by JJ Giles
He studied her a moment to gauge her attitude. “My landscaping project is progressing. Having found a new submissive is keeping my heart throbbing.”
“Really.” To steady herself she grabbed a cigarette.
He nodded watching her closely. “Curious though. I wouldn’t think a landscaper could afford to drive a Diablo.”
She froze and stared. “A Diablo?”
“It’s an older one, but it’s cherry. Thirty thousand original miles was surprising.”
“That’s interesting.” That his new wife-to-be, the one with more money was plying him with expensive sports cars. “That is rather strange that a landscaper could afford that.”
“Maybe it wasn’t his, but he certainly looked good driving it.”
She laughed it off. “So I take it that you and Mr. Alexander are getting along?”
“Better than that. I invited him to stay for breakfast and got out a bottle of champagne. We barely touched breakfast and the champagne ended up all over my wife.”
Morgan’s eyes narrowed to slashes. She knew all too well what Brian liked about champagne. How the flames swept over his balls to singe the hair there and set them on fire. The fire that licked at the glans of his erection, sending him into uncontrollable fits of lust. “I’m sure he didn’t have any trouble setting your wife ablaze.”
Dan smiled salaciously. “No, he didn’t. What did surprise me is that he had to be told to take her.”
“Oh, really? He never struck me as someone who was reticent where women were concerned.”
Dan shrugged. “It’s not that he wasn’t able, but he certainly had to be told to do it. And he wasn’t aggressive about it all. Interesting man,” Dan said softly. “When I asked him if he’s married, he said no. That there’s a woman he’d been with for ten years now. Can’t understand why she won’t marry him.”
Seemingly patient, Morgan nodded. “What’d you tell him?”
“Time to move on, don’t you think? I mean...after ten years and she still won’t put out, something’s got to be wrong.”
Horribly saddened by that, Morgan bowed her head. “The rumor mill was churning out something about him getting married soon anyway. That he found someone a little more eager.”
“He never said anything like to me. It just seemed he wanted to get this woman’s attention once and for all.”
* * * *
Dan pulled his wife’s very contented and warm body to his and stroked her to sleep. This little thing between Morgan and Brian was the most intriguing thing he’d come upon for awhile. He was certain now that it was Morgan Brian spoke of last week, of Morgan refusing to marry him. And Morgan had taken too much interest in the details if he was only a passing acquaintance.
And in some way, Brian looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t place it. Oh, well. Brian was scheduled to visit tomorrow and the entertainment could proceed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sunday morning and Morgan listened to a week’s worth of messages on her machine. Nothing of any import, only curiosity to hear Romeo say he was coming by after Mass. His voice was dismal because she wasn’t home. And wasn’t available.
That’s right, she thought. Unavailable. Countless times she had called him for advice on this Abernathy case and he was unavailable. Didn’t want to get involved, he had said. The only person in her life that seemed to want to be available was Jerry Abernathy.
With the third pot of coffee gone, she opened the refrigerator and found a pitcher of iced tea. With a tall glass, she went to the veranda, the late morning sun shining brightly. She stretched long on a chaise, Fame and Fortune content to lie on the floor out of sight, just near.
Four months since she had seen her precious Brian. But Jerry Abernathy was very available. Married, but available and if she knew anything at all about the rich and famous, their divorces drag out for years. Perfect from where she looked at it. Married men don’t need to get married again. If only a few of those things he put in those e-mails could be true.
The droplets of condensation on her glass rolled down her belly and nestled in her fur like the facets of sand on a sun-drenched beach. How easy it was to indulge in fantasy, one perpetrated by someone who thought of himself as a Master of the Universe, the Master if she interpreted his ravings correctly. Talk of things that could freeze, burn, bore a hole into her soul sounded delightful...and fantastic. But what if...
Suddenly, the dogs leapt to life. Quickly, she turned to see the outline of Romeo at the edge of the house, watching, waiting patiently for permission to advance.
Nonchalantly, she sipped the iced tea and lay back down. Only a moment later, she felt the void of heat through her middle. “You’re standing in my light.”
“I am your light,” he whispered. “As you are mine.” Quietly, he pulled up a chair and sat close. Without hesitation, he took her glass and drank it down.
“So where have you been?” she asked.
“Pissed off at you,” he replied. “I see you’re still alive.”
“Not because you want to help.”
“What do you want from me, Morgan? You and this Abernathy man are using each other to work out your frustration. Any time you think I’m going to approve of that, you’re mistaken.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know. I think I’m trying to save something that should have been shot in the ass before it started. She’s the fakest thing that ever crawled out from under a rock, a snake in the grass. Playing games with me. And him...I don’t know. I get the feeling he’s just going through a bad time. Mid-life crisis, maybe. Wants to get ahold on his life and doesn’t know how to do it.”
“Has he come after you?”
“No. Hasn’t offered yet. Right now he’s pretty content to suck down baby bottles of watered wine and lots of affection.”
“Interesting. Total reversion to infancy?”
She shrugged. “Maybe the guy never had a mother, I don’t know. I’m not saying I don’t think he has it in him. And he’s definitely more experienced than he let on in those e-mails. He’s done Kitty up a few times. Knows exactly where he wants her to go.”
