Birthright

by Shay Savage

  “Yes.”

  “That was Antony. He’s my cousin by blood, but he’s always felt more like a brother. We’re the same age, and he’s lived in the family house since we were kids along with his mother, Kathrine. Kathrine is Pops’ sister. Her sister-in-law, Andrea, lives at the house, too. She moved in after my Uncle Phil died. He was Andrea’s husband and my Aunt Kathrine’s husband’s brother. Andrea refused to live at the house unless she was employed, so she works as the housekeeper, but I honestly think she would constantly be cleaning whether she was paid for it or not. The woman is obsessed with germs. She came with her kids, Bailey and Dudley.”

  “Dudley?” Cherry’s eyes widen.

  “It’s Daniel, but he’s Dudley.” I shake my head, snickering. “As soon as you meet him, you’ll know exactly what I mean.” I glance up to find Cherry scowling at me, and I realize how it must sound. “He’s fine with it, really. He feels like he has an important nickname like Twos and Threes, so it makes him feel special. Even his mother calls him that. It’s not a dig on the little guy.”

  “Twos and Threes?”

  “Sorry, I got ahead of myself. The Thrace twins, Trey and Tawny have been family associates since they were kids, but everyone calls them Twos and Threes. They run the casino for the family.”

  “That sounds like Thing One and Thing Two from Doctor Seuss.”

  “Ha!” I shake my head. “That’s pretty accurate, really.”

  “How old are the kids?”

  “Bailey is eleven and Dudley is thirteen.”

  “Are they the only children in the house?”

  “Full time, yes. Antony has a daughter, but she doesn’t live with us. Her mother is in Cleveland, but he gets Maddy over holidays and for a month in the summer. She’s only two, though, so she doesn’t get much of a workload yet.”

  I wink, and Cherry laughs, shaking her head at me. Her reddish locks bounce around on her shoulder again, and I want to reach out and stroke her hair.

  “You have such a big family,” she says softly.

  She goes quiet for a moment, and I suddenly realize what’s going on in that beautiful head and exactly how I can use it to my advantage.

  “And you don’t have anyone,” I reply just as softly.

  I see the tears welling in her eyes, and a cascade of conflicting feelings rolls over my body.

  I hadn’t considered the family angle, but I should have. Cherry is alone in the world—as far as Antony was able to tell—and she needs people in her life. I can give that to her in spades. Though the course has changed, the overall plan is actually starting to work. I’ve made that connection with her on a deeper level—one that can go past the superficial physical attraction and turn into something more, and I’m elated that everything is coming together.

  “Cherry?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Would you like to come to my place this week? We have family dinners on Wednesdays, and I’d really like you to be there. I’d like to introduce you to my sister.”

  “Your sister?”

  “Yeah. I think you guys might get along well, and you’re both…well, you’ve both suffered a recent loss.”

  “She lost her husband, right?

  “Yeah.”

  “I…I thought about going to the visitation, but I wasn’t sure if that would be proper or not, considering I never knew him or anything. I saw you drive by though. Was that your sister in the car?”

  “That was Nora.”

  “How is she holding up?”

  I stop myself from mentioning Nora’s online shopping spree for bedroom toys. It just wouldn’t set the right tone.

  “Nora’s always been in her own little world,” I say. “She’s coping, I suppose. She doesn’t like to talk about tragedy. She always manages to bounce back outwardly, at least. What’s going on inside her head is anyone’s guess.”

  “I can understand that,” Cherry says. “Everyone deals with grief in different ways, I suppose.”

  “Like moving far away from home?”

  “Something like that, yes.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cherry.”

  “About what?”

  “That you lost your one connection with the world and that your life has been turned upside down since then. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with it all on your own. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the last year without my family around me for support, and you’ve had no one.”

  A tear rolls down her cheek, and she quickly looks away from me to wipe it off. I reach over and touch her hand, taking the wine glass from her and setting it down before I grasp her hand in both of mine.

  “I’m sorry you’ve been alone through all of that, but I’m very glad that it’s brought you here to Cascade Falls so I could get to know you a little.” I reach out, briefly running the tip of my finger over her cheek to wipe away the wet streak. “I know a bit about loss myself, Cherry. I want you to know you can talk to me about it. I’m here for you if you need me.”

  Another tear slips down her cheek, and I give her hand a gentle squeeze. Cherry wraps her fingers around mine as she carefully wipes away tears with the back of her hand. She leans forward for another drink of wine before turning back to me.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean to get so melancholy. I…I appreciate the offer.”

  “It’s not just a casual offer, Cherry.” I grip her hand again. “I mean it. No one should have to deal with all of this on their own.”

  “Do you understand why finding my birth parents is so important to me now?”

  “Yeah, I do.” I remember our conversation in the bar. “I’m sorry if I wasn’t sympathetic before. I just wouldn’t want to see you hurt, but I understand why you need to do it. If I can help in some way, please let me know.”

  “I haven’t managed to figure out much of anything at this point.” Cherry pulls her hand from mine abruptly and stands. “Give me a sec.”

