Waiting for Wednesday

by Mari Carr

  Footsteps on the stairs saved her from having to see the pity in Tristan’s eyes over what she’d just revealed. Jesus, where had all that come from? Staying here was going to be harder than she’d thought if she kept baring her soul at every turn.

  Sean entered the room, grinning when he spotted her.

  “Hey, Lane.” He came across the room and gathered her up in a big bear hug. Though only nineteen years old, Sean was as massive as his older brother but lacked the physical restraints that age and experience had taught Tristan. Sean was in the height of his youth and his exuberance was contagious, as he barreled through places like a bull in a china closet. She laughed as he picked her up and spun her around, and she silently rejoiced at his very timely interruption.

  “I’m glad you agreed to take care of Pop. The old guy is crazy about you. Besides, with you here, maybe Tris will stop being such a prick all the time.”

  Lane looked toward Tris then back at Sean, shaking her head. “I’ve never seen your brother act like a—” She paused, uncomfortable repeating Sean’s word.

  “A prick,” Tris finished for her while Sean laughed at her modesty.

  “You’ve never seen it,” Sean continued, “because he’s only a prick when you aren’t around.” As he said the word prick, he tapped her on the nose to punctuate it and she swatted away his hand playfully.

  “You might want to watch your mouth there, brat,” Tris said.

  “Oh yeah?” Sean dared Tris to come closer, wiggling his fingers in invitation, and for a moment Lane was afraid they were going to get into a fight. “I don’t see anybody around here who’s man enough to make me watch what I say.”

  Tris grinned and took two steps closer to his brother. Lane struggled to decide if his intimidating stance was real or pretend.

  “Is that right?’ Tris goaded.

  “Um, guys?” she said, but they ignored her as Sean shoved Tris away.

  “Back off, bro. You do not want a piece of this,” Sean taunted.

  Tris moved in so quickly, Lane had to jump back as the two enormous men fell into a heap and started wrestling on the floor. She circled them, frightened they would seriously hurt each other. Tristan’s leg knocked against a table and the vase of flowers on top would have fallen if she hadn’t managed to catch it.

  Sean cursed as Tris got him in a headlock.

  “And you need to keep your hands off my girl,” Tris said, his face red with the exertion of trying to hold Sean down.

  His girl? Oh shit. That was not supposed to make her feel so good.

  Neither man seemed inclined to give up and Lane almost cried with relief when Keira entered the room.

  “Jesus Christ. Aren’t you guys a bit old for this shit?” She stepped over the two men flailing on the floor and headed toward the kitchen. “Hey, Lane. All settled in?”

  Lane nodded, wondering at Keira’s calm countenance in the face of two of her brothers trying to pummel each other to death.

  “Want a sandwich?” Keira asked. Lane looked back at Tris and Sean, sweating and panting, still wrestling on the floor.

  Keira followed her gaze and yelled at her brothers. “Either one of you dumbasses want a sandwich?”

  Tris had Sean trapped beneath him, but the younger man was still giving him a pretty hard fight. “I’m waiting to hear Sean cry uncle.”

  “Hell will freeze over,” Sean said.

  Keira walked over to the men and gave each a kick. “I’m gonna uncle both your asses if you don’t stop that and get up. You’re scaring Lane. She’s not used to the way you two carry on.”

  Her words seemed to take the wind out of their sails as Tris stood quickly, reaching to offer Sean a hand up. Both men turned to Lane with guilty expressions.

  “Sorry, kitten. I thought you knew we were wrestling, just messing around.”

  “We do it all the time,” Sean added.

  She laughed lightly, trying to pretend she hadn’t been worried they’d seriously hurt each other. “Oh, I knew that.” She hoped they’d buy the lie.

  Tris frowned. He walked over and placed his large palm against her cheek. “I think we’re going to have to keep in mind you aren’t used to big families.”

  “Big, insane families,” Keira added. “Come on, Sean. Help me make some lunch.”

