****

“About time you two showed up. I thought I was going to have to send out security to look for you,” A smiling Liam greets us as we step off the elevator.

“Congratulations! I’m sorry, man. We were sleeping,” Jeremy says, pulling Liam into a bear hug.

I duck my head, slightly embarrassed at his admission. I know Liam and Coral already knew what was going on between Jeremy and me, but to hear him say it out loud to Liam makes it even more real. 

“Congratulations!” I greet Liam once Jeremy releases him. “Where is Coral? How is she? How’s the baby? What did you decide to name him?” Again, I fire off questions as I launch myself into his embrace.

“She’s fantastic!” He beams. “Room’s right down here. She was in labor for all of four hours, and three pushes later, he was here. She gave birth right in our bedroom.” He laughs.

My eyebrows nearly touch my hairline to the size of saucers. “Are you serious? In your bedroom?”

“Damn, baby is as impatient as his daddy, I see,” Jeremy teases.

Liam laughs again, stopping at the hospital room. He knocks on the door before entering. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mitch, Coral’s ever-present bodyguard, standing next to the door. Liam and Jeremy give him a nod as we enter. The first thing I notice is Coral sitting up in bed, draped in a satin pastel pink robe. She cradles the sleeping baby in a light blue blanket. She looks up as we enter and the smile on her face could light up Times Square.

“About time you two showed up,” she chides us just as her husband did a few minutes prior. “Tasha and Jeremy, meet Liam Junior.” She grins, looking from the baby to Liam and then to Jeremy and me.

Everything becomes blurry as my eyes water with tears of joy. I sit down on the side of her bed, looking down at the sleeping bundle of joy in her arms. He’s definitely a butterball as his plump cheeks show. It’s hard to tell who he looks like in this state, but his complexion is a couple of shades lighter than Coral’s.

“Welcome to the world, Liam Junior,” I whisper.

“Wanna hold him?” Coral asks.

I swallow deeply, nervous but nod my head vigorously. “Yes, I’d like nothing more.”

Carefully, Coral hands me her pride and joy, making sure I keep his little head supported. “Hi, Liam Junior.”

“LJ for short,” Big Liam announces.

My grin grows. “Okay, then LJ. I’m your Aunt Tasha. We’re going to get into lots of trouble together.”

Coral and Liam laugh. I look up at Jeremy who is now giving me a look I can’t figure out. His mouth has flattened, his eyes are guarded, and his body is stiff. I don’t know what that means, but I look back to LJ as his little body begins to squirm. His tiny head bobs up and down as if he’s searching for something. A small cry pierces the silence in the room.

“Someone’s hungry.” Coral grins, reaching for him. “Excuse us, guys.”

I look up at Coral and realize she’s asking us to leave the room so she can feed the baby in privacy. She begins to readjust her robe. “Oh!” I squeal. “We’ll be right outside,” I say and give Coral and LJ a kiss before I stand and exit.

“Where is Laura? Has she met LJ yet?” Jeremy asks Liam as we step into the hallway.

“No. Not yet. And she’s going to be pissed that she missed his birth. She’s spending the night with her grandparents. I talked to them last night and again once we arrived at the hospital. They’re going to bring her here when she wakes up,” he explains.

“Has Stacey been told yet?” I ask.

“Yup. I called her just a few minutes ago. Excuse me. I’m going to see if my wife needs help,” Liam says before he steps back into the room.

Jeremy laughs at that. “I won’t be the one to tell him that he doesn’t actually have the equipment to help with nursing the baby.”

I grin at his quip turning towards him and wrapping my arms around his waist. I stare up at his handsome face, feeling warm all over as he wraps his own arms around me. “She looks so happy.” I sigh, remembering the look on Coral’s face. I place my cheek against Jeremy’s strong chest. His fingers begin stroking up and down the middle of my back, causing ripples of pleasure to move through me. “It’s good to see her content.” I sigh, feeling like I’m talking about both my sister and I.