  She puts her glass down and heads to what I presume is the bathroom. I hear her blowing her nose briefly and then water running. She returns and sits down next to me again, her eyes still red but her face clean.

  “I thought once I was here,” Cherry says, “that I’d find at least something in the records, but so far, nothing.”

  “Someone has to know where you came from,” I say. “Don’t you have a birth certificate?”

  “I do. I had to have one to get a driver’s license. The thing is, I didn’t get my license until I was almost eighteen because my aunt couldn’t find my birth certificate. She finally came up with one, but it’s a fake.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I know that because white-out doesn’t make for a good forgery.”

  “I can’t argue with you there.” I laugh at the very idea. “What was changed?”

  “The name and birth date.”

  “How did you manage to get a license?”

  “Because Accident is a small town, and Aunt Ginny had a lot of friends. She handed over the papers when I took the final driver’s test, and no one questioned it, as far as I know. If they did, they let it slide. I didn’t even really look at the birth certificate in detail until I found the adoption records.”

  “So, you came here for answers.”

  “Not right away. I tried finding out more on my own, but phone calls and internet searches only got me so far. Since the birth certificate was from Maryland, I started with that, but they had no record of it, of course.”

  “Because the name and birthdate were invalid.”

  “Exactly.”

  I lick my lips, debating. I have a few ideas about finding that information, but I’m not sure I should throw that on the table, potentially exposing a part of my life I don’t want her to know about.

  “The hardest part for me at first was realizing that Aunt Ginny was never my aunt at all,” Cherry says. “She’d been the only family I ever had, and I didn’t know how to process the information. I needed to find ano
ther connection, so I joined a few online support groups for adopted kids trying to find their birth parents. Everything people said suggested that it would take time, attorneys, and multiple trips to the clerk’s office. I thought if I just moved here, it would make the search a little easier.”

  Cherry pauses, and I consider what she’s just told me. I can’t imagine growing up so isolated. My home had always been filled with multiple generations, and I’ve been surrounded by family members my whole life. Living with just one other person and then finding out you were never related is unfathomable.

  “What has you looking so pensive?” Cherry asks.

  “Pensive?” I shake my head. “I was just wondering what it would be like not to know who my parents were. That led me to wonder what it would have been like growing up away from my family—not to know who they were. It would have been a very different situation.”

  “Your family is an important part of your definition of yourself,” Cherry says.

  “I hadn’t thought about it in those words, but yes, very much so.” I think back to the conversation at the bar again. “When you said you were trying to find yourself, you meant that literally.”

  “I did, but progress has been much slower than I thought it would be. Actually, I wanted to ask…” She looks away from me, clutching her wine glass so tightly I’m concerned it will crack from the pressure.

  “What is it?”

  “Did you mean what you said?” she asks.

  “About what?”

  “About helping me.”

  “Of course I meant it. Anything I can do for you, Cherry.”

  She downs the rest of her wine and places the glass next to mine on the table. She presses her lips together tightly for a moment, her face scrunched up. It makes her freckles come together, and I wonder if I could find a pattern in the little dots—like constellations in the night sky.

  “Do you think, I mean, you seem to have a lot of influence in this town—or at least, your family seems to—so do you think you might be able to help? I don’t even want to ask, but I haven’t gotten anything but doors slammed in my face so far.”

  I tense slightly, wondering if she knows more about me and my family than she’s been letting on, but I push the thought aside. She’s not blind and clearly has a knack for finding information. She’s been in Cascade Falls long enough to figure out my family is one with high standing.

  Regardless, this is exactly the opportunity I’d hoped for.

  “I’d be happy to help,” I tell her. “I can’t make any promises, of course, but I do know some people in the county office, and I have an excellent attorney. I’ll gladly help in whatever way I can.”

  “Oh, thank you!” She suddenly throws her arms around my neck and hugs me. “Thank you, Nate! You have no idea how much that means to me!”

  “I’m getting an idea!” I chuckle as I hug her back, trying not to focus on her breasts pushed up against my chest. I run my hand over her back and slide it to her waist as she pulls away from me but doesn’t release her grip on my neck.

  I watch her closely as she looks from my eyes to my lips and then back again. My heart beats faster, and I lean in a smidge closer, waiting to see if she’ll back away, but she doesn’t. I can smell her hair—that same amazing scent from the club the other night. Her eyes are bright and clear, and I notice a tiny speck of brown at the side of her green irises. It reminds me of her adorable freckles.

  Very, very slowly, I close the distance between us and press my lips to hers. I keep it gentle and warm, making sure I don’t press too hard or make it last too long. Despite the brevity of the kiss, my skin is warm when I break away, and Cherry’s breathing a little faster.

  “I hope that was okay,” I say softly. “I…I should have asked first, but…”

  “It was okay,” Cherry says quickly. “It was more than okay.”

  “It was?” I blink, hoping the innocent act is coming across the way I want it to. “Can I…?”

  When Cherry nods, I lean forward again, pressing my lips against hers just a little harder. I feel her lips part, and I take the invitation. I run my tongue over hers, slowly and gently. I cup the side of her face with one hand, and she tugs at the back of my head until I deepen the kiss, adding more pressure. I lace my fingers through her hair, groaning into her mouth.

