Lucy is all moved in. She and Jacob seem to be inseparable. They are very cute together. Jacob is so smitten with her, like a lovesick puppy dog. Lucy is head-over-heels too.
Cypress Grove is huge with six very large bedrooms, all with their own bathrooms. At least two of them are done as of now, but a lot of work still needs to be done.
Jimmy is still staying at Emma's. Apparently, Jimmy's hatred for his mother is something he and Elliott have in common. Although he used to not like Jimmy, they seem to have come to an understanding. At least from how Emma talked that's what it sounded like.
I still have not talked to Elliott. In fact, it seems as though he is avoiding me like the plague.
"I'm beat, you ready for bed?" Luke says sleepily at me after we help Miss Finnegan clean up.
"We haven't even seen the bedroom yet." I raise my eyebrows suggestively. Bud is my interior decorator that was going to help redecorate my old house. They used the same sketches and color palette I had chosen for the master suite to go off of at Cypress Grove. I know he was a busy man this past week getting the room ready for my homecoming.
I had just put a plate away when I was swept off my feet. Thrown over Luke's shoulder, I want to cry out in pain with my ribs not completely healed. I don't, instead I bite my lip and allow him to caveman me up to the bedroom. He sets me down in front of the bedroom door before he opens it and notices a tiny tear escaping my eye.
"Oh shit, I'm sorry baby." He has my face in his hands as he crouches to look in my eyes. "Why didn't you say something? You put on such a strong front I forget you're still healing." He lets out a little agonizing laugh at me as I force a smile.
"I'm fine, it's fine."
"Always the strong, tough Lilly, I will kiss it and make it all better." His eyes go dark as he opens the door then lifts me up, this time cradled in his arms. Those words drive me crazy, they always will. Those being the same words he said to me the day he left, they make my stomach twinge. It's a strange feeling, a mixture of lust and sadness. Sadness remembering that horrid day, but lust as those same words led to our first kiss two years later.
"Damn straight," I say as I shake off the sadness to live in the moment. We are engaged now, spending our first night in our new home. Luke kicks the door shut behind him, leaning in for a kiss. I suck his bottom lip in as I wrap my hands around his neck. Luke possesses my mouth as we walk toward the bed, our tongues clashing. I am so in the moment that I could care less what the room looks like.
"I love you," Luke breathes letting go of my lips to slide the tip of his tongue down my throat. He tugs at my shirt to get it up and over my head. Once it is off he is kissing every piece of exposed skin. A shiver rips through my spine as he reaches my belly button, dipping his tongue in and then trailing back up to my breast.
"Luke," I whine as he teases me with just the lightest touches of his tongue and lips. Kissing ever so gently over the swell of my breasts, I fist my hands in his soft hair arching my back to push my breasts into his kiss.
"Greedy girl." I feel him smile against my skin. "I'm taking my time, enjoying the taste of your sweet soft skin," he whispers. I grab a fistful of his shirt at his back trying to pull it over his head. He assists me, sitting up to remove his shirt. Like always, the sight of him makes me tremble. I am greedy, greedy for him. I want to touch and be touched all over by this breathtaking man.
"Tell me what you want, flower." He moves up to meet my eyes after kissing my nose.
"I want you, all of you. I never want to not have you. Touch me, love me, and never let me go," I groan out the words frantic for him.
"Baby." He inhales sharply at my words. Instead of continuing his torture of teasing kisses, he stops, leaning on his elbows just enough that he has barely any weight on me but is still touching me with the length of his body.
He takes his finger, tracing a line down my cheek. "I am never going to let you go. You are going to be Mrs. Luke Hansen very soon," he whispers, kissing the tip of my nose again.
Either it has just been that emotional of a day, or I am dead tired, because all of it comes pouring out. I'm crying and laughing at the same time as I look up at his handsome face.
"Swear to me, swear to me you will never leave." I blubber with tears that are coming more freely. "That no matter what happens, no matter what we find out about Samantha, or whatever the hell is going on with that whole mess that you will be here with me forever." I slap my hand over my eyes.
