Chapter 53
Granger held Cassandra's hand as he guided her up the stairs of their home, since she had refused to let him carry her.
She was tired, sore, ready for a hot shower, and ready to go to bed. Watching Granger practically bounce up the stairs ahead of her, she couldn't help but laugh. After the OB resident had confirmed that an abrasion on her right hand was her only injury, she had cleaned the wound and told her that her unborn child was just fine. Granger still hadn't seemed convinced though, so the doctor had agreed to do a sonogram, which also turned out positive. Afterwards, he had kissed and nearly squeezed her to death in his excitement, then thanked the doctor, nearly hugging the stuffing out of the tiny woman.
After being released, Granger insisted that he accompany her home and get her settled. Cassandra knew she wasn't going to get him out of the house, but the truth was, she didn't want to. The smile slipped from her face as she thought again about the car barreling towards her and her group of friends, and how quickly both life and love could be snatched away. Hence her decision to let Granger stay if he wanted to. She herself refused to waste any more precious time with the ones she loved. Another chill passed through her as the sounds of crunching metal and shattered glass replayed in her mind. She was so thankful that her husband had been there to pull her out of harms way. She knew she could take care of herself, but feeling Granger's strong arms around her, holding her, and keeping her safe, was a feeling of security like no other. Although she was still upset about him leaving, she knew it was time to let go of the anger and accept the fact he had made a foolish mistake, a decision she knew in her heart he would never repeat.
Bounding up the steps, Granger hoped Cynne' had had time to set up everything he had asked for earlier, because he planned on pampering Cassandra the way she deserved. Turning to look at her, he saw the troubled look on her face, and instinctively knew she was reliving the awful experience at the night club. Stopping near the top step, he pulled her into his embrace. “It scares the hell out of me that I could have lost you. That I would have to tell our son his mother was hurt or gone . If that had happened, I couldn't bear the thought of all the time I squandered away from you by my foolish decision. Please forgive me, Cassandra.” he murmured.
“I forgive you, Granger.” she whispered.
Smiling down at her gratefully, he caressed her cheek. “Come on darling, let's go see Regan, and then I have a surprise for you.”
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After returning to the estate, Nicola had cooked a large, early morning meal for his grandparents. He was too keyed up worrying about Cassandra and Granger to sleep. When he had told them that Martina was suspected behind the hit and run attempt, an irate Gianne, her temper very much like her grandson Granger, spat every curse she knew and stated that in the 'old country', Martina Shepard would be swimming with the fishes right about now.
Eduardo, being the sensible one, said the best thing all of them could do would be to offer their love and support to Granger and Cassandra, and pray the police found the dangerous woman before she struck again.
In a moment of reflection (which was rare for him), Nicola thought about how much more fulfilling his life seemed ever since being reunited with the brother he never knew he had. They had grieved the death of their mother together, and had connected with one another on a level he had never experienced before. And to his surprise, he found he liked the feeling of having that love and support.
Putting away the last of the cleaned dishes, he looked around the now-spotless, state of the art kitchen, satisfied with the job he had did. Switching off the lights, he made his way down the hallway, his Italian shoes making an eerie clicking noise that seemed to echo throughout the entire mansion. Putting his hands in the pockets of his expensive tailored pants, he gazed causally at the priceless paintings that decorated the walls, still unable to believe Granger had just given him the entire estate, lock, stock, and barrel. Granger had explained that the place simply held too many dark memories for him.
Concerned his family could be at risk, he decided to check the common areas. After the stunt that deranged lunatic had pulled, he wanted to make sure the house was secure, and everyone inside was safe before he went to bed. Nearing the indoor pool area, his stride faltered momentarily when he heard the sound of water splashing.
Opening the glass double doors quietly, he braced himself for a fight, and was surprised to see the person in the pool was none other than Latasha Weeks, the young staff member who had witnessed Grace's suicide.
Seating himself on a custom made, wrought iron bench, he admired the sight of her lithe, ebony body gliding through the clear blue water. As he watched her, it struck him how odd the woman behaved, how she always seemed to slip about the house doing her job, but doing it quietly, seemingly like she wished to be invisible, completely unnoticed. He had never seen her even mingle with other members of the household staff, and seemed to genuinely prefer her own company.
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Latasha felt the muscles in her body burn as her strength began to drain from her tired body. One more lap.....She thought, wanting to push herself that last extra step. It was a familiar ritual whenever she worked out, always pushing herself that one last step, and it was how she had sculpted her nearly perfectly toned body.
Gianne had given her permission to use the pool and gym whenever she wanted, and today, after hearing the news from her mother's former attorneys, she wanted to swim until she completely exhausted herself. A small part of her wanted to give in to the dark depression that had been overshadowing her for years now, and she was so tired at the moment, she felt centuries old. But every time she wanted to give up and slip into the dark abyss, the fighting spirit within her would surface, pushing her onward. She couldn't simply give up like her mother had.
