“You seem to know more about your daughter-in-law-to-be than your son,” he observed, wincing a bit as he shifted in his chair.
“Probably, she’s much more open. Hawk has been very, very closed. Mark seems almost scared of him. Worth and he hardly speak. He bought the farm west of us and put up a security fence with a huge, locked gate. I don’t know what he’s into, and I’m actually afraid to ask. He lived in Mexico, you know, and then moved to California before coming home to Kentucky. It certainly leads the mind to speculation.”
“Why would he need to get involved in anything like that, Auggie? He’s to inherit considerable wealth and surely Worth has offered him financial support in the meantime?”
“He wouldn’t take it, Dad. He’s more independent than Worth is. In fact, he seems to have inherited the worst qualities of both of us, I’m sorry to say. I hope Liane can have a good effect on him. One of the reasons we’ve come so unexpectedly is that Marga and Mark have been bickering, as have Worth and I. We’re all in a mess at the moment, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Dad shook his head in disappointment. “Auggie, surely by now you’ve learned the value of having family and the misery of being angry with them.” He pointed toward the hallway. “Go to bed with your husband now and heal this rift between the two of you. You never know when you might no longer have the chance.” His eyes drifted off to look out over the moonlit Gulf. I knew he was thinking of Margaret. I didn’t doubt that her passing had taken away a great deal of his will to be healthy and happy. He seemed defeated. I stood up and kissed him on the top of the head.
“See you in the morning, Dad.”
He nodded and patted my cheek.
I crept into the bedroom where Worth was sleeping and slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower before sliding naked beneath the covers next to him. It was a king-sized bed, and there was plenty of room for isolation, but for some reason, I wanted to lie close to him. Perhaps I was feeling vulnerable after the rejection from Hawk. Perhaps it was seeing that Dad was finally giving in to his age that had me shaken. Worth had drawn the heavy blinds and drapes so it was dark and cool in the room. That was my favorite atmosphere for sleeping.
I tried to dose but was still wide awake. I must have sighed because Worth rolled over toward me. “Can’t you sleep, either?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, didn’t mean to keep you awake. I just can’t sleep. Maybe it’s because I napped on the plane. Want me to get up and go into another room?”
“I want you to come here,” he said, pulling me against him. I felt his erection immediately and drew in my breath. It had been so long since I’d felt his muscular torso against my breasts. He stroked the side of my neck, murmuring my name and petting my hair, which had wound itself over and in between my breasts. He gently pushed it aside and slid down on the bed so his mouth could find my nipple. “God, but I never tire of these,” he whispered and his mouth fastened upon each in turn, softly nibbling and sucking. With each lick of his tongue, the fire grew within me. It had been so long and my body was starved for him. Even more so, my mind was starved for his; for a joining of what had been falling apart. I needed Worth. I needed my husband.
My hand slid beneath the blankets and found him. He was fully engorged and hard beneath my touch. Heat emanated from him, and I was desperate to feel that heat inside me. Worth tipped his face toward mine and the gentle kiss he gave me grew rough and desperate. I bit his lip ever so slightly, but it brought out the response to pain that he so loved. He reached and took my face between his hands, kissing my forehead, down my nose and to my chin. I pushed my tongue into his mouth, and he groaned. As I moved my tongue in his mouth, I mimicked the movement with my hand on his shaft. Undulating and covering each sensitive nerve with a light, flicking touch I tempted and denied alternately. He pulled me closer, wanting to feel my entire body and then pulled me until I was sitting on his chest.
“Turn around,” he ordered. “I want to taste you.”
My stomach clenched as I did what I was told and was soon hovering over his face. My hand went to his chest to steady myself as I sank down upon his tongue. I moaned at the first penetration. Moaned harder as he took my clit into his mouth.
I fell forward on his stomach, wanting to touch him too. Kiss him. Suck him. Give him the same pleasure he was giving me. My hair fell forward and pooled around his hard cock. He sucked my clit with even more urgency as the strands slid over his highly-stimulated skin.
