He sat beside her on the bed, resting his hip into and against her. Pressing both hands on either side of her, he leaned close. She could feel his warm breath and smell his scent, which was so appealing that she craved it. She would love nothing more than to lean in and smell him.
“Andy, you don’t need to buy me new clothes. If you could just bring up the bag, there’s perfectly good clothes in there, and a nightgown. They fit, and I won’t be wearing them much longer, anyway.”
“Laura, you’re my wife. I don’t want you wearing someone’s castoffs. Don’t fight me on this.”
Laura could see Caroline hovering in the doorway, still with no intention of leaving. She wondered if the woman was listening to everything being said. Of course she was. Laura pressed her lips tightly and ducked her head, using Andy as her shield.
Andy must have known, as he glanced back at his mother and let out an irritated growl. “I’ll be back in a minute.” His big hand brushed her leg as he slid away, and she noticed his bare fingers. It stung again as she remembered his refusal to wear a ring. To her, it was a symbol of commitment, a way to tell every damn sexy women that he was taken and to stay far away from her man, a man she’d never admit how deeply she loved.
Caroline stepped into the hallway with Andy. “What are you doing, bringing her back here? I was told she was gone, and now she’s pregnant. Are you out of your mind?” Caroline wasn’t quiet, and at times, she didn’t care who heard her.
Even though Laura knew what kind of horrible woman she could be, it still hurt beyond belief to have anyone speak that way about her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the door, and Andy noticed, as he pulled the door closed.
When someone was mean and hateful to her, the best thing to do was walk away. Laura knew that, but her legs seemed to be waging war with her common sense as they slid over the side of the bed and she walked as quietly as she could to the door. She could hear voices, Andy’s deep baritone, sharp and cutting, and Caroline’s, high and shrill. She pressed her ear closer to the door.
“My God, you know nothing about women. She’s been gone for how long, and you bring her back here? How do you even know the baby’s yours?”
Laura felt her face burn in rage. She wanted to rip open the door and yell at the woman that she wasn’t a piece of trash.
“I am not discussing this with you. This is my business.”
Laura couldn’t make out what Caroline said next, but she heard Andy’s voice clearer, closer to the door. “I need to check on my wife. I’ll ask that you leave her alone.”
Laura started back toward the bed and nearly jumped out of her skin when the door opened.
“What are you doing out of bed?” he barked. He had his hands on her by the time she turned around.
She couldn’t lie for the life of her, and she felt lower than a dog for eavesdropping, but Andy didn’t seem interested in waiting. He was distracted as he scooped her up again and set her on the bed.
“Stay. I’ll grab the bag so you can change. I’ll send Jules up, as well. I’ll have her bring you something to eat and drink.”
“Andy, I don’t want to stay. Your mother doesn’t want us here.” She was touching his arm, where she could feel his triceps tighten beneath her touch.
He surrounded her with both arms and, for the first time, pulled her into his chest. She rested her head against the solid wall of muscle, and he tucked her head under his chin and just held her.
“I want you to get some rest. Don’t worry about my mother; I’ll take care of her. The doctor’s coming by as well later this afternoon. Laura, believe me when I say I won’t let her hurt you and you’re staying close to me. Listen, let me get Gabriel. I promised I’d take him on the horse with me, but I’ll do it later.”
The last thing she wanted was to disappoint Gabriel. He wanted to be with Andy, too, to go on the horse with him. She couldn’t let him down.
“No, Andy, take Gabriel. I’ll be fine.”
He watched her intently and then slid his fingers into her hair at her scalp. He pressed a kiss into her forehead and stood up, standing by the bed for a second, his hands on those sexy hips. “Stay in bed.”
He left, closing the door behind him, and for the first time, Laura felt wanted.
