Rafe clapped his shoulder. “The bear has emerged from his den.”
“And is hungry." Jay buddy punched his friend.
“Famished,” Jamie said.
Manon kissed his cheek. “Happy Birthday.”
“Can we have presents now?” Jamie asked.
“First we eat.” Maria cut portions of lasagna and put them on plates. Manon filled bowls with salad. Rafe poured Chianti for the adults and cranberry juice for Jamie. The child carried a foil wrapped loaf of garlic bread to the table.
Jay cut a bite of the pasta with his fork and tasted. “Better than Louie’s.”
Jamie grinned. “Aunt Ria made everything, Wait ’til you see the cake. You need to save room.”
“Don’t worry. Not sure I remembered to eat yesterday or today.” The moment he finished the portion he went for a second helping.
Manon shook her head. “This feast or famish eating isn’t good for you. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I’m out of projects for the moment. Think I’ll take a vacation. Maybe travel.” Why did Maria frown? He wouldn’t forget his obligations.
Talk moved to other subjects. When everyone’s plates were empty, Maria went to the kitchen and returned with a platter, “An octave and a half.” She lit the candles Manon had brought.
Jay blew them out. “Clever and thank you.” He took a cannoli and a brownie. When he bit into the cannoli he hummed. “Which bakery? I want a dozen.”
“Maria,” Rafe said. “She made everything but the brownies.”
A man could fall in love with such a great cook. Once more, Maria had shown her difference from her sister. If only he could believe she wasn’t scheming to take his money the way Delores had.
“Presents,” Jamie said.
The child wiggled with excitement. Jay wished as a child he’d been able to delight in simple things. A small crack appeared in the wall around his heart.
“Yes, presents,” Jay said.
Jamie ran to the keyboard Jay hadn’t noticed in a corner of the room. “I made a song for you but I don’t know how to write so you can play.”
Jay heard the notes of the song he’d played several times to check the tempo. Then the music changed to an interesting variation. A fist squeezed his heart. His son was talented. Jamie finished, rose and looked at him with wide green eyes.
“Thank you. I like your music and I’ll write the notes for you.” He wasn’t prepared for his son’s leap to his lap and the arms around his neck.
“There’s another present.” Jamie slid down. He returned with a bouquet of lollipops. “These are what my nana gave me when I was acting sour.”
Jay’s laughter surprised him. “Guess I am sometimes. I’ll make sure to have one every time someone thinks I’m sour.” He saw the pout on his son’s face. “We could share.” More cracks appeared in the wall.
“Really.” Jamie looked at Maria. “Can I?”
“One.”
Jay held them toward the child. “Which one do you like best?”
“Cherry with the chocolate inside.”
Jay found one from the bunch. “Here you are.”
Jamie hugged him. “Thank you.”
Tears threatened. Jay drew a deep breath. His chest ached. Something inside altered. When Manon handed him a box, his fractured emotions settled.
“From Rafe and me.”
He opened the box and drew out an antique music box. A porcelain figure of a musician playing a gold flute sat on top. “This is wonderful. Where did you find it?”
“Thank Rafe for that. He took me to a shop in the city. I could have spent weeks looking at everything.”
Jay kissed her and turned to Rafe. “Thanks.”
His friend grinned. “No kiss?”
“Kiss your wife.”
Maria placed several cards in front of him. From Jamie and me.”
Jay lifted the first card. “Good for one hand massage when you’re fool enough to punish your hands for hours.”
Rafe guffawed. “She has you pegged.”
Jay pretended to shoot his friend. The second card made him frown. “Good for one container of putty. What is that?”
“Exercise material,” Maria said.
The third and fourth cards made him smile. “One day with Jamie at a park with swings and slides. One for a picnic with Jamie at Fern Lake.”
What about you? The question hovered in his thoughts. He couldn’t ask her yet but he would. Tonight after Jamie was asleep, he would claim the hand massage and a kiss he hoped would lead to his bedroom. Maybe that would end the need for her that had been growing weed like since the day they met.
