In the Townhouse with the Yellow Door

She stood on the top step of the brick stairs and waited patiently for him to unlock the bright yellow front door. She clasped her belly with one hand and her purse in the other. She was tired.

He managed to unlock the door after fumbling a bit, reached in and flicked on a couple switches. The outside light flickered on and the inside front hall light too. It was dusk. They’d been at the hospital for quite a while. She wondered numbly if the party was still going on at Vaughan’s.

She closed her eyes and willed away the image of his bare back moving over that woman’s wet, naked body. When she opened her eyes Jonah Delaney was peering at her, concern painted all over his kind features.

She smiled weakly. He was handsome, she thought. A strong jaw, a good chin. A fine, straight nose, good lips and those heart-melting eyes. She liked that he wore glasses too. They made him appear scholarly, reliable. He had dark red hair and she’d never been attracted to red haired men before, but he wore it well. He returned her smile but the concern didn’t melt from his eyes. He held out his hand and she took it.

“Welcome.” He said, a touch nervously.

He was sweet.

He led her across the threshold and closed the door behind them. He locked it and also slid the chain lock into place too. She thought she knew why. Would Vaughan Grey come for her? Would he bother?

The entry way was small and spare. There was a honey colored wooden coat tree and a tarnished metal umbrella stand. A dusty mirror hung above a catch-all table where Jonah deposited his house keys into a thick glass dish. He’d told her he didn’t own a car, that he rode a bicycle to work. It had made her smile in the hospital room while she waited for test results, made her smile to imagine this tall red-headed professor ringing a little bell and skidding to a stop outside Cedar Falls Elementary school.

She’d asked what he did when it rained. He’d smiled ruefully and admitted his brother drove him or he carpooled with a co-worker.

His brother had been just as sweet and courteous as he had been, except Velvet got the feeling that Nolan didn’t care for her very much. He’d helped her pack some things, aided them in their covert escape from the party, driven them to the hospital and waited to make sure they were ok before returning the Porsche they’d ‘borrowed’ and coming back with hers to drive them to the condo.

Now he was driving her car over to her mothers and would be hitching a ride back with a friend. He’d gone out of his way to be helpful, but Velvet couldn’t shake the feeling that it was almost begrudgingly that he’d done all that.

She looked at Jonah and knew, without a doubt, that he would have done the same for his younger brother.

He walked slightly ahead of her and flicked on more lights to illuminate their path. It was an open-concept living\dining\kitchen area with black metal steps rising to a loft and several doors off the main area. It had good bones, Velvet noted, lots of potential, but it was fairly bare. It was easily apparent that two young, straight bachelors lived here.

“Two bedrooms.” He said, placing her mostly-empty suitcase on the kitchen island. “And a small office.” He added. “Um, two full baths, one up stairs and one down here.” He turned in place, looking around to see if he’d left anything out. “Washer and dryer in the basement, a nice patio out there” he gestured toward the kitchen door. “We haven’t got a lot in the refrigerator but I can get anything you want.”

She walked slowly through the space. It was adorable. Artsy but not uncomfortable. Trendy without pretense. She loved the exposed brick wall in the kitchen and the wrought iron spiral staircase up to the loft. The only art displayed was a collection of those vintage Parisian wine advertisements and an antique looking map. There were family photos clustered on top of the entertainment center. She gravitated toward them.

Pictures of Jonah and Nolan and a third brother, perhaps? Much younger than the two of them. They could almost be twins, Jonah and Nolan, except that Nolan’s hair was dark brown and he didn’t wear glasses. And his eyes weren’t violet. But they were both tall, trim, handsome men with good smiles and the same nose. She smiled at the photos. She wondered if the boy would grow up to look like them too. And there was a very nice photo of their parents, a studio shot, perhaps taken for an anniversary? Their mother was lovely, her hair perfectly white and charmingly coiffed. She was elegant and though it wasn’t evident in this picture Velvet seemed to remember Mrs. Delaney as a somewhat tall, lithe creature. Their father looked stern and sturdy and kind. Velvet picked up the simple silver frame and tilted the picture back slightly. Where’d he gotten those eyes from? She couldn’t tell which parent had them.

“Those are my folks.” He said softly, close behind her. She felt a shiver slide over her body. She liked his low, soothing timbre.

“I think I’ve met them.” She said, sounding breathier than she’d intended.

“Probably.” He affirmed. “They’re always attending functions and charity events.” She heard the fond smile in his voice but didn’t turn just yet.

“Who’s the little boy?” She asked, reaching for a shot of them all in Ski clothes with a snow-capped mountain in the background.

