The Miracle Girl Page 14

  I let out a puff of air. “The idea has crossed my mind. But …” I looked toward Ian. “How would I juggle work and a child?”

  Claire answered for my mom. “Find a partner who would like to quit her job and be a stay-at-home mom.”

  Not thinking, I said, “Is that something you want?”

  “I always wanted to stay home with Ian. Being a single mom wouldn’t allow it.”

  “But now, you could give up your job and raise children?”

  I saw my parents watching us with great interest.

  “I would jump at the chance.” Claire fixed her eyes on mine, and I knew that was what she wanted. The idea didn’t terrify me. It appealed to me more than I ever thought it would. Could I finally have a normal life? Married with kids and have happiness?

  My father cleared his throat. “So, JJ, are you willing to let us in on one secret?”

  My mother shushed him, but Claire turned to him and said, “I’m not sure about JJ, but I have no issues telling you I’m madly in love with your daughter.”

  He slapped his hand on the picnic table. “Hot damn! Does that mean I can start taking Ian to see the Rockies this summer?”

  I had never heard my father utter any curse word before.

  Claire smiled broadly at me. “He would love it.”

  My father pulled out his phone. “I can get tickets for all of us next Saturday. Does that work?”

  “Sure, Pops. Sounds good to me.”

  * * *

  Later that night, after dropping Ian off at his dad’s so they could spend Memorial Day together, Claire and I returned to her house.

  “Have you been with many women?” I lay on my back with my head on Claire’s taut stomach. It amazed me that a woman who gave birth was in such amazing shape at our age. I was a runner and a biker, so staying slim was easy for me. Claire was devoted to yoga, and it wasn’t until I saw her naked that I realized yoga was more than connecting to a higher consciousness. It was a rigorous workout, and Claire’s body proved it.

  Claire played with my pubic hair, not in an attempt to arouse me but because she seemed to like the feel of running her fingers through the course patch. We had spent the previous hour making love and were now enjoying each other’s company without the built-up sexual tension. “Not many after you. Not many men either.” She propped her head up on a pillow. “There was this one woman I had an intense relationship with when I turned thirty.”

  “Intense. That sounds interesting.”

  “At first it was. Adrian was beautiful, intelligent, and funny. I really thought I could settle down with her. But she also had this mysterious side. It was exciting. She would meet me for lunch and instead we would slip off to the nearest hotel. If we had sex at my place she was usually gone when I woke in the morning, but there was always a gift. A rose, a card, chocolates, or something small, and it always put a smile on my face.

  “Then I realized we never went back to her place. She said she was embarrassed by it and preferred my house. That struck me as odd since she was a successful corporate attorney who was a few years older than me. All of the mystery started to fade away, and I suspected I was in a relationship with a married woman.”

  “Get out!”

  “That’s what I thought. When confronted, she laughed and said how in the world would she find the time to have a husband and a lover with her schedule? I believed her. I wanted to, so I did. The months slipped by and, as the holidays approached I noticed she had less and less time for me.

  “Then one night the paper held a Christmas bash at a swanky hotel and so did Adrian’s company on the same night. That’s when I bumped into her and her husband.”

  I sat up. “Did you say anything?”

  “Nope. Adrian introduced me as a friend. That was the last time I saw her.”

  “Scandalous! She’s lucky, really.”

  “What in the world does that mean?”

  “You’re in advertising. It wouldn’t have crossed your mind to expose her.”

  “Oh, really. Are you saying if it was you, you’d out her in the paper?”

  “It would be really tempting to do so. As Darrell likes to say I’m a muckraker at heart. No morals at all.”

  “So do I have to worry?” She raised an eyebrow confidently.

  “Don’t break my heart.” I kissed her before she had a chance to respond. “And no, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  “You better not. I don’t put up with shit anymore.”

  “Noted. Do you put up with this?” I peppered the hollow of her throat with delicate kisses.

