Layers Peeled

by Lacey Silks

  “You better keep those hands to yourself when we’re in the pool, mister,” I warned, but my tone had already changed to and make sure you’re discreet.

  Seeing Tristan strip naked right in front of me and then watching him slide on his swim shorts tantalizingly slowly was excruciating. I just stared at him, my gaze concentrating below his belt at that beautiful manhood. I licked my lips just as he fastened the strings.

  “I will try,” he grinned.

  He was so good at flipping the tables on me!

  Wrapped in fluffy robes, we stepped into the freezing temperature.

  “Fast, do it fast,” Tristan said.

  My nipples had already peaked just thinking about the cold, but I tiptoed toward the pool, set the robe aside on the lounge chair, and dove in. The warm water enveloped me, heating my body to the core. While still underwater, I heard Tristan dive in behind me. When I surfaced, though, the steam hovered just above the water’s plain and my visibility was only good for a few feet. Beyond the fog, the lights from the house illuminated the puffy clouds of steam, but I could barely make out the building.

  “Tristan?”

  “I’m right behind you.” That sexual whisper of his was enough to stir my mojo. He warmed my shoulders with hot kisses, rushing a pleasurable wave of tingles through my body.

  “Are you planning to seduce me, or are we going to swim?” I asked.

  “How’s your leg? Has the cut healed?”

  “Yes.”

  Where was he going with this?

  “Good, then we’re going for a swim, my love.”

  That wasn’t what I had expected. Did he just turn down an offer from me he had never refused before? Had I been too prudish upstairs? But swimming did sound good. Perhaps after some exercise we could both go to sleep. Although the moment I saw Tristan in those red shorts, thoughts of a different tiring activity had begun to flourish in my mind.

  After thirty laps of absolute silence, and me wondering how long Tristan would last without touching me, we stopped.

  “You’re a good swimmer,” he said treading closer. “And I love looking at your growing tummy. It’s beautiful.” He touched my skin around the navel.

  “A few more weeks and we’ll feel the baby kick.”

  “Really?” He beamed from ear to ear.

  “Yeah, really.” I loved how the steam hovered and outlined him for me.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there at the first two appointments.” The shadow of guilt on his face was unbearable to watch. Both my ultrasounds had been scheduled during his trips to Washington.

  “Hey, business is business. I know you’ll be there for the other ones.”

  “Family is more important than business. I promise I’ll be there. But tonight I was hoping to get you in the hot tub; except you shouldn’t while pregnant.”

  “I know. And how exactly were you going to get me?”

  His hand slid down my tummy and right into my bikini-bottoms, grasping my pussy. I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Like this.” His full palm covered my flesh, right there under the water where anyone could see if they stepped out. And it felt exhilarating.

  “Tristan, someone will see.”

  But he was already taking charge of awakening my needs with his fingers, his strokes stirring that deep tingling to surface closer to where he’d first touched me. His foot pressed against my inner sole, forcing me to spread my legs wider.

  “Can you see the house?”

  I gazed through the steam, “No.”

  “Then they can’t see us.”

  He continued to slide between my folds all the way to my opening, probing and teasing me.

  “But they can hear.”

  “Not if you keep your mouth closed.”

  And how exactly was I supposed to do that? But it was already too late. Tristan’s commanding fingers attacked my sensitive area with fierce intentions. The little ripples that formed on the pads of his fingers only added extra texture to his strokes, and I no longer cared where I was or how loud I was going to scream.

  “Tristan, please.” My hips pushed against his violent yet provoking onslaught, and I wanted it faster, for him to increase the intensity to the breaking point. I wanted to come in his hand. Tristan’s stoked me provocatively, knowing how to build my arousal to the max before he would allow me a release.

  “Please what, baby?”

  “More.” I felt my grip tighten around his bulky arms, holding on for the support I knew I was going to need because from within my core the electrifying zaps were already beginning to shoot thought me.

  “Like that?” he asked lowering his mouth to my breast. He gripped my bikini top with his teeth and slid it under my cups. His mouth ruthlessly clamped onto my nipple, squeezing it between his firm lips, teasing around the rim with his tongue before rolling it and sucking it all over again.

  And those gifted fingers of his did things to me I could no longer control. He rammed them in deep, and removed them only to slide the tips along my swollen crevice to start teasing the peak of my bundle of nerves with flicks and rubs that blew my mind.

  “Yes.”

  Yes, yes, yes! In my mind I sounded like a shampoo commercial model screaming my lungs out as the swell of my orgasm burst through my body. Yet my mouth pressed firmly against his chest, trying to contain its delight. I buried myself in his arms, riding my rapture until the end, letting Tristan take me to that place where troubles and worries ceased to exist and all that mattered was the connection between our bodies.

  A soft kiss on my forehead brought me back.

  “Are you ready to sleep now?” he grinned.

  “Yeah, I think you just fast-forwarded my clock by twelve hours.”

  CHAPTER 16

  The steps behind me echoed, their sound getting louder every second. But each time I turned around, no one was there. The alley narrowed in front of me. I couldn’t see its end, but knew it was there. A dead end: it was so close. I would be trapped. Loud breathing joined the steps. The far end of the alley where the walls connected into a triangle drew near. This was it. The smell of a homemade cigarette burned my lungs. My body whipped around to face the monster who had hunted me for so long.

