Drawing The Line (Mistaken Identity Series)

by Sylvia Hubbard

  He went over to a cabinet and pulled out several candles setting and lighting them all around the room. She leaned on her side to watch him.

  The room began to warm a little, but she didn't start feeling the warmness on her inside until he began to disrobe.

  Although not as large and brawny as his brother, Paul's body was toned and sinewy, yet he moved with a graceful quality that kept her mesmerized.

  He moved to another cabinet where he withdrew two thick white terry cloth robes. One he put on, the other he laid near the table she was on.

  Out of the candle bag he pulled out some saffron oil. "Lie down," he ordered. "Let me give you the best massage you'll ever have."

  She relaxed and let his hands roam all over her body; from her temples all the way to the tips of her toes. When she lay on her stomach, he started at her feet going even slower and Shane was in heaven, loving his warm hands as they rubbed away decades of tension inside her.

  He was standing at her head as he worked on her back kneading the muscles until they were completely pliant.

  "Paul, do you ever miss what sex feels like with a woman?" she asked.

  "Yes, but I don't allow myself to think about it. I take the enjoyment of seeing you pleased and find pleasure in that," he answered quietly.

  Lifting her head a bit, she looked directly in his crotch. "Do you know if it works at all?" she questioned.

  He gently nudged her head back down and continued his ministrations to her shoulders and neck. "Every blue moon when I have one of those kinky wet dreams it'll rise to the occasion, but once I wake up at the good part, my erection goes away.

  "So it works, just not when you want it to?" she surmised.

  "Under abnormal conditions," he estimated as he helped her turn over her on her back. "Now let's see how you work."

  Shane could see the wicked look in his eyes and smiled in agreement. Paul could seduce the panties off a nun if he wanted.

  With no shame in her, she accepted him wholeheartedly giving into the lust he inspired inside her.

  Chapter 29

  Arising early, she awoke with Paul, grabbed a quick breakfast and went over to the delivery place to pick up the signed form with Bethany and Budrick's signature. Afterwards, she left to get to Wayne State University campus. With it being a day before Christmas Eve students were scarce, staff was close to none, but Professor Henderson true to form was working in his office.

  He looked very pleased to see Shane and she spoke with him for at least three hours about her internship. He was delighted about how everything was going.

  Shane omitted the Tyrex information and once she was done with Professor Henderson making sure she turned in all her completed finals and assignments she went in search of her other friend.

  Jeremiah was in the lab as usual.

  "How have you been?" she asked.

  "I've relaxed a bit since you've given the senator the information, but why is he pulling out of the hearings?"

  Paul had told her this information yesterday during dinner. "They're putting a lot of pressure on him, so he wants to make sure what we've found is what he's looking for. I heard he did go out to the sight yesterday." She didn't want to let Jeremiah know Tyrex was blackmailing the senator. Nor did she want to reveal all the past couple of day's event either.

  "I don't believe what's on television anyway," Jeremiah shunned with relief. "How's that thing going with your boss?"

  "There's nothing going on, Jeremiah," she adamantly said.

  "And the grass is purple. He was so jealous I thought green beams would shoot from his eyes and roast me like a flambéed duck!" he exaggerated.

  Shane laughed, but carefully avoided the subject of Andrew with Jeremiah. She promised to speak to him right after Christmas if she heard from the senator or knew of any updates.

  “And I’ll let you know about all the final test results from those coffee grounds you gave me in a couple of days.”

  “Thanks Jeremiah. If you can’t reach me or we miss each other, please make sure you reach Paul.”

  He looked a bit uncomfortable. “Are you going somewhere?” he questioned worriedly.

  “No, but sometimes my boss may want to go out of town or maybe you can’t reach me on my phone.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t scare me like that, Shane. I thought maybe you were really scared that the Meadows would hurt you soon.”

  “No, but I need to stop being stubborn and listen to my gut and stay away.”

