He grinned. "You're asking a brand-new bridegroom where he's taking his bride? I thought I'd been too obvious to leave any doubt in your mind."
She could feel her face flush at the obvious look of desire in his face. "What about the trial?"
They came out of the courthouse and headed toward Greg's car. "The judge expects this one to be over this afternoon. Therefore ours will begin at nine in the morning."
"Don't you have to get ready for it?"
He helped her in the car. "Honey, that's all I've been doing since we got back from Colorado. I'm ready for the trial." He paused and touched her cheek lightly with his finger. "I'm also more than ready to get this marriage started."
Brandi watched as he walked around the car and got in. One thing she could say about Greg was that he had great powers of concentration. Now that he was concentrating on her, she felt that she was vibrating from the intensity of his attention.
They drove to the condominium where he stayed while in St. Louis. It was located high above the downtown area, with a view of the Mississippi River and St. Louis's famous arch.
Since they'd been in town, Greg had shown her the sights, and had taken her for a marvelous dinner at one of the restaurants located in the Union Station mall. She'd been fascinated by the artwork displayed there.
"Did you get in touch with Tim?" she asked in hopes of diffusing some of the tension that seemed to fill the car.
"I tried, but couldn't reach him."
"Then he doesn't know we're married?"
"He isn't going to be surprised. I told him when he called on Saturday that this was what I wanted."
She smiled. "And he didn't try to talk you out of it?"
"He knew better." Greg reached over and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the rings he had placed there. '"I've rushed you, haven't I?"
"I don't mind."
"But you deserved so much more—a big wedding, a white gown—"
"I'm not Penny, Greg. No matter how we would have planned it, you are the only man I've ever loved, ever wanted to marry.''
He took her hand in his. "I didn't realize I was being so obvious."
"I'm sorry about the past, Greg, but I'm glad you weren't married when we met."
"So am I. It scares me to think about not having you as part of my life."
They pulled into the underground parking lot of his building, got out of the car and walked over to the elevator. Brandi glanced at her watch. "It's only two o'clock. It seems strange to have you here in the middle of the day. Are you sure there isn't something you're supposed to be doing at your office?"
He grinned. "Positive. Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to get rid of me?" They stepped into the elevator, and Greg punched the number to his floor.
She shook her head and watched the numbers of the floors they passed flash by. "I suppose I'm just nervous. I'm not really very experienced at this sort of thing."
"Neither am I. I've never been married before."
She shook her head. "I just don't want to disappoint you."
The doors opened slowly, and they stepped into the hallway. Greg already had his key out. They walked to the door in silence. After unlocking it, he motioned for her to precede him into the foyer.
They had been staying here for the last few nights. Once again, Brandi had been occupying the guest bedroom. Now she had no reason to continue to sleep alone. She turned to Greg.
''I'm being silly, I know."
"You're being adorable, as usual," he said, sliding his arms around her waist. "I apologize for my Neanderthal behavior, love. I'll admit it. All I could think about was being alone with you... without interruption. I didn't mean to frighten you."
Her arms crept around his neck. "I could never be frightened of you, Greg. I love you. I want to learn how to express that love. Show me how."
Never in his life had anyone looked at Greg with so much love and trust. He could feel a trembling deep within himself that he could only pray wouldn't reveal itself to her. Surely it wasn't traditionally the bridegroom who trembled.
He loved her so much. He wanted everything between them to be perfect from this day forward. Greg picked her up and carried her into his bedroom. At long last, she was where she belonged, where he had wanted her to be since the first day they had met.
Slowly he allowed her feet to touch the floor so that she was standing only a few inches from him. Then, for the first time since the wedding ceremony, Greg leaned down and kissed her.
Brandi felt as though she had been waiting for days for his kiss. Not since Saturday night had he kissed her with so much feeling, so much passion and fervor. Since coming to St. Louis he'd reverted to the chaste good-night kisses that had almost driven her out of her mind.
Now he showed no reserve whatsoever. The heat they were generating at the moment raised the temperature of the room several degrees. By the time he reluctantly raised his head, Brandi knew her knees were not going to hold her weight.
She sat down on the side of the bed and looked up at him helplessly. He knelt beside her.
"You okay?"
She nodded. His face was flushed, and his eyes glittered m the afternoon light. Without thinking, she brushed her fingers through his thick hair. Then she reached for his tie and began to loosen it.
He looked gorgeous today, the well-fitted suit contrasting beautifully with his shirt and tie. And yet all Brandi could think about at the moment was how good he looked without them. Following her instincts, she quickly unbuttoned his shirt so that she could touch his bare chest.
When her fingers touched him, she felt his reaction and her eyes met his.
Greg felt as though his heart were going to explode from its rapid beating. Brandi's touch seemed to bring his body to a quivering awareness. Quickly he shrugged out of his jacket and shirt, giving her more room to explore.
He found the zipper to her dress, slowly moving it from her neck, down her spine and to her hips. The dress fell away as though its presence were no longer necessary, the warm woolen material giving way to his masculine warmth.
