For Their Child's Sake

by Jules Bennett

  He slid his finger beneath the edge of her panties. Her eyes widened as her fingertips dug into his forearms. Her breath came in soft pants...the same pants he’d fantasized about for so long.

  As he stroked his fingertips over her sensitive area, Tara’s lids fluttered once again as she bit her lip and arched upward. This was everything he had missed, watching her come undone and knowing he was the one pleasuring her.

  The moment he slid his finger into her she cried out, but he covered her lips with his. He couldn’t seem to touch her enough, yet he needed to go slow and he needed to make sure she knew this was all for her. She lifted her hips against his hand and he let her set the rhythm. No matter what she wanted, he was sure as hell going to be the one to give it to her.

  Maybe that was too primal, perhaps he had no right, but he was human and this was his wife. His wife. How could he ever let her go? Even though this moment would be fleeting, for the first time in a long time there was a blossom of hope deep within him. But he could not get too hung up on that—he would only end up hurting himself once again. And those selfish thoughts would not keep him on track to make Tara’s life easier.

  When Tara’s hips jerked harder, Sam watched her complete and utter control snap as pleasure consumed her. She broke from his lips and squeezed her eyes shut. Sam knew this moment would be forever in his memory bank. There was nothing sexier than his wife when she let passion consume her.

  Then her body slowed, the trembling eased.

  Sam knew the moment she had slipped into reality. Her eyes flew open, the grip on his arm loosened and her entire body went lax beneath him. Sam eased his hand from between her legs and smoothed her nightgown over her thighs. He had to steel his heart against whatever she decided to say or do from this moment on. He came to his feet but remained at the edge of the bed staring at her.

  “Sam.”

  “Don’t say anything.” He couldn’t bear to hear the words that would come from her mouth. He already saw regret in her eyes. “I know what this is and what this isn’t. You needed a release and I selfishly ached to give it to you.”

  He went to the dresser and pulled out a gray T-shirt then slid it over his head. When he turned to face her, an onslaught of emotions nearly brought him to his knees. There she sat in the middle of the bed, lying on the letters he had written her, each one from his heart. Each one from a moment in his life he’d wanted to reach out to her in person.

  When he’d laid her on the bed he’d been so intent on her needs he’d forgotten them. There’d been too much to take in with the sight of her lying there—too much that he was afraid to analyze.

  “I’ll be on the couch tonight,” he told her. “It’s not a good idea for me to sleep beside you right now.”

  Before she could say anything else, Sam walked out of the room. They both needed space after what had just happened. Emotions had been running high before this, and now he had crossed some invisible line and he had no clue what territory they were in anymore. Sam knew he was making things more difficult for both of them, but damn it, he was human and now that he had sampled his wife again, he was more than ready to fight for his family.

  Chapter Ten

  Marley burst into the beach house and ran from room to room. Tara sat her suitcase down, but the moment Daisy came barreling through, she ran into it and knocked the case to the floor with a loud thud. Not to mention she was leaving a trail of drool droplets on the glossy hardwood floors.

  Fabulous. They’d been inside all of ten seconds and already left their mark.

  Sam sat the rest of the luggage on the floor and bent to right hers. He swiped his hand on his shorts and let out a sigh.

  “It was a mistake to bring that mammoth,” Tara stated as she took in her surroundings. This place screamed money, from the classy white oversized sofas to the artwork on the walls. “I can’t even imagine the damage she’s going to do and we’ll have to pay for. Starting with getting all the floors cleaned.”

  Sam laughed and a familiar tingle washed over her. For the past two days they’d done well to dodge each other. Though, even with avoiding him altogether or having Marley as a buffer in the same room, nothing seemed to squelch Tara’s desire. Sam had selflessly given her pleasure and then walked away as if he hadn’t wanted to take things further.

  That thought alone had kept her up the past two nights. What game was he playing? Was he purposely trying to confuse her even more? Or did he truly believe they had a chance at a future?

  “I assure you that Daisy is welcome here,” Sam stated. “Bill is a huge animal lover and brings his own pets when he comes. I already covered this with him and he’s fully aware of Daisy’s issues.”

  “He brings his own pets?” Tara repeated. “Now Daisy will pee everywhere to mark her territory.”

  “Stop worrying.” Sam came to stand in front of her and looked her straight in the eye. “Bill has a cleaning service that comes in between guests. All signs of Daisy will be gone. Your only job now is to relax.”

  Relax? With him standing this close? With those memories of the way he’d touched her, the way he’d pleasured her, so vivid in her mind? Not likely.

  And then there was that damn tattoo he had. She’d wanted to ask him multiple times about it, but it never seemed right.

  “This place is so cool,” Marley squealed as she came from the hallway. “Can I put my suit on and we can go to the beach? Please? Oh, Daisy said she wants to come, too.”

  Tara shook her head, more from exhaustion than anything. The car ride hadn’t been nearly as bad as she’d feared. Being in a confined space with Sam was fine considering a giant St. Bernard head had settled between the front seats for most of the seven-hour drive.