“Thank you all. This has been great.” Now to get rid of his sister and friend. He yawned. “I need to sleep.”
Chapter 7
Maria stared at Jay. Looked as though he was ending the party. “Jamie and I will pack and return to our apartment this evening.” She turned. Jamie had his head on the table. A half-eaten cannoli filled his fist.
Jay lifted the sleeping child. “Stay until morning.” He strode to the door.
Maria watched the departure. She hoped that meant he cared a little about his son. “Guess it’s time to clear the room.”
“We’ll help.” Manon arched an eyebrow. “I think he finally believes you spoke the truth.”
Rafe nodded. “Jamie is so much like his dad but sometimes Jay needs bashed over the head. I think the song did the trick.”
Maria stacked the plates and walked to the kitchen. Manon and Rafe followed with the glasses and the remains of the food. While the pair loaded the dishwasher, Maria filled plastic containers with lasagna and part of the dessert.
“We’re done,” Manon said. “Everything was delicious and the cake phenomenal. We’ll do this again, soon.”
“Thanks.” Maria handed her two containers. “Take these.”
Rafe lifted them. “Are you sure we should.” He winked. “Wouldn’t want Jay to starve.”
Maria chuckled. “He won’t. I froze an entire pan and there are a dozen cannolis in the fridge.”
Manon laughed. “Hope he doesn’t eat them all in one sitting.”
Maria walked to the door with them. “Do you hear the silence?”
Manon paused at the door. “Silence can be wonderful.” She clasped Maria’s hand. “I’ll see you Monday. Don’t overdo walking and driving. Wear the elastic support for two weeks. I’ll check you out at the hospital.”
“I can’t wait to start.”
“The staff will be happy. Connie’s great but as a CODA, she can’t do evaluations. I’m sure you have work waiting.”
“Hope I can learn the computer system without going bald.”
Rafe laughed. “Might take a week or so. We have one of the best and the easiest programs.”
Manon stepped outside. “I like the presents you gave him. And Jamie’s song was great. Maybe you and Jamie can lure him from the studio. He’s been a hermit too long.”
When the couple reached the car, Maria waved and closed the door. The evening had been fun and full of surprises. The biggest one had been the way her heart had fluttered when Jay carried his son to bed.
She smiled. She bet Jay hadn’t washed Jamie’s hands. She had visions of a line of ants marching from the garden lured by the sweetened ricotta and the chocolate. She scurried to the suite bathroom, wet a cloth and grabbed a towel.
When she stepped into the small bedroom, she held in laughter. Jamie curled into a ball on the narrow bed. Beside him, Jay sprawled. His long legs hung over the side. One foot touched the floor. The pair looked peaceful but she thought Jay’s body would ache when he woke from the awkward position.
Jay groaned. He rugged his right hand with his left. Even in sleep. He needs to learn not to push so hard.
Maria pried a crushed cannoli from Jamie’s hand and washed the cream away. Then she removed his shoes and socks. Jay turned and started to slide to the floor. Maria dashed around the bed to brace him.
Brilliant green eyes opened. Desire flashed in their depths.
Her body responded. Her breasts felt tight. Cool it. This isn’t the time for passion or the man to entice her. The throbbing of her heart contradicted her denial.
Jay sat on the edge of the bed, stretched and staggered from the room. Maria finished undressing Jamie. She covered him with a sheet and carried the cloth and towel to the bathroom and rinsed them.
Too early for bed. A bit of TV might undo her reaction to the need she’d seen in Jay’s green eyes. Being attracted to the man who’d been her brother-in-law, a man she barely knew who at times angered her was a fool’s dream.
She stepped into the sitting room and halted. Why was he here? She’d thought he’d gone to bed. “Um…”
Jay turned his head. “Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.” She felt all kinds of awkward. “Did you…” She couldn’t ask. She’d seen what he wanted in his green eyes. “I froze several containers of lasagna.” His intent gaze pinned her like a bug to a board. “There are extra cannolis in the fridge.”
