The Wreck (36 page)

Carly laughed and leaned over to kiss his
cheek.

B
y the time Brian and Carly pulled onto
Main Street, the Granville town common had been taken over by concert
preparations. A makeshift stage had been erected at one end. Behind it, a huge
generator truck provided power to the stage and several elaborate light towers.
In front of the stage, a cluster of curious teens watched the setup. On the
grass, families had claimed their spots with plaid blankets and stadium chairs.

Brian found a parking space on Main
Street, six blocks past Carson’s. “Looks like we got back just in time.”

Carly looked around with amazement at the
hubbub of activity in the usually tranquil downtown. “And the concert doesn’t
even start for an hour. I can see what your dad was saying about traffic and
security.”

Carrying the bags from their Providence
shopping trip, they walked toward the center of town.

At the apartment, the police were just
finishing their work. One of the detectives returned Brian’s key. “We’ll be out
of your way in just a minute.”

Carly and Brian waited on her deck until
the police cleared the scene a few minutes later. After they were gone, Carly
stepped into the home that had been her sanctuary for so many years. That he
had been in here, that he had invaded this place… She shuddered.

Brian must have sensed how she was
feeling. He crossed the room, flipped the deadbolt on the door, and put his
arms around her. “Don’t let him in, honey. Don’t let him touch us.”

“I hate that he was here,” she whispered.
“In our home.”

“He’s not here now. It’s just us.” Brian
dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. He skimmed his tongue over her
bottom lip, trying to cajole her into participating. “Kiss me, Carly. Let me
help you forget.”

She looped her arms around his neck and
leaned into him.

He combed his fingers into her curls and
tilted her face to receive a deep, passionate kiss.

Carly felt all her worries and fears slip
away, allowing her to concentrate on the rush of feelings he’d always aroused
in her. It took only the simplest of kisses, the barest of caresses, and she
was his—completely and totally his. Only his. She gasped when he scooped her up
to carry her to the bedroom. On the way, she rested her head on his shoulder.

He put her down next to the bed and
kissed her neck as he unbuttoned her sleeveless blouse. “Sometimes,” he
whispered, “I still can’t believe I can hold you and kiss you and make love
with you anytime I want to.”

His soft words accompanied by the feel of
his lips on her sensitized skin made Carly’s legs tremble with desire. When she
reached for the button on his shorts, he stopped her.

“But—”

He silenced her with a kiss.

Carly didn’t protest when she felt her
bra slip away or when her skirt slid down over her legs.

He was still fully dressed when he urged
her onto the bed and came down on top of her.

She put her arms around him.

Kissing her softly, he cradled her face
with his hands.

Carly arched into him, wanting more. But
he was apparently in no hurry. She ran her hands over his back and under his
shirt. Needing to feel his skin against hers, she worked his shirt up.

He pulled away from her long enough to
tug it over his head.

“Brian…”

“What, baby?” His lips made a path to her
breasts.

“Do you think you’ll still want me this
much when we’re married ten years?”

His tongue slid across her nipple. “I’ve
wanted you this much since I was old enough to know what want was. I’ll always
want you. Always.” He moved on to her other breast. “I love you so much. So
very, very much.”

Her heart raced with joy and relief and
hope. There was so much to hope for. She had forgotten what it felt like to
have hope during all the long years they’d spent apart. “Brian,” she gasped as
he made her crazy with what he was doing to her breasts.

“Tell me.”

She tugged on his shorts. “I want you.”

“Soon.”

“Now.”

He raised his head and found her eyes in
the twilight.

“Please?”

His face softened into a smile. “Will you
always know just how to get what you want from me?”

“I hope so,” she said, running her
fingers through his hair.

He got rid of his shorts and brought her
to the edge of the bed. “How about another first?”

“There can’t still be more! You’re making
this stuff up.”

Laughing softly, he bent to lay a trail
of kisses along her inner thigh.

“Brian…”

“Shh,” he said, blowing lightly on the
hair that covered her. He urged her legs further apart and knelt before her.

“What’re you…
Oh my God
.” Carly’s
mind went blank with shock as he parted her with his fingers and licked her
there
.
Almost as if they had a mind of their own, her hips lifted into the intimate
caress.

He slid two fingers into her and focused
on the spot that pulsed with desire, drawing it into his mouth and sucking
hard.

Carly came suddenly and explosively,
crying out from the sensations that rocked her.

Brian stayed with her until the last
spasm had passed. Standing, he hooked his arms under her legs and entered her.

The position gave him complete control,
so she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the pleasure.

“Good?” he asked.

Carly could barely breathe let alone
talk. “So good,” she managed to say.

He kept up a steady pace for several
minutes before he dipped his head and rolled her nipple between his teeth,
making her come again with a cry that took them both by surprise.

“
Carly
,” he groaned, pushing hard
against her one last time before he released her legs and collapsed on top of
her.

She held him close, sifting her fingers
through his hair over and over again.

“Scoot up,” he whispered.

They moved into a more comfortable
position on the bed.

He tightened his arms around her and
smoothed his foot down over her calf.

“That was amazing. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For taking care of me, for knowing I was
letting him invade our home, and for not letting that happen.” She felt her
face heat with embarrassment. “And for showing me all the stuff we’d missed out
on.”

