Shattered Dreams (Dreams Series Book 1)

by Hicks, Braxton

  “Yes, we were already at the starting gate. I was humiliated.”

  “Tylar,” he said, looking at Trey affectionately, “I love my little brother, don’t get me wrong, but he can be as stubborn and controlling as the day is long. This I know. I could tell you some stories,” he laughed, eyes sparkling with amusement.

  “Hey, I’ve got plenty of stories I could tell on you,” Trey replied with a grin, jabbing his finger at Tristan.

  “I already know the one about Kate and ‘bumping uglies,’” I commented.

  “What?” Trey asked his eyes wide with surprise.

  “Your mom and I had a nice chat while we made cookies,” I giggled.

  “Oh God. I do remember that,” Tristan replied. “Trey, I should’ve kicked your ass right then and there.”

  “I don’t think it would’ve been a fair fight, Tristan,” Trey laughed. “I was what, like maybe eight at the time?”

  “Seriously though Trey,” Tristan said, “Are you going to the party at the Andrews’ tomorrow night?”

  What party?

  “Sure,” Trey answered. “Why not?”

  “If you think Caroline was a pill tonight, how do you think she’ll be when she has her sidekick Tess beside her?”

  Trey glanced over at me, realizing that I was just hearing about this for the first time. “Tylar, Dad said something about this to me today when we were out cutting the tree. I meant to tell you. We’re all invited over to the Andrews’ house tomorrow evening. Every year they have a Christmas evening cocktail party for friends and family.”

  Oh, that’s just flippin’ great.

  “Trey, you seriously want to take me around Tess and Landon?”

  “What about Landon?” Tristan asked.

  Trey told Tristan about Landon’s tactless comments during Thanksgiving, not mentioning the part that he'd shared with me about the baby not being Trey’s. It continued to bother me that Trey had never told his family the truth.

  “I just don’t feel that I'd be comfortable around them,” I commented.

  “Tylar, it’s important to my parents and to me that we don’t shun the Andrews. I promise not to leave your side, okay?”

  “I’ll have your back too, sis,” Tristan joked.

  I nodded, still uncomfortable with the idea. I so wished that Gina was here.

  By the time that Tristan, Trey, and I returned to the house, Nigel and Caroline had retired for the night. Tristan left us and went to visit with his parents in the family room.

  “Trey,” I said, “can I give you your Christmas presents up in our room?”

  “Why?” he asked, puzzled.

  “I just don’t want any rude comments from Caroline. She really makes me uncomfortable. I wanted to get you so much more than I did and she will probably make me feel bad in comparison to this exquisite ring that you gave me.”

  “Whoa,” he interrupted me, “first of all, that ring isn’t your Christmas present, okay? That’s for our engagement. I have something else for you for Christmas.”

  “Okay, now you’ve just made me feel worse.”

  “Hey,” he said, pulling me to him, “you being with me, loving me, and carrying our child is the best thing that anyone could ever give me. Don’t you understand that?”

  “I guess,” I relented.

  “No, there’s no guessing, Tylar. You’re my life. I’ve never felt so connected with anyone before. I love to think of the future that we’ll build together and the children we’ll have. You’re the one that I’ll always love the most. You’re the one who has my devotion. Got it?”

  I nodded, tearing up again. Trey could be so warm and passionate at times. He could not only take my breath away with his touch, but also with his words. We gathered our gifts out from under the tree and took them upstairs to our suite. We sat cross-legged on the bed, tearing into our presents. Trey had bought me a Baby’s First Year photo album and an Atlas® dome watch in rose gold from Tiffany & Co.

  Trey gushed over everything that I'd bought for him: the two CDs, the tie that matched his eyes perfectly, the silver cuff links, and the new Burberry wallet.

  He reached under the bed and retrieved a single box, handing it to me. I opened it and pulled a manila envelope out. Inside the envelope there were multiple legal-looking documents. The first was a deed to 10 acres of land located in DeKalb County, Georgia. Accompanying it were stunning photos of the property. Some of the acreage was partially wooded, and it featured a running stream to a natural pond.

