by Lolita Lopez
He nodded. “I sent the papers a few days ago.”
“And what did Mom say?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
“Well that’s nice.” Lexi crossed her arms. “You know she’s not going to be happy about this.” She considered the last big blow-up her parents had had, the one where her mother had tossed a Molotov cocktail onto her father’s prized yacht. “She’s going to be, like, boat burning pissed.”
“I can’t worry about that now, Lexi. The clock’s ticking.”
“Clock?” Lexi frowned. “What clock?”
“I’m pregnant,” Allie proudly announced.
Lexi stared at the woman who would soon be her stepmother. Pregnant? She glanced at her father, a man nearing his sixties. He beamed with happiness and Lexi didn’t have the heart to dash his delight. Instead, she offered her warmest smile. “Congratulations.”
“It’s going to be a boy,” her father predicted. “Took me nearly sixty years but I’m finally going to get my son.”
Lexi’s stomach dropped. That old pain bubbled to the surface. There it was. Her father was normally careful to hide his disappointment in only having a daughter, but apparently with the new baby on the way, he felt comfortable voicing his hope for the one thing he’d always wanted. As a teenager, she’d been forced to learn about running a successful business on her own. All those pleas to join her father at work, to learn how he’d built his massive oil and gas empire, were denied. He’d completely shut her out, confirming her deep-seated fear that he secretly still yearned for a son to carry on the family name and inherit the business. She’d given up any hopes of taking his position in the company then and had forged ahead with a career that was totally her own.
“Lexi?” Frank’s voice cut through her anguish. He hovered in the doorway of the kitchen with Tom. By the looks on their faces, they’d heard everything. She trusted them not to say a word until they were alone in private.
“Come in and meet my dad.” It was so hard not to rush into Frank’s arms and seek his comfort. Instead, she was forced to simply brush her hand against his before melting into Tom’s supportive arms. He gave her a little squeeze and smiled down at her. If anyone could understand her fucked up family dynamic, it was probably Tom.
“Frank Morello.” He shook her father’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
Her father began his usual interrogation. Frank charmed him easily and soon they were talking business. Lexi couldn’t concentrate on the words. The news that her father had finally made a move to divorce and that she was going to be a big sister was too much. She’d been looking forward to this getaway for weeks. The stress of opening up her jewelry boutique and trying to nourish a new relationship with not one but two men had taken their toll. She desperately needed a calm, quiet, love fest of a vacation, not this nightmare of family drama.
The ringing doorbell was a blessed relief. She quietly excused herself and fled the kitchen. Out in the foyer, she inhaled a cleansing breath and approached the ornately carved double doors. The person on the doorstep rang the bell again and again, almost as if agitated or in trouble. Worried that something was wrong, she hastened her step.
“Can I help—?” The words died on her lips as Lexi realized it was her mother and the newest boy-toy standing on the doorstep. “Mom! What are you doing here?”
“That son of a bitch sent me divorce papers!” Her mother stormed into the house. The boy-toy, a thirty something Latino hunk, hurried after her, his arms laden with suitcases.
“Mom,” Lexi tried to interrupt. “Mom, Dad—”
“Can you believe he got that tart knocked-up?” She scoffed and tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder. “I guess those little blue pills really do work!”
Lexi grimaced at the awful vision her mother’s barb conjured. Shaking her head to clear that gross image, Lexi stepped closer to her mother and whispered, “Mom, Dad’s here. With Allie,” she added.
“Allie?” Her mother looked confused.
“The, um, the tart,” Lexi said uneasily, hoping the other woman couldn’t hear. “They’re in the kitchen with Tom and Frank.”
“Tom and Frank?” Her mother huffed. “What the hell is going on here?”
“Tom is my boyfriend. Frank is his business partner. We came up to the lake house for Cinco de Mayo.”
“And invited your father to join you?” Her mother looked wounded at the idea of being left out and supplanted by the new woman.
“No!” Lexi hurried to reassure her mother that wasn’t the case. “We thought the house was going to be empty. I wouldn’t have brought my new boyfriend,” she barely caught herself before using the plural, “here if I’d known all of this family drama would follow us.”