  The twinkle in Marley’s eyes and her clasped hands had Tara nodding. “I suppose having her outside means less time she has to be in here tearing things up that aren’t mine or leaving permanent watermarks on the floor.”

  “You’re not relaxing,” Sam warned with a low growl. “Go get your suit on.”

  His eyes held hers and she shivered. Had his voice dropped even lower into sultry, sexy territory? Maybe the beach wasn’t the best idea. Even though Marley was with them, that wouldn’t erase the fact Tara and Sam would be half-dressed for most of this trip and the beach area was private with this luxury home.

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  Marley raced off and Daisy scampered after her, sliding as she tried to get traction on the hardwood floors.

  “I could stay here and unpack,” Tara suggested, instantly realizing she sounded desperate to be alone.

  Sam propped his hands on his hips and raised his brows. “We’re only here a few days. I think we’ll be fine digging out of the suitcases.”

  He took a step closer and smiled the signature grin that assaulted every single nerve in only the most delicious of ways. “Unless you’re afraid you won’t be able to resist staring at my bare chest.”

  The way he delivered the words was completely joking, but in all honesty—at least to herself—that’s precisely what she was afraid of. For the past two nights, Sam had slept on the sofa and woken before Marley got up so as not to raise too many questions. Thankfully their daughter still had no idea their marriage was a complete farce.

  But having Sam so near, having him reawaken suppressed feelings, was dangerously close to teetering over the line of the real thing.

  Tara figured anything she said now would only give away her temporary feelings so she skirted around Sam and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. She wheeled it down the hall and found the master suite—which opened with wide double doors.

  Talk about a luxury beach house. The second the doors opened, she had a sweeping view of the ocean.

  Tara crossed the room, forgetting her suitcase. The breathtaking sight beckoned her to get a closer look.

  She curled her fingers around the han
dles, and pushing the patio doors wide, she stepped onto the private balcony. The onslaught of sea mist hit her and she raised her face to the sun, welcoming the warmth and fresh air. She loved the mountains of Tennessee, but there was something so crisp and invigorating about a saltwater wind.

  Maybe this trip was exactly what she needed, what they all needed. How could anyone be in a bad mood or worry with all of this beauty and serenity? The privacy certainly helped because they could focus on Marley with no outside noise. Even if the getaway was only four days, this was still the vacation Sam had promised Marley.

  And slowly she realized he was making good on all of those old promises.

  “I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight.”

  Tara’s heart clenched at Sam’s sultry voice. She glanced over her shoulder, discovering he wasn’t too far away, but his eyes were locked on hers...not the magnificent horizon.

  All air caught in her lungs and she shifted her focus to the view before he could read anything in her eyes.

  “Yes, well, I hope you make sure Bill knows how much we appreciate staying here.” She gripped the railing even tighter to get a grasp on reality. This was all temporary...the vacation and the man. “And no more charming comments.”

  “Am I not to compliment my wife?”

  “You really need to quit calling me that,” Tara stated as she forced herself not to turn around. “You even said the other night you knew there was no future.”

  “Oh, yes, the other night.” Sam came to stand beside her, but he turned and rested against the railing. “I’ve been waiting on you to bring that up. For now, you are my wife, no matter how short-term or the fact that we are pretending to be happy. Even you cannot escape this.”

  Tara pulled in a shaky breath. “The sooner you can sign those papers, the better off we will both be.”

  She knew the words were harsh, but somebody had to be realistic. Had he signed those papers when he received them, this would be so much easier on her sanity. They would still have had to play the roles of a happily married couple for Marley, but at least they would both know the end had already come.

  Where things stood now was too confusing, too painful.

  “Maybe I’m not ready to give up,” Sam stated, the soft words washing over her like the sea breeze. But the impact hit her hard, nearly taking the breath from her lungs.

  Tara blinked against the burn in her eyes and vainly attempted to blame it on the wind. In the days since Marley’s accident, he’d left her with the obvious notion that he was fighting for his family.

  “Sex will not fix our problems.” She turned to face him, trying to focus on keeping her heart somewhat intact. “Can we please call a truce for the duration of our vacation? I can’t have you doing any more charming things, giving me lengthy glances or saying anything that will make me remember how things used to be.”

  He stared at her for a moment, the muscles in his jaw clenching, before he finally nodded in agreement. “You have my word.”

  He pushed off the railing and went into the bedroom. There was a subtle sound of the zipper on his suitcase, followed by rustling. Tara remained outside to gather her composure.

  When she spun around, once again her lungs seized up and her heart clenched.

  Was this how she’d be living her life so long as she had to fake this marriage? Each time she got a glimpse of Sam, would she continue to have that hitch of emotions?

  He wasn’t even looking in her direction. In fact, his back was to her. But seeing him all muscular in those swim trunks was flat-out playing dirty. Damn that man, he probably didn’t even realize what he was doing. Oh, she fully believed he would use every weapon in his arsenal because he had conceded too easily on the balcony. But right at this moment she knew he was getting ready to take their daughter to the beach.

