by Y. L. Stokes
“What did he have to say?”
“Oh, nothing much. He basically confirmed what we already knew. That he and Trisha had been screwing each other all along and that he was Alicia’s father. Oh, and one other tidbit. The reason Trisha had left Alicia with her sister was so she could go and screw Charlie.”
Ashley appeared stunned. “So they were together when the accident happened?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. She knew the danger of leaving Alicia with her sister but didn’t care because she had to go and lay up with my best friend.” Underlying anger laced his voice. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted her to know his plans for ruining Charlie—she might object to it, but that wasn’t going to stop him. Nicholas stood and walked to stand before the double doors leading out to the garden.
“Nicholas, what is it you aren’t telling me?” she asked, uncertainty in her voice.
Taking a deep breath, he told her about his promise to buy Charlie’s company. Silence descended.
Ashley stepped over to where he stood, placing a hand on his arm to gain his attention. “Nicholas, you can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.”
“So you think it was right for him to screw the woman that I was going to marry and to father a child and let me believe all along that that child was mine, knowing that that was the only reason I had agreed to marry Trisha?”
“Nicholas, two wrongs don’t make a right, and that was in the past.”
Nick shook his head and moved away from her. “There’s nothing that you can say that will make me change my mind, so just forget about it.”
“I can’t forget about it. You’re set on destroying a man that was once a very close friend of yours.”
“Well, that friendship didn’t mean shit to him when he was screwing my fiancée,” he yelled.
“Honey, I know that his betrayal hurt you, but it’s time to let it go now, to move on with our lives.”
“We can still move on with our lives while I take care of Charlie. Besides, Ash, I don’t trust him. I can’t trust him after what he did. How can I trust him with my business?”
“Nicholas, you can leave him with his business and find yourself another company to use.”
“No, I want him to suffer just as I suffered when he and that bitch caused the death of my daughter.”
“I don’t know this side of you and sure as hell don’t like it,” she said, her voice rising along with his.
Jack opened the door. “What in the hell is going on in here?” He looked from Nick to Ashley.
Ashley stared into his face. Tears filled her eyes, and she fled the room, damn near knocking Jack down in her haste to escape.
Jack called her as she pushed past him, but she didn’t stop and ran up the staircase. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” he asked his brother as he closed the door.
“She just doesn’t understand.”
“She doesn’t understand what? The fact that you have a little vengeance on your mind? Hell, I don’t understand that myself.”
“Look, Jack, this is none of your business. This is something that I have to do, and Ashley will just have to deal with it.”
Jack stared at him. Nick took his brother’s silence as his opportunity to leave the room. He strutted into the kitchen and set the table. Jack followed.
“Could you ask Nicole to bring Marcus in and to go and let Ashley know dinner’s ready?”
Jack left the kitchen shaking his head.
Nicole found Ashley in the second bedroom pulling out suitcases. Her heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t like her aunt to give up so easily.
She asked the first question that popped into her head. “Are you leaving him?”
“No, I’m not smart enough to do that, and besides, I love him too much, and whether or not he wants to admit it, he needs me.”
Nicole frowned.
“You see, I’ve seen a side to my future husband that could get seriously out of hand, so I have to stay around to keep him in check.”
“What are you doing with the suitcases?” Nicole inquired.
“This fight isn’t over by a long shot, so if he wants me to leave then he’ll have to buy new suitcases to see the deed done.”
Nicole smiled at Ashley’s attitude. “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”
“Well, you might want to wait because I still have a lot of growing up to do myself. Come on, help me get these downstairs.”
Nicholas began to worry when Ashley didn’t come downstairs for dinner. He kept looking at his watch and the doorway for sight of her. Ashley came in, suitcases in hands.
“That’s not going to work, Ash,” he said, hands on hips.
Ashley ignored him and placed the bags at the door leading to the garage.
“Ashley, your food is going to get cold,” he said.
She walked back out of the room only to return with Nicole, drying their hands. They must have been in the bathroom. Nick gritted his teeth and tried to stifle a sigh of relief as the two women sat down to eat.
After a while, the silence grew unbearable.
“So, how is everything?” he asked Ashley.
She didn’t spare him a second glance.
“Everything is delicious,” Jack said around a mouth full of pasta.
Nicholas tried again. “So, did you two find the dresses you wanted?”
Nicole gave him a quick nod.
“Oh, I see what’s going on. You aren’t talking to me, Ashley,” he said.
No response.
Man, just let her have her way for now. No matter what she did, he wouldn’t be manipulated. His eyes strayed to the suitcases, and his heart sped up at the thought of her leaving him.
Tears again filled Ashley’s eyes, and she quickly carried her plate to the sink then walked over to where Marcus sat.
“Come on, Marcus, it’s time for your bath.”
Before Nicholas could protest, she’d scooped Marcus up and left the room. He stared after her, a knot forming in his gut. He missed her talking to him over dinner and laughing at Marcus’ antics while he was being fed.
“How long is she going to keep this up?” he asked Nicole.
