A Cross to Bear

by Julieanne Lynch

  “Honestly, I’m fine. I don’t need you babysitting me,” Bree replied, looking up from the pages of the book she was reading.

  “I don’t know.” Jenny sat down on the sun lounger next to Bree. “I don’t like this.”

  “Oh my God, Jenny, just go!”

  “I hate the idea of you moping about here and being miserable.”

  Bree giggled. “Jenny, honey, when have I ever moped over a guy?”

  “Hmm, I don’t know, but I’m not stupid. I’m very aware of how irrational you can be.”

  She set down her book and sat up, taking her friend’s hand in hers. “What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll read all day, take extra-long baths, and feast on crap. That, I can assure you, will be enough to keep me happy. You and Tommy can go and have a blast in New York.”

  “Just as long as you’re sure,” Jenny replied, relaxing a little. “Daddy will be back tomorrow, so you won’t be all alone.”

  “I’m beginning to suspect you’re trying to baby me, Jenny Puller.” Bree stood and took a step toward the pool.

  “Isn’t that what best friends are for?” she asked with a smile.

  “Hmm, possibly.” She jumped into the water. “Bring me something nice back from the Big Apple.”

  She sank under the water, ignoring the fact that she was more alone than ever before.

  Jenny left shortly after their weird goodbye.

  Bree was glad to have a little peace and quiet. Rose had prepared an evening meal, which was nice of her. She now had the huge house to herself, something she’d never experienced before.

  The Puller estate sat on twelve acres with amazing views of the Chagrin River. Some of Bree’s fondest childhood memories were of her and Jenny running wild through the adjacent woodland and swimming butt-naked in the river.

  Smirking as she reminisced, Bree didn’t hear the footsteps in the hallway. She almost dropped her plate of food when she saw a shadow move along the wall.

  “Oh my God, you scared the crap out of me!” she said, gasping in shock.

  “I’m sorry, Bree. I should have called,” Jack said, setting his case on the floor and stepping into the light of the kitchen.

  “Jenny said you were in L.A. until tomorrow.”

  “That was the plan. The deal went south and I didn’t fancy another night listening to Frank complaining,” Jack replied, helping himself to a slice of the meat on her plate.

  “Oh, I can share this with you, if you like. Rose made way too much.”

  “It’s okay. I ate at the airport. But thank you, Bree.”

  Jack opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of wine.

  Bree had accepted that she would be alone for the night. Annoyance filled her. Her plans for a long bath and listening to her music full blast had been ruined by Jack coming back a day early.

  “Oh, okay,” Bree muttered.

  “Would you like some?” Jack asked, holding a glass up.

  “Erm, no thanks.”

  “Bree, I know you like wine. Both you and Jenny are terrible at hiding your little secrets from Molly and me,” Jack said, smirking and filling two glasses.

  Bree’s cheeks turned a nice shade of pink.

  There was no denying it. Jack had long known about their drunken escapades in the pool house. Both she and Jenny were happy to live in denial. From Jack and Molly’s perspective, they weren’t doing any harm.

  “Okay, but only one glass,” Bree replied, and sat down at the breakfast table.

  “Weren’t you worried about being in this place on your own?” Jack asked, handing Bree the glass of claret.

  Bree shook her head and giggled. “No! Why would I be? I’m used to my own company.”

  “Hmm.” Jack looked at her and sipped his wine. “Where’re your parents this weekend?”

  “Daddy is in Europe, closing on some big merger, and Mom is in L.A. She’s dealing with some industrial dispute,” Bree answered, staring absentmindedly into her glass. “Being here sounded like a better deal. Besides, my brother doesn’t want his little sister being a third wheel.”

  “A bit of a raw deal,” Jack said, not once taking his eyes off Bree.

  “I’m used to it. They just live to work.” Bree shrugged and took a sip of the wine.

  “What do you think of Tommy and Jenny?”