“Well excuse me for wanting to come to my own house to spend time with my daughter!”
“Wait.” Now it was Lexi’s turn to frown in confusion. “How did you know I was here?”
“Rosie called and left a message at the house in Houston. She wanted to know if I needed my usual order from the florist. I put two and two together and decided to come down to see you. Besides,” she added with a roll of her eyes, “how was I supposed to know you’d finally found a man to bring here? I thought you’d be all alone again.”
Lexi let the cutting remark slide. They boy-toy shifted his burden and caught her attention. She hurried over to help him, taking a couple of the bags. “I’m Lexi.”
“Ramon,” he said, his delicious accent highlighting the syllables of his name in a super sexy way. She could see why her mother had picked him as her flavor of the month. Still, her mother wasn’t much better than her father when it came to abusing their marriage vows.
“Mom, do you really want to get into it with Dad over this divorce thing today?” She was ready to grovel if that’s what it took to maintain some peace in the house. “Maybe it would be better to drive into town and get a room at one of the nice bed and breakfast places?” Even though it creeped her out, she added, “There are some really romantic spots in town you two might enjoy.”
“Your mother owns this house. If she wants to stay, she’s staying. Whose side are you on?”
Lexi’s eyebrows lifted at Ramon’s rude question. His sexiness slipped a few points on the scale. “I’m not on anyone’s side. I love both of my parents. I’m trying to prevent a nasty scene by asking Mom to stay in town for a couple of days.”
“Lexington, don’t get snippy with Ramon. He’s just trying to protect me.”
Lexi bit her tongue at her mother’s immediate defense of her boyfriend. She wanted so badly to point out that if Ramon wanted to protect her, he’d have suggested they leave the second he’d learned her father was already in the house. Instead, Lexi plastered a smile on her face. “All right, Mom.”
“Lexi?” Tom strode into the foyer. “You okay? You didn’t come back so I was worried.” He stopped at her side and stared at her mother and Ramon. When he glanced back at her, his expression betrayed his panic. Clearly, he’d worked out their identities. “Is this…?”
Lexi nodded. “Tom, I’d like you to meet my mother, Meredith. Mom, this is Tom O’Brien.” They shook hands and made their introductions. “This is Mom’s boyfriend, Ramon.”
The other man shoved his hand out quickly and enthusiastically shook Tom’s hand. “I can’t believe I’m meeting the Tom O’Brien!”
“Tom O’Brien?” Her mother repeated. “Should I know that name?”
“Tom’s a very well-known mixed martial arts fighter.”
“Well-known?” Ramon laughed. “He’s famous, Meri. Earlier, I had an energy drink with his picture on it.”
Ramon was really starting to grate on Lexi’s nerves. Never one to be a rude, she simply smiled and hoped a hole would open up in the floor and swallow her. This getaway could not get any worse!
“Meredith? What the hell are you doing here?” Her father stood in the arched doorway between the formal dining room and the foyer. He
glanced at Lexi and frowned. “Did you do this? Did you invite them here?”
“I invited myself, Eddie.” Her mother crossed the foyer to stand across from him. Her finger stabbed the air as she spoke. “This is my house, after all.”
“Half yours,” her father corrected. “Don’t count on getting it in the divorce.”
“What divorce?” She smirked. “I haven’t signed a damn thing, and I don’t intend to!”
“Now, you listen here, Meredith, I’m done with this bullshit. You sign the papers.”
“Or what?” She put her hands on her hips. “You’ll burn my favorite yacht? Oh, wait!” She exclaimed in mock remembrance. “I already set fire to and sank your yacht.”
“Damn it, Meredith! This isn’t funny. This is serious.”
“Yes, it is.” Her mother sobered. “Remember where you got the loan to expand your business, Eddie. If you think you’re walking away without giving me a dime, you’ve got another thing coming. Push me hard enough and I’ll own your ass before it’s all over.”
Lexi started to feel dizzy as her parents fought. It was an argument she’d heard over and over again in her childhood. Yes, her father had made a fortune in oil and gas, but it was her mother’s money, an obscene inheritance from her family’s cosmetic business, that had given him the capital to make that leap to a multi-billion dollar a year company.
