How could a man look forward to a life of nothing but wave after wave? He had to get bored. And what about family? He had been close to his mother. Didn’t he want children? And what about his significant other? Was she joining him? Was she a restless soul like he?
As for Aurelio, he was behaving very unlike himself. It seemed the “spontaneous” bug had taken a chunk from his rear. Not usually one for public displays of affection, his arm had barely left her thigh as they sat on the plush leather sofa in the elegantly appointed cabin. Kissing her repeatedly, he told her again and again how beautiful she was, and how much he loved her. His fingers even found their way beneath the hem of her skirt, sliding the material up and exposing an indecent expanse of her skin!
Definitely unlike him. Granted the staff was discreet, almost nonexistent, but they did exist and could be anywhere, though Aurelio seemed quite heedless to this fact.
So much for Sam’s insinuation that Aurelio lacked passion—the man was all over her! And now, nearing the turn for her street, he hinted he wanted more. Her hand clasped in his, he kept one eye on the road ahead and one eye on her, caressing her cheek with his gaze.
Leaning back against the headrest, she indulged her mind in the jazz flowing quietly from hidden speakers. A saxophone-led piece, it was wild and full, the tenor strong. Aurelio’s cologne filled the interior of his car, a rich fragrance she enjoyed, one she had selected especially for him.
Slowing for her driveway, Aurelio handled the turn with a spin of the wheel, braking to a smooth stop. He flipped the ignition off and turned to face her. The expectant look in his eyes meant he wanted to be invited in, but he was too much the gentleman to insist.
She smiled. The day had been a good one. He retracted his earlier comments as rude and insensitive and promised he would partner with her in respect to the children. What more could she ask for? With a small tug of their entwined hands, Jennifer signaled she wanted the same.
Aurelio wasted no time and arose from the car in one fluid motion, rounding the front on his way to collect her. Opening her door, he lifted her hand high and pulled her free, pushing the door closed behind her.
Jennifer spied the bird of paradise standing proudly out front and experienced a touch of pleasure. Jax was right. It was a good choice. Something she would enjoy seeing every time she came home.
Aurelio unlatched the courtyard gate and ushered her in ahead of him. He waited by the front door as she unlocked the deadbolt, whereby the two made for her bedroom, their path lit by a small lamp left on in the foyer. Once inside, she set her purse down on the dresser and turned to find Aurelio’s arms open and waiting.
Eagerly, Jennifer fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him. Slipping his arms around her he kissed the side of her head, the ensuing hug warm and full, lasting for several moments before he pulled away.
“I’ve had a wonderful day, my love.”
“Me, too,” she said, meaning it. It had begun slightly off-kilter, but she was over it now. And thoughts of Jax were to be expected. For heaven’s sake, the man was here every day—of course he would cross her mind! Gary Gardener, Jackson Montgomery; did it matter?
Hovering close, Jennifer could see the love in Aurelio’s eyes; a want that spoke volumes through the faint light. His was more than a simple desire for sex.
He cupped her chin and tipped it up as he kissed her. Sweet and soft, it was a sensitive gesture from a man in love. A man who cherished the woman he held in his arms...
And Jennifer relished the fact that she was that woman. Aurelio was a wonderful man and they were going to have a wonderful life together.
Her lips parted and his tongue slipped in, gliding around hers, probing her warmth, her easy reception. Jennifer anticipated his next move and stepped backward until the bed hit the back of her knees. Never losing contact with Aurelio, she lowered herself onto the edge and lay back, moving until the length of his body was halfway atop hers. Jennifer released one arm from around his neck and let it fall to her side, facilitating Aurelio’s ease in undressing her.
Which he did immediately. Beginning at her shoulder he eased the dress from her body, then pulling the bedspread aside to reveal the soft cotton of her sheets, rolled his body close to hers. Jennifer surrendered to the moment, feeling his arousal hard against her hips. Somewhat impatient it seemed, Aurelio yanked his belt open, following suit with his trousers.