“Does he hate prostitutes?”
She shrugged. “He’s got enough of ‘em sitting around in the corporate offices. I don’t know where that came from, or maybe we misinterpreted it. The truth is he hasn’t shown me anything but respect and very keen obedience.”
“Then you’re definitely satisfying something in him.”
“He definitely has a desire to be nurtured. And there’s other things going on, too. He’s got the most wicked scars on his body and knowing what I know about his father, it makes my skin crawl.”
“What are you saying?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t offered to say much about his father yet. But he worries something fierce about his kids. Absolutely possessed when it comes to his kids.”
“Really?”
“He blames himself for what his kids went through growing up even though it’s obvious to me he was trapped in an impossible situation.”
“So you’re thinking he was the one who was abused?”
“I absolutely am. And he’s trying very badly to make it up to his kids right now. Neither of them are biologically his but he loves them desperately and feels responsible for what they went through.”
“This is fascinating.” He was learning more and more about Brian.
“He’s certainly made me believe his kids are his motivation.”
“And his son?”
She shook her head and lit a cigarette. “I’m not sure. I haven’t met him yet. It’s only been within the last few weeks that they’ve been seeing each other again. I thinking the guy’s mother came between him and his father. And now that I know her, I can believe that. I don’t have all the details but I do know that the kid belongs to Jerry’s twin brother and not him, and that Jerry’s scared to death for his brother to find out.”
“Oh, dear God. This is a vicious little story.”
She shrugged. “It is. These people have suffered through some serious shit. It’s no wonder they’re fucked up.”
“So what about you and Abernathy?”
Her vivid green eyes flashed at him. “What about us? He’s an attractive man. Deep down, he’s a good man. And I believe he’s fallen in love with me.”
“Morgan, they all fall in love with you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He studied her expression and felt a hint of desperation lurking in her stance. “And you’ve fallen in love with him.”
“Maybe.” Her tone was defensive. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
Fear choked his very rationality. “So you’re still seeing him professionally?”
“Three times a week,” she said. “I was seeing his wife that often, too, but then she just up and left for somewhere, although there’s a message on the machine that she’s back and wants to see me. But she’s just playing me. Trying to get her old man’s attention. I kinda get the impression she’s nervous with me being around.”
“That has to be because of his reaction to you. He must be pretty fond of you and she’s picking up on it.”
“Exactly. So where the hell have you been lately?”
But Romeo was hesitant. To tell her that she was falling in love with Brian’s father made him ache. “Have you seen Brian?”
Aggravated, she huffed. “He sent me one lousy fucking e-mail about his fucking wedding. And then nothing. Told me he wants me to plan the damned thing and then nothing. Do you think maybe he’s not getting married now?”
“I think you need to call him, Morgan.”
In horror, she gasped. Her breasts shook violently as she rose quickly to sit on the edge of the chaise and stare into him, enraged and hurt. “You’ve seen him!?”
“Yes.” A quiet response. “And I’ve never seen a more miserable man in my life, damn it. You don’t have a right to do this to him. He loves you more than you can imagine. More than you could ever love him.”
“How dare you say that to me!” Filled with anger, she leapt off the chaise to get away from him. Her fingers knotted into her hair, ready to pull it out. “How dare you!”
Standing now, towering over her, he glared her down. “You have to tell him, girl! Because if you don’t, I will.”
Enraged, she quivered uncontrollably with the quake in her soul. Through clenched teeth, she swore. “If you ever tell him that, you and I are finished forever.”
“And I’m just telling you now, I’m not doing this to hurt you. I love you, Morgan. But he has to know. He’s starting to believe that there’s something wrong with him. That he’s not enough man for you.”
“Oh, God.” Tears flushed through her eyes like a swollen river after a storm. She fell into a chair, unable to sustain her weight. Uncontrollably her leg bounced and shook her breasts. “Oh, shit.” Her arms wrapped around her middle and she curled to the thought of it. He was the finest man she’d ever known. To say that she loved him would be a slight. To say that she ached to the very depth of her soul without him, that to face another day, God forbid another night without him was the sharpest kind of torture she could barely endure. To say that she existed in the hope that he would return was all that sustained her, or else she would wantonly throw herself over the balcony of her apartment downtown.
“Morgan, it’s not as bad as you think it is.”
“IT WAS MURDER!” She thrust out of the chair and frightened the dogs so that they quickly jumped over the railing to escape her wrath. “With malice, with forethought, with criminal intent, I committed murder, Romeo. You tell me how he’s going to look at me if ever he hears about that! We’re talking about first degree murder!”
“There were circumstances, Morgan.”
“Bullshit. The point is, I’m quite capable of it, aren’t I? Do you have what it takes to kill a man, Father? I don’t think you do. I don’t happen to believe that eighty percent of the people I run into could do what I did. I’ll tell you a little secret. I don’t think Jerry Abernathy could pull the trigger on another human being. But I can.” He voice was cold, yet she shook uncontrollably, the fear that she might again someday loose control of herself too much to bear.
