“Um... I don’t think that I need any help with any part of me pumping.”
She smiled with a seductive curve to her lips that stirred his imagination for what would come later. Using the extended cord of the showerhead, she hosed him down. His legs shook as she took her time washing his crotch.
He reached for the towel as soon as the water was off. He needed a moment to breathe again.
“No, I’ve got it.” She took the towel and vigorously rubbed his skin dry.
Then her mouth slid over his shaft, to the hilt.
“Holy...” His hand shot out to the wall for support. His knees almost buckled.
She worked him. Her tongue owned him.
Every stroke along the sensitive skin seized him, building the tension, making him almost go on tiptoe. Her tongue caressed and brushed his head. And just as suddenly, she released him.
It took a few seconds for his brain to function, for speech to reach his vocal cords, for his heart rate to readjust so that he didn’t pass out.
Leo tried to take a step back, but not before her mouth reclaimed his shaft. Her attention had been missed in its brief absence. When the warmth of her mouth enveloped his length, he wanted to weep with relief. But she wouldn’t let him be. She wouldn’t let him fall into the sweet abyss of sexual foreplay.
As long as she sucked him, draining him, teasing him, his responses were strained groans pushing free from his throat. His hand lightly cupped her head, letting her set the pace. His balls tightened. His butt clenched.
Abruptly, her mouth went slack, reversing its movement over his shaft, retreating with slow deliberation. He looked down, hoping that maybe she was ready to slip her sex over his member.
“You’re killing me,” he complained.
“Not yet...not yet.” She kissed the tip and licked the glistening moisture. “My skills might need honing.”
“I don’t mind helping you get them right. I’ll stay after school for extra lessons.”
“You’re going to be my willing subject?”
“Willing and ready.” Leo was ready to pop.
Self-control wasn’t something that he could brag about when her lingerie was now soaked against her skin. Her bare skin was delicious, but with the wet, gauzy material outlining the contours of her breasts and peaked nipples, she looked good. Every time he reached for her, she stepped out of the way. Her smile let him know that she was quite aware of what she was doing. He’d play her game until they got to the bed. Then no more games.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know.” His nostrils flared. The addictive scent of her perfume mixed with the clean smell of her skin. He wanted to lick her entire body.
“Time for more pampering on the bed.”
“Can I take a pass?” he whined. Once more he reached for her as she walked ahead of him to the bedroom.
She pushed his hands away from her hips. Her laughter at his attempts did nothing to quell his passion or desire to try again.
“I repeat, you’re killing me.”
“I know CPR.”
He reached for her again, encircling her with his arms. They fell onto the bed, with him on top of her. Her behind wiggled against him. She made no effort to subdue her giggles over his misery. He kissed the graceful line of her back. Once the intimate contact was made, there was no turning back.
“What about your massage?”
“There are other ways you can massage me.” He slid off the bed and hiked up her lingerie. “Or I can massage you.” His finger slipped under the string, following its path along the split of her cheeks and the moist opening of her sex. He lingered, rubbing his knuckle against the sensitive flesh, listening to her breath hitch, watching her backside perk up. It was his turn to deliver revenge.
“Wait...” she gasped. “I’m not done with you.”
“That may be, sweetheart, but you’re going to put a rain check on your delivery.” He spread her cheeks and delivered a precise trace of the string bikini with his tongue. Her juice flowed, sweet, from her sex. His hand gripped her behind, kneading the firm curve as he played with her clit. “Take it off.”
She remained on her knees, leaning over the bed as she pushed down the pile of string from her lower body. He helped her remove it from around her ankles. Now she was free for his devouring. His appetite roared over the upcoming meal.
Nothing else tasted so sweet. His tongue lapped at her essence as it poured for him.
Leo loved this woman with everything he had in him. This time he’d do things right, so she’d never want to leave.
* * *
Fiona walked out of the room three times. On the third departure, she didn’t return to listen to more of her mother’s confession. It took two days for her mother to tell the story. She needed space and time to digest the news. Emotions slammed in and out of her, alternating in a manic mix of turmoil and panic. Did she have a right to feel anything but happy and overjoyed at the shocking revelation of a brother?
She paced outside the room, up and down the hallway, muttering to herself. Mrs. Finch was directing the housekeeping staff to tackle the entryway and staircase. Though the house manager acknowledged her with only the briefest of nods, Fiona knew Mrs. Finch had the keen knack to read her, and probably the entire family. But she’d never interject herself into their personal business.
The muted sound of a ringing phone from across the hallway drew Fiona’s attention to her grandmother’s office. She faced the closed door with balled fists.
Her mother or Grace? Leo? She needed to yell at someone. Or she could walk it off, an option that was probably better for her survival than pitching a fit at any one of them.
Fiona ran up to her room. She snatched her keys, wiped away the tears and grabbed her pocketbook. For a second, she thought about her mother waiting in the sitting room. But she couldn’t go back in there. A break from listening to her mother’s secret and the reason for her decision would allow time for Fiona’s reaction and an all-out emotional rant. No way could she deal with her mother now.
