Road to Recovery

by Ann, Natalie

  She was expected to be educated and have a career, until such time she met an equally groomed spouse and started a family of her own. There was never any doubt that Lucas had an extremely different upbringing from hers, even though his family’s wealth seemed equally close.

  Thankfully her days under her mother’s thumb were gone. She wasn’t there anymore. She was on her own and she was going to live her own life. She had always done what was expected of her. She wasn’t going to anymore.

  Shaking off the negative thoughts, she poured herself a second glass of wine. She could see one similarity between their families though. They both served good wine and plenty of it. The difference was that most drank to get through her parents’ parties, whereas here everyone was just having fun.

  Taking another sip, she browsed around at the guests. She had met everyone at one point or another in the last few hours. Her mother would have been looking down at everyone in attendance, regardless of the fact most people here had the same financial status or greater. Status was important to Paula Malone.

  Brooke enjoyed Lucas’s parents more than she’d thought she would. They often tried to include her in any conversation they were having, dragging her from one person to the next when they saw her standing by herself.

  But she was glad to have a few moments of peace. She had never talked so much in one day before. Or laughed. It was definitely another new feeling. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it though. Conflicted for sure, yet she didn’t understand why.

  In the end, she decided it was fun to stand and watch groups of people moving around the yard, everyone mingling with one another at some point. Lots of food, lots of drink and even more laughter. There seemed to be no agenda, another thing she was unfamiliar with.

  The only person that didn’t seem to be laughing was Mandi. Every time the two women made eye contact, Brooke could almost feel the hostility radiating toward her from Mandi, but thought surely she was imagining it, not knowing what she could have done to offend her.

  But as the day got on, she realized that Mandi’s anger and annoyance was definitely directed at her. Not caring, Brooke took another sip of wine and searched out Lucas. Seeing him laughing with Ryan by the grill, she decided to find a chair in the shade and get off her feet. Her back was starting to tense up a bit and her thigh was aching more than it had in a long time. Her only explanation was that she was standing around in one spot for too long, if she had been moving more she might have been fine. Maybe later she could convince Lucas to take a small walk with her, but for now, she saw a hammock in the shade by the water. A little seclusion was what she needed.

  “You look relaxed.” Brooke jumped slightly and looked over her shoulder to see Ryan standing next to her a short while later. She was so lost in the beauty surrounding her, the peace and calm she was feeling, she never heard his approach.

  “No. Stay. You’re fine,” he ordered when she started to sit up and swing her legs to the side.

  “Yes. It’s very relaxing here. I was enjoying the view. And the shade,” she explained, and then settled back down, but propped her body up on her elbows just the same.

  “And quiet too, I bet,” he said, laughing.

  Brooke grinned in agreement. “Yes. That too.”

  “I won’t bug you either, but I wanted to apologize for Mandi,” he said.

  “For what?” she asked, feigning ignorance.

  At that moment she realized what Lucas had meant about Ryan having an edge to him. In the span of a second he transformed from carefree playboy to downright angry. He cleared his throat. “For acting like a bitch toward you. I didn’t notice it at first, but it’s been pointed out to me a few times today.”

  He tilted his head to the side, relaxed his face a bit. “It seems you’ve made quite the impression with everyone today. Mandi’s jealous. She is put out that everyone seems to be taken with you, while they brush off her silliness. We haven’t been dating long, and it’s nothing serious, though I’m sure she feels otherwise,” he corrected with a shrug. “Anyway, she shouldn’t take her jealousy out on you.”

  Brooke was speechless. No one had ever been jealous of her. At least not that she had been aware of. “It’s not a big deal. Really,” she reassured him.

  He wasn’t looking as angry as a few seconds ago, but there was definitely something serious going on in his mind. “Thanks. Lucas is pretty lucky,” he told her.

  “Of course I am,” Lucas said from behind Ryan. “But why am I lucky right now?”

  With another transformation, laughing once again, Ryan winked at Brooke. “Because you’ve got the second most beautiful girl at the party.”

  “Next to Mom,” Lucas said.

  “Of course.” Ryan smiled brightly at his brother.

  “Now get out of here so I can kiss my girlfriend,” Lucas exclaimed.

  “Lucas,” Brooke chastised. “Don’t be so rude.”

  “Sorry,” he said, leaning over to give her a quick peck on the lips. “Please excuse us, Ryan. I would like to kiss with my girlfriend. But I will content myself with holding her hand, since that is about all I can get away with in public. If I’m even that lucky.” He sighed dramatically.

  Ryan watched Brooke as the blush spread up from her neck to her face. Lucas threw his head back and laughed at her reaction.

  “That’s my cue to leave.” Turning around, Ryan headed back across the lawn to the rest of the party.

  But not before Lucas said in a much quieter voice to Brooke, “I’ve missed you.”

  ***

  Over in the corner by the grill, Thomas and Michele watched Lucas climb next to Brooke on the hammock, then stretch out beside to her.

  “What do you think?” Thomas asked his wife.

  She sighed. “Well, it’s pretty obvious where Lucas stands. I have to tell you it makes my heart ache a little to see my baby falling in love.”

