CHAPTER THREE

Todd nervously flexed his shoulders and rang the bell. He was a couple of minutes late, and he hoped Blair wouldn’t mind. He raced home straight from work and showered up. He smoothed his damp hair back and waited expectantly.

He grinned when Starr flung the door open.

“Daddy!” She yelled happily. She launched herself into Todd’s open arms. “Hey Shorty, what’s shakin’, huh?” He tickled her side causing Starr to dissolve into a fit of giggles.

“You are so funny Daddy,” Starr exclaimed.

Todd set her down and walked inside kicking the door shut with his foot. “Where’s your Mom?”

“She’s still getting ready. She’s been getting dressed for hours,” Starr said rolling her eyes.

Todd laughed. “Yep…that’s your Mom all right.” He put his hands on his hips. “And can I say how gorgeous you are looking tonight?” Starr smiled archly, “Yes you may.”

She spun around showing off her new dress and funky little hat. Todd put a hand to his heart. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” Starr said sweetly with a jaunty little curtsey. He surveyed Dorian’s house with interest. Looks like Blair got rid of half the crap and replaced it with some really nice stuff.

He strolled into the living room and plopped down on the sofa. “Come here, Starr. I wanna hear all about what’s goin’ on with Max and your Mom.” Starr curled herself on Todd’s lap and looked at him with a shrewd eye. “I think that you should ask Mommy that, don’t you?”

Todd smiled. His kid was a smart one all right. He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m asking you, Shorty. What gives?”

Starr sighed. “All they ever do is yell and fight. Mommy saw Max kissing the red haired lady and she got really mad.”

Todd shook his head. Max was a stupid fool. “Go on.”

“And Mommy slapped the lady and told her to get out. She called her a lot of bad names.” Starr looked at Todd through her lashes. “Want me to tell them to you,” she asked hopefully.

Todd chuckled. “Nope. I can guess what your old Mom said to Skye,” he said dryly.

“Anyways, Mom and Max got into another big fight and Mommy told him that we were gonna live at Auntie Dorian’s house.”

Todd lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “How do you feel about that, Starr?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Max was nice to me, but…I want Mommy to marry you again Daddy. I want us to live in a big house and be a family.”

Todd felt pain lance through him. Starr’s short life had been filled with uncertainty and change. He’d been an absentee father for a lot of her life and there was no excuse for it.

He vowed to make his daughter happy and to put her happiness above every thing else from now on.

He kissed the top of her head and cuddled her close. “I don’t want you to worry about anything. From now on your Dad is gonna be here. Count on it.”

Blair stood in the doorway and watched Todd and Starr. They both looked so much alike it took her breath away.

“Hi,” she said. She nervously brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. Both Todd and Starr looked up. Twin sets of Amber eyes gazed at her. Todd rose to his feet.

“Hey,” he said quietly. She looked…unbelievable.

She wore a wine colored velvet dress. It snaked its way down her body hugging all her curves lovingly. The front neckline plunged deeply and her white skin looked luminous.

Blair’s breath caught in her throat. She’d always thought Todd was a handsome man, but tonight he looked devastating.

He was dressed in a coal black cashmere sweater and black linen slacks. He wore a hip length black leather coat. He smelled incredible.

They made their way shyly to each other. Todd took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

“You look…really nice,” he said.

He briefly closed his eyes. He wished he were better at expressing what was in his heart. He always sounded so flip. He cursed himself for not telling her how utterly beautiful she was.

Blair smiled tremulously. “I just bought it…I wanted to look nice. And you…Todd you look very handsome.”

She willed her heart to stop pounding. She was tongue tied, unsure, excited and scared. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time, if ever. This was Todd; she’d known him for years. Why did she feel as though she was seeing him for the very first time?

Todd glanced down at Starr. “What do you think, Shorty? Are you ready to have some fun with your Mom and Dad?”

Starr smiled widely. “Yes!”