She headed for the stairs and then wanted to get out of the house.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” Belinda asked, grabbing Fiona’s arm as she tried to rush past her.
“I’ve got to get out of here.”
“All right. But I’m going with you. And I will drive.” Belinda plucked the keys out of Fiona’s hands.
“I’m fine. And I don’t need a babysitter.”
“From the look on your face, you look like you need a drink.”
“Make that plural,” Fiona muttered.
“And that’s why I need to drive.”
Fiona appreciated the comforting arm that Belinda placed around her shoulder. Right now she was on autopilot; her feet moved of their own accord out the front door and to the car.
“Did you want to let Leo know what’s up?”
Fiona shook her head.
“All right. Don’t shake your head off your neck.”
As they drove away, Fiona had to admit that her cousin’s company might be the right medicine. She slumped down in the seat and listened to music while the scenery slipped by unnoticed.
“Ready to talk?” Belinda drove a familiar route.
“When we get to the beach.” Fiona closed her eyes, wishing that she could also pull down the shutter on her thoughts. Really, she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to feel. And she didn’t want anyone telling her how to respond to the news.
“Getting out?” Belinda prompted when they arrived at the beach.
“Sure.” Fiona headed down the wooden walkway to the sandy area.
Her cousin followed, being the courteous one to offer greetings to the various passersby.
“Let’s sit over here.” F
iona found a large tree trunk that would suffice as a bench. She dusted off most of the sand and took a seat, scooting over for Belinda.
“All right. Not that I had anything to do, but why are we sitting out here like the world is about to come crashing down?”
“When you put it like that, it makes what I’m feeling sound shallow.” Fiona didn’t know how to read her own feelings.
“Sorry. But I’m in the dark. I’m not sure what emotion I should be feeling.”
“I have a brother.”
“You what? Get the hell out of here. When did this happen?”
Fiona filled her cousin in on the details. Belinda was too stunned to question her as she relayed the chronology of events.
“But that’s not the only reason we’re out here. So talk to me.”
“I’m angry.”
“With...?”
“Don’t be difficult. My mother.”
“I want to be clear because this is a situation that isn’t quite clear. Are you angry that your mother didn’t tell you? But can you understand why?”
“Don’t sit there taking her side.”
Belinda put her arm around Fiona’s shoulder and pulled her into a big hug. “You want to punch something?”
Fiona glared at Belinda.
“Or do you want to celebrate?”
“What?” Fiona wasn’t in the mood for taking the higher ground.
“Who’s suffering more, you or Aunt Verona? Who has to live with her decision, you or Aunt Verona? Who will be ripped apart in the media, you or Aunt Verona?”
“Oh, stop talking.”
“No, I won’t stop talking until I shove some sense into that thick head and under that thin skin of yours. You can be the supportive, strong person for your mother and father. They will need that fierce, independent attitude when things get overwhelming.”
“Would you be upset? Don’t make it sound like I’m feeling something out of the ordinary.”
Belinda didn’t answer right away. She stared out at the water, her eyes focused on a distant boat with its white sails. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I don’t want you to implode over the situation. Nothing has changed in your life. You have a brother out there, but your life with your parents doesn’t have to change. You are in control of how you react. That much I do know.”
Fiona drew up her legs to rest her chin on her knees.
Control remained the elusive element to anchor her emotions.
“Why do you figure that I shouldn’t have any feeling about this situation? My mother? This man?”
“That’s not what I was saying. Of course you have emotions. You’re human. But what you are angry about is not knowing earlier, not being in on the decision that your mom had to make, not being the one to decide that using Leo to find your brother and not tell you was a good idea. All out of your control.”
“I figured out who I want to punch.” Fiona glowered at her cousin, who held her smug smile in place.
“You can thank me later.”
Fiona groaned. “I left my mother in the sitting room.”
“Like you walked out and left?”
“Yep. And I wasn’t understanding and definitely not supportive.”
“Aunt Verona is a tough cookie. But I’m sure she’d appreciate hearing a change of heart from you. Remember, Grace kind of pushed this to the front. That had to be a lot of pressure on your mom.”
“I know who’s helping to uncover the secret, but I wonder who helped in keeping it.”
“Why? So you can get worked up again?”
Fiona thought about her comment. “Yeah.”
Belinda stood and extended a helping hand. “Let’s go. You can’t hide out here. I’m sure that your mother is really worried. If she goes to Grace to tell her that you ran off, then the entire household will be forming a search party. You didn’t leave under normal circumstances.” Belinda wiggled her fingers since Fiona hadn’t acted on the cue. “You know that we are a high-maintenance bunch.”
Finally, Fiona took her cousin’s hand. “We can go now. But I thought that I’d be drinking.”
“You didn’t need your brain all muddled while I dropped my wisdom on you.”
