by Dori Lavelle
“And secrets do not exist in this family,” Grace adds. “They tell each other everything.”
I try to join in the laughter, but instead, I only croak. I quickly cover my discomfort with a smile and a downward glance.
“One more thing,” Brooke adds. “These brothers love each other more than they love us. The only way to deal with it is to accept it.”
“So true.” Grace lets out a peal of laughter. “They sometimes pretend to get on each other’s nerves, but it’s all a cover.”
“Damn!” Caleb drags a hand through his sandy blond hair. “They’re on to us. We were so careful.”
All the brothers laugh.
“Is it too late to change my mind?” I ask with a small laugh that doesn’t feel genuine to my own ears.
“Absolutely not,” Lance says. “I’m not letting you go anywhere.”
Underneath the table, I place a hand on his thigh and keep it there, assuring him and myself that everything will be all right, that nothing will ever come between us.
“Can I finish the toast now?” Bryant asks, glancing at both Grace and Brooke.
“Since she hasn’t bolted yet, I guess you should.” Brooke picks up her glass.
Bryant raises his glass again. “I really don’t have much more to say, Jia, except that we all look forward to having you as part of our family. You and Lance are such a beautiful couple. We are grateful to you for showing him how to live again. May you make each other ridiculously happy.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. “I love your family, and I cannot wait to be a part of it.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Lance says and kisses me.
The moment our lips part, the hairs on the back of my neck rise up and bristle. As more jokes are thrown around, and everyone starts to finish their desserts, I turn to look behind me.
At the table not too far away from ours is a man and a woman. The woman is saying something to the man, but he doesn’t seem to be paying any attention to her. His gaze moves past her shoulder to meet mine.
I can pretend it’s my mind trying to make me crazy, but deep down I know this is real. I can pretend he’s no one—a stranger—but it would be a lie. A shiver of panic riots within me.
He looks much older than his thirty-nine years, a sprinkling of gray in his thick, dark hair glinting in the light. But it’s him, and he’s here at a time I should be celebrating instead of being fearful of the past. Once upon a time those dark eyes had both excited and terrified me all at once. Now all I feel is dread as his gaze pierces through me like a dagger.
A slow, sickening grin spreads across his face, then he winks.
Bitter bile burns the back of my throat, and I push it back down. I peel my gaze from his and return to my conversation with the LaClaires, but I feel cold, and the rush in my ears prevents me from hearing what they’re all discussing. Bryant is saying something to me, but I can’t hear a word. It doesn’t stop me from pretending to listen, bobbing my head every few seconds, forcing a smile.
Still fully aware of his gaze touching the nape of my neck, I pick up my glass, doing my best not to tremble as I bring it to my lips. Before I can take a sip, it slips from my grasp and hits the table with a thud before falling to the carpeted floor. I lower my gaze in horror in time to see the stem of the glass snapping in two. The clear liquid is instantly sucked up by the carpet.
The waiter appears immediately to clean up my mess while Lance rubs my back. He whispers into my ear, but I don’t hear. Unable to stop myself, I turn my head and glance back at the table where my past is sitting. But he’s no longer there.
I wish I was imagining it all, but my body and my heart tell me I’m wrong.
Even though I can’t see him anymore, I can feel his presence all around me.
“Are you looking for something?” Grace whispers and I straighten up so fast I hear a crack in my spine.
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “No, nothing.”
I inhale deeply and my nose captures the scent of musk and leather that transports me instantly back to the past.
Lance takes my hand and whispers, “Are you okay, babe?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” I twirl a lock of my hair around my finger. “I have a terrible headache, that’s all.” I say the words without looking at him, afraid he might see through me. What if he discovers my secrets? What if he finds out I’m not the person he thinks I am?
He places a hand on my cheek and turns me to face him. I blink away the film of tears threatening to cloud my eyes and do my best to smile brighter, to look happy. “I’m sorry if I ruined the evening.”
