Neil seemed to be able to read her mind as she grew quiet. “You’re ready to go home, aren’t you? I could get us tickets to fly out tomorrow instead of Sunday. I’m booked on the same flight with you and your brother on Sunday. We can see if Eric wants to leave tomorrow also.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Kate said. “I need to see my mom on Sunday and learn more about what happened between her and dad. I feel like I don’t have the entire story. I need to deal with this as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” he said, taking out his cell phone. “I’ll call them.”
“I’ll ask Eric if he wants you to change his reservation too.”
Kate got up and walked over to Eric. When she told him about Neil’s suggestion, he agreed to leave early with them.
Chapter 14
Neil and Kate walked in the door of their condo. The minute he shut the door behind them, he scooped her up in his arms. She knew that he couldn’t wait any longer to take her to bed. He had been hinting about what he wanted to do to her for most of the flight home.
He crushed his mouth to hers, pulling on her lower lip with his teeth and then invading her mouth with his tongue. She met him hungrily, knowing exactly what was coming next. She ached to have his hands and mouth roaming her body like he had so many times before. Nothing was better than making love to this sexy man.
He carried her up the stairs, kissing her relentlessly along the way. Her excitement was bubbling up and she could feel the effects of his passion surging between her legs. She wanted him so badly, especially after all he had done the past couple of days to demonstrate his love for her. He reached his destination and threw her on the bed. She squealed with delight as he began removing her shoes and socks. He then undid her jeans and shimmied them down her legs, revealing her black lace thong. At the sight of them he growled. He unbuttoned her blouse and, as he moved the fabric to reveal her breasts, his nimble fingers grazed her nipples, causing a delicious sensation in her sex. She had worn a bra that hooked in the front on purpose, knowing that when they arrived home he would make love to her. His deft hands undid the clasp and her breasts were free.
He groaned as his eyes devoured her naked body. She continued to keep her eyes on his, anticipating what was about to happen. Neil slipped out of his shoes while he unbuttoned his shirt. Each button drew her closer to seeing his magnificent, muscular form. He slipped his shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the carpeted floor. He rapidly unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. They were pulled down, along with his briefs, joining his shirt on the floor. At last, she was gazing at her naked man in all his glory. Taking in his ripped body only added to her anticipation, making her wetter between her thighs.
“You are so sexy, baby. I love looking at your body,” she said with a naughty grin on her face.
“Not as much as I love looking at your body, my beauty,” he replied, climbing on top of her. He began kissing her again, his velvety smooth tongue stroking hers with great force. He propped himself up on one elbow, partially covering her body with his. With his free hand, he began tantalizing her body. His hand started at her neck and moved its way down to her nipple. He swirled around it until it became a hard, rosy bud. Then he journeyed down her ribs to her hips, making his way to her sweet spot. He slipped a finger inside of her and she groaned. She was ready for him to invade her body. He pulled his finger out and slid it up to her clit. She let out a soft moan when he began circling her clit with his wet finger. She involuntarily began moving underneath him as the pleasure began mounting. “Keep still, baby,” he commanded. She tried to do as she was told, but it was difficult with all of her nerve endings firing.
He continued playing with her clit as his kisses moved down to her chin, then her chest, and finally her breasts. His tongue swirled around her nipple in the same pattern as his hand did on her clit. She arched her back, feeling all of the tension rising at the apex of her thighs. His fingers continued. “Baby, I need you to come for me. I want to hear you screaming my name loudly as I pleasure your beautiful body. Show me how much you want me.”
With his command, she came. He moved his finger from her clit and slid two fingers inside her. He could feel the pulsing of her orgasm as he drove his fingers deeper into her. When she settled down slightly from what he had done to her, he moved between her legs and slid his hard shaft into her drenched slit. The feeling of him inside her was exquisite. She loved having his body on top of her, taking control of her. He began kissing her again and then found his way to his release, growling her name.
Kate was home, and it was bliss. This was what she needed after the turmoil she had experienced in the last few days. She was elated to be home and in the arms of the man who made her feel more than she ever thought possible. Every time they made love she realized that she wanted just that much more from him. She gazed into his eyes and reached up to kiss him as he looked back at her. Their kiss was pure ecstasy, and she knew then, that she would be with this man forever. He was the one for her. He had proven that by showing up when she least expected it and standing by her side through all of the drama. He had proven his love for her over and over since they had met. She didn’t know when the emotional roller coaster in her life would come to a screeching halt, but she knew that Neil was on the ride with her and he would never let her go.
Neil moved over to her side and propped himself up on his elbow. He put his hand on her stomach and looked at her intently. “On Wednesday night when I realized that you were angry with me I got really scared, baby. I was afraid that you wouldn’t be able to forgive me, that things were over between us. I would have done anything to make things right between us. You mean everything to me. I don’t ever want us to be apart again.”