  “Hmmm … if done correctly.”

  “Well, you let me know if I need to try again. I have all the time in the world.”

  “Any chance you can stop by my office for an appointment on Tuesday, say around lunch?”

  I looked up. “Sure. Is everything all right?”

  “Whoa! You slip into boss mode pretty quickly.” I felt the color rush to my face. “I was hoping for a private meeting,” she said.

  It wasn’t until she winked at me suggestively that I realized what she meant. “Oh, that. Shit, we can set up those meetings every day. And I love seeing the adventurous side of you, Ms. Nicholls.”

  “What about my other side?”

  Puzzled, I asked, “What do you mean?”

  “What we talked about earlier? Being a mom?”

  I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. “Before I came home—”

  “To me,” she interrupted.

  “Yes, before I came home to you, I wouldn’t have considered it.”

  “What?”

  “Having a family.”

  She sat up in bed and held my chin in her hand. “And now?”

  I kissed her. “And now, I’m considering it.”

  * * *

  Two days later I approached Claire’s office and said, “Are you ready for our‌—‌?”

  Brenda sat across from Claire, and her head whipped around.

  “Our meeting,” Claire finished for me since I was sure my face was turning red, considering the prickly sensation I felt. Even though I didn’t say anything damning in front of Brenda, a wave of unease gripped my body. And why did it have to be Brenda‌—‌the biggest office gossip?

  Brenda made no effort to clear the room. “JJ, I’m glad to see you. Maybe you can use your magical skills to help me get to the bottom of this.”

  Letting out a long breath to steady my heart I said, “What’s going on?”

  “Claire here won’t tell me who her new beau is.” Brenda grinned conspiratorially.

  Beau. Did she really just say beau?

  I turned my face to Claire. “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

  Claire clenched her mouth and sucked in her lips to keep her cool. After calming herself she responded, “That’s because I’m not.”

  “Oh, please. You’ve been mooning about this place for weeks. And look at you!” Brenda waved a finger.

  Claire looked down at her outfit, and I studied her.

  Brenda let out a frustrated sigh. “Since when do you come to work dressed like that?”

  That’s when I noticed Claire wore a blouse with a plunging neckline and her makeup was more prevalent. I stood and motioned for Brenda to follow me behind Claire’s desk. “Look at those heels and stockings. I can never get the line so straight in the back.” I wanted to run my hand up the back of her toned leg.

  “What about the skirt? It’s short, tight, and sexy,” Brenda added, tugging on it. Claire slapped her hand away.

  “Yes, I agree.” I sat on the edge of Claire’s desk and crossed my arms. “She makes a convincing case. Tell us who you’re seeing.”

  Claire held a red pen in her hand, and I thought for sure she was going to snap it in two, imagining it was my neck. She refused to speak.

  “Come on, Claire. It’s just us.” Brenda motioned to me like we h
ad been best friends since kindergarten.

  “Yeah. Tell us.”

  “I—” Claire stopped, shook her head, and laughed.

  “Oh, is it someone we work with? Is that why you dressed up today?” asked Brenda, hitting too close to home for me. Eventually our relationship would surface, but I didn’t want it to so early for Claire’s sake. Sleeping with the boss could be construed in unsavory ways.

  “Brenda, if you’ll excuse us, JJ and I have a meeting.” Her chest was rising more than normal, as was my libido.

  Brenda feigned being crestfallen.

  “She’s right. We do need to meet, urgently,” I said.

  Brenda was disappointed but didn’t feel comfortable telling me it could wait. “Okay.” She threw her hands in the air. “But I’m not giving up.”

  “And I won’t either. I’ll keep at it until she screams out the person’s name.” I walked Brenda to the door in five short steps. “You can count on me.” Gently, I shoved the busybody out the door and shut it in her face as she turned to get in the last word. I placed my ear against the door and, when I heard her retreating footsteps, I locked it as quietly as possible. I turned and noticed Claire trying to look furious at me with her arms crossed, but she was close to laughing.