Starting on her final lap, she was so deep in thought she didn't realized her energy had drained to a dangerously low level. Midway through her last lap in the Olympic sized swimming pool, she felt her arms and legs begin to tremble with fatigue, and she began gasping for breath. Panicking, she began splashing about wildly as she struggled to make her way to the edge of the pool. After what seemed like an eternity, she somehow made it to the ledge. Putting her hands on the wet surface, her arms trembled violently as she tried to hoist her body up. “Ahhhhh!” she yelped as her tired muscles gave out and she splashed back down into the water.
Thrashing wildly, she struggled to keep her head above water, and tried to scream just as she began to sink. Holding her breath, she let herself sink until she felt her feet touch the bottom of the pool, and with the very last of her strength, squatted, then launched herself upwards with her trembling legs.
Breaking the surface one last time, she tried to scream, but began coughing and gagging as she took a huge, involuntary gulp of water.
At that moment, a pair of strong hands reached out and grabbed her flailing arms.
Lifting her bodily out of the water and wrapping his arms around her trembling body, Nicola's warm, minty breath tickled Latasha's ear as he murmured “I have you, sweetie, calm down.”
Sobbing, she tried to control her trembling, but was unable to.
“You have to be careful swimming alone, Bella. If I hadn't been here, you would have surely drowned.” Nicola smiled, stating the painfully obvious. “It's alright though, you're Ok now.”
Pulling herself together with an effort, she looked up and was captivated by his piercing blue eyes, which were twinkling with mischief, and immediately sensed the man looking down at her was trouble with a capital T. Ever since he had arrived at the estate with Granger, she had did her best to avoid the man, who in her eyes was perfection personified, except for his massive ego. All the women on the staff (Gianne being the lone exception) continuously made fools of themselves in their eagerness to please him, be noticed by him, even if it was a simple 'Thank you, dear.' Most of the time though he would reward their efforts with a sexy
smile, a playful wink, or a playful pat on the behind. The latter had made one young woman confess to the others (the lone exception once again being Gianne) that the simple feel of his hands on her buttocks had made her orgasm right there on the spot. Horrified, Latasha had pretended to not hear their giggles as she went on about her dusting. But she refused to be some toy for a man who made a game of playing with women's hearts. Watching her own mother's destruction at the hands of another such player had been enough for her.
“Got yourself together now, Bella?” he asked.
Wiping the chlorinated water from her burning eyes, she replied in a small voice, “Please let me go, Mr. De Luca. You're my employer, and the way you're touching me is improper, sir.” Looking away shyly, the intoxicating, woodsy scent of his cologne tantalized her senses and made her body heat up in ways that had been dormant for far too long. It had been a long time since she had given herself to a man, but he was her boss, and he was a dog.
Releasing her gently, Nicola blinked twice in surprise, stunned that his charm had seemingly had no effect on her. In fact, it seemed to actually annoy her. Not knowing what to say at the moment, he was disappointed in a way that was completely alien to him. Geez, all I did was save her from drowning. I saved her life! She doesn't even seem to be thankful! He thought, believing that should be worth something, even if just one kiss.
“Thank you.” she murmured, still unable to look him in the eye, but strangely reluctant to leave.
Turning his effervescent smile up a notch, he couldn't resist pulling the ugly blue swim cap (with white and yellow flowers) that protected her thick, curly hair from her head, admiring the way it framed her small, round face. ”Now, that’s much better.” he said. He thought the bit of baby fat on her face made her innocent looking, cute, even. While she wasn't as glamorous as the high maintenance women he normally romanced, she had an inner glow that made her refreshingly attractive. Looking her up and down, he studied the plain blue swim suit she wore, one which would have better suited his grandmother than this young twenty-something. Well, if she's so dowdy, why am I standing here lusting after her? He wondered.
Uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her in the awful, thrift store swim wear, she reached out timidly and pulled the equally hideous swim cap from his hands. Wanting to cry from both sexual frustration and embarrassment, she thanked him in a subdued voice, then rushed from the room.
Watching her round booty bounce as she all but ran from the room, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her. Maybe if he went to her and talked to her instead of flirting, she would be more interested in getting to know him.
Making his way to the bar at the far end of the pool, he found himself wondering, Why am I even thinking about chasing after her? Women come to me, I don't go to them! Pulling a chilled bottle of Samuel Adams from the refrigerator, he grabbed a bottle opener, popped the lid off, and took two swigs as his mind raced. Granger had asked him to stay, at least until his niece was born, and now that he had found a pleasant distraction, he didn't think he would mind staying for a while. My sweet little Latasha won't know what hit her! He thought, then smiled briefly. But the smile was short-lived as a warning his father had given him at a young age whispered in his ear, Be careful the game you play with a woman, because you could find yourself the biggest loser. The heart won't always listen to the head, son.
Scoffing and taking another swig of beer, he knew there was no way the girl could ever hurt him. The thought of her hurting me is almost laughable...he thought. He was a master of seduction, and he could never be ensnared by any one woman, nor did he care to. Still, his father's warning came back to whisper to him one last time, and his flesh broke out in goose bumps.