  Sean started to follow Keira to the kitchen but stopped as he passed Lane. “Sorry if we scared you.” He bent to give her a brotherly peck on the cheek.

  “No worries,” she said, “but I think you and I are going to have to talk later about your hip position. You went down way too fast.”

  Sean laughed. “I’ll look forward to your coaching.”

  * * * * *

  The rest of the afternoon passed quickly as Keira, Sean, Tris and Lane mapped out a plan for their pop’s return to the apartment. The siblings were determined to make sure the transition was easy and Lane was touched to see how much they all loved their father.

  She didn’t even know who her father was. Her mother, a drug addict, hadn’t known who’d gotten her pregnant. Lane could only vaguely recall the grandmother who’d kept her when she was a baby while her mother lived her life strung out on heroin. Her mother had disappeared a few months before her grandmother died and when she was seven, Lane had become a ward of the state.

  “Lane?” Tris said. She looked up and realized they were all staring at her.

  “Sorry. Drifted off there for a minute. Did you ask something?”

  “We wanted to know if you needed anything else. Is your room okay?” Keira asked.

  Lane had unpacked her belongings earlier. Most of her things were in storage for now. “It’s fine.” Sharing the room with Riley, however, was going to be problematic for reasons she wasn’t about to admit to anyone, least of all Tris.

  “Well, sounds like we have everything in hand. Just remember, Lane, no one expects you to do it all. There are five of us around and we intend to help out as much as possible. If you ever need a break, just give a shout and one of us will relieve you.” Keira rose from the table.

  “Hey, Kiki,” Sean said, standing too. “Can you give me a ride back to my apartment? I let a friend borrow my car.”

  “Sure. Come on. See you tomorrow at the hospital,” Keira said to Tris. They were bringing their pop home first thing in the morning.

  Keira and Sean disappeared down the stairs and Tris leaned toward her, placing his arm across the back of her chair. “I need to talk to Ewan about tax stuff for a little while. Do you mind if I leave you alone for an hour or so?”

  “I’ll be fine. I borrowed a couple of books about caring for stroke victims. I’ve been reading them the last few days, but I’d like to take another peek, make some more notes.”

  He nodded and rose, taking her hand to help her up as well. “Okay. I’ll see you later then.” He bent down and kissed her. She expected his kiss to be a quick one, but as always happened with the man, he threw her for a loop. His arms engulfed her as he used his tongue to push her lips open. She clung to his shirt as he took complete ownership of her lips. When he finally moved away, he grinned at her. “I guess that will tide me over ’til I see you again.”

  “You’re only going to be gone an hour. That felt like a farewell kiss to cover months of separation.”

  He shrugged and her heart gave a painful lurch as she realized he truly was afraid of her leaving again.

  “I’ll see you later,” she whispered, offering him another quick kiss. “Promise.”

  * * * * *

  Tris walked upstairs with a distinct spring in his step. Then he realized he was grinning. Shit, he had it bad. The fact that Lane was now living in his family’s apartment thrilled him. The last year had dragged by relentlessly from one nothing day to another.

  While he didn’t pretend it was going to be easy to break through the barriers she’d built to protect herself, he sure as hell intended to give it the old college try. Her words earlier had broken his heart as he considered how much she’d suffer
ed in her young life. Despite her assertions about being a strong, independent woman, Tris could see the scared, lonely little girl still cowering inside—desperate for love and acceptance. Somehow he had to prove to her she could have it all—freedom, love, companionship.

  He was determined to win her heart and, to achieve his goal, he’d decided to proceed with his plan to seduce Lane into falling in love with him. She seemed much more comfortable with the idea of a physical relationship. While he’d prefer to win her heart first, he knew—with Lane’s inability to get close to people—he’d have to start at the end.

  He looked around the living room, surprised to find it empty. Walking down the hallway, he saw the door to Riley’s room ajar. He stepped inside and found Lane curled up on her side on Teagan’s old bed, fast asleep.

  No time like the present to advance his plan.

