17. Set A Good Example

"I'm sorry about the last two days," Braylon said when she walked out of her office at the end of the workday two days later.

He'd felt like shit that he not only didn't get out of work on time Wednesday but then was held up late yesterday too.

It wasn't even that Thomas kept him there Wednesday but more Laken calling him because there were problems at one of the new acquisitions that she was working with.

He'd had to pull all sorts of contracts and look them over before West made a decision to continue on or stop negotiations.

Yesterday, that had been Thomas. Not that he couldn't have gone home and done the work from there, but Thomas felt it'd be better if they got to the bottom of things in the office and held everyone there until eight.

He could have said no way and left to work from home, but if he did that, he didn't want the other attorneys and clerks working in the department thinking that he wasn't a team player.

One of these days it would be his team and he had to set a good example now, he knew that.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "It's the weekend now. Do you have to do a lot of work?"

"No," he said. "At least I don't think so. West went to see Abby this weekend, so he'll be working less than normal. When he's in the Hamptons he gets more done, but Abby's apartment is pretty small so it's not like they sit around there. They go out and do things."

"It's nice he goes to her place and spends time with her. I'm sure they visit with her family, right?"

"They do," he said.

He'd been waiting to see what was going on with her for Thanksgiving. He wanted to go with her but didn't want to invite himself. It's not like he would ask her to go to North Carolina since he knew she bought her plane ticket and wanted to see her sister and her sister's family.

The two of them walked down to the lobby and West hailed a taxi.

"Do you want to see my place?" she asked.

"I'd like to, but you never invite me up."

She slid into the taxi next to him. "Not much to see. It's smaller than your bedroom."

"I doubt that," he said.

"No, it is. It's one big room. I have a wardrobe dividing my bed from the living room." She held her finger up in a quotes sign.

"Oh," he said. "Hey, I know cramped quarters. Remember eight kids in three bedrooms growing up."

"You make a good point. But if you want to come up while I grab clothes for the weekend you can."

He tapped on the glass of the taxi driver. "Can you wait while we run up to get a few things?"

"Sure can," the driver said.

"We'll be fast," she said. "I promise."

The driver nodded. "If I have to move, I'll drive around the block and be back. Don't worry."

Braylon wasn't too worried. He'd tip well like he always did.

They pulled in front of Lilian's apartment building, the two of them getting out and climbing the two flights of stairs.

She unlocked her door and she was right. It was small and tight but not cluttered.

"You have it decorated nicely," he said.

"I try to make it comfortable, but it's not easy."

He followed her to the other side where her bed was. She was opening drawers and getting clothes out for the weekend. He was thrilled they were going to spend it together.

"You did a good job with it," he said, moving around. He saw some pictures on a shelf. "Is this your family?"

"That's Quinn and me. And then me and her four kids."

Max's two older kids and then Quinn's two younger ones. He could see where Quinn looked at all four as hers.

"Max and Quinn?" he asked.

"Their wedding picture. Quinn is pretty basic. We don't have a lot of family and aren't that close to them. They got married in Lake Placid and it was small. Some of her friends and Max's family. It was nice."

"Were you there?" he asked.

"I was, my brothers weren't. Brent's wife, Annie, was pregnant and they couldn't get the time off of work. Karl couldn't make it."

She didn't say anything else and just looked down while she was packing. She never talked much about her one brother and nothing about her mother.

"That's too bad," he said. "My family is close. It's annoying and frustrating, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I know you're probably going home for Thanksgiving," she said suddenly. She flung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm ready. I'm not going to change. I can do that at your place. It's fine."

She locked up and they walked back downstairs. "I'm not sure what I'm doing for Thanksgiving."

"I thought you always went home," she said.

"I do, but I wouldn't mind spending time with you. I know you're going home though."

"That wasn't subtle at all, Braylon," she said, laughing.

"It wasn't meant to be."

"Quinn wants to meet you. She's been bugging me to ask you."

The taxi was still waiting for them and they made their way inside. He gave the address to his condo and they sat back. "Why haven't you asked?"

"I just assumed you had to go home," she said. "And I wasn't sure if you'd want to go with me."

"I do," he said. "Don't assume anything. Make sure you ask. I'd love to."

"If you can get a ticket," she said. "I shouldn't have waited so long."

"I'm positive I can," he said. "As soon as we are at my place I'll book it."

"I'm glad," she said. "I'd like you to meet the family that I'm close with."

"I want to meet them too," he said, threading their fingers together.

When they got to his place, Lilian changed out of her work clothes into leggings and a sweatshirt while he got out of his suit. He decided to take a quick shower while she got dinner going. He hated that she cooked for him when they were together on the weekend, but she always argued she didn't like to go out much.

He knew it had to do with the fact he paid for everything.

"Dinner will be another ten minutes or so," she said. She just had burgers in a pan and French fries in the oven. His mother always cooked burgers and fries like that too.

"I'll make my flight arrangements. Do you know when your flight is?"

She pulled her phone out of her purse and forwarded him the confirmation she got.

"I'm sure we won't be next to each other but on the same flight is close enough."

He realized it was a small aircraft out of a privately owned airstrip. "How about I upgrade you to first class and then we can be together." He'd rather fly in something bigger and show her some class.

"No," she said. "I bought my ticket and I'm fine. You go first class if you want and we'll meet there. That plane only has one class so you'd have to go to another airport."

He wouldn't do that. "No," he said. "I can get a seat close to you." He booked that and would let it go.