Grinding onto his tongue, I took him in my mouth, returning the gift. He moaned, and I felt the vibration of the sound move into me, through me. His hands moved over my ass and gripped my hips while I rocked myself toward the edge of oblivion. When I exploded, he lapped at me, calming me.
Gently, Worth laid me down, turning me onto my tummy. He slid off the foot of the bed and crawled back on, his head between my legs, kissing my skin. Higher and higher his face came until he was once again buried in my pussy. He held my knees in place while I writhed and begged for him to make me come again.
He did.
When I thought I could take no more, and I cried out, he raised my hips and mounted me from behind. The first thrust went completely to my end, and I closed my eyes with gratification. All his tempting had finally been fulfilled. I rocked back onto him as he held my hips, kissing my shoulders and guiding me into a gentle, swaying rhythm that caused the lava inside me to begin to boil. His breathing accelerated, and I knew he wanted release. I wriggled backward so he was buried as deeply as he could go. Then I began a slow rocking movement against him, gathering speed. He cried out as the orgasm overcame him, spurring me to let mine go as well.
Even as the sensations became too much to bear, he stayed within me, his hands reaching around to cup my breasts and my tender nipples. I sighed with passionate delight and total exhaustion as I collapsed onto my tummy, his hand remained cupping me in a possessive clasp. He lay over me, supporting his weight and eventually rolled to his side, pulling me to lie in his arms. It was more peace than I’d known for months — perhaps years. It was the original Worth and Auggie. It was the way we used to make love when we were first together. I’d missed that “us” and I knew he did as well.
“I love you, Worth. Please don’t leave me again,” I whispered.
“I love you too, sweetheart. I won’t leave. I promise,” he whispered in return and kissed my forehead before cuddling me against him. That was the last I remembered.
When I awoke, the muscles in my thighs ached a bit, and all the memories flooded back. I leaned over and kissed Worth’s bottom and turned to slide out of bed. “Where are you going? No, no… stay with me.”
“Shhh… you go back to sleep. I need to check on Dad and Letty. She was supposed to go to the store and get supplies. If she’s asleep, we won’t have breakfast, lunch, or dinner.”
“Then we’ll order in pizza,” he said and pulled me back against him. He was once again rigid. Wasting no time for the preliminaries, he rolled me onto my back and entered me. Slowly at first, to gently stretch me for his size, then increasingly stronger until he was pounding me into the mattress. I whimpered as the orgasm rose and it came fast. I thrashed beneath him, trying to force him to drill me as deeply as possible to touch my needs. He burst and convulsed within its grip. I watched his face, the way he gasped and the muscles in his neck stiffened. His hair had fallen over his forehead, and I longed to kiss it aside but left him in his moment of male triumph.
Later, we showered together and soaped one another’s tender spots. This led to yet a third coupling, but this time, it was slow and pleasurable. His cock played me like a bow across violin strings. He knew the way to move that made my woman’s tunnel vibrate in a perfect pitch. It was excruciatingly delicious.
As much as I wanted to dive beneath those covers and sleep a bit longer, I heard the others stirring — well, perhaps it was more like arguing. I smiled at Worth and blew him a kiss as I dressed and went out into the hallway, closing the door behind me.
/>
“Mom, I want to go on the boat with you,” Marga was whining. “It’s so boring here. Nothing but old people. You won’t let me go anywhere so I’m going with you.”
She knew very well that I had planned a night for Worth and me, alone. This was her way of getting back at me.
“No, your father and I are going alone,” I told her firmly. “You, young lady, are going to stay in tonight and watch television with your grandfather and Letty.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No, I won’t. I’m going out.”
“If you walk out that door, the car will disappear before you get home.”
“I hate you,” she screamed and slammed her bedroom door.
“I know, I know,” I answered, remembering the words of my own youth.
Worth and I left later that afternoon to board the boat. I brought supplies and had intended to cook lobster for us, but Worth told me to just sit by him and enjoy the sunset while the captain took us out into the Gulf. “We can eat crackers, cheese and one another,” he teased me, and I was content.