  He closed the door, then tiptoed over and took the book she’d been reading out of her hand. She stirred, her eyes opening slowly.

  “Hey.” She looked around the room and he watched her become aware of her surroundings.

  “Must have been some stimulating reading,” he teased.

  She grinned. “Not really. Medical texts. Better than counting sheep on restless nights. The journals never fail to put me out in seconds. How are the taxes going, Everest?”

  He laughed at her use of his nickname and realized, with her lying down and him standing over her, he probably did resemble a mountain. He sat on the edge of the bed, pleased when she didn’t stiffen up or try to move away. He was making progress.

  “I don’t want to talk about taxes.” He studied her lips, his arousal growing when her tongue darted out to lick them nervously.

  “You don’t?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk at all.”

  He bent over to kiss her, giving her time to balk, to refuse him if that was her intent. When she reached up, threading her fingers in his hair and pulling him closer, he knew he’d found heaven. For several minutes they kissed as he played with her soft hair and drank in her sweet breath. She unleashed his hunger for more when she tugged his shirttail from his pants and her hands began exploring his bare chest beneath the cotton.

  He moved away for a second, taking her hands from under his shirt and dragging her to a seated position. “I want to see you.” He grasped the hem of her T-shirt and tugged it off. His gaze drifted down her body, savoring every bare inch of skin revealed to him. Her bra was dark pink, delicate and surprisingly feminine. He’d pictured her as a no-nonsense kind of woman when it came to underwear, so he was pleased to discover this sexy side. “That bra is hot.” His fingers traced the tops of her breasts exposed by the lacy material.

  “My turn.” She pulled his shirt over his head and he was amazed when she leaned forward, teasing his small, tight nipples with her tongue. She nipped his pec with her teeth, the small bite painful and erotic as hell. She soothed the sore spot with a soft kiss.

  Jesus. Lane was going to be a firecracker in bed.

  Tris hadn’t planned beyond a little bit of making out, some touching and kissing, but Lane triggered something inside him that was going to be hard to corral. He gripped the top of her bra, drawing it below her breasts. The lace held her tits up and out and his mouth watered for a taste. Bending down, he took one turgid nipple into his mouth, sucking on the warm flesh.

  “God,” she whispered as he increased the suction. Her fingers tightened in his hair and he gave her a bit of her own medicine, teasing her nipple with his teeth. “Harder,” she pleaded and he complied. She cried out and he had to fight not to take her right then and there.

  “Pants off.” His hands wrestled with the button and zipper on her jeans.

  She hesitated and he stopped, waiting until her gaze rose to his. “I just want to touch you, Lane. Nothing more, I promise.”

  A shy smile crossed her lips and she helped him remove her jeans, lifting her hips and kicking off the denim and her panties in one quick movement. He pushed her back onto the bed, his lips covering every bare inch of skin with kisses, licks, nips.

  She gripped his waist, tugging him over her, ankles wrapping together at the base of his back. She used her legs to draw his hips to the vee between her thighs. He thrust his covered cock against her pussy, the wet heat of her body penetrating the thick material of his jeans. He thrust over and over, using the rough denim to stimulate her clit as he kissed her and his hands cupped her breasts, squeezing the firm, soft mounds. He literally couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t touch enough of her.

  She lifted her hips, rubbing her cunt against him, her fingernails scratching a path across his back that was painful and sexy as hell. His mind whirled as he tried to make this wild woman fit the image of the staid, calm friend he thought he’d known until this moment.

  He fought to pull himself together. He was humping Lane like a dog in heat in his sister’s bedroom. This hadn’t been his intention when he’d come into the room. He moved away and grinned at the dazed look in his kitten’s eyes.

  He pushed himself to lie beside her and watched a frown cross her face. “I’m not going to leave you.” He caressed her stomach, letting his fingers travel lower to tangle with the dark hair covering her pussy. “Open your legs.”

  Her thighs parted and he wasted no time pushing two fingers deep inside her. She groaned, her eyes drifting closed.