  “So, are we going to do this the hard way?” I demanded.

  She cocked her head, not following.

  “Stockings. You had to wear stockings today.” I smiled.

  “What, you don’t like the way I look?” I indicated that clearly wasn’t the case, and she nodded. “Good. And I’m not getting naked.”

  “But we have a meeting. A meeting that you requested, I might add.” I waggled a finger.

  She sashayed over to me, wiggling her hips more than normal, and the effect was working. “I know.” Placing her full lips onto mine she kissed me. “Drop them.” I felt her fingers tug on my belt, and then she nimbly undid the button and zipper of my trousers. Next she focused on undoing my blouse and unclasping my bra. She sucked on my nipple and then bit it when it became firm in her mouth. Her hand slipped into my panties, and I felt her fingers separate my lips. “Good girl, you’re already wet.” She thrust her fingers in, and the force of it made me bite down on my lower lip so I wouldn’t utter a sound. Claire pushed me against the wall of her office. Her body smashed against me and the wall behind me kept me standing.

  With both hands I clutched her tightly against my body. She moved in and out of me with such desire. I thought I would come just from feeling her need to fuck me. I had to be inside her and unzipped her skirt and tugged it down with one swift jerk. Her pantyhose didn’t give my hand much room to maneuver, but I wouldn’t be stopped. When I slipped inside her, Claire opened her mouth. Quickly, I placed my lips on hers and muffled her excitement. Both of us pumped our hands, and my wrist started to cramp from the angle and pressure. I didn’t mind, and it made me quicken my pace. Claire reciprocated. It was like we had a primal need to get the other person to come and to come hard. It didn’t feel dirty or cheap. I felt loved completely.

  We came, and when the tremors passed we stayed in each other’s arms with our fingers inside the other for several moments.

  “That was …” Claire looked into my eyes, and I saw how hers glistened like sapphires.

  “Amazing. It was amazing,” I whispered. “And I don’t want to let go of you.”

  A ruckus outside brought us to our senses.

  “I think the crew’s back from lunch,” she said into my ear.

  I nodded and pulled away to get dressed. “I love you.”

  She stopped tugging her skirt back up. “That’s the first time you’ve said that to me.”

  I tucked my shirt into my gray trousers and smiled shyly. “Well, I do love you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I sat at my desk glumly the first Monday morning of July and had zero desire to attend the next strategy meeting. Darrell would more than likely cause a bit of a stink, and I would have to take action. My newspaper sense was going off like a time bomb in my gut.

  And then I would have to deal with Claire. A sense of foreboding hung over me like a cloud ready to dump acid rain.

  Avery knocked on the door and strutted in before I had a chance to acknowledge her. As usual, her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and there were no flyaway hairs.

  “I think we should postpone today’s meeting,” said Avery.

  I felt like she’d just tossed me a lifeline after treading in the ocean for hours. “Why?”

  “Darrell called. He was in an accident this morning.” Avery displayed fake concern on her face, letting me know her true feelings without having to utter them. She was becoming quite cunning, and I admired her way of cementing our bond without risking too much.

  “Really?” I cursed the way my voice sounded thrilled with the turn of events. “Is he okay?” I made sure to sound more distressed.

  “Yeah, just a minor incident from the sounds of it. But I think it would be nice to—”

  “I agree,” I cut her off.

  Then a thought struck me.

  * * *

  “Excuse me. Can you tell me where I can find Darrell Miller?” I asked the woman at the front desk. “He was admitted for minor injuries from a car accident.” I learned early to give just enough information to seem credible.

  “Oh, he’s been expecting you. Claire, right?”

  I flinched slightly. Claire was picking him up?

  “Yes. Claire Nicholls,” I said, hoping the woman didn’t notice the uncertainty in my body language. I straightened to look more imposing. A tough challenge for someone barely over five feet.

