A Promise of Forever

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A Promise of Forever Page 15

by M. E. Brady


  “No, you go, Katelyn, and have a good time. I need to stick to my original plan. Brody will never believe that I’m back to stay unless I prove to him publicly that I have always loved him. When he sees me for the first time, and I’m wearing this dress, he’ll know I came back for him. The ball will be in his court then and if I have to wait a little longer, I’ll wait. He’s waited a long time for me. Besides, I feel better knowing you’re with him; I don’t have to worry about another woman in his life,” she added hopefully.

  Brody was waiting, as promised, at the bar at the Captain’s Table when she arrived. He smiled when he saw her and, for the first time, Katelyn understood the pain she had always suspected lingered just beneath the surface. There were good reasons for his aloofness and now she knew the secret that he had kept hidden from all the people closest to him. It was easy for him to keep the secret from Kevin and Sylvia; they had moved to town after Eleanor and Brody split up.

  Brody waited to order while Katelyn rambled on and on about her purchases. She rattled on for so long about what a great designer Nellie was and how worthy her designs were of the international fashion seen. “Sylvia was right. Nellie is that good.” Katelyn couldn’t resist teasing Brody as she told him about the plunging necklines and bare shoulders and deep dipping backs of the dresses. Brody, out of shear embarrassment, stopped her from talking and, in doing so, helped to contain her enthusiasm.

  She was sure that somewhere in this conversation with Brody, he admitted, quite innocently, to being involved with a designer once. He confessed that they were very young when they were together and he remembered a dress that she had started to design while they were dating. That dress was cut provocatively low in the back, just like the one you were describing. In fact, my ex had designed it so it barely hid a tattoo on her buttock. The tattoo was one that coupled with mine in the same place on our bodies. We got them after a night of too much drinking. It was a young foolish gesture, meant to symbolize our unending love for each other.” He admitted while laughing at what he just confessed to.

  “I’m afraid now you know all my secrets,” Brody teased. He then apologized for bringing up his past, almost wishing he hadn’t because remembering the lonely years without Eleanor in his life was painful to him.

  “What kind of tattoo?” she teased unmercifully. Brody continued to eat and, in between bites, he tried to change the direction of the conversation.

  “I’m afraid I have to draw the line there. You would have found out had you agreed to marry me though,” he added triumphantly. When they finished dinner, Brody signaled for the waiter and paid the check. They took their coats and headed for the door and were greeted by a cold brisk wind.

  The Montana sky was already beginning to change and a storm was moving in. The temperature had dipped dramatically from the time they entered the restaurant. On the trip home, Katelyn was sure Brody’s silence had little to do with his recollection of the past and more to do with the quickly changing weather. They had decided not to go to the movies as planned because the weather didn’t look promising. When they arrived at the ranch, it was quiet and looked as though everyone had already gone to bed for the night. There was a porch light on which she was sure was left for her convenience. Brody, being the gentleman that he was, helped Katelyn from the truck again but not before she dropped her purse on the floor in front of him, hoping he would bend over and reveal a hidden tattoo.

  “Don’t think for a minute that I’d fall for that one. You were going to check out my derriere, weren’t you?” he teased. “How you were going to accomplish that with my coat on is another question?” They both laughed; it felt good to laugh for a change.

  It was disturbingly quiet and there was a strange car parked in the driveway she hadn’t noticed before she left. Brody gently and innocently kissed her good night and she found out who the owner of the mystery car was; he had been lurking in the shadows on the porch. Katelyn saw his figure first as he emerged from the darkness. He stepped into the light and she saw the anger he was experiencing in his eyes.

  Brody could sense that Gianfranco Broccolini was indeed the mystery man Katelyn had kept secret from everyone. He didn’t know what to do at this point and it was definitely an uncomfortable situation for all. Gianfranco looked as if he were ready to kill someone. Brody had a hard time believing that he was the same man he had come to know and admire. He had met Gianfranco on numerous occasions and knew him to be a man that kept his cool under dire circumstances. Yet, he also knew from experience what the other sex was capable of making men do.