Todd looked at Blair. “Are you ready?”

Blair smiled. “Yes…I’ve been ready for a long time.”

*************************

They drove for what seemed like forever. They were high in the mountains. Blair turned to Todd. “Is this Lantano Mountain?”

Todd glanced at her. “Yeah…I just went another way. I have a surprise for you two.”

Starr leaned forward excitedly. “What is it? I love surprises!” Blair was curious herself. “What is it, Todd?”

He smiled. “We’re almost there.”

They drove for another couple of miles until Blair saw it. “Oh my God,” she breathed. She turned to Todd who was watching her quietly. “How?” She asked in shock.

Starr gazed in wonder. “Wow…cool.”

He climbed out of his black Jaguar and opened the door for Blair and Starr. “I bribed a couple of workers,’ he quipped.

In reality he moved heaven and earth to see that this came to fruition. They were on top of Lantano Mountain and on a flat plateau there stood a newly constructed gazebo. The slats had a profusion of white, yellow, and lavender roses interwoven through it. Todd had them flown in from South Carolina that morning.

The pathway leading to it was smoothly paved with gravel and a red velvet carpet was laid on top. Satiny rose petals littered the carpet under their feet. Hundreds of candles reposing in delicate hurricane glasses flickered magically in the night air.

They lined either side of the pathway. Inside the gazebo was a table set for three. It glowed like a jewel in an ocean of black sky and stars. Blair walked as if in a trance. No one in her life had ever, ever done this for her.

Like a true gentlemen Todd pulled her chair out for her and Starr. He sat down himself.

“Todd,’ she whispered faintly. “I will remember this night for the rest of my life,’ she said through her tears.

Dreamy music by Sade completed the fairytale atmosphere. “Then I’m rewarded,” he said simply.

They dined and talked like a real family. Starr had sparkling cider while her parents drank champagne. Todd was charm personified, he teased and had them both breathless with laughter.

Todd danced with Starr and Blair drank the sight in. In her minds eye she could see the stunning woman her daughter would grow into. More than anything she wanted her to be a strong, independent woman.

To be a good person, one with morals and heart. A better person then she herself had been in the past.

She prayed that she would live up to the task of raising her daughter right. The evening was magical.

Starr fell fast asleep in her chair. Todd scooped her up in his arms and laid her gently in the backseat of his car.

He walked back up to the gazebo and stood in front of Blair. “One last dance?” He murmured.

Blair melted into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and wondered how she could have ever walked away from this man. She felt safe and protected.

But it was more than that, she felt desire lick through her veins being this close to him. She pressed her body closer to his.

Todd tightened his hold around her waist. He kissed the side of her neck. His tongue made maddening little circles around and on top of her pulse point.

Blair was breathing heavily and trembling with need. “Take me home,” she begged.

“You don’t have to plead with me,” he said roughly against her hair. “I want you, baby. I do…I‘ve been thinking about it all night. Thinking about what I want to do to you, what I want you to do to me,” he breathed.

He placed open-mouthed kisses down in between her breasts. He inhaled deeply, loving her flowery smell.

Blair slid her hand down and gently squeezed his cock. She smiled when she heard him moan deep at the back of his throat.

“Blair,” he rasped. “Honey…if you continue doing that I won’t be able to control myself.”

Blair felt a rush of feminine power surge through her. “Lets go,” she said urgently.

Todd forced himself to step back. “Please…try not to be so dammed sexy while I drive or we’ll wind up at the bottom of this mountain the hard way,” he joked weakly.

***************************

Blair unlocked the door and they walked into the darkened house. Todd was holding Starr in his arms. “I’m gonna put her in her room,” he whispered. Blair smiled. “I’ll go with you.”

The harsh light in the foyer suddenly being turned on made them both squint. Max was leaning against the doorframe. His arms were folded in front of him and his feet were crossed at the ankles. He looked coldly at the two of them. “Well, well…isn’t this cozy,” he sneered.