  “Yes, you do,” he agreed wholeheartedly. “Happy Holidays.”

  Before heading back to her car, she detoured over to her lockers on campus to make sure there wasn't anything she needed out of there. Sadie was there shutting down everything and very glad to see her.

  "I've been asking people if they seen’t you, but no one knows a damn thang," Sadie grumbled giving Shane a nice big hug.

  "I'm working at an internship. A really nice internship, Sadie," she said excitedly.

  Sadie looked surprised. "And that meddling nasty aunt ain't trying to destroy you for it?"

  "I've been staying away so she wouldn't do that. We’ve reached a formal agreement for her to move out of the house."

  "You got the money?!" Sadie exclaimed. "How'd you get the money?"

  Shane shrugged avoiding the answer to that question. As much as she loved Sadie, she didn't want the older lady to know all her business, plus with Sadie knowing too much, Shane could jeopardize the secret she had with Paul.

  "I just did, Sadie, and when I gave it to her I made her sign some papers to make sure she'll be moving out in the time she promised."

  "Which is?" Sadie asked warily.

  "Six months." She showed Sadie the papers and Sadie looked it over carefully to make sure everything looked authentic.

  "You think she'll keep her promise?" Sadie asked with doubt in her voice.

  Shane didn't know. "Whether she does or don’t, I have this paper to kick her out and sue her for however long she does stay there."

  "You'd do all that?"

  Shane shook her head. "But my lawyer would."

  "Good, because they way you been talking about that aunt, I don't think I trust her," Sadie said. “Your momma and her can’t be cut from da’same cloth, 'cause it wasn’t one bad bone in your momma’s body.”

  "I feel the same way Sadie," Shane agreed wholeheartedly.

  Sadie added, “I will say your momma was stubborn as hell not involving your father more in your raising.”

  "I met my father!” Shane admitted with joy, glad to be able to share her news with someone who was close to her.

  "You did?" Sadie looked surprised.

  Shane nodded.

  Sadie smiled satisfactorily. "It's about time you found out who your old man was. Did you like him?"

  Shane shrugged. "That's neither here nor there, but at least now, I can have a little piece of mind knowing that I know him."

  "It sure seems like a lot has happened to you since I last saw you," Sadie said shaking her head in disbelief. “You ain’t got no anger in your bones bout him not getting involved until now, do ya?”

  Sincerely, she shook her head. “He explained he had a wife and then there were other important things in his life and I understood. Plus, my mother was stubborn and I think he figured I would be stubborn too.” She wasn’t sure just how much Sadie knew about her father, but she had a feeling the woman wasn’t going to say much about it. Sadie had secrets and she knew things, Shane had always suspected that, but she cared about the older woman a lot and didn’t want to force her to tell her anything she didn’t want to. Plus, Shane felt there was a lot of the past that Sadie wanted to forget.

  “He had his reasons and all you can do is let the past stay the past. Even when you were old enough to accept the truth, I always thought if he really knew about all you were going through maybe he could’ve stepped in. Trust him now though, Shane. Let him make it all up to you.”

  Shane liked hear
ing that because that’s what she had resolved to do in the back of her mind. She was glad to know that her decision to accept her father in her life despite him not being there before now was a good thing and not something silly. "That's not all, Sadie," Shane said. "I'm going to be married too."

  "Really? So soon after college?” Sadie said worriedly. I thought you wanted to get your career in order first. You just bout to graduate and you just got your first internship, right?”

  "Yes, but I have a career," she assured her friend. "Marriage won't get in the way of my career goals."

  Sadie warned, "Many a women says that in the beginning, Shane. Have you told this fiancé and your daddy ‘bout your aunt? They need to know the severity and apprehension that I got.”

  Evasively, Shane said, “I’ve told them and I’ve already vowed to myself that I shouldn’t go around there until I find out what their doing. I’m staying away.”

  “Have you told them that you think your aunt has threatened your life in the past?”

  “Sadie, I told you I’m not going around there.”

