by Rye Hart
Again, her concern for my niece trumped her own feelings. God damn, she wasn’t making this easy. “I promise, it’ll be fine. We’ll eat and then I’ll put Lanie down and we can talk after she’s asleep.”
The line was quiet for a moment and I thought maybe we’d gotten disconnected. Then, finally, I heard her voice. “Okay. I’ll see you tonight.”
We hung up after agreeing on a time and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I was so fucking torn inside that I didn’t know what to do. I knew I couldn’t marry her, but could I even pretend to be engaged to her? I had always prided myself on having my shit together, but now I felt like an incompetent idiot, making one bad decision after another.
I should have left her stuck in that damn staircase all those weeks ago.
But, no. If I’d done that, my life wouldn’t have been enriched by her laughter. My bed wouldn’t have been warmed by her incredible body. And my niece wouldn’t be happier than I’d ever seen her. All I knew was that I was in deep shit, and I didn’t know how to get out of it. I was fucked if I did,, and fucked if I didn’t.
But this wasn’t about me, was it? This wasn’t even about Amanda. It was about Lanie and what was best for her. And though I didn’t know Amanda as well as I wished I did, I knew enough to know that she would never let Lanie suffer through what she had when she was a little girl. Whatever I asked of her for Lanie’s sake, she would do.
I walked around to Lanie’s sniffling form and bent down in front of her. She leaned into me and I gave her a kiss on her forehead. I smoothed her wispy hair back and looked into her tired eyes, my stomach dropping to my toes. I hated it when she didn’t feel well. She always slept with me whenever she was sick. I grabbed another blanket from the couch and fluttered it around her body as Tanya ran her fingers through my niece’s hair.
“That better?” I asked.
“Mhm,” Lanie said, humming.
“Listen, Amanda is coming for dinner,” I said.
“Good. I miss Mommy,” Lanie said sleepily as her eyelids drooped.
I was stunned as an unexpected warmth trickled through my veins. Mommy? Had Lanie been calling Amanda that?
“Lanie. Have you ever called Amanda that?” I asked.
“Uh huh. She smiles. And I feel happy,” Lanie said.
“She smiles?” I asked. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Smiles and hugs me.”
I sat back on my heels and looked down at my niece as her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing evened out.
Once she was sure Lanie was asleep, Tanya cleared her throat, causing me to look up at her.
“Sounds like she’s pretty attached,” Tanya said quietly, studying me for a reaction.
“Yeah, I guess she is,” I said.
“And from the looks of it, so are you,” Tanya observed, with a sly smile.
Before I had a chance to answer, my phone rang in my pocket, saving me from having to have this conversation with my nanny. I stood and pulled the phone from my pocket as Tanya continued to stare up at me with a shit-eating grin on her face.
“Hello there,” I said. “Are we all set for tomorrow?”
“I was calling to ask you the same thing. Run down for me what’s going on with you,” my lawyer said.
“Amanda and I aren’t going to be getting married before the court date tomorrow,” I said.
“I figured. I hadn’t seen any paperwork hit the system yet. But I do have proof that you filed for a marriage license, and I received your picture of the receipt for the ring. That’s a hell of a ring to buy a woman for this type of situation.”
“Yeah, well. It needs to look real,” I said.
“And this woman will be accompanying you to court tomorrow, yes?” he asked.
“Yes. If I ask her to, she will be there. She’s willing to do anything to help me win custody,” I answered.
“If she’s there, she needs to be wearing that ring. And the two of you have to look like you’re in love,” she said.
“Don’t worry. We can pull it off. Did you get the pictures I sent of Amanda playing with Lanie?” I asked.
“I did. They’re wonderful pictures. The judge will love them, I’m sure. Just get that ring on her finger and make sure you’re on time. Everything else is set up well for tomorrow.”
“Have you heard from my P.I. yet?” I asked.
“The last time I talked with him he said he was onto something, but he didn’t want to bother you until he had something concrete. But he did inform me he wouldn’t have anything for tomorrow, so we’re pushing forward until I hear from him again.”
