four
The house was silent. Everyone had either gone home or gone to bed hours ago, but I was unable to settle down. I checked in on Sophie, who was curled up in the princess bed with Lilli. I smiled as I tucked the covers around them both.
Sophie had pleaded with Rhys to let her new friend spend the night with her. Of course, little did she know that her friend was actually her half-sister, or that Rhys would have given her the moon if she had told him she wanted it. He had left, leaving his eldest daughter to play and get to know his youngest daughter.
But the look in his eyes when he left told me that he would be back. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he would no doubt commit the entire day to me and the talk he deemed necessary. I sighed as I left the girls’ room and walked downstairs.
I went straight to the kitchen and opened the fridge. What I needed was something to help me sleep. If I was going to be dealing with my past the next day, then I had to be at my best mentally. I took out the milk and poured some into a saucepan.
As I stirred, I couldn’t help glancing out into the backyard at the hothouse where Christa liked to grow wild and exotic flowers. The thing was huge, with a few lounge chairs to relax in so Christa and guests could sit while they took in all the beauty. I had always loved it in the hothouse. It had been my retreat away from the outside world. When I was in my teens, I would lock myself inside at night and just gaze up at the stars while inhaling all the sweet fragrances of the flowers.
It was also the place where I had first kissed Rhys Bradshaw.
I was eighteen, and so crazy in love—and yes, lust—with my step-cousin that I hadn’t been able to help myself.
***
It was late, and I couldn’t stand being in the house. I felt like if I didn’t get out of my room, I was going to suffocate. I tossed on a pair of pajama shorts over my panties, and not even bothering with a robe, quietly made my way downstairs and out into the backyard. Everyone was asleep, so I didn’t turn on the outside light.
Once in the backyard, I ran to the hothouse and flopped down in my favorite lounge chair. Breathing a sigh of relief, I lay back and gazed up at the sky through the glass roof. All my tension seemed to seep from my pores as I lay there. Nothing mattered right then. Not school. Not the crazy world at large. Here, I was at peace.
How long I lay there, I didn’t know, but the sound of gravel crunching under tires roused me from my constellation tracing. I lifted my head and saw the outline of a car I knew all too well moving toward the garage. It had to be close to one in the morning, but it was the weekend, and I couldn’t help wondering what had made Rhys drive over instead of going to his house a few miles away.
I switched on the little light in the hothouse to let him know I was there and tried to turn my attention back to the stars. But with my heart pounding and the little voice in the back of my head praying that he would come talk to me, I couldn’t concentrate.
The faint sound of the glass door opening had my heart stopping, only for it to start pounding against my ribs twice as hard. But I played it cool, keeping my gaze on the stars above, ignoring the addition of his cologne to the mixture of exotic, sweet-smelling flowers. The combination was like a drug to me, and I closed my eyes for a second to savor it.
Footsteps came closer and then his rich, husky laugh. “I should have known you would be out here.” He dropped down onto the lounger beside me. It was wide and long, and there was plenty of room for the two of us. Our shoulders touched as we lay there, both of us looking up at the sky.
“I can never find Orion’s Belt,” he murmured after a while. “The Big and Little Dipper, that’s easy. But Orion’s Belt frustrates me.”
I smiled. “I know. It takes me forever to find it.”
He turned his head to stare at me. “Not many girls your age like constellations.” He raised a brow. “You are the odd one, baby doll.”
I rolled my pale blue eyes at him. “Not so much odd as I have room in my brain to think about things other than shopping, playing dress-up hooker, and boys.”
Rhys snorted out a laugh, his dark blue eyes sparkling just as bright as the stars above us. “Dress-up hooker?”
“Have you seen most of the girls at my school? I dress like a nun compared to the majority of them. Half the cheerleaders think they are pole dancers.” I grinned when he continued to laugh. “I’m serious.”