  “Oh, they’re cute. I mean, I kinda instigated the whole thing, but he seems really good to her.”

  “It was a shame to hear about you and Ethan not working out.”

  Bree looked at Jack, her heart racing. She didn’t need the reminder that she was now boyfriendless and feeling like she was a spare part.

  “Oh, that was nothing. Just a stupid decision on my behalf. Sometimes, I should listen to my mother more,” she lied.

  “He’s a fool for letting you go,” Jack announced. He got up from the table, taking his glass of wine with him. “I think I’ll take a dip in the pool, then get some sleep. Goodnight, Bree.”

  “Night.” Bree smiled, and watched him leave the dining area.

  Bree had lost her appetite. The wine, however, tasted good. She helped herself to one more glass, taking it up to her room with her.

  As she was about to close her curtains, she caught a glimpse of Jack standing by the pool. Until that moment, Jack had been another father figure in her life. Right then and there, she saw Jack as something else.

  Jack stood naked by the poolside.

  Bree observed Jack’s well-toned body, open-mouthed. The twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire frame put Ethan’s to shame. She held her fingers to her lips and watched Jack dive into the water. It was as if she was doing something sordid, but she couldn’t help herself.

  Jack swam a few lengths, before stopping at the side, resting his arms over the pool’s ledge. He stared up at the starlit sky and noticed Bree standing in her bedroom window.

  Bree gasped and retreated from the window. Red-faced and embarrassed, she turned off the light and climbed into bed. Images of Jack wouldn’t leave her mind.

  “Oh my God, he saw me!” she whispered in agonizing shame.

  An odd mood overcame her. She imagined what it would be like to kiss him, to have his hard body against hers. It was enough to send her over the edge.

  Bree closed her eyes and slipped one of her hands under the elastic waistband of her satin panties, touching the wet flesh between her legs. She slid her fingers back and forth over her swollen clit, tweaking her nipples and moaning as the tingles swarmed over her body.

  The more she imagined Jack between her legs, the faster she stroked herself, until finally, she let out a moan, climaxing hard as the tingles of pleasure soared through her body. Bree rode the orgasm until the final throbs subsided. She lay there, hot and breathing hard, craving the touch of a man who was old enough to be her parent.

  Bree hid her face under her blanket, afraid of facing the truth. She wanted to fuck her best friend’s father.

  The following morning, Bree tried to avoid Jack as much as possible. She put her desire and impromptu finger-fuck down to the wine and nothing more. Bree pulled up her big girl panties and made an appearance shortly after noon.

  Jack sat in the lounge, listening to some soulful jazz, and Bree hoped he hadn’t noticed her entrance in the hallway. She tiptoed down the hall, convinced she’d gone unseen, until the music stopped and Jack appeared from behind her.

  “I was getting worried.”

  Bree’s face burned. She didn’t look at him.

  “I fancied sleeping in late today,” she said, and continued moving toward the kitchen.

  “I hope you’ve rested well,” Jack said, following close behind.

  “Yup, all’s good.”

  Bree helped herself to a cup of coffee, refusing to turn around and face Jack. It took all of her willpower to avoid making eye contact with him. She felt depraved by what she’d done and was convinced Jack knew.

  “Is everything okay, Bree?”

  “Yes, of course, it
is,” she mumbled.

  “Then look at me.”

  “What a ridiculous thing to say!” Bree stepped away from the counter and headed toward the sunroom.

  “Then why are you refusing to look at me?”

  Bree scoffed at Jack, making light of his assumptions. “Oh my God, what is wrong with you? What’s wrong with you?” She turned around, staring hard at him, trying to prove a point.

  The silence between them was full of something Bree had never experienced before. It was both electrifying and terrifying.

  “I know you saw me last night,” Jack said, inching closer to her.

  Bree’s cheeks burned once more. She couldn’t help the sly smirk that crept across her face unexpectedly. “It was hard not to see.”

