by Holt, S. w.
I shrug, “What you say makes a lot of sense to me. I just never knew you felt that way about me.”
“Had you known, would that have made any difference with you and Marcus?”
Shaking my head, “No, probably not. I was so under his control that the very idea of leaving him would have been unfathomable. When you and I shared that brief kiss all those years ago, I was quick to forget it ever happened in favor of believing in my marriage. Had you told me then what my future held, I would never have believed you."
He smiles but then looks at me with seductive eyes, “That's the beauty of believing in fate. All you need to know is that I've loved you for the last eight years...from afar. I waited patiently and as soon as I heard Marcus was filing for divorce, I took the gamble.”
I gulp back the storm of emotions bubbling to the surface. “I'm glad you took that gamble.”
The shyness and humility I suddenly feel is making me feel overwhelmed again. Knowing that this man has loved me all of these years and has done nothing to act on those feelings makes me feel inferior to him and all I want is to return his love.
“Good. Now come join me.” He says reaching his hand toward me.
With my eyes locked on his, allowing the blanket to fall from my body, I walk toward him with every one of my senses on high alert.
Grasping his hand as he helps me into the shower, he swiftly grabs my face and plants his lips on mine with a ferocity that literally takes my breath away. I struggle to regain power over my body, but it's as if I'm under his spell and I can no longer control myself.
Pushing me up against the wall, he lifts me up and impales me on his firmness. Wrapping my legs around his middle, I feel his muscles flexing as he pummels me. The water trickling down our bodies adds to the sensuousness of the setting. The crashing of the waves and the sticky salt air combined with the feeling of Grant taking my body to new physical heights is enough to make my core prepare for the descent.
Taking his face between my hands, I kiss him passionately, feeling every inch of my body enjoying the sensations. He responds by increasing his intensity and slamming into me when at once, he lowers me to my feet. Turning me around while bending me at the waist, I put my hands on the wall to brace myself. With his hands on my hips he pushes his firmness into me from behind, I let out a loud moan as he hits my sweet spot with the head. Consumed by the extreme pleasure, I reach back with my right hand wrapping around his length, feeling him gliding in and out of me.
Pushing my hips back to meet his, he lets out a loud moan then with a succession of vigorous thrusts, I feel his body convulse behind me and his moment of release is upon us. My own climax ready, I feel the restraints break, and I'm lurching into my own oblivion.
As I feel his body soften, he spins me around and kisses me tenderly under the soft patter of cascading water. I open my eyes and feel a touch startled at the vibrant green eyes looking back at me, searching my face for an answer to the question that he didn't actually ask.
I look into his searching eyes and give him the answer he is looking for, “I do love you Grant.”
Without saying a word, he smiles then kisses me once again with passion that I hope will never fade.
Chapter Sixteen
“I'm in love Melissa!” I chirp with a smile spreading across my face.
“What? With whom? Wait, when did you start seeing someone?” She squeals.
Judging by the look on her face, she really does have no clue. Good, that means the rumor mill has not started churning yet.
“If you promise to keep it down I'll tell you,” I say as I look around the packed Rodeo Drive, lunch crowd.
“I promise, just tell me damn it!” She insists.
I take one more look around then in just short of a whisper I say, “Grant Rupert.”
“Grant Rupert?! Get out!” She shouts.
Horrified I look around to see that her outburst certainly did not go unnoticed. “Shh, you promised to keep it down.” I hiss.
She has the courtesy to look a little remorseful, “I know I'm sorry but are you freaking serious? Grant Rupert as in tall hot Irish guy who happens to be your husband's arch enemy? Do you realize how many women would give up their weekly Botox injections to be with that man? How did you score him and why am I just now hearing about this. Wait, you're in love? What about him, does he return those feelings?” She finally breathes. She waves her hand at me while she takes a large swig of her ice water.
“Go! Tell me all!” As she takes another drink.
I can't help but to laugh at how winded she is right now. I start from the beginning of when he first came to the house to last Friday night...leaving out all of the intimate details, I left it to her to fill in the blanks.
“Let me get this straight, he has carried a torch for you all these years?”
I nod feeling smug knowing that had Marcus been aware; it would have added fuel to the blaze. Their feud would have burned out of control had any of us known what was looming in the future. Now it hardly matters. I am beginning to buy into Grant's idea that fate had to be allowed to take the steering wheel and that we were always meant to be together, and that life had taken us on a detour first.
“Hmm. So, all those women he reportedly was seeing were just distractions until you were freed from the shackles of being married to Marcus?” She teases.
“I guess that's one way of looking at it but I prefer not to dwell on the amount of women he dated in the interim. Had it not been for the events that took place over the last year, I would never have found out.”
