Escaping the Past (Wester Farms) (21 page)

She reached up and pulled his head down to hers, capturing his mouth in a fiery kiss.

He tore his mouth from hers and placed his forehead against hers, taking great gulps of air. He kissed the tears away from the corners of her eyes. He stayed still inside her, giving her time t
o
adjust to the size of him. Then he started to move slowly. Her breath caught. He lifted her knee and whispered, “Put your legs around me.”

She locked her feet around his back. The sensation suddenly changed. She met him, thrust for thrust. She felt the tension building and she reached for it until it finally found her. Great waves of pleasure pushed her over the cliff. Brody fell with her as she went over.

Brody lay with his head on Lou’s chest, her legs still tangled with his, his breaths trying to catch up with his heartbeat. He lifted himself to his elbows and touched his lips to hers softly. Her gaze avoided his. He kissed her lips again. She did not respond.

“Lou?”

She sighed wearily. “Yeah?”

“Please don’t tell me you hated every minute of that. “His uncertainty was her undoing.

She touched his cheek, her eyes finally meeting his. “No…I didn’t hate any of it. Couldn’t you tell?”

“I certainly thought so. But there was that one moment…”

She pushed his shoulders, urging him to move from on top of her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said as he slid from between her thighs. She sat up in bed and swung her feet to the floor. She walked across the darkened room, naked, to the bathroom
,
and tied her hair in a clumsy ponytail. She turned on the shower and waited a moment, then stepped in and pulled the shower curtain. Within seconds, a cool breeze blew across her skin
as he stepped in with her
and
then
his warm body envelop
ed
hers.

“Brody!”

“Lou!” he mocked her tone.

“Would you get out!” she whispered vehemently at him.

“Nope. I need a shower, too.”

“You do not. Get out.” She pushed his chest away from her. He pulled her
c
loser to him, his arms locking behind her.

“Do so. Do you want to see?” She felt his hardness against her belly. She shook her head. “Guess not.” He shrugged his shoulders. “If you were to take a look, you would see I am wearing the same blood that’s all over your thighs.” She gasped. “But, now when I think about it, that might be a little painful to look at. Know why?” He felt the tip of her nose brush against his chest as she shook her head no. “Because, if you acknowledged it and I acknowledged it, that would mean we have to discuss it.”

“D-Discuss what?” she stammered.

He pushed her back under the spray and lifted one leg so that her foot rested on the side of the tub. He picked up the soap and lathered a wash cloth, then gently started to wash her inner thighs. “That would mean we would have to discuss the fact you were a virgin.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me, Lou. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a virgin
,
but I haven’t forgotten the way it feels. The proof is all over you…and me.” He rinsed the washcloth and started to clean himself. Lou stood completely still.

“Does it matter to you?” she asked gently.

“Of course it matters to me.” He kissed her gently and reached behind her to turn off the water. “It would have mattered to me a lot more if I had known ahead of time. I would have been gentler.”

He opened the shower curtain and grabbed a towel off the rack. He wiped her face with it gently and then dried her arms and legs. He wrapped the towel around her and tucked it between her breasts. Then he grabbed one for himself and rubbed it across his hair and then tied it around his waist. He pushed her gently into the bedroom where he stripped the blood stained coverlet from her bed.

He tugged gently on the edge of her towel where it was tucked between her breasts. It fell from her body. He removed his own and slid between the sheets on her bed.

He tugged her fingertips until she joined him. They lay facing one another.

“There’s just one more thing I need to know.” He fiddled with the hair that hung over her forehead.

“What’s that?” Lou asked quietly.

“Unless Sarah was some kind of Immaculate Conception, she’s not your daughter.”
She tensed
.

“She is my daughter!” Lou attempted to sit up and move away from him
,
but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back in bed. He pulled her back against his front, her bottom cradled by his thighs.

“Lou,” he sighed and spoke close to her ear. “She’s your daughter now
,
but you didn’t give birth to her. That much is obvious.” He reached around her hips to the skin above her womanly curls. Her belly flipped. He searched her flat stomach with his fingertips. “No scar. No cesarean. Who’s her biological mother?”

“Oh, Brody.” Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She took a deep breath. “Can we enjoy the rest of the night and discuss this tomorrow?”

“You promise we’ll come back to this topic?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

He pulled her closer to him, one arm beneath her cheek
as
the other stroked her back. “Yeah. We can talk about it tomorrow. You care if I stay for a while?” He pulled the sheet up over them both.

“You had better,” she responded as her eyes closed.

****

Wes
’s cell phone rang in his pocket. He put down his cue stick, reached for it and flipped it open, “Yeah, Boss?”

