Caroline's Seduction (Montgomery Family and Friends)

by Iris Abbott

  Kyle gripped the steering wheel tighter with every mile his high-powered sports car ate up. He would never admit it to Caroline, but she’d been right. He had wanted to impress her and make this date special. The restaurant in Jacksonville had been perfect. It was too far away though. He should have planned better and got a hotel room there in town. He had to focus on the drive. Soon they’d be home and Caroline would be in his arms and in his bed. His felt his foot drop a little more on the accelerator.

  They passed the rest of the drive in silence. Finally the gatehouse at the entrance to his neighborhood was bathed in the headlights of his car. Caroline watched as he zipped through the lane for residents and waved at the guard. Three more minutes and he was pulling the car into the garage. Caroline held her breath as the low-slung sports car barely cleared the rising garage door. Kyle was in such a hurry, she was sure the car roof and garage door only missed each other by an inch, if that.

  Kyle jumped out of the car and ran to the other side to open Caroline’s door. He unbuckled her seatbelt and then scooped her up into his arms.

  “Kyle put me down this instant. I’m too heavy for you to carry, especially all the way up the stairs.”

  Kyle just tightened his arms around her while sliding his house key into the lock. He pushed the door closed with his hip and relocked it. Then he punched in the security code to the alarm before it could be triggered, all while still cradling Caroline in his arms. “You weigh hardly anything at all. I bench-press more than this on a daily basis,” with that he made a mad dash up the stairs and straight to his bedroom.

  Caroline pressed herself into the comforting warmth of Kyle’s body. She tightened her hold around his neck when they jostled up the stairs. Finally before she knew it the soft weight of his mattress was pushing against her back. She looked up at Kyle who was leaning over her just out of reach. “Too many clothes,” she blurted out. She was dismayed to learn she was too far gone to utter complete sentences.

  She grabbed the knot in his tie and fumbled with it until it was loose enough to tug the tie off of his neck. The maroon tie with navy stripes fluttered through the air. Caroline didn’t even wait for the tie to find solid ground. Her fingers went directly to the top button of Kyle’s navy dress shirt. She unbuttoned each button as fast as her usually nimble fingers would allow.

  Kyle suppressed a grin while he shrugged out of his jacket. Normally he was fastidious with his suits. They went right on a hanger and back in the closet or to the dry cleaners. This time the jacket made its way to the floor along with the tie and the growing pile of discarded garments. The state of his clothes was the last thing on his mind. He had one thought and that was to bring his body and Caroline’s together as one. He pulled away from her. “I can do this faster myself. You need to concentrate on removing your own clothes.”

  Caroline hurriedly stood. There was no other way to get off her dress. She barely had it over her head and on the floor before Kyle grabbed her around the waist and swung her onto the bed. She landed in the middle of the king-sized bed and was quickly followed by Kyle. She gloried in the feel of his hard, muscular body as it sank into the softer curves of her own body.

  “It’s a good thing I showed you slow and easy last night, because right now it’s going to be fast and hard.”

  Caroline’s tongue lashed against Kyle’s nipple. Then she lightly nipped his shoulder with her teeth. “There’s something to be said for slow and easy, but hard and fast works too.”

  Kyle’s only response was a low growl. He grabbed a condom from his nightstand and rolled it over his throbbing erection. Once he knew they were safe he nudged apart her legs and thrust home in one lunge. He closed his eyes and froze for just a second. He wanted to relish the feel of her flesh tightly clinging to and surrounding his own.

  Caroline arched her back and screamed out in pleasure. Kyle rolled his hips grinding his pelvis against her most sensitive bundle of nerves. She wrapped her legs around his body and held him closer. She let out a sigh of bliss when Kyle began thrusting in and out of her body. She tightened her arms and legs and urged him to move faster. The sexual tension between them had been steadily building during the long ride, so it didn’t take long for them both to reach their peak and tumble over.

