Prodigal Son (Jensen Family Series)

by Michelle Day

  Paul hovered as Helen closed and locked the door then gestured for him to follow her through to the kitchen where they found Carmen trying to tempt Helen’s robustly protesting son to eat his dinner a task quickly forgotten when she saw him.

  As she came to her feet, Paul took in the large bump of her abdomen and the increased size of her breasts through the tight fitting top and experienced the simultaneous squeeze of his heart and tightening of his groin “Carmen” his voice barely above a whisper as he shortened the gap between them, ignoring Helen’s loud cluck of disapproval when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a long awaited kiss.

  Finally loosening his grip, Paul held her at arm’s length as he drank in the delicious site of her voluptuous body. Hesitantly, he reached out to lay the open palm of his hand over the mound of her stomach, a smile playing on his lips.

  Carmen watched the growing wonder in his eyes as she felt his warm hand on her, she couldn’t help it when she swayed towards him, the physical draw of him was too much for her, with hormones flooding her body, his presence only serving to heighten them, all she wanted right now was him, naked beneath her, she didn’t want to talk, she didn’t want explanations and excuses, she wanted to dig her nails into his flesh and make him groan.

  “God. Would you two come and sit down, if it isn’t hard enough getting him to eat anyway, you are causing far too much distraction.” Helen cut into their thoughts, they started guiltily and hastily sat. “So, Paul,” she began whilst deftly shoving a spoon into her sons’ mouth “Is there any particular reason you chose to show your face now?”

  Carmen cut in before he could reply “Helen, leave him alone, he’s just got here, we can tackle his reasons tomorrow.”

  “Fine.” Helen answered alternating her glare between her friend and the teenager at her table “You’d better find him somewhere to stay then hadn’t you.”

  “He’s staying here” Carmen replied.

  “Oh, I beg to differ. I’m more than happy for you to stay here but putting him up is an entirely different matter. Our lives are disrupted enough by the constant streams of reporters and photographers trying to get a glimpse of you without the added attraction of him coming and going.”

  “There’s no press outside now.” Paul commented.

  “Then it would be a good time for you to leave.” Helen answered “Besides, it’s so cold outside at the moment that they tend to disappear when the sun goes down.”

  “It’s not much warmer in here,” he told her, wishing the instant the jibe came out of his mouth that he’d bitten his tongue.

  “I take it you remember the way to the door?” Helen snarled at him.

  Paul stood, his long confinement at home and the fraught evening had served to fuel his temper and he bit back the stinging retort bouncing around his head “If I could just make use of your facilities, I’ll be happy to leave.” He said tightly.

  The venomous hissed argument that took place while he was in the bathroom had the desired effect and by the time he returned to the kitchen to say goodbye, he was told he could stay but that he would under no circumstances be allowed into Carmen’s room and he was sleeping on the sofa. When Helen took Luke upstairs to bath him and read him a bedtime story, Carmen snuggled close to Paul on the sofa, explaining to him that Helen slept like she was dead and she would come and get him when the coast was clear. He made mild protestations at this deception but once Carmen laid her hand over his groin and whispered in no uncertain terms what she wanted to do to him, he was one hundred percent behind the idea.

  He was dozing in between fits of shivering as the house was horribly cold when Carmen came for him, silently leading him up the stairs and to her room, closing the door, perching on the bed and beckoning him forward. Leaning down to kiss her, he could feel her hands all over him, opening his jeans, prying off the layers of clothing over his torso, finally standing naked in front of her, goose bumps rising on his skin.

  “Why is it so cold in here?” He asked, the freezing air distracting him from her mouth lapping at him.

  “Helen doesn’t like to leave the heating on for too long, she’s afraid she won’t be able to afford the bill.” Carmen explained. She kissed his abs, licking where she had just kissed while her hands massaged him to erection, or at least tried. “What’s wrong?” She asked, gently squeezing him before looking up into his eyes.

  Observing his goose pimpled flesh and his still soft manhood, Paul was less than impressed with himself, “I’m freezing,” he shivered “And as much as I would love to stand here and let you blow me, I think I’d rather be under the covers warming up right now.”

  “I’m sorry; I guess I’ve got used to being cold,” she shuffled back across the bed and pulled back the covers, laying her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, letting her hand drift once again to his groin.

  “It doesn’t help that the windows rattle every time there’s a breeze” He complained half heartedly, her naked body and expert hands were beginning the have the desired effect.

  “Perhaps you could do something about that while you are here, it would thaw Helen out towards you I’m sure. Kiss me.”

  With the bump of his baby pressing into him, Paul found it difficult to get as close as he wanted to her without angling his body away, his hand caressed the bump as his tongue played with hers, he felt movement under the skin and broke the kiss moving down to her swollen stomach, he pressed his lips to it, softly covering it with kisses, the baby kicked again.

  “You aren’t going to make this easy are you baby?” he spoke quietly to his child “Fair’s fair little one, you’ve had her for months, now it’s my turn.”

  “Stop it.” She laughed, her hand in his hair.

  “You are even more beautiful with the bump.” He told her “I want you so badly but I have no idea how we are going to do this.”