“Did you get it yet?”

“No. Not yet.” He heard a growl on the other end of the line and loud curses. “I told her she has seven days to produce what you want. I gave her a little scare because I sent the note by way of her daughter.” He laughed maliciously.

“Good thinking. Hit her where it hurts.”

“She’ll give you what you want. She would hate for something to happen to that pretty little girl.”

“I want what’s mine. Get it.” The phone clicked off.

****

Lou woke at dawn, as usual, and sat up quickly in bed. She clutched the sheet to her naked body. Naked! Oh, my God! The pillow beside her own was still warm and smelled like Brody. She buried her face in his pillow and sniffed deeply. She smiled broadly but the smile was quickly replaced by a frown.

What had she done? She’d had sex with Brody. Wild and crazy sex. Fabulous, mind blowing sex. And now he knew. He knew her secret. She had kept it hidden for so many years. Jeb, Sadie, John
,
and Mrs. Wester were the only ones who knew her secret. Now there was one more person. He knew! He knew Sarah wasn’t truly her daughter. She wasn’t her biological daughter, at least.

Lou swung her legs over the edge of the bed and winced. She was sore in places she didn’t know she had. She dressed quickly and put her hair into a ponytail. She put on her running shoes, even though she did not feel like running.

This was the day of Mrs. Wester’s funeral with the service and internment at noon. She wasn’t required to make breakfast because most of the hands were off for the day
,
but she could still fry bacon and eggs for Jeb, Sadie
,
and John.
And Brody. Don’t forget about Brody. How can I forget Brody?
Just one thought of him made her pulse race as she remembered him from the night before. She flushed as she re
call
ed the way his hands had moved across her body and the tender way he held her as she went to sleep. She shook the distraction from her mind like a dog shakes after a bath and walked downstairs.

She walked into the kitchen, prepared to find Sadie and Jeb sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee with John. But they weren’t there. Just Brody. Only Brody. Brody lowered the paper and peered over the top of it. She only saw his eyes but she saw them darken as his glance focused on hers. Light gray turned to steel as his eyes raked over her body from head to toe. He stripped her naked with just one glance.

Lou took a deep breath and turned to pour herself a cup of coffee.
S
trong arms move
d
around her waist and
he placed
a light kiss on her neck. She jumped and then leaned back into him. The awkwardness was quickly forgotten. “Good morning,” he murmured as his lips traveled across her shoulder, his hands pressed firmly to her belly.

“Morning,” she said quietly, her head thrown back on his shoulder.
H
er pulse beg
a
n to quicken.

“You sleep okay?” he asked against her throat.

“Like a baby,” she responded.

“No nightmares?”

“Not a one.”

He turned her around in his arms. Her hands automatically went around his neck. Her eyes smiled into his.

“That’s amazing. That must be the first full night of sleep you’ve had in weeks.”

“Amazing doesn’t begin to describe it. How did you sleep?” she asked.

“I had this lovely lady with her bottom in my lap all night. Coupled with memories of devouring her just moments before, how do you think I slept?”

“Poorly?”

“Nope. I woke up a few times,” his lips touched tenderly to hers. “I wanted to ravish you again but I didn’t. I am such a gentleman.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Why didn’t I what?”

“Why didn’t you ravish me again?” she asked quietly. “You don’t want me anymore?”

He pressed his forehead to hers and took a deep breath. He reached around and put his hands in her back pockets, pulling her fast and hard against him. She could feel his arousal against her belly.

“Does it feel like I don’t want you anymore? I want you more than I want to take my next breath. But I thought you might be sore.” He flicked her nose playfully.

Heat crept up her cheeks.

“It’s just one of those things that happen.”

“Yes, sir, Dr. Wester.” She saluted him smartly.

He kissed her on the lips again and then they heard boots moving across the porch. They bolted apart like two wayward children caught stealing cookies.

****

The funeral service was a huge affair. The church overflowed with friends, family and business associates. Lou was relieved when it was finally over and glad when the house came into view from the limo ringing them back home. They pulled up to the house and got out of the car. Lou turned and walked into the house after Sadie and Jeb. Brody walked slowly behind her. Then he heard the limo driver call out. “Dr. Wester?”

“Yes?”

The driver held out a plain paper envelope to him. “I found this in the limo last night. I thought one of you might have dropped it.”

Brody took the note from his outstretched hand and read it slowly. His eyebrows narrowed together. Then he looked at the picture enclosed.

“I know who this belongs to. I’ll be sure she gets it. Thanks for bringing it for her.”

“No problem, sir. My condolences on the death of your mother.”