“Ah, Morgan,” he whispered. He was devastated to realize how she suffered over this so many years later. Never having realized that she refused to marry the man to protect him...from herself.
Without hesitation, he pulled her out of the chair into his arms. In desperation, she clung to him as greedily as the day her father died. As if she could force her body into his and reside there in safety, she clung as she sobbed uncontrollably, shook violently and ached so deeply.
* * * *
Dan finished chopping the last of the vegetables as Caroline waltzed in, shimmering in baby dolls and matching robe flowing gracefully from her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back, yet fell around her shoulders in soft cascades. “You’re excited,” she whispered smiling. He was manic with the dinner preparations.
He peered over the refrigerator door to search her for jealousy and found none. “Aren’t you?”
“I enjoy men,” she said her eyes sparkling. “You know I don’t have a problem with women, but I enjoy men.”
“So you don’t have a problem with your husband being bisexual?”
“Not at all, sugar. Especially if you want to bring them home to me.”
Overwhelmed with her compassion, he closed the door and swept her up. “I love you so much.”
“What time’s he coming?”
“He said about eleven.”
She glanced at the clock. Just enough time to cook the quiche. “I really think him and Morgan would make a cute couple,” she commented.
“Honey, Morgan and Brian know each other...better than either one of them let on. In fact, I’m entertaining the notion that Morgan is the one Brian is hung up on. And she was pretty interested last night about what went on with Brian last week.”
Astounded, she turned and stared. “You never...”
“Yeah,” he said filled with curiosity. “You wanna play?”
“Of course, I do. But maybe it’s not Morgan that doesn’t want to marry him. Maybe he wants her to give up her career.”
“I never thought of that,” he said as his vision trailed off. Still, there was something about Brian Alexander...
At precisely eleven, the doorbell rang. Dan opened the door to see a very eager yet controlled smile on Brian’s face.
“Good morning.” His excitement evident in his voice.
“Good to see you.” Dan took Brian’s hand, and then Brian’s body into his arms.
Brian held up a floral bag with lavender tissue paper spilling out the top. “A little something for your lovely wife.”
“That’s very generous.” Dan led him to the kitchen.
“Brian,” Caroline said happily.
“Morning.” He bent and planted a very chaste kiss on her cheek. “A little something to thank you for your generosity.”
“How sweet!” She took the bag and set it on the counter to remove the tissue paper. “Oooo.” She pulled out a very expensive bottle of French perfume and spritzed a little in the air to enjoy it. “Oooo, I like that.” And then she pulled out a velvet-covered jewelry box and quite excitedly opened the hinged lid.
Astounded, she stared at Brian a moment, lingering in that gaze until Dan circled to see what was so important.
“Very nice,” he whispered. Yet he knew Brian had more interest in him than Caroline and cared enough to lavish something special on her. “Perhaps you should do the honors then.”
Brian moved toward her and took the box from her hand. He removed the cardboard to which the diamond-studded clamps were attached. Quite respectfully, he laid her robe off her shoulders and then slid the satin ribbon straps down, allowing the bodice to fall away and expose her gorgeous breasts.
She glanced at Dan
as she put her hands behind her back to offer them to his desire. Tenderly, Brian plumped the nipple and then opened the clamp, only to close it on that flaming flesh. He noted her breathlessness, her arousal in the flush of her face. Both clamps now kissing her passionately, he returned the ribbons over her shoulders.
“Thank you very much,” she gasped. Wanting desperately to press those clamps into his chest at the moment, she instead stretched a little to leave a kiss on his lips.
“They’re beautiful,” Dan said with gratitude. “I’ll have to get the name of your jeweler.”
“My uncle is a designer. He just whips up any little thing I can think of.”
Just then the phone rang and Caroline reached for it. “Hello.” Her face blanched. “Is she alive?” Tears flowed from her eyes.
Together Dan and Brian watched as she fell to silent weeping and then hung up.
“My mom had a heart attack a little while ago.”
“Oh, shit, honey,” Dan gasped.
“She’s alive, going to surgery now. I gotta go.”
“Honey, I’ll come with you.”
“No.” She wildly shook her head. “Uncle George has the corporate jet ready. He’s sending a car for me now and you know you have a meeting with the international people tomorrow. I’ll call you when I get there and maybe you can come then. And then maybe she’ll be alright.” She literally shook. “I’m sorry, I gotta go. Brian, I’m sorry.”
Brian backed away a little. “I should leave, too,” he whispered.
“No, don’t,” she said panicked. “But I really gotta go.”
“Dan, I should go,” Brian insisted.
“No,” he said adamantly. “Caroline doesn’t like me to get real involved with her family anyway. I’ll fly out tomorrow after my meeting to support my wife, but her family isn’t something I want to get involved with anyway...you know what I mean. So please...help yourself to a cup of coffee and relax and let me get my wife off. And then it’s just you and me.”
Tentatively, Brian smiled. For him this was a fortuitous turn of events. As he was instructed, he poured the coffee and exited the house through the rear doors. Without hesitation, he moved over the lawn toward the newly installed trees and irrigation system.