In less than a minute he had Brandi totally disrobed and under the covers. After removing his shoes, socks and suit pants, Greg joined her.
"This does have a certain sense of familiarity to it, doesn't it?" he asked, pulling her into his arms.
He was right. Their bodies adjusted to each other as though from years of habit.
"Only this time we're not asleep," Brandi managed to say, a little breathlessly.
"Were you thinking about taking a nap?" he asked, tracing the gentle curves beneath his fingers.
"The thought never crossed my mind," she responded honestly.
"Good," he murmured with a great deal of satisfaction. Then there were no more words, unless their soft murmurs of pleasure could be considered as such.
Greg took his time experiencing the fantasies that had filled his head about Brandi since he'd first met her. He kissed and caressed each and every part of her body, coming to know her and enjoy her, revealing to her the wonderful secrets her body had harbored while she'd waited for the right man to come along, the man with the right touch and the right timing to share with her all that she needed to learn about her own sexuality.
By the time Greg had moved above her, Brandi had lost all of her self-consciousness. She had imitated his explorations, learning his body and its responses to her touch. Her body had taken over, eagerly awaiting each step on the journey to fulfillment.
Greg's patience with her was rewarded. As he took careful possession of her she relaxed and absorbed him, accepting the natural culmination of all that they felt and shared.
Brandi marveled in the sensations she continued to experience as Greg showed her how beautiful an experience their coming together could be. He made love to her gently, but with an intensity that left no doubt that she was more important to him than anyone or anything else in his life.
Brandi felt the tension continue to mount within her as sh
e followed his lead. Never had she experienced anything like the wonderful sensations he was evoking. She felt as though the two of them had been lifted up high above the universe to experience all that was there for two lovers to enjoy.
She let out a soft cry as her body seemed to contract and then expand, and she felt as though she were melting and becoming a part of him. Her cry seemed to be a signal to Greg, for as she held him tightly, he groaned, making one last convulsive lunge before rolling to her side and collapsing against the pillow.
So that was what lovemaking was all about, Brandi thought with a small sigh of pleasure. The complete giving of oneself to another. That intimate sharing in which hearts, minds and bodies intermingled. How could she possibly have thought that she didn't need such a sharing in her life?
Within moments they were asleep.
❧
Streams of sunlight shone through the drapes the next morning. One fell across Brandi's face, causing her to open her eyes.
For a moment she had no idea where she was. Then she became aware of the solid warmth at her back and across her waist. Greg.
Memories of the previous day came tumbling back into her mind with clarity. They had gotten married the day before. Since then, they had spent most of their time in bed.
She glanced at the clock. It was still early. Greg had to be in court that morning, but he had plenty of time. She smiled. He needed his rest. Although they had gotten up later in the afternoon to eat, their impromptu meal had been interrupted more than once by a kiss or a caress, and they had soon found themselves back in bed.
Brandi stretched, feeling a sense of well-being that she had never before experienced. Not even her imagination had prepared her for the wonderful sense of beauty that resulted when she willingly shared herself with the person she loved.
"Good morning."
His lips touched the nape of her neck, causing her to shiver.
She shifted so that she could see his face. "Yes, it is," she said with a shy smile.
"Are you happy?"
"Extremely."
"Not sorry that I rushed you into marrying me?"
"How could I possibly be sorry about that?'' She kissed him lightly, enjoying the intimacy of holding him close without the urgency of lovemaking. "What more could I possibly want in life than this?"
He glanced at his watch. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind for a honeymoon, however."
"It doesn't matter."
"Once this trial is over, I'll clear my calendar and we'll take off, go somewhere. Wherever you want."
"I need to go home, you know. I left in such a rush. There's so much to do .... pack, talk to a realtor, get my car."
"We'll do all of that. We've got all the time in the world to take care of whatever needs to be done. We're together now. That's the important thing."
"Yes," she murmured, kissing him once again.
Greg deepened the kiss and began to show her the many pleasurable sensations that could occur during lovemaking, even when there was not the urgency that had once controlled them.
❧
Hours later, Brandi sat in the unfamiliar atmosphere of the courtroom and looked around. This was part of Greg's world, a place where he felt at home and at ease. The hushed tones of the attorneys sitting at the tables in front of the judge's bench speaking to their clients were the only sounds she heard.
There were only a couple of people sitting in the spectators' seats. Brandi smiled. She'd seen too many movies and television shows, she guessed, in which the courtroom had been filled to overflowing. The reality was much less dramatic.
She sat quietly during the morning session, not understanding any of the various motions and exhibits offered. For some reason she had thought there would be a jury, but Greg had told her that very few divorce hearings, even contested ones, had a jury.
Brandi enjoyed watching Greg at work. Now that she had seen his informal side—and his passionate side—she could better appreciate the professional who was emerging before her. She'd seen glimpses of him since they had met, but now the full force of his personality and his quiet strength seemed to take over.