  Caroline felt the unbearable tightness coiling throughout her body. Finally one more thrust and rub from Kyle and she was falling. A strangled cry left her lips before it was quickly swallowed by Kyle. He took control of her cries and drowned them out with kisses. He thrust twice more sinking into her warm heat. Caroline felt him tense and stop. She watched him throw back his head and let out a cry of his own.

  ******

  Caroline aimlessly fluttered around the house all day. She couldn’t wait for Kyle and Sarah to come home. She would definitely miss having Kyle to herself, but she would be glad to see Sarah. After all she was very fond of Kyle’s daughter. What she wouldn’t miss was an empty house. She knew that before the attempted kidnapping she had been living on her own in the apartment she rented. Right now that held absolutely no appeal to her. She just couldn’t imagine how she tolerated the solitude. Living with Kyle and Sarah had driven home the fact that she absolutely hated living alone.

  Finally around four-thirty, Caroline heard the garage door open. She did a double take at the microwave clock. They were home early, maybe that was a good sign. Could it be that Kyle missed her as much as she missed him? She curtailed the sudden urge to run into his arms when he entered the kitchen. She didn’t want to do anything to make him feel awkward in front of his daughter. What little she could remember about their relationship, which wasn’t much since it was four years out of date, he tried to keep his love life separate from his family life. That of course had been the beginning of their relationship, not several years into it. It was also before she started living with them, even if the invitation came as a result of unforeseen circumstances. Sarah was a teenager and a smart one at that. She had to know there was something going on between her teacher and her father other than friendship.

  Caroline offered them both a genuine smile when she greeted them at the door. “You’re early!”

  Sarah rushed forward and gave her a big hug. “I missed you. Jay’s mom is wonderful, but it’s not the same. She isn’t you.”

  She was warmed by the genuine affection coming from Sarah. “I missed you too honey,” Caroline hugged the girl back. Her eyes met with Kyle’s over Sarah’s head. “I was just getting ready to start dinner. Why don’t you sit at the kitchen table and tell me all about your weekend while I’m working.”

  Kyle cleared his throat. “I’m wounded straight to the heart, first Sarah and now you. Where’s my enthusiastic welcome?”

  Caroline blushed when images of how she’d really like to greet Kyle popped into her mind. “I well…. I umm…”

  Sarah looked from Caroline to her dad. “I’ll just take my backpack upstairs and freshen up before I come back downstairs.” She looked at Caroline. “I can’t wait to tell you about my weekend. Horseback riding with Emily and Mr. Blake was really fun. Mrs. Blake said that you like horseback riding too and that once the kidnappers are caught and she’s had the baby, we can have a girl’s day out. You, me, Emily and Mrs. Blake! Wouldn’t that be soooo much fun?” Sarah enthused!

  “Real fun,” Kyle agreed before Caroline could say anything. Now scram so Caroline can welcome me home properly without being embarrassed.”

  Sarah ran up the stairs giggling all the way. “Oh I almost forgot,” she shouted down from the top of the stairs. “I need to call Jay about something, so it might be closer to thirty minutes before I come back down.”

  Kyle heard his daughter’s voice trial off as she closed her door. He looked at his watch. “Thirty minutes, somehow I don’t thing that’s long enough for what I had in mind.” He gave a grin that was all teeth.

  Caroline playfully smacked him in the chest, “ohhh you….” Before she knew what was happening, Kyle grabbed her arm and pulled her
into his embrace. She immediately relaxed in his hold. “I missed you today,” she whispered between the tiny kisses she was bestowing to his neck and lips.

  He tilted her chin up with a gentle finger. “I missed you too, and I can’t wait to show you how much later on tonight!”

  Caroline closed her eyes as his lips swooped down and captured hers in a kiss that was steamy enough to weaken her knees. She felt the sting as he nipped her bottom lip demanding entrance into her mouth. When she opened, he thrust his tongue in to take total possession of her mouth. Finally when Caroline thought she couldn’t stand anymore and would surely melt into a puddle on the floor, he pulled away.