  “Here’s your ride, Mr. Miller,” announced the perky woman as she pulled back the curtain that provided some privacy in the emergency ward.

  Darrell locked eyes with me and then smiled at the woman, dismissing her with a curt nod.

  When the attendant was gone he demanded, “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see how you’re feeling,” I responded. I still wasn’t positive why I’d come. He never listened to me at the office, so did I really think he would listen to me now? Maybe his brush with death had made him see the light. I imagined the voice of God uttering, “JJ knows what she’s doing. Trust her, Darrell Miller.”

  “Uh-huh. Were you hoping to identify my body?” Darrell forced a sneaker onto his left foot. His neck brace and stiff back limited his mobility.

  I helped him with his other shoe. “Can we let bygones be bygones? I want us to work together.” My voice was too weak. I was practically begging the man, and that made my stomach churn. Also it gave him the wrong idea.

  “And you think showing up here, faking concern, will induce me to play nice in the sandbox?”

  I stood up slowly, not wanting to continue the conversation with me at his feet as if pleading for my life. In a way, I felt like I was. Claire had made it clear she didn’t want me to fire Darrell. I didn’t think it would be a complete deal-breaker, but it would be a difficult hurdle to cross. “Look, you and I want the same thing. We just have different ideas of how to save the paper.”

  He snorted. The look of triumph in his eyes made me realize how my coming to the hospital looked. I wanted to talk to him outside of work, but it looked too desperate. I bobbed my head, seeing his side. Fuck! This was a huge mistake.

  Cora would be so ashamed. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I needed to get ahead of the situation and fast. “I didn’t have ulterior motives coming here.” I was lying, but not for the reason he thought. “I just thought …” What did I think?

  Darrell pinned me with a look. “Do you think I was born yesterday, Ms. Cavendish?”

  I shook my head in frustration. The man didn’t want to see what was right in front of him: an olive branch. “Listen—”

  He cut me off. “No, you listen. I’m not a newbie. You can’t push me around like everyone else. And coming here really shows how d
esperate you are.” Darrell smiled victoriously.

  I was desperate but not for the reason Darrell assumed. It was for Claire. “You have no idea—”

  He cocked his head. “Don’t I? I’m going to be blunt. When I look at you, I see a little girl who’s in way over her head. You have no idea what you’re doing. You have no idea how to run a paper. My paper!” He thumped his chest. “So don’t think showing up here and acting concerned will help your cause. I’m not going to help you. Not one bit.” He got in my face.

  “Listen, you fool, your paper as you say is about to fail. I’m so tired of dancing around your fucking ego. Personally, I don’t give a crap about you. I would have fired you months ago if not …” I had to restrain myself from outing my relationship with Claire.

  “Don’t threaten me!”

  “Threaten you? I’m offering you an olive branch.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You can’t con me. I know what you’re up to.”

  “I’m trying to save your job, you ass.”

  “Yeah, right.” He stood and shoved my shoulder.

  I looked at my shoulder and then at him. In a calm voice I said, “If it wasn’t for Claire …” I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned her name, but I wanted to get through to him. “We both love her. Can we work together for her sake?” There, I’d stated my true purpose for coming.

  “What do you mean, we both love Claire?” He sat down on the exam table. “Are you the one Ian mentioned? The woman who’s been spending a lot of time at Claire’s house?”

  I nodded. “And I know all about Ian.”

  His face contorted from rage to understanding. But then a look of victory flickered in his eyes.

  “You love her that much that you’re willing to come here and grovel. I thought you were supposed to be a cold-hearted bitch when it came to business. Beale’s Miracle Girl.” He crossed his arms. “Don’t ever take up the game of poker. You played your cards too soon. I’m going to be brutally honest. I don’t like you. I don’t like what you’re doing to my paper. And I don’t want you in Ian’s life. Ian has two parents. He doesn’t need another.”