Jeremy’s lips brush against the crown of my head. We remain in this embrace for a few minutes, making small talk for a few minutes, pondering who LJ’s going to look like when I hear a buzz come from Jeremy’s pants pocket. “Excuse me for a sec.”

Reluctantly, I release my arms from his waist. Call me crazy but it seems as if he’s just as reluctant to let me go.

I watch him stroll to the end of the hallway as he answers the phone. His movements slow and I frown; his body stiffens at the end of the hall. His voice doesn’t rise, but I can feel the tension coming from him as he engages in a conversation with an unknown person on the other end. I wonder if it’s a problem with one of the hotels. He’s had a few of those phone calls while we were together, and I can say I’m glad I was never the person delivering bad news to him. About a minute later, he returns with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Hey, I have to go visit someone in the ICU. I’ll be back soon. Are you going to be all right?” he asks, looking distracted.

“Uh, yeah. Do you want me to come with you? Was it an employee?”

He shakes his head. “No. It’s not work related. Just... It’s a long story.” He exhales.

The look in his eyes tells me this is more than he’s saying. Without thinking, I grab his hand. “I’ll go with you. ICU is only two floors up.”

He pauses and looks at my hand in his. I hold my breath. Waiting for him to tell me to get lost or at least wait for him here. Instead, his face softens a bit and he squeezes my hand. I exhale, pulling him toward the elevator.

“What’s the room number?” I question as the elevator doors close.

“Room 508,” he responds.

Minutes later, we’re striding down the hall, searching for the right room number. Jeremy pauses when he sees a woman standing outside the room as we approach.

“Ms. Watson,” he greets her, clasping the older woman’s hand. “Thank you for waiting here. H-how is she?”

My heads jerks back at the slight stutter I hear in his voice. I’ve never seen Jeremy anything less than totally confident and in control of his emotions. That small derailment from total control urges me to squeeze his hand again, silently conveying he’s not alone. He looks back at me and nods.

“She experienced shortness of breath last night, but the doctors were able to stabilize her. They’re letting her rest for a few hours before we transport her back to the hospice.”

“Okay. So she’s sleeping?”

“She’s in and out of sleep. But she’s been asking for you. I think it would be nice if you would go in and visit her,” the petite, older woman goads. I get the feeling this is not the first time she’s tried to convince Jeremy to see whoever the woman on the other side of the door is.

“I’m not so—”

“Jeremy,” she says in a soft voice as she steps in and grips Jeremy’s wrist. “I know it’s asking a lot, but she really wants to see you. I just think it would be good for both of you.”

“Fine,” Jeremy relents pushing his free hand through his hair. He hesitates and takes a deep breath before turning the knob and entering.

I don’t even realize he hasn’t released my hand until we’re both standing on the other side of the door and it closes behind me. Only then does he release my hand.

“I’ll wait outside,” I say, turning to leave.

His grip on my hand tightens. “Don’t.”

The strain in his voice tightens something in my chest.

The pleading in his voice stops me in place. Once he realizes I won’t leave, he turns toward the woman in the bed. He takes a few timid steps in her direction. From where I stand, I can see her long dark hair spilling over the pillow. The lines on her face cause me to guess her age is somewhere in her fifties or sixties. Her eyes are closed and the steady rise and fall of her chest indicates she is indeed sleeping. Jeremy proceeds to the furthest side of her bed, staring out of the window. It’s close to six in the morning, and the sun is just coming up, but it’s still rather dark outside. With his hands in his pockets, he finally turns and looks down at the woman. He seems to be at a loss for words. I tamp down on the instinct to go to his side and comfort him. Before long, I hear stirring from the bed as the woman opens her eyes.

“Jer-Jer,” a feather-light voice creaks. She clears her throat and removes the oxygen mask from her mouth and nose. “Jer-Jer, you came.” The sides of her face crinkle as she smiles.