“Because you dropped a glass?” He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about that. It can happen to anyone. If you’re not feeling well, we should call it a night. You come first.”
“But it’s our engagement dinner.”
“Hey, you have nothing to worry about,” Neal says. “We all enjoyed dinner together, and we already toasted to your wedding. You’ve experienced the whole evening already.”
“And honey, you shouldn’t worry so much about the wedding planning,” Grace adds. “It can be stressful. That’s why you have a wedding planner. I heard Iris Dixon is fantastic. If you need anything else, I’m here. That’s my job as a matron of honor.”
“Don’t allow stress to take over.” Brooke brings her luscious copper hair to one side of her neck. “Enjoy every moment.”
“Thank you so much, everyone, for understanding.” I take another glance at the empty table where my worst nightmare had sat only a few minutes ago. He’s still not there.
“Should we go?” Lance asks.
“In a minute.” I push my chair back and stand. “I need the ladies room first.”
My legs are unsteady as I walk away from the table. But I keep walking, weaving my way through the elegant, candlelit tables. The lights coming from the candlelit centerpieces are blurred as tears fill my eyes. I pick up my pace before someone sees me crying.
In the marble bathroom, I lock myself inside a spacious stall and drop onto the toilet seat. My head falls into my hands, and I shut my eyes, squeezing out the tears. I wipe away the tears with toilet paper.
“Stop it,” I whisper furiously to myself. I take several deep breaths. When more tears flood my eyes, I tip my head back and blink them away, trying not to think about the past and how it could blow my whole life apart.
I step out of the stall, and my heart jumps to my throat. Grace is standing in front of the sinks, refreshing her coral lipstick. She turns away from the mirror with a kind smile.
Should I confide in her? She’s always been so good to me. Maybe she’ll understand.
It kills me to keep my secret all to myself. But I have no other choice. I can’t tell Grace or anyone else. If anybody finds out who I really am and what I did, they’ll turn their backs on me.
I watch as Grace rummages inside her purse and pulls out a small, blue bottle. “Have one of these painkillers.” She presses a pearly, white pill into my hand. “You’ll feel better.”
“Thank you.” I press my lips tightly together.
Grace is watching me with an unreadable expression, a hand moving down her long, blonde curls. “Are you sure you’re okay? Apart from the headache, I mean.”
“Yes, sure.” I avert my gaze.
“It’s just that you haven’t really been yourself the past few days. You’ve been distant. Are you having doubts again…about marrying Lance?”
“Of course not. I love him so much, Grace.” I pop the pill into my mouth and pick up one of the glasses on the marble counter. “He’s everything to me.”
“Of course he is.” Grace’s expression softens. “I just wanted to make sure you’re happy.”
“I really am.” I fill the glass with water and use it to wash the pill down, even though my head is just fine. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Good. But take it easy. I’m here to help you with whatever you need.”
I throw
myself into her arms and allow the calla lily scent of her perfume to wrap around me. “Thank you, Grace. I really appreciate you.” I pull away and gaze into her eyes. “You’re such a lovely person, and I’m lucky to call you my friend.”
“And soon, you’ll be able to call me your sister.” Her expression stills and grows serious. “I really wish your parents were alive to attend your wedding.”
I nod and look away. “Me too.”
“I’ll see you outside, sweetie.” Grace brushes my arm and leaves the ladies room, the skirt of her ivory and gold dress swinging from side to side.
Moments after she’s gone, my phone vibrates inside my purse. I don’t need to look at it to know it’s him. With every vibration of the phone, my entire world shakes.
Ignoring the call, I grab the edge of the sink so tight a nail breaks. My broken nail is the least of my problems. I take a few more minutes to collect myself, waiting for the call to end. Once it does, I return to the dining area.
When Lance sees me, he stands up.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Much better. Grace gave me a painkiller.”
“Good. Ready to go?” he asks, and I nod.
I thank everyone for the lovely evening and apologize again for leaving early, then I walk out of the restaurant with my husband to be. Hugs and kisses are shared to say goodnight.