“As wonderful as that all sounds, I hope you won’t mind if I at least make us sandwiches later. I wouldn’t want you to think of me as a sex symbol,” I said, winking back.
Our boat was substantial, large enough to sail anywhere in the world. It had been going to waste. Since Margaret died, Dad had lost interest in going out on it, and I didn’t blame him. Worth and I needed to make a decision about whether keeping it was worthwhile. It wasn’t the money. There’s a certain guilt with having major possessions that you never utilized. Having wealth was one thing, wasting it was another.
Personally speaking, if the kids were settled in college, I’d have no problem living at the condo and using the boat all winter long. I had some horses boarded in Florida and could be quite happy with just that. I realized then that I was getting a bit tired of the farm business. It wasn’t the work. I’d never shied away from that. It was more about the leash of needing to be available. There was so much at stake. The horses we cared for were worth multi-millions, and one bad call could create unbelievable problems.
Worth and I settled into deck chairs. I’d put on some cute capris pants and a matching crop top that ended just below my breasts. I knew it was a bit tantalizing, and that was exactly the effect I was after. Since the rekindling of our romance last night, I was all the more aware of how much I’d missed Worth’s lovemaking. It’s a glue that kept a couple together. The only time we seemed to be truly open and trusting with one another.
I could see in Worth’s eyes that he appreciated my appearance. I realized then that all he’d seen me in for ages was farm clothes. That was hardly the haute couture that made a man sizzle. Perhaps it had been my resentment against his self-involvement that caused me to become the same. Our problems weren’t all due to him. Not by any stretch. I’d contributed my own in retaliation.
Our eldest son was good at retaliation as well, and unfortunately, Marga wore the same crown. Mark was too compassionate to resort to that. I liked to think he took after my dad in that respect. He held nothing but love and positive commitments to those in his life. There were a lot of lessons there to be learned.
Worth held out his hand, and I put mine into it. It was so lovely, cruising the Gulf, which was relatively calm that evening. The moon shone a torch of light across the waves. It was so romantic. Worth’s hand dropped mine and slid slowly up beneath my top. He cupped my breasts, and his index finger caressed my nipples, causing a flood of warmth and moistness in my pussy. He knew me so well.
“Last night was long in coming,” he said, and I grinned at his pun.
“I missed you too.”
“Let’s not ever let it go that long again,” he suggested, and I nodded. His hand was getting to me. He knew very well what he was doing. I wouldn’t argue or second guess him as long as he made my knees melt.
“I don’t want Brandon hanging around the farm any longer,” he said in an even voice.
At first, I thought he was kidding, and I smiled, still lulled into that mellow place by the movement of his finger.
“That’ll be the day,” I laughed gently. “Especially now.”
“Auggie, I’m serious. I don’t want him around. You don’t need him, and if you need an attorney, there are a hundred more just like him.”
I jerked upright and pushed his hand away from me. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s been a sore spot for us from the beginning. It’s better for sore spots to heal.”
I swiveled in the chair to look at him straight on. “Brandon has been a friend to me through thick and thin. I’ve known him since we were in college, even longer than I’ve known you. What makes you think I’m going to throw him into the cold just because you can’t get a grip on whatever jealous bone is making you say these things out of the blue?”
“I thought you loved me.”
“This has nothing to do with love, Worth. At least not my love for you. I’m allowed to have friends, even close friends. You do. You’re around women all day, and I never say a thing. And let’s just say that between the two of us, you have the reputation for carousing, not me.”
“Auggie, why won’t you do this for me? If he means nothing to you, then ask him to stay away.”
“That’s just it. He does mean something to me. He had my back through some dark times, and yours as well, although you were too stubborn to admit it. And if you will remember, he’s not coming to the farm to see me.”
“I don’t need Brandon Knotts. Evidently, it seems that you do.”
“Worth, you’re being absolutely childish. I won’t continue this conversation a moment longer. It’s just ridiculous.”