“I don’t want to be apart from you either. Your dad gave you really good advice in telling you to come for me. I was actually considering moving out and living with Charlie and Mitch. I thought that perhaps things had been moving too fast between us. But when you showed up on my cousin’s doorstep I realized that the last thing I wanted was to be away from you. It has been years since I have been happy,” she said placing her hand on his face. “You make me feel more content than I ever thought possible. I love you Neil.”
Neil pulled her into his arms. He held her for a long time without saying a word. Words weren’t needed because their genuine connection felt so right.
***
Kate woke up Sunday morning feeling like rattlesnakes were attacking each other in her stomach her anxiety about talking to her mother was so high. She and her brother wanted answers about what had really happened in their parents’ marriage. Specifically, how could their break-up have destroyed their dad and the relationship they should have had with him? What had John meant about their mother’s betrayal?
Eric had crashed at a friend’s house and they were going to meet in front of her mom’s condo and go in together. Kate was dreading this conversation. She had never been very good at standing up to her mother, but she wanted answers and wasn’t going to relent until she got them. For most of her life she had submitted to her mother’s ways at the expense of her own happiness. Walking on eggshells had been a way of life until she moved in with Charlie. David had been the only person in her life that she was willing to defy her mother over. But, due to cruel fate, her mother had gotten her way in that situation too. She was determined to be stronger.
It was just after eight when Kate slid out of bed, quietly left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. What better way to thank Neil and show her love, than to make breakfast in bed for her man? After she had brewed coffee, she took out all of the ingredients and began making pancakes and eggs. They would have banana pancakes and scrambled eggs with turkey and cheddar cheese. As she really wanted to surprise him, she hoped that she could make it all and deliver it before Neil woke up. He needed spoiling, and she wanted to spoil him. Actually, she could see clearly now, that she wanted to…marry him.
She put their covered plates and
drinks on trays, along with napkins and silver wear, and carried his tray up first. When she slowly opened the bedroom door, he was still sleeping. She set his tray on the dresser and quietly hurried to get her tray of food, arriving just as he was beginning to stir. The smell of coffee had jolted his senses and he was starting to sit up as she entered the room.
“Good morning, baby,” she said with a loving smile.
“Good morning to you, too. What have we here?”
“Breakfast … in bed.”
“I definitely like the in bed part,” he said, removing the covers and getting up to greet her in his all naked glory. He kissed her and then picked up his tray. They both carefully got back into bed. Neil picked up his coffee and lifted it to make a toast. “Here’s to many more Sundays with breakfast in bed.” Kate kissed him on the cheek and they clinked their mugs together. “This is perfect timing. I’m starving.”
“Me, too. I thought this would be a nice way to start the day. I wish I was spending the entire day with you, but I have to get answers from my mother.”
“I know, baby. Do you want me to come with you? I would be good moral support.”
“You would be great moral support, but I need to do this on my own. It’s time for me to stand up to her. She’s no longer in charge of my life. I’ve needed to do this for a long time. I’m just not sure how she will react when I ask for answers. She tends to withdraw when things aren’t going the way she wants them too. Plus, I’ll have my brother there for backup.”
“Well, I’ll be here waiting for you when you come home.”
***
Kate met her brother in front of their mom’s condo. She was nervous, but her brother seemed to be at ease.
“Are you okay? You look like you might be sick,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
“I hate confrontations and somehow I just feel that there is more to the story than what we know,” she said with a sigh, “but I know that this is necessary. At least I don’t have to live here. Are you moving out soon?”
“Yeah, I’ve been saving up. I was hoping to have a couple more months, but my buddy Tony said I can move in with him. He has a two bedroom and lives by himself right now. His roommate moved out a few months ago.”
“That’s a relief. Let me know if you need help packing or anything.”
Her brother nodded. “I think that I am going to pack a bag and leave today. I’ll come back when mom is at work and get my stuff during the week.”
“Sounds like you have a good plan. Ready to go in?”
“Yes…after you,” he said, motioning for her to go ahead.
Eric unlocked the door and they walked in. Their mom was surprised to see them. She got up to greet them with a hug. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home this soon. Did you catch an earlier flight?” she asked.
“Yes, we did,” Kate said giving her mom a half-hug. “We need to talk to you about dad.”
“Sure, let’s sit down and talk. How did everything go?” she asked.
“The funeral was fine. It was what we found out afterward that is bothering us,” Eric said, his voice more stern than usual.
Their mom raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.
“We know that dad was so broken-hearted by your failed marriage that he couldn’t be in our lives. What exactly happened between you two? You always said I needed to be older for us to have this conversation when I asked you as a kid. Well, now we are both old enough,” Kate exclaimed.
Her mom sat there gazing at them. Her face was void of emotion. “What happened between your father and me is my business. I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, folding her arms over her chest.
“The only reason you wouldn’t want to talk about it is because it was your fault, wasn’t it? You are the reason our family fell apart,” Eric said, practically shouting at her.
“Your dad and I had marital problems and that’s all I want to say about it. It was a long time ago and I have moved on with my life.”