“There’s something I want to say.”
Maria swallowed a giant lump. “Sounds serious.”
He leaned forward. “Jamie is my son. You’ve done a great job of raising him.” He rested his hands on his thighs. “Why didn’t…she said…this is hard…she threatened to have an abortion."
Maria stared at her hands. “Why would she say that?”
He glared. “She said a child would ruin her career.” Pain contorted his face.
“I know she was obsessed with becoming a star. But to do something like that…”
He nodded. “I told her if she destroyed our child I would divorce her and she wouldn’t get a cent. The next day she left.” He buried his face in his hands.
Maria wanted to touch him, to offer comfort. “Was she that driven?”
“Before she told me she was pregnant she badgered me to write a musical for her. I tried but the melodies wouldn’t come.”
Maria studied her hands. Delores had always believed in her destiny. Broadway, record contracts, world tours with the adoration of the masses. She would be worshipped by everyone who heard her sing. Hadn’t everyone in their small town believed no one sang as beautifully as she did?
Jay leaned forward. “What I don’t understand is why she didn’t follow thorough on her threat. She certainly took enough money when she left.”
Maria shrugged. “We weren’t close. I was in college full-time and had a part-time job when she came home. How much money did she take?”
“She cleaned out our bank accounts and took some jewelry. Probably close to fifty thousand.” He rubbed his hands.
“I have no idea where the money went. She didn’t give Mama a cent.”
He continued rubbing and flexing his hands.
“How badly do they hurt?”
“A lot. I’ve been pounding the keys for weeks. Lately they’ve been worse but I’ve finished two paying projects and can stop for a bit.”
She sucked in a breath. “Will you?”
He laughed. “Unless the muse calls.”
“Couldn’t you set a regular schedule instead of marathons?”
“Never have. Even at Jamie’s age.”
Maria rose. “Some discipline might be the answer.” His laughter rolled thorough her stirring a desire to help him. “Since your muse is silent, I’d like you to spend time with Jamie. Why don’t you take him for the weekend and explore Fern Lake?”
Jay pulled the cards from his pocket. “You mean redeem these. Sounds like a plan. The three of us will have fun.”
Maria’s pulse pounded. Spending time with Jay would ignite the embers of attraction into flames. She thought of her nephew. His needs came first. “Jamie will like that but…”
“What?”
“I’ll miss him.”
Jay pushed the chair back. “You’re part of the deal. I have no idea what to do with a child. Being one was a developmental stage I missed.”
Maria met his gaze. She saw uncertainty in the green depths. “I’ll agree on one condition. You’re in pain. Even in your sleep. You massaged your hands. Let me get some lotion. After I’m settled at the hospital, have a doctor write for an OT evaluation.
He nodded. “Done.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside.
Maria stared. Her mouth went dry. His upper body was muscular and tempting. A sprinkling of blond hair formed a line toward his groin. Her hands itched to touch. She scurried from the room. Desire peaked sending pulsing beats low in her belly.
For several minutes she leaned against the sink and stared at her flushed face. The urge to help had morphed into something more mutual.
With the lotion in her hand, she returned to the sitting room determined to remain cool and professional.
Jay sat at the table. She stood behind him and squeezed lotion into her hands to warm the cream. His back was as tempting as his chest. She massaged his shoulders and then began on the right arm, moving toward his wrist. Once she reached his fingers, she moved to the left arm.
The tight tendons loosened. As she worked, a fantasy she hoped he didn’t sense formed. His strong hands with the calloused tips stroked her breasts bringing the nipples to tight points. She imagined his mouth on hers. Her cheeks heated. She finished the left hand and looked at him. An answering desire flared in his green eyes.
He clasped her hands, brought them to his lips and kissed each finger. “Come with me.” He rose, pulling her into his arms. His mouth covered hers.
