by Roxie Odell
“I know it would be hard, but don’t you think your son deserves a relationship with his mother if she wants one?” asked Cara.
“Boy, Cara, you’re too nice for your own good,” he said with a smile. “I guess I can be civil, for the sake of the baby, but if she planned to be civil, why would she call for an emergency hearing? It’s already a mess. I’m even going to have to involve the pediatrician.”
She took his hand and gave it a loving pat. “For the time being, let your lawyer handle things. Don’t try to imagine what she wants. We’ll take things one step at a time, and right now, my stomach is telling me the next step is dinner,” she said.
“I think we’re on our own for the first night, but per the agenda, we have to be somewhere tomorrow. Wanna put the little guy in a stroller and go out? There are some great places within walking distance of here.”
“I think that sounds like a lovely idea,” said Cara.
“Thank goodness!” he blurted. “You’re so cool, calm, and collected, Cara. If you weren’t here… Shit, I was just so angry earlier.”
“Afraid,” she said softly, shaking her head.
“Huh?”
“Anger’s really just fear with an edge. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he agreed. “I really am a bit scared. I can’t imagine my life without my son, and I don’t want to share him with her, even if I might have to.”
“True,” she said, “but for right now, he’s all yours. We’re all yours.”
Her wise words, spoken in such a calm tone, grounded him and kept him from obsessing and projecting, and he was grateful for that.
A gentle rain began to fall, changing their plans to go out. Cara sweetly conversed with the small staff at the hacienda and learned that cloudbursts were common in the area, and she was very thankful no storms occurred while they were flying.
Since they couldn’t go out for a stroll due to the weather, they dined on a small meal she whipped up in the hacienda, then played with Thomas before tucking him in for the night.
“I’ll turn in now, if you don’t mind,” the nurse said politely, and Cara and Brodie bid her goodnight.
“Come,” Cara said, taking his hand once they were alone. “I wanna show you something I spied.” She fished behind sheer curtains that covered a paneled window that offered a magnificent view. After a turn of a doorknob, the two stepped out onto a veranda. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” she whispered.
“Breathtaking,” he said, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“It certainly is,” she said, as her lips spread ear to ear in a heartfelt smile.
“It doesn’t even compare to you though,” he said, staring at her beautiful brown eyes as emotion flooded him, a mix of warmth, contentment, and adoration. He knew he was in love with her, and there was no sense in denying it. That wicked crush he’d had on her since before his baby was born had blossomed into something more, and he’d been fighting it ever since. Standing there, looking at her like that, he realized he had never just used her for help with the baby. Rather, he had used little Thomas as an excuse to keep from having to admit that he loved her. It was a desperate attempt to shelter himself from heartache, but now she’d taken up residence in his heart, and there was nothing he could do about it but let it play out between them.
Cara stroked his hair, raking her fingers through it. Her eyes had stars in them, reflections of the heavens. Brodie braced the small of her back and held her close to him, fully aware that she was as eager for a kiss as he was.
Their lips collided as they basked in that silvery pool of moonlight. The veranda was rimmed with floating upholstered benches, wide enough for them to sleep on. Brodie glanced at the windowed wall to determine how much privacy they might have if any of the staff just so happened to sleepwalk. He was glad to discover that even if they lay down on one of the benches, they would be dwarfed by the astounding view. Not only that, but their bodies would be hidden beneath layers of sheers and shadows.
Brodie had something important to tell her before he moved them from the romantic shower of silvery light. He tucked her hair behind her ears and looked down at her with adoration oozing from every part of him. “I don’t think I knew until now just how special you are to me…and to Thomas,” he said.
She smiled. “Has Thomas been talking to you?” she joked.
“As a matter of fact, he has,” replied Brodie. “I know when he’s happy and when he’s not.”
“I see,” she said softly.
“You’re so agreeable,” he said, the words tumbling out a bit awkwardly. Maybe it was the romantic setting, but Brodie was beside himself with intense feelings like none he’d ever felt for anyone before. “Cara…” he whispered.
“Yes?” she whispered back.
“I think I’m love with you,” he confessed.
“Brodie…” she said.
“Yes?” he replied.
“I think I’m in love with you back,” she said.
In that moment, Brodie could not stop himself. Without regard to privacy or any of the rest of the world, he waltzed her over to the bench and looked up at the sky as if he dared the cosmos to complain about what it was about to witness. It was brilliant and clear, twinkling its approval with a shimmering speckle of stars, and the frogs and crickets chirped madly, creating an amazing symphony for them. Without another word to her, he sat her on the bench and drew a pillow off the seat for his knees. His hips met the bench at just the right height for the two of them to create a perfect fit.
Cara sat comfortably, her thighs parted, as Brodie gripped the backs of her knees and drew her into him. She didn’t even have to remove her clothes, and he only had to unfasten his pants. If anyone did happen to spy on them, they would not be able to see a thing—not that either of them really cared anyway, as no peeping tom was going to stop them. She extended her legs straight out beyond him and then lifted them, one by one, up to his shoulders, the perfect way to showcase her shapely, smooth muscles.
