Julia left not only Damien and their family swinging in the wind, she involved the entire Tudor family. For Damien, though, it was far worse. Not only had she drained any and all bank accounts she could, she had not made a payment on their island home in months, and Damien was now close to facing foreclosure.
Knowing Zara would be fine with my helping Damien out, I loaned him the money to pay off the property. Turns out, there had only been the three she had missed and three more. Damien was good for it. He’d pay us back out of future earnings. At least he had his home and no worry of losing it. I accompanied him to the bank to take care of the mortgage and open a new checking account. The only thing Julia couldn’t get to was a retirement account in his name. Instead of him getting into that and having all sorts of fees and penalties, I fronted him enough money until his began to flow.
Mother arranged for both of Damien’s daughters to visit her and Peter outside London until things were straightened out. What teenager wouldn’t want a free trip to London, even if it is to stay with your grandmother? Spring break was upon them. One less thing to stress Damien out.
The three of us had been writing stuff together on the road, and while I am away to gather my family up and bring them home, Angus and Damien will start practicing and recording. It’s time for Zara to come home. Not only did I need her and Elizabeth close, I, meaning Damien, Angus and I, needed her expertise in what to do next.
****
Until the small jet touched down in Santiago, Chile I didn’t have a clue as to where I was headed. Exhausted from everything I’d been through, I managed to sleep most of the way. Once I saw the sign welcoming tourists to Santiago I knew where Zara was. Patagonia…
Greg, one of the owner/operators from the resort Zara and Elizabeth had been staying at met me at the airport. Peter’s people had let them know to expect a new guest and under no circumstances to let Zara in on the fact I was in route. I wanted to surprise her.
I marveled at the scenery, how pristine and wild it was, and then it dawned on me I was at the opposite end of the earth. I had been to Brazil, but never here. Zara had always wanted to show me this magical place. Now she’d have a week to do just that.
Taking my cue from Greg’s wife, Mary, I stealthily walked down the path towards Zara’s cottage. As I faced the door, I quietly put my one bag down beside the door. Nervously, I ran my hands through my hair and hoped I looked decent. It had been a long trip, and I hadn’t had a chance to shower or shave. But then Zara always did like me a tad unkempt. I wiped the palms of my hands on my jeans, then knocked on the cottage door.
Chapter Six
Zara
“Oh my God!” I heard myself exclaim in disbelief. “It’s you, it’s really you!”
It was—it was Amadeus. He was here. He folded me into his arms and we just stood there, saying nothing, basking in the warmth of each other. He then loosened his grip and bent down to kiss me. I thought I would come undone at his closeness, his masculinity.
Elizabeth was standing in her playpen, holding on to the sides, screeching her protests at being ignored. I have no idea if she recognized Amadeus. I don’t know at her age how long a memory stays. He was a tad scruffier than usual, but the moment he opened his mouth, she forgot what she was doing, let go of the playpen and fell squarely on her butt. Fearing the wailing might begin, Amadeus rushed to her side and scooped her up out of the playpen, and all the while she giggled and babbled. No, she hadn’t forgotten her daddy.
“Is she walking yet?” he asked as his daughter playfully slapped him on the cheek.
“No, not yet. Not on her own anyway. As long as she holds on to something, she’s pretty much okay. I think she’s been waiting on you.”
“I can’t believe how much I missed her this time, Zara. And I can’t get over how much she’s changed in such a short amount of time.”
“Yeah, she’s growing up fast. She’s been really good through all of this. The long plane ride, coming to this new place…”
He and Elizabeth couldn’t get enough play time in, and he had to be the one to put her down for a nap in the middle of the morning, far later than her normal time. She went kicking and screaming, but once Amadeus had her in bed, he stood by the crib and sang to her for a minute. She finally gave in.
I met him out in the kitchen.
“I’d like to spend some quiet alone time with my husband.”
“Then that’s what you shall have, love.” He took my hand and led me into the bedroom.