  He shifted slightly and she caught another glimpse of the tattoo. Before she could fully process the image, he headed out of the room.

  Tara grabbed her own suitcase and sat it on the trunk at the end of the bed. She unzipped the case and flipped the top up to find her one-piece suit. She hadn’t been brave enough to pack that blue bikini Sam had loved on her. She needed every ounce of material covering her during this vacation. Because there was no way around it. Someone was going to get hurt when Marley’s memory returned and this charade was up.

  Chapter Eleven

  “No, Daisy!”

  Sam laughed as Daisy plowed through the sandcastle he and Marley had just finished. Sam didn’t know who was having more fun, the dog or his daughter. They had been out most of the evening and the sun was starting to set. If he could wrap this day in a box and keep it forever, he would.

  Seeing his daughter play made him smile and lifted his heart in a way therapy never could. Spending time with his family again, with everything he had missed and everything he thought he had lost, was the blossom of hope he so desperately needed. Maybe he hadn’t screwed things up beyond repair. Maybe he could find a way to start over and create an even better life.

  Because he had lost it all. He’d lost every ounce of this happiness, and maybe this was but a fleeting moment. That didn’t mean he couldn’t try, couldn’t fight for what he’d let slip from his grasp. He wasn’t even sure he deserved this moment, but he wasn’t going to turn it away or sulk over the past. All he could do was control the present and build for the future.

  Sam vowed to enjoy these days with his family and he would let fate take care of itself later. Marley might be missing a year of her memories, but he was determined to give her new memories to override the bad.

  “I’m going to head to the house to start dinner,” Tara stated as she pulled on her cover-up.

  That flimsy, sheer white material did nothing to hide the curves of her body and her black one-piece swimsuit. She could try to shield herself all she wanted, but he knew every square inch of her body, and nothing could erase that image burned in his mind.

  Sam slid his fingertips against his palms, recalling exactly how she’d felt in his arms the other night. He wanted to touch her again, to pleasure her, but he’d promised not to make things more difficult. He was a patient man. All he could do was show her how much he still loved her, how much he had changed.

  “I’ll go start dinner,” Sam said as he came to his feet. “You guys stay here and play.”

  “Are you sure?” Tara asked.

  Sam picked up his towel and looped it around his neck. “Positive. I need to return a call for work and I have something special I wanted to make tonight.”

  He turned on his heel and headed toward the house, leaving Tara staring at him with her mouth wide.

  Good. He wanted to keep her on her toes, keep her wondering what he would do next. Because she was going to learn there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for them. He knew she had had a less than stellar upbringing and unstable parents, so his betrayal and abandonment had only added to that wariness. All he could do at this point was to make their lives better any way he knew how.

  And if wearing a coconut bra made his girls laugh again, then bring on the ridiculous costume. He was comfortable enough in his masculinity to pull that outfit off...so long as he was in the privacy of his own home.

  Once Sam got inside, he quickly showered and grabbed his cell phone, which he’d left charging on the nightstand in the bedroom.

  With the phone in hand, he stared at the bed. Sam’s gut tightened at the thought of lying next to his wife once again. The other night when he’d reached for her hand, it had shifted something inside him, something he’d missed and wanted back with every bit of his soul.

  But right now he had other things to deal with and tonight’s problems would come soon enough.

  Sam quickly dialed his boss and headed toward the kitchen to start dinner. This was definitely like old times. When Tara would have clients running late or last-minute emergenci
es at the office, he’d cooked dinner. He’d actually loved that part of their marriage. Taking care of her had been his greatest joy...until it wasn’t.

  “Hey, Sam,” Bill answered on the second ring, pulling Sam from his thoughts.

  He stood at the kitchen sink and glanced out onto the beach where Daisy was still running like a mad bull and his wife and daughter were attempting to build yet another sandcastle.

  “Hey, man. I’m just returning your call. First, let me say how much I appreciate you letting us use your house.”

  “It’s no problem at all. Have you guys settled in well?”

  Sam searched through the cabinets until he came up with the pans he’d need. “We did. Marley and Tara are building sandcastles and having a blast.”

  “Has Marley recovered any memories?”

  Sam tried his best to push aside the disappointment. He and Tara had discussed how little Marley had remembered, considering the accident had been over a week ago.

  Still, as her father, as a man in general, he always had the need to fix everything right now—especially where his family was concerned. So this sitting around and waiting was pure hell. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected as far as a time frame for Marley’s memories to return went, but that didn’t stop him from wishing for an instant miracle. He hated that his daughter was a prisoner in her own mind and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to help her.

  “No, she hasn’t.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” his boss said, compassion flooding his voice. “It will happen. She’s a strong little girl with strong-willed parents.”

  Sam nodded, even though his boss couldn’t see him. “I assume you are calling about the Murray project.”

  “I really hated to bother you on vacation, but seeing as how you were the head of this new construction build, I wanted to run a few things by you so that way when you came in you weren’t in the dark and didn’t feel like we did things without your permission. It’s regarding a redesign.”