Encore! (Tudor Saga Book 1) (19 page)

"Yes. I thought it would be safer than you doing the clubs in London, like you were."

"Hmmmm. That's an interesting concept; and I completely understand your reasoning behind it."

"Then you'll think about it?"

"Yes, of course. I'd be foolish not to. You're right, it could be a great PR gig for both of us."

"I also thought perhaps Archangel might join me on a track or two of my next CD? What do you think?"

"How would we do that, Daniel, and still keep her identity secret?"

"We'd record it somewhere private, like my studio in London. Record you separately and then combine the two of us. There are several ways we can accomplish it."

This time I sat back and looked at him squarely in the face. He was good, and he was smart. He'd figured out how to bring her out and still keep her identity a secret. "Well, I'm game. Why don't we continue to discuss it and once we get back to London, we can decide when, where and how." I reached across the table and took his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you, Danny."

"No need to thank me. It took me a while, but I finally realized that Archangel is a part of you-- an extension of you. It would be selfish of me to expect you to give her up."

We finished our meal in relative silence, Daniel helping himself to a portion of mine. I’d overestimated what I thought I wanted. I watched him over my glass of wine as he devoured the remainder of what had been on my plate. I stood and began to collect the dishes and silverware. He grabbed my arm as I did.

"Would you like to watch a movie?"

"Yes, that would be nice," I replied. "Why don't you pour us another glass of wine and pick one out for us. Your choice this time."

"Put the dishes in the sink and come join me. They can wait, but I can't."

"Okay. I won't be but a few minutes." I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. Damn but he smelled nice. His scent, as always, intoxicated me. I smiled to myself at his latest revelation. I had to give him credit for trying to work through it and make this one dark area of our relationship not that way anymore.

I worked quickly, putting the dishes in a pan of hot sudsy water. They'd be fine until later. It had been ages since we had actually sat down and watched anything, much less a movie, together That’s what this time was for. No phones, no outside world, at least for a little while.

Daniel had picked out a comedy and we lay on the sofa together. I was laying in front of him while he was spread out the length of the sofa. From time to time he would rub my arm or kiss my ear or neck. I was content, just the two of us.

About halfway through the movie one of his hands roamed up to my cheek as he softly began caressing my skin. He coaxed me into turning my head where he could kiss my lips. And kiss he did!

He kissed me fiercely. A thorough, taking kiss, parting my lips with his tongue as he ravaged my mouth. I smelled the soap and muskiness of his body and tasted the white wine on his tongue. He ran his hands over my blouse and filled his palms with my breasts. I caught myself making some sort of whimpering sound as a hot need surged through both of us. The blouse came off as fast as his fingers could unfasten the buttons and my lace bra followed.

I heard him groan with desire as he removed my jeans and lace panties. I turned toward him as he ran his hands over my hips and I leaned back to the other end of the sofa, propping myself up on my elbows, as he eased my legs apart and began to kiss my knees, then inside of my thighs, making his way toward his goal.

He urged me back and began to suck on my nipples. I started moaning as he started to move lower once again. He kissed me everywhere, my navel, my hipbones, until he came to the apex between my legs. He found that tiny bud of my sex and took it in his mouth. I whimpered and moaned. I ran my hands through his hair as he sucked. The man knew how to unhinge me with his mouth. Making his way back to my breasts, he began kissing them again, dipping his tongue into my navel until he returned to his original intention. This time, he was more intense with his mouth and tongue. I could feel myself arching off the sofa and my thigh muscles contracted as I neared my release. He didn’t stop until I climaxed, then he took me with his mouth a second time, laving and tasting until another climax shook me.

I was limp and supple by the time he slid me off the sofa onto my feet, easing me over to my stomach. He gripped my hips and pressed himself against me, letting me feel how hard he was. “Daniel,” I heard myself moan as he slid into me, filling me, taking me deeply. Each stroke sent us higher, closer. I could feel myself tighten around his cock as I came again. He drove into me until he could no longer hold back, and then exploded over the edge into release.