She reached for Tom’s hand and clung to him in a bid to slow her frantic breathing. She hadn’t had an anxiety attack in a couple of years but felt one coming on fast. Still holding her hand, Tom stepped in front of her, blocking her view of her parents. He raised his voice, something she’d never heard him do before. “I think that’s enough.”
Her parents stopped instantly. Tom squared his shoulders, using his impressive and often intimidating physique to his advantage. “You’re not going to accomplish anything with threats and shouting. This is something for your lawyers to sort out.”
Before her parents could turn on Tom, Frank interjected himself into the conversation. Lexi wondered where the hell he’d come from and how he’d gotten there so quickly. “Eddie, I think Allie needs you. She isn’t feeling well. The shouting scared her.”
Lexi peeked around Tom’s arm to see her father glaring daggers at her mother. He spun on his heel and stalked back to the kitchen. Her mother whirled in a huff and snapped her fingers. “Take our things upstairs, Ramon. We’re staying in the master suite.”
Ramon did as he was told, gathering up the bags and suitcases emblazoned with designer labels and carting them upstairs after her mother. Lexi forecasted that in twenty minutes or less, her parents would be fighting again over the master suite.
“Are you okay?” Tom wound his arms around her waist and kissed her tenderly. “You look pretty shaken up, sugar.”
“It’s been a crappy twenty minutes, Tom.”
“Hey,” Frank said softly as he joined them. He started to reach for her but remembered their cover story. She could tell by the look on his face that it hurt him not to be able to comfort her in public. “Do you want to leave? We could be packed and out of here in five minutes.”
“I’m tempted,” Lexi admitted. “I can’t.” She exhaled roughly. “If I leave, they might really get into an altercation. That Ramon is a real piece of work. I can tell he’s going to cause problems.”
“Lexi, your parents are adults,” Tom gently reminded her. “They can sort out their own shit.”
“I know that but I can’t leave Mom here, not now. She’s in a vulnerable state and that guy she’s with can’t be trusted. I can feel it. Something’s not right with him.”
Tom sighed and looked to Frank. “Well?”
“I want to leave. Like right now,” Frank admitted. “The tension in this place is going to give me an ulcer.” He sighed. “If Lexi wants to stay, we’ll stay. But,” he added quickly, “the next time they start screaming at each other like that, we’re out of here. I’m not letting you put yourself through that, Lexi. You saw enough of it as a kid. You don’t have to deal with that crap now.”
She nodded. “We’ll leave if World War III erupts.”
Tom snorted. “You may as well go ahead and pack up, Frank. We’ll be out of here by dinner.”
Chapter Three
Frank paced his room as he waited for the all-clear to slip into Lexi and Tom’s room. He paused every now and then to glance at his watch but spent most of his time striding from one side of the room to the other trying to forget the most awkward and excruciating dinner of his life. Tom wasn’t often wrong, but he’d lost the bet on Lexi’s parents lunging for one another’s throats by dinner. Somehow, the two of them had managed to keep their anger simmering at an acceptable level.
From watching Lexi’s parents make out with their significant others in the formal sitting room, to the snarky barbs traded between husband and wife during the meal, Frank had never seen a pair of adults act more like children. It had gotten even worse when both felt compelled to tell the story of how they’d met their new loves. He’d wanted to gag when it was revealed that Lexi’s parents had been on vacation together on a Mayan Riviera cruise when they’d met Allie and Ramon. Allie had been a performer in the on-boat shows. Ramon was the poolside bartender.
It was just…weird. Frank had honestly believed Lexi had been exaggerating a little when she’d first discussed her parents with them all those months ago. He couldn’t believe two spouses could be quite so open about their extramarital flings or so callous. Seeing it firsthand proved Lexi had actually been downplaying the dysfunctional relationship.
What really bothered him, what made him want to scream, was the way Lexi’s parents completely ignored her. Sure, he’d grilled the steaks and chicken, but she’d gone to the trouble of putting together some lovely side dishes and a delicious peach cobbler. Had they said one word to her? No. He’d gotten a compliment from her father on his grilling abilities but that was it. Nothing for Lexi.