  “I apologize,” Jack said. “It is a guilty pleasure of mine. I should have been more considerate.”

  “I can’t deny that it caught me off guard,” Bree replied, her heart pounding hard, ready to burst through her skin.

  “Can we not mention this to Molly? She’s told me off many times, telling me to be more vigilant.”

  “Honestly, it’s okay,” Bree said. “It’s your home. You can do as you please.”

  “That’s right, it is,” Jack agreed, moving closer to Bree. “I can do as I please.”

  Bree stepped backward, coming to a stop when she hit the double patio doors. “What…are you doing?” Bree’s breathing grew ragged, her chest heaving.

  Jack looked her up and down.

  Bree caught sight of something she couldn’t name flash in his eyes.

  “Absolutely nothing,” he said, moving in front of her, staring deep into her eyes.

  “I think you should step away from me,” she whispered.

  “Is that what you want?” Jack asked, his body now pressed against hers.

  For a split second, Bree wanted to push him away from her. The wetness in her panties kept her from doing so. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the desire, but the scent of Jack’s cologne was enough to drive her wild. Every morsel in her body told her it was wrong, but the thought of sampling the forbidden drove her wild.

  “No,” she whispered.

  Hearing the word slip from her mouth opened up Pandora’s box. In a moment controlled by complete madness, Jack’s mouth was on hers, crossing boundaries that should never have been broken.

  The kiss was unlike anything she’d imagined. The way he moved his hand up her legs, under her skirt, tracing the lines of her panties, drove her longing to the point that she almost begged to be fucked. Instead, she controlled the craving, knowing that Jack was well on his way to fulfilling her desires.

  “You’re driving me insane, Bree,” Jack whispered in her ear. “Did you enjoy watching me last night?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want to be inside you.”

  Bree broke from his embrace, pushing him away and stripping in front him. She removed her panties and threw them at him.

  Jack smiled as he gazed at Bree. His erection was evident beneath his chinos.

  “Then fuck me!” Bree teased.

  Jack undid the buckle of his belt and removed his trousers and shirt. He soon stood in his boxers in front of Bree.

  Bree’s eyes fell on the bulge hidden beneath the material of his underwear and strutted toward him. She ran her hands along the hard planes of his chest. Her fingers danced over the surface of his skin, her tongue following their trail.

  Jack’s quick intake of breath turned her on even more. She smiled and continued her way down, kneeling before him. Trailing her fingers over the skin above his boxers, she paused for a moment and looked up at him before taking a deep breath and pulling them down.

  The sight of Jack’s cock made her flush, a sudden reminder of the experience he had compared to hers. She threw caution to the wind and reached for him, gripping his erection. With her other hand, she cupped his balls, fondling them gently. Bree leaned forward and flicked her tongue slowly over the tip, smiling at the pre-cum that had gathered, the taste turning her on.

  “Do you see how hard you’ve made me, Bree?” Jack asked, his eyes watching her every move. “Now make me come.”

  In that moment, Bree belonged to Jack Puller.

  * * * *

  Bree pushed the memory to the back of her mind and sighed. “I’m sorry, Jack. I’m washing my hair tonight.”

  She ended the call and switched her phone off, setting it down on her bedside table. Bree grabbed her bag and keys and decided to make a run for her destiny. One that didn’t involve dancing on the edge of a double-sided blade.

  Chapter Seven

  The sensation of the water flowing over my skin as I turned invigorated me. My legs were heavy, as if they couldn’t take another lap, but the determination in my heart pushed me on. The water glided over me, as though it were wrapping me in its cosset, alive with each stroke I took.

  That was why I did it. The absolute thrill of another element aligning with my own, and the fact that the more I was pushed, the harder I worked.

  Hearing my heart pound in my head—thump, thump, thump—awakened my senses in a way I could never explain to another living person. Only those in the water, doing the same thing I was, understood the sheer tenacity that drove us and our bodies to complete exhaustion.