Brodie glided his hands along her cut thighs, seeing them with his fingertips as much as with his eyes. He drew in the faint scent of her perfume as he took in a deep breath, just about the most arousing thing he had ever smelled simply because it was connected to her.
He unfastened his pants to unleash his passion for her, then slipped aside her delicate underwear, a tiny strip of silk, and entered her. She was so hot, so wet, and so snug around him, like absolute heaven. Each time he was inside her, she took him someplace he had never been before. It was always so different, so wondrous, so new.
Cara splayed her ankles off his shoulders, creating new tension at her core. Each time she levered her legs, her flesh pressed around his erection with wickedly erotic pressure. He gripped her ankles and maneuvered her legs, because the motion turned her on as much as it ignited him.
Next, Brodie closed her legs and lifted her feet up together, in front of his face. The weight of her legs as her scorching hot channel gripped his throbbing hardness made him shiver. He had to pause, press his eyes tightly shut, and collect himself, fearing he might lose his load far too soon. “Touch yourself,” he commanded in a throaty whisper as he guided her legs apart to create a giant V-shape.
Obediently, Cara moved her hand to that delicious spot. She worked her fingers lazily at first while Brodie’s eyes remained glued on her every move. The elixir of senses was the most intoxicating yet, but his fit body was weak and almost slack at the sight of her turning herself on, motion he could feel through the vibrations of her flesh against his cock. He summoned his focus and moved in and out of her as she pleasured herself.
“Dammit,” Brodie muttered.
She was seated, and he was making love to her, but he was far from in control. She had mastered him, made him a slave to the sensation that only the two of them could summon. Cara picked up on his blissful agony and lowered her legs to the floor. That movement alone had its own sweetness, and it threaten
ed to drive him mad. She encouraged him backward, and she mounted him as he lay flat on his back, never once separating their bodies.
Brodie no longer cared about being discovered. He only wanted to know the height of pleasure that this moment could bring. The weight of her body and the heat of her scalding channel sent him on a path to a rocking climax. He took hold of her hips and worked them back and forth on him. She was light, so he only had to lift his pelvis to create room for him to move, to drive into her in sweet counter-rhythm to her gyrations.
Her hand was no longer lazily touching; now, it was moving in a blur, at a pace that demanded her own bliss. Such a sight was raw erotica for Brodie, and he knew that within seconds, they would both be exploding like fireworks on the veranda.
They were silent, furiously fixed on their goal as they labored until their orgasms hit like a giant wave. Cara gasped, then froze. In fact, both of them stilled as incredible rapture washed over them. Through slack eyelids, Brodie watched her mouth hang open, devoid of sound. Then, seconds later, up from their tight throats erupted cries of joy that filled the air and drowned out all of Mother Nature’s nightly chorus.
Just as they did not care if they were seen, they did not care if they were heard, for the moment was too special, too unforgettable to be hampered by self-consciousness. Except for the baby, they were among adults, and adults would just have to understand.
Finally, he moved out from under her, and they both made quick work of adjusting their clothes.
He held her hand and led her to their room and the adjacent master bath, which was furnished with a claw-foot tub. He was overwhelmed with a strong desire to see her naked in it, so he drew a warm bath and filled it with sweet-smelling soap. They soaked lazily for a few minutes, still humming with pleasure and their mutual confessions of love.
They wrapped themselves in huge, plush towels and climbed into bed. Cara snuggled in the crook of his arm as moonlight poured over them through their bedroom window.
Ah, what a perfect end to a perfect evening, Brodie thought, inhaling the scent of her hair, and maybe the beginning of an even more perfect life.
Chapter Fifteen
Brodie’s entire entourage went on tour to the development sites, and Cara, Thomas, and the nurse went along. When the baby grew fussy every now and then, the nurse dutifully pulled back from the group and strolled him around until he fell asleep. Business was officially wrapped up in a few days, but Brodie planned to stretch the trip out for a week.
“I managed to hold her off for a while,” the lawyer said after the first custody hearing was over. “I think it’d be a good idea for you to come home though. The one thing she’s got going for her is that she’s the child’s mother, and my gut tells me that will earn her favor in the court. You know how these things go sometimes.”
“But she abandoned my son,” Brodie said into the phone, his fury rising once again. “Why should she have any rights to him at all if she didn’t want him before? Damn, that woman is not even in the same hemisphere, yet she manages to throw shade on what could be a nice vacation.”
“I know who and what she is, and so do you,” said the lawyer, “but judges will be judges.”
“And she still claims it’s not about money?” asked Brodie.
“They usually come right out and ask when it is,” said the lawyer. “Her lawyer insists that’s not what she wants.”
“Maybe she just doesn’t think I’ll bite. Can we make her an offer? I cannot share my kid with that woman, man,” said Brodie.
“I’ve heard that a million times before, but the truth is, it may come down to that, Brodie. She is his biological mother.”
“She’s a bi—”
“Yeah, I know that too,” the lawyer said. “Anyway, I’ll see you when you get here.”
