by Hammond, T.
“I'm looking forward to checking it out. Bas is pretty sure I'll end up moving here. I have to admit he made it sound like heaven.” David's voice was low and sexy, with a purring rumble which made the back of my neck tingle. Thankfully my hair hid any blush resulting from the brief mental comparison to Cat’s purr-motor, and my memory of our “conversation” on Janey’s couch.
“You'll have to ask Bas to take you for a walk along the Falls; we had a lot of snow last season, so the water is high with melt-off from Mt. Spokane. There are several places to catch some spectacular views of the waterfalls in town.” We chatted amiably about attractions in Riverfront Park, and some of the clubs close to his hotel.
Bas leaned over and whispered, “So darn polite.” His breath caressed the shell of my ear, his tone so low I was sure David couldn't hear the words, although, by his sudden silence, I knew he realized Bas was talking to me.
“So tell me about the asshole from the other day.” My head snapped up toward Bas and a few sharp words hovered on my tongue. Before I could filter out what to say, he snatched my sunglasses off the end of my nose.
Irritation exploded through me. How did he do it? How could he make me shrink into myself so that all I wanted to do was disappear? I turned my head, avoiding the hand brushing at my hair in an effort, most likely, to grab my chin and turn my face back to him.
“Bas! Enough!” David's voice was abrupt. Clipped. An officer's tone—well, well, well.
“She's done nothing but hide since she got in the damn vehicle,” he growled. “It’s damn annoying.” His tone addressed me, “You used to have a spine, little mouse. You've avoided me for twelve years, and I'm sick and tired of tip-toeing around you.” His voice was harsh and critical. So much for a kinder and gentler Bastian. I could feel the tears welling up and I detested myself for showing weakness. No, not for showing weakness—for feeling weakness.
Janey abruptly pulled the car over and hit the brakes, “Out Bastian!” she yelled at her brother. “Get out of the goddamned car and take a friggin’ walk back to your hotel. It’s my fault she's here. Teresa tried to tell me she didn't want to come, and I had to pressure her. I thought you'd matured enough to leave her alone. I hoped the two people I love most in the world could find some common ground, but no; you have to prove you're a bully.
“Teresa has been nothing but polite, and you choose to mock her for it. Fine. Get your cantankerous ass out of the car and take a walk. I'm having breakfast with Teresa and Ken. I’m looking forward to getting to know your friend David, too. Who is, by the way, also polite; I don't know what your problem is with well-mannered people.”
“Janey—” Bas started.
“No! Out! I've had enough. I'll call you after breakfast. Maybe we can meet up for dinner.”
The door opened and I felt Bas' hand move to unlatch the seat belt. I kicked myself for leaning away from him, and into David, like some kind of Victorian miss. In a surge of defiance, I lifted my face to Bas as he leaned over the buckle. I caught the faint sweetness of toothpaste when he exhaled across my cheek, getting an unimpeded view of my damaged face. “Jesus,” he said, whisper-soft. “You almost lost that eye.”
“Take a good look, Bastian. This is why I hide my face. I can't see people, but I feel the stares. I have better hearing now, so I hear the in-drawn, horrified breaths, and the not-so-subtle comments. It’s my right to protect myself, because people are cruel and petty. People are selfish and thoughtless. People want beauty and it scares them to see imperfection.” I turned away, letting my hair fall forward again. I. Will. Not. Cry!
“I am tired of people being thoughtless assholes because I don't conceal the scars.” I looked up in his direction again; refusing to hide like the mouse he accused me of being. If you're going to say something life altering to someone, you should have the balls to look them in the eye, so to speak. “I'm tired of people like you being an asshole because I’m not perfect.”
I felt as if my teeth were clenched down on a mouthful of razor-sharp words, and I wanted to spit every one of them in his direction. I wanted to cut him with those sharp edges and make him bleed. “Go back to your hotel room. Take a nice long look in the mirror at that sinfully handsome face of yours, Bas. Look into those terribly beautiful eyes which stare out at the world with cold brutality and mocking disdain. Be sure to admire that chiseled body the gods would envy, and know this truth: it’s not how you look in the mirror that's important. What's important is how you are reflected in the eyes of the people who love you. Be happy I'm not one of those people, Sebastian Declan.” I could feel my lip curl up in a sneer, “Because I find you lacking. I find your reflection to be ugly, as ugly as the scars on my face make me.”
I turned away in dismissal. Hating Bas. Hating myself for finally voicing my dislike in front of Janey, who loved her brother. Hating I’d put her in the middle of a situation which had built from fear into loathing over a dozen years of avoiding him.
Bas reached out and touched my arm. Yep, couldn't help it, I flinched again. “I am so very, very sorry,” his voice was low and raspy. He withdrew from the vehicle and closed the door firmly, but not with the anger I expected.
“Well,” I said into the shocked silence, “I think I've about ruined everyone's appetite. Feel free to drop me back at my house now.”
Janey made the apology I should have thought to make. “David, I'm sorry you were caught in the center of our family drama. If it’s alright with everyone, I'd like to have breakfast at my house.” Without waiting for anyone's input, Janey pulled back into the flow of traffic.
