***
As bubbly liquid splashed out against the rim of the fine crystal flute and onto the table, Austin could not take it any longer. Her tease was so unbearable. His body screamed with pain and desire. Hell, he could just take her playful ass right on this very table. But he had to restrain himself.
“Reb-eh-cca,” her name rolled off his lips like hot honey. “You are killing me, babe! Why? Why are you doing this to me?”
She was sitting high on the turned over dish that had previously held some exotic fruits, in the middle of the dining table, surrounded by the very expensive champagne bottles, some of them knocked down by accident.
The exquisite evening of entertaining her, showing off his cultured side, taking her to the opera, was meant to show Becca what she was missing.
Over dinner before the opera, Becca frivolously flipped and tossed her silky, shiny hair. This made him extremely edgy and possessive. She seemed to be enjoying the way he glared at the other men, who paid her even slightest attention. He wanted to put his fist through a wall. His arm muscles tightened up his tailored suit, threatening to pop out. The worst part was that he couldn’t attribute her dallying with him to alcohol. She had only taken tiny sips.
He was the one who felt drunk. Damn it! Drunk on her amorous flirting, her firm cleavage and delicious round hips. Looking at her now, Austin was savoring her like a fancy dish, reluctant to have a first bite, afraid to spoil this admirable arrangement.
Now home at last, Becca had amped up her toying with him. “You can’t get me, can you?!” Becca’s challenged him crossing her legs and tilting her thighs little higher to give him a peak at her lingerie. She sounded as seductive as she looked. As if she needed nothing from him except sex. Was she punishing him for something he had done to her before? Probably! Now he was totally paying for it.
He was stunned. Never in his life had he experienced anything like that before. He felt like he had been given a very potent drug. Was she real? He needed to figure it out now. The only way he knew how to take what he desperately wanted was force. He was reluctant to use it but he could not last any longer.
Austin was going to turn the tables now. Literally. In a swift motion, he leaned to reach for her and, finally, kissed her with a fierce, demanding passion.
”You are totally going to pay for this, my little fool,” he growled. He realized that “my little fool” were the very words he called her when they first made out at her summer cottage. Years ago? He could not remember using them with anyone else after her. No one else had affected him that deeply.
“As if I can wait,” she wrapped her legs gracefully around his waist and locked him in in a tight grip with her crossed ankles. Austin carried her to his bed with such a care as if she was an illusion he was afraid to brake.
***
She did not last long enough to totally kill him with a burning desire, as she had planned. Becca scolded herself, smiling at the memories. She wished she could spend the whole night with him. Then she would have a better chance. But she was not ready to give Lidia, or anyone else, a reason to suspect that she had anything more than a friendship with Austin. She must return tonight, before her body decided to mold into his, absorbing him like a sand would absorb the rain.
They were so in tune with one another. Austin’s face expressed a gravely dissatisfaction when she told him she had to leave. Had he really expected her to stay? And put herself under Lidia’s scrutiny? How would Roman take the fact that Austin was sleeping with his housekeeper? Would she lose her dream job if anyone else found out? Only Cadence knew the truth. She could rely on her friend.
All evening they talked about their aspirations, what they wanted from life, catching up with each other, getting to know the life after “then” and before “now”. Austin was interested in every detail of her life. She did not have many secretes from him. Just one. There could not be love in him for her. He had left her once. He could do it again. She did not need to hear any reasons or excuses. And he did not give her any.
But the sex and their physical connection were undeniably awesome. She had no control over it. He could not control it either. At least she did know that all the years of longing for him had paid off. In most bizarre and mind blowing way! Definitely she did not want him to be with her out of duty—because of the child. She wanted more than that. She wanted love. And love was not in her stars right now. She had everything else she had dreamed of.
***
The drive was almost silent. He wanted to keep her forever by his side. She wanted to leave, right after she had given him so much sinful pleasure. He could not understand her instant coldness after what had just happened between them.
“Why can’t you stay? Why can’t we be openly together?” he asked.
“Just bring me back, please.” She would not give him any reason.
How ironic was this? She was the one now who was leaving him without any explanation. Was that how cruel he had been to her before? Were these the consequences of his own stupid actions? He’d been so young. He hadn’t known what he wanted or needed. She was in control now. She had showed him exactly what she wanted.
The love they made was certainly delicious. But, he wanted more. How many times since that wedding had he awakened and wished he’d have her next to him? Austin thought he had finally found the love of his life. Was he capable of giving her everything she needed? That was a question he could not yet answer.
He had an idea. He was going to deal with it tomorrow.
SIXTEEN
If there was one thing Austin Stevens wished he knew it was his sperm count. For as the longest time he was glad it was low--just to make sure he would not be fooled into fathering someone else’s child. The problem Austin faced became twofold after Rebecca magically reappeared in his life. He wanted her badly. He wanted her happy. He wanted those darned children with her. How on earth could it be possible if he had a low sperm count? He’d been diagnosed with oligospermia as a result of a trauma to his groin in his teenage years. A few years back, his doctors believed that his condition could be temporary. Why would he worry about such things anyway?