  Carmen sat up and pulled him into another kiss, then, turning her back on him, she lowered herself onto her left side, guiding him behind her, her hand reaching backwards for him, smiling when she felt the warmth of his body pressed into her back and his hardness probing for entry.

  “This isn’t working,” Paul whispered a few moments later “I can’t feel anything,” he withdrew and balanced on his knees, encouraging her on to all fours “Is this ok for you?” He asked.

  “Yes, what are you waiting for?” she replied over her shoulder.

  Paul wasted no time in ramming into her; she was ready for him, bracing her hands on the mattress, pushing back against him, smiling behind the veil of her hair when the long low groan escaped through his lips. His fingers were digging into her hips as he repeatedly powered into her, altering the speed and angle constantly making the experience more pleasurable for both of them. Although it lasted only moments, Paul was panting for breath and certainly warmer when it was over. He settled down happily, Carmen wrapped in his arms as they began to discuss everything that had happened over the months of their separation.

  “Have you been with anyone else since we’ve been apart?” Carmen asked.

  “No.” He answered truthfully.

  “You haven’t learnt any new skills then?” She smiled in the darkness, knowing from his tone that he wasn’t lying.

  “You’d hate me if I had.” He answered.

  “True. Would you tell me if you had?”

  “Probably not.” Again the truth.

  “Oh.”

  “Not because I wanted to lie,” he explained “But because I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

  “I see.” She answered.

  “I have learned that if I have a wank with my left hand it feels like someone else is doing it,” he admitted and heard her soft laugh “I also learned that getting blind drunk and announcing to your entire family during your parents anniversary dinner that you have got your girlfriend pregnant probably isn’t the best way to inform them.”

  “You didn’t?” she gasped, she hauled herself into a sitting position and
switched on the bedside light, looking over at him, as he stretched out on the far side of the bed.

  “I did.”

  “What happened?”

  “My Dad went nuts or so I’ve been told, I was drunk, I don’t remember saying anything, I apparently told him he should show me some respect, bad move.” He shrugged.

  “Did he hit you?”

  “Yep. His first blow knocked me out, I didn’t feel the others but the bruises let me know how much of a beating I got.”

  “You should stand up to him.”

  “There’s no point, it only makes things worse.”

  “You are big enough to defend yourself though.” Carmen countered.

  “Yes.” He agreed “And I know I can take him and that my temper is every bit as bad as his but I won’t hit him, that would mean bringing myself down to his level and I won’t stoop that low.”

  “You really have given this a lot of thought haven’t you?”

  “Uhuh. What scares me though is that one day he’ll push me too far and I will lash out.”

  “It’ll be no more than he deserves.” Carmen countered.

  “I know, but what if I take a swing at him and I can’t stop? I’ll kill him. I have it in me; I can feel it every time he has a go at me.”

  “You won’t, you have far too much self control for that.”

  “I’m glad someone thinks that. I’m not so sure.” He admitted. “Enough of that now, tell me more about Helen, I’m getting a serious man hater vibe off of her.”

  As they snuggled closer, warming each other with their body heat, Carmen explained that she and Helen had been friends since nursery school and were extremely close. Helen had married in her late teens, the boy in question had been her sweetheart all through secondary school and they had a close loving and faultless relationship right up until Luke was born whereon, Helen focused all of her attention on her baby, alienating her husband which in turn made him leave.

  Initially concerned when her husband failed to return from his cigarette finding expedition, Helen contacted the police and reported him missing, it was a week later when the police tracked him down and he confirmed who he was and that he wouldn’t be going home. The police duly informed her that the case was closed; her husband was alive and well and had no intention of returning home. Helen coped well with the news, consoling herself with the rearing of her son; she fell apart later that month when the divorce papers arrived.

  Helen hadn’t had the foresight to have herself either on the mortgage or deeds of the quaint two bedroom bungalow they lived in, resulting in her husband taking everything in an awful, drawn out divorce. He graciously gave her enough money to buy another property after the bungalow was sold along with a lump sum payment for child support before he disappeared from her life for good.

  Carmen had taken leave of absence from college and cared for Luke whilst her friend slowly but surely pulled herself together. When the money ran out, Helen went into panic mode and would be forever grateful to Carmen for the shopping she brought and the clothing she provided for both her and her baby. Helen survived on a day to day basis on the small wage she received from her part time job but there was nothing left over for luxuries and she often went without food in order to feed her quickly growing child.

  When he woke the following morning, the first thing Paul noticed again was how cold it was. His bare chest and shoulders were protruding from the covers and he shivered as he rescued the duvet and tuned to press his cold torso into Carmen’s naked back. Carmen shrugged him off. Covered entirely by the duvet, she was snugly warm and resented the intrusion of his cold skin against hers. Sighing, Paul left the bed and hastily donned his clothing before creeping down the stairs to the kitchen.

  Opening the door, his heart dropped when he heard Helen cajoling her son to eat his breakfast but he couldn’t help but smile at the robust blond child as he entered the room for the boys face and hair was smeared with cereal and he was slapping his hands happily in the spillage contained by the tray attached to his high chair.