“Zara.” He raised his head. The smile, when it came, was sinful. “I keep having visions of you in absolutely nothing.”
My heart beat faster, a tingle of heat racing through me. “I’ve been having the same visions, A. Of you that is, butt naked.”
His smile broadened, and the Amadeus Tudor I had fallen in love with shone through. “What am I going to do with you, you little minx?”
“I guess we’ll have to find out, won’t we?”
Amadeus stopped, and then his wicked grin reappeared. “Do your worst.”
“Only if you do the same to me,” I replied.
I stood in front of him and slowly pulled the t-shirt over my head. Before I could finish, Amadeus was beside me, helping get it over my head. He took it in his hand and let the fabric fall to the ground. Before I could assist him in removing his t-shirt he had it over his head and tossed it across the room. I unhooked the front clasp of my bra, and as seductively as possible, I pulled the straps off my shoulders and let it slither to the ground. Amadeus pulled me next to him in a tight embrace, saying nothing. I heard him groan as my stomach came in contact with his bulging erection.
He stopped me as I reached to unfasten his jeans. “Let me, it’ll go smoother if I do it,” he said as he loosened his hold on me just enough to loosen his jeans from around his throbbing cock.
As he stepped out of his jeans, I noted he was commando underneath. I reached for the button on my shorts, but he moved my hands away and unzipped them, pulling them slowly over my hips. I stepped out of them, along with my panties, and let him lead me to the bed.
Amadeus laid himself on the mattress and pulled me on top of him. Holding me in his strong arms, he brushed warm kisses on my throat, moving his skilled mouth between my breasts. I pressed a kiss on top of his head as he worked his magic.
He held me securely across his thighs, the hardness of his erection pressing against my womanhood. Amadeus slid his fingers between my legs as he kissed me and smiled broadly when his thumb sank into wetness.
“Have you missed me, baby?”
“Yes,” I groaned. “More than you know.”
“I might just die on the spot if I don’t have you,” he said.
“We can’t have that, can we?” I moved in his arms, repositioning myself to better straddle him. I spread my legs wide. “It’s been too long, Amadeus.”
“Too long.”
I laid my hands against his cheeks and gave him a long, passionate kiss. “Make love to me, Amadeus.”
His eyes darkened. He kissed me as he pressed fingers to my opening again and then I felt the hard bluntness of his tip. Amadeus kissed me as he slowly eased me onto him, holding my hips as he entered me. The feeling of him inside me felt wonderfully familiar.
“Baby, you’re so tight and wet,” he whispered. “I’ve miss this.”
He raked his fingers through my hair, then stroked my back with gentle hands. I began to rock on him, the feeling of him inside me blotting out all other thoughts.
“I love you,” I heard myself say.
“I love you too, Zara. I belong here,” he murmured.
Amadeus was right; he belonged inside me. We fit together so well, each of us having learned the other by heart. Memories of nights together—Amadeus’s hands all over me, his hot mouth arousing me again and again. Loving Amadeus could be turbulent and exciting, and then it could be slow and hot as it was right now.
He pushed into me a little harder as I gasped with pleas
ure. “What about this?” Another thrust, harder, as he grasped my hips and expertly drove up inside me.
“Yes, god yes.”
He broke off, driving deep inside me. “Damn it, not yet.”
He started shuddering, and sweat glistened on his skin. Amadeus thrust his fingers to where we were joined, playing, rubbing, teasing me toward climax. His touch sent me into a frenzy. The friction rippled joy through my body.
His breathing was hoarse, his arms supporting me with a firm strength. He thrust into me, and I arched back, pulling him in deeper.
My climax swept me into a river of darkness, and when I opened my eyes, Amadeus was watching me, his face soft.
“You are so beautiful,” he rasped.
I kissed his hot mouth as he pulled me down to him and gathered me on top of him. We were still joined, Amadeus as hard as he’d been when we started.