Chapter 12
Laura rustled on her side, nestled in a cocoon of pillows, one behind her back and one in front of her, where she rested her knee and cuddled the goose down into her swollen belly. She stared at the shadows of the late-day sun streaming in the window across the wall by Andy’s side of the bed. She remembered all too well his touch, which had seemed so real to her. But it couldn’t have been, after all they’d been through. If she wasn’t pregnant with his babies, would he still be caring for her with this tenderness, which almost fooled her into believing he really cared about her? Did he have feelings for her? She wanted to believe she had found a way into his heart, but there were still things that unsettled her.
Dr. Richardson had been by earlier, and she was pleased with how Laura was doing. Her blood pressure was still high, and the doctor ordered her to stay in bed. Andy had given her a new cell phone and left it beside the bed so that she could call him or Jules whenever she needed something. It wasn’t as if she could call out to anyone in a house this size, but she hated having anyone wait on her hand and foot.
Laura was thirsty, so she slid out of bed and searched Andy’s closet for something to put on over her nightgown. She grabbed his black robe, slipped it on, and went down the stairs barefoot, holding the rail. The house was unusually quiet as she walked softly across the black and white tiled grand foyer toward the kitchen. She heard voices, a man’s and Caroline’s distinct clip coming from her dayroom.
“I want to make sure there is no problem getting those babies.”
Laura felt her breath go out of her as if someone had rammed a fist into her gut. She pressed her hand to her swollen belly and stepped back against the wall on the other side of the grandfather clock. Who was Caroline talking to? She could hear a male voice but couldn’t make it out. Was it Andy? Was he plotting with his mother to have her babies taken away?
“Look, you are the best attorney for these matters. I want to be sure that as soon as she has the babies, they’ll be taken from her. No chance for her to see them. I want her gone, whatever you need to do to make it happen.”
Panic came out of nowhere, and an ache ripped through her chest at the fear of having her children, her babies, taken from her. She knew she’d never survive that again. She gazed longingly at the front door from where she stood, which was maybe thirty feet away. How quickly could she get to it and start running?
Gabriel. Oh, shit. Where was he? She needed to find him, to leave and get as far away from Andy as she could.
Footsteps echoed on the tiled floor. There was not much she could do, so she stepped out behind the clock to where Caroline and a tall man dressed in a very expensive dark suit, with glasses and short reddish hair, stared at her. Caroline’s mouth twisted as if she was disgusted with Laura.
The man with her cleared his throat. “Caroline, I’ll speak with you tomorrow,” he said, then stepped around Laura and left.
Caroline swept her icy gaze over Laura. Any two-year-old with a lick of common sense could pick up her meaning and what she thought of Laura. She hated her, and that worried Laura.
“Is Andy here?” Laura asked Caroline just as she turned her back and started toward her fancy dayroom. It had a glass desk and gleaming white and peach furnishings, a room Laura avoided mostly because of all the pristine white—she was afraid of leaving a mark anywhere.
Caroline was wearing a dusty blue Chanel suit that hugged her every curve. She stopped but didn’t turn around as she said, “No, but I expect him shortly.” Then she walked away.
Laura didn’t know what to make of it. Okay, so Andy wasn’t there, but had he talked to his mother about her? She needed to know. How would she ask him, and would he tell her the truth?
“What are you doing up?” Andy had pushed open the kitchen door, where voices and clatter trailed out. She could hear Gabriel chatting away to Aida.
“I was thirsty. I came down to get water.” Laura started walking toward the kitchen and didn’t miss the way his eyes took in what she was wearing. It was a look so intimate that a smile hinted at the side of his mouth. So he liked the fact that she was wearing his robe.
“It was all I could find to put on.” She tried to slide past him and would have expected him to step back and make room, but he didn’t, so her legs and hips and very large belly brushed him. He didn’t appear to mind in the least. This was all very confusing for her, and she stared up at him for a minute, trying to read him, to figure him out.
“Are you okay?” he asked and then glanced around behind him. “Something happen? You look off.”
Laura glanced into the kitchen, where Jules and two male servers were helping Aida. Laura stepped back.
