by Christina OW
Yeah, Loraine understood that. Ruiz would be the logical heir, not Reno. “What’s the second thing?”
He shook his head laughing but there was no amusement in it. “Reno Sr. was legally married to my mother, not Ruiz’s.”
“What?”
“The bastard was legally married to my mom a few months after she got pregnant with me. She gave him a choice—either to make me legitimate or never see me.”
Loraine was stunned beyond stunned. His father was the modern Don Juan from the looks of it. “How do you know it was legal?”
“She organized the wedding. She wasn’t going to take any chances. But with Ruiz’s mother, he hired his friend to pretend to be a priest. My mom knew she existed but she did nothing because she wanted him to have his dream. She tolerated it for years, but when she found out about Ruiz and the fake wedding, she was already pregnant with Riana.” He ran a hand down his face then over his head. “He managed to convince her not to leave him but when she found out she was having a girl, she just couldn’t. She didn’t want Riana to follow in her example—settling for crumbs when someone else had the entire cake.”
“Does Riana know this?”
He shook his head and with a warning in his eyes he said. “No, and I don’t want her to.”
She nodded. “And what about Ruiz?”
“It’s the reason why his mother left and by then, Senior had cleared her of all she had. Ruiz only found out about the resort when he got the notice of death but he doesn’t know that his mom wasn’t the old man’s legal wife. I’m not looking forward to telling him. He was really pissed off about the inheritance thing, I could tell the first time we met and I don’t want to make it worse.”
“You’re going to have to tell him the truth, and soon.”
He sighed tiredly. “I know. I’m still taking care of that man’s mess ups.”
Loraine wished there was more she could do to help except talking. But there was something that bothered her. “Why do you say you killed your mom?”
His face creased with anguish. “We were arguing about the resort. I wanted nothing to do with it but my mom was trying to convince me to obey the old man’s last wishes. Sort of make up for not seeing his kids—as if that was our fault! I lost my temper and I started yelling at her, punching at the steering wheel. She kept trying to calm me down, telling me I was going too fast but I just kept raging on. The next thing I knew we were hit. The car rolled a few times and when it finally came to a stop, I was hanging upside down, caught by the seat belt. When I looked to my right, it was empty. My mom was gone; her side of the car was gone as well—seat, door everything. The first thing I felt was fear then relief and hope. I thought if she was tossed out, maybe she had been spared the brunt of it and I hoped she wasn’t hurt as bad as I was because Riana needed one of us to be alive. The way I felt, the excruciating pain in some part of my body, numbness in the rest…I could see the blood run out of me and pool under me and I knew I wasn’t going to last long. I blacked out and when I woke up, weeks had gone by, Riana was crying at my bedside and my mom was dead.”
Loraine felt nauseas. Relieved and glad that he survived but sick to her stomach at the image he painted. “Did she suffer?” she croaked through the lump in her throat.
Reno sniffed, wiping his tears as he shook his head. “They don’t think so. Her body was mangled with the part of the car that was ripped out.”
Bile rose in her throat and she closed her eyes wishing she hadn’t asked. She could see it in her head and she was going to be sick soon if she didn’t banish it from her mind.
“Does Riana—”
“No!” She jumped at the force of his answer. “And I don’t want her to know. The cop investigating the accident made sure she didn’t see what was left of our mother. I’d rather she be remembered whole and not body parts that had to be scraped off metal. He showed me the same consideration but I insisted on seeing.” He pressed his eyes tightly shut, tears squeezing out. “God, I wish I’d listened to him.”
The pain in his face broke her heart. His eyes had been glazed over as he told the story, like he had been stuck reliving the horror, a horror she had made him speak about. But now with his eyes tightly shut, she knew he was trying to get rid of the memory.
“Guilt, that’s what made you take on Albury’s Place.” She was practically talking to herself because his eyes were still clenched shut, as he fought to push the memory away.
She kissed his closed eyes, his cheeks, his lips as she stroked his hair, willing him to come back to the present. “Did the police say it was your fault?”
He shook his head. “I had the right of way and the semi driver was drunk.”
She winced. Dear God, a semi!
She cupped his face and turned his head up to her. “It wasn’t your fault, so stop blaming yourself. I’m sure your mom doesn’t blame you for it.”
He snorted looking up at her with wet lashes and tear streaked cheeks. “How do you know that?”
“Because that’s not what you are blaming yourself for. You blame yourself for your last words to her. They were angry, accusing nothing like what you would have said if you knew that would be the last conversation you would have with her.”
Fresh tears welled up in his eyes and he buried his face in her chest, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist as he sobbed his pain away quietly. She soothed him, her own tears flowing freely. After a while he looked up at her and whispered, “I could love you, Lori.”
Loraine swallowed her surprise and tried not to be over excited but it was useless. Any other circumstance, she would be screaming her elation, but instead she whispered back, “I could love you too, with all my heart, Reno.”