“Damn, I was really hoping he had some dirt that we could use,” I said.
“What you need to do now is take some deep breaths. I can hear the nerves in your voice. Settle your body down. We’re not going to give Lanie to his man. Trust me.,” he said.
“Thanks. What time is appropriate to be at the courthouse?” I asked.
“Thirty minutes before should do it. But give yourself fifteen to park and get inside the building. You don’t want to be running in and looked frazzled.”
“Will do. See you tomorrow around nine thirty.”
“See you then.”
CHAPTER 27
AMANDA
I walked into the cabin, and my eyes fell immediately onto Lanie. She was sitting in her chair, but I could tell she wasn’t feeling well. I rushed to her side and wrapped my arms around her, pressing kisses against her forehead as she leaned into me.
“Hi, Mommy,” Lanie said.
My eyes shot to Brian as Lanie called me ‘mommy’ and I was afraid of what I might see on his face. Instead of concern or disdain, I saw a look of genuine appreciation.
And it confused me more than ever. This man was the most difficult person to read that I’d ever come in contact with. One moment we were rolling around in his bed talking about getting married, and the next he was asking me to leave, his voice devoid of all emotion. Then he calls to ask me to dinner and looks pleased when his niece calls me ‘mommy’. It was almost too much to wrap my head around.
We sat down to pizza and Lanie was insistent that I sit by her. I helped cut her pizza and rubbed her back as she ate. It broke my heart to see her not feeling well, and I wished there was something more I could do for her. When she’d barely eaten half of her dinner, I wiped the sauce from her face and cradled her head against my side where she rested it.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door and Brian immediately tensed. We shared a look that said, ‘who in the hell could that be?’ I picked Lanie up and held her close to me as Brian got up to answer the door.
From where I was sitting, I could see out onto the porch and I gasped at the sight that stood before Brian on the threshold.
“Sarah!” I exclaimed, rising from the table with Lanie in my arms.
My best friend stood in front of Brian with her hands on her hips, giving him the evil eye. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. Sarah was even shorter and more petite than I was, and the sight of her squaring off with a man of Brian’s size was nothing short of hilarious. Still, I was shocked by her presence.
“Sarah, what are you doing here?” I asked, going over to give her a hug.
Her eyes went to the little girl in my arms and I could see her gaze soften in an instant.
“You were sad, so I came,” she said, again turning a critical eye on Brian. “You weren’t at your place, so I figured you’d be here.”
“I can’t believe you came all the way here and up the mountain,” I said, overwhelmed by emotion.
“You’re my best friend, and you needed me. So here I am. You must be Brian,” she said, swinging her gaze back to him.
“I am,” he said, looking down at the small spitfire standing in his doorway.
“Well, are you going to let me in, or are you going to leave me out here to freeze my ass off on your porch?”
Brian chuckled low in his chest and stepped aside so S
arah could enter. She had dropped everything and flown here from New York, and I truly loved her for it. She stepped over the threshold and took off her coat and scarf, handing them to Brian as if he were the butler. The look on his face, had me stifling a giggle.
She was going to give him a run for his money.
“And this must be the lovely Lanie,” Sarah said, coming over to smooth the girl’s hair from her forehead.
“Yep,” Lanie replied. “Who are you?”
“I’m Sarah. Amanda here is my bestest friend in the whole wide world and I came to visit her,” Sarah said, smiling widely at the little girl.
“Uncle Bwian, I’m tired,” Lanie said.
“All right. Let me get the table cleaned up, and I’ll tuck you in,” Brian said.
“Could my new friend do it?” Lanie asked.
I watched Brian as his eyes ventured over toward Sarah and then to me. I nodded that Sarah would be fine with her.
“Sure,” he said. “If Sarah wants to tuck you in, she can.”
“Come here, beautiful,” Sarah said. “Let’s go clean you off with a warm washcloth before we get into some jammies.”
“No bath,” Lanie said.
