The Silken Web

by Sandra Brown

  “What’s next?” he asked hoarsely, trying to reestablish the ease with which the rest of the day had passed. His eyes, however, were mutinous, and lowered to take in the agitated rise and fall of her breasts. Sensing his eyes on them, her nipples communicated an enticing message all their own.

  “Well, as I was saying about the bedroom,” Kathleen said breathlessly, all too aware that his interest was wandering in a dangerous direction and that she was following his lead right to the edge of the enchanted abyss. Safety lay in meaningless, idle chatter. “Let’s pick out the color you want on the wall, buy the paint, and then we’ll search for pillows. We may get lucky and find an inexpensive chair to go in there, too. What would you think about a wicker trunk at the foot of the bed? That’s a functional piece, and decorative as well.”

  He leaned over closer to her and placed his lips directly on her ear as he whispered, “I can think of only one decorative and functional item I want near my bed. She’s got auburn hair that shines in the sunlight like fire. Her eyes are green and radiant and bewitchingly outlined with dark lashes. And if she didn’t want me to talk like this, why did she wear a silk blouse and tight leather pants that fit her sexy little fanny like a glove?”

  He pulled away from her, and Kathleen caught herself before she swayed against him. She was held hypnotized by his words and the tone of his voice. His eyes were glowing with desire and his mustache twitched around an insolent curl on his lips. He knew he had disoriented her. She wanted to pay him back.

  “There’s something I always wanted to ask you. Do you have a dimple under the right side of your mustache?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Why don’t you find out,” he challenged.

  Suddenly, the tables had turned again. She wasn’t taunting him as was her intention. He was still one point ahead. But who cared? The game had its own reward. “I might sometime,” she promised softly as they stared at each other.

  “I’ll look forward to that.”

  * * *

  They completed their shopping within the next two hours and headed for his car, Erik grumbling that he hoped he could remember when he was supposed to meet which delivery man.

  When they drove up the lane at the Kirchoff estate, they were still basking in the warmth of each other’s presence. He came around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. She was looking up into his face as they walked toward the front door, but intuition caused her to glance toward the side yard. Her heart lurched to her throat, and she shoved away from Erik as she broke into a dead run.

  “Theron!” she screamed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The toddler heedlessly ran the length of the diving board of the pool. At the end of it, he stopped, looked down at the inviting water that he loved, laughed happily and then jumped.

  “Theron!” Kathleen screamed again, but this time her cry was soundless. Panicked fear had sealed her throat, prohibiting her from making a sound. She raced forward as she saw his tiny blond head swallowed up by the deep water.

  She had almost reached the redwood decking when footsteps thundered past her and Erik all but knocked her to the ground as he sped past. Without a moment’s hesitation, he vaulted off the deck and dived head-first into the pool. What seemed like an eternity to Kathleen, as she stood at the pool’s edge, was actually only a few seconds before Erik broke the surface, his arm around Theron’s chest.

  Theron gasped for breath and choked up water as Erik kicked them to the side of the pool. He lifted the boy up into the anxious arms of his mother.

  Kathleen heard her own whimpers, though she didn’t realize it was she making that piteous sound. “Theron, Theron,” she cried feebly as she held his sturdy little body to hers. Theron had survived the near-fatal incident, but now that he was safe and aware of his mother’s anxiety, he too began to wail in a delayed reaction.

  “My baby, my precious,” Kathleen crooned as she pushed back the sodden curls and felt each feature of his face to assure herself that he was alive.

  Erik dragged himself out of the pool. Water gushed from his clothes as he knelt beside mother and child and added his own conciliatory words to them.

  “Erik,” Kathleen looked at him and gasped, “I saw him go under. I thought… I—” She broke off, unable to go on, and leaned weakly against his wet shoulder as she grasped a wiggling Theron to her.

  “I know, Kathleen, I know. I died a thousand deaths myself,” he said emotionally.