  Brody knew that no matter how angry Gianfranco was, no physical harm would come to Katelyn. He couldn’t get over it. Gianfranco Broccolini was the man who had stolen her heart. He wondered if he knew how lucky he was. Brody thought that it was time for him to leave and he bid them both farewell and decided to exit, but not before asking Katelyn if she’d be alright.

  “I’m fine; you don’t have to worry about me. I guess our secrets are out now for the both of us,” she whispered, knowing Brody knew what she was talking about. Brody walked to the other side of the truck, got in and drove away. It was no wonder people feared Gianfranco; at this moment, from the look in his eyes, he feared him. He was capable of emanating a sense of power so ruthless that he made you fear for your life without muttering a word.

  Every nerve in Katelyn’s body was alive when she was in his presence. Her own body was betraying her. He on the other hand was ready to explode and she was his target. She had to give him a little time to gain control of the emotions he was saturated with. He thought that something was going on between her and Brody. She’d be damned if, after his recent display with that woman at the restaurant, she would explain the error he had made. Let him feel what I felt, only days ago. Before Brody had reached the end of the drive, Gianfranco pulled her into his arms and punished her with a deep assault of kisses. He wanted to be sure Brody understood and witnessed his branding of her in his rear view mirror.

  Katelyn was relieved, when she was finally able to put some distance between them. In another second, her true feelings would have been revealed to him. The relief was only temporary because he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her once again. This time, he was gentler and more loving with his kisses. It didn’t take long for him to regret what he’d done and he pulled back. He was annoyed with himself as he leaned back against the rail post he let out an audible sigh of disgust.

  “Every part of me is on fire with want for you right now. Whether you choose to admit it or not, you want the same thing I do. Would you deny that?” he asked with a deep husky drawl.

  “No. You’re wrong, I don’t want you, and what’s more, I hate your Neanderthal tactics. I seem to be the lone recipient of your bad behavior,” she shouted. “I am not your wife, Gianfranco, nor am I your sex slave and I don’t intend on being either,” she stated sternly. He makes me so angry, I could spit!

  Gianfranco ran his fingers along the edge of her mouth ever so gently, barely touching her lips, until he thought she could take no more. Of course, he affected her. She could lie all she wanted to but she was his. She belonged to him. His hands reached into her coat and traced the hollow of her throat. She let out a whimpering sigh as he moved his other hand down her back until he touched the bottom of her spine. He then pressed her body into his, close enough so that she could feel his erection through their clothes.

  “I can prove how much you want me, right here, or there on the porch, if you want me to. But I’d rather have this discussion somewhere more private, perhaps in the warmth of the house. Which will it be, Katelyn?” he asked rather thickly, his voice was barely able to hide the intenseness of his plight.

  “I’ll go inside with you but this particular discussion is over. You are not going to control me, Gianfranco. I will choose my own friends and you won’t be telling me how to behave when I’m with them,” she said grounding out how angry she was with him.

  “How to behave…you have got to
be kidding. I arrive here to find out that my future wife was out on a date. Then, when you finally do show up, I have to witness you practically mauling another man in public,” he added angrily.

  “I did no such thing,” she spat out, wishing she could slap his face. How could he think so little of me? “Furthermore, it is none of your business what I do. You are such a barbarian.” Katelyn turned and stomped angrily inside. She was feeling really perturbed and she could see that his feelings matched her own. Neither of them could hide the displeasure they felt for each other at the moment.

  As they each became angrier, the more absurd the situation seemed and the more she wanted to laugh at the hideousness of it all. What a pair we make.

  “Our daughter is lying in a bed upstairs; she cannot witness the two of us behaving like juveniles,” she added to avoid her nervous laughter from showing its ugly head.

