No Exchanges, No Returns

by Laurie Kellogg

“And I love you, too,” she whispered, kissing her way down his taut abdomen. “As your slave girl, the sole purpose of my existence is to give you the kind of ecstasy you’ve never dreamed possible.”

  Clutching the sheet, he panted, his pulse thrumming in his ears. Clearly, she hadn’t taken his profession of love very seriously. But damn, all he could concentrate on was her luscious mouth searing a fiery path down his body.

  Anticipation paralyzed him as her lips inched closer to his hard-on.

  The hell with it. Tomorrow night he’d get his parents to baby sit for a couple of hours and do it right. He’d take Casey out for a romantic dinner and propose to her by candlelight.

  His heart nearly seized as his body twitched in response to her slithering tongue. If anyone had ever told him he could love a woman this much, he’d have sworn the individual wasn’t playing with a full deck.

  “So? What do you think of this game?” she murmured. “You seem a little, uhh....tense.”

  Tense? He was about to freaking explode.

  She lifted her head and grinned up at him. “Do you want me to stop?”

  “Hell, no! Not ever.” He groaned and then chuckled. “Well—maybe in about sixty years or so.”

  ~*~

  Sweat trickled down Brianna’s back as she drew in a long breath to compose herself and lifted her hand to ring the doorbell. She shouldn’t be this nervous about seeing David and Casey together.

  Before her finger touched the button, the heavy oak and leaded glass door swung open and a matron in her late fifties nearly ran her over. “I’m sorry, Miss.” The plump woman hugged her purse to her ample chest and retreated a step into the foyer. “I was just leaving. Can I help you?”

  Who was this lady? “Umm—hello. I’m Brianna McIntyre.”

  “Ahhh....” The woman nodded. “Miss Casey’s sister. I saw your picture on the mantel—except your hair was much longer.”

  “I got tired of taking care of it.” Brianna patted her collar length wig, praying it looked natural enough that Casey and David wouldn’t notice.

  “It looks very nice. I’m Lydia Armstrong, the housekeeper and nanny. The doctor told me they were expectin’ you later this week. I changed the sheets in the guestroom just this morning.”

  Housekeeper? Things had changed quite a bit around here. “Well, I managed to leave earlier than I thought I could.”

  Lydia glanced over her shoulder at the stairs. “Your sister and Dr. Lambert went up for a nap about twenty minutes ago. It seems the little one has her days and nights mixed up.” The woman blew a rebellious strand of dark hair out of her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ve got an appointment, so I can’t stay and chat. Please, make yourself at home.” She lumbered to the Saturn parked in the driveway.

  After hauling her overnight case inside, Brianna closed the door with her foot and glanced into the dining and living rooms. The housekeeper wasn’t the only difference. As expected, Casey had done a beautiful job decorating the place.

  It was just as well everyone was napping. It would give her a chance to change into an outfit that camouflaged how much weight she’d lost.

  She grabbed her small suitcase and climbed the stairs. On reaching the nursery door, she stalled, unable to resist taking a peek at her niece.

  Brianna crept inside to see the adorable baby who could’ve been hers. Her tiny rosebud mouth sucked gently in her sleep. Lord, she was a treasure. Everything Brianna had ever dreamed of having as her own.

  A soft masculine snore drew her gaze to the master suite’s open door and ultimately to the king-size bed beyond it. The man she’d been married to slept there with her sister curled up in the crook of his shoulder, her head resting on his bare chest.

  Tears rolling down her face, Brianna watched Casey snuggle closer while David buried his nose in her hair.

  This was precisely how Brianna had hoped to find them, wasn’t it? A happy couple all wrapped up in each other. Everything had worked out as she’d planned. Just the way things should have been from the very beginning.

  She smiled and wiped her cheeks. So then why did it hurt so darn much?

  ~*~

  “What time did you say your parents were coming?” Casey glanced over her shoulder at David descending the back staircase behind her.

  He shifted the baby to his opposite shoulder. “About six-thirty. I figured you could nurse Jamie again right before we leave. That way we won’t have to rush through dinner.”