As I walk out the door with my fiancé by my side, I can’t help wondering whether this wedding is going to happen or if the past will step in to stop it.
6
Lance
I hate seeing Jia in pain, but I also hate that tonight will not end the way I thought it would—with her panting and sweating beneath me as I pump into her. I’ve been thinking about her all day, which made it impossible to focus on any meeting that I attended this afternoon. The woman knows how to screw with my mind. I’ll let her off the hook tonight and make up for it in the morning.
“You look gorgeous,” I say as we approach my Mercedes. When she showed up at the restaurant earlier, not for the first time, I wondered how I could be so lucky to land not only a stunning woman but someone with a great heart.
Jia looks at me but doesn’t respond. Her lips form a smile, but her eyes don’t reflect it. There’s a distant look in her eyes that makes me think she’s not with me at all. She must be in so much pain. My chest aches at the thought that she made an effort to come out to dinner despite feeling unwell. Or maybe my family had brought on the headache. The LaClaires can be intense sometimes.
Dominick, my driver, reaches past me to open the door for Jia, but I place my hand on his to stop him. “I’ve got this.”
“Very well, Mr. LaClaire.” Even though Dominick is twenty years older than me, he’s my only employee who refused from the start to call me by my first name, but I’ve come to accept it. He steps back and clasps his hands in front of him.
When I open the door for Jia, she glances at me with another ghost of a smile and slides into the car. Frowning, I slam the door shut. For a moment, I stand under the light of the streetlamps, wondering whether something is wrong. Is this all about the headache, or is there more going on?
I want to pin everything to the headache, but there’s something nagging at me, something I can’t place a finger on. Or it could be my head screwing with me. Since the day I proposed, and she’d asked for time to think about it, something inside of me had changed. I was ecstatic when she had finally allowed me to slide the ring onto her finger, but at the same time the whole situation had left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I get into the car beside Jia who is sitting ramrod straight, hands clutching the purse in her lap, her jaw tight as though she’s clenching her teeth.
Watching her brings on my earlier discomfort, and my mind takes me back to when she had returned from the ladies’ room a few minutes ago. Her eyes had glistened with tears, but she’d blinked them away quickly. I’d put it down to her being tired, but what if I was wrong?
“Where to, sir?” Dominick asks once he gets behind the wheel. “Should I take you home?”
I take my time before answering because I need to think. “You know what, Dominick,” I say, coming to a decision. “Change of plans.” I glance at Jia who still hasn’t moved a muscle. “I think we’ll spend the night here.”
Jia turns to look at me, her eyes filled with questions. She glances out the car window at the hotel and then back at me. “We’re sleeping here?”
“If you don’t mind.” I pause. “It’s been a while since it’s been just the two of us ... without Rose nearby. We deserve some time alone, don’t you agree?”
She gives a small nod and turns to look back out the window.
Brushing my doubts aside, I call Rose’s babysitter.
“Luisa, I won’t be able to make it home tonight. Would you mind spending the night?”
“Yes, of course. I don’t have anything planned for the rest of the night.”
“How are things with Rose?”
“She’s an angel, as usual. We’re having so much fun playing with her dolls.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” I manage a smile. “Just make sure she’s in bed within the next thirty minutes.”
“No problem. She’s already in her pajamas,” the eighteen-year-old chirps. “Would you like to speak to her?”
“I’d like that. Thanks, Luisa.”
“Just a moment.”
I don’t have to wait long before hearing my daughter’s voice coming down the line, softening the hard edges around my heart. “Hello, Angel. Luisa said you’re having a lot of fun.”
“Lots and lots. We played with the dolls.”
“Daddy is happy to hear that. I have a great idea. Why don’t we have Luisa spend the night in our house?”
“In my house?” She sounds like she’s singing.
“Yes, in your house.” I chuckle. “You can both have the house all to yourselves. Daddy will be coming home tomorrow.”
“Where will you sleep?”
