Wicked Intentions Book 1 ✅

Chapter 9. A Voice From His One Night Stand Mistake

As I sit down at my desk in my office, a smile forms across my face as I think how blessed I am to have my family. I pick up a picture we recently had taken of all three of us and feel an enormous amount of pride and love. I also still feel an enormous amount of guilt knowing I betrayed my family a little over two months ago. But I refuse to let it ruin what I have with Aubrey and our daughter. I still have them and I will not lose them.

"Cruz, are you busy, babe?" Aubrey asks she peeks around the door.

"No, babe, you know you can come in my office any time."

"I know, just wanted to make sure you weren't on the phone. I'm assuming you sent Ken to Chicago for that meeting?"

"Yes. You don't have to worry about me having to leave for the next month. I have to meet with Mr. Norris next Friday, but that's a local meeting."

"Oh okay, no problem. So, you remember Braylee is starting preschool soon?"

"Yes, of course I remember, Aubrey. Is there a problem?"

"No, Cruz. Everything is all set up, and I took her school shopping."

"Okay, Aubrey, I have been with you long enough to know when you want to talk to me about something important. Why do you seem a little nervous?"

"You know me so well, don't you? You're right, there is something I want to talk to you about, and it's important," she confesses. My mind instantly thinks it could be my one-night stand mistake. I quickly sit up and feel my entire body tremble.

"Okay. So, what is it you want to talk to me about, Aubrey?"

"Cruz, I know I'm about to sound like a hypocrite, considering how angry I was at you for always working so much, but now that Braylee is starting school soon, I was thinking maybe I could go back to work. It won't be full time, just part time."

"Is that what you want to do, Aubrey?" I ask and see her smile.

"Yes. I would like to go back to work, Cruz. I'm not sure if they will keep me after the head nurse returns. Rumor has it, she is thinking about retiring."

"And that will give you the opening to fill the full-time position at the hospital?"

"Yes. I just hate having these degrees, certificates and letting them go to waste. After Braylee was born and after my surgery, then mom and died in that horrible car crash-"

"Aubrey, stop, sweetheart. You don't have to explain to me why you never went back to work. Trust me, I know going back to work was the last thing you wanted to do after one tragedy after another. I think it's great you're wanting to get back out there. Braylee is older now and I get you need a life outside of being a mother and being a wife. So, you have my complete support," I inform her. She jumps up and sits on my lap.

"I love you, Cruz."

"I love you too. I always will. Where is Braylee?"

"In the family room watching Dora."

"Is that so? Well then, come here," I place my hands under her shirt searching for the hook on her bra.

"Cruz, not that I'm not enjoying our make-out session, but what if Braylee comes in?" she whispers as I ravage her neck with my mouth.

"Aubrey, you taste so sweet. I bet another part of you taste even sweeter," I seductively say.

"You're not even listening to a word I say, are you? Shit, Cruz," she gasps as my hand slips under her skirt, pulling her silk panties to the side.

"Mommy, daddy, where are you?"

"Damn, Braylee is looking for us."

"See, now we have to hurry and look less, uh, less," she searches for the right word.

"Turned on, wanting to devour each other? Lord knows I want to devour you," I plant a soft kiss on her shoulder."

"Cruz, we have to stop right now and go out there with our daughter," she insists as she straightens her clothes.

"Fine, but tonight we are picking this back up."

"We sure are. I need to get out there with our daughter, Cruz."

"Okay. Tell Braylee daddy will be out as soon as I finish up this paperwork," I say as she shuts the door. My eyes become focused on the Greenbriar company papers and my cell phone rings as I lean back. My eyes fixate on the unknown number, so I ignore it, thinking they might have the wrong number. I quickly pick up the paper once again and my phone rings again.

"It's the same unknown number. Everyone I know doesn't have their number showing as unknown."

"Cruz, our daughter just talked me into taker her to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone. You want to go with us, or do you want me to bring you back a Blizzard?"

"Sorry, babe, I can't go. Please bring me back a Blizzard."

"We will be back later," she says, but I ignore her as I hear my phone ring once again.

"Hello?" I'm met with dead silence.

"Anyone there, hello? Look, I don't have time to play guess who the caller is. Say something or I will hang up and I will not answer again if you call me back." I snap.

"Cruz, is this you?" I hear a soft spoken female.

"Yes, this is Cruz. Whom am I speaking with, please?" I questioned.

"Someone you probably never thought you would hear from again."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Think back a littler over two months ago. In New York. You weren't exactly sober, but I'm hoping you haven't forgotten our amazing night together," her voice becomes familiar the more she speaks. I am suddenly thrown back to that night, me with a red-headed female. The night I made the worst mistake of my life.

"Oh dear god, Kendall?"

"Yes, Cruz. It's me, Kendall."

"Kendall, why the hell are you calling me?"

"Cruz, we need to meet somewhere. There is something important I need to tell you and it can't wait."

"Meet somewhere? Where are you, Kendall?"

"About twenty minutes from your office, Cruz. I came here wanting to meet with you and tell you something very important."

"No. Hell no, Kendall."

"Cruz, I will be at the little diner across from your office."

"Wait a minute. How the hell did you get my number and how the hell do you know where I work?"

"Trust me, when I set out to get what I want, I always find a way to get it. I expect to see you at the diner at six, Cruz."

"Kendall. Hello, Kendall? Oh my god, please tell me this isn't happening."