Unbuttoning his shirt, he pulled it open and moved between her legs. “I love you,” he murmured as he flattened his body atop hers.
“I love you, too,” she replied, and readied herself for his next move.
Lifting onto his elbows inches above her, Aurelio launched himself inside and promptly found his rhythm, settling into a docile sway, to and fro, side to side. His movements were easy and unhurried, his hands soft as whispers as they toyed with her hair, much like the feather kisses he was sprinkling across her cheeks.
While she listened to his breathing quicken, she relaxed into her own pleasure, her own feelings at the fullness of his body within hers. She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the union between lovers. The sensations their enjoined bodies produced were warm and sweet; exquisite. She relaxed further and her heart sighed. Passion. Love. They were beautiful things.
To feel his maleness deep inside her, full and content, she never wanted it to end... Her thoughts stretched like a lazy feline as she immersed herself in the moment. The hard ache as his hands glided across her breasts, the soft moan as his lips roamed her shoulder.
She wanted him. To touch her, to feel her, to move deep within her, she wanted him. She yearned to kiss that sweet smile, look into those warm eyes...to lose herself in the warmth of his embrace.
Aurelio mumbled something into her ear, and Jax’s image popped into her mind. Jennifer’s eyes burst open. Her limbs stiffened—briefly—though her lover never missed a beat. Her mind cried out in protest. No!
But there was he was, smiling, the unmistakable look of sex in his eyes, drenching his grin as he looked at her. Looked at her...
Ignore it. She squeezed her eyes closed. It means nothing. Nothing.
Jennifer struggled to force thoughts of Jax from her mind and focus on Aurelio. She didn’t want him to feel her distraction. Moving more quickly now, he was getting closer.
Intent on remaining in the moment, she picked up her pace to match his more frenzied movements. She wanted to be there with him and experience the ultimate release. “Yes, sweetheart...” she coaxed, blacking out her imagination. “That’s it.”
Aurelio’s breathing became labored as he moved with determination. Yes, that’s it... A little more and—
Aurelio exploded in climax, suspended above for several seconds before falling limp to her chest. Jennifer hadn’t managed the same, and hated that she felt relief over his conclusion.
It shouldn’t have happened this way. It wasn’t fair.
Her spirits sunk. What should have been the perfect ending to the perfect day had turned into a colossal disappointment; a failure on her part.
Jennifer instantly began to berate herself for the unconscionable digression. How could she do that to him? What kind of fiancé allowed the thought of another man to intrude upon the lovemaking of her soon-to-be-husband?
Who must have sensed something was wrong, because he rolled off and asked, “Everything all right, my love?”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, cursing the anxious quality to her voice.
“Did you?”
“Yes,” she lied, feeling a jittery movement of her eyes. “It was wonderful, Aurelio, really wonderful.” She forced a smile, unwilling to hurt his feelings—especially when he was so considerate of her own.
“You are the greatest lover I have ever known,” he proclaimed, a satiated wave washing through hooded eyes.
“You too, sweetheart,” Jennifer returned, closing her eyes to hide her shame. Her heart winced at the betrayal.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dusk
cast the yard in shadows, dousing the colorful plants with grays and browns as Jennifer trudged up her front steps. There was no Jax this evening. A man couldn’t work if a man couldn’t see. Unlocking the door, she flipped on a light switch.
Walking to the kitchen, she glanced out the back windows and noted most of everything seemed to be in, save for the grass. New sod would be ruined by the traffic of activity and she knew he planned on installing it last. By the looks of her yard, it didn’t seem like much longer before it would be finished, putting Jax well ahead of the schedule she had first proposed. Which meant she and Aurelio could be married sooner, and accommodate her mother’s deteriorating condition.