“Yes. How are you feeling?” His question is distant and cold.

“I’m fine, son,” she returns the mask to pull in more air before removing it again.

I’m too shocked at the last word she said to notice how frail she looks. Son? This is Jeremy’s mother?

“Ms. Watson said you had a little bit of a scare, but you’re going to be all right. You just need to rest.”

“Yes. But I wanted to see you.” She pauses again, covering her face with the mask to assist her breathing before continuing. “I know I don’t have much time left and I—”

“Let’s not discuss that,” Jeremy cuts her off rather abruptly. “Just focus on getting your rest so you can get out of here.” With that, he takes the oxygen mask out of her hand and recovers her nose and mouth. He lightly pats her hand and looks over the room before he begins moving toward me and the door. He doesn’t even look at me as we exit the hospital room. Quickly, he thanks Ms. Watson for her help and tells her to let him know when she is moved back to the hospice. Then he heads straight toward the elevator. I’m barely able to keep up with his long strides.

“I’ll have the car drop you off at home before taking me back to the hotel,” he says as we enter the elevator.

“Jeremy.”

“I’ll let Liam know we left so he doesn’t worry,” he says, ignoring my call for his attention.

The car ride is quiet and he doesn’t even look at me once. I hate that he’s closed himself off to me, especially after what we’d just shared last night. It was more than just sex to me at least. After seeing his mother, the very woman who had abandoned him, I want to know more.

“That was your mother.” I say out loud as we reach the driveway to Coral and Liam’s home.

When he remains silent I ask, “Can you come inside for a little bit?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Please,” I plead, tugging his hand.

Finally, he nods. As soon as we enter the front door Jeremy heads to the couch, collapsing on it and covering his face with his hand. I go into the kitchen to grab two bottles of water. I return to the living room and perch myself on the coffee table directly across from him. After unscrewing both bottles of water, I set them aside on coasters and then bend down. I lift one of his legs. Carefully, I remove his loafers and then massage one foot and then the other. I move my hands up his legs to his thighs. I feel the tension in his body relax little by little until I feel it turn into something else. Making my way up his thighs, I press firmly into his strong muscles, silently encouraging him to release. He removes his hand from his face, his eyes piercing me. I see the worn look on his face and want nothing more than to take it away.

I move up to his belt buckle and undo it along with the button and zipper of his pants.

“LaTasha,” he whispers, hoarsely.

Goosebumps spring up all over my body as I move closer, coming to my knees in front of him. After some maneuvering, I’m able to pull his pants and boxers down far enough that his semi-erect penis is exposed. Tentatively, I extend my tongue, licking the entire underside of his shaft. The reaction is immediate, as it stiffens in my hand. I smile at the power I feel because I’m able to turn him on in this way.

“You’re not the only one who knows how to relieve tension,” I state saucily right before I cover his entire cock with my warm mouth.

The gasp and groan of pleasure he releases causes me to feel a sense of power I’ve rarely felt before. Up and down I bob my head, setting a slow pace to moisten him. Releasing him, I twirl my tongue at his tip, savoring the taste of his precum before I take him all the way in. I lower my head down, pausing to adjust to the sheer girth of him. I close my eyes trying to pull it together. This is my first blowjob.

“Relax your jaw. Breathe out through your nose,” he coaxes from above me.

I feel his hand cover the back of my head, urging me to go deeper. I do as instructed and soon I’m able to take him all the way in. He’s in so deep that he’s hitting the back of my throat. I pause, trying to stave off my gag reflex. When he tightens his grip on the back of my head, I begin moving up and down, sucking and slurping. Once comfortable, I use my tongue to stroke the vein at the underside of him while hollowing my cheeks as I move up and down. I can feel him grow incredibly hard as I continue sucking him. The pressure at the back of my head grows also, telling me he is enjoying this. I’m even surprised to realize that I’m feeling wetness between my thighs from this. My knowledge of this actually encourages me to move quicker, and before I know it, I’m using my hands to reach the parts of his shaft that won’t fit in my mouth.

