by A. L Long
~*~*~*~
Heading back to the cabin, Tessa ended up sleeping most of the way. I loved the way little sounds escaped. She must have been dreaming a wonderful dream based on the way her mouth curved up slightly. I wondered if I was a part of that dream and if our little lovemaking session had something to do with it.
It seemed as though the drive back to the cabin went a lot quicker than I wanted. Pulling up to the cabin, Jonathan’s car was parked out front along with another car. I would know that truck anywhere. It was the only one that I knew of that had a bumper sticker that said, “Shit Happens.” What I couldn’t understand was what the fuck was Kyle doing here?
Tapping Tessa lightly on the shoulder, I waited until she was somewhat awake before I ordered, “Stay in the car until I come out to get you.”
As I opened the door, she replied, “Why?”
“Just do as I say, Tessa, and make sure to lock the door.”
As I headed to the door, I hoped that she listened to me and stayed in the Range Rover. I didn’t know why Kyle was here or even how he knew about this place, but there was no way I was going to put Tessa in danger until I knew for sure what his deal was.
Opening the front door, I could hear Jonathan and Kyle talking in the living room. Making my way there, their voices became louder and I could tell that they were having some sort of argument. Stopping just outside the doorway, Kyle was inches away from Jonathan with his fists closed tight, ready to punch Jonathan in the face. Feeling like I needed to intervene, I demanded loudly, “Lincoln, back off.”
Both of them looked at me, surprised, but no more surprised than I was. Walking inside the living room, I addressed both of them and not with a lovey, kissy greeting. “Kyle, what the fuck are you doing here? And Jonathan, how the fuck did he find this place?”
“Calm down, London. I’ll explain everything,” Johnathan began. “The DNA results came back positive, only not in the way we thought. Tessa and Kyle are brother and sister, but unfortunately, I am not his father, which means that Natalia was with another man.”
“This is so messed up,” I said, pacing in circles as I raked my hands through my hair. “So, if you aren’t his dad, then who is?” This was beyond believable. I thought this shit only happens in movies.
“We aren’t sure. Kyle, why don’t you explain to London what you know of your childhood?” Johnathan suggested.
Keeping my eyes focused on Kyle, I waited patiently as he began explaining what he knew. “I don’t remember much, but what I do remember was the small house my mom and I shared. It was out in the country and there were a lot of people who always came to visit. I vaguely remember Jonathan. My dad worked out of town a lot and was rarely at home, at least this is what my mom said. Other than that, I don’t remember a whole lot about my dad. My mom died when I was very young, and my uncle raised me. When I was sixteen, he died as well. That is about the time I went to work for Colin. That is pretty much it.”
When Kyle finished his story, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Jonathan never talked about how Tessa’s mom died. He never mentioned anything about her, which, now that I thought about it, was kind of strange. How could he have left out that small detail?
Looking over to Jonathan, I searched for the answer to my question. “How did Natalia die?”
“I don’t know what Natalia’s death has to do with anything,” Jonathan snapped.
He was right, but it didn’t make me wonder any less. Putting it on the back burner for the moment. I asked my next question. “So, if Kyle was taken care of by his uncle, then you must have known who he was.”
“Vladimir is another person I wish not to talk about. I think we need to concentrate on the facts at hand, and that is how we are going to deal with this new-found information and what to do with Colin?”
My temperature was beginning to boil. One thing that I hated more than anything was having things kept from me. It was the same now as when I left New York to start this new life. Knowing that I needed to check on Tessa, I turned to leave the room only to find that she was standing in the doorway, looking like she had lost her best friend. There was so much she didn’t know, and to find out that she had a brother who didn’t share the same father had to have been a shock for her.
As angry as I was that she didn’t listen to me and stay in the car, my compassion for her kicked in as I walked up to her. “You should have listened to me.”
Pushing past me, she walked up to Jonathan and stated her argument, “You may not think that my mom wasn’t important enough to discuss, but she is important to me. I have a right to know how she died.”
Jonathan looked at her with regret, almost like he had something to do with Natalia’s death. I couldn’t imagine him having anything to do with her death, or anyone else’s for that matter, but then he said, “It is my fault she’s dead. I never should have confronted her about Vladimir. I should have waited until she was safely home.”
~Eighteen~
It had been a long and emotional night for Tessa after Jonathan had explained not only what had happened to her mother, but also to his brother Vladimir, and his involvement in her death. It turned out that Jonathan had known about Natalia’s affair with his brother for some time. He hadn’t been around a lot and when she ended up pregnant with Kyle, he knew the baby wasn’t his. Jonathan thought for sure that it was over between them after Tessa was born, but losing Tessa sent Natalia back into Vladimir’s arms. If that wasn’t the worst of it, she took Kyle with her. Jonathan didn’t care that Kyle wasn’t his. All he wanted was his family back, but in the end, he lost everything.
