“I know you don’t, and I understand all your responsibilities. I’m trying to be a grown-up about it.”
“I know you are.” He kissed my lips softly.
“It’s not that I have too much to do. Mazie is here, and Belinda during the day. I just miss you terribly.”
“I miss you too, baby.” He took my hand. “Right now, though, I need some sleep.”
I nodded. I’d been hoping we’d make love, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to be some needy wife after he’d been out until eleven doing his work. I walked with him to the bedroom. He stopped at the nursery and peeked in at Jonah. He was sleeping peacefully, his baby breaths coming in sweet puffs.
“He’s so beautiful,” Brad said.
“Of course he is. He looks just like you.”
“There’s a lot of you in him too.” Brad smiled.
We left the nursery quietly and walked to the bedroom. Brad raked his fingers through his hair and sat down on one of the wingback chairs. Should I ask about his day? I wasn’t sure. He looked so fatigued. I didn’t want to make him relive the day when all he seemed to want at the moment was to be free of it.
“Let me help you.” I knelt beside him and pulled off one of his cowboy boots and then the other.
“Thanks, my love.” He leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes.
I smiled and pulled off his socks. Then I reached to unbuckle his belt and unsnap and unzip his pants. Brad in a suit was still a new thing for me. His blue jeans days were gone now. He was a businessman, always off to make a new deal. Sad, because I knew what he loved most was getting outdoors and doing hands-on work in the orchard or on the ranch.
“I need to hire a winemaker,” he said absently. “I took oenology at school, but the vineyards are going to have their first harvest this fall. I need someone who knows what he’s doing.”
“So hire a winemaker,” I said, sliding his slacks over his hips.
“I put an ad out, but I haven’t had time to do any interviewing. Too much else going on.”
“What else?”
He didn’t respond right away. Then, “Just business stuff. The usual.”
“Hiring a winemaker is also business stuff.”
“True.”
“You have a huge office staff. Let one of them hire the vintner.”
“Maybe…” He sighed. “I’m so fucking tired, Daphne. So much inside my head. So much I need to do. The responsibility never ends.”
“I know,” I said. “If only your father hadn’t died so suddenly.”
He jerked his eyes open. “What?”
“Your father. His death has thrown you into the business much sooner than you anticipated.”
“Yeah. Right.” He closed his eyes once more.
Hmm. Strange reaction, but I wasn’t going to dwell on it. Brad still wore his underwear. I placed my fingers under the waistband, and his dick sprang to life.
He chuckled softly. “I’m so tired I could sleep for days, but just your touch arouses me.”
Maybe we’d make love after all. I slid his undies off him and then grabbed his cock. Within a few seconds, it had hardened into velvet-covered steel. A drop of clear fluid emerged at the tip. I licked it off. Salty. Salty and wonderful.
“Daph…” he said.
“Shh. Let me take care of you. Please.”
I needed this. I needed it—him—so badly. Even if we didn’t end up making love, at least I could give him something. Show him I was here for him. Because I was. Always.
He still wore his shirt and tie but was naked from the waist down.
“Stay where you are,” I said.
Then I swirled my tongue around the tip of his cock.
“Fuck, Daphne. You drive me insane.”
I smiled against his shaft. Good. Exactly what I was after. I needed to escape this day. I might have lost time, and I’d talk to Dr. Pelletier tomorrow and figure it out, but tonight? I wanted to hide everything negative in the back of my mind and concentrate on the man I loved.
I sucked softly on the head of his cock and took him as far as I could. I was still a novice at oral sex, but I wanted so much to please Brad. Men loved blowjobs, and I wanted to give Brad a good one.
But he stopped me. “Daph, I can’t.”
I let his cock drop out of my mouth. “Please. Let me.”
“Not tonight.”
“Please, Brad. I want to.”
He softened then, and he drew me into his arms until I was sitting in his lap. He pulled my head down and our lips met.
It was a soft kiss at first, but as we both opened our mouths and our lips slid together, it become more demanding.
I grabbed his tie and loosened it, our mouths still fused together. Then I unbuttoned his shirt and parted the two sides of fabric, running my fingertips over his warm, hard chest.