  When they had all quieted down somewhat, and Theron was slapping Erik’s knees to see the water squirt out of the cloth, Kathleen looked up and saw Hazel on the patio. Where was everyone else? Now that the initial panic was over, the enormity of the accident hit Kathleen full force.

  “What was Theron doing out here all alone?” she asked.

  “I’d like to know that myself.” Erik had picked up Theron and was holding him protectively, possessively.

  Hazel came rushing across the lawn toward the pool just as George and Alice were helping wheel Seth out the patio door.

  “What’s happened?” he called in an alarmed voice.

  They descended on the trio, bombarding them with questions.

  Erik held up his hands, taking charge. Kathleen was reminded of the day Jaimie had wandered away from the river. He had calmed everyone that day, too. “All we know is that when we drove up, Theron was on the diving board. He jumped in, but thankfully, I was able to go after him within seconds.”

  “I… I couldn’t help it,” Hazel began to blubber. Everyone turned as a group to stare at her. Kathleen had never thought to see tears in the woman’s eyes, but they were evident now. “We were playing on the patio with his little trucks. He… I… I was going through a magazine. When I heard Kathleen’s scream I looked up. I didn’t even know he was near the pool. He got there so fast. I… I… Oh, Seth.” Her face crumpled and she covered it with her hands, shaking her head in disbelief of her carelessness.

  “Hey, hey, everything is all right now,” Seth said soothingly. “Theron’s safe. But you’re going to have to watch him more closely, Hazel. You know how curious he is.”

  Hazel continued to moan into her hands while everyone turned their attention to Theron, who seemed to have recovered and was as good as new.

  Kathleen watched Hazel. For comic relief after the calamitous situation, everyone laughed at the puddle that Erik and Theron were forming on the patio. It was agreed that they should go into the laundry room off the kitchen where Alice would bring each of them some dry clothes. Seth reached out and squeezed his sister’s hand before he wheeled into the house on the heels of the others. Theron was still ensconced securely in Erik’s arms.

  Kathleen remained in the shadows of the shrubbery surrounding the patio and watched them go.

  Hazel, thinking she was alone, straightened her shoulders from the humiliated posture she had assumed and cursed viciously under her breath. She turned around hastily to pick up her belongings from the table. She was about to turn toward the house when she saw Kathleen standing a few feet away, glaring at her. Hazel’s hands froze in midair and her breath was sucked in sharply.

  “Kathleen, you amaze me. Why aren’t you in there taking care of your son?”

  Kathleen took two steps forward until she was within inches of her sister-in-law. “And you amaze me, Hazel. Did you think you’d get away with murder?”

  Instinctively, Hazel took a step backward, in defense of the threat she saw in Kathleen’s dangerous eyes. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about,” she said, forcing conviction into her voice and standing up to her full height.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. That was quite an act you put on for them.” Kathleen indicated the others, now grouped in the kitchen. “But I think that your tears were caused by frustration over a thwarted plan and not anguish over neglect. You knew exactly where Theron was. His drowning would have been a convenient misfortune for you, wouldn’t it?”

  Kathleen’s arm snaked ou
t and, with surprising strength, grabbed Hazel’s wrist in a ruthless clench. “If my son ever runs into an accident and you are even remotely near him, I’ll ruin you with Seth. Do you understand me, Hazel? I’ll open his eyes to you. He’ll believe me, too. He loves you, but he loves me more. You’d better think twice before you gamble with Theron’s life again. You could lose everything.”

  Hazel jerked her hand free. She laughed a brittle, harsh laugh directly in Kathleen’s face. “Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

  “Yes, I think you are,” Kathleen replied levelly. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be attacking a baby. On top of the heartless, selfish, manipulative harpy you are, you’re a coward. If you want a fight, fight me. I warn you, though, that it would be a senseless battle, because I want nothing of yours. I only want you to let Seth and Theron and me live in peace. Your security isn’t threatened by that.”