Hunger blossomed. Maria felt as though the sensuous attraction enchanted her. Without a question she followed as he backed to the door. As soon as they stepped into the hall, the spell fractured. What was she thinking? She didn’t know this man. All she knew was his music wove dreams she couldn’t have. “I…”
He tightened the embrace. “Don’t think. Feel.”
His mouth covered hers. His tongue traced her lips. She clasped his shoulders. The heat of his body spread to hers. The floor shifted beneath her feet. He stroked her back, his hands moving to clasp her rear. She rose to her toes.
His erection rubbed her belly. Moisture seeped into her panties. He gathered her skirt until his fingers brushed her thighs. She shivered, not from fear but from a wild rise of desire.
Jay raised his head. “You want me as much as I want you. Have since the first day you appeared at my door.”
Though she wanted to deny his words she couldn’t. She had to try before they plunged too deep. “You don’t want me. I’m not Delores.”
“Long before she left I stopped wanting her.” He brushed his lips over hers. “You’re nothing like your sister.”
“That’s true.” She inched back.
He touched her cheek. “Give into the feelings surging between us.”
She drew a deep breath filled with the scent of a man who interested her more than any man ever had. “Jamie.”
“Is deeply asleep. Say you don’t want me.”
“I can’t.” Would once be enough to discharge the electricity she felt from his touch?
“Come upstairs with me where the sounds of making love won’t wake my son.”
His admission pleased her. Could she give in this once? Tomorrow she would be at the apartment and not here to face temptation.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered.
Maria gazed into his eyes. The green depths reflected his desire. Was there something more? For four years, her life had revolved around college, work and caring for Jamie. She’d seen her savings dwindle and college loans collect. She’d put relationships aside.
“It’s been a long time for me.”
“For me as well.” He kissed her palm and then her mouth. “I want you. There’s protection upstairs or we can take a chance.”
“No to taking chances.”
He caught her lower lip with his teeth and covered her mouth with his. Her resistance melted like snow beneath the desert sun. She wan
ted him. “This once.” Surely that would end the need she felt for this man. She clasped his hand and walked up the stairs beside him.
At the head of the stairs, they crossed the hall. He opened a door and drew her inside. The massive bed had a carved headboard and looked antique. Browns and greens decorated the room. The neatness made her wonder how often he slept here.
Jay drew her against his bare chest. He slid his tongue between her parted lips and unfastened her skirt. The cloth swirled around her ankles. He stepped back. One by one he opened the buttons of her blouse and pushed the material down her arms.
He returned to tease her mouth. This time she tangled her tongue with his. He tasted of wine, spices, chocolate. The pine scent of soap flowed with her breath. Small thrills rolled along her skin. He walked her backwards until her knees hit the mattress and she fell.
“Don’t move.” He opened his jeans and slid them with his briefs over his hips.
His erection emerged full and thick . Maria swallowed. He ran his hands from her throat to her chest. One of his fingers slid beneath her bra to touch her engorged nipples. He pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss demanding participation. Heat spiraled to her core. He released her mouth and sucked her nipples through the lace of the bra. Desire exploded. Maria reached for him.
He continued to explore her body with hands, lips and tongue. With a quick move he removed her panties and raised her legs over his shoulders. His tongue flicked her clit.
A burn began. Her climax neared. “Jay.” His name erupted. “I need you.”
“Soon.” He lowered her legs and stepped back. “Slide back on the bed.”
The moment he released her legs, desperation to reach the peak caused her to whimper. She slid back. She heard a sound and watched him roll a condom over his penis. Moments later he covered her body.
“I’m here,” he whispered before claiming her mouth. He thrust his tongue across her lips at the same time as his erection entered her channel. He began a slow advance and retreat.
Maria caught the rhythm of the dance. She grasped his shoulders to keep herself steady. Heat flowed to her clit.
Melodic Dreams Page 7
