“Watch it,” Brody responded, low and demeaning. “That’s my wife you’re talking about.”
“Chill, baby bro, just asking a question,” Scott grinned, taunting him back.
I sat back in the seat and shrugged. “Don’t you have a wife to annoy?” I asked, wishing he would leave.
He chuckled, and I felt the graze of his fingertips against my upper thigh, too close to my ass for a brother-in-law to be touching. “Don’t be mean, Gabby. I was just making conversation.”
Shooting him a glare. I wasn’t going to make a scene. I couldn’t. “Hey, Lila, do you want to sit with mama so we can talk more about the jungle?” I asked, my voice slightly high-pitched. I couldn’t handle the touch of him again. I wanted to scream.
“Yes!” She jumped up. “Uncle Scottie, move please!”
Scott had his eyes on me, smiling as he removed his hand and then stood up. “All right, I’ll sit with your big oaf of a father then.”
“It’s all muscle.” Brody grinned, flexing his bicep as Scott sat beside him, poking his brother in the gut. “Yours is just beer and pizza, should lay off that shit.” Scott wasn’t at all fat. He was strong and lean. Brody just happened to be fitter and tower over him in height.
“Yeah, whatever. We can’t all sit around drinking top shelf.”
Turning around, I silently giggled as Brody and Scott compared their gym routine.
The flight thankfully ended quickly, and we were on our way to the resort. Noah and Lila were like they usually were on Christmas morning, excited, and happy. It really gave me a warm fuzzy feeling to see them like this again especially after all that we’d put them through.
Arriving at Hamilton Island, everything was absolutely breathtaking.
I felt Brody’s hand against mine. My smile grew as our fingers were interlacing. “We can do this,” he whispered, and in his words, I heard the promise he was making to me. I just hoped this promise wasn’t one that would be broken.
“We can,” I promised back.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“So which rooms are which?” Jessie asked, grinning as she held out her hand for the key to the guesthouse.
We had the large beach house, a huge lap pool out on the deck that came with the open plan living room. It has a laid back feeling, relaxing.
Fred chuckled, letting out a sigh as he took a seat on the large chair. “Hold on, young lady.”
“Well… I’m not staying with you. No offence but we need our privacy.” Jessie winked, giving Scott a nudge in the side.
Sitting on the chair, Lila climbed up on my lap, softly yawning. “Mama, I’m tired.”
“You can sleep soon, baby,” I whispered, kissing her cheek as I played with her dark curls.
Loraine read her information sheet, set it down and looked up, pushing her glasses further up her nose. “Okay, well, Rose, Tulip and Scott, you’re all in the room down the hall. Unless Tulip would like to sleep in with the others, Noah and Lila will be sharing a room.”
Rose, looking smug, smiled and took them. “Excuse me? No, she’ll share with us.”
My head fell back against the sofa, resting on the soft, padded cushion. I couldn’t see how they were so ungrateful. We were here on holiday, fully paid for, and they had the nerve to complain about it. My gaze drifted outside, staring at the crystal blue marina while they fought over rooms.
“Scott, you and Rose are down the hall. Jessie, I’m sorry, but Brody and Gabriella are in the guesthouse downstairs.” Her mouth parted, looking to question her, but Loraine simply held a finger up. “You two don’t have children.”
“We don’t have to.” I didn’t mind sharing with the kids. I was used to it by now.
She ignored me. “Brody, here’s the key. Lila and Noah, you’re going to sleep in the second room here with grandma and grandpa. Leon, you and Jessie find the other room.”
“Yay!” Lila jumped up. “Grandpa, can we watch TV in the bedroom?”
Fred chuckled as Noah climbed up on his lap. “Only if you don’t tell your parents.” A boisterous laugh followed him, making me smile.
Jessie looked pissed. “Wait, Brody’s getting that one?”
“Jess, it’s just a room,” Leon said quietly, tugging her hand to calm her down. “Who care’s when there’s a whole ocean to swim in or the massive infinity pool on the floor below us.”