Austin was pacing his apartment, alternating his impatient glances between his heavy gold watch and outside the window. The courier who was supposed to deliver his package from the Genetic Research Lab was late. Damn traffic! The anger Austin radiated made the cleaning lady retreat to the kitchen. Austin usually spent his time hopping from city to city on his jet, yacht, or car, overlooking his numerous business ventures. He did not feel the need of a proper office or secretary.
Finally, the doorbell announced the courier’ arrival. Austin rushed to the door to get the package. The delivery guy started to apologize for his delay. But Austin dismissed him quickly. He had the answers in his hand now and was not sure how he felt about it.
For some time, he just held the envelope in his hands, hesitating.
Finally he mastered his conflicted feelings and prepared to take whatever news the envelope contained. The verdict would be crucial. Would he be man enough to make Rebecca happy?
After unsuccessful lies and attempts by his ex to bag him and his millions, he was torn about the results.
On the one hand, he did not want to have anything to do with an unexpected child, she claimed was his. On the other hand, he wanted to make sure he could be a father and create a child with the woman he was so wanted to make happy.
Did he want to be a father after the one who had fathered him?
Austin was going to read the results and get on with it. The air felt thick and heavy as he skimmed through the pages.
By the time he reached the final conclusion it all became so much more hopeful.
Yes, he could be a father one day. With his fertility not affected on the deeper levels, all he needed to do, apparently, was to abstain for a period to accumulate enough semen. Hope for the future made him smile: His count of the sperm was low but not hopeless.
She could belong to him. I
n fact, he could conceive his own children.
He had a plan.
He was going to tell Rebecca at some point in the future. But the time wasn’t right. He wanted to be upfront with this.
He was as free as he could be. He could start his life with a clean sheet of paper.
If he wanted to change his life, he had to let Rebecca in. And if she didn’t like what he had kept behind closed doors, she could choose to leave him. He owed her this much. He was not going to trap her into falling for him all over again
He was not coward to do that to her. Now, with his ex- ordeal put to rest, he could concentrate on making things with Rebecca right. And maybe this time he might get it right.
He couldn’t deny that they both had unstoppable physical attraction for each other. But to have a life together? There must be something more. Something deeper… Who was he kidding? His feelings for her grew deeper than the ocean with each day. He heard her voice. He knew that was his brain playing tricks on him because he missed her so much.
She did not even have a darned cell phone! How on earth was he supposed to make sure that she was alright on that island? The small island was a secluded zone with no mobile telephone reception. This drove him mad! She said she hated the mindless talks people had on cell phones He needed to hear her voice–a voice that made his whole body ache with desire.
Who was he kidding! That was the main reasons he had quickly rearranged his plans so he could fly her and Lidia back home on his company’s jet today. Of course, he also wanted to do something nice for Lidia. She was taking a big step and changing her life once more just to see her grandchildren growing up. The woman could not miss that chance. He was sure that she would adjust to the quiet life of the villa just fine. Everything seemed easy to Lidia.
Did she still love her husband, his father? Lidia told Austin that she could see how he resembled William. She wanted Austin to know that he even carried his father’s character quirks. For example, they both could not drink anything with ice in it, hated green veggies and sat on a chair with their hands clasped behind their heads. Those things made him feel something, kind of a pride to be connected to his roots or a sense of belonging he craved. It was complicated. Austin avoided thinking about it too much.
She asked Austin to show her his mother’s photographs. He did not have many, especially not when she was younger. Lidia liked what she called a ‘quiet country beauty’ in his mother’s face, whatever that meant. Austin preferred not to discuss his mother with her.
Lidia carried a lot of fond memories of her husband. He had not reached his fiftieth birthday when he died. A man was not supposed to die that young. She blamed the stress of his work and the heavy weight of the expectations that his family put on him. The connection between Austin and Lidia had grown stronger with time. He just wished he had Roman as a brother too.
Austin noticed that Becca was holding herself at a distance with him when Lidia was around. And that was a bit of a problem today. He could not wait to have her all to himself. Soon. Oh, how slow the time goes! The jet was arranged for n early afternoon and Austin had two hours to waist. He wished he could put his mind to something not as useless as walk on the memory lane.
It stayed just a wish.
SEVENTEEN
Becca took quick shower. Running water calmed her down. She enjoyed this short respite. However, the image of Austin reappeared in her mind.
“Never think that you are the only woman in his life!” Like a mantra, she repeated this to herself again and again. Despite of trying to instill that thought in her head, she wanted opposite. She wanted to be the only one for Austin. She imagined what if she could.
Becca examined herself in a foggy morrow and liked what she saw. The baby bump was nowhere to be seen just yet, thanks to her conventional, size four frame.