“Aww, you're gonna make me cook, aren't you?” Ken whined, teasingly. “You are so gonna owe me some really great sex for this.”
I snorted, “Well Ken, a woman can only rise to the performance of her partner. You may need to kick it up a notch if you want great sex.”
“Oh zing!” Janey laughed. “Actually, he doesn't do too badly for such a young buck, especially when you take into account he was gay only a couple of days ago.”
“Gay?” David asked cautiously, confused but understanding there was a joke here somewhere.
The fifteen minute trip to Janey's house was spent in spirited retelling of the months leading up to the Great Reveal. I'm sure David was initially tempted to escape the vehicle at the first available opportunity, but he soon joined in with the teasing. In that one morning, he became one of us. A friend.
Chapter Eight
Ken started clanging pots and pans in the kitchen as soon as we arrived. Within a short time, I was able to enjoy the smell of sausage while slurping my first mug of coffee for the day. Finally. My world was improving with each gulp.
While the food was cooking, I settled into my favorite spot on the sofa. Cat was sprawled over the couch back absorbing the early morning sunshine. She bestirred herself enough to give me an obligatory greeting; a paw swipe this time. Having bonded over true confessions the rules now dictated acknowledging your bud when they came into a room. I appreciated her assurances my secrets were safe, and expressed as much with a vigorous scratch of her up-raised rump.
Welcome ritual completed, I sipped my coffee, happy to divert myself from uncomfortable reflection on tearing Bastian apart. Some people need squirrels or shiny objects for distraction. Hand me a fragrant mug of java and you can lead my mind anywhere.
My attention focused on the conversation between Janey and David. There were a few remarks thrown out from the direction of the kitchen, but I doubt Ken could really hear well over the sizzle of meat and frying potatoes. David’s relaxed demeanor soon put me at ease. Having anxiously recovered my sunglasses from where Bas left them on the back seat, I now casually tossed them onto the coffee table while we all sat around in the living room.
I was comfortably wedged into the cushions when Ken called us to the table for breakfast. A deep inhale to absorb the blend of smells from the kitchen convinced me moving was in my best interest.
For expediency, Janey led me to my
usual spot at her table which put her on the right, David to my left, and Ken directly across from me. After months of familiarity, I already knew how my food would be placed on my plate. I'm not a huge toast fan, but Ken usually made me a slice with every meal, as I found it was a great tool to hold food steady without using fingers. Predictably, even though I could smell a waffle, I found the toast at twelve o'clock. Toast was a stronger implement.
In between bites of waffles, potatoes, and sausage, David shared stories about Navy life, growing up as a military brat, and informed us his parents and younger brother still lived in Oregon. I found the more I listened to him, the more I enjoyed David's easy manner and wicked sense of humor. He was sexy, smart, endearing, sexy... oops, that slipped out again. Sugar overload from the maple syrup? I briefly wondered. Mental shrug, who cares? I forked another maple-drenched bite of waffle into my mouth.
David was going to turn forty in November. He had put in his twenty-one years of service and was looking forward to new career opportunities. His military specialty, as a warrant officer, had involved computer programming for complex satellite imaging. It was a job he could do freelance from anywhere in the country.
Janey loved hearing the stories about Bas, and quite frankly, I found a few of them amusing myself. Who would have known Bas had a sense of humor and could get into so much trouble? It almost made him human. Though I suspected the stories emphasizing Bas' good qualities were greatly exaggerated for Janey's benefit, I actually liked David more for giving her such a wonderful gift.
After our meal, when we were all comfortable in the living room, David surprised me by asking about the accident and my months of recovery. His questions were blunt without being offensive, probing without being painful, and insightful enough to leave me wondering about his intuitiveness. At one point, he even talked me into letting him examine my face, and he traced the deepest scar with large calloused fingers. “Bas was right about this one,” he said quietly. “You did come close to losing your eye. You must have had a hell of a team of surgeons to have saved it.”
“It was close,” I admitted. “Twice they came in to my room and argued about whether or not they should remove the eye, but I really wanted to try to save it. It was painful, but I'm glad they tried; even gladder they succeeded.” This was the perfect opportunity to tell David about my Booty of Pirate Bears and their decorative eye patches—a story good for a lot of laughs.
When we finished our coffee, Janey pulled me aside while the guys went out to the deck to take in the view. Her voice choked with emotion when she hugged me and spoke softly into my hair. “I owe you an apology, Teresa. You have tried, for years, to shield me from seeing how much Bas disliked you. You've never said a bad word, or indicated in any way he showed you disrespect.” She sniffled, “You've done an even better job of hiding how much you fear him. I would never have insisted you come with us if I'd known. I was so shocked to see you jerk away when he touched you. How stupid am I?”
I hugged Janey back and tried to find the right words. “I love you Janey. You are closer to me than a sister, and as dear to my heart. The truth of the matter is, Bas and I simply don't get along. I could have said no to breakfast, but I wanted to try.”