  “I’m really not crazy about leaving her with anyone yet, even for a couple of hours.”

  “She’ll be fine. I really want to take you out so we can talk without any interruptions. Besides, my parents are champing at the bit to sit with Jamie. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

  “Fine. If we’re not eating until seven, I’ll need a snack. How about some—” Casey’s feet glued themselves to the tile at the sight of her twin stretched out in the family room recliner. “Brianna.”

  Her sister folded the newspaper she’d been reading and stood. “It’s about time you three woke up.”

  David silently stared at her for several seconds, wearing a self-conscious expression. Finally, he strode across the room and pulled her into a tight hug. “Hey. We didn’t expect you until at least Wednesday.”

  “I managed get away early.”

  He kissed her cheek and stepped back, studying her from head to toe. “I like your hair. You look great.”

  She did, darn her. Casey swallowed hard. The shorter haircut curled in wisps to frame her sister’s face which seemed thinner, thus making her gorgeous cheekbones stand out that much more. In fact, unlike Casey, she looked thinner all over and more beautiful than ever—almost ethereal.

  Brianna turned to her. “How’re you feeling, Case? Are you sore?”

  “Uhhh—not really. Jamie came so fast and was small enough, I didn’t even need an episiotomy.” Casey shook off her embarrassment and wrapped her arms around her sister. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Liar. Deep down you hoped she’d stay away a little longer.

  “Please, let me hold her.” Brianna reached for the baby snuggled up on David’s shoulder.

  “Sure.” He smiled and laid Jamie in Brianna’s outstretched arms.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Casey asked. “She’s the spittin’ image of you as a newborn.”

  Tears welled in Brianna’s eyes as she gazed down at the baby. “Yes, she is.”

  David shifted his feet and glanced at his watch. “While you two are getting reacquainted, I’m gonna run up and take a shower.”

  The coward escaped up the steps, leaving Casey to break the ice with Brie on her own.

  “You’ve obviously made your daddy a very happy man,” Brianna cooed to Jamie and sank onto the sofa with the baby.

  “He’s been looking forward to your visit,” Casey explained. “We’ve both missed you.”

  “David doesn’t just look happy, Casey. He seems a lot more relaxed, too.”

  “He’s not working as many hours. In fact, he’s hoping, once you see that he’s gotten his priorities straight, you’ll consider coming home for good.”

  Brianna’s gaze narrowed. “He told you that?”

  “Not in so many words.” Casey shrugged. “But I’m sure he wants you back.”

  “Really? And what about you? I’m not stupid. I know the two of you’ve been—”

  “I was just a distraction for him, Brie—a simple rebound relationship. It’s you he’s always loved.”

  “Except you’re in love with him, aren’t you? I know you couldn’t sleep with him if you weren’t.”

  She turned her face away and blinked back her tears.

  “I have a confession to make, Casey. When I moved out of our townhouse before my wedding, I accidentally took one of your cartons.”

  “I know. I saw it in the garage.”

  Brianna bunched her finely arched brows together and stroked Jamie’s head. “Do you have any idea what was in that box?”


  “Just some odds and ends I planned to leave in storage.”

  “One of those odds and ends was a journal. I didn’t mean to read it, but when I leafed through it to see what it was, I noticed David’s name all through it. The next thing I knew, I’d read the whole thing.”

  Oh, God, no. Casey had scribbled all her disappointment and bitterness on those pages as a catharsis. She closed her eyes and flopped onto the couch next to her sister and Jamie. “When did you read it?”

  “At the end of February,” Brianna whispered.

  “Please tell me that’s not why you left.”

  “No, of course not. But your journal helped me take a long hard look at my marriage. I realized how right you and David were together and what a wrong fit he and I had always been. I saw how much he enjoyed your company and how hard it was for you to give up your baby for me.”

  Brianna sniffled and pressed her lips to Jamie’s head. “I can’t tell you what it means to me that you were willing to give me such a beautiful gift.”