“I know. But I’ve seen the way you dress, too. And you are far and away from dressing like a nun.” He rose up on one elbow and propped his head in his hand. “See what I mean? Shorts that barely cover your behind and a cami that doesn’t cover your stomach.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t expecting company, or I would have put on my penguin suit.”
His grin grew wider. “Your sense of humor is refreshing. Most of the time I have to explain why something is funny to the women I go out with.”
Jealousy made my stomach clench. But I was skilled at keeping my emotions regarding this man out of my eyes. “That just goes to show that you are spending time with the wrong type of women,” I told him sassily.
Something darkened in his eyes. “You could be right.”
“Of course, I’m right.” I rolled my eyes again and then let them run down his body. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt that was half unbuttoned and tucked into a pair of black slacks. Blond hair peeked at me from his open shirt, curly and coarse, inviting me to run my fingers through it. Under his chest hair was a muscled body that took him little effort to keep in such perfect shape.
I bit the inside of my bottom lip, aching to touch him but knowing I shouldn’t. He had no idea how I felt about him, and it was safer to keep it that way. If he didn’t know, then we could go on being friends. But my body couldn’t hide the fact that I wanted him. My cami showed off just how much. My nipples were hard and thrust against the material of my top, broadcasting my need for Rhys loud and clear.
While I had been giving his chest a good inspection, he was doing the same to mine. He sucked in a deep breath as he watched my nipples tighten under the thin top. He muttered something I couldn’t hear, but it must have been a curse. “I should go,” he bit out, but he didn’t move.
“Why are you here anyway?” I asked, confused by his late-night visit.
Rhys sighed. “I don’t even know. I couldn’t sleep, so I got in my car and drove. I came here without even thinking about it.”
I blinked, afraid to think fate had sent him to me. “Are you going to go home?”
“Yeah, I think I should.” But he stayed where he was, his eyes never leaving my body. I could see the need in his eyes, and that lent me courage.
I let my fingers trail down his chest. His skin blazed under my fingertips, his chest hair tickling my skin. I could feel the pounding of his heart, but it only echoed the rhythm of my own. I let my fingers travel lower, down his chiseled abs. They clenched as I circled his navel. I was being bold, something I rarely was when it came to letting my feelings for him show. But he wasn’t stopping me. There was no hint of a protest from him as I raised my gaze to meet his.
“I’m glad you came, Rhys,” I breathed. “I really enjoyed gazing at the stars with you.” Kiss me! Please kiss me, I begged silently.
“I enjoyed it too.” His voice was hoarse with so much desire, it sent a shiver down my spine.
I was still stroking his chest and abs, basking in the feel of him under my fingertips. I watched in half a daze as he moistened his full bottom lip, and I hoped that he was craving my kiss just as much as I was his. One fingernail scraped across his left nipple, and a groan escaped his throat.
His hand caught mine and brought it to his lips. I let out a small whimper at the first brush of his lips against each of my fingers. When he had finally reached my pinkie, he pulled it into his mouth and sucked on it, his gaze going for a moment to my nipples before meeting my eyes once more.
“I really should go,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “I’m playing with fire here
.”
I cocked my head. “Don’t you like it?”
“That’s the problem. I like it too much.” But when he moved, it wasn’t to get up. It was to skim his fingers down my bare arm. Goose bumps rose on my flesh, and his eyes darkened to cobalt at my instant reaction to his touch. “I’ve been fighting this, Erin.” He shook his head. “You’ve kept me up so many damn nights because I’ve ached to touch you just like this.”
“Would it help to know that it is the same for me?” I whispered.
His nostrils flared. “That’s just adding fuel to the fire, baby doll.” He pushed my long, dark hair back from my face. “So beautiful.” He traced the shape of my face, down the slope of my nose, and around my eyes before skimming over the bow of my lips. They plumped under the pressure of his finger, and his eyes dilated.
“Do you know how to kiss, Erin?” he demanded in a harsh tone.
“I’ve been kissed before.” I liked to kiss, but I had never wanted it as badly as I did right then. “But somehow I think all the kisses I’ve experienced haven’t prepared me for yours.”