* * * *
Loraine stared down into the clear waters of Nassau harbor as the catamaran sliced through it. It looked so inviting and relaxing she couldn’t wait to go swimming. That morning when Reno woke her up to tell her they were going on a catamaran tour she had expected it. Not the tour but the dodging. He was going to keep them busy enough to forget their heart to heart conversation the night before. He was never one to voluntarily be vulnerable and it must have made him uncomfortable, and she knew he wasn’t going to open up to her again anytime soon. He was back to being him—confident and emotionally distant.
She didn’t mind. In fact, his mask was her shield from her own horrors. But his confession, when he said he could love her still had her on her toes. She was ready to wish on stars, toss coins into a fountain, and whatever other superstitious ritual she needed to do to make that come true. When she said she could love him with all her heart, she already did. She realized that after he was vulnerable with her and sought comfort from her. That sealed her fate. She was in love with him and even more determined to stay in his life, by his side.
“Hey, Lori!” Reno called out to her as he walked toward her, pointing to the houses lining its shore. “If you ever think about buying real estate on my side of the world, that’s our Hamptons. These are million dollar vacation homes.”
Loraine sighed. From prince charming to a jealous jerk. She was getting tired of how he kept on pointing out her family’s money. Yes, her father’s money, money she had no claim to, money she knew her life would have been fuller without, money that made her life miserable. She wished she could tell him this, but he would just crack it up to her ‘rich girl rebellious act’. So instead she said, “You have a commission coming to you from those mansions? Are you a real estate agent besides being a resort owner and manager? You know what they say about a Jack of all trades.”
He snorted shaking his head. “Keep your eyes open. There are some historical sites you might find interesting.”
“Oh no, that’s Riana’s thing. I’m only here to sunbath and sip champagne on the deck, like all the other rich snobs.”
Reno pulled her to him, her back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her bare shoulder then leaned his chin on it and whispered, “I’m sorry.
I don’t mean to be a jackass.”
“No?” she gibed.
He sighed, his hot breath tickling her ear. “No. Some things are just hard to get over, even now with the success I have. Working at a fast food joint, I encountered some condescending rich assholes and I still harbor some resentment.”
Loraine understood. When she was still trying to conform to how her family thought a proper heiress should behave, she was a hoity-toity royal bitch to people she was told were beneath her. Right after she would feel so ashamed and disgusted with herself she had to take a shower to wash off the grime.
She turned in his arms, sliding her hands up his hard chest and wrapping them lazily around his neck. “I get that you are bitter about your past, but you’ll never be able to enjoy the money you are now raking in, if all you think about is going back to having nothing. That fear may make you rich but it will also make you a lonely, miserable miser. Just to make things clear, that money you keep throwing in my face belongs to my father and grandfather. I work hard to spend what I have now.”
“But you still get a trust fund and spending cash?”
She shrugged. “Yes I do and I think I’ve earned that money putting up with those psychos for twenty-six years.”
Reno laughed kissing her forehead. “Okay fine, I’m an ass. Well, I guess I should start spending it now. Riana won’t take anything from me because her husband is a billionaire and Ruiz,” he shook his head with a sad sigh, “he has daddy issues worse than mine. He won’t let me give him what’s rightfully his.”
“I bet he just wants to be in his sibling’s lives, that’s enough for him now. I know I would make the same choice if I had a brother like you and a sister like Riana.”
“But that’s what doesn’t make sense. The first time he came I got the impression he wanted the resort but after a few weeks of spending time together, the harsh and angry Ruiz just disappeared.”
“Do you know what happened in his past?”
“No, but I hope it was nothing like or worse than mine.”
“He’s happy, just let him be. When the time is right, he’ll tell you.”
Reno’s lips rose in a lazy smile. “You are smarter than I give you credit for.”
She punched him in the gut and he grunted, quickly turning her around so her back was to his chest again, wrapping his arms around her. She curved her hand over his upper arm, her other hand resting on where his arms crossed over her abdomen. She loved being held like this by him, his chin resting on the crown of her head. It made her feel small and protected—safe. They stood like that in comfortable silence as they watched the beautiful scenery pass by them.
“As an apology,” he started some time later, “how would you like to go snorkeling and deep sea diving?”
She smiled, rubbing her cheek against his chest like a content cat. “Definitely.”
He tightened his hold on her and dropped a kiss on her temple. “Well it’s a good thing this catamaran offers both. Come on.”
After an hour or two of sailing, they spent the next forty five minutes snorkeling over a coral reef teeming with colorful aquatic life. It was beautiful, like being inside a high definition three-D color television. Beautiful wasn’t an adequate word to describe it. It made her understand the environmentalists, and even more the radical steps to fight against aquatic pollution. This beauty needed to be preserved, cherished and respected. She would have stayed down there all day if Reno hadn’t forced her out.
‘You don’t have gills Lori, or fins. And so you know, Atlantis is just a story.’ Ass!
After they cooled down, they had lunch of peas and rice, barbecued chicken and corn ashore on the beach of one of the islands. It was a great picnic and she had more local food to appreciate. Going to culinary school was the best decision she ever made in a long time—next to inserting herself into Reno’s life.
Loraine felt a shade cast over her and she opened her eyes to see what it was. Reno was leaning over her, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“What?”