  “I don’t want a sleazy little slut like you in my house, in my life!” Hazel’s face was mottled, congested with fury. “I’ll prove to my brother what you are if it’s the last thing I do.” Her fists were clenched at her sides. Her body was drawn as tight as a bow string. Kathleen thought that the woman was about to have a seizure.

  “Just remember what I said and be extremely careful what stakes you gamble with.” Kathleen stepped around Hazel, leaving her alone with her impotent rage.

  The calm facąde that Kathleen presented as she went into the brightly lit kitchen was deceptive. On the inside, she was quaking, first over the terrifying incident itself, and then over the altercation with Hazel, who was obviously deranged. Who would use a helpless child as a pawn in a deadly private game? A desperate, sadistic woman. But why? What could Hazel Kirchoff want that she didn’t already have?

  Kathleen pasted on a false smile as she greeted Seth. “Kathleen, where have you been?” Without waiting for an answer, he went on, “Erik said that the two of you covered a lot of ground today and picked up some wonderful stuff. He is very pleased with your selections.”

  She looked up at Erik, who was watching her steadily, worriedly, and said, “He has comparable taste, so my job was easy.”

  She noted that Erik was wearing some of Seth’s casual clothes, which were a trifle small for him. “Where is Theron?” she asked anxiously.

  “He’s upstairs in his bed taking a quick nap before dinner,” Alice answered. “He was tuckered out.”

  “Why don’t you go up and do the same?” Seth suggested, taking her hand and kissing her fingers in turn. “You’ve just been through a harrowing experience. Take a bath, relax awhile. It’ll be some time before dinner’s ready. Dress casually. We decided to boil lobsters rather than cook steaks.”

  “It sounds delicious,” Kathleen said, leaning over to caress him softly on the lips. “So does your idea. Will you excuse me?” Then she laughed. “It looks like there are enough cooks in here anyway.”

  George was dropping cookie dough onto baking sheets. Erik had been assigned to make the salad. Seth was in charge of the lobsters, and Alice was overseeing it all.

  “See there?” Seth teased. “You’re useless. Get upstairs and rest.”

  She climbed the steps wearily, allowing her tiredness free rein now that she was out of the others’ sight. She crept into Theron’s room and leaned over his crib, sweeping her fingers lightly across his soft cheeks and smiling at the dribble that beaded his chin. Her throat constricted painfully and she drew a shuddering breath when she thought of what could have happened.

  Her bath was long and luxuriant. She drank the glass of white wine that Seth had insisted she bring up with her. By the time she left the steamy bathroom, her limbs were rubbery and she was relaxed. The bed was too inviting to ignore and she peeled back the spread and collapsed onto the sheets. Drawing the pillow against her in the manner she was accustomed to, she soon fell asleep.

  It was a slight bumping noise that awakened her. Instantly, she sat up, drugged by grogginess. The sound had come from Theron’s room, setting off maternal alarm bells. She had scorned clothes when she left the bathroom. Now, she slipped on a white eyelet wrapper and hastily tied the sash around her waist just as she flung open the connecting door to her son’s bedroom.

  Erik was leaning over the crib. She slumped against the doorframe in relief. “What’s the matter?” he asked quickly as he looked up and saw her ravaged face.

  “Nothing, I…”

  “I was sent up here to awaken you. When I opened your door, you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t have the heart. I thought I’d wake up the captain first.” He grinned and her heart melted at the sight of him bending over to examine his sleeping son.

  Her bare feet were silent on the thick carpet as she crossed the room to stand beside him. This was the way it should have been for the past two years. They should have been able to enjoy Theron’s babyhood together. Erik had been denied that experience. Could she ever make it up to him? It was her own stupidity, her own immature mistake, that had separated them.

  “I owe you an apology, Erik.”

  “You do?” He spoke softly so as not to disturb the sleeping baby.

  “If I hadn’t been so juvenile, so unsure of myself, I would never have made the mistake I did in thinking that you were married. It was foolish to jump to conclusions and run away like that when I didn’t know the facts.” She looked up at him then and saw the soft quality in his eyes that he rarely exhibited now. “No matter what would have happened… between… between us,” her voice grew gruff, “you should have known about your son. I’m sorry.”