Jonah chuckled. “That’s Caleb.” He answered and she could tell he was grinning. “My parent’s little surprise.”

She smiled too. She placed a hand on her belly absently. She couldn’t help but notice there were no framed photographs of young women. She smiled again.

She turned now and he pulled his eyes from the photos to meet hers. His expression changed gradually, his smile melting, his eyes becoming more serious.

She held her breath. She could tell he wanted to kiss her. She hoped he wouldn’t be too much of a gentleman to do it. She wanted him to kiss her. She fluttered her eyelashes and looked down demurely before glancing back up into those gorgeous eyes. There was a fire burning behind those adorable glasses and she licked her lips.

So slowly she couldn’t quite tell if it was her imagination, he leaned down and forward until their noses were almost touching. Her heart was racing.

The phone rang, breaking the spell. He slammed his eyes closed and straightened up, his Adam’s apple jumping.

“I’m sorry.” He said and moved to get the phone. She sighed and nibbled her lower lip. What was she doing?

She was attracted to him, yes, was grateful for all he’d done for her, how he’d rescued her in her darkest hour, but she barely knew the man. And she was still married. A fresh hot stab of pain shot through her chest and she clenched her fists. She wanted to kill Vaughan Grey. She wanted to kill that Aschere woman.

Grinding her teeth she moved toward the stylish kitchen. Automatically she noted that the appliances were lower-end imitations of Calder products; they were styled after the Calder Apex line, but they were some brand called Poplar. Foreign. She opened the fridge and listened to Jonah’s side of the phone conversation.

“Hello?

Hi Ma…

Yes. I was there. Mmmhmm.

Who told you that?

No it isn’t a lie.

Because I did.

Yes, he did.

Because he’s my brother?

No. Look Ma, I really can’t talk right now.

Pardon?

Thank you for the advice but I’m a grown man—

Absolutely I stand by it.

Well I apologize for the tone but you weren’t there. Any decent man would have done the same damn thing.

I’m sorry.

No.

Well let him come. He doesn’t frighten me Mother.

No, I won’t talk to Dad right now—I have to go, goodnight Ma, I’ll call you in the morning, goodbye.”

Velvet heard the phone slam into the cradle with a little too much force. She stared at the barren insides of their knock-off refrigerator and felt uneasy. All she wanted to do was curl up somewhere safe and cool and sleep until this whole nightmare was over.

“There’s not much in there” he reiterated apologetically after a moment. “Can I make you some macaroni or something?”

“What did your mother say?” She closed the refrigerator and leaned against the tall kitchen island.

He didn’t speak right away. She knew he was trying to decide just how to censor what he’d been told on the phone.

“She heard about what happened.”

Velvet figured as much. Gossip was the official town pastime and sport. “And?”

“And—“ Jonah looked at the floor for a moment, searching for the right words. “And she’s concerned.” He finished diplomatically.

She smiled feebly. “As ‘concerned’ as my mother?” She asked dryly.

Jonah’s face darkened. “No, no, not quite.”

Velvet’s lips twisted. She liked how irritated he got at the thought of her mother. He’d been fairly stormy about her mother’s behavior and while at the hospital he’d expressed his concern about the way she’d been treated by her mother. He was so kind.

“What’s she concerned about?” Velvet asked sweetly.

He walked toward the kitchen island and placed his hands on the tall back of an inexpensive yet stylish island-height chair. “Your Husband is apparently more than a little furious.” He said, fighting the ominous note that had crept into his voice with a half-smile.

She blanched but raised her chin a notch higher. “I don’t give a damn.” She declared silkily.

He smiled a genuine smile. “Neither do I.” He said calmly.

Her heart flipped and her lips parted just a little. During the day he’d kissed her several times, but always in a sort of innocuous way; He’d kissed her brow, he’s kissed the top of her head, he’d kissed the back of her hand while the nurse had conducted the ultrasound. And each kiss had felt like a promise. A vow. And each small kiss had felt right, and true, and perfect in the moment.

Now she wanted him to kiss her lips. To finally fulfill that promise. To seal some unspoken pact.

“Thank you for everything.” She whispered, staring meaningfully into his eyes. She’d heard him say on the phone that any decent man would have done the same, but she wasn’t so sure about that.

“You don’t have to thank me.” He murmured in response, taking a half a step closer to where she stood.

“You’ve been an angel.” She breathed, answering his half-step with one of her own.