"Lilly, baby." He kisses the back of my hand that is covering my eyes. "Look at me." He is trying to move my hand, but I don't move. "Look at me, baby," he says more firmly. I separate my fingers so one eye is peeking out between them.
"I'm sorry." I sniff seeing his face still so close to mine. He is still on top of me not putting any of his weight on me. "I'm just afraid that we are going to find out that something horrible happened. That I am like the spawn of the devil or that someone whipped me up in a pot of Voodoo crap." I'm spouting nonsense and I know it. It makes Luke laugh out loud, his head back I feel his tight muscular chest hit mine with every deep breath of his laughter.
"I don't care how you got on this earth I am still going to marry you. I'm so sorry about yesterday. It was a momentary lapse in sanity, but the whole time I was away from you I knew I was coming back to you." He kisses my lips softly and rolls off to the side of me. Pulling me into his arms so that I am now lying on top of him, I sit up to straddle his lap as he sits up with me hugging me tight to him.
He starts kissing my neck and I throw my head back arching into him as he explores every inch moving to my collar bone sucking ever so lightly. I feel him hard underneath me through our jeans. I start to move my hips feeling his erection push against my center. His hand goes down my bare back under my jeans. Neither one of us wants to let go of the other, so we can remove our denim barriers.
His breathing is heavy as he has me pressed against him. The more I move my hips the heavier we breathe. He takes my lips with his, grabbing the back of my head to pull me in closer. I feel as if I am going to come, the friction of his jean clad erection against me is amazing. Just being with him, so close and so frantic, I can't hold back. He grabs my ass pulling me harder into him, helping my hips move back and forth over his rock hard cock. He's just as excited as I am. I stare into his eyes. They are dark with lust and I feel myself not able to hold back.
"Oh my God!" I scream as my orgasm comes over me.
"Oh God, me too." Luke moans moving his hips more frantically against me.
After a second of heavy breathing against each other we both start to laugh.
"You just made me come in my jeans, baby." Luke laughs against my neck.
"Well you just made me do the same thing." I laugh with him. "That was hot." I giggle.
"Shower?" Looking down between us, I see the wetness on his jeans. I just nod, biting my lower lip. With little effort on his part, he wraps one arm around my waist and uses his other to scoot off the bed. He carries me straddling him into the bathroom and into the shower. He helps me remove my jeans, before he removes his. Throwing our jeans out of the shower, I see that he is still hard.
Looking down at him he gives me a wicked smile.
"What? You're very sexy and that was really hot." He laughs as he turns me around so my back is against his chest. I lean my head back resting on him as he starts to wash me with loving care. God do I love this man.
Chapter 13
I hear a loud buzzing, but I can't find where it's coming from. It stops only to start again. I open my eyes realizing it's my cell phone. Luke is stirring next to me, also waking up from the sound. We sit up at the same time and I notice the alarm clock says 5:30 am. Luke grabs for my phone handing it to me before he lies back down, throwing his arm over his head with a moan.
I see that it's Emma and answer it.
"Finally, I've called four times now!" She sounds frantic on the other end.
"What's going on?" I rub my eyes, turning to see Luke
now has his head propped up on his arm looking at me. He mouths, "Who is it?" to me.
"Emma," I tell him putting my hand over the mouth piece. Luke rolls his eyes, turning on his side he places his arm over my lap.
"It's Daddy, he's gone."
"What do you mean, he's gone?"
"I told him last night when we got home that you were ready to talk. He wasn't happy," she says all flustered. "He was mad, saying things like, "Why can't she just let it go."
"He said he would tell me, I mean I know he is busy with Matt Henning, but I thought most of his team was working on that." I defend myself instantly.
"I know, but I think he was hoping that you would give up on it after everything. I guess—" she stops mid - sentence for a moment, "he left us a note saying he couldn't tell you what he did."
"What else did the note say?"