He grinned wickedly. “You would be right,” he said as he lowered his head.
I met him halfway, the first taste of him going straight to my head. I was lost and went under in a wave of lust willingly. His tongue skimmed over my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth for him. He played with my mouth, and I basked in the taste, the pure pleasure of Rhys’s kiss.
Our hands didn’t remain still. His were rubbing up and down my sides, his thumbs skimming the underside of my breasts as he did so. His thick, curly blond hair tangled around my fingers, and I tightened them around the locks to keep him where I wanted him.
The kiss went on and on, only growing more intense as each minute passed. When he finally released my lips, it was only to move down my neck. I arched to give him better access to the sensitive little area just above my collarbone. One big hand cupped my right breast, his thumb scraping across my sensitive nipple through the material of the cami, causing me to cry out.
“I could make a meal of your lips alone,” he rasped, his breathing just as labored as my own. “Oh God, I’m losing my head, baby doll.”
So am I!
I ached to have him touch me more intimately. Was about to beg him when his hand left my breast and went straight to the top of my pajama shorts. I nearly cried in triumph when he started to pull them down…
The sound of a door slamming had his head snapping up. He was breathing hard, his eyes dilated to the point that there was nearly no blue left. I gulped in deep breaths, trying to clear my mind. “No,” I moaned brokenly, knowing our time was over. I could have cried as he got to his feet and adjusted his pants.
“Erin?” Christa called out from the backyard. “Girl, you need to be in bed.”
Rhys raked his hands through his hair and walked away from me, cursing under his breath. I jumped up and rushed to the door, leaving him there as I left the hothouse. Christa was only a few feet away, and I turned off the light, knowing he wouldn’t want his stepmother to find him in the condition he was in right then.
“Aunt Chris.” I sounded breathless, but she didn’t seem to notice. She didn’t even look surprised because I sometimes fell asleep out there. “Sorry, I fell asleep.”
She shook her head but was smiling. "I thought as much. Come on, you should be in bed.”
I followed her, afraid to glance back for fear of Christa suspecting something. I went into the house and up to my room, but I moved to the window as soon as I was alone. Down in the backyard, I saw the shadow of Rhys as he made his way to the garage. My body was throbbing with need, and I wanted to be back in his arms so badly.
I picked up my cell and punched in his number. It went straight to voice mail, and I flopped down on my bed with a frustrated grunt. Was he going to avoid me now? I wondered as I lay there, eyes closed, trying in vain to get my body under control.
***
I blinked as I came back to the present. On autopilot, I had finished making my cup of warm milk and sat at the island sipping it. My cold, nearly numb fingers cupped the still-warm mug as I gazed off into space.
In truth, I hadn’t thought of that first taste of real passion in a long time, had refused to let myself turn down that particular memory lane. When I did allow my mind run away with me concerning Rhys Bradshaw, it tended to leave me aching both emotionally and physically.
five
“Watch me, Mommy!” Sophie called as she dived into the indoor swimming pool. Floats were around her arms, and she had a small-sized tube around her waist, more for my sanity than her safety because she was a really good swimmer.
I was lying on one of the loungers watching her and Lilli have a good time in the water. They had my full attention, so there was no reason for Sophie to demand I watch her jump in like an expert, except that she wanted to make double sure that I took it all in and gave her due praise once she had surfaced. I clapped my hands when her face popped up. “That was wonderful, Sophie!”
“Good job,” Lilli called from her position at the diving board.
“Mommy, watch Lilli!” Sophie commanded, wanting the same reaction from me for her new best friend.
Lilli had grace and pose as she jumped twice before sailing through the air and flipping once then hitting the water elegantly. The girl had skills. “That was beautiful, Lil!”
She blushed as she pulled herself out of the water and reached for the towel I offered. “Thanks, Erin. I’m thinking about going out for the diving team next year.”
I was excited for her. “They would be crazy not to let you on, kiddo.”