  The pain in her sister’s voice clawed at Casey’s heart. “Well, I’m sorry, but that offer expired when you left. Jamie is mine, and I won’t give her up, whether David wants you back or not.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to. In the last few months, I’ve realized I might have purposely chosen not to notice you were interested in him because I was so used to getting all the guys. Now I’m even wondering if maybe I sent off some subconscious signals to Jeff while you were engaged to him.”

  Obviously Casey hadn’t been the only one suffering from a major case of sibling rivalry.

  “It doesn’t matter. It was better I found out he was a cheater before I married him. Believe me, you’re not the only one who’s done some soul-searching. I suspect my motives for helping you haven’t always been the purest.”

  “Whatever your reasons, you’ve still been willing to take a back seat to me our entire lives. It’s time for you to come first.”

  “That would be nice.” Casey smiled. “But aren’t you ignoring something vitally important, Brie? What about how David feels? It’s you he’s always loved.”

  Brianna shook her head and snorted. “You’re something else. Do you always have to be such a damn martyr? Think of yourself for a change.”

  Casey considered her sister’s accusation. Those allegations might have been true in the past, but not now. “There’s not a speck of martyrdom involved, Brie. I can’t be happy if the people I love aren’t. And I want what’s best for David....and you. But most importantly, I don’t want to be second choice anymore. With David, I would be. So you see, I really am thinking of myself.”

  “You’re wrong about him.”

  Casey stood and snatched her purse off the counter. She had to get out of there before she burst into tears. “Listen, David’s parents are coming to babysit, and they’ll be devastated if I take Jamie with me. When they get here, you go out to dinner with David and tell him what you just told me. You’ll see I’m right. It’s not too late for the two of you.

  “No. That’s ridiculous,” Brianna called as Casey dashed through the laundry room to the garage and pressed the button to raise the overhead door. She climbed into the SUV, started the engine, and slammed the gearshift into reverse. “Wait!” Brianna shouted from the door, cuddling Jamie as Casey backed out of the garage. “David’s in love with you. I know he is.”

  If only that were true. Except, if simply wishing for something turned a person’s dreams to reality, everyone in the world would be holding a winning lottery ticket.

  Chapter 18

  David slapped on a splash of aftershave and straightened his tie, praying his mother didn’t forget to bring his grandmother’s ring. Whistling, he trotted down the back stairs and joined Brianna in the family room. “Did Casey explain about our plans to go out for dinner?”

  “Yes, but she—”

  “I’d ask you to join us, except I need to talk to her alone tonight.” He glanced down the hall. “Where is she? Did she go up the front stairs to change?”

  “No, she left.” Brianna jiggled Jamie to soothe her.

  “What do you mean, she left? Where’d she go?”

  “I have absolutely no idea. I tried to stop her, but she told me I should go out to dinner with you in her place.”

  Why the hell would she do that? He peered at Brianna blissfully rocking his daughter, and his insides began to boil. “What’d you say to her?”

  “Nothing, I swear. She just thought we should talk.” An odd expression resembling triumph flitted across Brianna’s face. “My sister thinks we should get back together.”

  “What!” He did a double take, unable to believe what he’d just heard. Then again, why should it surprise him? Ever since Casey had moved in with him in June, she’d been halfway out the door. Brianna must have said something to make her sister run. “You think you can just walk out on me for five months and then suddenly decide you want to be my wife again? Should I assume after holding my daughter for fifteen minutes you also suddenly you want to be a mother again?”

  Brianna pursed her lips in a suppressed smile. “You mean you don’t want me back?”

  “No, damn it! And this isn’t funny. How could you do this to Casey? To me? We’re not yo-yos whose strings you can keep yanking whenever it suits you.”

  “I know that. I’m not trying to—”

  “For your information, I’m in love with your sister. I planned to ask her to marry me tonight.”

  A big grin spread across Brianna’s face. “Good. That’s exactly what I hoped to hear.”

  “Then why the hell did you make her think you wanted me back?”