"Just that he did something back when you were born. That he couldn't tell you because it would affect our whole family. That he was leaving for a while to figure things out."
"What?" I can't believe what I am hearing. "He ran away?"
"Yeah, I guess. Mom says she doesn't know where he is, but I think she does. She's way too calm."
"Well that's just great." I don't even know what else to say.
"Lil, he left a note for you too."
"What?"
"It is a sealed envelope with your name on it. That's why I'm calling, because we are on our way over there now," she says and pauses waiting for my reaction.
"See you in a bit then," is all I say and hang up. What else is there to say?
"What the hell is going on with that drama queen now?" Luke asks pulling me back down to lay beside him. I tell him everything Emma just told me.
"You know, I've gotten about four hours of sleep in the past week. This couldn't have waited a few more hours?" He grumbles.
"Aren't you curious what it says?"
"It probably says he's not going to tell you anything by the sounds of what Emma said." His words come out mumbled as he yawns while saying it.
"Well I guess we will find out soon enough." I kiss him on the cheek before I get out of bed.
I turn on the bedside lamp, which makes Luke grumble some more about stupid Emma, or something like that.
Noticing the room for the first time, I am in awe, it's beautiful. The huge four poster bed I was just sleeping on is amazing. I walk around the bed to the little sitting area off of the bay windows. The colors are perfect in sage green and pale yellows. I open the door to the closet and gasp. It is larger than my old room and is full of clothes. On one side are all new clothes for me, everything from jeans and yoga pants to fancy skirts and dresses. There is also a row of all different kinds of shoes. Luke has a corner himself with all of his newly purchased clothes. It is safe to say that Emma and Miss Finnegan had one heck of a good time with my credit card.
I grab a pair of yoga pants and a long t-shirt then walk back into the room to see that Luke is now sprawled out on his stomach with his arms tucked under his pillow. I can't help but admire the view for a few minutes before I walk into the bathroom.
I shut the door quietly not wanting to wake him up. In the beautiful stone shower I let the hot water wash over me. My eyes closed, I feel Luke step in behind me.
"I thought you were tired?" I say with my back still to him. He moves my wet hair aside kissing my shoulder.
"You in the shower wins over sleep any day." His lips move up the back of my neck as his hands come around my waist, palms flat against my belly.
"Oh yeah?" I turn in his arms and kiss his jaw. His stubble tickles my lips as my arms go around his neck. "I like you in the shower too." My words are swallowed by his kiss.
Chapter 14
It's still early and the sun is just starting to rise. I look out the kitchen windows that face east at the pink sky as I sip my coffee. Miss Finnegan left a note saying she went to her mother’s. No doubt she was up at 5 a.m. I look out at the grounds as the sun starts to light them up. From the kitchen you can just make out the shapes of the crypts in the James Family cemetery.
I wonder if I'll ever know if I am related to any of them. It's kind of spooky living so close to a small graveyard, but it's also kind of sweet that the family would bury their loved ones so close.
I hear Emma walk in, taking me away from my thoughts. I swing around in the bar-height stool that is along the kitchen island. She looks tired and upset. Jimmy is following behind her looking very grumpy.
"You know you didn't have to come over so early. I've waited this long, if there is some information in there it could have waited a little longer." I tell them as she goes to pour her some coffee. Jimmy sits next to me putting his head on the counter.
"That's what I told her, the woman is so anal." He grumbles.
"Yeah, well, my father just skipped town again. I don't know about you, but I want to see what he wrote to you," Emma says, pushing a cup of coffee over the counter in front of Jimmy.
"Where's Luke?" Jimmy asks, bringing his head up enough to take a sip.
"I think he went back to sleep."
"No, I didn't. Couldn't help the wheels turning," Luke says stepping into the kitchen in holey jeans and a tight t-shirt. He had lain back down after he ravished me in the shower. He steps behind me kissing the back of my head before sitting next to Jimmy, where they both grumble some stuff to each other I can't understand.
"So you said your mother doesn't know anything?" I ask Emma who is rolling her eyes at the boys.