  Sadie didn’t look pleased at all. “Gurl, you need to tell them. I know how hardheaded and softhearted you can be, Shane. Just like your mother.”

  “I don’t want to burden them too much. My father has greater concerns to think about than an illegitimate daughter and my fiancé has his own personal things going on. As long as I stay away from the Meadows, I’m fine. I’ve told them enough and they know about how I want her out of the house. Plus my father knows she’s greedy as well.” She really wanted to get off the subject of the Meadows. “I would like to ask your advise on something, Sadie," she said a bit coyly. "With you being a woman of the world, I figured you would know some things on how to please a man."

  "Hell yes, you came to d'right source," Sadie said proudly.

  Shane remembered blushing from head to toe from some of Sadie's past stories, so she knew Sadie had done some things that would be considered illegal in some states. "I want to know, how I would go about bringing a man to erection, when it's difficult for him to do so."

  Sadie smiled wickedly. "It depends on how open your husband can be."

  "Trust me, Sadie, he will be very open to any suggestions that would benefit us," Shane assured her.

  Cracking her knuckles and hunching down on the nearest stool, the older woman said, "You better take notes, 'cause I got some suggestions that will blow your mind."

  Chapter 30

  Sadie did blow her mind and Shane could barely even think about all the other things that Sadie had told her about that was going on in her life. The older woman would be celebrating her eighth year in alcohol anonymous and also a birthday.

  Shane hugged her tenderly and kissed her cheek. "Thank you so much for your support, Sadie. I'll get that wedding invitation to you as soon as they're produced," she promised. "Thank you very much."

  Sadie smiled more to herself and fought the tears in her eyes, Shane was very special to her and the closest she had come to having a daughter in her life she wanted her to be safe and happy. "Your mother would be so proud of you," Sadie said.

  "She'd be proud of you too, Sadie," Shane said before leaving the locker room and heading for her vehicle in the student parking area. She was startled, as Evan suddenly seemed to walk right in front of her in the parking lot pretending he just didn't see her. She knew that was a load of mess because he was done with classes and there was no reason for him to be on the campus.

  "Hey Shane, what are you doing here?" he asked.

  "I should be asking you the same thing, shouldn't I?" she asked suspiciously.

  "I'm just dropping off some assignments I didn't complete. Plus, I can’t give up my internship until the end of next semester because of staff shortage,” he explained grudgingly.

  She looked over in the direction he had come in to see his gold Maverick parked at a peculiar angle as if it had stopped and parked in a hurry. "I see you have your vehicle back again."

  He had the nerve to look over at his own vehicle as if he couldn’t believe it was there either. "Oh yeah, I did."

  "But I thought you were broke, Evan. How did you get the money?"

  He flustered a little bit and even sweat popped on his forehead as if he was very nervous about something despite the cold. "I worked extra hours. You know me, Shane?"

  "That’s the problem, Evan, I don't know you." She moved a bit out of his reach and around him slightly, trying to inconspicuously get to her vehicle to get away from him.

  "What do you mean by that, Shane?"

  "I mean I think you've got something to do with the Meadows and that they're up to something."

  Evan flashed a look of guilt in his dull brown eyes, but quickly looked away to mask his shame. He was never good at hiding his feelings and she could tell he was keeping something secret in his face.

  She waited for a moment but he didn't confess, she said desperately, "Whatever she's holding over you, Evan you need to get away from it. She'll take you down with her. That's why I had to get away from her."

  He stepped away from her as if she knew something she shouldn't. "Just go, Shane. Just stop coming around and-"

  "Hey, Shane," Trudy said, stepping out from behind another car. "Did you ask her, Evan?"

  "What are you doing here?" Shane asked apprehensively.

  Trudy smiled coyly with a little glassiness about her eyes. "Just hanging around with Evan. Passing the time away from that house. You know how my mother's been."

  Shane frowned. Why would Trudy look so content? Her son just died! "What were you suppose to be asking me, Evan?"

