a slow, controlled pace, but became increasingly wild as their passion mounted, causing the headboard to slam against the wall with every stroke of Evan’s thrusting.  “You. Feel. So. Good,” he groaned punctuating every word with a hard thrust. “You’re mine only.”

“
Yes,” she answered without hesitation.

“
I want to hear you say it.”

“
I am yours. Only yours.”

Stilling himself, he pulled out and manoeuvred Layla into a different position. Her round cheeks raised up as her head leaned downwards against the rumpled sheet; his hips were poised behind her as his erection rubbed against her swollen cleft teasingly.

Evan leaned over and pressed his mouth against her back before entering her slickness again, his hips eagerly starting their rocking motion. The new position enabled Layla to feel his movements even deeper inside her molten fire, the friction of his hardness rubbing against her G-spot rigorously as she floated away.

Evan 

After eating the eggs and bacon that Evan had prepared for them, Layla disappeared back upstairs to pack her bag for the surprise trip. He was just clearing up, and placing some items in the dishwasher, when the doorbell rang. Puzzled as to who it might be since Edward was not due to pick them up for at least another hour, he went off to answer it.

Evan had planned to fly down to London with Layla, giving her the opportunity pick up her son before they all headed off to another continent. Knowing she was missing her child, he wanted to surprise her by bringing him along.

Opening the door, Evan was surprised to find his cousin on the doorstep, looking rather anxious.

Adam was four years older than Evan, making him thirty-six. Besides being first cousins, they were as close as brothers were.

“
Adam, why are you here?” Evan asked, slightly peeved that his plan for a quiet moment with Layla before their trip was now ruined. He guessed it had to be bad news for Adam to come in person, rather than phone. “Another hour and you would have missed us totally,” he added. 

“
I realise I’ve spoiled your plans to head off with Layla this morning, but I didn’t think this could wait. Caggie won’t listen to reason, regarding not publishing that video, unless you agree to meet her personally. And she’s also claiming to know some secret about Layla that you might not want publicised either. What she had to say shocked even me,” Adam responded as he lingered in the hallway, wanting their conversation to continue out of earshot of anyone else in the house.

“
Come through into the kitchen and we can continue talking privately while I clean up,” Evan replied, noticing that Adam held back from moving further into the house. “Layla is upstairs, so we won’t be disturbed for a few minutes.”

As they settled in the kitchen, Evan looked expectantly at Adam to explain his presence as he continued filling the dishwasher. His cousin poured himself an espresso from the elaborate coffee machine that Evan had had shipped over from Italy recently, before asking, "So, how have things seemed between you and Layla?"

"Surprisingly relaxed. She obviously wasn’t best pleased about the ongoing problems with Caggie, but we seem to have come to an initial understanding."

"I believe Caggie may continue to make things as awkward as possible, now that she has seen you out and about with Layla,” Adam replied simply.  

Evan had anger written all over his face. “Talk about delusional! It’s not as if she’s had any involvement in my life for years." The venom he felt pronounced itself as he spoke.

"I agree that Caggie is clearly unstable, but she said this secret of Layla’s had something to do with the messages she admitted deleting.”

Evan frowned. “She’s finally admitted what they said?”

Adam nodded. “She certainly implied that to be the case.”

“
So, what did she delete?”

"She’s claiming that messages were Layla saying her son is yours."

Evan spluttered. "How on earth can he be mine? Layla’s child is only three or four at the most. I’ve seen him with my own eyes. Clearly, as I hadn’t been with Layla in five years, I couldn’t be his father."

He shook his head in turmoil, disbelieving what he was hearing, and thinking it was simply another ploy to make things rocky between him and Layla.

Adam shrugged. “I guess she’s hoping to stir up old wounds and cause some friction so that you will agree to meet her.”

Evan was enraged that Caggie would try to blacken Layla's name with such a thought. As much as he wanted a child to connect him to Layla he didn’t want any untruths being spread about her in the papers.

“
You tell her from me that unless she agrees to a paternity test for Lily, and tells me the real truth about what she deleted, then I’ll see her in court rather than any meeting room. Also, if she even dares to publish the video, or if any rumours about Layla and her child appear in any newspaper, I promise that I’ll destroy her.”

Layla

Layla heard every word that was spoken. She paled considerably, lingering outside the kitchen and not daring to enter at that moment. Cursing Caggie, she determined quickly that the time for her confession was right now. Feeling less than composed, she entered the kitchen. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I would like to express my intent to have it out with her, no matter what. 

Evan shook his head. "I honestly don't want to get you involved."

"Well, I’m already involved," Layla said firmly. Moving to stand in front of Evan’s chair, she placed a hand on his shoulder as her eyes communicated with his silently.

Sighing, Evan nodded a reluctant agreement.

In the past, Layla had always managed to persuade Evan to do anything that he had initially refused. She could penetrate even his most stubborn moods and, clearly, this effect on him had not dwindled.