I held her a little tighter, then loosened my hug so she could read my face. “Your brother has never tried to hurt me, so don't over-think this, okay? But, Bas has always intimidated me with his sheer size and presence. I would have been fine if I could still see—I would have had a measure of control. But I felt trapped in the vehicle, and let's face it Janey, Bas is a predator—I was acting like prey. I couldn't have waived a bigger red flag in front of bull if I'd tried. He and I have proven we can be civil if you don't put us in an enclosed space together,” I teased. “We can continue to play our game of avoidance and polite inanities.
“In truth, I should never have said what I did to him. My words came from fear and more than a little bravado. I lashed out and owe him a heartfelt talk and sincere apology for being unnecessarily cruel. It would have been better to let him walk away without saying a word. I'll call him later today and ask him to come over for coffee sometime this weekend. It’s time he and I resolved a few things, best done face-to-face, without witnesses.”
Ken and David came in from the deck, sliding the glass door closed behind them.
“I have to tell you, Teresa, I am worried you two might kill each other.”
“I'll have Red referee, he'll love it.” I gave Janey another quick hug and stepped back. Ken, ever the opportunist, came up behind Janey and I could hear him smacking kisses on her. “Hey Baby, wanna fool around?”
“Letch,” Janey returned, fondly. “Let's drive Teresa home and drop David off at his hotel.”
“So, are you planning to let your brother move into the spare room, or are you going to make him stay at the hotel? You know you want to spend more time with him before he finds his own place.”
“It was his idea to stay there. He's actually been in town for a couple of days now and has been staying at the Doubletree. He said he was here the morning I dropped you off, while I was running errands. He was resting in the spare room and heard you talking to Cat about me bringing Ken home. He decided to take your advice and get out of the way so he could sleep.”
If I were the fainting type, I would have plopped into an indelicate swoon at that point. I swear I could feel all the blood leave my face, and I was betting my skin turned cold to the touch. Yep, I could have happily let the ground swallow me up at that moment.
Chapter Nine
I was able to contribute my sudden paleness and clammy skin to being freaked out because there had been someone in a room and I hadn't known it. It wasn’t necessary to explain the confessions I made to Cat, my supposed audience of one.
Crap! I'd tried hard to never give Bas the ammunition he might use to shoot me down. In one unguarded moment, I had laid it all bare such that the one person who could hurt me the most heard every word. I couldn't have felt more raw or exposed if I'd stood naked, scars etched like angry graffiti into my flesh. Hesitantly, I began to itemize my confession in what I thought was an empty room. Oh my god! Mortified did not even begin to describe the emotion.
Calling Bas to apologize was going to be the hardest thing I had ever attempted to do. I couldn't be angry; it wasn’t his fault. At no point would it have been okay for him to pop out of the bedroom and say, “Hey stop, you're not alone!” I'm sure he felt he was doing the nice thing by staying silent. It was only by chance I even found out, since I'd asked about the hotel accommodations.
I wanted to believe Bas was honorable enough to keep my blathering to himself... if for no other reason than to sideswipe me with the info at a later date when I was unprepared. Asshole! After showing him the cutting edge of my tongue this morning, I pessimistically expected no mercy.
Ken decided to stay at Janey's and clean up while she dropped us off at our respective places of residence. He would pop over to my house in a few hours to finish up the laundry he hadn't done the day before, because I wanted the afternoon to myself.
David's hotel was closest, so we stopped there first. He stepped out of the backseat on the driver's side and reached through the driver window to give Janey and awkward one-arm hug. He surprised me by coming around, opening the passenger door, and asking me if I could step out for a moment.
Feeling a little bemused, and admittedly, still in shock from the looping replay of what Bastian overheard, I stood up and found my personal space being Invaded (yes, with a capital I). Before I could register his intent, David had me pinned against the back door, bracketed my face gently in his big hands, and tilted my head up toward his warm and waiting mouth.
I was stunned by the gentleness, and underlying hunger, as his lips parted mine and his tongue swept me away. Ohhhhhh. Myyyyyy. The man had serious kissing skills. I also judged him at a glorious 6'4” or taller, since I found myself rising up on my toes for a better fit of my mouth against his. My hands clenched at
hips set several inches higher than my own.
He pulled away from my lips and let his breath fan my face. My nose detected coffee and maple syrup. He brought his mouth back to mine again; another kiss which caused my knees to buckle. I was caught against his front, and it was a very nice front: hard, solid, and with some intriguing contours. His chuckle was a combination of triumph, pleasure, and need. The need was sexy.
“Dinner.” Soft kiss. “Tonight.” Softer kiss. “Pick you up at five o’clock?” His mouth stopped tantalizingly close, barely resting on my lips. The warm draft of his breath lightly tickled my nose.
I'm pretty sure I whimpered. Geez, where had my brain disappeared to? It had been here a moment ago.
I felt his lips quirk up in a smile. “The last part was a question. You're supposed to give me an answer.” He enticed me with a voluptuous kiss. “A really good answer would be, 'Yes, David.'”
“Okay,” I responded, with a sigh against his awesome mouth. Brain still too mushy to articulate the polite response he’d been seeking.