Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)
Page 30
But then he saw the sheer, naked pleasure shining in her eyes.
And everything spontaneously combusted.
His release detonated through him in shards of scorching hot shrapnel. A loud roar filled his head as firebursts of lights exploded behind his eyelids.
Never had he come so hard in his life.
Hand braced against the wall to keep himself upright, he willed his heart rate to slow back down to a near-human pounding. It took a while. But when his ears finally did stop buzzing, his still-recovering brain eventually registered that he was the source of the low, feral sounds of raw, male satisfaction echoing around the bathroom.
And that the one content, soft little sigh he just heard had come from Tessa.
*
SNUGGLED UP ON THE COUCH, making sleepy chitchat, Tessa wondered what normal flingers do when the night was winding down.
It didnât seem like Brian had any intention of going anywhere. Weirdly enough. But since they were out of condoms, she honestly didnât see what more fling-sanctioned activities they could do for the rest of the night.
And on the tail end of that thought, it occurred to her that she didnât have the first clue what his normal protocol was in this type of situation because theyâd never discussed his rules for flings. A horrible oversight, which, in hindsight, couldâve saved her a lot of research if sheâd just let him present his rules first.
Before she could gear up to broach the topic to him, however, Brianâs attention was snagged by her little memorabilia collection next to the TV. He sat forward, peering at the lunch pails and thermoses and random trinkets on the top shelf in surprise. âNever wouldâve pictured you for an old school Saturday morning cartoon collector.â
Grinning, she shook her head. âIâm not. Those were actually Willowâs old lunch pails and toys that got handed down to me.â She smiled up at the Muppet Babies thermos and old school Strawberry Shortcake pencil case. âBut just because Iâm not a collector doesnât mean Iâm not a card carrying fan of â80s cartoons. Because I am. If you havenât noticed by my tshirts.â
âSilverHawks!â he exclaimed then, out of the clear blue sky.
She chuckled, inordinately pleased with his outburst.
âThatâs your ringtone on your phone, isnât it? I knew I recognized that music. Man, I used to love that show when I was a kid.â
âItâs on Cartoon Network. When I used to stay up late to keep an eye on Willow while she was asleep, Iâd have myself a little â80s cartoon fest. It was actually a lot of fun.â
He grabbed the remote and pulled her against him on the couch. âWell itâs three a.m. now. Letâs see if there are some good cartoons on before we go to bed.â
Something warm and fuzzy expanded in her chest then, even as her brain registered that the we in the going-to-bed part was probably a flagrant fling violation for her stupid ârules.â
She sighed and was just about to mention it when he tilted his head at her and asked, âHey, I meant to ask, since we fell asleep working earlier, did we already break your first fling rule? Youâre not pissed are you?â
Good question. One she should probably know the answer to. âUmâ¦â
âI mean I know our sleeping right now wouldnât be a big deal since itâs pretty much morning but last nightâs little nap session was definitely during the p.m. hours. I thought Iâd better get a clarification.â
And a clarification you shall get. As soon as she figured it out.
Geez, she hated these rules.
Before she could even begin to make up something that would sound like a logical answer, however, the question king fired off another one. âAlso, since our date last night was interrupted, if I want to just stay here so I can hang out with you again tonight, that wouldnât be breaking your consecutive-night rule would it?â
Another humdinger. âWellâ¦â
âDo you want to check that ironclad rule book of yours for clarification?â he queried with a broad smile she felt nuzzling against her cheek.
It was possible the man was on to her.
âOkay, okay,â she fessed up, âso those arenât exactly my rules.â
âYou donât say…â His smile moved up to her temple and turned into a gentle kiss.
âAnd perhaps âexpertâ was a bit of a stretch in terms of my fling repertoire.â
âYeah,â he chuckled, sounding pleased, âI kind of got that.â
She pulled back and gazed into his eyes curiously. âWhat gave me away?â Sheâd thought she did pretty a good job during his vetting process.
âMy first clue was all those dvd rentals and notebook. Either you were fibbing just a tiny bit about the flinging, or you were in some sort of player cult and you had a book report due on monday.â
She felt her cheeks flush bright red. âThen whyâd you sign that list and play along?â
âBecause I like you. A lot. And I want to be with you. So if I need to sign my initials next to a bunch of rules I had every intention of breaking anyway, I didnât see what the big deal was.â
Her lips twitched to the side. The guy was just too much.