She didn't say another word about it. He learned that she didn't argue with him. It's like she felt she shouldn't give her opinion or thoughts at times and he hated that.

He'd even told her in the past the problem West got in with Abby and that he never wanted to be that way.

She said he wasn't. He believed it. He wanted her to always feel as if she had a voice, but he wanted to hear it too.

He put his laptop away, set the table and the two of them sat down for dinner.

"I like that you help out," she said.

"Always," he said. "We had to as kids. We all had chores. No way my mother could do it all, but she tried."

"I can't imagine how bad things like laundry had to be for her."

"Once we hit ten we were doing our own laundry. She just had too many other things to do. I always had these hopes and thoughts I'd be the one to set her up. I mean I knew I was going to be a lawyer. West just said he was going to be rich."

He laughed when he said that. Not that he didn't believe in his brother, but it wasn't like West had a set plan. His plan was to find the best opportunities he could and invest in them. His brother was smart, he'd give him that.

West researched everything to death and took risks when Braylon knew he'd never be able to.

Though many would say he took a risk by working with West rather than taking one of the offers he'd gotten when he graduated from law school.

He supposed in his mind he had to stick it out with West because he believed in him and knew that he had something to fall back on if he had to.

He never needed to and had his brother to thank for a lot of his life.

"He is," she said. "And so are you and your siblings. Rich in a lot of areas in life, not just monetarily."

"You're right," he said. "I always try to remember those things. We didn't have a lot when my father was alive, but we had the right things. Though I do feel bad for my mom. Many said she signed up for that life and she did. But no one said she needed to have that many kids."

He was laughing when he said it, but he remembered being frustrated every time his mother said she was pregnant again. It felt as if there just wasn't enough time, money or energy to go around and his mother got the brunt of it.

"I'm sure she wanted them," she said. "But maybe not. My mother, I don't think she wanted any of us." It was said so quietly and he wanted to ask more, but she turned and started to eat, then said, "I really like relaxing with you like this."

"Me too," he said. They ate their dinner in quiet, then he helped her clean up the dishes.

"Do you mind if I take a quick shower?"

"Go ahead," he said. "I'll be sitting on the couch waiting for you."

She gave him a quick kiss and he watched her walk out.

She'd said before she liked how simple their time was together. He did too. It reminded him of where he came from and not where he was.

All the women he'd dated before always wanted to go out to fancy clubs and restaurants. Be seen and heard and be part of the life going on around them.

And though he liked living in a big city and had things to do anytime he wanted, he liked it even more spending time alone with his girlfriend.

He got it now why West was so drawn to Abby and the life she lived and when they were together.

It was what he had with Lilian and wanted to continue.

He just didn't understand her need to move to the city though from a small town.

It seemed she didn't care for Lake Placid, but it's not like she wanted to do all the things many did in the city either.

There was just so much to her he didn't know or understand. He hoped he could figure it out. Maybe when he met her sister he'd have a better idea of her.

She came out ten minutes later and sat on the couch next to him. He put his phone down and his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Ever make love under the stars?"

She laughed and put her head on his shoulder. "Nope and not going to go outside and do it. No stars seen here."

"No," he said sadly. "I miss it. Back home you just went outside and there it was. West can see the stars because he's on the water in both of his homes in New York."

"If you look in the distance at the lights on the buildings we can say they are the stars and just have some fun here on the couch."

"We can do that," he said. "We can make love on the couch in front of the condos around us. No worries, no one can see in. My windows are secure that way."

He made sure of it. No way he wanted people looking in, but he could see out.

He slid his hand under her shirt and lifted it over her head. She wasn't resisting, but he didn't think she would.

She turned and pulled his shirt off too and then she attacked the buttons on his jeans, he lifted up and let her pull them off, then he took care of her leggings.

"I'm on the pill," she said. "If you're okay with it. If you're not I understand."

"I'm fine with it," he said. He'd never been before and wasn't sure why it didn't bother him in the least now. Maybe because there was a tiny part in the back of his brain that wondered if this was what love felt like.

She lay back on the couch, his hands grabbing her hands and holding them over her head, their fingers interlacing, his mouth covering hers.

He kissed her softly at first. Tenderly.

He'd said make love and that was exactly what he wanted to do.

He wanted her to know he cherished her.

When her mouth opened, he slipped his tongue in and slowly they started to dance to a love song in his mind.

Her hips were lifting up to get closer. Teasing him.

Testing him.

Making him burn and wanting her to burn equally as hot.

He nudged her knees apart, settled between her legs and found her wet heat, then slid in.

She let out a moan and his followed.

He continued kissing her, holding their hands together, their bodies moving in a slow rhythm they seemed to have perfected.

Her legs came up and went around his waist, her tongue now thrusting into his mouth faster. Maybe giving him a hint as to what she wanted from him.

When her hips pushed up quickly, he knew she was close.

He wanted to give her what she wanted, but he wanted to be there with her.

Their bodies were working up a sweat, the sounds of damp skin to damp skin filling the room.

Lilian's head went back, her muscles started to squeeze him below and he felt her coming.

She was moaning in her throat. Almost humming at the pleasure he was giving her.

Nothing could ever feed his ego as much as this moment.

He continued giving it to her until her body sagged in exhaustion and then he let himself follow until he could do nothing more than collapse on top of her.

The words of love almost slipped from his mouth, but he held them back. It wasn't the time and he'd wait until he was positive.

The only thing he knew for sure was that she made him feel alive in a way no other woman ever had before.

It'd be enough for now.