  Thomas put his arm around Michele to give her a little squeeze. “You will always be number one in his eyes. Don’t worry, darling.”

  She poked him in the ribs with her finger. “I’m not worried about losing my place. I’m worried he’ll get his heart broken. I like her a lot. But she is so different than him, so quiet and reserved.” She turned to look back at Lucas. “Did you notice how often he reaches for her? You can see she relents, but she never makes a move toward him. I worry it’s one-sided.”

  “He talks about her all the time,” Thomas reminded his wife, his fingers rubbing her shoulder.

  “Yes, but he never says anything about her. We don’t know that much about her. I feel she is another wounded animal that Lucas is famous for bringing home. He always was the one to help someone in need, but is there more than that?”

  “Lucas is smart. He is a good judge of character. I imagine he knows what he needs to know right now.” He leaned down for a quick kiss on the lips. “Let’s let them be.”

  Too Much Wine

  After indulging in a large buffet of food, Brooke found herself back on the hammock with Lucas. Between the setting sun and the swinging motion of the hammock, she fought back a yawn.

  Lucas turned to look at her in amusement. “Tired?”

  “A little. It feels good to get off my feet and lie down for a bit,” she confessed.

  “Sore? Your back or leg hurt?” he asked, concerned.

  “Not much. I shouldn’t have said that. I guess I’ve had too much wine. Makes me speak before I think.”

  She saw the annoyance flicker across his face, then he said, “You don’t have to guard everything you say to me. Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

  Not wanting to argue, she snuggled into his side a bit more. “Sorry. You’re right. And I’m too tired to even argue right now.”

  “I like seeing you relaxed like this. It’s not a side I see too often,” he said. Her eyes started to droop a bit, so he swung his legs over the side. “Come on, we can go home now,” he told her, then started to stand.

  “There’s
no need. I’ll catch my second wind soon. Besides, it’s impolite to leave early.” She tugged him back.

  “Stop. No one is going to care if we leave now. They will assume I can’t wait to get my hands on you in private,” he told her mischievously.

  “Lucas,” she said, embarrassment crept up her neck more times than she could count today. “If that’s the case, we’re definitely staying longer. I don’t want your parents to think ill of me.”

  He laughed loudly. “Oh, trust me, my parents won’t be thinking ill of you or me if we left early. Especially if they were thinking we wanted some privacy.” He stood up fully despite her protests and reached out to pull her up. “Let’s go home.” He frowned more when she tried to cover up her wince of pain. “How about a massage when we get home?”

  “I’m not sure how good of a massage it would be. But it’s worth a shot,” she said with a teasing glint in her eyes.

  “Hey, I’ve been known to give a pretty decent, if not thorough massage,” he exclaimed in mocked outrage.

  “Really? Do you have references?” She wanted to see his discomfort trying to form a proper answer.

  He had the grace to look away. “I guess you will have to take my word for it. Then grade my performance afterwards.”

  “Guess so,” she answered, her eyes laughing.

  ***

  Lucas woke up chilled and tried to reach for the covers. And again, he found none. As always, they were on the other side of the king sized bed, wrapped around Brooke in her little cocoon of sleep.

  She had been so tired by time he finished with her massage last night, she’d fallen into a deep sleep. Not wanting to wake her at that point, he pulled the covers up and settled beside her for the night. Somehow she always managed to pull all the covers to her side without waking him. He didn’t think she was even aware of it.

  Trying to gently tug the blankets back without waking her proved fruitless. With a sigh, he shifted over closer and slid under the little bit he managed to free. It wasn’t nearly enough to warm him, so he pushed his stomach against her back and wrapped his arm around her waist spooning her for body warmth. Maybe in her sleep she would let him hold her, for once. Even for a few minutes.

  Unfortunately his body had other ideas. Within minutes her soft curves pressing against him proved to be too much for his good intentions. Well, he thought to himself, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to wake her up.

  He pressed his hips and thighs flush with hers, then slowly inched his hand up and down her stomach, from her ribs, to her side, to her stomach and back again. Creating goose bumps that he felt under his hand in the process. Small circulator motions continued, and he felt them rise on her skin under his hand, caressed them into submission, and then caused more.

  Leaning forward, he placed small feather-like kisses on her exposed neck. Then trailed his tongue from behind her ear, down the lean curved expansion of her neck to her collarbone and back up. Kissing, tasting, feeling her body’s reaction to his touch.

  Slowly, she started to stir. Her hips pressed back into his groin ever so lightly. With that encouragement, he let his hand wander further up her ribs, until his fingertips grazed the underside of her breasts, and left another trail of goose bumps in his wake.

  He took it as a good sign when her back arched, pushing her breasts further into his hand and her backside into his groin. Cupping her now, he massaged her with as much skill as he showed last night while he continued to place open-mouthed kisses on her neck, alternating between biting and sucking her skin.

  With a low moan in her throat, she started to shift her face toward his, but he held her still on her side. “No, just stay for now,” he whispered in her ear, then felt the shivers her body released.