She wasn’t having a bar of it. Gesturing herself to us, “We don’t have kids. Why should we have to stay in here? They do not even have to share with their children. It’s just them on their own.”
“Settle down. Look, if you want it, then have it. I honestly don’t give a fuck as long as there’s bed.” Brody was beginning to grow agitated. How the three of them could be related and still be so opposite was amusing.
“Brody,” Fred sighed, giving him a pointed look.
“Jessie, Brody works hard, and these two deserve a break on their own,” Loraine said firm with a wink as she glanced over. “They haven’t been anywhere since their honeymoon, and it’s their first trip with us. You had the spa chalet in the snow last year.”
“That’s hardly my fault,” she snorted with an eye roll.
Loraine pushed the keys into my husband’s hand. “Jessie, enough, Brody and Gabriella are in this room, and that’s that. You and Leon will be so busy exploring the island. I’m sure it won’t matter.” She placed a kiss on his cheek and diverted her eyes towards mine, giving me another wink.
My stomach almost in my mouth as I realised she knew.
His mother knew about our marital problems. Here, I thought we’d been careful and sneaky; apparently, not as good as we thought we were doing. We walked down the pathway and up the smaller guesthouse where we were going to be spending our nights. The kids weren’t at all fazed that they were spending time away from us. I think they were enjoying it. I also knew that they’d be well taken care of and spoilt rotten. His parents loved Noah and Lila.
Brody let out a low whistle as he walked inside. “The parents really outdid themselves. No wonder Jessie wanted this room so bad. The pool’s a decent size as well.” He nodded towards the infinity pool. The clear blue water made me want to swim in it or drink it. It just looked extremely inviting in this warm weather.
I set my bag on the table in the living room, then walked towards him. “I want a shower.” I was sweating and felt so icky. I was also sure that I smelt too.
Brody slid his hands down over my hips. Taking a step forward, our bodies were pressed together. “Now?”
“Yes.”
His brows raised up, a smirk appearing. “You want some company?”
My heart pounded once more. With the number of time I panic lately, I was going to have a heart attack. “Brody… we’ve… it’s been.” I couldn’t even say it.
Getting my point, he nodded, and his smile faded slightly. “I know. It’s been a long time since we showered together.”
“Before Noah was born; I… I’m nervous,” I admitted. Broad daylight, naked and in his view, he was going to see every new curve, bump, and mark on my body. With sex, it was different. He wasn’t too focused on my body. He was thinking about something entirely different. It was enthralling and scary all at once.
“Don’t be nervous. I’ve seen you naked plenty of times before,” he smiled, grasping me tighter and knocking me off my balance, so I fell against his chest.
I fisted his shirt lightly, beginning to pull it up over his head. “Let’s go shower then.”
“Really?” he didn’t wait for my answer, hands slipping underneath the hem of my shirt and lifting it off my head. I tugged on his jeans and pulled the down. He was hard, pitching a tent in his boxers. Lust in my eyes, I roamed my eyes over him. He pulled the drawstring, and my bottoms were down in a flash. He grinned, then lowered his white, fitted boxers, and I squeezed my thighs together as his erection bobbed while he took a step closer and kissed me lightly.
He was naked, and I was still standing in my bra and panties
before him.
Brody, taking a step back, just stared at me. “You know what I find so beautiful? It’s these.” Stepping forward, he traced a finger over the two faint stretch marks on my lower belly, just almost underneath my hip bone. They were what I had been so embarrassed about. Barely noticeable but if you looked closer, they were there.
“You do?” I asked, glancing down at his finger touching my skin.
Causing me to shiver, he nodded. “You should be proud of them, Gabby. They’re from the two children you carried and have protected since they were conceived. Don’t ever shy away from that. I love that there’s a constant reminder of what we created together.”
Tears in my eyes yet again, “You’re going to make me cry.”
“You’re only ever allowed to cry over something good.” He chuckled. His hand reached around my back. Flicking the snap, my black bra fell down the floor by my toes. Taking his time, he undressed me slowly.