What I couldn’t understand was why hadn’t Jonathan been upfront with me in the beginning? Even though he told the truth about not having a son, he lied about knowing Kyle. But in a way I felt sorry for Jonathan. If it had been me, I probably would have done the same thing. All he did was fight for the woman he loved, and in the end his efforts were wasted when the argument turned into tragedy. Jonathan blamed himself for running after Natalia. If he hadn’t chased her, she wouldn’t have lost her balance and fallen to her death down the steep hill behind her house.
It had been a long day for me as well, and all I really wanted to do was hold Tessa in my arms and escape to a different world where it was just her and I. Leaving Jonathan and Kyle to hash things out, I headed up the stairs to do just that. When I got to the room, the comforter had been folded over, but Tessa wasn’t beneath the covers. Walking to the bathroom, I found her sunk on the floor next to the tub, with her head resting on her arms that were crossed at her knees. Her soul was broken, and as the sobs of sorrow rained down, I could see that it was taking all her spirit with it.
Taking a seat next to her, I pulled her close to me and reassured her, “It’s okay, baby. Everything will be okay.”
It pained me to see her so sad. I had no idea what she was going through, but one thing I did know, she was a fighter and she would get through this. Kissing the top of her head. I lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Looking at her once-brilliant blue eyes, I wanted nothing more than to comfort her. “Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow will be better, I promise.”
Helping her to her feet, her nightgown slid down her legs, and if there was such a thing as a true goddess, I was undoubtedly in the presence of one. Even with her eyes swollen and red, Tessa was the most gorgeous woman I had ever laid eyes on.
Making sure that she was settled in, I slid in beside her and moved my body close to hers. My arms wrapped around her warmth, totally engulfed in her sweet scent. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on her breathing, hoping that somehow it would lull me to sleep. So many thoughts had been running through my mind that not even the sweet sound of her sleeping could tame the battle that was taking place in my head. On one hand, I wanted to trust Kyle in doing the right thing by Tessa, but on the other hand, I didn’t know if I could trust him since he still worked for Colin. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that he picked this exact time to come forwar
d, especially knowing what Jonathan and I had planned.
~*~*~*~
It was just after two in the morning and my eyes were still open. Grabbing my phone, I slipped out of bed and went downstairs to get something to drink. Looking back over to the bed before I left, I made sure that Tessa was still asleep. I was totally humbled by the way she looked. Beauty beyond anything I had ever witnessed.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I noticed that there was a dim light on in the living room. I wasn’t sure if it had been left on accidentally or if someone was as restless as I was. Walking toward the room, I could see that Jonathan was sitting in the leather chair once I reached the doorway. He had a crystal tumbler in his hand with a clear liquid which I knew had to be vodka. “Russian people and their vodka,” I thought to myself. Walking further inside the room, I helped myself to a glass of whisky and took a seat across from where he was sitting.
Jonathan must have been in deep thought because he didn’t say a word when I entered the room. Taking a drink of his vodka, he finally said, “You couldn’t sleep either.”
“Something like that,” I replied, taking a sip of my drink
“I should have told you the truth about Kyle,” he began. “I had no idea that he ended up working for Colin. I really think that he is done with him, especially knowing the truth.”
“So, you told him everything?” I probed.
“I thought it was best. I’m tired of keeping secrets. Now everything is out in the open,” Jonathan admitted.
“There is still one thing you haven’t mentioned,” I paused, downing the rest of my drink. “How did Vladimir die?”
His attention focused on me instead of the clear liquid in his glass. Jonathan’s eyes turned cold as though I had disgusted him with my question. Getting up from his chair, he walked over to where his vodka bottle was, half emptied, and he poured it in his glass until it was to the rim. Taking a drink where he stood, he finally turned to face me and said, “Colin killed him.”
I couldn’t believe that I had heard him right. “Colin killed him?”
“Yes, and even though he was my brother, I’m glad he did. He was the reason I lost Natalia. He was the reason I partnered with Colin.”
“So, what reason would Colin have to kill your brother?” I was becoming more and more confused by this whole triangle. I was beginning to think that there was more to their relationship than Jonathan was letting on.
“Because he hated him more than me. Vladimir went to work for him shortly after Natalia died. He thought that by working for Colin he could ruin me, only Colin caught on to his game. I had no idea what my brother was even up to, not until I found the drugs that Colin was smuggling through the business. His shipment was delivered to his overseas buyers short. Colin knew that I didn’t know that he was channeling his drugs through my business and the only other person who knew was Vladimir. So, in order to eliminate the problem, he had him killed.”
Everything about what Jonathan said was beginning to make sense. I didn’t have to ask to know that the reason Kyle began working for Colin was because of his dad. It didn’t take a genius to know that Colin knew Kyle’s father well, so why wouldn’t Colin commission him to go to work for him?