  “Just a little something for you to think about, and don’t even entertain the idea of not coming to my room later on tonight.”

  Caroline watched him climb the stairs and disappear into the master bedroom. She didn’t have a comeback. His welcome had left her absolutely speechless. It had to be a positive sign that all was going to be well between them even after the crisis with the kidnappers was over. There was no faking the passion between them. Feeling much better about giving into Kyle’s seduction even though she couldn’t remember the state of their relationship before the accident, Caroline began preparations for dinner.

  After dinner Sarah volunteered to do the cleanup. “We have a surprise for you,” Sarah breathlessly admitted. She was practically jumping up and down with excitement. “And you don’t know how hard it’s been for me to keep it a secret since I got home this afternoon.”

  Caroline looked at Kyle and arched her brow. “A surprise huh?”

  “I’m sure it’s not what you’re thinking,” Kyle reassured her, “but you’re going to love it anyway. It’s waiting for us in the family room. This surprise requires a television.”

  Caroline was really curious now. She couldn’t imagine any surprise from Kyle that would require a TV. She followed him to the couch and sat down next to him. It was still chilly even for January so she grabbed an afghan from the back of the couch and snuggled it around her. She sat quietly just waiting to see what Kyle was going to do. Anticipation fizzed in her body like the tiny bubbles from a glass of champagne. She watched Kyle all the while trying to guess what her surprise would be.

  He picked up the remote and hit a few buttons. Caroline’s eyes shifted from him to the image on the large screen in front of her. She instantly recognized Abigail Montgomery Blake. “Hi Caroline,” Abigail launched into an enthusiastic greeting on the recording. “Kyle came up with this wonderful idea of a recorded tribute to you by some of the people you’ve met since moving to Florida. I have the honored task of going first….”

  Caroline watched as Abigail talked about how much their friendship meant to her and how glad she was that Caroline had come into her life. Next up was Aubrey Montgomery Hampton via a computer screen. She told a cute little antidote involving Caroline from the previous summer. She also spoke of how much Caroline’s friendship meant to her. “Let me just end by saying that even though we aren’t sisters by blood, we are sisters by love.”

  Caroline sniffed and swiped at an errant tear with the back of her hand. She felt Kyle take her other hand and squeeze it. That one silent show of support and comfort made her warm inside. And it was not just the warmth from the fire of physical attraction, but a longer lasting heat. It was a warmth built from the depths of the heart. That’s when Caroline realized for sure that she really did love Kyle and probably always would. She leaned into his body and mumbled a sigh of content when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  The recording continued to play. Annabel Montgomery Chambers and Joyce Montgomery also spoke. They reinforced that Caroline was indeed a part of the Montgomery family and was well loved by all. They were followed by Mason, Abigail’s husband. He talked about how grateful he was that his wife had such a true and loving friendship. He also talked about what a great job she did in the classroom and how much her principal, the other teachers, parents, and students admired her. Sarah, Jay, and the rest of the students from her seventh period honors biology class also said a few words about how much they missed her.

  When the recording finished playing, Caroline sat in stunned silence for a few seconds. Then she turned herself into Kyle’s arms and tenderly kissed him. “Thank you so much for even coming up with such an idea. I know arranging it must have been a headache, especially with your work schedule. This means more to me than you will ever know,” she promised. “I’ll cherish the recording forever.”

  Kyle tightened his embrace, noticing not for the first time how right she felt in his arms. “I had a lot a help from Mason. He arranged the visit with Sarah’s class and the recording of that segment. No one’s going to say no to the school superintendent now are they?”

  Caroline smiled, “yes well, I guess it would be hard for anyone to argue with the superintendent of the school system. It was all you though. You’re the one that cared enough to think up the idea and then actually do something about it. No matter what happens in the future that recording will always be one of my most prized possessions.”

  “Maybe you can keep it in the hatbox,” Kyle joked. “You know the one that must contain all your other secret treasures, because you won’t let anyone near it.”