My back against the tiled shower wall, water sprayed down above us both. His fingers gripping into the curve of my ass, holding tightly, only pleased me more. Our mouths latched, tongues dancing and tasting as I rocked my hips back and forth against him. I think I was going to enjoy these midday showers.
“Brody,” I moaned. “Keep doing that.” Whatever the hell he was doing, I never wanted it to stop.
He pulled back, slammed my back into the wall harder and removed his hand. My hold on him kept me upright still as his hand cupped my cheeks, one moved to the back of my hair as he held it tightly and brought his mouth closer.
“So perfect,” he murmured.
Gasping as he went in faster, biting down on my lower lip and sucking, I whimpered and tilted my head back underneath the hot stream of water. His mouth then latched onto my neck, sucking with a guttural groan as we came together.
Coming down from out high of bliss, we kept our position, placing a kiss on his bare shoulder. I lifted my head and kissed my way to his jaw covered in stubble. “We’ve got so much to make up for, so much lost time.”
He placed a single tender kiss on my forehead and softly spoke, “No, there’s no making up, just making new memories. Memories neither of us will want to forget.”
New memories, now, that was something I looked forward to. It gave me an ounce of hope that everything wasn’t lost after all. I knew we needed to talk still, and us being alone in here gave me a shred of hope that we could sort things out better before we left for home once again.
I laughed, holding him tighter with fear of being dropped as he walked us to the bed. Dropping me down on my ass, he came between my thighs and over my body as he laid against my naked, wet skin. I glanced at the door, worrying his sister or mother may spring a surprise visit on us at any moment. “Someone could come in.”
His eyes suddenly darkened as his lips skimmed the soft skin of my neck. Murmuring with each kiss as he met my gaze once more, “There’s only one woman who’s going to come for me ever.”
“I love the way that sounds,” I smiled lazily down at him.
My arms were wrapped underneath his, pulling him in closer as he tried climbing away. “Baby, I can’t go another round. You’ve worn me out.” He grinned, laying by my side and propping himself up on his elbow, his hand against my belly.
Laughing, I rolled to my side, staring at him. I focused on his eyes. “I think you wore yourself out, Mister. You’re the one who wanted to see how fast you could go in the shower without slipping.” Reaching up, I traced the bridge of his nose, then the smile faded. “Your mum knows about us.”
He looked up and nodded. “I know. She booked the tickets so we would be forced to come together. She got the kids with them and us in this big room. It’s all part of her matchmaking.”
Trailing a finger over his cheek, I sighed. “I don’t want to go home and have things change for us, Brody. This feels nice right now.” Just being here, like this with him was what I had craved for so long, an intimacy we hadn’t shared in years. I couldn’t imagine going back to separate rooms or rare touches.
“I know. I don’t know what this is, but I like it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confusion sweeping over me. “I thought we were trying again?” We’d called off the divorce for fuck sake.
“I just meant that I wasn’t sure if this was us, just fucking and having fun.” His expression pained. “I didn’t—”
Instantly, I wanted to throw up. “Fucking and having fun?”
“That came out wrong.”
I scoffed. “No shit.”
Pulling my hand back, he reached out taking hold of it again. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just meant whatever happens back home, I want to just live at the moment.”
“We need to at least try, both of us.” I couldn’t stress that enough to him. We both needed to work on our relationship and making it work. “I at least want to try.”
“I have something we could try.” He released his hold on me, standing by the bed and pointing to the floor in front of him. “After that blowjob on the plane, I want to watch you on your knees sucking my cock.”
He had fucked me senseless after I sucked him empty, legs up, bent over the coffee table and ass in the air.
Three hours later, we finally managed to pull clothes on, get dressed and make our way towards the house to find the kids and take them down to the beach. We, unfortunately, ran into Scott and Rose along out way, who by the looks of it were headed to the main resort bar for drinks. I couldn't care less what he was doing, just as long as it wasn’t near me.
“Hey, you two, um, have some fun?” Scott chuckled as Rose thumped him in the side with her elbow. “What? Gabby was moaning and all shit. I didn’t mean to hear it.”