He blinked. “No I haven’t.” He slipped his arms low around her waist and she melted into him, sliding her hands up his strong chest. The cheap cotton blend of the cater-waiter shirt tickled under her fingertips and her belly hit his body, keeping her at more of a distance than she wanted.

He smiled down at her roundness, a marveling expression stealing over his features. “You’re so beautiful.” He told her amazedly.

She wanted to roll her eyes. She felt enormous and clumsy and wretched. He locked eyes with her again and leaned forward and downward to capture her lips with his just as she was opening them to argue his claim. A warmth and a weakness melted over her from head to toe. He kissed her tenderly but not weakly.

After a stunned moment she began to kiss him back, letting her hands slide up to his neck and the sides of his beautiful face. She stood on her tiptoes to try to get closer and she felt him smile a little, and he moved his hands on her back and hips to better support her.

Her kiss got hungrier but he slowly, resolutely brought the kiss to a close and pulled back, still holding her, too look into her face. He smiled and she knew she would love him forever.

Then the baby kicked, a firm, definite kick outward, sharp enough to make her gasp. He jumped back a little, startled and a bit awed. He was gazing at her belly with an open-mouthed grin and she couldn’t help laughing at his boyish enthusiasm. “I think he likes you.” She teased warmly.

He laughed a giddy sort of laugh and looked at her, still grinning. “He’s probably warning me.” He said. “He’s looking out for his mother.” He looked back down at her stomach. “May I?”

What a perfect sweetheart. “Of course” she laughed. He asked every time, acutely polite and respectful of her boundaries. He must have asked her almost a dozen times since they’d met that afternoon.

He placed both hands around her belly and waited patiently. She loved the feel of his long, slim fingers on her body and shivered a little imagining where else she’d like those hands to touch her. The baby was squirming all around, throwing elbows and trying to get comfortable, it felt like. She giggled a little and slid her shirt up from under Jonah’s hands and then pulled down the stretchy elastic waist band of her maternity skirt. He pulled his fingers back for a moment, hesitant.

“Go ahead.” She said encouragingly.

He looked at her, his expression open and honest and pure. Then he looked back down at her distended stomach and slowly, carefully uncurled his long fingers and placed his whole hands against her taut, warm, flesh.

The baby didn’t disappoint. He spun around inside of her and kicked powerfully outward again. She bit her lip. Little devil. It hurt. But it made Jonah’s face light up and she couldn’t help but smile at his joy.

Vaughan hadn’t once bothered to hold his hand to her stomach to wait for a kick. He was thoroughly disinterested in her changing body except in so far as it necessitated different sex positions and a different wardrobe for her. He said he didn’t mind her tits getting bigger. She pursed her lips. He’d only married her when he did her because she’d become pregnant. And he didn’t really want the child. Didn’t care at all about his own son growing inside her.

She watched Jonah lean down and felt him place a soft kiss on the top curve of her belly. This man didn’t even know her before today and already he was behaving like a better father and husband than Vaughan Grey ever had. She felt tears sting her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat,

Jonah murmured something to the baby that she couldn’t hear and she placed her hands on his cheeks, enjoying the slight stubble that was growing in now. He looked up and saw the desire in her eyes. His smile dissolved and he straightened up to kiss her again.

She should probably be wary, she told herself half-heartedly. But she wasn’t wary. The man might be anybody, might be a serial killer or a gold-digger or a rapist. He could be a fetishist; it was possible he only wanted her because she was heavily pregnant. He could be dangerous. But as she kissed him she knew he was none of those things. She thought of the family photos on the entertainment center and the bell on his bicycle and about how he’d held her today when her world had crashed down, how he’d stayed by her side at the hospital and offered her a safe harbor for as long as she needed or wanted one. He was the finest man she’d ever met. And as irrational as it was, she was already in love with him. He was the best kind of man.

He held her face with one hand and her head felt so small in his large hands. With his other he held her body close to his and he kissed her deeply, urgently. She felt lightheaded and alive and loved and wanted.

They broke off their kiss suddenly when the front door slammed against the resistance of the chain lock.

Velvet panicked; She pulled up maternity band and pulled down her shirt and clutched Jonah’s arm. Vaughan had never hit her but she knew him to be a very violent man. He hadn’t hit her, yet.

Jonah quickly adjusted his glasses on his face and cleared his throat. His muscles were tense and alert.

The front door slammed against the chain once more.

“Jones?”

Jonah exhaled forcefully. “It’s Nolan.” He said with a small, relieved smile. He pecked her on the cheek and bounded toward the front door to let his brother in.

Velvet touched her lips with trembling fingers and sighed wistfully. She felt like a fairytale princess.