Between the liquor I consumed and the information I learned from Jonathan, my mind was exhausted. I just figured out why the reason behind the death of Vladimir wasn’t brought up. Even though I didn’t agree with Jonathan keeping this bit of information from Kyle, I understood how he wanted to preserve how Kyle felt about his father. And as much as Jonathan hated him, he would never intentionally hurt Kyle.
Finishing our little chat, I headed back up to my room where I knew Tessa would be. Checking the time, I realized that Jonathan and I had been talking for over an hour. Tessa was just as I left her. Snuggling up behind her, I rested my arm at her waist and closed my eyes. Her body moved until she found a more comfortable place. She took hold of my hand and placed it near her cheek. It was the sweetest display of affection that I had even been a part of. I was falling for her and my heart ached knowing that I wasn’t the man she thought I was. If she ever found out who I really was, it would kill her.
~Nineteen~
“I’ll come back for you.” Those words kept ringing in my head as I watched Ryan walk away. There wasn’t much time and I knew I needed to hurry. Over and over again, I relived that day for the past year. It tormented my days, but even worse, my nights. My body felt clammy and my pillow was soaked all the way through. Removing my arm that was still tucked under Tessa’s cheek, I slowly pulled it free and slid out of bed to the bathroom. Reaching inside the shower, I turned on the water and tested it to make sure it was a little cooler than what I would normally shower in.
As I slipped under the stream of water, it hit me like needles as I felt my body begin to cool. I would be glad when these thoughts from my past were finally gone and I could move on with my life. Maybe what I needed to do was face the music and take responsibility for what I did. Then and only then could I truly move on with my life and not be afraid to lose Tessa over this.
Dying off my body, I wrapped the towel around my waist and wiped away the steam from the mirror to get a good look at myself. Every day I was reminded of what I did by the five-inch scar running across my abdomen and by the man who stared back at me from the mirror. Even though I had never taken a life, I was just as guilty. Working for Colin made me just as guilty as him. “Guilty by association,” is what I think they called it.
Lost in my own pity-party, I didn’t hear Tessa walk in until she said, “You’re up early.”
Turning to face her, I wrapped my arms around her and said, “Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”
Tessa meant everything to me and as I held her close, it was then that I realized just how much. I knew she was a strong woman, but I wasn’t sure she would be able to accept my secret. Holding her at arms’ length, I swiped away a stray hair and said, “I’m going to get dressed and head downstairs. Go back to bed and I’ll wake you later.”
Nodding her head, she kissed me lightly on the lips and went back to the bed. As she dipped comfortably inside the still-warm comforter, I walked over to my bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to put on. As I pulled the towel from around my waist, her voice rang behind me and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to bed?”
There was no way I would be able to resist her. Throwing my clothes on top of my bag, I sauntered over to the bed like a tiger on the prowl and crawled to where she was lying. Straddling her body, I balanced my weight by placing my hands on either side of her shoulders. Tilting my head lower, I captured her mouth with mine and slowly dipped my tongue between her lips. To kiss her just like this, passionate, I could have kissed her forever, and even then, it wouldn’t be long enough.
Pulling the covers away. I lowered her silky nightgown, continuing to cover her soft skin with sweet kisses. Kiss after kiss, my mouth rained mercilessly down her neck to the valley between her glorious mounds. Teasing her nipple into a hard peak, her back began to arch as I flicked my tongue over the taut buds. Her breath came in soft pants, reveling in the pleasure she was given. I could feel her excitement with every touch as the heat surged, causing my cock to become unbearably hard.
Spreading her legs wider to accommodate my body, I positioned my hard shaft at her entrance, wanting only to tease her with its hardness. Pushing her panties to the side, I moved between her slick folds in a slow, steady rhythm; her hips moving back and forth enticing me to bath in her sweet juices. This was more for me than for her. I didn’t want to give up the feeling of knowing that I controlled her pleasure. It wasn’t long until my will to be inside her took over. With little self-restraint, I eased inside her warmth, wanting nothing more than to feel every inch of her.
Tessa’s hips began to sway back and forth, pulling me deeper inside. Her walls were like a vise, squeezing and milking me. I didn’t want the feeling of being inside her to end. Slowing my pace even fur
ther, I snaked my hand between our heated bodies and beneath the material of her panties, searching for her clit, which was swollen from my previous play. As I pinched it between my thumb and index finger, her hips changed direction and began making circular movements, gyrating in sync with the movement of my cock as I continued to tease her swollen nub.
Her efforts were taken to the extreme as her screams of pleasure sounded, coating not only the walls, but my rod that was deep inside her. When my own release matched hers, our bodies meshed together as one and I knew she would forever be mine. Meeting her sated eyes, I brushed my hand along her cheek and asked, “Do you know how much you mean to me?”
Before I gave her the chance to answer, I covered my mouth with hers and kissed her more passionately than I had ever kissed her before. Not because my feelings for her had changed, but because I wanted to let her know exactly what she meant to me.
~*~*~*~