“We’re good together, Zara. I’ve missed this with you.”
“As have I,” I replied, as I gently wriggled my hips, feeling his rock hard cock inside me.
He pushed one slow thrust up inside me, and I melted into pleasure. He had always done that, made me melt. He made love to me once again. By the time we climaxed this time, he was on top of me.
Amadeus gathered me against him as we quieted. We lay without talking for a long time before he reached down and covered us both with the sheet. Soon I heard his low, steady breathing. He was asleep. I found myself spellbound by the sound and closeness of him. I snuggled against Amadeus’s chest once again as he pulled me closer.
I had no idea if I had actually fallen asleep or not, but Elizabeth didn’t care. She was hungry, and she was demanding someone come get her. Amadeus pulled me against him, but I giggled and rolled to the edge of the bed.
“Sleep if you can, babe. You know who is demanding her lunch and probably a dry diaper.” I pulled on my jeans and top before leaning down to kiss him. I could tell by the way he was attempting not to smile that he was awake. I swatted him on the butt as I sauntered out of the bedroom and towards the wailing from the next room.
A short while later, Amadeus reappeared, freshly showered, though not shaved; that man was a god to me no matter how he looked. “I’m starving, Zara. Is there anything to eat, or do we have to go somewhere?”
“No, Mary brought lunch down for us while you were in the shower. She figured you’d be hungry and that we’d rather eat here.”
“Great! Where is it?” he asked, bussing Elizabeth on the cheek as he passed her playpen. She started making noises, letting us know not to forget her in her little prison.
“It’s right there on the dining table. I think I’ll join you. Don’t worry about her, she’ll be fine.”
We sat at the table and enjoyed a fresh salad made of local greens, olives, fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers. With a plate of cheese, some fresh bread, and a bottle of wine, it was all we required.
“This is great,” Amadeus stated as he filled his mouth with a huge piece of cheese. “Did I see a couple of apples somewhere?”
“Yes,” I replied, picking up a red apple out of a bowl on the table and throwing it in his direction. “When was the last time you ate, babe?”
“Hmmm, including what was on the plane? Seattle.”
“I can ring Mary and get her to bring you something else if you’d like.”
He shook his head as he sliced the apple with a knife and popped the piece into his mouth. “No, I’m fine. I want this afternoon to be just the three of us.”
“Okay. We could go for a walk if you’d like. As long as she has sun screen and a hat on we’ll be fine.”
“Perhaps in a while. You know we only have five days here, Zara, before we have to head back. Not the ten like we wanted. We should sit down this evening and plan out our remaining days.”
“Back to the mess. You will tell me what’s going on and what I’m facing, won’t you?”
“Yeah, but later. For now, all I want to do is chill with my two most favorite ladies.”
We spent the afternoon lazily and close to the cottage. Amadeus was exhausted, and I laughed when I found him and Elizabeth fast asleep in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the living room floor. I grabbed my ever present camera off the table and snapped a few pictures.
While they were snoozing, I fired up my laptop and got onto the internet. I shot an email off to Peter, letting him know Amadeus had arrived safely and also asking just how bad things were. Then I sat back and began pulling up web pages of media sites known for having an affection towards Amadeus. It seemed the story of Angus becoming ill on the tour stuck. There was mention of Angus staying out on the island where Damien lived to recoup. Then on one site I did find a paragraph in a write-up about the boys’ tour. It questioned where Julia was, how rumor had it she’d disappeared, leaving the band high and dry. It went on to the dramatics.
Satisfied that things were, at least for the time being, status quo, I fired off another email. This time to my contact at Peter’s media conglomerate who I knew would be handling the rescheduling of the tour dates. I let them know I was back on board, though still technically hard to reach, and to get me up to speed on the reschedules and anything else pertinent. I hit send and sat back.