“Auggie, I’m serious. I want him gone.”
I exhaled in a gust of revolt. “I don’t think so, Worth. He’s my friend. He’s not going anywhere. And I won’t do that to Lily. They’re attracted to each other. To not let Brandon come around could mean losing my farm manager. Losing my farm manager means I can’t come down here with you or spend time with you anywhere. I’ll be tied to the livestock. That aside, it’s unconscionable that you would ask this of me. There’s no basis whatsoever for your paranoia.”
“Let’s not argue, Auggie. It’s been so good.”
“What you mean to say is ‘Do as I tell you, Auggie, and I’ll make sure you feel loved and trusted.’ You’re deliberately withholding your affection, aren’t you? You’re making our relationship conditional on getting your way. Fuck me real good, then I’ll do as you want. It’s not as if I’ve ever had any personal interest in Brandon. If I’d wanted that, I’d have had plenty of chances. No, this is all about control and getting your way.”
“Auggie, don’t go there.”
“You’re damned right I’ll go there!” I said, my voice raised and fire in my eyes. “Our entire marriage has all been about Worthington LaViere getting his way. I’ve sacrificed relationships with my family for you. I’ve set my own goals aside if they didn’t coincide with yours. I don’t need you, Worth. Not in that way. I don’t need the money, and I don’t need the leash.”
“I—”
I held up a hand, then waved it around. “Look what you’ve done to this family! Hawk has changed his name and locks his mother out with electronic gates. Marga isn’t speaking to me because you bought her a new car and let her run wild with your half-assed parenting. The only one who is fairly normal is Mark, and that’s because you barely give him the time of day. He doesn’t have a problem with you because you leave him alone. That boy is aching to step into your shoes. He wants to take over the farm and be responsible. He’s like my dad in that respect. He’s going to be a very good man, but he simply needs the tools and the opportunity to prove it to you. I heard about how you treated him on those driving lessons. You were condescending and impatient. That’s no way to teach your son.”
“So, now I’m personally responsible for every little problem this family has ever had, is that it? Am I
responsible for your mother’s indiscretions? For Linc kidnapping our son? For Linc’s death?”
“Think about it, Worth. Whether you liked it or not, whether you felt it was fair or not — Linc was your brother, and he did deserve to inherit his legacy. You were the younger brother, and yet you lorded it over him. You didn’t give him a single chance. You didn’t like how he acted so you booted him out of your life. It’s no wonder it drove him insane.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you, Auggie. He was your brother too. Did your dad include him in his will? Did you welcome him with open arms to your dinner table? Hell no, you didn’t. Why not?”
“Because you wouldn’t let me!”
That took the breath out of him. In that one sentence, I laid the guilt for the entire saga of sorrow that had beset our family at his two feet. There was no covering it up. I was holding him responsible. I was furious.
“With great power comes great responsibility, Worth. Only you’ve never gotten that part. You go out and wave your power wand and then step back and let others clean up the mess. I didn’t see you reaching a hand out to Hawk. I didn’t see you take Mark driving quietly, just the two of you. Oh no, instead, you make him feel insecure and inferior to his sister. She ribbed him about that for weeks. Children live up to what their parents expect from them. You were suspicious and cold about Hawk even from him being a little boy. You showed him no attention at all and when the result was that he ran wild, you, a licensed, well-known psychologist to the millionaires, sent him down the road to be ‘fixed’ by one of your colleagues. What sort of message did that send to him? I’ll tell you what. It said, ‘Don’t bother me with your problems. I’m too busy being Worthington LaViere, III and wearing the crown!’”
“How dare you… you… bitch!”
The space between us went silent. It filled, instead, with an acidic hatred that surpassed anything I’d ever felt before. My voice was low and even as I said, “Well, that’s a new low, even for you, Worth. It’s easier to call me unthinkable names, not even six hours out of our lovemaking bed than to accept responsibility for who you are. I may not be perfect, Worth, but at least I own it.”
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