  Caroline sobered a little at the mention of the mysterious box. She really couldn’t remember what was inside, but deep down she knew that whatever it was, it wasn’t all good.

  She changed the subject real quick. She didn’t want anyone dwelling on the contents of that box, though she knew if her memory didn’t return soon, curiosity would force her to open it. “I don’t hear any noises from the kitchen. Do you think Sarah gave up on the dishes and moved on to something else?”

  Kyle chuckled. “I know dishes aren’t her favorite chore, but she finished them in record time and sneaked up the stairs while you were engrossed in the video. I’m sure she is being tactful and trying to give us more time alone.”

  “We should take shameful advantage of her kind gesture,” Caroline teased. She nuzzled her lips against the v-neck of his sweater. Then let out a startled yelp when he rose from the couch while she was still in his embrace. “Put me down,” she frantically whispered. “No way are you carrying me up those stairs.”

  Kyle ignored her and started climbing the stairs. “You should have kept those luscious lips to yourself if you didn’t want to pay the consequences.”

  Caroline tightened the arms she was holding around Kyle’s neck. “Hmmm, maybe this is one time that I’m actually looking forward to the consequences.”

  Fourteen

  That hatbox was driving Caroline insane. She got the worst feeling every time she looked at the box. It felt like the bottom was going to drop right out of her stomach, but she had no idea what was inside. She’d been trying to work up the courage to open it for days now. She dragged it from the back of the closet and carried it over to the bed. She sat down in the middle of the bed and crossed her legs creating a shelf for the box. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the top. The feeling of impending doom almost smothered her, but she couldn’t turn back. She had to know what was inside that box! If there were any clues to the past four years then she needed to see them. She was tired of missing a large chunk of memories. After all it was memories and life experiences that made a person who they are.

  She peered inside. At first glance the items seemed harmless enough. She picked up the green and yellow material folded at the bottom of the box and shook it out. Caroline stared at the item. It was a baby blanket. Her brows scrunched together and deep furrows appeared on her forehead. She chewed her bottom lip. Why did she keep a baby blanket inside a hatbox? She sifted through the items she’d dislodged when she took out the blanket. A rectangular cardboard box caught her attention. She picked it up and read the label. It was for a pregnancy test. Caroline shook the box and a baggy containing a used test fell into her lap.

  Caroline stared at the baby blanket and pregnancy te
st? This wasn’t making any sense. Caroline was positive she’d never given birth. Surely if she had a child out there somewhere she’d know about it? The last item in the box was a folder with papers. She took out the top sheet and noted it was from a hospital in Atlanta. Her name was listed on the line for patient name. She looked for the date and found it was from over four years ago. Why would she have kept all this stuff together in a box? The nerves in her stomach were clenching and she broke out in a sweat. She struggled to fight the feeling of utter desolation that threatened to overwhelm her.

  Caroline closed her eyes and the flashbacks started almost immediately. She saw herself standing in the bathroom of the dorm with a pregnancy test stick in her hand. She saw herself standing in Kyle’s office, her heart breaking as he kicked her out of his life once and for all. She saw herself slumped over in her car as the sharp pain of her miscarriage felt like it was tearing her insides apart. In that split second Caroline’s memory completely returned.

  Now she knew what her subconscious had been trying to protect her from, the loss of a baby that was never to be and the cruel treatment of the only man she thought she’d ever loved. She remembered how excited she’d been about the pregnancy and her stubborn insistence to keep the test to show to Kyle. After the miscarriage she hadn’t been able to make herself throw it away. It served as a physical reminder of all she’d lost.

  Oh God, she had to get out of there. She couldn’t believe she’d been living with Kyle for the past several days. She’d believed his lie when he’d told her they were reconciled. What a joke. He was just taking advantage of her momentary weakness to seduce her back into his bed. Once his work here was done, he’d probably kick her to the curb again without a second thought. Well she wasn’t going to let that happen! She’d be the one to end it this time!