  “I didn’t, really. That’s simply what you’ve let her believe you’d prefer. Why haven’t you told her you love her?”

  “I have.” Except, she’d been so preoccupied with giving him a night he would never forget, she hadn’t taken him seriously. He should’ve stopped her and made her listen. But her talented little mouth and hands had been doing amazing things to him that would’ve made the Pope forget his own name.

  “This is my own fault for not proposing last night,” he murmured absently, then jerked his gaze to Brianna. “So if you didn’t want to patch things up with me, why the hell were you trying to make me think—”

  “Because I needed to be sure you’re as crazy about Casey as I hoped you’d be.”

  “You wanted me to fall for your sister?” Could this situation get any more bizarre?

  “Sort of. It’s obvious you and Casey were made for each other. However, my sister is so used to playing second fiddle to me, she would’ve always doubted your feelings if I didn’t force you to choose her over me.”

  If anyone could understand that, he could. He’d spent a lifetime feeling second best to his brother.

  “Thank you. I know I could’ve been a lot better husband.” He undoubtedly would’ve been if he’d ever felt as deeply for Brianna as he did for her sister. His horrified reaction to his ex’s insinuation that she might want to reconcile had proved his reasons for wanting Casey as his wife were the right ones.

  “No regrets, please.” Brianna shifted Jamie in her arms and then squeezed his hand. “You and I were never really meant for each other.”

  “I see that, now. I’m sorry, but I have to find Casey. She’s everything I’ve ever needed in my life.”

  “I’m happy you finally realized it. I told you one day you would thank me for leaving.”

  He didn’t have time to listen to her I-told-you-so. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Casey’s mobile number. It rang six times before she finally answered in a panic.

  “Is Jamie all right?”

  “She’s fine. Where are you? And why did you leave?”

  “I’m not up to talking to you right now, David. Go have dinner with Brie. I need some time to myself. I’ll be back later to nurse Jamie.”

  Before he could answer, she disconnected the call.

  “Damn
it! She hung up on me,” he told Brianna as he rang Casey’s number again. His call went straight to voicemail.

  At least he knew she was safe. “I’m sorry to run out on you, too, but I need to go look for her.” The doorbell’s reverberation made him flinch, and he dashed to the front door to let his parents in. “Did you bring Nana’s ring?” he asked, kissing his mother’s cheek on the threshold.

  “Give your mom a chance to get in the door.” His father laughed. He glanced back to the driveway. “Isn’t that Brianna’s Porsche?”

  David stepped back to let them inside. “She arrived early.”

  Judy handed him a black velvet box and whispered, “After you called this morning, I took it to the jeweler. He checked the settings on all the stones and cleaned it.”

  He opened the case and stared down at the oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by a platinum starburst of flawless diamonds. It wasn’t a large stone or worth all that much as engagement rings went. However, as a little boy, he’d loved sitting in church with his grandmother and watching the way the stones sparkled whenever her hand moved. When he’d proposed to Brianna, he’d believed he needed to get her something expensive and flashy.

  “Casey will love this. Thank you for letting me give it to her.”

  Judy craned her neck to look past him down the hall. “Shhh—she’ll hear you.”

  “That’s impossible since she ran out while I was showering. Brianna’s in the family room with the baby. She’ll explain.”

  “Oh, jeez.” His father’s mouth tightened. “I suppose things didn’t go well between them. Where do you think she went?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine, Pop. Maybe Mattie’s or Andy’s. The only thing I know for sure, is I won’t be back until I’ve found her.” David tucked the ring box in his jacket pocket, and as he pulled the door open to leave, the doorbell rang again.

  Son of a bitch. He was never going to get out of there.

  A tall good-looking guy stood on the porch, rage burning in his eyes. “I’m looking for Brianna. That’s her car, so I know she’s here.”

  “Uhh....how do you know Bri—”

  The irate stranger didn’t wait for an invitation to come in but, instead, pushed past David and stormed by Gerald and Judy in the hallway, yelling, “Brianna!”