“Good,” she said to herself. “At least I have some time to figure things out. And Cadence is smart. She will help me to come up with something…” she thought hopefully. “I should have learned my lesson by now and stopped relying only on myself. Look where it brought me. But, I can be that woman in his life right now for one more time.”
She glanced at the wall clock. It was too late for any makeup. Becca shoved her beauty bag into her suitcase by the door and rushed downstairs.
Lidia was giving some final instruction on the upkeep of the property to Tyler. He looked quiet and sad. It confirmed to Becca that Lidia could be intimidating.
The limo Austin had sent for them was already waiting in front of the house. They did not drive back to Miami International, as Becca expected. Instead, the driver took them to a local private airport. She had never expected to actually fly on a personal jet. A very attractive crew member led them inside a small jet. The engines started to roar much louder than the size of the plane suggested. The rich cold metal, the white and red leather chairs gave the impression of the high end art gallery. It was so much more than what she expected to see in the belly of the normal looking airplane.
Austin was already inside, waiting. He moved to greet both women. “Ladies, I’m so glad you could join me on such short notice!” He was relaxed and friendly unlike the cold interior design of the plane.
“You obviously planned this well in advance, Austin. I cannot believe you didn’t!” Lidia sounded very impressed. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble for us.”
“This is something I can do for you with great pleasure. Besides, I’ve got unfinished business that I’ve started on the Big Island.”
“Roman is sending Walden to pick us up from the airport. Would you be able to join us at the villa for the dinner tonight? Please promise to come after you’re done with your business!” Lidia clearly was making another attempt to get her son and Austin reconcile.
After the wedding she had spent several hours convincing Roman to give Austin a fair chance, to build some meaningful relationship with him. It had surprised Becca that Roman, after all this time, still did not believe that his dad had donated his sperm. He was furious that Lidia had allowed him to fool her like that. Lidia was firm and insisted that both men had to grow up and stop avoiding the issue. Family must come first.
Becca could tell that Austin seriously considered the invitation. Would he actually come? Could Austin ever have a relationship with Roman? She sincerely hoped that he could. After making few quick phone calls and some arrangements to move his appointments, Austin finally confirmed that he would be able to visit them the next day.
“I really want to see Cadence. I didn’t have a chance to congratulate her on her news of the triplets,” Austin told Lidia.
“She was so preoccupied with old family history when I left,” Becca said. “She discovered a passion for digging through Aunt Eloise’s archives at the library. She is building the family tree. It is interesting that, with all documents, letters, and news articles Eloise diligently collected, no one was interested in doing that before.”
“Oh, I’d definitely love to see the family tree!” Austin said with excitement.
“So do I,” Lidia said smiling, “Aunt Eloise was like a treasure chest, indeed.”
Time went by very fast. They listen to Lidia re-telling some family stories she remembered from Austin’s father. Becca watched carefully how Austin’s body tensed and relaxed. His face changed the expression, from neutral to engrossed, as he listened attentively to Lidia’s every word.
Watching him with a corner of her eye, Becca’s mind drifted back to last night. The feeling of his tight muscles under her palms was as real as Lidia’s voice. Becca excused herself. The lady’s room was exquisite and tastefully decorated with velvet covered walls and dark mirrors. Whoever the interior designer was, he’d spared no expense.
It was good that Lidia kept talking about the past. Austin’s keen interest in his own roots was so revealing to Becca. She did not know much about her own history. She’d learned from her grandparents that all her family members on her dad’s side were farmers. Land was t
he only thing they were ever interested in. Maybe she had that in her blood? She had craved the quiet country life for many years. But to own the land? No! She could not even dream about that. All that her grandparents had left to her was a small, old-fashioned tourist agency that they’d bought in their early forties with the money from the sale of the last piece of land they’d owned!
The slight tremble of the airplane and increased pressure in her ears reminded Becca that they’d started their descent. Becca returned to her chair. She found Lidia and Austin chit chatting.
“Would it be a bit of an alien life for you?” Austin asked Lidia.
“Nothing interests me more now than the well-being of my future grandchildren, Austin. I can sacrifice my city lifestyle. Don’t you believe me?”
“I know better than to question your decisions,” he said.
The weather outside was perfect for landing so the crew did not bother to ask them to buckle their seat belts. The jet landed smoothly and taxied to the tall glass building nearby. Becca felt the short break was over. She was happy to be back to her duties at the villa. There was so much to do. That pleased her. She was not going to miss the city.
EIGHTEEN
Becca could hardly wait for the car to stop to see her friend. Cadence was waiting for them outside in the shade of the century-old trees at the gate to Villa Grande. She had changed in the few days that Becca had been away. Becca noticed her fuller waistline and special vibes of pregnancy that practically radiated from Cadence.
“You look, my girl,” Lidia chirped happily, “Glowing, and better, much better!”
Time After Time Page 10