Free Beale Street Blues by Angela Kay Austin Page B

drove, the more the street signs and headlights of oncoming cars blurred. Only when the dampness of her shirt began to send a chill through her did she realize she'd been crying the entire time.
    Where she was headed might be the biggest mistake of her life, but it was the only place she wanted to be, and he was the only person she wanted to be with. She pulled into the crescent shaped drive and opened the driver's side door. At the request of the valet, she handed him her keys.
    "Ma'am are you okay?" asked the valet.
    "Yes, thank you." She dabbed at her eyes with her palm. "Allergies." She walked through the revolving doors shivering a little as the cold air hit her wet shirt. Her sneakers squeaked across the marble floors. She didn't stop 'til she reached the elevators.
     
     
    Jaxon opened his hotel door, and thought he'd fallen asleep reading through budget proposals, conjuring up an image of a naked, smiling Darling. Except she wasn't naked and she definitely wasn't smiling.
    She just stood there, silently with the tracks of her dried tears noticeable on her beautiful chocolate skin.
    He reached for her. "Are you okay?" he asked.
    She turned to walk away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing here."
    He grabbed her, tugging her backwards against his body and wrapped his arms tighter around her. Her round butt met his groin and he became very aware of her body's softness and his desire. He spoke into the ponytail she wore, "Don't leave." He paused. "Come in."
    The breath she released slowly, relaxed her into his body. The warmth of her against him erased the small amount of control he held onto. Out of respect for her tears, he pulled his body away from hers because it for damn sure, wasn't listening to him.
    Darling turned to face him. "I apologize for showing up here like this. I just didn't know where else to go."
    He pulled her into the hotel room and locked the door behind her. "Darling, you're always welcomed wherever I am." He motioned toward a chair. "Sit and tell me what's going on." He grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Would you like a drink?"
    When she nodded yes, he filled both and handed her one.
    She took a long sip before she spoke, "My ex called. He's marrying the woman he left me for and she's pregnant." She kicked off her sneakers and curled her jean clad legs up underneath her. "And they want to live in the house he and I bought and renovated." Her body deflated with her explanation.
    "I've never been married." He swirled his glass of wine. "I don't think I've ever wanted to take the chance on falling out of love," he mumbled. His shock at admitting that to her and to himself, made him throw back what was left in his glass.
    Glistening eyes looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
    "Falling in love is always fun, but when it's over—that's the hard part. Moving on." He'd watched his father move on, while his mother sat waiting. She'd been stuck for the longest time with only him, Jaxon, to give all her love to and he didn't deserve it any more than his father.
    "You say that as if you understand, yet you say you haven't been in love. If that's true, how do you know so much about it?"
    He leaned against the wall where he stood, and fisted his hands in his pockets. "My father left my mother for a stewardess." He chuckled at the cliché of his life. Rich man leaving family for arm candy, too typical.
    "I don't know what to say," she said in a soft voice.
    He loved the sound of her voice. When it needed to be firm and strong, during department meetings, it was. When it needed to be gentle and encouraging, while they made love, it was. He was beginning to think he'd do anything to hear the latter again.
    "There's nothing for you to say." He pushed away from the wall and refilled his wine glass, and then took a sip. "As a kid, I heard my mother cry herself to sleep and watched her go out on dates with anyone, so that she wouldn't be alone. It was enough to convince me that being alone made better