“Jules, grab Laura some water bring it into the library,” Andy said as he slid his arm around her back and walked her down the hall. In the library, he sat right beside her on the leather sofa, his legs pressing into her.
Laura squeezed the soft black robe between her fingers, because what she really wanted was to touch Andy, to touch his leg, to lean on him, but that would be a very bad idea. She was already sucked right back into loving him to the point that it was killing her inside. “Andy, did you talk to your mother about me, about the babies?”
“Yeah. I told her we’re having twins. Did she say something to you?” He leaned closer to her, in her face, and was so close she could have touched her lips with his. She turned her head away, and he swept his fingers through her hair so she was forced to look into his steely eyes, which were so strong she doubted he’d ever had a moment in his life where he was unsure of anything.
“Your mother had a man here. Do you know who it was?” She knew she wasn’t saying much at all, but she felt as if she had been plunked into the middle of a cat and mouse game, and she was the mouse. Even though he could lie to her and she wouldn’t have a clue whether he was telling the truth or not, she needed to ask.
Andy glanced up and over her head. “No, I didn’t know. Is he still here?”
She shook her head. “No, he left.”
“Well, I’m confused. Did he say something to you?” Andy did in fact appear not to know, and she wondered for a minute what the hell was going on. But why would Caroline want anything to do with her babies?
“They were talking about my babies. I overheard Caroline with that man,” Laura said as she pressed her hand into the small of her back and did her best to work out the tight knot that were making her damn uncomfortable.
Andy glanced up, but he had that look in his eyes that meant someone was irritating the hell out of him. “Who was the guy?”
“I don’t know who it was, Andy.”
“What did he look like, Laura?” Andy asked, but his eyes were staring straight out into the foyer as if he was considering something.
“Tall, reddish hair, glasses, wore a suit.”
His gaze swivelled to her and appeared more than interested. He also seemed angry. “That would be her lawyer, it sounds like. What exactly did you hear?”
Okay, maybe he didn’t know, because he really was acting as if there was something not quite right. “Your mother said she was taking my babies away from me as soon as I had them so I’d have no chance to see them.”
Andy jammed both hands through his dark, tousled hair, which was still a windblown mess. He opened his mouth as if to say something and bit down hard with his jaw. She could tell he was so mad that he was grinding his teeth. Then he blew out a heated breath, much as a bull does before it charges. He opened his fisted hands and took another breath, trying to calm down. He picked up her hand and pried it from his housecoat until she allowed him to hold it, and she watched him doing his damnedest to pull it together before speaking.
“Laura…”
“You shouted at me that you were going to take them away,” she interrupted, because she too was burning with rage. She didn’t want to stay in this uncomfortable house one minute longer. “So tell me, Andy, is this the plan? Get me back here and then, as soon as I have the babies, use your money and power to toss me out in the street and take them?”
“No!” he shouted. “And we already talked about this. I was angry because you hid them from me. I thought we were done with this. I thought you’d moved past it.”
“Well, evidently not. Or rather, after what I heard from your mother…”
“She has no say in what we do,” he barked out before she could finish. “No, I would never do something like that. My God, what kind of monster do you think I am? You must have heard wrong, Laura.”
She tried to pull her hand from his, but he held tight, and the second time she yanked harder and pulled free. “No, I did not. I may have heard only one side, but I heard your mother clearly.” Laura struggled to her feet. “I don’t want to stay here. I can’t be worried about that.”
Andy was on his feet right beside her. “Whoa, wait a second. You’re overreacting. One, you’re not giving me credit. Do you think I’d let my mother take our babies? Not going to happen, Laura. Come on, let me get you back to bed.”
He didn’t let her stay and argue. His arm was around her, and he led her upstairs and back into their room. “Look, dinner’s almost done. I’ll have Jules bring dinner up here for all of us. Gabriel and me, we’ll camp up here with you, have dinner together.”