That is what her doctor implied. They ran tests this afternoon and her blood counts were off. More significantly than usual. It explained her fatigue this evening, Jennifer thought, feeling a stab of guilt. The disease was moving with increased aggression through its final stage and it wouldn’t be long before—
Dwelling on it would help no one. She understood the condition. She knew what was at stake. She jumped at the sound of her telephone ringing from inside the house. Hurrying up the steps, quickly unlocking the back door, she fell into a dash for the kitchen. She snatched the receiver from the counter and answered with a breathless, “Hello?”
“Jen.”
“Sam,” she said, recovering from the sudden leap in pulse rate.
“Hey, I need to talk to you.”
The solemn tone alarmed her. Jennifer tightened her grip on the receiver.
“Blake’s had a stroke.”
Panic sputtered in her chest. “What?”
“Late last night—early this morning, I don’t know. Patty called me this morning and I hopped the next flight to Ohio.” She paused. “It’s bad. The docs say he might not recover.”
Jennifer slumped against the counter, heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. “Oh Sam, I’m so sorry...”
“Patty’s a mess.”
With four kids, who wouldn’t be?
“She doesn’t know what to do. I told her I’d call you.”
“What happened?”
Sam answered, taking it from the beginning. He woke up with a splitting headache, took some aspirin, tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t. His speech started to slur, Patty called 911. From then on it was a nightmare. Her husband collapsed, the paramedics arrived and she rushed to the hospital where they delivered the bad news. She called Sam. The one person every Rawlings sibling turned to when in trouble.
“What can I do?”
“What can she do, Jen? She’s freaking out. They’re telling her Blake may not be able to function again. He may be paralyzed. He may not be able to speak! Or,” her voice swung low, “he may pull through fine, with no long-term effects. It’s all over the map. What the hell is she supposed to believe?”
The shrill tone was so unlike Sam. The panic in her voice... This was a woman normally in command of a crisis; the go-to gal when others stumbled. “It’s all true, Sam. That’s part of the problem. Recovery for stroke victims is a wait and see process. They simply don’t know.”
“But what’s she supposed to do in the meantime? The not knowing is killing her.”
“Be patient,” Jennifer said. It was the same advice she gave to her patients’ families. “Recovery will take time. Blake will need her support. Especially if the prognosis is good. Rehabilitation is tough work, but it can do wonders for his long-term prospects.”
“Yeah, great. Except her nerves are like open wires getting rained on. I don’t know how much she can take before she falls apart.”
But this was a blow tough for anyone to digest.
Jennifer’s heart reached out to her. “I’ll call his doctor, Sam. I’ll speak with him and find out what’s going on.” It was the only thing she could do—make sense of the medical jargon. Give Sam and Patty a starting point. A place from which to begin the arduous journey that lay ahead of them.
“Yeah, thanks.”
A stump of appreciation, but Jennifer understood it was all she had. Sam was a dynamo in the courtroom, but when it came to matters of the heart her normal response was ejection. When emotions ran too close, she cut them loose. No commitments, no sappy love songs... She was a free spirit who refused to let anyone or anything tie her down. But she couldn’t eject this time. Sam had to plug in, for Patty’s sake. A challenge to say the least.
And not because Sam wasn’t a loving person—she was. She stepped up to the plate whenever duty called. She’d walk you through the last mile. But Patty had four kids and they would need tending while she—not Sam—held vigil at the hospital.
Sam was kid-friendly, but not kid-competent. “It will be okay,” Jennifer said. Both women knew she was referring to Sam this time. “Hang in there, it’ll be okay.”
For another ten minutes, Jennifer hung on the line with her, walking Sam through her feelings; her fears. She had cut out on two major trials to be in Ohio, but felt confident the partners could handle the load.
Didn’t matter if they couldn’t, because she had made her decision. Family came first in Sam’s book, whether it cost her job, or not.
It was a sentiment that fused the two women at the heart.
“He’s going to make it, Sam. I feel it in my bones, he’s gonna beat this.” Hope was the only salvation she could offer, the only thing capable of easing the pain.