  “It’s beautiful,” I breathed. “What is all this? I don’t understand.”

  “I deeded this land to you. This is where we’ll build the house of your dreams. This is where we’ll bring Derringer and any of the other horses you may want to stable. We’ll have to build the stable first, of course.”

  “Oh Trey,” I exclaimed, launching myself into his lap. “This is too much, don’t you think?”

  “It’s exactly what we discussed. It's how we want to raise our children, remember? I figure we better get started building our home if it’s going to be ready by the time this baby’s walking, don’t you agree?”

  “This is incredible! I'm so in love with you,” I exclaimed.

  Together we looked at the rest of the papers in the envelope. There was a packet of house plans for country homes. Trey said to pick out a style that would make me feel at home. I couldn’t wait to get started.

  Standing up, Trey turned on some holiday choral music, lowering the volume because of the other guests staying down the hall. Then he ran a bubble bath for us. I gratefully pulled off my stockings and selected some silky pajamas from his massive closet. Trey had lit the candles and placed them around the sunken, steaming bathtub. We discarded our clothing and stepped into the suds.

  Afterward, we toweled each other off. I noticed my belly was growing rounder; I was a little more than four months pregnant; halfway there, I thought as I climbed into bed. Trey slipped into his drawstring pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips. He climbed into bed next to me, pulling me to him.

  “Do you want to watch anything?”

  “No. I’m about thirty seconds away from sleep. Put on anything you like, it won’t disturb me,” I replied, yawning. Trey switched the station to a Christmas movie with Jimmy Stewart, muting the sound.

  “How can you watch the movie without sound?”

  “I’ve seen it a hundred times,” he answered, “it’s a classic.” Trey was on his side next to me, tracing his fingers on my silk top, playing with the buttons. I felt the first one give way, then the next, and then the last one. His hand slid inside, cupping my breasts, kneading them gently. I had a feeling that sleep was no longer thirty seconds away. I turned to him, watching him watch me.

  He raised himself up, hovering over me, lowering his lips to mine in a long, leisurely kiss. I laced my arms around his neck, pulling his face closer, answering his kiss with a passion of my own. I felt something deep within me stir, making me hungry for him once again. His hands expertly slid my silk top off and then moved down to my belly, pulling at the waistband of the bottoms and sliding them down my legs. His thumb hooked into the tops of my panties, pulling them down and off.

  “I see you have me totally naked now,” I whispered.

  “Um hmm,” he replied, his lips playing on mine.

  “Aren’t you going to take your pants off?”

  “I have a fly on them,” he replied, my lips feeling the smile spread across his lips.

  “It might be nice if one of these times you fucked me with your pants off,” I commented in a faux stern tone.

  “I’ll be glad to,” he remarked, pulling the drawstring and tugging his pants down and off. He kicked the covers down as we heated up. His strong hands explored my body, massaging my flesh, kissing my lips, my neck, and then my breasts. His tongue swirled ever so gently around my nipples, teasing them with his lips. When he took a nipple into his mouth, he sucked it very gently, his hands moving lower to explore.

/>   His tongue traced a path from my breasts to my belly. Stopping there, he kissed my rounded belly, his left hand gently rubbing the area, his right hand pleasuring me lower.

  His mouth moved lower still, gently kissing my soft folds, his tongue washing over my clitoris in circular motions, licking and circling over it again and again. His tongue darted inside of me, his fingers pressing upward, his thumb gently brushing against my swollen bud.

  “You taste so sweet,” he whispered.

  My hips flexed harder against him now, wanting him inside of me. Trey could read my body’s every movement. He knew what I needed without my having to ask.

  “I know baby; I know what you want. I want it too.” He rose up, spreading my legs with his knees, and positioned himself between them. He guided his shaft inside of me, slowly and gently filling me. I moaned with pleasure, reveling in the feel of him. My arms wrapped around him, drawing him closer. His thrusts were slow and gentle. Trey was taking his time, pleasuring me with his love and his passion. He rocked his hips back and forth, fully and deeply inside me. I arched my back, flexing my hips, meeting his thrusts with total abandonment. I moaned against his lips, my orgasm building.