  Evan had to be nudged a couple of times by Trudy before he responded. "I-If you want to come my house for Christmas dinner?"

  Shane's life was changing and if Evan was going to be apart of the Meadows than she couldn't be near him either. Shaking her head in disappointment, she said, "No, Evan. I won't come to your home." She headed for the company vehicle. “I have things to do.”

  “For the holiday?” Trudy asked, holding on to Evan for support as if her legs had some how become a little weak.

  It was a sorry excuse and Shane just needed to get away from them. “Lots of work and things,” she flubbed, carefully watching Trudy out the corner of her eye. From what she remembered, Trudy wasn’t a drug user, but there was something just odd about her behavior. She was smiling a little bit too much.

  "Where'd you get that car from?" Evan asked suspiciously.

  "My company."

  "Yeah right, Shane," Trudy mocked. "Like you got that money you gave my mother?"

  "That's none of your business," Shane said stiffly.

  "I told you, Evan. I told you she ain't nothing but a whore,” Trudy sneered. “Just like her mother.”

  Evan huffed with frustration and stepped towards Shane. "Shane, I don't care what you're doing, I just want to spend some time with you." There was a lot of emotion on his face and she had a feeling he wanted to say more, but didn’t because Trudy was standing right there.

  Shane gave him a long lost look, knowing this could probably be the last time they would talk. He could not be trusted and she knew she couldn't be around him if she couldn't trust him. "How long, Evan? How long have you been apart of this?"

  He tightened up and Shane knew he wouldn't say.

  She shrugged away her hurt and changed the subject. "When is the funeral?" she asked.

  "How do you know we want you there?" Trudy smirked.

  Angrily, Evan snapped, "Go get your ass in the car."

  Trudy looked surprised at his outburst and stalked to the car, slamming the door.

  "I'm sorry," he said. "She's on a lot of medication right now. I don’t think she even remembers that Derrick died. She went a little ballistic after you left and they had to restrain her, then we think she tried to commit suicide last night by putting a hair dryer in the tub with her, but the plug blew out in some weird way."

  "You think she's going crazy?"

/>   "I don't know."

  "You love her, Evan? Is that why you aren't going to school? Because you love her and your son and you want to be with her, right?"

  He lowered his head in shame. "My parents would be ashamed of me if they knew.”

  “Why couldn’t you tell me, Evan? I thought I was your friend.”

  “I think you being ashamed of me is the worse of all, because you mean so much to me.”

  "You should have trusted our friendship and not them, Evan. What’s she holding over you other than that.”

  He looked over at the car and then back at her. Speaking without answering her question, he said, "Trudy's not the type of girl he would want me with, Shane.”

  Shane was still slightly confused about his predicament, but she didn’t want to press him about it because she felt he would start being more evasive. Changing the subject, she asked the question again. “What about the funeral?”

  "It's tomorrow at James Cole's Funeral Home at eleven in the morning. That's the time to view the body. Come about nine. It’s the best time to come," he said. "I'll be there, but they won't. I'll let you come in for a private viewing, okay?"

  She nodded, wondering whose side was Evan really on.

  "Don't come by the house, Shane. Don't come over there until they're gone okay?" he ordered.

  Again she nodded and watched as he walked away. When he got into his car, Trudy was steaming mad at him and Shane could hear them arguing about something as Evan drove away. His voice echoed in her head and a frightening chill ran through her body. What was it about the house he didn't want her to see? What was going on?

  It was only noon, but she wanted to finish off her reports, plus contact the senator and see what happened to the expedition out to the site. She knew the easier thing was to talk with Andrew, but she didn't know if she could just talk. Not so soon. Just thinking about having a conversation with him made her insides do flip flops, but she repressed her feelings for him. She had to in order to maintain her sanity at the office. She knew she couldn't allow anyone to know that deep inside she had shared something with Andrew. What they had done was no ordinary sexual experience?