“At a hotel.”
“With Jia?”
“Yes.” I rub my temple.
Jia is still staring out the window. The distance between us seems to be growing by the second. “I’ll see you in the morning, my angel. We can have breakfast together. Be a good girl and go to bed when Luisa says it’s time, okay? Daddy loves you so much.”
“Rose loves you, too, Daddy.” Her breathing is soft and gentle as it drifts down the line. “I want to talk to Jia.”
“Okay, here she is.” I touch Jia’s arm, and she looks at me with wild eyes. “Rose … she wants to talk to you.”
“Oh, okay.” She takes the phone from me. Before she can lift it to her ear, it slips from her hand, but she catches it before it lands on her lap.
They exchange a few words while I try to figure out what’s going on inside Jia’s head.
“I love you, too, Rose,” Jia says finally and hangs up.
Outside the car, the balmy breeze roughens Jia’s dark hair as I walk her back into the building.
Since there’s always a hotel suite reserved for the LaClaires, the manager hands us the keycard immediately, and we disappear into one of the glass elevators. Neither of us says a word to the other.
“Take your clothes off,” I demand as soon as the door to our suite closes behind us. I lower myself onto the cushioned bench by the door.
Jia raises an eyebrow in surprise. “You want to ... Now?”
“You heard me.” I gesture for her to approach me. Talking is not on my agenda right now. We’ll have plenty of time to do that once I’m done with her.
When she’s close enough to touch, I pull her between my legs and spin her around to face the other way. I take my time unzipping her silver and black, figure-hugging dress, my cock hardening as her tan skin is exposed inch by inch. Done, I turn her around again to face me. Her eyes have taken on that sleepy look they resort to when she’s horny. She desires me as much as I desire her.
Her eyes o
n me, her lower lip between her teeth, she slides the dress off one shoulder, then the other and pushes it down the length of her smooth body. Once the fabric reaches her hips, she lets it continue its journey alone down her legs to pool at her feet like black liquid.
Her chest is heaving faster and faster as she removes her bra. Her swollen breasts spring free. My dick hardens to the point of pain, and I unzip my pants to offer it relief. Watching her is both torture and pleasure.
I wrap a hand around my pulsing cock, run it up and down. “Come over here.” My words are a croak in my throat.
Her plump lips curl into a smile as she comes to wedge herself between my legs again, stepping over the dress. She pushes a finger into the elastic of her lace panties. “Should I take these off?”
“Not necessary.” I slide my hand between her legs to push the unwanted piece of fabric aside. “Let me in,” I whisper, burying my face into her belly, eyes closed as I breathe in her fresh perfume. Then I lift my head and allow her to straddle me. She eases my cock into her pussy, letting out a stifled moan. When I’ve filled her completely, she closes her eyes and throws her head back, rocking against me. I encircle her warm breasts with my hands and pinch her nipples between my fingers.
“Oh, Lance.” She presses her forehead to mine and picks up her pace.
Between her moans, I hear the sounds outside in the hallway. Someone laughs, a phone rings, and the elevator dings. I don’t care that they might hear our lovemaking. There’s no way I can make it to the bedroom in this state.
My hands leave her breasts to cup her face. I press my mouth against hers and dip my tongue between her lips. She returns my kiss with the same hunger she always has for me.
I’m done holding back. I place my hands on both sides of her hips and lift her upward along my dick, her warm pussy clenching tight around me.
“Don’t ...What are you doing?” she asks, panting.
“This.” Before I exit her completely, I slam her down my length again so hard, she releases a scream. I do it again and again, reveling in the heat of her. Then when I’m about to break apart, I stop and rest my head between her breasts, her sweat transferring to my forehead. We only catch our breaths for a few seconds when I start again, bucking my hips as her body meets mine. I want to come inside of her but not yet. It’s more powerful for us to come together. I pump into her some more. Her nails dig into my shoulder, but the pain is a small price to pay for this moment of pure ecstasy.