  “God, I love being inside of you,” he breathed against my lips. “I love making love to every part of you. I love knowing that you're mine.”

  My hands moved lower to his buttocks as he started lifting up and rotating his hips. I relished feeling his muscles flex with each thrust. Our rhythm was perfect, but then it always had been. I could feel my muscles clenching him. Trey moaned with every thrust as he came closer to the edge.

  Somewhere in another world I could hear the sound of raised voices, arguing, slamming doors. I pushed it from my mind. All that mattered was the unraveling of my orgasm, Trey’s perfect thrusts, my pulsating body begging for release. His rhythm picked up just a bit as we prepared for our final descent into mutual ecstasy. He was the master pilot of my body, an expert on my instrumentation.

  Our door suddenly flew open, the overhead light flashed on. A female voice screeched at us. “Oh my God! Is that all you two ever do? Fuck like rabbits? How in the hell is anyone else supposed to sleep with you two next door? Find a fucking motel!”

  What the hell?

  Trey was up and off the bed in an instant, standing there in all of his erected glory. I watched in horror as Caroline stared at Trey. Her eyes widened as they lowered to the expanse of his fully erect manhood that was glistening with my wetness. She didn’t attempt to look away from it. Trey furiously pointed at the door.

  “God damn it! Get the fuck out of here, Caroline!” he yelled. She tried to gain some composure, obviously very drunk. “Nigel! Come get your wife!”

  I buried myself under the covers, sobbing uncontrollably. I'd never felt so humiliated and disrespected. Trey angrily slammed and locked our bedroom door. I could hear Nigel trying to shush Caroline in the hallway. She was relentless.

  “Maybe if you were hung like your baby brother, Nigel, I’d be pregnant by now,” she hissed. I heard the sound of a slap.

  “You son of a bitch!” she shrieked. I wasn’t sure who slapped whom.

  Oh my God. I'm going to be sick.

  And I ran to the bathroom and was.

  “I’m so sorry baby,” he said, wiping my face with a washcloth, “this is entirely my fault. I should have locked that goddamn door. I'm so, so sorry.”

  By the time I was done vomiting, I had a searing headache. I wasn’t sure that I could even take anything for it. Trey dressed me in my panties and pajamas. I remained in a silent stupor. He led me back to the bedroom, lifting me up into the bed, pulling the covers up around me. He found his drawstring pants on the floor, pulling them up over his nakedness. He brought me a glass of water and he pressed a damp washcloth to my forehead. Trey climbed up on the bed on top of the covers. He lay on his side, keeping the cold compress on my forehead, gently pushing my hair back behind my ears.

  “Tylar, are you going to talk to me?” he asked gently, his eyes filled with remorse and concern. My voice quivered with shame and embarrassment. I didn’t understand why I was feeling those things.

  “We can’t stay here with her in this house,” I moaned, tears spilling again. “I can’t face any of your family after what happened tonight.”

  “Everything will be all right. I promise. That bitch won’t speak another word to you. I’ll talk to Nigel right now if you want.”

  "No,” I said, sharply, “don’t leave me, Trey. Besides, I think Nigel has his hands full."

  "I love you, Tylar. Please forgive me for her.”

  “I love you Trey. I don’t blame you for this,” I sniffled, placing his hand against my cheek.

  Chapter 51

  I slowly woke on Christmas morning with Trey curled around me. The body heat he generated was making me almost uncomfortable. My empty stomach growled. I tried to carefully scoot out from under Trey without disturbing him. He looked so handsome and innocent when he slept. I wasn’t sure where the innocence came from, certainly not from his sexual boldness. Then the replay of the previous night came crashing down around me.

  “Oh noooo,” I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to force the images from my mind. Trey stirred, opening his eyes and immediately turning to me.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, concern in his voice.

  “I just remembered last night. Maybe it was a nightmare?”