Laura allowed him to help her on the bed. She loved the feel of his hands on her. She wanted to believe him, she needed to, because she wanted him so badly that it ached in every part of her to think he’d betray her. She didn’t want to leave him; she wanted to believe he had changed, because he had the ability to hold her heart in the palm of his large, sexy hand and crush it.
He slid his hands over her shoulders and then tucked her sleep-tousled hair behind her ears. “You’re overthinking again.”
“Andy, I want to trust you, but with what your mother said, you and I both know how powerful she is and what she’s capable of.”
“Laura, stop. I’ll handle my mother. Look, just take a breath.” He shook his head as if annoyed at her and glanced away. She could feel his wall come up again. He was so good at shutting her out. When he faced her this time, his entire expression was annoyed and appeared as if he was doing everything he could not to snap at her. “I don’t know what it’s going to take, Laura, to get you to trust me. Tell me.”
“I want to move out of here. Can you find us a small place, nothing this big, but something away from your mother? I don’t want any servants, just us.” She held her breath, wondering what he’d say. She had put herself out there, hoping he wouldn’t dismiss her idea and that he wanted to build a life with her, but the truth was that even though she wanted him so badly, she was afraid his feelings for her weren’t real.
“Laura, this is our home. My mother won’t be here long. She’ll be off soon to one of our other houses.”
“This is not my home, Andy. I’m not comfortable with all this.” She gestured to the room, everything lavish and expensive in it.
Andy cupped her face with his one hand and made her look at him. “You’re my wife. This will be all mine; it’s my birthright, and it’s the way we Friessens do things. I am the only son, and this is all passed to me, and I’ll pass it on to my son. We’re not leaving here. You’re going to stay in bed and relax. I’ll protect you. You have to trust me, Laura.”
This time, he didn’t wait for her to answer. He stood up, and she could tell he was annoyed, as he raked his hands through his hair. “Look, we’re both tired….”
A knock on the open door interrupted Andy.
They both stared at Jules, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. “The water for Laura.” She held up a tray with a pitcher and two glasses.
“Just set it down.” Andy gestured to
the side table in between the two chairs by the fireplace. “Oh, and could you have dinner sent up here? Gabriel and I are going to eat here with Laura.”
“Of course, sir.” Jules set the water down. “Is there anything else you need in the meantime?” Jules glanced at Laura, but it was Andy she asked.
“No. I’ll come down and grab Gabriel.”
Andy poured a glass of water, and Jules hurried out the door. He handed Laura the glass, and she sipped at the water.
“Thank you,” she said, then set it on the bedside table beside her. “Andy…”
He cut her off. “No, Laura, let’s just have dinner with Gabriel, get a good night’s sleep. I know you’ll feel differently in the morning. It’s just the stress of the day.”
He did look tired, and she was frazzled. Maybe he was right.
She shut her eyes and sighed. When she looked back up at him, she said, “Okay, but will you talk with me tomorrow about this and not blow me off?”
If a man could be exasperated by a woman, the expression on Andy was exactly that. “Oh, for the love of God, Laura. I will deal with my mother. A week, Laura, give it a week. I assure you my mother will most likely be gone and I’m sure you’ll feel differently then, too. But we’ll talk then, okay?” He waited for her to respond. Frankly, he wasn’t being unreasonable.
“All right, one week.”
He didn’t exactly smile at her, but his expression softened. “I’ll grab Gabriel and be right back.”
He left, looking so damn good from behind. She knew this man could talk her into anything if she let him, especially when he looked at her the way he did. If she wasn’t careful, he’d be organizing and planning her life, and she couldn’t allow him to do that, not ever again.
Chapter 13
“Is Gabriel asleep?” Laura strode out of the bathroom, her damp hair brushed back, wearing Andy’s robe again and nothing underneath.
“Yeah, with a smile on his face.” Andy sat on his side of the bed and unbuttoned his shirt.
Runaway: The Sequel to Secrets, a sexy and dramatic western romance (Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES) Page 6