  “Watch me,” he demanded. Her eyelids fluttered as he dragged his fingers out. “I want to see your eyes when you come.”

  She smiled for only a second before her lips parted on a gasp. He added a third finger and increased his pace. Her hips thrust in time with his motions and she gave an adorable squeal when he applied pressure to her clit with his thumb.

  “Tris,” she hissed as he moved his fingers within her, faster and harder. Something about her hungry response urged him on, encouraging him to take her as he’d always dreamed—rough, unrestrained. She obeyed his command, her gaze never faltering from his, and he saw her eyes cloud over as she reached the peak just moments before she came apart. Her inner muscles clenched his fingers tightly and she trembled as the orgasm raged through her.

  “Shit,” she whispered breathlessly as she slowly began to recover.

  “Was that a good shit or a bad shit?”

  “That was a ‘you blew my mind’ shit.” She turned on her side to face him and he savored the closeness and the complete lack of strangeness. Being half-naked with her felt more natural than anything he’d ever done in his life. He could see from the relaxed expression on her face she agreed with the sentiment.

  They were a tight fit on the twin bed and she scooted over to give him more room on the tiny mattress. She glanced down and he knew she was looking at his cock, straining against the material of his jeans.

  She dragged her hand across the front placket and he sucked in a breath. “Damn I love your hand on me.”

  “I loved your hand in me.” She applied more pressure and he covered her fingers, moving his in time with hers as she continued to speak. “I have to admit it’s been a while since I’ve had an orgasm I didn’t give myself. I can’t quite believe I just let you do that. Only excuse I have is extreme horniness.”

  He laughed. “It’s good to know you didn’t go on some wild sex spree out there in California.”

  She grinned. “Hardly. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had sex. James and I sort of stopped…” She paused and he leaned forward to kiss her gently.

  “I’m glad I could be of assistance.”

  She started to unbutton his jeans and he halted her. “Dammit Lane, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I don’t think we can take this any further right now.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, for a couple of reasons. Number one, a member of my family could come walking through that door any minute now.”

  Her gaze traveled to the bedroom door—the one he hadn’t bothered to lock.

  “Secondly, I promised you we’d
take things slow. Take the time to get to know each other again. I mean to keep that promise.”

  She nodded. “You’re absolutely right. God, I’m not sure when I turned into such a slut.”

  He laughed. “You’re about as far from being a slut as I am from being a priest. We’re attracted to each other. I think we always have been. Things are different now.”

  “I’m not married anymore.”

  “Thank God. Kitten, I’m gonna make love to you until your hair curls, but when I do it, it’s going to be somewhere private, on a big bed, and we’re going to have lots and lots of time to do it right.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed sadly. He wondered what she was thinking.

  “I don’t want a relationship, Tris.”

  He leaned forward to kiss her softly. “I know that, Lane. I’m not saying I accept it, just that I understand how you feel and why you feel that way.”

  “So it’ll just be sex, right?”

  He shook his head. “Do you want me to lie to you? Look at you and say, ‘Sure, Lane, we’re just going to fuck’?”

  “That would be a lie?”

  He chuckled. “That would be a whopper.”

  “But I told you earlier—”

  He interrupted her. “I know what you told me. But I didn’t have a chance to respond. I can understand your reasoning, but it’s not quite sound.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It seems to me you’ve spent your entire life surviving on your own. Your problem isn’t living alone. You’ve mastered that. Your problem is letting people in.”

  He tapped her forehead lightly. “In here.” His finger moved to touch her heart. “And in here.”

  Was he right? Had she run for the wrong reason? Was she fighting the wrong demon? For her entire life, she’d felt trapped—with James, caught up in the sticky fingers of the foster-care system—always held, restrained, at someone else’s mercy. In her struggle for freedom, had she closed herself off from others?

  “Don’t look so worried. It’s not hard, Lane. I’ll show you the way.”

  “The way?”

  “The way to be your own person and still share your life with someone.”