She sighed. “Daddy doesn’t think it would be the best thing.”
My brows rose. “Why?”
Lilli grimaced. “Brandie Webber is already on the team.” When I asked who that was, her expression grew hard. “Brandie is a year ahead of me. And even though we aren’t in the same grade, we do have some of the same classes because I was put in some advanced subjects. We have English and Algebra together.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful, honey.” I knew she was brilliant, but then again, I was biased. “So what’s up with this girl?” But I had a feeling I already knew. Christa had said some of the girls at school were making Lilli’s life hell.
“She doesn’t like me very much, and the feeling is mutual. But she goes out of her way to make me feel bad.” A bleak look crossed her face, and I reached for her hand to offer a squeeze in support. “Last week, she took my bra from gym locker while I was showering and sold it to the guys in my math club.”
“I’m sure your father blew a gasket,” I muttered, understating what had to have been a very nasty reaction. Rhys’s temper was slow to rise, but once it reached the boiling point, it could lead to a dangerous explosion.
Lilli shook her head frantically. “Daddy doesn’t know. And you can’t tell him, Erin. Please, please promise me you won’t tell him. He’s already threatened to pull me out of there and homeschool me.”
I frowned, knowing I couldn’t break her confidence on this, but also that I couldn’t let the incident go without doing something. And as it appeared everyone else had already attempted to handle this girl and the obvious numerous other incidents, I had to go deeper and tear up the roots of this problem. “Okay,” I told her with a grim smile. “But only because I plan on dealing with this on my own. Who’s this girl’s mother?”
“Her mother died when she was a baby, but her stepmother is Cookie Webber. But there’s no use in trying to talk to her. She’s just as empty-headed as Brandie. Trust me, Nana has already tried.”
I was pretty sure I knew who Cookie Webber was. There weren’t too many women in Craven who were named Cookie, but I knew one. And if it was who I was thinking of, then Lilli’s assessment of the woman was spot-on. I had graduated with her, so I had past experience in dealing with the empty-headed bitch. And I also knew Brandie probably got her mean-girl attitude from her stepmother.
A smile of pure
wickedness teased at my lips, and I stood. “Sophie, baby. Come on. Let’s get you out of the pool, and then Aunt Chris will feed you.”
Reluctantly, Sophie climbed out of the pool, and I wrapped her up in the towel. “What’s for lunch, Mommy?”
“Whatever you can talk Aunt Chris into making you, darling. But I have to go out for a little while.” I rubbed her dry then put her sun dress on over top of her still damp swimsuit. “Lilli and I have something to take care of.”
“Oh.” She looked up at me and saw the look in my eyes. “Be careful, Mommy,” she said before skipping away.
I found Christa and explained I was going out and Lilli was going with me. My aunt gave me a questioning look but kept her mouth shut. She knew the look in my eye, and she probably knew I going to take care of business. She repeated Sophie’s warning to be careful and went to put some lunch together for my baby girl.
Lilli had gone upstairs to put on some clothes, and I waited for her out in my SUV. Even though it was late May, the temperatures were in the nineties so I had the AC blasting and my favorite rock channel tuned in on my satellite radio. When Lilli joined me, she grinned and climbed into the front seat. “You are so cool, Erin,” she told me.
“No, baby girl. You make me cool.” I pulled out of the driveway and headed into town. It was Saturday, and there was a diving match going on, or so Lilli informed me. I turned in the direction of the middle school, which was directly across the road from the high school.
Ten minutes later, we were walking into the pool house at the back of the school. It was crowded, just the way I wanted it. Together, we scouted out the lucky lady we had come to see. I spotted my old classmate right off and tugged Lilli along with me.
Cookie Webber had changed since high school, especially in the chest department. The girl I remembered had barely filled out a bikini top, but now her breasts were practically spilling out of her shirt. Her enhanced assets, showcased in the tight, low-cut top she was wearing, had more than a few of the dads and coaches gaping at her.