Afterward, he simply lay over me, holding me against his chest, his arms wrapped around my waist. As I turned to face him, he drew me closer into his embrace.

“That was incredible, sweet,” he whispered.

“Mmmm,” was all I could manage. He was right; if we kept this up, I would hurt when I walked. But it was so worth it.

Chapter Fourteen

Zara arrived with the next day with children. She had been with Amadeus forever. She had managed his career for years and was partially responsible for the success he enjoyed, today. I had to admire her traveling with three children, one only a couple of months old.

Daniel and I helped take all the things the children needed out of her rented SUV and upstairs to the bedroom, where Daniel set up a small, portable playpen for the oldest of the two little ones, Elizabeth. I did have to smile at the fact that my twin named his first-born daughter after me. I also wondered if he'd admit to that, or claim they simply liked the name.

Logan, the eldest, Amadeus' love child, took to running around outside, ignoring Zara's pleas for help. Secretly I couldn't blame him after being stuck in a car with two little ones. He needed to be a boy for even a short time.

Zara had an odd look on her face as she entered the large cheerful bedroom. I shrugged it off.
Surely she didn't expect two bedrooms? One for her and Amadeus and one for the children?
However, with Amadeus, anything was possible.

The baby, fast asleep was placed in another playpen. I suddenly realized I didn't even know the newborn's name. No one had told me, an obvious reminder that I was still estranged from my family.

We left Zara to tend to the children and headed back downstairs. Daniel whispered to me as we entered the living room, "The invasion has begun—with little people, no less."

"Just be sure to put your violin away. I don't think you'd be too happy finding little Elizabeth playing with it."

"You're right. I suppose I should do that now. I think I've had enough practicing for today, don’t you?" He flashed me a devilish grin.

"That all depends on what practicing you're referring to?" I replied, flicking a grin his way.

"I take it you like the one that involves you?"

"You know I do. Perhaps we can give it another shot later?"

He shook his head, grinning as he placed his beloved instrument to its case. He was about to say something else, crude I'm sure, when Zara appeared, Elizabeth in tow.

"She's not tired. I was afraid of this. She slept most of the way up here," Zara said, holding the toddler. She sat down while little Elizabeth looked around the room with great interest.

"Hi, Elizabeth," I said, walking over to where she and her mom were standing. The toddler decided to play shy quickly turning her face toward her mom. I heard Daniel make some sort of rude noise as he walked by us with his violin case.

"I'll be right back," he said as he fled the room.

I turned back towards Zara. "Would you like a glass of wine or something?"

"I would love one," she replied, lifting a flexible cooler she was holding in her other hand. "I need to get these into the refrigerator."

"No problem. Follow me."

I heard little Elizabeth begin to babble as I made my way towards the kitchen. It suddenly dawned on me that Zara already knew her way round this house.

She set Elizabeth down once we were in the kitchen while she made her way to the small refrigerator. My niece, who was a pint-sized, female version of my twin, walked about the kitchen pointing and talking in her baby babble. It was hard for me to believe.

I passed my sister-in-law a glass of red wine, and then poured two more. "Is she hungry?" I asked Zara. It was getting late, and the poor kid had been traveling. I was sure her little system was confused.

"She shouldn't be. I just fed her a couple of hours ago when I stopped for dinner." Zara went back into the cooler and found a cup of what looked to be juice and passed it to her daughter. Elizabeth greedily took the cup and began to drink. Zara shook her head. "She's so much like her daddy, spoiled too."

"Amadeus always was everyone's little pet." It came out of my mouth without thinking. I picked up my glass of wine just as Daniel returned. "Here you go."

"Thanks," he replied, taking it from my hand. "Oh Zara, the baby sounds like he's going to crank it up a notch in a few minutes."

"Now he should be ready to eat, and you," she pointed at Elizabeth, "you, young lady, should be ready for bed."

Hearing that dreaded three letter word, Elizabeth went directly into toddler terror mode.
Oh yeah, our quiet, romantic get-away was now a full-fledged family reunion.
I immediately began to question why I had ever agreed to this.