  At the mere mention of Jenny, Gianfranco became incensed. “Let me emphasize two things, Katelyn. First, I would never do anything to hurt Jenny in anyway and that includes my behavior toward her mother. Secondly, you are now bound to me whether you like it or not. The addition of a ring on your finger means very little to me. Whatever Brody may or may not mean to you; that cozy little display I just witnessed is over. Do I make myself clear?” It was a question that he didn’t require her to answer. It was more of a demand and she would have little choice but to agree to it.

  Katelyn was furious with him and the way he was treating her. She stood before him and said nothing in defiance. It was better to ignore him than get riled up by him and dragged into a screaming match of his own making.

  She closed her eyes and briefly shut him out. She didn’t want to be tempted by him and show her weakness, for which there was no cure. She wondered why he reacted the way he did toward her when clearly his feelings for her were superficial. It was Jenny he wanted in his life and, unfortunately, she came as part of the deal.

  He was getting frustrated and angry; he bitterly chose his next words with care. “In three weeks’ time, you’ll be my wife and nothing you say or do is going to stop that reality from happening. In the meantime, I expect your loyalty and if that includes severing your ties with Brody Calder and Adam Taylor, then so be it. They may have had the pleasure of knowing your body once, but they’ll never know your body again.” He came to a halt and stood before her, his eyes burning with desire, as he willed her to look at him. He held her shoulders and stilled her from pacing. “You belong to me now,” he said before crushing her lips to his.

  There were no concessions made as he staked his claim. This was not the future she had envisioned for herself and Jenny but she was being left without options. She tried with all her might not to react to his kiss but he was right; she belonged to him, body and soul. There was no hiding the fact that she wanted him and he knew it. She couldn’t deny him what her body gave to him so freely. It was as if her body and brain were separate entities and both acted without the will of the other.

  “We should go inside; I want to let you know that Kevin had the foresight to put me in the room adjoining yours. There’s only a door between us; be forewarned that a locked door will not keep me from you if I should desire to come to you.”

  Katelyn tried to ignore the effect he had on her. She tried with every stitch of strength she had not to give in to the craving she found impossible to resist. She stood silently and thought about what he was saying. She found it amusing that he would think he’d have to break down a door to get to her. It is much easier than that. I’ve practically given you the key to my heart and my body.

  His gaze flickered briefly from anger to compassion and then to understanding, if only for a moment. “I know what I’m asking of you isn’t easy. Think of Jenny. Are these two men so important to you that our daughter’s happiness should be jeopardized?” He didn’t wait for a reply because he couldn’t bear to hear it. He locked the front door behind him and turned to help her with her coat. It only took a brief second but it was just enough for her to collect her thoughts and regroup.

  There were tears in her eyes and she couldn’t stop them from rolling down her cheeks. She could feel his regret as he tried to keep his feelings hidden from her. Does he blame me for his unhappiness; for forcing him into a marriage he doesn’t want? Is there another woman? Perhaps the woman in the silver picture frame that he had kept near his bed on the plane, is she the woman of his dreams? Katelyn regretted that she hadn’t taken the time to check who the woman in picture was. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second and, in that time, he gently pulled her into his arms. He wiped the tears from her eyes and apologized to her for all the sadness he had brought to her life.

  “I think it’s time we get you to bed,” he said with tenderness as he led her to her bedroom. He stalled for a moment at the door, filled with regret as he fought to remain gallant. He didn’t like seeing Katelyn like this. He knew she felt defeated and hopeless, a rare feeling for her. Her tears were more than he could handle and his gaze lingered on her emerald eyes for longer than he should have allowed.

  “I’m not pleased with the tactics I had to use to make you my wife but I didn’t know what else to do. I thought I was doing what was best for our daughter and now I’m not so sure,” he said, trying to muster up the courage it would take to walk out the door. “We can make this work. I’ve been to hell and back these past couple of days and the only thing I’m sure of is that you and I belong together. I want you in my life, Katelyn. I want my daughter in my life and I need to get to know her. I need to make up for all the time I’ve missed,” he said.