“Nope. No bath. Just a warm washcloth to get the rest of that pizza sauce off your face and hands. Then we’ll wrap up you tight, lay you down, and I’ll read you a book. How does that sound?” Sarah asked.
“Good,” Lanie said sleepily.
Brian hovered the majority of the time Sarah was tucking Lanie in. He listened as they giggled at the sink and watched as Sarah put Lanie in her pajamas. He stood by the door as Sarah read her a book and was there when Sarah came tip-toeing out of Lanie’s room.
“She feels a little warm to me. Is she sick?” Sarah asked.
“Yes, she’s got a bit of a cold. I gave her some medicine right before dinner,” Brian told her.
I had to laugh at how just inside of ten minutes, Sarah had Brian answering to her. It was one of her many talents.
“So, I didn’t interrupt anything did I?” Sarah asked, feigning innocence.
Brian shook his head. “Not really. I was just going to ask Amanda if she was still willing to come to court with me tomorrow.”
I looked at him with something like mild shock coursing through my veins. “Of course. If you need me to be there for Lanie, then I will.”
“Great, now that that’s settled, it’s late and I’m tired. You coming Amanda?” Sarah asked, gathering her coat off of the hook by the front door.
I was about to say yes, when something in Brian’s eyes changed my mind. I could tell that there was more that he wanted to say, but I knew he wouldn’t with Sarah still here.
“Actually, I think I’m going to stay for a bit,” I said. “I’ll give you the key to my place, and you can get settled over there.”
Sarah crinkled her nose. “Oh hell no. Now that I’ve seen it in person, there’s no way I’m going in there before it’s been rebuilt, redecorated, and exorcised!” she said dramatically.
I laughed and shook my head.
“I reserved a room at the same hotel in town,” she said. “Are you sure you won’t come with me?” she asked.
I looked from her to Brian and back. “I’m sure. I’ll be ok,” I told her.
“She was crying when she called me yesterday,” Sarah said, swinging her eyes to Brian.
“Sarah. Can it,” I said curtly, heat rising to my cheeks.
“Whatever the hell your issue is, I highly suggest you fix it. Because I don’t tolerate my best friend crying that way,” Sarah said.
I felt Brian’s eyes on the top of my head as I gritted my teeth.
“Goodnight, Sarah,” I said.
She gave Brian one last hard look, before she turned to me and opened her arms. I hugged her fiercely and thanked her for coming to make sure I was alright. She told me to call her if I needed anything, that she had made arrangements to work remotely for a few days so she could be close to me.
I thanked her again and watched as she climbed back into her rental car and headed slowly down the mountain. Once she was out of sight, I closed the door but stayed facing it. I couldn’t believe she had shown up on Brian’s doorstep, and I wasn’t sure how he was going to react. “Amanda?”
I sighed as I turned my face up to find Brian’s eyes.
“If you’d like to stay here, you’re welcome. If I made you feel like you were unwelcome yesterday at all, I apologize. But if you want to go sleep in your own cabin, I understand,” he said.
“You did make me feel unwelcome. We have a lot to talk about, but I figured we could do it after everything was done tomorrow. We have enough on our plates for now,” I said.
“We?” Brian asked.
“Yes. We. Now, let’s go get some rest,” I said.
I backtracked into his room without a second thought, but Brian continued to stand at his door.
“Aren’t you coming to bed?” I asked.
“I’m just, well, yes. I am.”
“You’re what?” I asked.
Brian took a step into his room before he shut the door behind him.
“I’m surprised you’re not taking the guest bedroom,” he said.
“We have to give the illusion that we’re in love. Engaged. Getting married. Right? We’re still doing that?” I asked.
“We are,” he said.
“That means we sleep in the same room,” I said.
I watched Brian debate over my words before he finally relented. He started casting off his clothes and I diverted my eyes. I didn’t have anything to sleep in, so I picked his shirt off the floor and pulled it over my head. I wasn’t about to sleep in jeans and a sweater, but it was too late and too cold to go back to my cabin for something to wear.