Waking up early the following morning, the day my brothers were all going to descend on our peaceful retreat, I fired up my laptop and prayed for a signal. Daniel, who had snuck downstairs and made coffee, reappeared as I opened his email account.

It had become my job, whether he was touring or not, to check his emails first thing in the morning and again, later in the day.

He had let it be known that he was on a personal vacation, so there were only a couple. One, in particular, caught my eye.

"Anything interesting today, or am I being left alone?" He asked, setting the steaming mug on the table beside me.

"No, pretty quiet. Except for one." I opened it and quickly scanned to see whether it was worth bothering Daniel with or not.

"What is it, sweet?" He asked as he gently sat next to me. I turned and pushed an uncooperative lock of hair behind his ear.

"Seems someone remembers you've modeled and would like you to do some for them. It's a line of men's wear and jeans."

He bent over to read the screen a little closer. "I've heard of them. Is the email one that's been forwarded to me?"

By that, he meant by way of his management firm. "Yes, it's been forwarded from London. They're an American based company."

"Leave it. We're on holiday and I'm not responding to anyone. Not until we're home."

"Your wish is my command, Mr. Kennedy. I'm proud of you, actually flipping your switch to off. I know it's not an easy thing to do."

"No, but I've had a good diversion. Oh, and by the way, Zara and the kids didn't sleep in the big bedroom."

"How do you know? She's not even up, yet."

"Because the door is open to that room and no one has slept in it. Plus, the door to the other one is shut."

"I wish she'd told us that last night, we could have stayed in it."

"Perhaps she felt smaller is better with a toddler."

"Who knows? She's married to Amadeus, so I'm sure his quirks have rubbed off over the years."

"Ouch! I thought we agreed no barbs."

I put my hand over my mouth in mock horror as I shut the lid on the laptop. "Whoops! It just slipped right out. Guess that makes me bad."

"I suppose I should punish you for breaking our rules, shouldn't I, sweet?" He asked reaching for the computer, a mischievous smile on his face.

****

Daniel and I were sitting outside enjoying our coffee when the chaos began. Zara and the children came outside to join us. Logan ran around, exploring his new surroundings a little more in the daylight. Little Elizabeth was full throttle and ready to take on the day. This morning, she was also a little more receptive of Danny and me. She seemed determined to make a friend of him. Zara held the baby in her lap as she put a bottle and coffee mug on the small table where we were sitting.

"I fed them in the kitchen," she said. "I thought it better to keep her contained. She gets a little excited when we're somewhere new."

"That's okay. Once her daddy and uncles arrive, I’m sure all rules fly out the window." I replied, watching as Danny lifted Elizabeth up onto his lap. She was fascinated by a necklace he wore. "May I ask you what may sound like a really stupid question, Zara?"

"What's that?"

"What is the baby's name?" I left it at that. Play nice Danny had said. I wouldn't mention no one had even told me the babe had been born.

"William Wolfgang Tudor," she replied. "William after your father, of course, and Wolfgang after a son Amadeus and I lost a few years back."

I nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd lost a child. Daddy would be pleased to have a namesake."

"It was a tough time for us, but we made it. However, this one will also be called Wolfgang." She smiled down at the sleeping baby.

"Not William?

"No, we were afraid if we went with William it would be shortened to Will or Willie or Bill."

"Yeah, you're right about that. Daddy never liked that. Wolfgang is perfect. It completes Amadeus' name."

I noticed Daniel looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he was showing an inquisitive Elizabeth his jewelry. He had a grin on his face.

"Yes, it does. I'd never thought of it like that before."

"Well, the poor child has no chance of being anything but musical if his daddy and uncles have any choice in the matter. He's the first grandson, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is - and you're right. They already sing to him; so nope, no chance."

The sound of a vehicle making its way down the small road interrupted our conversation. I knew it wasn't Sean, since he mentioned he was going to be busy mending fences today. Standing up, I saw a black Range Rover approaching. My brothers. I waited for it to stop completely in front of the cottage.