He brushed the hair back off her face.
“I’ve never been happier in my life than I’ve been with you these last few
weeks, Carly. Even the stuff with Zoë… It’s been so much more than I’ve had
since we were together before. And that we can make love
in a bed
, any
time we want, without having to worry about getting caught. If this was all I
ever had, if
you
were all I ever had, it would be enough.”

“How did I ever stand to be without you
for so long?”

“You’ll never be without me again. I
promise you that.”

As the sheer over the bedroom window
fluttered in the soft summer breeze, they listened to the noise coming from the
street below. One of the bands ran a sound check, and the music echoed through
the room.

“Imagine you’re a Main Street resident
who was planning to sleep tonight,” Carly said.

“You’re shit out of luck.”

“We should get going.”

“Do we have to?”

Surprised, she looked up at him. “You
don’t want to?”

“I’d much rather stay here with you and
listen to it.” He ran a hand up to cup her breast, telling her what else he had
in mind.

Amazed to realize she already wanted him
again, she said, “I’d have to call my mom and tell her we aren’t coming.”

“Is, um, will Zoë be there?”

Touched by the wistful tone of his voice,
she caressed his face. “I think so. Cate and Tom aren’t letting her run around
with her friends the way she used to.”

“I suppose we can go.”

“Because Zoë will be there?” Carly asked,
raising an eyebrow.

He replied with a sheepish grin. “Maybe.
Is that all right?”

“Sure it is.”

“How about a shower?”

“Together?”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never done that.”

He brushed a light kiss over her lips.
“No, I don’t suppose you have.”

“Have you?”

“Never with anyone I love. Come on.” He
tugged her out of bed and led her into the bathroom to turn on the shower.

Carly stepped in after him and was hit
with a sudden wave of shyness, which was odd considering the intimacy they had
shared only minutes earlier.

Turning to her, he moved to the side to
share the water with her. “I used to wonder all the time why we didn’t shower
together in the hotel in Michigan.”

“We never thought of it.”

“There were so many things we didn’t know
then.”

“I still don’t know most of them.” She
once again felt a twinge of embarrassment as he watched the water sluice over
her breasts with hot, hungry eyes.

“Oh, you will.” He held her long hair
under the water. “Ten days in Jamaica should get you all caught up.”

“I’m concerned about what you’ve got
planned for this honeymoon.”

His grin lit up his face. “Be very
afraid.” He reached around her, lifted her, and pressed her against the wall.

She gasped from the chill of the tile
against her back. “What’re you doing?”

“Making sure you’ll remember the first
shower we ever took together.”

“
Oh
,” she moaned, clutching his
broad shoulders. “
Ohhhh
.”

The
first band was well into its set by the time Brian and Carly found her family
and his mother clustered together on four blankets. They were greeted with
hugs, kisses, and teasing questions about why they were so late.

“We were, ah, busy,” Carly said, grateful
for the dark so her sisters wouldn’t see her face turn bright red.

“Busy,” Caren said with a wistful grin.
“Remember when we had time to be ‘busy,’ Neil?”

Her husband, who had Justin in one arm
and Julia in the other, laughed. “Busy got us this armload of trouble.”

Zoë dashed across the blankets to hug and
kiss Carly.

Brian seemed startled when he received
the same effusive greeting—as if Zoë had known him all her life.

“I was wondering when you guys were going
to get here. Did you bring the cookies?”

Carly smiled and produced a large
container. “Yes, ma’am. As requested.”

“Nice,” Zoë said.

“Did you meet my mom?” Brian asked.

“Sure did.” Zoë turned to Mary Ann, who
seemed to be having trouble taking her eyes off the girl. “I think I remember
now where I’ve met you before. Did you ever substitute at Granville
Elementary?”

“Yes,” Mary Ann said. “For years.”

Zoë snapped her fingers. “That’s it! I
think I had you!”

“Oh,” Mary Ann stammered.

Brian slipped his hand around his
mother’s.

“I was well behaved,” Zoë added. “So you
probably don’t remember me.”

Mary Ann laughed.

“Mom!” Zoë called. “Can I go to that
blanket right over there to see Gretchen?”

“Right there and nowhere else,” Cate
said.

Zoë bolted.

Brian folded his mother into a hug.
“Isn’t she something?”

“She’s amazing,” Mary Ann agreed. “And I
can see why you recognized her right away. It’s like looking at Carly when she
was that age.” Mary Ann reached out to include Carly in their embrace. “I can’t
believe she was in a class of mine, and I had no idea who she was.”

“I’m so sorry,” Carly said. “The words
sound so insignificant, but I’m truly sorry.”

“It was a terrible time.” Mary Ann kissed
Carly’s cheek. “For everyone. That’s all that ever needs to be said.”

Realizing Mary Ann had found a way to
forgive her made Carly weak with relief as she hugged her future mother-in-law.

Brian kept an arm around both of them as
they listened to the music. After a while, Carly’s niece Lilly wandered over
and climbed into her aunt’s lap. Julia and Justin were right behind her, and
when Carly reached capacity, they overflowed onto Brian’s lap.

He looked over at Carly, and the delight
on his face stopped her heart. With a squeeze of affection for the girls, Carly
said a silent thank you to her nieces and nephew for accepting Brian into their
family.

Michael
took one look at Nathan Barclay’s frustrated face and knew their latest lead
had vaporized. “It’s not him.”