Brody’s fingers tightened around my hand, keeping me close. He wasn’t impressed but kept his cool. “Have you seen the kids?”
I was actually mortified that he had heard us. I just wondered how long he had been listening to us. Rose just smiled. “Oh, yeah, they’re watching TV with dad. Tulip is with them too. We’re sneaking off for a couple hours to relish the atmosphere in the bar.”
“Fun.” I sighed, watching Brody who was having a glaring match with his brother. Tugging on his hand, I urged him to follow. “Come on, kids can watch TV later. I want to go for a walk.”
Walking around the corner, Brody pushed me back against the house. Oh, God, his eyes were hard to mine as his lips came closer with a soft whisper. “You should have kept it down.” Feeling his fingers grazing just beneath my dress, my bare thigh quivered. “I don’t like the idea of my brother hearing you come. Nobody but me will ever get to hear you come.”
“Brody…” I needed to tell him. I had to tell him. “I…”
“Oh, there you are.” I was cut off by his mother as she came walking towards us, catching us out. “Get off her, young man. We need to talk now.”
“Ma,” Brody groaned, pulling away. “What is it?”
“Private.” She narrowed her eyes and grabbed him by the ear, pulling him down to her level. “Excuse us, Gabby, my son is in a lot of trouble right now. What kind of animal are you? In broad daylight?”
Brody looked bewildered as he ripped her hand from his ear. “Are you fucking crazy?” he snapped.
“Are you?” she retorted back. “Follow me now!”
I smiled, laughing as he was dragged away. “Be a good boy. I’ll meet you down on the beach.”
Noah and Lila were all too happy to come down for a swim. I sat on the sand, watching them running around and playing. I ran around chasing them, and then they turned to chase me. Lila was laughing. Noah had picked her up and dropped her into the shallow of the water. Her shorts wet, she stood laughing louder as she chased after him.
“I’m going to get you, Noah!” she said, determined and began to chase him.
“You’re too slow!” Noah teased back and sprinted off.
“Not too deep!” I called out, laughing and taking another photo of the two of them.
I nodded. “A lot of fun,” I replied. “Everything all right?”
He sighed. “No, not really, Lila must have told mum about the divorce and us fighting. Mum put two and two together and came up with a hundred.” He rubbed his thumb over my fingers and squeezed my hand. “She thought I had hurt you badly,” he said, and his voice grew darker.
It took me a moment to understand what he meant. Cheating, “Oh,” I said quietly.
“I told her I haven’t and never would.” His voice was deadpan as he wanted me to believe him. I did. “She also planned us to have the bigger room on purpose, wants this to be like a second honeymoon for us.”
I smiled with a laugh. “Oh yeah? Did you tell your mum we’ve already screwed four times already?”
“No, she ripped my ear off,” he grinned, rubbing his ear where she had been grabbed before.
“I didn’t really want anyone to know what’s been going on at home. It’s still raw, and we got so much to sort. I didn’t want your whole family talking about us like we’re gossip,” meaning his sister and sister-in-law.
He nodded, understanding where I was coming from. “I understand. Mum spoke with Lila and told her not to repeat anything. We’ll do that same after they finish running around.”
“Okay,” I smiled and rested my head against his shoulder as I leant into him.
“You were going to tell me something before she interrupted.” He brought up, and I pulled away, looking back to the kids laughing.
Shit. Not here, not while the kids were around. This needed to be spoken about in private. It could go two ways: one, Brody believed me or second being that he didn’t believe a word I said about his brother. I hoped he would, but I just couldn’t be sure. “Oh, I don’t remember, nothing important.” I couldn’t tell him this now.
Brody, fully clothed in shorts and his shirt thrown off, took the kids, grabbing them both and walking out into the ocean. They were squealing with laughter as he threatened to drop them both in. I couldn’t have laughed any harder when he turned his back, and they both went crashing into him. They all went down, soaked with water.
Forgotten Sweethearts: A Romance Novel Page 15