To be continued…

CHAPTER FOUR

“Keep your voice down,” Blair hissed.

Of all the shitty timing this had to take the cake. What on earth was Max doing here?

Todd stood still and waited. The asshole sure looked mighty comfortable here. Old insecurities reared their ugly head.

“I’m taking my daughter upstairs and putting her to bed,” he said coldly. He drilled Blair with a look, ignored Max, and walked upstairs with Starr.

Blair stalked into the living room and spun around facing Max. “How did you get in here? This is my house and you’ve no right to come barging in here.”

Max dangled keys in front of her nose. “Did you forget that I have these?” Quick as lightening Blair snatched the keys from him.

Max grinned like a smartass. “I have another set, so go ahead…you’re welcome to those.”

“What in the hell are you doing here, Max?” Blair cried.

Max smirked. “Why? Am I spoiling your big seduction? It’s amazing how you run to Todd whenever things don’t go as you planned. He’s nothing but your sugar daddy, and he’s to stupid to see it. Didja run out of money already Blair? Is that why you’re panting after that loser?”

“You’re disgusting,” Blair said flatly.

“Ah, but you didn’t disagree with me did you? And you wanna know why? Because you know I’m right,” Max snickered unpleasantly. He looked up and gloated.

Todd was standing in the doorway listening to every word they said. Blair turned around and saw the look on Todd’s face. He cut his eyes from her to Max and she could tell he believed Max’s horrible innuendo.

Anger and frustration welled up inside of her. “I want you to get out of my house,” she shouted.

Max had managed to ruin what should have been a beautiful evening. Max raised an eyebrow. “Not until I get what I came for.”

Todd walked into the room. “Not tonight, Holden. You heard the lady…get the fuck out.”

Max squared off inches in front of Todd. “Or else what?”

He despised Todd with a blinding passion. His ghost had always come between him and Blair and he was sick of it.

Todd smiled slightly. “Or I’ll make you leave,” he said quietly.

He flexed his shoulders and waited. He stared at Max motionlessly. He didn’t move a muscle, but just kept staring. His eyes were flint-like and remote.

Max took a mental step back. Manning looked like a genuine psychotic. And he felt a slight frisson of unease run through him. He stepped away from Manning and glared at Blair.

“We have things to discuss. I will call you tomorrow and set up a time.” He strode out of the room and slammed the front door.

Blair felt the tension in the room escalate. Todd was watching her with no expression on his face.

He calmly walked to the wet bar and fixed himself a tumbler of Scotch. He poured three fingers worth into the glass and downed it as if it were lemonade. He set it down on the granite counter with a sharp snap.

“Thanks for the evening,” he said indifferently. He turned and walked out of the living room.

“Wait…Todd!” Blair caught up with him and grasped his arm. “Please…don’t go. I want you to stay.”

He stared down at her coolly. “I think we need to take this a little slower.”

Blair eyes filled with tears. “Why?”

“Because I don’t trust you yet,” Todd said.

Blair’s hand fell away from him. “Fine,” she said with cold anger. “Leave then.”

She was not going to beg any man, not even Todd. She’d had enough of that soul-destroying bullshit with Max.

“If you don’t know me by now, Todd…you never will,” her voice wobbled at the very end and she hated it.

She raised her chin and opened the front door. “Goodnight. For what it’s worth, I really did have a nice evening. Thank you for the trouble and effort you went to for it. It’s too bad that it got spoiled.”

Todd nodded his head and said nothing. As he walked past her he yanked her up against his chest and kissed her hard on her mouth. He spanned his long fingers through her head and held it steady.

He opened her lips and swept his tongue inside her mouth. The scorching kiss went on until Blair was trembling uncontrollably. Todd forcibly stepped away from her. They stared at each other saying nothing. Both were breathing as though they’d run a mile.