  “You know Tylar,” he said gently, “we have no reason to feel ashamed about last night. Caroline’s behavior was completely out of line and she’ll be the one who feels sheepish about showing her face around the family today. We have no reason to feel uncomfortable.”

  “If you think for one flippin’ minute I’d step foot out of this room today to face your family after that horrific scene last night, you don’t know how I roll.”

  “Be reasonable,” he said, sitting up now. “I doubt if anyone is even aware of what happened, other than Nigel.”

  “I don’t care. It’s not that she just walked in on us and made those crude statements at the top of her voice, but she stood there ogling your junk and then made that hateful remark to your brother! On top of that, she was getting her digs in at me all afternoon yesterday and the only people who actually tried to diffuse the situation were your mother and Tristan. I didn’t hear you step in.”

  I pulled the covers off and got out of bed, going to Trey’s massive closet to get my clothes. Trey was right behind me. I'd riled him up but I didn’t care. I felt that if he'd put Caroline in her place earlier she might have thought twice about crashing into our bedroom and making a scene at the worst possible time.

  “Wait one second,” he said. “I took the high road yesterday even though I was just as pissed as you at her rudeness. I did that for the family, for Mom and Dad. We’ve been exposed to Caroline’s outbursts for years. It’s just something that has to be tolerated. She’s not going to change. She is, after all, my brother’s wife. I’m sorry if you felt that I didn’t defend your honor by exchanging barbs with her.”

  I whirled around in the closet to face him, angrier than ever. “I see,” I said very quietly, checking my emotions. “You did that for the family. Who am I to you then, Trey? My feelings—they don’t matter?” I grabbed my clothes and underwear, heading for the bathroom. Trey caught my arm but I shook free.

  “Tylar,” his voice was taking on a trace of condescension now, “I didn’t mean it like that. You misunderstood me.”

  “There was no misunderstanding. For the record, I don’t think for a minute that you were taking the high road. I think you were taking the path of least resistance, and in this case it caused me to be insulted and hurt. I guess now I see how you roll. Merry Christmas!” I shut the bathroom door behind me, turning the lock. I heard him curse under his breath and smack the door with his hand, cursing again. I showered quickly and got dressed for the day.

  When I returned to the bedroom, Trey was sulking, giving me the silent treatment. That
was fine with me. He had his clothes in his arms, and entered the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it behind him.

  Really Trey?

  I fished my phone out of my purse and called Gina. She picked up after the first ring.

  “Merry Christmas, Ty!”

  “Oh Gina,” I said, dissolving into tears.

  When she finally calmed me down, I shared the story with her.

  “That's fucked up on so many levels,” she replied. “Listen Ty, do you want me to call Aunt Becky? I’m sure she’d love some company today. It’s just her and my grouchy uncle.”

  “I don’t know Gina. Part of me doesn’t want Caroline to think she ran me off, but the other part of me just doesn’t feel like being messed with on Christmas.”

  “Go with the second option. You have a baby to think about. All that puking and stress last night certainly isn’t good for the baby.”

  She was right; I suddenly realized that I hadn’t felt the baby move since last night’s chaos. This brought a fresh flow of tears.

  “What now? What’s wrong?” Gina was worried.

  “I haven’t felt the baby move since all of this happened,” I squeaked in a high-pitched voice.

  “Listen to me. I'm hanging up the phone and I'm calling my aunt, okay? You stay put and I'll call you back in three minutes, I promise.”

  Moments later Gina called to report that Becky was on her way to get me. Gina ordered me to take a day of rest with her aunt and get some perspective. I knew that Trey would be pissed, but for right now, he wasn't my first priority. My little baby was my first priority. I could hear the shower still running in the bathroom. Trey would be another 20 minutes. I pulled a hoodie on over my head, threw my phone and charger into my purse, and slipped out of the house. I met Becky in the driveway and we sped off. I apologized profusely for disturbing her on Christmas.

  “Listen,” she said, her tone serious, “Gina gave me a thirty-second rundown of what happened. When she mentioned that drunken bitch, Caroline, I knew I had to come and get you.”