  Moving his hand further down her hip and between her legs, he discovered her dampness through her panties, which was all she was still wearing. He could feel the heat radiating off her, and continued to rub small circles around the silky material, pushing it into her, letting her feel the texture against her most sensitive bud.

  Her moans were coming more frequent. She shifted her legs apart, encouraging more of his touch. “That’s it, baby. You like that, don’t you?” She could barely nod her head in agreement.

  Maneuvering one finger under the lace edge surrounding her leg, he found how ready she really was when she arched into his touch. He wasn’t nearly ready for her to reach the end, no matter how much her body was begging him.

  Torturing her more, increasing her urgency, he slid his finger up and down the length of her, spreading her excitement around. To the top where he circled around her bud and back down again, where she equally wanted satisfaction. Teasing her, bringing cries of frustration from her again and again.

  “Please, Lucas,” she begged.

  “Not yet. It’s my time to play. My time to make you beg, just a bit more,” he promised.

  Again and again, he brought her right to the edge, stopped and then started all over again. He could see the endless torment drove her mad. She begged him, pleaded, but he showed no mercy. Her growl of frustration burned his blood, made him even harder than he thought possible.

  He edged her panties down her legs, but when she would have rolled to her back, he held her on her side. “Stay here,” he ordered her, quickly removing his underwear and sliding a condom on before he moved against her back.

  “Just a little more. Just need to feel you and touch a little more. Never want to stop,” he mumbled between kisses on her neck as his fingers now had better access with the barrier of her panties gone. Up and down, around in circles, inside her and back out again, his fingers continued the torture.

  At last, moving his hand to her thigh, he nudged it up and slightly in front, and then positioned himself at her entrance. Slowly he entered her from behind and then withdrew. He pushed in a bit further and back out again, all the while continuing to tease her in the places he knew she loved the most.

  He was finally fully sheathed inside of her. She felt so tight like this. Squeezing him, surrounding him with her wetness and warmth. The slightest movement of her hips would be all it would take to send him over the edge. Not yet, he wanted more.

  Holding her as still as possible, he brought her more pleasure with his hand. “Don’t move, baby. Stay exactly like this. I want to make you come. No movements,” he demanded of her.

  He was breathing heavily, his passion beyond anything he had felt before. “Just let your body go. Let me feel you squeeze me as you come. Make me come by squeezing me tight inside of you.”

  Between his words, his hand, and the fullness inside of her, her resistance was completely gone. Her body started to convulse around him while he continued to rub and whisper in her ear. “That’s it, baby. Keep squeezing me. Oh my God, so good. Don’t stop.” He ended on a groan and released inside of her. Her contractions squeezing him harder and taking him deeper inside of her, until he could do nothing more than lay there stunned, unmoving, the sound of their heavy breathing the only noise in the room.

  After a few moments he quickly rolled away to take care of the condom, then returned and leaned into the curve of her back. He yanked the covers over the both of them, like he wanted to do when he woke up a while ago.

  Before he could say anything, he realized she was passed out cold.

  ***

  “I’m in no rush, why are you packing so early?” Lucas asked as Brooke threw the last of her clothes in her suitcase.

  “No rush. I want to be ready when it’s time,” she explained. “Besides, it’s been a long weekend, and I’m sure you’ve got some things you need to do, right?”

  “Not really. Are you trying to get away from me?” he said with a smile.

  “No,” she hurriedly assured him. “But you have to drive back here again, so that’s almost two hours in the car for you. Maybe I should have driven my own car on Friday after all,” she added thoughtfully.

  “It’s not a problem, Brooke. I never would have suggested
it otherwise.” He walked closer to her and pulled her in for a hug. “I had a great weekend. I’m glad we had this time together. It was good, wasn’t it?” he asked, holding his breath.

  Smiling at his question, she assured him. “Yes. It was great. I had a great time. You never really know what to expect when you spend so much time with someone. Especially early in a relationship.”

  “I’m glad. It was good for me too.”

  When she moved out of his arms to finish packing, he decided to change the subject, hoping she would get the hint. “Well, at least you get to sleep in a bit longer tomorrow than I do. I don’t know why they had to schedule a meeting at seven in the morning? After a holiday weekend no less.”

  He was pretty sure she knew where his thoughts were going, but didn’t take the bait. “If you didn’t live so far way, you could sleep in longer,” she mused, but never looked up from her packing.

  He sighed dramatically. “Not all of us have a short commute to work.”

  She played with him a bit more. “Sucks to be you, doesn’t it?”

  Shocked at her response, he repeated indignantly, “Sucks to be me? Did you say sucks to be me?”

  Laughing at his expression, she zipped up her suitcase with a final tug. “Yes. And this is all set,” she said with a hand on her suitcase.

  He huffed out a snort. “OK, I’ll take it downstairs for you.”

  He grabbed it off the bed and started to make his way out of the room when her words stopped him. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asked innocently.

  He looked around the room for any remains of her clothing. “I don’t think so.”

  “Hang on, let me go get it,” she said, then she walked down the short hallway toward his bathroom.