Later that evening, after a long, leisurely walk on the beach after dinner, and the baby was down for the night, Amadeus and I sat down and talked. He began to explain to me everything from the moment Red found Julia and Don gone. I sat across from him, listening intently, silently making mental notes. Julia and Don had planned this for a long time, any idiot could see that. Money and an attempt to ruin not only Damien, but Angus and Amadeus as well, were the obvious motives.
A nagging thought kept pushing its way back…and it was a terrifying one. Had Julia and Don been responsible for Amadeus’s illness a while back? Don had long been suspected. It was at his house where Amadeus first became sick. Were they in on the whole thing? Had they meant to do fatal harm to Amadeus, thus bringing down Tudor Rose? They succeeded in that part at least, the part about Tudor Rose. If they had…and I couldn’t bear the thought of the outcome if they had, but if they had succeeded in doing away with Amadeus, what then? Would Julia have forced Damien back into the spotlight harder and quicker than what she had?
“Zara? Where are you, babe? Have you heard a word I’ve been saying?”
“Yes, I have. I was just processing a few things. Just trying to figure Julia’s motive out.”
“Well, let’s put it aside for now. Everything seems to be under control. If something breaks, Peter’s people or Angus will get in touch with us. Let’s enjoy our mini-vacation before we have to get back in the trenches.”
“Agreed.”
That’s exactly what we did for the next precious days we had alone together, just the three of us. I took Amadeus and Elizabeth on day outings, using one of Greg’s four-wheelers. Elizabeth loved the bouncing around, giggling the entire time.
It was a teary farewell the morning we left Patagonia. We promised Greg and Mary we would be back for a longer stay as soon as we could manage the time. Amadeus was hooked on this paradise at the other end of the world.
The small jet touched down in Santiago and as planned we checked into the Crowne Plaza early in the afternoon. After settling in, the three of us went sightseeing. Santiago is nestled in the center of Chile with the Andes rising in the background. Amadeus was enthralled with the beauty of the country, and our short stay gave him just enough of a taste to make him understand why I had come here in the first place.
The following morning, we were headed back to Seattle, and whatever awaited.
Chapter Seven
Zara
I was taking an armful of clothes to the laundry room off the kitchen. Amadeus always came home off the road with a ton of dirty clothes. This time, however, it made me wonder if laundry services had even been offered during the tour. On top of Amadeus’s I had all of mine and Elizabeth’s to do as well. I had just turned on the washer when A
madeus appeared at the doorway.
“Zara, I need some paper and a pen. Better yet, you take this call and get all the information from Red.”
He handed me his cell phone. I looked at him curiously as his face was as white as a blank piece of paper. I rushed into the bedroom and found a notebook, as Red gave me information that sickened me as well.
Red, as well as the other guys on the crew, had some of their money sent home once or twice a month to their wives so they could pay bills and maintain life at home. That had gone on like clockwork. No problems there. However, when Red’s wife had gone to the bank to cash the last check Julia had given Red, she was horrified to find out the account had been closed.
I took down all the information from Red regarding who his wife talked to at the bank. She had been smart enough to ask to speak with a manager after the check had been declined.
“Red, if you have access to a scanner, I also need you to email me a copy of the front and back of that check, along with the stub. Then put that check away somewhere safe.”
“Sure thing, Zara. But what are we supposed to do now? Sue and I were counting on that money.”
“I know,” I replied. I really did and what I saw in my mind’s eye terrified me. “It’s Saturday, and there’s not a lot we can do before Monday I’m afraid. But you can be sure that between now and Monday we’ll know more, and hopefully we can get this mess straightened out completely.” I glanced at Amadeus, who was watching me. I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t know what else to say.
“What about Amadeus and Angus?” Red asked. “Did she screw them as well?”
“Oh, yes. Damien, too, it seems. But don’t worry, we’re on it. If you talk with anyone else, have them do the same thing as I’ve asked you to and let them know we’re trying to get to the bottom of this. I’m sorry, Red, that I don’t have anything better to say.”
Tudor Reunion Tour Page 8
