by Sabrina York
“You will.”
Brendan shrugged. “I might not.”
Caris glared at him. “I don’t believe you. The minute you finished, you would be off to find him.”
Brendan scowled. “I promise not to tell him for a few hours. All I want in return is a few hours with you.” He ran his thumb lightly across her lip.
Caris bit down on the digit as hard as she could, until he was cursing and trying to pull away. She grimaced as he slapped her, but didn’t let go. She didn’t release her hold until his palm connected with her jaw. It felt like her teeth rattled, and she was forced to let go. She turned her head to spit out the coppery taste of blood.
His eyes burned black with rage when he lifted her in his arms. Caris kicked out at him, biting back a scream as he dropped her on the bed. It was only the knowledge that the baby—and possibly Lindsay—was in the next room that kept her from crying out. She couldn’t drag the teenager into this, and she didn’t want to upset Jessica. Nor did she want a house full of guests learning the truth right along with Dom.
When Brendan tried to climb on top of her, Caris rolled away. He landed on her leg as she dropped onto the floor and tried to pull away from him. She was sobbing with fear and anger, but she was determined he wouldn’t touch her.
Brendan pushed up the skirt of the dress to touch her thigh. “Sexy,” he said, running his hand across the slip. “I remember how you hated to dress that way for me.”
“Only because you showed me off and put me on display in front of your friends,” she retorted as she twisted onto her buttocks and kicked out with her free leg. The heel of her shoe caught him in the arm, and a savage smile slashed across her face when he cursed. “You didn’t care about me. You only cared that I made others envy you.”
He grinned down at her. “You certainly did. All of my friends wanted you, but I wouldn’t give them a chance to be alone with you.” He grimaced. “I don’t like to share.” Brendan’s hand continued to move upward to the lacy white briefs. “You were mine first. I’ll be damned if I let Dom have you.”
With a surge of strength, Caris pulled her leg from his grasp before his hand got past mid-thigh. She scooted away from him, putting several feet between them before she stood up. She could have sobbed with relief when she heard a knock on the door. “Yes?” She knew her voice was shaky, but tried to gain control.
“Caris? Are you okay?” Dom asked. “Lindsay said you wanted a few minutes alone. She’s waiting outside to see if she can come back in.”
She bit hard on her lip until her shaking subsided. “I’m fine. Just a minute.” She shot a look at Brendan, who lounged on her bed with an aura of cool self-assurance. Only his bleeding thumb gave any indication that he wasn’t in complete control. She paused to restore order to her hair before running to the door. She opened it and hurled herself into Dom’s arms before she slammed the door shut.
He touched her hot cheek, frowning down at her. “Are you okay?”
“A headache,” she said, trying to sound casual. She put her arm through his as she walked with him out of the nursery.
He continued to frown. “You look disheveled. What—”
“I laid down for a few minutes,” she said quickly. “Do I look too disheveled?”
“Of course not.”
They passed Lindsay, and Caris forced a smile, wondering how Brendan would leave her room without the girl seeing. She swallowed heavily, wondering if he would leave. Would he just lie in wait for her to return?
She walked down the stairs with Dom, waiting for him to mention his brother’s surprise arrival. He remained silent, and she didn’t know whether to be relieved or to worry. Had Brendan already gotten to Dom? No, that couldn’t be, or he wouldn’t be so caring and considerate. He would have barged his way into the room to personally throw her out of the house.
When they reentered the fray, Caris tried to keep a smile on her face and a pleasant tone for the visitors. It was a relief to shepherd the last one out more than an hour later, but then she realized she had no reason not to return to her room. She knew she couldn’t make herself face Brendan again, so she frantically searched her mind for a solution.
Dom yawned. “Over for another year.”
Elena nodded. She looked as if she was running on her last reserve of energy. Yet, a sparkle in her eyes and the flush on her cheeks indicated she had enjoyed the evening. “What did you think, Caris?”