Brodie was torn. He wanted to handle things so his son wouldn’t be taken from him by some no-nothing judge, and he certainly didn’t want to cave in to Thomas’s mother. On the other hand, he couldn’t bear to tell Cara that his lawyer had advised him to return to the States right away. Unfortunately, something about Cara made it impossible for him to lie to or keep secrets from her.
“What did the lawyer say?” she asked when she knew the hearing was over.
“Oh, uh… Well, he thinks it would be good for me to come back, but we’re here. Let’s just make the most of it.”
“It will be miserable with this hanging over us,” Cara said, believing it would be better to face the situation head-on.
Us? he thought, pleased with the sound of that. “Okay. I guess it’s time to pack then,” he finally agreed.
One small mercy was that the return flight was smooth, and they all slept peacefully on the plane, without a bit of turbulence to interrupt them. It was even easy to make sure the nurse got home safely, because his driver was happy to take her wherever she needed to go. Brodie happily paid her in cash for her services, and he moved her name to the top of the list of possible nannies, because she took such good care of Thomas.
On the way to Brodie’s place, Cara rested her head on his shoulder. Despite all the creature comforts he could afford, Brodie felt worn out and defeated when he unlocked the door to the house, completely stressed out by Thomas’s mother. Just as Cara predicted, their homecoming, which could have been a fantastic moment for all of them, was clouded by the dark dealings of the mother of his child.
Sighing, Cara set her bags down and took the baby from his arms. “I’ll change him,” she said, then carried him off to the nursery.
Brodie watched as they disappeared down the hallway. “Why can’t she be Thomas’s mother?” he mumbled to himself, glad he’d finally found the spine to admit that he loved her.
He went out to help his driver empty the car and trunk, and as they were standing on the curb near the driveway, a woman approached. It took a moment for him to recognize her, due to the shock of it, but when he did, he could only mutter one word: “Angelique.” As her name left his lips, Brodie feared he might throw up all over his front yard. He used to find her attractive, but at that moment, he simply could not stand the sight of her.
Her face was brilliant, lit up as if she was happy to see him, and it was apparent that she’d put a lot of effort into making herself presentable. It was apparent she put a lot of effort into her appearance in general. “Hello, Brodie,” she said timidly. “You look good.”
“Let’s not do this,” he said in a leaden tone. “What do you want?”
“Look, I know you’re upset, but I just want to talk,” she said.
“A normal, sane person would email me first to ask if it’s okay. You don’t file a court action against someone, fuck up a business trip, then swing by to screw up the little downtime I actually get,” he spat, his cheeks heating with his rising temper.
“Exactly. You never have any time to talk. You’re a little too busy these days,” she said, her tone sharpening.
“I am, and part of that includes having a life with my son,” Brodie said defensively.
“With our son,” she corrected, “and frankly, maybe you’re too busy for him too. You see where I’m coming from, don’t you? Little Thomas needs someone who can give him the attention he deserves, take care of him the right way.”
“Well, that excludes you,” Brodie said in a biting tone. “You’re incapable of taking care of anyone other than yourself.”
The driver, who’d managed to hold his tongue for the entire conversation, finally cut in, “Boss, if ya want, I can call security.”
“Do that,” said Brodie, “or maybe the cops.”
“The cops?” she said, aghast.
“You’re trespassing, the way I see it,” he snapped, knowing it would bring him great joy to see the woman legally removed from his home, even if it was immature and hateful to think that way.
“Ah, there it is, that classic Brodie Rogan temper,” said Angelique. “That’s precisely why I filed that motion, you know.”
“What the hell
are you talking about?” he asked, then looked down when she tapped him with her cell phone. Unable to contain his rage any longer, he lunged for the phone. “Don’t touch me with that thing!” he wailed.
“Stop, Brodie! You’re hurting me!” she shouted, then pressed a button on the gadget, with the most evil glint in her eye. “I do not appreciate you allowing our son to be in the company of every woman you come into contact with, all these strangers you keep bringing around,” she said coldly.
“No one I know is stranger than you,” Brodie insulted her. “What’s it to you anyway? You basically sold him. What, I didn’t pay you enough?”
She laughed. “You’re the billionaire. Is there even such a thing as enough money?”
“Some things are priceless,” he said, “like our son…and like you hauling your bony ass off my property right this minute!”
“Are you thinking of making a nice little nest with your new girlfriend? I heard you’re even thinking of retiring and selling off what you own to simplify,” she said.
“That’s none of your business, but what if I am?” he asked. “By the way, how do you know all this? How did you know when I’d be home today?”
“I have my ways,” she said proudly.
“Those ways can get you busted for stalking and invasion of privacy,” he threatened.
“You just want to see me in handcuffs,” she said with a sinister gleam in her smile.
“Only behind bars,” he retorted roughly. “God, Angelique, why did I not see how sick you are? I always thought you were just cold as ice, but now I realize you’re a fuckin’ psycho avalanche!”
She smiled again. “I have video footage that makes you look a whole lot worse, dear. You have quite the volatile temper, not to mention a promiscuous lifestyle that is in no way a suitable environment for a child.”
“What game are you playing?” he demanded.