“Right, but you'd also still be married to Marcus and never the wiser. I just think you need to keep your emotions in check. Enjoy the lust you are feeling but remember, lust can get you in trouble because it often disguises itself as love. Don't get seduced by lust Laney, it's sometimes a dangerous path to take and can lead you to another heartache.”
“Wow, what a buzz kill Melissa.” I say while frowning, “I thought you would find a way to be happy for me. I know you still think it's my fault my marriage fell apart but did I ever tell you that Marcus had been sleeping with Amelia before his birthday?”
She shakes her head and casts her eyes downward, “No, I was not aware of that. Listen, I don’t blame you honey, I just think it was foolish to invite that into your life. That's something you do when in college and can write it off as sowing your wild oats. It's careless to hold your marriage in such little regard. Look at me, I almost lost my husband. I don’t take Stan for granted for even one minute anymore. If things are meant to be with you and Grant, do yourself a favor and cherish every moment you are blessed with because there is no guarantee that you will have another moment to share. You of all people ought to know that Delaney.”
Tears spring to my eyes. “Clearly I have lost touch with that sentiment. I was so focused on making Marcus happy that I forgot about the long term ramifications.”
She reaches across the table and taking my hand in hers, “Never mind all of that, what's done is done. I am happy for you, just protect your heart. Okay?”
I smile and nod, “Okay.”
“So, now that we have the heavy stuff out of the way, how's he in bed? Does he rock it out or is he a tender lover?”
I about spit out my iced tea, “Honestly, that's for me to know and for you to wonder.”
“Oh come on. With Stan's condition, it's like having sex with a blanket. I get more action out of my loofah sponge in the shower every morning.”
“Stop! I think I'm going to wet myself.” I say laughing hysterically while wondering if I will be able to get any of those visuals out of my head.
“I need something to live vicariously through and frankly my daytime soaps are simply too tame. Somewhere along the line they took all the spice out of the sex scenes.”
Laughing I hardly notice the table next to us staring, “Why don't you read a steamy romance, maybe which will make you feel jazzy?”
“You laugh, but I have read pl
enty of those but let me tell you those make me even more frustrated than I am already. The doctor says Stan is doing great and all normal activity can be resumed as long as he doesn’t overexert himself. Well, the kind of kink I have in mind, will most certainly send that damned pacemaker into orbit.”
“I can't believe we are having this conversation. I've got nothing for you. Maybe take a trip to the local naughty store and treat yourself to a top of the line toy.”
She nods while taking a bite of her salad with her eyebrows raised like she's considering the suggestion.
“So did I tell you that I'm going to Ireland with Grant? And yes, I'm taking Charlie.”
“What? You are sure full of surprises today. How long will you be gone?”
“We are going for just over a month. He wants to show me around his country and introduce me to his father before it's too late.” I say casually.
“Too late?”
“His father has Alzheimer's disease. So, I'm afraid it will be a trip fraught with heavy emotions so not all fun and games. While we are there, he plans to help move his father to a memory care facility.”
“Marcus is allowing you to go?”
“Yes. Remarkably he's letting me take Charlie. He's furious that I'm with Grant, but we made an agreement when we finalized the divorce. As you can imagine, I'm tip-toeing around him right now so he doesn’t find a reason to thwart our plans.”
She chuckles, “Well good luck with that. From what I have been hearing, he is a loose cannon these days. Did you hear that he just fired a bunch of his support staff for no reason?”
“I can assure you that he had a reason. Marcus may be a hot head from time-to-time, but he is nothing but methodical and calculating. He doesn't act on a whim, that's not how he handles things.”
“That's interesting. In that case, I wonder what reason he would have to fire half of his staff.”
“Honestly, I sure as heck don't care. I want to steer as clear of him as much as possible. If he is behaving off kilter, I sure don’t wish to get in his line of fire. I leave in exactly two weeks and I don’t want anything to stand in our way. Can you imagine how upset Charlie would be if the trip were canceled?”
“Oh, I imagine the little guy would be devastated. I guess that means you will be back in time for his sibling to be born?” She says in a quiet voice. I know her well and she is trying to be delicate.
“Yes, we'll be back in time. I have no intention of having a thing to do with that, but I cannot stand in his way. As far as he is concerned, all of this is normal. He can decide for himself when he's an adult if he wants to take his dad to task for his destroying our family, but I won't plant that seed. Charlie deserves to be happy and that is also why I hesitate to get involved. The truth is that Ryan came to me recently with information that may cause yet more damage to an already tumultuous situation, especially coming from me.”
She leans in closer, “What are you talking about? Is there still another twist to this story?” Rubbing her hands together and a gleam in her eye, I give in to her persuasion and tell her about Ryan's suspicions.