  The muffled noise of the whistle rippled through the water. It resounded in my head, pulling me from the moment and into the present.

  I gasped, came up for air, and smiled, knowing I had outdone my best yet again. I held on to the side of the pool, regaining a sense of composure. My body ached, but my soul was satisfied. It was always easy to come down from the rush of adrenaline after each training session. My body made sure of that. I lifted myself out of the pool, shaking my head to clear the water from my nose.

  “Bro, you’re a machine,” Drake said, grabbing his equipment.

  “I try,” I replied, not wanting to sound too smug. Either way, I could tell my times had impressed them all.

  “He’s right,” Tommy piped in. “You have skills. Anymore thought on that little thing we spoke about yesterday?” He changed the subject.

  His words caught me completely off guard. I shook my head and said, “I need a little more time, if that’s okay?”

  Tommy smiled. “Sure, Logan, just don’t take too long.”

  “No problem, man.”

  Drake walked beside me in silence, his posture rigid and his jaw vexed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head, unable to make eye contact with me.

  “Come on, I know something’s up.”

  He remained quiet until after we’d showered and got ready. Once we left the locker room, I made a beeline for him. This time, I wasn’t giving up.

  “Drake,” I said. “Man, you’ve got to tell me what’s wrong because I know something’s bugging you.”

  He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. “It’s nothing, I’m just tired. It’s been tough today.”

  “Cut the BS!” I looked at him sharply, knowing he was trying to change the subject. I refused to allow him to wallow in whatever it was that annoyed him.

  “I just don’t get it,” he said at last.

  “Get what?”

  “The whole Tommy thing.” He looked behind him, making sure no one heard him. “I don’t trust the guy.”

  “Is this because of the offer?”

  “Partly,” he whispered. “But there’s something about him that… I don’t know. Like he has some hidden agenda.”

  Drake did make a fair point. I had thought the same thing when Tommy had offered me a place in their house. If I agreed, there were going to be ground rules set. I wasn’t the kind of guy who could easily follow someone else’s policies.

  “Then, how about I put them to the test, and see what they’re really after?” I suggested, earning myself a smile from Drake. “I was going to make a suggestion to Tommy, anyway. I suppose there’s no better time like the present.”


  Drake looked at me with confusion. “Where are you going with this?”

  “Just watch,” I said, and stopped. “Hey, Tommy?” My voice reverberated throughout the corridor. “Can we talk?”

  Tommy smiled, his eyes lighting up when he heard me. “Sure.”

  A nervous look spread across Drake’s face. In the short time I’d known the guy, he’d begun to change. Gone was the cocksure pussy lover. In its place was an apprehensive wreck.

  “Trust me,” I said, trying to reassure him.

  Tommy came to a stop beside us. “What can I do for you, Logan?”

  Ethan was several feet away, too close for comfort.

  I refused to acknowledge his presence, focusing on Tommy and the wry smile on his face. “I’ve made a decision,” I declared. “I’ll take the offer and the chance of becoming a part of something that could become a great life experience.”

  Tommy’s smile soon broadened. He looked quite pleased with himself.

  “That’s great news, Logan. I’m thrilled to hear that.”

  “But…”

  “But what?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I think Drake would be a great asset to GAP. If I come on board, I want him to be included.”

  Drake’s face paled. He stared at me, wide-eyed, unsure of what to do or say.

  Tommy looked back at Ethan.

  He folded his arms across his chest, ready to object.

  “That’s not the way things work, man,” he said, the smile disappearing from his face.

  “Really?”

  “Listen, I get it. He’s your buddy. You don’t want him to be left out,” Tommy said. “But we can’t allow two guys to walk in with no initiation. Nothing.”

  “Logan,” Drake said. “Just leave it, man.”

  “There is a system.” Ethan put his two cents in. “You don’t make suggestions on potential pledges just because an open invitation was given to you.”

  “Then I guess I won’t be accepting your offer,” I replied.