  Her head dipped again in remorse, but his hand came up to cup her chin and lift her face. “It’s too late for recriminations, Kathleen. I haven’t led the most exemplary life these past two years. I’ve done some things I wouldn’t want anyone to know about. I was angry, hurt, disillusioned. I wanted the rest of the world to feel the same hatred I did. I regret some of my decisions, just as you do, but they are done. Let’s try to forget them.”

  He glanced down at the baby once again. His hand was dark against Theron’s lighter skin as he stroked the chubby arm and fist. “You did a good job, Kathleen. He’s a wonderful boy.”

  “Yes, he is.” As if drawn by some invisible force, she moved next to him and clasped his free hand. He squeezed it tightly.

  “Did it… hurt much… you know, when you had him?”

  Kathleen smiled gently. Men usually became as infantile as their offspring when they talked about birth. “Not very much. He was big, but I had a good obstetrician. I wish…” She trailed off at the absurdity of her idea.

  “What?” he prodded, looking down at her and pulling her closer.

  “I was going to say I wish you could meet him—the doctor. He was very kind to me. He was the one who was going to do the abortion before I called it off.”

  The hand around hers tightened like an iron band. “God! You must have been put through hell.”

  She leaned her head against his strong arm. “It’s one of those things we’re better off to forget.” Theron made a sucking noise in his sleep and they both laughed softly. “I haven’t even thanked you for saving his life today, Erik.”

  He faced her then. “Do you really think I want to be thanked for that?” She could only shake her head dumbly. She was held by the radiating heat of his blue gaze. “I haven’t thanked you for giving him life, either,” he said. He took a step closer and leaned down nearer her. “Thank you for my son, Kathleen.” He brushed her cheek with his lips. “Did you feed him yourself?”

  His gaze fell to her chest, where the fabric over her breast was fluttering with the pounding of her heart. “Yes,” she answered hoarsely.

  His finger started at the base of her throat and scorched a trail to the first visible swelling of her breasts. “Is it even possible,” he asked unevenly, “that I’m jealous of my own son for knowing you so intimately while I didn’t even know where you were?”

  Kathleen was as intrigued by his mouth as by the words that came from it. She
watched the movement of his lips, the silken texture of his mustache, the hint of an elusive dimple, the teeth that lay just beyond his lips. “I’m here now,” she whispered.

  He raised his eyes to hers in supplication and read the invitation so boldly extended. With deliberate leisure, he tugged on the sash until it came free and the sides of her wrapper fell apart. His hands slipped inside, caressing the smooth, satin skin of her stomach before they settled on her waist and pushed aside the white eyelet. For long, ponderous moments, he stared at her, searing her flesh with eyes that roamed freely and without apology or shame.

  His hands moved up slowly to cup her breasts and lift them toward his mouth. He gave each one only a fraction of the praise he felt it deserved for having nurtured his child.

  Kathleen swayed unsteadily as he moved away from her slightly to study the rest of her. His hands smoothed over her abdomen. “No stretch marks,” he commented in a mere whisper. “Nothing to mar the perfection. Motherhood only made you more beautiful.” His fingers glided downward and wound through that tight auburn triangle. Kathleen sighed at the exquisite tenderness of his touch.

  His hands went around her and appreciated the fullness of her hips before settling under the ripe curves and lifting her against him. Their stomachs touched, then her breasts were crushed against his chest. Finally, their mouths melted together in a fusion of spirit as well as of body.

  The kiss was thorough and deep. His tongue penetrated her lips slowly, teasing them until Kathleen was pleading with her entire body for him to accept the proffered gift. When he did, his tongue explored her mouth wantonly, seeking the most secret recesses and relishing them.

  She pulled away as she placed both hands on his whisker-roughened cheeks. Her mouth came up to his. She teased, tortured, tasted and promised. She gave.