  “Don’t worry, you’re not quite ready yet,” he said, lowering his gaze.

  “Get away!” I screamed.

  And he was gone in a puff of a white cloud.

  “Leave me alone.” I felt my arms pushing through the thick smoke until someone grasped my wrist.

  “Allie, Allie, you’re having a nightmare.”

  I shot up in the bed. It took a minute for me to get my bearings, but as soon as Tristan encased me in his hold, the shaking of my body eased a bit. By the time I realized I was safe in his arms, thousands of miles away from Wright, the damage to my emotions was already done. My arms and legs continued to tremble and my heart pounded against my ribcage. I couldn’t catch my breath for a while, at least not a deep one because each time I inhaled, I smelled Wright’s stinky cigarettes.

  “You’re all right now,” Tristan whispered into my ear. “It was just a dream.”

  “I was dreaming?”

  “Yes, you were. What about?”

  I shook my head and then leaned it back against Tristan. “Him.”

  “Baby, you’re safe. You’re both safe.”

  I rubbed my eyes. Morning had already come and we’d actually slept through our first night in Vienna.

  “What time is it?”

  “Breakfast time. Are you up for it?” Tristan looked at me with worry, never letting go.

  “I’m all right. It was just a stupid dream. Besides, I’m always up for food.”

  But the tremors would not leave my body alone. I tried to remember what Wright had said to me in the dream, but I couldn’t. It seemed important. My head throbbed and I pressed my fingers to my temples. I found it so frustrating that my instinct was trying to tell me something through my dream, and I couldn’t remember what it was.r />
  We finally got dressed and joined Gabe and Sam in the kitchen. Its extravagant size didn’t take away from a homey feeling. I loved the cherry cabinets and bamboo blinds in the window, now rolled up as the sun wasn’t beaming through.

  “Why don’t you guys catch up and we’ll make breakfast.” Sam handed Tristan and Gabe two steaming cups and sent them off. “Coffee or tea?” She reached over head and handed me a mug as well.

  “Tea, thank you. What do you need help with?”

  She poured the herbal tea. The aroma of raspberry and mint made my mouth water.

  “There’s fruit in the fridge if you want to cut it up. I’m making French toast for everyone, if you’re all right with that.”

  “Absolutely. With my appetite these days, anything goes.”

  Gabe and Tristan sat with their laptops by the fireplace, and if it weren’t for the darker expression on Tristan’s face I’d say both of them were looking like they’d come off the set of Hollywood’s Buff Hunks. The men in this family were definitely nothing to scold at. But what had Tristan so worried? I had a feeling the gig in Washington was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth.

  I glanced at Sam, whose eyes seemed just as confused as mine.

  “Are you curious sometimes? About their work?” I asked.

  “Yes and no. I know there’s more to it than Gabe tells me, but honestly, I don’t want to know. He wouldn’t do anything to put his family in danger.”

  “Neither would Tristan, but I would want to know. Maybe it’s the ex-cop in me?” I sipped on my tea.

  “I wish I was as strong as you.”

  “Yeah, but it gets me into trouble more often than not. In fact, trouble seems to follow me all the time,” I laughed.

  “Well, I’m not a cop and believe me, it found me too.”

  So was it something to do with the Cross business after all?

  My mother joined us five minutes later, and we prepared a scrumptious breakfast. When Sam had left for a moment, my mother finally asked what I’d been dreading. “So, are you going to tell me the truth now? Why are we here early?”

  I bit my lip. My mother had borne that suspicious look since we boarded the plane. There was no way to avoid the truth now.

  “Wright was in New York.”

  “Is it too early for tequila?” Her nervous laugh vibrated along my skin. My next step was to calm her the way Tristan had been soothing me. I quickly recapped the events of what happened and closed off with why we had come here.

  “This home is not connected to Cross Enterprises, me, or Tristan. And it’s secure. Until Tristan figures out what Wright is up to, we’re staying here.”

  “I never meant for you to run like this.” Her eyes saddened. She took the knife from me and sliced the oranges.

  “Mom, I have a feeling Wright would eventually find you. This time we’ll make sure he stays away for good. Now stop sulking and enjoy yourself. There will be quite a few more people here in a couple of days and you won’t be able to find a quiet spot in this house,” I said, scooping the seeds out of a cantaloupe.

  “Oh, this house is absolutely beautiful, and everyone here has been so nice to me. Really, I feel like I should do more.”

  “You are by being here with us. This is what families do. And soon we’ll expand ours.” I rubbed my belly.

  “Are you feeling well?” she asked.

  “Yes, we’re doing just fine.”

  When Sam returned, we set the breakfast in the dinette by the patio door. The sun shone brightly, its warmth filtering through the glass here. I couldn’t believe how comfortable I felt in this house. But it shouldn’t have surprised me. The Cross family had a way of welcoming everyone with open arms, and so did Gabe and Sam.

