A New Foundation Rochelle Alers (read aloud .txt) 📖

towel, took a step and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I am not your ex-husband or any of the other men in your life, sweetheart. I’m not perfect, but I’ve never been accused of taking advantage of a woman, and what I don’t want is a relationship with you that will become a power struggle. Yes, I have the power to keep you on the project or let you go, but I hope and pray it will never come to that.”

“Are you saying we make a good team?”

Lowering his head, he pressed his mouth to her ear. “We make an incredible team.”

“In and out of bed?”

Taylor froze. He’d admitted Sonja kept him off balance, and she had done it again. “Before we go any further, you need to tell me what you want from me.”

Easing back, Sonja met his eyes. “Whatever you propose I will let you know without question whether I’m willing to accept or reject it.”

“You have to know I’m attracted to you.”

“It’s the same with me,” Sonja admitted. “But how attracted are you? Enough to want to sleep with me?”

Taylor knew it was useless to lie. He had known he was physically attracted to Sonja the instant she’d introduced herself. He’d had no idea whether she was married or engaged, despite not wearing any rings. She could’ve been in a relationship, but that hadn’t stopped him fantasizing about her as an incredibly beautiful and intelligent woman.

“Yes. Enough to sleep with you, Sonja Rios-Martin.”

“Wow! You must be serious to mention my entire government name.”

Taylor laughed despite the seriousness of their conversation. “That’s because I am serious.” He sobered quickly. “I need to know if you feel the same about me, however, I don’t want to put any pressure on—”

“Not to worry,” Sonja interrupted. “I will not succumb to pressure from you or any man to sleep with him. You know that I like you, Taylor—a lot. But I must figure out if history is going to repeat itself if I decide to sleep with you. What I didn’t tell you was that my ex had been one of my professors. Something told me it was wrong to get involved with him, yet I refused to listen to my inner voice.”

Taylor brushed a light kiss over her parted lips. “This time I want you to listen to your inner voice. If it tells you not to sleep with me, then don’t do it. And if we do share a bed, then that decision will have to be yours and yours alone.”

Sonja wondered why she hadn’t met Taylor earlier in her life, when she could’ve had a relationship with him rather than a man that treated her more like an object than his wife. “You know if I’d met you when I was twenty, my life would’ve turned out drastically different.”

Attractive lines fanned out around Taylor’s large dark eyes when he smiled. “I doubt we would’ve crossed paths because my life revolved around modeling and I had little time to devote to a girlfriend or even have a lasting relationship. And marriage wasn’t even on my radar.”

“Has it ever been on your radar, Taylor?”

“Only when my mother tells me I’m going to wind up an angry, lonely old man because I’m too selfish to share my life with a woman.”

“Do you agree with her?”

‘No. I try and tell her that when the right woman comes along, I’m certain she will be the one I’d want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“So, you are open to marriage.”

“Of course I am,” Taylor said adamantly. “What gave you the impression I wasn’t?”

“I don’t know. You’re thirty-five, unencumbered, and I just thought you were quite satisfied with your status and lifestyle.”

“I am unencumbered and comfortable with, as you say, my status and lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean I can’t change it whenever I choose. What about you, Sonja? Do you think you’ll ever remarry?”

It took several seconds for her to say, “I don’t know. There were times when I told myself once burned, twice shy, and never again. However, lately things in my life have changed.”

“How so?”

“This is the first time since leaving home to attend college that I’ve felt like an independent adult. I had a college roommate, then I married Hugh, and after leaving him I stayed with my parents until my divorce was finalized. Then when I reenrolled in college to get my degree I lived with my aunt and uncle. And I was still living with them until two days ago when I moved here.”

“Why did you continue to live with them after you graduated?”

“I was staying with them rent-free because I was saving money to buy a house or condo. But that wasn’t happening, because most of my jobs were either as a substitute teacher or part-time.”

Taylor smiled again. “Until now.”

She returned his smile with a bright one of her own. “Yes. Until now.”

“You could buy this condo if you want.”

Sonja stared at Taylor as if he had taken leave of his senses. First he told her the units were overpriced, and now he was saying she could buy it. “I suppose I could if I rob a bank,” she quipped.

“Even though you look incredible in the color, I don’t want to see you wearing an orange jumpsuit.”

Sonja landed a soft punch on his chest. “I was just joking.”

“And I wasn’t joking about you buying this condo. That’s something we can discuss once the lease expires.”

Sonja was aware that the lease on the condo, her SUV and the credit card Taylor had given her, were all charged to Bainbridge House Trust, Inc., and at the end of her two-year contract she would not only have a history of steady employment, she also would’ve saved enough money to put down on a house or condo.

“I’m going to get that pitcher for you.”

Taylor released her. “If you want you can cut up the fruit for the sangria while I make the dressing for the salad.”

“Do you