Chapter 67

ARTHUR

Doris, Nathan, Emma, the head pharmacist, and the new manager we hired, Ethan, and I got into the limo. We were going to the biggest pharmaceutical conference of the year, the American Association of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals. It was in Philadelphia this year, so we had plenty of time to discuss strategy on the way to the conference.

We were almost all the way there when Emma looked at her tablet, and she saw that the bottles we were using to test the development of the drug were interacting with the drug itself.

"Oh no!" Emma said. "This is going to make the entire first batch usable."

This was a huge setback. "We'll fix it. We'll work around the clock to get a fresh batch and make sure we get the drug to clinical trials on time."

"Emma, that was a good catch. It's a good thing you checked," Doris said.

Doris was right to praise Emma. Still, I wished Emma had noticed after the conference, not on the way there.

I didn't want anybody at the conference to know, so I swore everybody in the limo to secrecy.

Luckily, I trusted everybody here.

We walked into the conference, and we were immediately swamped.

"There are thousands of people here," Doris whispered.

I put my hand on her lower back. "None as beautiful as you, little dove."

We got our programs and decided which workshops we would go to and which booths we would visit. Doris and I stayed together, but the others split up to cover the most territory.

Just as we were about to meet up for lunch, we ran into Jeff.

He did not look happy to see us here.

"Oh, you didn't know?" I asked. "We have a new drug coming out. It's going to rival yours and put you out of the market. It's not only going to help people come out of their coma faster, but it's also going to be a revolutionary drug for Alzheimer's. It will help people get their memory back."

"Ha!" Jeff said. "That's impossible."

"It's in clinical trials," I said, which was a bit of a stretch. "I have a lot of faith that it will be revolutionary."

"Good luck," Jeff said with enough sarcasm that I could tell he didn't mean it. But his expression was worried, and that was enough for me.

He looked at Doris appreciatively, and I stepped in front of her.

He nodded at us both and left.

I took a deep breath. Then I smiled. It wasn't a complete revenge, but it made up for my hurt a little bit.

Thursday night, I made sure to seduce Doris slowly and thoroughly. She still hadn't given me an answer about moving in full-time.

I knew there were a lot of things on her mind. I wasn't sure how to convince her that I loved her and that I was in it for the long haul.

So I made love to her long and slow and sweet, and after she had a chance to recover, I joined with her, fast and hard and heavy, making sure I hit every spot she liked.

Every time Doris arched her sweet tight body up into mine and called my name, she set me on fire.

Friday, we both took off from work early. We watched an old 2016 movie on Netflix called Arrival, which was interesting, and then we had pizza.

We went to bed, and I licked her head to toe without letting her do anything to me in return.

Afterward, I held her face in my hands. I just gazed into her eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Doris." Suddenly, I could imagine a little Doris running around our penthouse. The idea that she might be full and round with my baby inside her excited me like nothing ever.

Yes, I have Mia, but to have biological children of my own…it was something I'd never really thought about it before.

I couldn't even get Doris to move in with me. How could I say what I was thinking?

"You look deep in thought," Doris said.

"It's just…"

"What?"

"Doris, would you ever consider having children with me?" I rushed on before she could answer. "Not now. Not this second, obviously. We're starting a new pharmaceutical company, and I just bought a hockey team. I can't even get you to move in with me. And you still think I'm a stripper."

She laughed at that last part.

"But I love you so much. You're beautiful, smart, brave, and talented. Would you at least think about it? For someday? The chance that we could make a child together and there could be a little girl who looked just like you running around..."

Doris looked stunned for a minute. "Or a beyond cute and handsome little boy, who looks just like you," Doris said, and my heart skipped a beat.

I let go of Doris's face and took both her hands in mine. "So you'd consider it?"

"Truthfully, it scares the hell out of me. My biological father left me. My mother died under horrible circumstances. My foster father was in a terrible car accident with me and then ended up in a coma for five years. Life is precarious."

"Yes, it is, but that's why we have to grab life by the balls. I never thought I would have Mia, yet she's that precious light of my life."

I leaned forward and gave Doris a soft kiss. "And now, incredibly, I have two lights of my life. Mia's been the only light of my life until now, but you've changed everything for me. That night you came up to me changed everything.”

Doris smiled.

"I never thought I'd have Mia. She was a surprise and she turned my life around. She's a blessing I never expected. But as wonderful as Mia is, lately I've been thinking I'd love to have biological children of my own."

I put my palm on my chest as I continued. "If something happened to Mia, it would devastate me. I try not to think about it, but Mia does have a heart condition. From one day to another, we never know what will happen. Just like you said, there are car accidents and shootings like there one at The Paper Monkey. One never knows, but that's why we have to seize the day."

"Baby, I know I'm pushing you to move in, and maybe it's too fast. But will you Just think about it?"

"Well, now I won't be able to stop thinking about it."

I rolled Doris under me. "Good," I said.

Doris moaned and pressed a hand to her forehead like it was all too much. I didn't know if that meant the intimacy was too much or the conversation we just had.

It's good I told her what I was thinking because my body against hers felt hotter, sexier, and more connected than ever before.

"You feel that, baby?" I asked. "The magic between us?"

"Nope," she said. Popping the 'p' sound with a laughing, teasing lilt in her voice. "I don't feel a thing. You'll have to try harder."

"Oh, I will, will I?" I ground my pelvis against her. "If I give you one orgasm after another, will that do it?

"As if you could."

"Oh, I'm going to try."

My body heated at the thought. Not just my spine and my groin but my heart too.

I wanted Doris to want me as much as I wanted her.

Doris wasn't giving me all of her.

I wasn't used to not getting what I wanted. But I could be a patient man.

I kissed down her body and focused on her pleasure. I licked her everywhere until she screamed my name.

"I like it when you're hot and sweaty and naked," I said.

"Ugh. I can do without the sweaty part."

"Admit it. I'm the best lover stripper you've ever had. Now you want to move in and never leave my bed and be sweaty forever."

"Yuck on the 'sweaty forever'. I'll pass on that. I'm going to take a shower."

Doris walked naked to my en-suite bathroom, and I watched her beautiful backside until she closed the bathroom door behind her.

I rolled over onto my back and laced my fingers behind my head.

Life was good.