Chapter 54
Snuggled up in Regan's arms, Lexie, Cynne's fat tabby, purred contentedly as the youngster gushed, “Grand Gianne was right! My prayers for mom and dad to be in love again came true!”
“MEOOOOOOW.” Lexie's cry for his second meal of the morning rang out as his bushy, orange and white tail swished back and forth.
Looking at the bed where his parents were cuddled together, Regan grinned happily, feeling like he was the luckiest boy alive.
The spoiled, demanding cat meowed even louder.
Fearing the cat would wake his parents, he hurried to the bedroom door and slipped out quietly.
Making his way to the kitchen, he set the cat down and opened a large can of tuna. Spooning the contents into a bowl, he placed it in front of Lexie, who attacked it immediately.
Running back to the bedroom as quietly as he could, he crawled onto the foot of the bed and drank in the sight of his parents embracing one another in their sleep.
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Feeling a weight pressing against her, Cassandra roused from her peaceful slumber. Opening her eyes, she tried to get up, but Granger was holding on to her for dear life. Smiling, she pressed her back against his solid chest and thought about how funny some things in life turned out sometimes. Just yesterday, she would have never thought almost being killed by a nut behind of the wheel of a car would result in a romantic reunion between her and her beloved husband.
And he had been so sweet, too. Before she arrived home, he had had Cynne' decorate their master bedroom and bathroom with scented, burning candles. The large, claw footed tub had been filled with her favorite bubble bath, scent of ylang-ylang and orange, and while she soaked, Granger had served her seedless grapes, cheese, and pita bread, along with freshly squeezed orange juice. And as if that wasn't enough already, when she had climbed out of the tub, he had massaged her body with heated chamomile soy lotion.
Although he had been physically excited from touching her body, he had put all his effort into giving her what she needed physically and emotionally, putting his own needs and wants aside for her.
Burying his nose into Cassandra's soft hair, Granger moaned with delight as one finger slid the flimsy strap on her gown off her shoulder, then kissed the spot softly. He had never been more thankful for his family than he was at the moment, and although he hated to admit it, even to himself, it had took an act that had almost cost her her life for him to wake up and see how fortunate and blessed he truly was. He also knew now his relationship with his family could never be like the one he had had with his mother, like he had feared. Now, he understood Cassandra gave love unconditionally, she gave freely of herself, both spiritually and physically. Love was a commodity for many people he knew, but Cassandra only wanted to be loved and have a sense of family, nothing else mattered. Not money, social standing, or anything else.
Feeling his manhood spring to life, he groaned and pressed his raging member against her lush backside, and grinned when he felt her wiggle her bottom against him. The hand that had been resting on her swollen stomach started a slow descent.
“Granger, is that all you want?” she asked in a sleepy voice, giggling and pressing her backside against him even harder.
“Besides your love? Yes, that's what I want.” he said, kissing the back of her neck. “How about giving me some loving?” he murmured, then raked his stubbled chin against her sensitive neck, making her giggle even louder.
Laughter from the foot of the bed made him snatch his hand away immediately, and he looked up, red-faced, and saw Regan sitting there with his legs crossed, Indian style.
Sitting up herself, Cassandra cried, “Regan! We.....we were just.....uhhh...Granger?” she pleaded.
“Does this mean we're a real family again?” Regan laughed. “I've seen people act like that on those boring shows Gram likes to watch during the day. Yuck! Why are they called Soap Operas anyway? I never see any soap!”
Unable to help himself, Granger laughed. “I don't know about the soap part, Sport, but I do know this, we never stopped being a family, and we never stopped loving one another.”
“I was just hurt, and your father and I needed time to work that out.” Cassandra explained, motioning for him to come to her.
Sc
rambling to her, Regan felt mixed emotions. On the one hand, he wanted everyone to think he was a big boy who didn't need his mommy that much anymore, but on the other hand, he had to admit it felt good to cuddle up with her, especially with his father there again as well.
“Your mother is right, Sport.” Granger said, reaching over to tousle his hair playfully. “I was really stuck on stupid for awhile, but your mom forgave me. I'll never make the mistake of leaving you and her again. It was stupid and selfish. I truly love you both.”
With a grave look on his face, Regan replied, “It's Ok, I forgive you for being stupid too, dad.”
Touching his face, Cassandra smiled and laughed at his frank, matter-of-fact assessment of the situation. “I'm glad you're happy, baby. Your father and I will always try to give you a happy and safe home.” she said, hugging him even closer as she thought about Martina still out there somewhere, a loose cannon no one seemed to be able to stop.
Sensing her thoughts, Granger wanted to reassure her that they were all safe. Brian Lemont had personally assured him he would do everything in his power to find and lock the madwoman up for life. She needs something to keep her mind off that bitch. Jesus, that woman has the luck of the Devil himself, can NO one stop her? He couldn't help but wonder.
Remember Me Page 66