  “You two look like you’ve known each other for a long time,” I said to Sam after breakfast while we loaded the dishwasher. Tristan and Gabe went back to work in the family room by the fireplace.

  “It definitely feels that way.” Sam glowed each time she looked at Gabe. Did I have the same kind of look? “Now that Martinez is dead, I can return to the US.”

  “I heard you went through hell.”

  “I can cross ‘buried alive’ off my bucket list.” She chuckled, but the fear in her voice was obvious; her memories probably as fresh as if they’d happened yesterday.

  “Sam, I assure you Martinez is dead.” I took her hand.

  “But he had a boss.” Her voice trembled. Sam was still traumatized. “The same boss who ordered Kendra’s kidnapping.”

  “Tristan’s told me they’re constraining him with new legislation. Someone that size cannot be taken down overnight. Kendra’s safe as well. She’ll be here soon.”

  “How is she doing? I don’t know if I could have survived what she did. Thank you for getting her out of that mess.”

  “In the end it was her who saved me. I haven’t seen her since the incident. She’s on a strict program, but Julian has promised she’ll be well in time for the wedding.”

  “You mean Tristan’s brother? I sort of always thought she would get back with Tristan. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “No, it’s all right. I understand they have a past. But Julian’s sort of into Kendra.”

  “And is he good for her?” she asked, like a protective mother.

  “From our conversations, yeah, I think so.”

  “It must be difficult for you knowing she’ll be here. You know, given her and Tristan’s history.”

  “I’d be lying if I said no.”

  Tristan regarded me as if he’d heard me.

  “But I love him and trust him with my life,” I added, winking back at him. That only lifted the scar on his lip.

  “Then you deserve to be happy just as anyone else. It does sound like you’re good for each other. And I heard congratulations are in order for you two.”

  “The Pill does not seem to work as well as it should when you’re under stress,” I laughed.

  Sam’s eyes shot open and she covered her mouth. “That’s the only protection we’ve been on.”

  “Well, then you better have a back-up plan, sister.”

  “Nah, I think we’ll start planning soon enough anyways. And then your little one can have a cousin.”

  An even larger family? Could my life get any better? “I’d love that.” I embraced Sam as if she was already my family, and she returned the gesture.

  The next few days at the manor involved last minute preparations. Mr. and Mrs. Cross arrived with Emma four days later with a van full of packages, and Tristan’s little sister looked like she was in wedding prep mode. Watching her order the men around, telling them where to hang the lights or suspend the decorations, was like watching a dominatrix in a bedroom. All that was missing was a megaphone and a whip. Man, one day someone would definitely have their hands full with Emma.

  “So Emma, any front runners for the baby names yet?”

  “My lips are sealed.” She made a fake zip gesture with her fingers in front of her mouth.

  But I knew that was nearly impossible and waited patiently for her to spill the latest gossip.

  “You know, you two should get married before the baby arrives.” Okay, that was not what I was expecting.

  From the corner of my eye I saw Tristan lift his lazy eyebrow as Emma continued.

  “If I’m truly going to be an aunt, a real aunt, that’s the only way. You know, I could ask the minister to perform the ceremony right after Sam and Gabe’s. It’s really not a problem. I’m sure he won’t mind. And don’t worry about the dress or the details. I can take care of it all. We still have plenty of time before we return home. Want me to ask them?”

  I was sure Emma was ready to completely take over this wedding and make it mine and Tristan’s.

  “Emma, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “It’s a great idea. Just ask Tristan. I’m sure he’ll say yes because if he doesn’t, I won’t forgive him. Besides, you’re mean
t to be.”

  “Well, I’d much rather Tristan made the decision on his own – if it’s all right with you, that is.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s fine.” Emma furrowed, let out a long breath, and rolled her eyes wiggling her finger at me. “I see what you did there. But I guess if I have to wait, I will.”

  And just in time Tristan interrupted us. “I want to take you on a toboggan.”

  “Really? I’ve never been on one before.”

  “OMG! I have to come with you! Tristan cheats when he races and he’s bigger so he’ll go downhill much faster. If you and I team up, I’m sure we can beat him. I just have to finish these lights and then we can go.”

  “Emma, we’re just going to be enjoying the scenery.” A hint of desire rolled off his tongue and I wondered how much scenery we would actually see.

  Mrs. Cross stepped in just in time. “Emma, if we don’t get half these lights up before the end of the day, the job you said you could do won’t be done. You wouldn’t want to disappoint Sam and Gabe, would you?”

  Emma tightened her jaw and patted Tristan on his shoulder, saying, “Sorry guys, but it looks like no work can get done without me.”

  Of course it couldn’t.

  After a deep breath, she found her new victim to hustle.

  “Thank you,” Tristan said to his mother, who only winked in response.

  CHAPTER 17

  The scenery outside was breathtaking. Snow-capped mountains and trees covered with fresh powder looked like something from a fairy tale. The noon sun shone as if it were summer, and I found it warm enough to not have to wear a jacket, but Tristan insisted the weather could change any moment. Higher in the mountain, Gabe and Sam’s home was settled between beautiful hills and valleys, with trees scattered in uneven patterns.