  As he soaked in her beauty, he crossed the room and put his hand on the doorknob that would separate them for the night. He hesitated and turned to her with the image of how comfortable she was with Brody still burning in his head. He couldn’t help but feel hurt. Her response to him was just the opposite. He was also appalled when he found out that she hadn’t shared the news of their upcoming wedding with Kevin or Sylvia. They were both shocked when he asked them how they felt about the news.

  “Why didn’t you tell Kevin about us?” he asked hesitating at the door. The pain was evident in his voice as he spoke. She wanted to explain her reasons for holding back the information and to hold him in her arms so she could console him from the betrayal he once again felt at her expense but her body wouldn’t and couldn’t move.

  “I wanted to give you time to reconsider,” she whispered into the darkness.

  He didn’t react at first; he stood silently and pondered for a minute. “I want you and Jenny in my life, no matter what the cost,” he said caustically. “Would it be so terrible for you to be married to me?” he said in a broken voice.

  There was pain hidden in those feelings as his eyes locked on hers. It was obvious that he believed she detested the thought of marrying him. He is so far from the truth. Really, she couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t love him. It was as though fate had played a sick joke on the two of them, bringing them together at a time when it couldn’t have worked.

  “Is this what you really want, Gianfranco? I don’t think I could bare it if your heart wasn’t in it,” she said swallowing down the tears that flowed so freely.

  He let go of the doorknob as his eyes lingered on her for what seemed an eternity. It wasn’t until he was sure of what he saw in those emerald eyes that he made his move. “I want to make love to you but I have to know that it’s me you want. I need to hear my name on your lips when I make love to you. I have to know you’re sure this time because after tonight there will be no turning back. I promise you that,” he enunciated as he waited for her response. She nodded in agreement but he needed to hear her to say it out loud.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she whispered faintly. He lifted her into his arms and didn’t stop until he reached the bed. He paused briefly as he went to the door and turned the lock. He walked back to her and started undressing himself and had her watch. She watched from the
bed with curiosity as he pulled his black sweater over his head and threw it to the floor and then his crisp white tee shirt too. Seeing his chest bare, she could hardly breathe. His shoes disappeared under the bed, as well as his socks. He knew she was mesmerized, enjoying the striptease she was witnessing.

  He maneuvered his way between her legs and, just as quickly, he unbuckled his pants, almost unzipping at the same time. He pulled her up off the bed and began to slowly and methodically undress her. He reached down and undid the two buttons holding her shirt together and then threw the shirt to the floor, quickly followed by her pants. As her pants fell to the floor he directed his attention to her body and what she had on beneath her sweater. The nude and black teddy she wore was barely visible and he gasped at the sight of her breasts as they peaked out of the flimsy material.

  “Lie to me if you have to but tell me you wore this for me,” he begged.

  “I knew that you would show up sooner or later and I dressed accordingly,” she uttered softly and truthfully.

  He cradled her face in his hands adoringly as he kissed her slowly and deeply. He then brushed the straps of her teddy off her shoulders and let it fall down to her waist, exposing the breasts he loved and needed. He ran his tongue over them and suckled the erect buds that had been crying out to him from under the thin fabric covering them. As he stood up, no longer kneeling between her legs, Katelyn could feel his erection as he removed the last of the barriers that stood between them. Gianfranco gently laid her down on the bed and rejoined her as he buried his face in her neck and took in the sweet nectar of her scent. He spread her legs apart with his knee so that she could feel his need at the juncture of her being.

  He held her and made love to her for hours, no longer holding his emotions and needs at bay. My appetite for her will never be satisfied. He held her in the crook of his arms hours later, while she slept. She didn’t move until she heard a faint knock on the door. She lifted her head from the pillow and realized that she was alone, hugging the pillow that still held his scent. She wondered where he had gone so early.

 

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