Todd’s eyes were shimmering with anger and passion. He ran a shaking hand through his hair and walked to his ride. He gunned the engine and took off, laying rubber on Dorian’s pristine driveway.

Blair sagged against the doorway and watched him go. She was aching with need for her ex-husband. And worst of all she knew that Todd was hurting too. He’d been stepped on a lot in his life and she hated it.

“God damn you to hell, Max!” She yelled in fury.

***************************

Todd drove around aimlessly. Santana pumped out of his stereo at a deafening volume.

He regretted leaving Blair.

“Shit,” he muttered. He let Max get to him and he shouldn’t have. But what if Blair had come to him because she felt trapped and alone? Was he a security blanket for her? Did she want him because there was no one better at the moment?

He pulled his car over to the side of the road. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He smiled when he remembered how she felt in his arms tonight.

She had wanted him; he knew it was no act. Why did he let that asshole’s ugly accusations get under his skin?

They should be making love right now. Instead, he was sitting here like a chump and Blair was definitely pissed at him.

“Fuck,” he sighed tiredly.

He pulled out smoothly and headed back to his empty penthouse. Tomorrow he would try and put things right with Blair. In the meantime he wanted to give her time to cool down.

***************************

RJ sat hunched over his drink in the run-down bar. He was seething with fury. Ever since his confrontation with Manning he couldn’t think of anything else except revenge.

He glanced at his watch and waited for the person to show up. He saw him enter the seedy bar and waved him over.

“You’re late,” RJ snapped.

The man sat down and ordered a drink. “I was hung up,” he replied, unfazed.

“Yeah well, I don’t have time to dick around and wait. Will you do it or not?”

The man knocked back the whiskey and threw a few dollars on the grimy bar top.

“Yeah,” he said easily.

He rose to his feet. “I’ll call you when I work out the details.” In an instant he was out the door and gone from sight.

RJ smiled. “You’re gonna regret ever crossing me, Manning.”

He felt a rush of pleasure wash over him. He couldn’t wait to bring that prick to his knees.

******************************

Blair was up at dawn’s first light. She barely slept a wink. She showered and dressed. She and Starr ate breakfast in the sunny kitchen and Blair only half-listened to Starr’s bright chatter.

She dropped Starr off at school and drove around a while before she came home. She dropped her keys on the table and walked through the silent house.

It was deafening.

She lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes. A tear leaked out of the corner and landed in her ear, making it itch.

Her life was in a mess as usual, and she just couldn’t shake this sadness she felt. She wouldn’t rest until things were put right with her and Todd. She snapped open her eyes when she felt a velvety petal brush her cheekbone.

Todd stood over her watching her unsmilingly. He had a white rose in his hand and was caressing her skin with the dewy bud.

“Hi,” he whispered, thinking she was the most exquisite thing his eyes beheld.

“Hi back,” she breathed. He was unshaven and his hair was tussled. His beauty caught her by the throat.

“I’m sorry I left. I was… fucked up…and I let Max get to me. Can we just start over?”

Blair rose to her feet and cupped Todd’s face in her hands. “Yes, we can. I just want you to believe that I want you for you, Todd. No other reason. Max is a jerk who puts everybody on the same level as himself.”

Todd closed his eyes as the tension drained from his body. He rubbed his cheek against the palm of her hand.

Blair’s heart broke. He looked so vulnerable just then, she wanted to take him in her arms and hold him.

He wrapped his arm around her slim waist and pulled her to him. “Shorty’s in school?” He asked with rough urgency. He pressed his erection against her leg.

Blair nodded. “Yes.”

Her heart was hammering in chest. He was looking at her so sexually she went weak in the knees. Todd had never been this blatantly sexual before. He had no idea how potent his confidence was, or maybe he did. Blair was falling in love so deep and so fast; she was frightened and exhilarated at the same time.

Todd leaned down and rubbed his lips against hers. “I want you,” he breathed.