“It was wonderful.” She tried to interject a note of enthusiasm into her voice, knowing how much Elena had wanted her to enjoy the party. She had, until Brendan’s appearance. She leaned forward and kissed the other woman’s lightly wrinkled cheek. “Thank you so much for letting me share this with your family.”
Elena hugged her. “Our family,” she corrected, casting an eye around the room. “The cleaning crew I hired will deal with all of this in the morning.” She yawned. “I’m going to bed.”
“So am I,” Dom said. He put his arm around his mother’s shoulders in the guise of affection. They all knew it was actually to offer extra support.
Caris trailed behind them up the stairs. She paused outside the nursery as they continued on. Once they entered Elena’s room, she bit her lip. She didn’t want to go in the room. She wasn’t up to dealing with Brendan. Lindsay had brought a sleeping bag to stay all night in case the party ran late, so the baby wouldn’t be left alone. She could sleep in one of the guest rooms.
Her eyes fell on the door to Dom’s room, and she walked to it before she could change her mind. She had to tell him everything before Brendan got to him and made her sound so much worse.
She closed the door behind her and flicked on the light. His room was as masculine as Dom himself, with hardwood floors, a rustic timber head and footboard set for the king-size bed, a sturdy recliner by the stone fireplace, and a thick fur rug in shades of gray and white spread before the fire. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to arrive. Her stomach churned with nausea as she waited, dreading the confrontation.
She tried imagining his worst reactions to her confession to take away some of her fears, but that didn’t help. It served only to exacerbate her dread. She was so deeply immersed in her thoughts that the opening of the door made her jump.
Dom paused when he saw her sitting on his bed. He had a frown on his face. “Caris? Is something wrong?”
She shook her head and cleared her throat. “I have to tell you something.”
He closed the door behind him and came farther into the room. He unbuttoned the jacket and hung it over the mirror on his way to the bed. Then he sat beside her and lifted her hand. “What is it? You haven’t been yourself for the last couple of hours.”
Tears threatened to fall at the concern in his voice. She couldn’t help wondering what he would sound like in a few minutes. “I’ve lied to you,” she said in a shaky whisper. He didn’t say anything, and she peeked at him from under the veil of her lashes. His concerned expression hadn’t faltered. “Did you hear me? I lied to you.”
Dom looked calm. “About what?”
Confusion filled her. How could he be so unemotional at her confession? Maybe because he hadn’t heard the worst of it yet. “I’m not really a photography student. I’ve never even been to college, except one semester at Topeka Tech.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
She blinked. “Go on? I’ve been taking care of your niece for more than a month, and that’s all you can say?”
He shrugged.
Caris clenched her hands, forgetting he held one until she heard his sharply drawn breath. “Sorry,” she said, looking at where her nails had curved half-moon marks in his hand.
“It’s okay.” He rubbed his other hand across the top of the hand he held. “Just tell me. You’ll feel much better.”
A tear slid down her cheek, despite her resolve not to cry. This was a thousand times more difficult than she had imagined. His concern just made it harder for her to tell him. “I’m Jessica’s mothe
r,” she finally forced out through clenched teeth. She stiffened, bracing herself for his reaction.
“I know.”
She forgot how to breathe when he replied so calmly. She stared up at him with eyes that widened nearly to point of rupture. A ragged breath finally tore free of her chest, and she sagged. “You know?”
“Yeah.” He looked as calm as he sounded, and he continued to stroke his fingers across her hand.
“But, how? When?”
Dom sighed. “I’d like to say I was so observant I noticed immediately, but that’s not true.”
“Your mother knew the same day,” Caris whispered.
He nodded. “After I figured it out, I knew she must have realized at some point too.”
“When did you figure it out?”
Dom put his arm around her, pulling her closer. “I had a few clues, of course. She looks just like you.”
“Yes.” Cautiously, she laid her head on his chest. She still half-expected for him to push her away and throw her off the M & M.