“I hope so,” Sam said, choking on her words. “Family is Patty’s whole world.”
“I know. And with you by her side, she’ll get through it.”
When Jennifer finally hung up the phone, she looked out over her backyard and allowed her gaze to drift. She saw everything and nothing. The pool, the wall, the plants...
It all blurred together in a landscape of nothing. It took a long while before she realized the arbor was up, though bare.
Pausing, she narrowed her focus on the structure. It felt entirely foreign to her present state of mind, while at the same time acted as a reminder that life goes on, with or without us, crisis or not. Moving nearer the window, she lingered on the light wood and thought it felt naked. Like a woman awaiting her frill of fine clothing and jewels, the embellishments that would transcend her from just another body to a magnificent creature of pomp and pageantry, the arbor was unfinished. Incomplete.
Jennifer tried to imagine it loaded with flowering vines arcing gracefully overhead as bride and groom made their way toward the fountain to take their vows and become man and wife.
A ceremony to die for.
Around five a.m., Jennifer finally gave up on sleep. Consumed with the plight of Patty and Blake, she needed to do something. They were hanging on the edge of prognosis, his condition liable to go either way. Even if he came through with honors and ribbons, it still meant a mountain of therapy. In the beginning, he’d probably struggle with minimal function, dealing Patty the added responsibility of child-like demands from her husband.
It would be a difficult road for Patty. Thankfully she had Sam by her side, but her sister could only stay on for so long. Eventually, Sam would have to return to her legal practice, leaving Patty to her own device.
Upon arrival at the hospital, she spoke with her colleagues regarding Blake’s condition, but much to her dismay, she had given Sam the best advice she could have; it’s a wait and see proposition. The first few days were crucial. The patient’s inert body was solely responsible for driving the recovery.
Which didn’t help Sam. She had called three times throughout the day and Jennifer wasn’t sure if it was truly on Blake’s behalf, or a compelling need to feel useful. Doing nothing was not on her agenda. Yet unable to give her more, Jennifer merely listened as the heartache spilled forth. Not much, but it was the best she could do.
Arriving home that evening, Jennifer was heartened to see Jax’s truck by the garage. It would be a nice escape to talk about something other than Blake. But in a rush of realization, Jennifer knew she would have to tell him about Sam. Granted, they we
ren’t close friends, but he was certainly familiar with her. It would be awkward to purposefully withhold the news as opposed to the more natural sharing of the day’s events, as had become their habit.
At once, she opened her door and made her way for him. Standing beneath the arbor, he weaved vines through the arches elevated above. A distant rumble vibrated through the air as a cloud swept into the sun’s path. It was a welcome rush of cool, the heat merciless during this late hour in the day, though Jax seemed oblivious.
Marveling at the difference a walkway between patio and pool made, she was beginning to be able to form a picture in her mind. She could easily envision her wedding here, chairs lining the lawn, filled with family and friends. A smile eased onto her lips. Jax was right. It would make an enchanting setting for bride and groom. Or had Aurelio said that?
At once perturbed by her muddle of memory, Jennifer batted the minor detail away. It didn’t matter who said what, this will indeed be a wonderful backdrop for a garden wedding, period. Did it matter who received credit?
Jax moved around the wooden pillar, continually twisting the flowery climber, but waved when he saw her. She waved back, waiting for him to stop what he was doing and give her the routine progress report. Or something like that...
It was but a whisper from her heart, and one she refused to acknowledge. Making haste across the expanse of ragged lawn, she ignored the slight sink of her soft leather heels as she trekked over the dirt. It was more important to see how Jax was faring. She wanted to hear what he was planning, hear what he had done. She wanted to talk, something her subconscious wouldn’t label so simply.
“Hello, Dr. Hamilton,” he said, using her more formal address.
“Hello, Jax,” she replied with a smile, refusing to do the same, though she wondered if her full suit was to blame. The cropped khaki blazer was one of her more casual ones. She didn’t think it made her seem austere.
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