“You have me,” she said softly.

She took his hand and led him upstairs to her bedroom. She closed the door and shut the world out.

Todd stood behind her and unzipped her dress. He pulled it off her shoulders and ran his open mouth over both of them. Blair shivered and closed her eyes.

The dress slid down her body, she stepped out of it and turned around. With trembling fingers she unbuttoned his shirt and kissed him on his heart. She unbuckled his belt and gently divested him of his slacks.

Todd was breathing heavily and staring down at Blair. He sighed and tipped his head back when she pulled down his boxers and knelt at his feet.

“Ohhh…” he sighed in bliss.

Her soft, wet, mouth was gliding down the length of him and he thought he’d die from the sheer pleasure of it. She kept up the light tongue strokes and dipped it into the tip were a drop of moisture beaded.

Blair smiled and took him all the way into her mouth. She ran her hands lightly up the back of his thighs and pressed him closer to her. She licked the underside of his cock and swirled her tongue around the sensitive head. Todd threaded his fingers through her hair and watched her. “Blair…” he breathed faintly. He didn’t know how much longer he could control himself. She looked up at him. “I want you to…”

Todd’s moaned and held her head steady. He came violently and thought his knees would buckle. Goosebumps pebbled his flesh.

Blair wrapped her arms around his waist and held him. She dropped soft kisses on his pelvic bones and lower belly.

He lifted her up and laid her on her bed. He was rock hard and out of control with desire.

Blair flexed her hips up and he pulled off her dainty silk panties. Her bra took three seconds to dispose of.

His breath hitched in his chest. Her skin was flawless and smooth. His eyes traveled down the plane of her flat belly to feast on the lush delta between her thighs.

Blair blushed hotly. He was staring at her like he’d never seen her before. He climbed on the bed and took her foot. He kissed the arch and each one of her delicate toes.

He slowly kissed the inner part of her leg. His mouth was open and his warm breath tickled the silky hairs of her sex. He repeated the same maddening exercise with her other leg, almost, but not quite reaching the center of her. Blair raised her arms over her head and gripped the bars of the headboard. Todd let his breath feather over her. He lightly ran his tongue on her outer lips, and then barely made contact with the inside.

“Todd…” she pleaded. She arched her back and bit her lip erotically. Todd blew on her gently and dipped his tongue into her. He mated with her intimately until Blair began to quake.

He sat up on his knees and lifted her to him. She impaled herself slowly on him. Her mouth was open and her eyes were half-closed. Her head was thrown back so her lovely throat was exposed.

Todd spanned her slim waist with his hands and lifted her up and down on his cock until he could no longer take it.

He kissed her deeply and thrust himself in and out of her. She quickened the tempo until they both reached a shattering climax. They hugged tightly until their hearts calmed down.

They lay down on the soft bed. Blair curled herself next to Todd and idly traced his hard stomach with her fingers.

“Has Max called you yet,” Todd asked.

“No, not yet. Hopefully he won’t, I have no idea what he wants to discuss with me.” She felt Todd tense up.

“Just give him what he wants. Get the divorce and get him out of your life,” Todd said moodily.

Blair leaned up on her elbow. She stared into his turbulent eyes. “Believe me Todd, I have no desire to stay in this marriage at all. I want it over as quickly as possible. But I am not going to roll over and let Max step on me either.”

Todd sighed. He knew she was right. Blair had been kicked around enough, and he didn’t blame her for not wanting Max to get over on her. He dropped a soft kiss on her mouth.

“I’m coming with you…when and if he does call. I will not allow him to harm you, not anymore…not ever again.”

Blair’s eye’s filled with tears. She wasn’t alone anymore. Just looking at Todd so strong and confidant made her feel safe.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Todd ran his thumb over her lip. “I don’t wanna talk about Max any more.” He leaned down and kissed her softly on her breast. “I don’t wanna talk at all…”

To be continued…