I flipped back my side of the covers and slipped into bed. I could feel Brian’s warmth as he crawled in beside me, attempting to actively keep distance between us. I hated this. I hated the hesitancy looming between us. I turned onto my side with my back facing Brian, hoping to erase this moment from my mind. I didn’t know what he wanted, and I didn’t know what role I was supposed to play any longer. One moment, I felt like the new and craved woman in his world, and the next I felt like nothing more than a useless pawn. It was messing with my emotions and affecting my ability to think straight, and I didn’t enjoy it.
“Amanda?” Brian asked.
“Yes?”
I felt his body heat grow closer to me as my muscles braced.
I rolled over and found him face-to-face with me. Our noses were close, and his chest was hovering millimeters from mine. There was confusion and fear and restrained impulsivity flashing upon his face as his eyes danced along my features. I felt myself falling into his gravitational pull again. I felt my body yearning for him. My leg drifted out toward his, sliding in between his knees.
“What do you want?” I asked lightly. “Just tell me. That’s all you have to do.”
I could feel his breath pulsing upon my lips. I could feel the way his legs clamped down onto mine. His hand slipped around my waist and pressed into my lower back, pulling me closer to him as my hands planted on his bare chest. His muscles twitched underneath my touch. Jumping and trembling as I ran my skin across his. Our lips were ghosting against each other’s as our eyes stayed connected.
The electricity surging through my veins was threatening to fry my brain if I didn’t do something about it.
“Damn it, Brian. Just tell me what the fuck it is you want,” I said.
“You,” he said. “I want you.”
His lips encompassed mine, and that was all it took. I rolled him over onto his back as our lips massaged one another’s, our tongues meeting in a tango of sweetened passion. My hips rolled down onto his growing cock as it slipped through the opening of his boxers. I could feel his tip already dripping for me as his hands ran up and down the curves of my body.
He rolled me back over before his lips attached to my neck. He nibbled and sucked, leavi
ng a trail of marks from my pulse point to my breasts. His teeth scraped along my skin, curling my toes. My hands rushed to his hair as I tangled my fingers up in his tresses, pulling him closer to me as my hips rolled desperately into his.
I rolled us over once again before I moved my panties off to the side. I felt his cock teasing my entrance, my pussy dripping for him as his eyes clouded with lust. His hands planted firmly on my hips as I grabbed his girth, feeling it pulse in my hands as I guided it toward my entrance. The two of us groaned together as my pussy swallowed him whole, filling me and stretching me as my eyes rolled back. His hands were massaging my hips and thighs as I adjusted to his thickness, but soon I felt his hips rolling up into me.
My hands pressed on his strong chest as our bodies moved as one. My swollen clit was peeking out from between my folds, seeking friction wherever it could. The scruff of his pelvis raked against the tip, making me dig my fingertips into his flesh. His hands were everywhere; massaging my tits and grabbing my ass. Holding my waist and moving my hips. He touched every part of me he could as I picked up my pace, slamming myself down on his cock as I chased my high.
“That’s it, Amanda. Ride my cock. Show me what you can do.”
I rolled my hips in tandem with his as my clit found the friction it needed. My vision was becoming blurry, and my nails dug into Brian’s skin. His hands cupped my ass, rolling me forward and filling my pussy while his cock twitched against my walls. I could hear my name tumbling from his lips like a whispered chant as my movements began to stutter.
Suddenly, I found myself on my back. I was at the foot of the bed as Brian hovered over my body, our lips crashing into one another’s. He pounded into my hips, shaking the bed as my hands wrapped around his neck. I kissed his neck and his shoulders and his cheek. I kissed his forehead and his nose and his arm. Anything I could put my lips on, I kissed. Anything I could run my tongue over, I tasted. My head was hanging off the bed as he cradled it in the palm of his hand, my body jumping with every thrust he delivered.
Stars burst behind my eyes as my toes curled. My jaw unhinged in silent pleasure as his skin massaged my clit. I grasped onto his back, clinging on for dear life as he held me close to him.