She was still having trouble remembering that this man, this marvelously skilled and analytical professional, was in love with her, was married to her, was her husband.
As the days went by, she was more and more enthralled, not only by the intricacies of the law but also by the man who took her home each evening and continued showing her all the many ways a man and woman could express their love for each other.
Even now she had trouble concentrating on the case he was trying. When she watched him move between the table where his client sat and the witness chair she v/as reminded of the sleek muscles that were hidden beneath the suit coat he wore. When he leaned over and picked up a document she could almost feel the strength of his arms as they pulled her hard against his long, lean body.
Brandi shook her head, embarrassed that her imagination could be so active. She found the case engrossing and was determined to pay attention, and she prayed that the outcome would be all that Greg wanted.
The tension in the courtroom had steadily increased as each day had passed. Brandi felt a real compassion for Greg's client. She had been married to her husband for almost twenty years. The evidence had shown that although he was a successful businessman, his behavior at home and in private had been shocking and atrocious.
Greg glanced around the courtroom, his eye catching Brandi sitting quietly in the rear. He was pleased with the progress of the trial. The thorough investigation and careful preparation he had done on the case had given him a decided edge, one he intended to use to his client's advantage. He had managed to introduce enough damaging evidence against Clyde Sherman, his client's husband, to cause the man to become obviously agitated.
Greg had hoped to show the judge the more unstable side of Sherman's nature by having the man lose some of his composure in court.
So far, his strategy appeared to be working. During Greg's cross-examination of Sherman, the man became increasingly flustered and irate. Although Greg carefully kept his questions low-key, the man continued to respond in a loud and insulting manner.
After a particularly abusive outburst on Sherman's part, the judge reprimanded him and suggested a recess until Sherman could gain some control of himself.
Greg turned and walked away from the witness stand. He glanced at his watch. It was a little after eleven, close enough to noon that they probably wouldn't reconvene until after lunch. He'd take Brandi over to the little cafe where he liked to eat during a trial. He was amazed that she had insisted on coming with him each day, but pleased, too. She was taking an active interest in his life, all phases of it. For some reason that surprised him. But then, so much about Brandi continued to surprise him.
Once more he glanced toward the rear of the courtroom. This time she smiled, and he returned her smile.
There was a commotion behind him, and he spun around. Sherman had left the stand, but not quietly. He was shouting obscenities and shaking his fist at Greg and at Greg's client, Carol Sherman. The bailiff was trying to quiet the man when a woman's scream rang out.
Carol Sherman shouted, "Oh, my God! He's got a gun!"
By the time Greg understood what she was screaming, he could see what the man held in his hand.
Everything seemed to move slow motion around him. Sound seemed to echo from all sides. Greg saw the man struggling with the bailiff and, for a brief moment, breaking free.
Clyde aimed the gun at the table where Greg and Carol Sherman stood and fired the pistol. Before Greg could register the events around him, he felt a heavy blow to his body, and at the same time he heard the exploding sound of the gunshot reverberating in the courtroom.
He felt no pain, just a sense of faint surprise before he lost consciousness.
Chapter 11
Everything happened so fast that Brandi didn't understand what was going on until she saw Greg double over and fall to
the floor. Then the loud noise, the yells and the scuffling across the room began to make a horrible kind of sense.
Greg had been shot by his client's husband.
Brandi ran to the front of the courtroom, not even realizing that she was screaming Greg's name. One of the court officials caught her by the arm. "Don't crowd him, miss. We're sending for the paramedics. They should be here in a moment."
"But I've got to see him. He's got to be all right. I can't lose him now. Not now!"
She knew she wasn't making sense. Nothing in her world made sense at the moment. What was it about her that caused people to die? Was Greg going to die because he loved her? Was that why she had lost her father? And later her mother? Did she carry some sort of curse that caused the deaths of those she loved?
They wouldn't let her get near him, but one of Greg's associates, who had been sitting in on the proceedings, came over to her and guided her away when the ambulance attendants arrived.
"Mrs. Duncan? Let me drive you to the hospital. We can follow the ambulance."
She looked at him blankly.
"I'm Jack Stem, Mrs. Duncan. We met when Greg brought you to the office. Remember?"
She nodded uncertainly.
"Will you come with me?"
"I want to see Greg."
"I know you do. We'll get there as soon as we can, all right?"
The rest of the day was a blur to Brandi. People were talking all around her. Flashbulbs were going off everywhere. She vaguely remembered watching the traffic on the way to the hospital and hearing the soothing voice of Greg's associate talking to her, trying to calm her.
She felt calm. She felt numb—cut off from the world. It was her fault. She knew it was her fault. She had done this to him. She had known better. If she hadn't fallen in love with him, he would be safe.
Later she remembered them saying that he had been rushed into surgery to remove the bullet. A doctor had taken one look at her and treated her for shock. People kept asking her questions, but she didn't know how to respond. She didn't know what had happened.
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