“Shit! I’m going to cum. Swallow it!” he barks, and I brace myself for his eruption.

Seconds later, I feel the first squirt of his warm liquid on my tongue as he thrusts his hips into my face, yelling out. I try to take every drop but his essence spills out of my mouth. Still, I wait for him to completely empty and his body to go still before I release him. I hear a popping sound as he exits my mouth. I sit back on my heels, looking up at him between my lashes, wiping my mouth.   

“That’s the first time I’ve ever done that,” I admit.

His head pops up from the back of the couch and a half-cocked smile emerges. He stuffs himself back in his pants before pulling me onto his lap. “You’re shitting me.” He chuckles.

I shake my head. “Can I tell you something?”

“Right now you can tell me anything, doll.”

“I’ve been watching how-to videos of doing that.”

“How-to videos to give a blow job? Doll, you know I’d give you all the practice you need.” He chuckles.

“I know but I wanted my first time with you to be…special, not instructional.” I give him a one shoulder shrug, my eyes lowered to the floor.

He bends over, using his finger to tip my chin up to look at him. “I appreciate your effort. Best blow job ever,” he states, before taking my lips with his.

I snuggle into his embrace, laying my head on his shoulder. “That woman was your mother?” I ask after a few moments of silence. At first, I regret the question, feeling his body go rigid underneath me. But I won’t take it back. I want to know more about him and this woman who obviously has an effect on him. I caress his jaw, trailing down to his neck, shoulder, and arm. I massage it to release the tension again. Slowly, his body relaxes and he sighs.

“Yes. That was her.”

“She’s sick.”

“Lung cancer, courtesy of her two-pack-a-day, thirty-year habit.”

“How long does she have to live?”

“Doctors said six months.” He sighs. “That was three months ago.”

“When’s the last time you saw her?”

“A few weeks ago. The first time I saw her in more than twenty years was the night of our second date when I had to leave early. That was the day she stormed into my office to tell me she was broke and dying. I set her up in a hospice and I talk to Ms. Watson a few times a week to check up on her condition.”

“But you don’t visit her regularly.” It was a statement, not a question or condemnation of guilt.

“No.”

I let his answer hang in the air for a while. “My mom left me too,” I admit. His grip around my waist tightens. “She’d never really wanted me. She didn’t say as much, but I could tell. She only paid me a little bit attention whenever my father came around. She would dress me up like a little doll to try and please him. It never worked. He didn’t want me either. Aside from that, she only cared for me enough to chastise me about being too dark or too fat or not enough of this or that. My grandmother shielded me from the worst of it, but when she died when I was ten, there was no one to shield me. We moved from New York to Virginia a few months later. My mother’s new boyfriend got her mixed up with drugs or maybe she started doing drugs before then. I’m not really sure. She’d leave for days at a time until one day she never came back. I was almost twelve and alone,” I recall those scary and lonely days. Blinking to hold back unshed tears, I let out a deep sigh. “Anyway, I never saw her after that. It wasn’t until I was eighteen that I learned that she’d died of a drug overdose back in New York. She’d been buried in an unmarked grave. I never got to say goodbye or ask her why she hated me so much.”

I sit up and look at Jeremy. I frame his face between my palms. “She’s your mother. She was obviously terrible at it, but at least you have a chance to talk to her. Ask her why she threw you away.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” I can tell that admission is hard for him.

“You’ll find the words. I never thought I’d be able to forgive my mother either. It took a while, but I no longer hate her. You can start by simply making time to visit her.”

He sighs, pulling me in even closer. “I’ll think about it. Right now,” he says, sitting up, and pulling me with him. “I need to take a nap. It’s been a long night.”

I gasp as he raises us both and carries me effortlessly to the bedroom. Soon enough we’re both cloaked in the weariness of the past twelve hours, surrendering to the sleep we both desire.