“Growing up sucks.” Fiona brushed the sand off her behind.
“Not all the time. You’ve got a lot to be thankful for, especially with Leo in the picture.”
“Don’t even try to segue into my personal business. We are not talking about Leo.” Fiona playfully side-bumped her on the way back to the car.
They laughed and started the drive back to the estate with a much lighter frame of mind. To think that this was supposed to be another family vacation. Maybe if she’d had an inkling of this news, she wouldn’t have shown up.
“When are you heading back toward Midway?” Belinda asked. They had a deal for Fiona to drive her back home.
“I was planning to drive back on Saturday or Sunday. What’s up?”
“Got to get back to work on Friday. Jesse set up an important meeting and would like me to be there. He’s not completely comfortable with business terminology.” Belinda looked hopeful.
“Friday, as in tomorrow?”
Belinda nodded. “It’s not like you’re going to miss anything here. My parents are gone. Dana skipped town soon after she got here. Pretty soon it’ll be Aunt Cassie, Grandpa Henry and Grace only. Not exactly three of the partying type of people.”
But Fiona wasn’t thinking of them. She planned to have a kick-butt send-off with Leo. The type of farewell that was full of X-rated fun.
“Wipe the silly grin off your face. I know you’re thinking about Leo. It’s not like you all are ending here. You told me that you were going official as boyfriend-girlfriend. Have him meet you at your place on Friday.”
“I don’t know if he’s done with Grace. Just because I was brought into the loop doesn’t mean that his part is done.”
“So ask him. It’s not breaking confidences to tell you if he can leave on Friday. Besides, if you do leave, then you don’t look so desperate.”
“And you get what you want,” Fiona countered.
“Do this, and then you don’t owe me for my counseling session.”
“Oh, gee, really? Thank you,” Fiona mocked. But she knew that by tomorrow, she’d be heading upstate.
Leaving the estate was a significant step toward reality. Since she’d arrived, the place had taken on a magical quality that she didn’t understand. The family was going to be stronger because of this information. She was happier. And even though her mother was facing hurdles, she could breathe a little easier that she didn’t have to hold on to a secret.
They pulled up at the garage and Fiona was out of the car the second Belinda turned off the engine.
“Just be ready to go by six in the morning. I want to get through the city before rush hour,” Fiona tossed over her shoulder.
“Then make it five.”
Fiona groaned but nodded. She looked at her watch and figured that Leo was done working for the day. Besides, she had unfinished business with her mom. “Thanks, Belinda. Love you lots, cuz.”
“You, too. Don’t be hard on yourself. And don’t be hard on your mom.”
Fiona waved as she headed off to search for her mother. Then she wanted to talk to Grace. And then she had to finish up her questions for Leo. He had major explaining to do. Neither his big, sexy eyes nor his crisp, smooth voice could sway her from the anger nestled in her core. She had wrecked his trust. Now he’d taken his turn to blast hers to smithereens. What raised her annoyance was the blindsiding. Leo had given nothing away, even as they’d showed their vulnerabilities to each other. This matter went beyond attorney-client privilege privilege. This was her life.
Chapter 10
Le
o looked at the third envelope that had been returned unopened with Addressee Unknown stamped across the front. An envelope had been sent every week to Dresden since Leo’s return from the Hamptons. They’d found an email address, which they used with a less detailed plea. Grace was ready whenever they got Dresden’s address to pull up in her car and personally knock on the man’s door. Leo resisted that route, preferring to play by Dresden’s rules and his timetable. And if there was no happy ending to the story, Leo was ready to break that news to Grace.
He closed the file on his desk as someone knocked on his door.
“Leo, Mrs. Meadows is here to see you.”
“Thanks, Lucia. Please show her to my office.”
Fiona popped in with a big smile. “I love your shocked expression.”
“I thought you were Grace. My secretary said ‘Mrs. Meadows.’”
“I know. I lied. Wanted to see how much you’re at attention when my grandmother is yanking your chain.”
“And...?” He opened his arms, inviting her to evaluate him.
“You look very casual.”
He nodded.
“Guess you all are practically buds now.”
“You can say that.”
“I do say that. She’s been harping on me about how wonderful you are. That you are a keeper.”
“I’m glad her conversation with you is consistent with her conversation with me.” Here they were back again, on the surface of the frozen pond. One false step and he’d be down and pulled by unseen currents. Despite the promises to head into part two of their relationship, Leo realized that Fiona stayed far away from any movement toward a real exchange of intimacy. He was trying his hardest to understand and go with the flow.
“I don’t disagree with any of it.”
“Even that I’m a keeper.”
“Especially.”
“For the record, she says that you’re a keeper, too.”
Fiona tilted her head and studied him. “She wouldn’t use those words.”
“Busted. But it’s the thought that counts.” Why did she have to dress as a sexy librarian, with black thick-framed glasses as a sweet touch?
One to Win Page 14