“What are you plotting in that little head of yours?”
Loraine chuckled. “Aren’t we paranoid. What makes you think I’m plotting something?”
He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “That smile you had a few seconds ago. It was your plotting smile. You are up to something, Crazy Lori, and I’m wondering if I should be worried.”
Loraine smiled what he called her plotting smile. She was scheming alright. She was scheming how she was going to get him to love her, but there was no way she was going to tell him that. His mind would go into high gear and assume she wanted marriage. Well, yes, she did. What woman who was madly in love didn’t? But after the debacle to Georgia, he would avoid the ball and chain like a prisoner on death row would the electric chair.
“There it is again. What are you up to Crazy Lori?”
Instead of speaking, she answered him in another way. She pushed herself up on her elbows till her lips reached his and kissed him lightly. No tongue, no deep kissing just their lips doing the waltz.
She then pulled away so that she could stare into his heated brown eyes and whispered, “Now you know.”
“I ah…I ah…” His gaze darted between her lips and her eyes then he suddenly vaulted to his feet. “I need to take a dip.”
Loraine dropped her eyes to his crotch. The little guy was already tenting his swim shorts. She nibbled playfully on her lower lip, raised her knees and dropped them open. And like a trained dog, his eyes fell where she wanted them to. “You could take a dip in a place much smaller, tighter and very wet if you like. I guarantee the white waves you’ll be seeing will be much more mind numbing.”
His dick twitched rising higher. He groaned and barked with a husky tone, “Don’t move from there!” Then he turned around and ran into the blue waters.
Loraine couldn’t help but laugh. He’ll never think of her as shy when it came to sex again.
There was a loud whistle then a familiar voice said, “If I hadn’t seen that hunk run for the ocean with the biggest woody I’ve ever seen in my life, I would still be wondering if it was really you. You were always a tease Loraine Larson, but never a closer.”
The next thing Loraine did was scream.
* * * *
Reno swam a few laps in the crystal blue ocean hoping to work off some energy. He was getting tired but his dick was still pulsing with need. Seeing Loraine in that two piece string bikini had him at half-mast and his heart beating like a racing horse. He’d hoped teasing her and finding out what had her smiling would be distraction enough. He never thought she’d be thinking the same thing he was. It was good to see she wasn’t all that shy about sex. She may just be agreeable to a friends’ with benefits relationship. They may even start now.
He swam back and stood once he got to shallow waters. He swiped water out of his face and opened his eyes just in time for the kiss that turned his feet to lead. Loraine was in the arms of another man her lips pressed to his before he picked her up and twirled her around. Reno couldn’t believe this was happening. It was Georgia all over again but this time he had front row seats.
Damn! After all that he’d shared with her. He’d told her things he hadn’t even told his own sister! And now she was in the arms of another man.
I could love you. His own words taunted him, making him sneer with disgust. What had possessed him to even say that? But what disgusted him the most was that she’d said those words back and he’d actually believed her.
Well, he wasn’t going to be played a fool again. He wasn’t going to let her hurt him. He was going to act like he didn’t care then hit on the first girl he sees.
He trudged through the water until he came on shore. Purposefully he walked toward them watching as they talked, laughed and hugged. He was a few feet away when Loraine turned to him, her eyes wide. But not with fear, shock or alarm but wide with merry—like her smile.
“Reno! I’d like you to introduce you to someone.”
I bet you do! That amazed him too. She didn’t act like she was caught cheating. She was actually excited to introduce him to her boyfriend! Well, two could play at that game. He plastered a smile on his face and stopped near them, far away enough from Loraine so that she couldn’t touch him.
“Reno, I’d like you to meet Jake, my high school boyfriend.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. Of course he is! “Just high school?”
Loraine’s brows furrowed forming a deep V and he knew she’d picked up on the hostility he felt in his voice.
“Yes, just high school,” she returned with the same tone. “What’s up with you? Shark bite your ass?”
“What’s—what the hell?” Reno looked down at the hand that was running down his chest to his abdomen and too close to his shorts.
He looked up at Jake. He had the same look women gave him while they admired—more like pawed—his body. He turned to Loraine with a raised brow. “You turned your high school boyfriend gay.”
Loraine gasped her eyes as wide as her open mouth. “I did no such thing! I found him like that.”
Reno looked at the hand that was now on his bicep, his brow going up higher as he faced Loraine again. “Really?”
“If I had a hunk like this, I wouldn’t leave the bedroom!” Jake said with a breathy whimsical voice.
Loraine punched Jake in the arm, pulling him out of his reverie. “Great time to join the conversation moron!”
Reno laughed as Jake scowled at Loraine, sticking his tongue out at her. Then he turned to Reno, looking up at him with hopeful eyes and said, “You wouldn’t happen to be gay, would you?”
He laughed harder shaking his head. “No.”
“How about bi?”
Man was he persistent! “Sorry man, I like long legs that wrap around my waist when I dip into their chestnut pot, my hands filled with their boobs and my mouth around their perky nipples.”
He sneered. “You didn’t have to be cruel! A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed.”