“Seriously?” Kate said in the calmest voice she could muster. “You have moved on with your life? Why won’t you just be honest with us? We deserve to know the truth about our own lives, Mom. You owe us the truth.”
“All right,” her mom snapped. “You want the truth? Your dad cheated on me and blew up our lives. I hired a detective to take pictures and told your father that I would use the pictures to destroy everything that he held dear. I did what I had to do to keep you with me. I was the better parent. Your father would not have raised you right. I’m not going to apologize for protecting you from an adulterer.”
Kate and Eric sat there dumb founded. “That wasn’t your call to make, Mom. We deserved to have a dad in our lives even if he cheated on you,” Kate hissed. “You robbed us of a relationship with him. All these years of telling us to accept things as they are and to love him for who he is must have been a big joke to you. You were the whole reason that we were suffering.
“I can’t believe that you would do this to us to have revenge on him,” Kate added, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Well, it’s easy for you to judge. You’re not a mother. I did what I thought was best for my children. Maybe someday, when you are a parent you will understand.”
She was too good at justifying her own misguided actions to have any remorse.
Kate stood up. “Thanks for finally answering our questions, if what you’ve said is even the truth. I don’t have anything else to say. I can’t comprehend why you would purposely keep our father from us and I don’t think that I ever will.”
Eric stood up as well. “Mom, I’m moving out today. I’m moving in with Tony. I’ll come get the bulk of my things during the week.”
He walked Kate to the door and hugged her. “Talk to you soon,” he said and then turned toward his bedroom to pack a bag.
Kate didn’t turn back to look at her mom. She opened the door and left without uttering another word. What was the point? When she got out to her car, she hit the steering wheel and yelled damn it. Enough was enough. Her mom had no remorse whatsoever about her actions. Had what she said even been the whole truth? Doubtful. Something seemed to be missing. She was glad that she had an appointment on Tuesday to see Dr. Cox. She needed help processing this whole thing, and everything else that had happened.
As they hadn’t talked in a couple of days, Kate took out her phone and called Charlie. Charlie had plans to meet for lunch with Natalie at Fashion Valley, so Charlie invited her to join them. Since Kate hadn’t been working with Natalie for the last few weeks it had been a while since they had spoken. Kate had missed Natalie’s beautiful face and warm friendship. She wondered if Natalie had met anyone in the last few weeks. She deserved a man like Neil who would treat her as special as she is. Once she got to the mall, she called Neil to let him know that she was okay and that she was having lunch with the girls.
They both walked up to California Pizza Kitchen at the same time. Kate embraced Charlie like they hadn’t seen each other in years, so relieved to see her best friend. They went in and found Natalie waiting inside. She was a sight for sore eyes, and Kate realized how much she had missed her, not seeing her dear friend every day at work. They hugged and then the hostess seated them.
Kate didn’t know where to start since so much had happened over the past few days, but she took a few minutes to catch up with the girls’ news first.
“Natalie, any news? Have you met any interesting guys?”
Natalie started laughing. “No, not unless you count the toddlers shopping with their moms!”
“Nat, you need to follow the advice you gave me and get a life. We could try to set you up with one of Neil or Mitch’s friends.”
Natalie shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. Speaking of Mitch, how are things with you two?” Natalie asked directing the conversation toward Charlie.
Charlie told them all about the escapades of living with her man. The smile on her face said it all—they were blissfully happy together. “En
ough about us, what’s going on with you?”
“What do you want to hear about first, Neil coming to Minnesota or my mom making sure that my dad wasn’t in my life?”
Charlie and Natalie sat there in disbelief. “What?” Charlie interjected. “Your mom prevented your dad from seeing you? I figured that you and Neil would work it out. Your mom, however, is unbelievable.”
Kate recounted the events of the past few days. Natalie just shook her head in disbelief.
“Wow! How are you going to handle this with your mom?” Natalie asked.
“Eric and I confronted her earlier today. She isn’t sorry in the least. She didn’t even try to pretend that she had any remorse. It was very disturbing to talk to her about it. In fact, she actually said that it was none of our business what happened between her and my father.”
Charlie reached across the table to touch Kate’s hand. “I’m so sorry. But at least you know now that your dad wanted you in his life. That must be a comfort.”
“You know…it is a comfort actually. I don’t feel so…rejected. It’s a much better place to be.”
“Do you think that there is more to the story?” Natalie asked.
“Who knows with my mom. She is most likely not telling us everything and she doesn’t plan on it. She just blamed everything on my dad, but we have all been in relationships and we know that it takes two people to make it work or not work.”
The waitress came to take their order. While waiting for their food to arrive, Kate told them all about Neil’s romantic gesture and how he had swept her off her feet. As she was filling in the details, she noticed a familiar presence out of the corner of her eye. She blinked repeatedly, hoping she was seeing things. But she wasn’t. It was Roger. He was with a woman and a little boy. She assumed the woman was Paulina because she recognized Jacob from his photo.
Taken By You Page 11