He shook his head. “Strangers noticed it before I did. That made me feel really observant.”
“But, when did you figure it out?” she asked in an exasperated tone.
Dom chuckled. “When we took Jessica to the doctor. You were so concerned. You said she was your whole world. Then the doctor remarked on the resemblance. You were so adamant about her not getting the shots, and it suddenly clicked.”
She frowned, remembering that day, and how he had gone quiet. She had dismissed it as concern for the baby at the time. “Why didn’t you say something?”
He stood up, releasing her. “I wanted to understand what had happened. The person you were didn’t seem at all like the girl Brendan described.” He walked to the bedside table and used a small key to unlock the drawer. Dom lifted out a manila file and tossed it on the bed beside her. “I didn’t want to confront you until I knew everything. When I did, I couldn’t say anything.”
With trembling hands, she opened the file. The words “Reese, Caris” jumped out at her from the first page. “Why not?” she asked in a husky voice.
“Because I owed you an apology. My whole damn family owes you, Caris.”
She blinked at the anguish in his tone. “I don’t understand.”
“He stole your child, and I helped him.” Dom paced around the room, his anger emanating from him in waves. “I swallowed Brendan’s story without a thought. I didn’t check anything. If I had, you would have had your baby back weeks ago.”
Caris’s head began to pound. “I’m confused.”
Dom stopped pacing and turned toward her. “When I read your file, I knew you weren’t the girl he made you out to be. You didn’t deserve to be separated from Jessica. God help me, I knew last week and didn’t say anything.”
She stood up and walked to him, leaving the folder on the bed. “Why not?”
He seemed to be battling with himself. He held himself stiffly, with his hands balled into fists at his sides. Then, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss was passionate and searing, as if he was branding her. When he lifted his head, they were both out of breath. “I love both of you too much to let you go. I don’t care if you’re only marrying me to get her back. I’ll take you any way I can get you. I need both of you.”
Her mouth fell open. “That’s not why—” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I came to the M & M with some half-baked thought of kidnapping Jessica. Thank God your mother stopped me.” Caris sighed. “I prodded you into proposing again because I was afraid Brendan would return when he saw the article. I didn’t want to lose Jessica, but I didn’t want to lose you either. I love your family and the M & M.” She cupped his cheeks in her hands. “I love you, Dom.”
The painful ball she had carried in her stomach for more than a year unfurled when she said the words. Her last traces of fear melted away, to be replaced by confidence in the future. “I love you,” she said again, enjoying the feeling of the words on her tongue, and the look of joy on his face. “If you still want me, I can’t wait to be your wife.”
He nodded and crushed her body against his. “Of course I want you,” he said into her hair. “I love you.”
Her hands slid from his face to the collar of his shirt. Caris undid the button and untied the knot of the tie to pull it off. She flicked open two more buttons before Dom’s hand stopped her. She looked up at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Making love to you,” she whispered. She felt shy, but eager. Caris didn’t want to wait four more days for their ceremony.
He hesitated, appearing to be on the verge of sending her away.
Caris stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his. She smiled when she felt his posture relax and his hand fall away. She continued to unbutton the shirt until she reached the waistband of his slacks. She pulled the shirt out, undid the last two buttons, and pushed it off his arms.
When he stood naked from the waist up, Caris buried her face in his neck. Once she took off the high heels, she wouldn’t be able to nip the bend of his neck, so she took advantage of the moment. She heard his groan when she sucked on his neck. She giggled and slid her tongue down his neck, across his chest, to one of his nipples. She could feel his erection jerk when she flicked her tongue across the peak.
“Caris.” His voice was a cross between a growl and purr.
She lifted her head, striving to sound innocent. “Yes?”
“You’re wearing too many clothes.”
She didn’t protest when he spun her around and unzipped the dress. She didn’t bother to ask him to hang it up when he stripped it off her. Caris could sense his impatience, which reflected hers. She turned back in his arms and fumbled with his belt. When she unbuckled the leather strap, she pulled it from his pants an inch at a time, enjoying teasing him.