  Surprisingly, I feel her hands on my chest, deftly unbuttoning my shirt. She pushes it open, running her fingers over my skin, and it sends a shiver down my spine. I lean forward, pushing her onto her back. I trail kisses over her neck, feeling her pulse beneath my lips. She reaches back to take my hand and move it to her breast, encouraging me take this further. I press my hard cock up against her, and I feel her lift her hips to meet me.

  It would be so, so easy. I can already see it happening. I can see myself plunging into her, holding her head back, running my tongue over her neck and breasts…

  Stop it! Stop it, Nataniele, or you’re going to screw this up!

  I pull back, breathless and throbbing. Cherry lies beneath me, also panting, and her pupils are dilated. I keep my eyes locked on hers, letting her see how much I want to do this. I swallow hard, lick my lips, and then press a gentle kiss on her mouth.

  “Cherry,” I whisper. “I should really go.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I don’t want to,” I tell her. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I open them again. “I should though. I should leave before this goes too far, too fast. I…I like you, Cherry. I don’t want to screw this up.”

  “All right.” She’s clearly disappointed, and I consider that a win.

  I push myself off of her and then help her up. She straightens her clothing, and I glance away from her as I quickly rebutton my shirt.

  “Would you let me take you out again?” I ask. “I’m really happy with how tonight turned out, but I need to make up for how it started.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “I chose the restaurant.” I shrug. “Please, let me make up for it.”

  “You don’t have anything to make up for,” Cherry insists. “However, I will agree to going out with you again. Does that work for you, Mr. Orso?”

  “Yes, Miss Bay. It does.”

  I manage to drive just a couple of blocks away before I have to pull over. My cock is about to break through the zipper, and as soon as I have the car in park, I take it in my hand.

  I grip the bottom of the shaft, giving myself a squeeze before running my hand up and down, eyes closed, leaning back against the headrest. In my mind, I picture Cherry’s soft, warm lips wrapped around my cock. I see her glorious green eyes looking up at me adoringly as she runs her tongue over me, takes me in her mouth, and sucks.

  “Oh, fuck! Cherry!” I grunt, groan, and make a mess all over my trousers.

  I really don’t give a shit. I breathe heavily for a minute before grabbing some napkins from the glove box and cleaning myself up a bit. With a long sigh, I sit for a moment, still parked on the side of the street, and just think. In my head, I play every aspect of the evening over and over again. I shake my head, trying to understand what I’m feeling. Eventually, I pull the car back onto the deserted street.

  Once I have the car back in the garage at home, I continue to stay right where I am, fighting the urge to take my cock out again or maybe even turn around and go back to her.

  What is happening to me? This isn’t the plan at all. The plan is to get her to fall for me—utterly and completely—not the other way around, but all I can think about is how much I want to return to that cramped little apartment to be with her.

  “You’re just horny,” I mumble to myself. “It’s been too long.”

  It has been a long time. With everything else happening over the last year, bedding a woman just hasn’t been in the forefront of my mind. Wanting release that doesn’t involve my hand is the reason I want to go back to her. She wanted me—I could see it in her eyes—and giving into that feeling was extremely te
mpting.

  I pull out my phone and hover over the messaging app. I shouldn’t do this. The idea was to leave her wanting, not contact her so soon after we parted ways. I’ll sound too eager—too desperate—and that’s not the impression I want to give.

  Apparently, I can’t help myself.

  Chapter 13—Infatuation

  I watch Nate through the apartment window as he drives off in the most ridiculous car I have ever seen in my life and wish I had pressed him to stay longer. Then again, I don’t know what possessed me to ask him to come back here in the first place.

  “To calm his ass down,” I mutter to myself.

  Granted, dinner at the restaurant had been a complete disaster, but he was so angry! I knew he was trying to hide it, but it was clear he was about to lose his cool. I didn’t really mind the whole slow service issue—I’ve worked as a server, and I know what it’s like to be super busy—and the busboy just tripped, which wasn’t his fault. I was maybe a bit annoyed, but Nate was downright furious.

  Maybe it’s a rich people thing, and Aunt Ginny was right about money being the pathway to a miserable life. I would have stayed at the place if it hadn’t been for my soaking wet dress, but it’s washable. I don’t think Nate could have stayed there through dinner at that point, and I just wanted him to relax a little. Inviting him back to my apartment was out of my mouth before I could think about the fact that I didn’t have much to eat at home.

  “I can’t believe I made him a peanut butter sandwich!” I laugh and shake my head.

  I start cleaning up, replaying the last part of the evening in my head. I remember the feeling of his lips pressed against mine and how the kiss had sent lightening bolts through my body, the strikes centering on my clit and causing me to unabashedly throw myself at him.

  “I can’t believe I unbuttoned his shirt!” I feel my face heat up and wonder if I had made a complete fool out of myself.

  I’d never done anything like that before. I’d always been fairly reserved on the first date, but Nate…Nate was different. For one, he was absolutely gorgeous. I’d never before been approached by a man who looks like him, and I have to admit to myself that his handsome features play a factor even if I don’t want to believe I am that shallow.