“Here's the deal, I think you have to tell him. Marcus should know that the baby is probably not his. You don’t owe him anything but can you imagine if he finds out and then learns that you knew about the deceit? He will make things worse for you, you know that he will.”
“I thought about that and I don’t want Charlie to establish a bond with the baby and then have Marcus learn that he isn’t the father. You know that would be very destructive to Charlie as if this whole thing hasn’t been confusing enough for him.”
“It's settled, you will tell Marcus.” She says matter-of-factually.
My stomach has turned sour at the thought of me having to be the bearer of this bad news. Why do things like this have to default to me?
“What sucks is the messenger is usually the one who usually gets shot. I hope that my getting involved doesn’t backfire on me. If I went with my gut, I'd stay away from telling Marcus that he needs a paternity test.”
“Doing the right thing is not always the easy thing to do but is certainly is what makes the most sense.”
“Thanks for your vote, I just hope you’re right.”
“In the end, I usually am right.” She says seriously.
“Okay then, if this backfires, I'll expect you to put out the flames.”
“Deal, now let's go shop this lunch off. If I can't have the raging sex that I want, then I can at least spend Stan's money.” She cackles while looping her arm through mine.
As we head out of the restaurant, I fake my enthusiasm as I'm petrified about the conversation I'm doomed to have with Marcus.
Chapter Seventeen
Two nights later when Marcus is dropping off Charlie after having him for the weekend, I muster up the courage to approach him.
“Charlie, why don't you go up and play some games. When daddy leaves, I'll make us some dinner.”
Skipping through the middle of the room, “Okay Mommy. Bye daddy, I'll see you Tuesday.”
Turning to him, “What's Tuesday? I wasn’t aware of any plans Tuesday.”
“Well since you are leaving town for so long, Amelia and I decided to shotgun this wedding and are getting married next Saturday. It's a small affair, but I asked Charlie to be my best man. I'm taking him shopping for his tux on Tuesday.”
The pit in my stomach returns, or rather that feeling of a canyon returns. I know I have moved on but hearing that he intends to marry so soon after our divorce makes the whole thing less surreal. It's more final now.
“Wow, that's sure moving quick.”
“I want Charlie to be a part of this so we had to do it this way. It was that or I was going to endure Amelia and her hormonal tirades about being made an honest woman before the baby gets here. The timing of everything is causing me a lot of distress. Anyway, I assume you want to speak with me since you sent Charlie away?”
Taking a quick deep breath, I gulp back the urge to be sick. “Okay so speaking of timing, something is really bothering me and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't bring it to your attention.”
With his hands on his hips, he looks handsome with his hair perfectly coiffed and an outfit of tight jeans and a white fitted shirt. “Alright, what is it that you need to say?”
“The time line of which Amelia claims to have become pregnant doesn’t jive. It coincides with her trip to Cancun with Ryan. Haven’t you stopped to count the weeks?”
His jaw is flinching and though he is obviously hiding his anger, I know he is furious.
“Why are you bringing this up now? And just how is that you are so on top of Amelia's due date and time line?” He tilts his head while studying my face, “Did Ryan put you up to this? His weak attempt at poking a hole in our relationship? Which is it Laney?”
“Yes, I'll admit that Ryan did pay me a visit suggesting that I bring to your attention to the discrepancy.” I can tell by his nostrils flaring he is about to blow, “Wouldn’t you rather this be brought up now rather than your raise the child believing she's yours? I mean if knowing the true paternity doesn’t change how you feel about Amelia or the baby, then at the very least you know the truth. But none of what's happened is Ryan's doing and he deserves to know the paternity.”
“That's stupid if it didn’t matter then why would I subject to a test? You are damned right that I don’t want to raise another man's child but why should I trust yours or Ryan’s word?”
Shrugging, “You don’t have to trust either one of us as long as you believe Amelia's word. Now, if you'll show yourself out, I have to prepare dinner for Charlie. What time do you plan to pick him up on Tuesday?”
Looking shaken, “I don't know for sure. I'll text you the time, but it'll be sometime in the afternoon.” He snaps.
“Okay, see you then.”
He turns to leave then stops as if there is some sort of hesitation but then he continues to the front door. When I hear it shut behind him, I let out
the breath I had been holding. I knew it wasn’t destined to go well, but all things considered that went better than I thought it would.
As I set about taking care of Charlie's dinner, I think about the day we found out I was pregnant with him. We never thought I would be able to have a baby. With all the chemicals that had been pumped through my body as a kid, in all likelihood my eggs would have been damaged. The news was bittersweet as even though I was confirmed to be pregnant, we then had to be concerned with birth defects and a multitude of possible complications.