  “You didn’t stay on the couch for long.” Helen accused, accosting her son and cleaning him up.

  “Er, yeah, sorry.” He mumbled .

  “Carmen’s bed creaks,” she continued, to her surprise, Paul blushed and she felt her steely resolve towards him softening “It’s ok; it gets cold downstairs, just try to keep the noise down.”

  “Sorry.” He repeated.

  “Do you know how long you will be here?” She asked, Luke was holding his arms up to her, his protests getting louder as she ignored him.

  “Not yet, that will depend on Carmen.”

  “Oh, ok. Do you want something to drink?” She asked, she heaved the wriggling child out of his high chair and set him on the floor where on his chubby legs promptly carried him to Paul.

  “Tea thanks,” Paul replied, hating the awkwardness “Helen, I do appreciate you letting me stay here.”

  “It’s ok.” She shrugged, not turning to look at him.

  “I know it’s been difficult for you having the press hanging around here, I’ll sort it so that they leave you alone.”

  “You don’t have to do that, they’ll get bored eventually, some big story will hit sooner or later and you won’t be flavour of the month anymore.”

  “Ok whatever, look Helen, please don’t think I’m being condescending or trying to belittle you in way at all......”

  “But,” Helen prompted when he faltered.

  “I’ve noticed a few things that I could help with around the house,” he blurted. “Pretty much all of the windows need new putty and repainting at the very least and you are only single glazed, it’s what I do, what I’m good at. I can put them right while I’m here.”

  “I know the house is a mess but I can’t afford to do the repairs.”

  “No, no, I’d like to do it, call it a gift from me to you for looking after Carmen, besides, there’s only so much she and I can talk about, it’ll keep me busy and have the end result of warming the house up a bit, I just need someone to take me into town so that I can get everything I need.”

  “That’s very kind of you, it would be a great help. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all” he smiled then and even she had to catch her breath “I’ll get some money out of the bank while I’m there, it’ll help towards the added bills you must have while Carmen’s here.”

  “I don’t want your money,” she answered “He wants you to pick him up.” She gestured to her son who was standing, arms raised by Paul’s feet.

  Paul stooped and swung the child into his arms, looking into the huge brown eyes, he smiled again “Hey bud,” he crooned at the child “I just want to help you both out and I’m not boasting when I say I can afford it. Your friendship means a lot to Carmen and while I know you don’t approve of our relationship, it makes it all the more poignant that you have helped her regardless of that. It’s time I gave something back.” He winced as the boy pulled his hair.

  “Luke,” Helen warned and stepped close enough to disentangle his hand from Paul’s hair, she made the mistake of looking into the young man’s face. She had to admit to herself that he was beautiful, and kind. “Do you love her?” She asked, this close, she would see if he hesitated or lied.

  “Yes. I want what’s best for her.” He answered.

  Satisfied that he had spoken the truth, she removed Luke from his arms and stepped away “I can see why she likes you so much.” She put her toddler back on the floor “And it would be nice not to hear the windows rattle every time there is a slight breeze.” She backhandedly accepted his help.

  “Cool, can I have a pen and some paper, I’ll make a list.”

  For the following week, Paul worked hard, fixing all of the windows throughout the house, even buying temporary double glazing and doing a general bit of decorating as well as plying both Helen and Carmen with vast amounts of money to stop both women worrying about forthcoming bills. Helen secretly admitted to
herself that it was good to have a man about the house, outwardly; she admitted to Carmen that although Paul was still only a teenager in years, in attitude, he was very much a man and she completely understood what she saw in him.

  Back in the Jensen house, all hell broke loose when Monica discovered Paul’s absence. Having calmed Michael over the revelations in the papers, she had gone in search of her son only to find the bedroom empty. When Matt came out of the shower, he was questioned over his brothers’ whereabouts; she became irate when Matt couldn’t give her any information, positive that this son was lying to her. She cursed herself for taking Paul’s phone from him, at least she would have had some line of communication even if, as she suspected, he didn’t answer her calls immediately.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Coming up empty handed at home, her next port of call was her parent’s house, again, they had no information for her but suggested that she try her brother as Paul and John had a close relationship and if Paul had run anywhere, it would have been to his Uncle. She received no reply from John’s home phone; she drove to his flat only to be told by a scantily clad woman that John had left after a phone call earlier that evening. Barging past the woman, Monica told her that she would wait until her brother returned, suggesting to her that she dress properly and leave.

  John saw Monica’s BMW parked on the road shortly before pulling into his allotted parking space and sighed, his sister was obviously on the war path. Letting himself into his flat, he glanced into the bedroom, noticing his empty bed before going through to the lounge to find Monica sitting, stiff backed on his most comfortable armchair.

  “Hello Mon.” He said quietly, choosing to sit opposite her.

  “Where is he?”

  “He needs some space.” John started “I think you should give it to him.”

  “I’m not here to play twenty questions with you. You can be as irresponsible with your own life as you like but I will not allow you to encourage my son into the same lifestyle now tell me where he is.”

  “I took him to Gloucester.” John admitted.