Then she unzipped the trousers and kneeled to push them to the floor. Caris stopped when her eyes became level with his underwear. She burst out laughing and fell on her butt. She continued to giggle as he stepped out of the pants and lifted her into his arms.
“Mom thought they were funny,” he said as he laid her on the bed.
Caris continued to laugh, struggling to catch her breath. She looked up as he straddled her. His cheeks were a fiery red.
“The boxers were a gag gift, but I liked them.”
She stroked the silk boxers, giggling at the foil snowflakes and snowmen decorating them. One particular flake—bulging outward—caught her attention, and she stroked it firmly.
“They seemed appropriate,” he forced out through gritted teeth as she continued to touch him.
She managed to draw in a deep breath. “Very.” Caris bit back another giggle as he slid the straps of the slip down her shoulders. “Sorry I didn’t wear my reindeer bra.” She couldn’t stifle another round of laughter.
Dom shook his head, but didn’t respond. Instead, he buried his face in the hollow between her breasts and inhaled. His deep groan vibrated through her chest. “I love the spicy scent of you. You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to do this.” She trembled when he peeled down the lacy cups of the slip, moving his mouth to kiss one of her breasts. Still, she couldn’t stop laughing. He was too adorable in the boxers.
Her giggles immediately cut off when Dom flicked his tongue across her nipple. When he bit her lightly, she moaned. It felt so good to have his mouth on her. She was eager to touch him, and she put her hands on his shoulders. His other hand moved down to pull up the slip, and she bent her knees to allow him to push it higher up her legs. He slid his hand underneath the slip, and she drew in a ragged breath.
Caris wriggled against his hands and mouth, while running her hands through his hair, across his face, and over his back. She cupped his buttocks when he lifted her off the bed enough to raise the slip past her hips. She wrapped her legs around him and tilted her hips. He didn’t ignore the invitation. She groaned when his thumb slid along the edge of the white panties, ca
ressing her swollen folds.
Caris lowered her legs and sat up as much as she could to remove the slip. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her breasts to his chest. The soft hairs rubbed against her nipples, making her shift restlessly.
“I wanted the first time to last all night,” he said against her ear before he kissed her neck.
“I can’t wait all night,” she said, panting. “I want you now, Dom.”
He pulled away long enough to shed the Christmas boxers and take protection from the bedside table before rejoining her on the bed. She didn’t protest when Dom pushed her knees apart and settled between her thighs. He pushed damp hair off of her face. “Are you all right?” His expression was full of tender concern.
She bit her lip and nodded. It had been more than a year since she was intimate with a man, and she waited for memories of her last night with Brendan to sweep through her. She felt a vague stirring of fear, but desire for Dom easily overwhelmed it. When he slipped his hand inside her panties to explore her slick folds, she moaned. The memory was exorcised.
Dom lifted her hips and pushed the lacy briefs down her legs. He tossed them behind his back and repositioned himself between her spread thighs. She parted her thighs as he tested her readiness. She knew he found her slick and waiting. She watched with coiled excitement as he ripped open the foil packet and dealt with the condom. He gathered her in his arms and looked down at her. She couldn’t wait another minute to feel him inside of her. When he paused before taking her, waiting for her confirmation, she nodded without qualms. She arched her hips and took him inside with one smooth thrust, smiling when she heard him gasp. Her eyes widened with surprise at the length of him.
He didn’t move. “Are you in pain?”
She shook her head, incapable of speech. For an answer, she thrust against him again, and then once more, until he picked up on her rhythm and took over. Caris tilted her head back and dug her heels into the mattress as he continued to thrust into her. Brendan’s face popped into her mind just once, but it had lost the mingled anger and pleasure that haunted her for months. She forced his blurry image from her mind and focused on Dom. A climax washed over her in shattering waves. He followed in seconds, and they clung to each other.