“It varies,” she said. “She went an entire six months without speaking to my dad.”
“Will your revenge be worth it?” Jack asked.
Nicholas glared at his brother.
“Why do you keep looking at the suitcases? Are you afraid that she’s going to leave you? Hell, I wouldn’t blame her,” Jack baited. “You said in the study that I wouldn’t understand and that it didn’t concern me. Let me tell you, bro, you’re wrong on both counts. I understand, all right. Do you know how badly I wanted to beat the shit out of Charlie when I saw him the other night? Not just for confirming my suspicions, but because I knew that his betrayal had hurt you, and we made a pact long ago that no one would harm mom or the twins. What you don’t know is that I vowed that I wouldn’t let anyone get away with hurting you either, and that goes for you hurting yourself. If I have to I’ll beat you to a bloody pulp and then call Mom if you don’t forget this shit about ruining Charlie.”
Nicholas chuckled at the threat. “How can I hurt myself?”
“By letting this revenge come between you and Ashley. Man, can’t you see that you’re hurting her?”
“Leave it alone, Jack,” he warned.
“No, I can’t leave it alone, and you know it. I think you did enough damage to Charlie when you told him he was partly to blame for Alicia’s death. Think about it, Nick, he’s already suffering. He’s just realized that not only did he play you, but he was played by Trisha. The fact that he let her talk him into letting you raise that beautiful little girl that we all fell in love with, the time we spent with her laughter, her tears when she got her shots, man, I wouldn’t change any of that for the world and I don’t think you would either. Now you have a chance to raise a beautiful little boy that only knows you as his dad, and you have a beautiful woman tha
t loves you so much that she’ll fight you tooth and nail to get you to see reason. Don’t throw it all away on Charlie. I’m sure he’s fighting his own demons right about now.”
Nicholas knew his brother was right. He was lucky. God had blessed him twice so far, once with Alicia, and now with Marcus and Ashley and who knows how many more children they would have. He needed to talk to her to apologize for being a total fool.
“Hey, could you two lock up for me on your way out?” he asked over his shoulder as he bounded up the stairs.
Nicholas walked into their bedroom and found it empty. He dashed to the door leading to the baby’s room—also empty. His heart raced. He ran out of the room bellowing her name and headed down the hall to check the other bedrooms. Just before he reached the room at the end of the hall, she opened the door.
“What are you yelling for?”
“I went into our room and you weren’t there, and when I checked Marcus’ room and didn’t find him….”
“He wouldn’t go to sleep. I was getting a little dizzy walking around in his room in a circle, so I walked up and down the hall. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I’ll try and get him back to sleep.”
Nicholas let out a sigh of relief. “Give him to me. I’ll put him to sleep while you go and rest.”
Fatigue clouded her eyes along with the anger she was obviously trying to keep under wraps.
Taking Marcus out of her arms, he kissed her on her forehead. “Now, you go on down the hall and climb into bed and go to sleep.”
Ashley did as he’d suggested.
Nicholas paced, trying to work through the fear that had gripped him when he hadn’t found Ashley. Even though after the lecture Jack had delivered to him he’d decided against taking his revenge, the feeling that had taken hold of him while he’d searched for his future wife and son was more than enough to quell the thirst for revenge. With Marcus snoring softly, Nicholas lay on the king-sized bed wishing that Ashley was lying beside him, thinking that it would be hard to go to sleep without her there.
During the night, Ashley eased into the bed beside him. His arm instinctively moved her body up against his, and he positioned Marcus on his chest. Nicholas buried his face in her hair and let out a contented sigh.
“This is where you belong,” he whispered just before he went back to sleep.
The next morning, Nicholas woke in bed alone. Fear and panic seized his heart again. He ran down the hall to the master bedroom. The sound of water running came from the shower. His heart didn’t slow until he found Marcus sleeping peacefully in his bed. Man, do I need some. He smiled and stripped off his clothes as he headed for the bathroom and opened the door.
Ashley stood under the full force of the shower. She turned at the sound of his entrance. He walked to the shower, faced her, and raised an eyebrow in question, waiting for permission to join her. Reaching out her hand, she stroked the side of his face, letting her other hand slide down his arm from his shoulder to his hand, pulling him into the shower with her.
His mouth joined hers for a searing kiss. He wrapped his arms around her, eased her flush with him. “I’m so sorry, Ash. Honey, you were right. What happened is in the past, and that’s where it will stay. Revenge isn’t worth losing you.” He kissed her again.
Tears filled her eyes. “I love you so much, Nicky,” she said against his mouth.
The water had turned cold, but Nicholas ignored it. The heat coming from their bodies was enough to warm the entire house.
“I need you so bad, Ash. Baby, don’t make me wait,” Nick said against her ear, anguish and hunger in his voice.
She wrapped her legs around his hips, positioning herself for his entrance. Nicholas felt her moisture—she was ready for him. He gripped her hips, and with one quick thrust he impaled himself inside her. Feelings coursed through his body, weakening him and at the same time giving him strength. This woman was perfect for him, like none he’d had before. He withdrew from her warmth. Ashley let out a whimper. Nicholas turned off the water, picked her up, and headed out of the bathroom. With her still in his arms, he lay down on his back. Ashley immediately shifted her position and straddled his hips.