He was starting to understand why Lexi had a problem with doubting herself. In her professional life, she seemed to have found sure footing. She never doubted her ability to design and create beautiful things. Her personal life was another story. He still remembered the stunned look on her face when she’d realized he and Tom were attracted to her and wanted to make love to her. Convincing her to join them and form a new relationship had been hampered by her self-doubts and fear, all issues stemming from her loony parents and their fucked-up relationship.
He couldn’t figure them out. They were clearly miserable with one another—and yet they couldn’t seem to walk away. What kind of mind-fuck was that? They openly hated one another but paraded around their younger lovers as if trying to provoke jealousy. What the hell was that about? Did they love or hate one another? Or was it even more complicated than that?
A footstep creaked outside his bedroom door. Frank went perfectly still. He’d made plans to join Lexi and Tom around eleven. They’d figured by then everyone else would be asleep or at least safe in their rooms. Surprisingly, there hadn’t been quite the battle royal they’d been expecting over the sleeping arrangements. Eddie and Allie had chosen to stay in the mother-in-law suite downstairs instead of fighting over the master bedroom upstairs.
So why the hell was someone going downstairs? Worried Lexi’s mother was going to start a fight with her husband, Frank slapped his light switch, plunging his room into darkness, and cracked his door just enough to peer into the hallway. He spotted Ramon, not Meredith, creeping toward the stairs. He was inclined to follow him and see what he was getting up to but a knock on his bathroom door was more pressing.
Closing the door as quietly as possible and locking it to keep out unwanted guests, Frank crossed the dark bedroom and entered the Jack-n-Jill bathroom connecting his room with Lexi and Tom’s. He spied Lexi’s smaller, silhouetted form near the open doorway to her bedroom. He quickly closed the distance between them and embraced her tightly. She relaxed into his arms and placed her cheek to his chest.
He sensed how badly she needed to be held and loved. Tonight, he would make sure it was all about her.
Frank walked her back into her bedroom and closed the bathroom door behind them. With their outer bedroom doors locks, they were safely cocooned in Lexi’s bedroom. As long as they kept the noise down, they shouldn’t attract any attention. Unless, of course, Ramon was the snooping kind. Frank wouldn’t put it past the man to press his ear to the door and listen.
“TV?” Frank gestured to the flat screen mounted on the far wall. From his perch on the side of the bed, Tom nodded and grabbed the remote from the side table. He switched it on, found some lame-ass infomercial, and adjusted the volume to a level that wouldn’t bother them but that would cover up most of their lovemaking.
Remote tossed aside, Tom opened his arms and welcomed Lexi back to the bed. She stood between his open thighs and sighed as Tom nuzzled her neck and kissed her collarbone. Frank sidled up to her back and brushed his hands over the gauzy fabric of her sheer nightgown. The fabric bunched under his palms as he swept his hands up her thighs. His fingertips slipped under the gown and caressed her soft belly. She wore no panties so her bare skin was his for the taking.
Purring like a kitten, Lexi pushed back against him. His erection was trapped between the supple flesh of her buttocks and his body. He rocked a little, stimulating himself on her plump derriere. Tom, meanwhile, pulled down the bodice of her nightgown and freed her breasts. Frank watched over Lexi’s shoulder as Tom’s tongue circled and flicked her nipple. Tom gently sucked on the peak, eliciting a low groan from Lexi’s throat.
Frank dipped his lips and kissed her neck. He fought the urge to give her a love bite. With the kind of flirty, summery clothing she’d packed for their trip, there was no way she’d be able to hide the love bruise from her parents. Instead, he found satisfaction in grazing his teeth over her skin and making her shudder.
He grasped the hem of her night gown and yanked it up and over her head. He threw it over his shoulder before tugging on the drawstrings of his pajama bottoms. Once out of his pants, he grasped her hips and pulled her back against his body. He relished the sensation of her nubile form pressed against his hardness. She was all womanly softness and welcome heat. He inhaled her scent and closed his eyes as the subtle spice of her lotion, one of those vanilla-based concoctions, washed over him.