"That's what she said, but I don't believe her. She would be out of her mind crazy right now if she truly didn't know where he was." She answers me while pulling an envelope out of her purse and pushing it toward me.
I take it and open it, not making eye contact with anyone.
Lilly,
I could never have imagined something as simple as a run in with Miss Jeanette would lead to all the clues you have uncovered. I'm sorry, but I can't be the one to tell you what happened so long ago. So many things changed the night you were born. It is best that they stayed buried. I had no idea about the safe Ted kept. If I had I would have taken care of it a long time ago.
I do think you deserve to know who your biological parents are, so I will afford you at least that. Your mother, as you have already guessed, is Samantha James. Your biological father is Ted Sumnor. I'm telling you this in the hopes that it will put your mind to ease. Like I said, there are some things that need to remain in the past.
I'm resigning as your attorney, but am leaving you in the very capable hands of my team. They know what to do. I swear to you that your name will stay out of the press. The DA is keeping my team informed of Matt's case. His lawyers are going for an insanity plea. The DA will be fighting this, wanting him in a maximum security prison. No one will know that you are the one that got Matt to give up the Senator. Because of that, your kidnapping will not be a part of his long list of charges. This is the way it has to be to keep you safe.
All of your files are backed up on a drive at the office. Every property you own and copies of the deeds. Your accounts are all still being taken care of.
Please forgive me, but it is time for this old man to retire. Ted was like a brother to me, which is another reason I wanted you to know he was your father. You have a good life now with many people around you that love and care for you. So if you could, please let the past stay in the past.
Truly
Elliot Williams
I read the letter twice before I look up at all the awaiting eyes. I don't even know what to say. Two of the most important questions were just answered for me, but I want to know more.
"Give it to me," Emma says annoyed at my silence, ripping the letter out of my hands to read it. Her mouth is open the whole time she reads it, before she reads it aloud to the boys.
Luke comes up behind me again massaging my shoulders with his strong hands. I think it's his way of comforting me because I still can't seem to find any words to say.
"This is a bunch of bull shit!" Emma says slamming the letter down. "It's as if he is just begging for us to keep digging." She points at the letter. "At least we now know why Jane hated you so much, having to raise her husband's love child." Emma scoffs, before looking up at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that in any bad way toward you."
"I know. It makes sense." I wave off her apology. "The thing is, I'm not that shocked. I somehow knew, I think. What I mean is, although I'm sad that both my parents are dead, I feel like I kind of already knew that. The one thing I want to know is who the hell is Miss Jeanette?"
Emma looks down at the letter and back up at me. She opens her mouth to say something, but shuts it before any words come out.
"When I was a boy we had a maid named Miss Jeanette," Jimmy pipes up, "I haven't thought of her in years. I doubt it is the same person."
"Well he says your run in with Miss Jeanette." Luke says still standing behind me. "When did you first hear the name Samantha?"
"At Bon Dieu's, the lady that grabbed you," Emma says and gets an excited look in her eyes. "I told Daddy about it, he told me to describe her. I did, and now that I think about it..." she stops mid-sentence.
"What?"
"He seemed annoyed, or mad. I'm not sure, but there was something about his expression. I'm trying to remember what he said. I was still trying to remember the words she said so I could look them up, so I can't remember what he said." She looks down at the paper again. I can see she is trying to play it all back in her mind.
"The Miss Jeanette that worked for us was very superstitious. I remember her also being into all the Voodoo stuff and Mom asking her questions about it," Jimmy says.
"How old were you?" I ask Jimmy.
"God, I don't know, young, five or six maybe. I walked in the kitchen one day to get something to drink. They were discussing something serious. I could tell it was big because Mom was standing close to her. She rarely got close to the help, you know, like standing so close they were almost touching. I remember that Mom got mad and sent me away. She quit or got fired not long after that." I can see he is trying to remember anything that could help us.
Unbreakable 2, The Mystery of Lilly (Cypress Grove Series) Page 6