“Take me, Ash. I need you so much.”
She took him in her hands and guided his shaft to her most secret place, taking him inside her. They both moaned as their bodies rocked from the force of their joining. Nicholas let her set the pace. His body cried out for release, but he forced himself to hold back. He bent his knees to support her back; the change of position pulled him deeper inside her. Ashley moved slowly. Shock wave after shock wave flowed through him. She called his name, and, sensing her nearing climax, he rolled them over, positioning her body beneath his.
She tightened around him and dug her nails into his back. He thrust with more force. Ashley matched his thrusts until they both crested on the wave of desire, their climaxes so strong that they screamed each other’s names.
Nicholas kissed away the tears that streamed down her face.
“Are you going to cry every time we make love?” he asked, smiling.
“I don’t know, Nicky, you just make me so happy.”
“Ash, promise me that no matter what we have a disagreement about you won’t shut me out like that again. I’d rather have you ranting and raving at me than not speaking to me at all.”
Ashley took his face into her hands. “I was afraid that if we continued to argue we’d say something we’d both regret. I love you too much to lose you over something said in anger.”
“You’d never lose me because I’d never let you go.” He stared lovingly into her eyes. “What was the deal with the suitcases?”
“I wanted to be sure that if I made you mad enough to throw me out, you’d have to buy new ones for me to pack. I asked Nicole to take them with her.”
The phone ringing in his ear woke Nicholas with a start. He checked the clock on the nightstand. Almost eleven. “Yeah?” he answered.
“Man, what in the hell are you still doing home? Are you taking the day off because you’re getting married the day after tomorrow? You are still getting married, right?”
“Jack, slow down, will you. I guess I overslept. What do you need?”
“I just called to give you a heads up. Mom’s planning on Ashley staying with her until the wedding Saturday.”
“She’s what?”
“You heard me. I think she’s on her way to your house now.”
The doorbell rang. His mother was just being polite—she had a key to the house but chose not to use it. He ended the call with Jack, slipped out of bed, and grabbed his pajama pants and robe. Downstairs, he took a deep, calming breath before he opened the door. As soon as he did, Saundra walked in.
“Where’s my future daughter-in-law and grandson?”
“They’re sleeping, Mom, and good morning to you too. Mind telling me what you’re doing here so early?”
“I was actually hoping that you’d be at work, but no matter. I came to get Ashley and Marcus.”
“Why?”
“Son, don’t you think it’s rude to stand here in the foyer interrogating your mother?”
“Again, Mom, why are you here?”
“Nicholas, you know it’s not good for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, so I think it would be best if Ashley and Marcus came to stay at my house for the next two nights.”
Nick shook his head.
“Nicholas, I’m not asking, I’m telling you.”
“Mom, you know I’ve never disobeyed you, but in this instance I am. I feel better with them here. Besides, the house is big enough for us not to see each other. The day of the wedding I’ll just get up early and leave the house. That way I won’t see her until she comes down the aisle at the church.”
“I don’t think you two should sleep together tonight,” she blurted.
“Oh, okay, so that’s what you’re trying to prevent. Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. Why don’t you, Jack, Sean, and Patrick, stay here and pla
y chaperones? I’ll sleep in one of the other bedrooms.”
“No. You will sleep down in the study with your brothers. That way I won’t have to worry about you sneaking into her bedroom when the rest of us are asleep.”
Nick stared at his mother in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that she didn’t trust him. I can’t blame her, though, because that was exactly what I’d planned to do. “You should know by now, son, that I know that mischievous look in your eyes when you readily agree to something.”
“I’ve seen that look before,” Ashley said as she came down the stairs carrying Marcus.
“I just bet you have,” Saundra said and reached out to take Marcus into her arms. “Good morning, my little sunshine.”
She kissed his neck, and Marcus giggled. He saw Nicholas and nearly jumped out of her arms saying, “Dada!”
Chapter Eighteen
Charlie woke with a hangover out of this world. It was so bad that he heard bells in his head. It took him a moment to realize that it was the phone ringing. Reaching over, he picked up the receiver. “Hello?” he answered in a raspy voice.
“Charlie, it’s Nick. I need to see you in my office. What time can you be here?”
Surprised to hear Nick’s voice, Charlie moved suddenly. A sharp pain shot through his head. “Do I need to be there? Can’t you just have your attorney draw up the papers?”
A pause ensued on the other end, then, “Ah, no, Charlie. I need to see you so that we can talk.”
Charlie tried to clear his head but was having a hard time at it. “Give me about an hour and I’ll be there.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” Nick disconnected the line.
Charlie slowly made his way to the shower. His mouth felt as if he had a huge wad of cotton in it. Charlie’s head hurt so bad that it took him thirty minutes just to get himself together. By the time he reached Nick’s offices, he was close to fifteen minutes late.