With no retort for him in sight, she did what she always did when her brain went on the blinkâshe simply said the first thing that popped into her head. âThereâs a good chance Iâm going to get attached to you if youâre not careful.â
He kissed the tip of her nose. âWell then youâll have good company.â
CHAPTER NINE
TESSA TOOK A DEEP BREATH and hit send on the number sheâd been staring at for the last five minutes, wondering over her sanity for even going through with this.
âHello?â
âHey, Mom.â
âTessa?â
She flinched. It was always a small kick in the shins when she heard that puzzled question mark.
âYep. Itâs me, Tessa.â The only one I know of who calls you mom. She shoved down that unwelcome-stray-dog feeling and asked brightly, âHowâve you been? Howâs the new job?â
âOh, itâs going spectacularly. My sales numbers are through the roof.â
Sales numbers? Ah, so this was a new, new job. âI take it the advertising focus group job was a bust?â
âOh that job? That was ages ago. My goodness, when did I talk to you last?â
âUmâ¦I left you a message around Christmas, then again to wish you a Happy New Year.â
But you never called back.
âWell that explains it. Over the past few months, your mother has quickly become one of South Beach Miamiâs rising stars in the feminine beauty product sales catalog biz. Theyâre even going to let me start crossing over to some of the male beauty product lines as well. Isnât that fabulous?â
The feat of her mother sticking out a job for a few months was in fact, pretty fabulous. âThatâs great, Mom. And you really sound happy about this one.â
âOh, I am. This is definitely my calling.â
One of her many. Her âcallingâ last summer had been radio commercial acting. And before that, it had been a phone service rep position that sheâd deemed perfect because all it had required her to do was read out of a manual. But of course, sheâd quit the job three days later because, well, all it had required her to do was read out of a manual.
The worst of the bunch had been the work-from-home scam from three years ago. That one had ended with Tessa having to wire five thousand dollars to her mother to tide her over until the sports equipment testing job finally panned out.
This stroll down memory lane was seriously bumming her out. âSo, Mom, I met this guy,â she blurted out then, cutting to the chase.
> âOh, honey, how wonderful! You havenât dated in⦠Wow, when was the last time you dated?â
That would be never. Thanks for remembering. She sighed. âAnyway, like I was saying, I met a guy. And heâs pretty great.â
âGive me all the details, sweetie. Whatâs he do for a living?â
âHeâs a high school business teacher.â
âGood, good, so heâs not a freeloader. Those are fun to play with for a night, but getting rid of them can be such a pain.â
As utterly bizarre as this conversation was, this was actually the longest and most engaged conversation Tessa could ever recall them having. Dropping onto her couch, she settled in and tried to wrap her brain around the entire experience.
âIs he handsome? Does he work out a lot? Ooh, what color are his eyes? Iâm always a sucker for sexy eyes.â
Tessaâs mind did a few more flips before she got her bearings and replied, âYes, heâs absolutely gorgeous. Errrâ¦Iâm assuming he works out a lot because heâs also a football coach at the high school where he works.â Was that a squeal on the other end of the phone line? So surreal. âAnd his eyes are amazingâan ocean blue most of the time.â
âOh, he sounds just yummy. Iâm so happy for you, dear.â
Irrationally, Tessa felt like she was going to start crying. She couldnât remember the last time her mother had ever been so attentive, so affectionate.
âHis name is Brian, by the way. And he has a fantastic daughter in middle school.â
A stark pause and then an almost horrified, âA daughter? Oh, Tessa, no.â
Aaand, they were back. The way her mother said her name never failed to make her feel two inches tall and far more than a dollar short.
âTessa, you canât date a man with a child. You wonât be able to avoid getting serious.â
She paused a beat before admitting, âWhat if Iâm thinking of getting serious?â
Her mother gasped. âYou can not be thinking of having a long-term relationship with this man, Tessa. Itâs just not right. You know as well as I do that this would just end in heartbreak for everyone involved. Especially if he has a daughter. Heâs probably looking forâ¦well, someone a little different from you.â
âHe and Skylar both know about my being a dropout. He didnât think anything of it.â
âSo youâve told him everything?â
Tessa remained silent.
âThatâs what I thought. Have a heart. Donât take this any further. He sounds like a very nice man who deserves better.â
Better than me.
âTessa, you know I love you. And you know I want you to be happy. But not at the expense of someone else. Besides, why are you even looking for something serious anyway? Look at my life. A hot, brand new model every few months to drive around, nothing to tie me down. The world is my oyster. I couldnât be happier. Take it from me, there is simply no better way to live.â
Tessa could think of a thousand better ways to live.
And she could picture Brian in every single scenario.
âI know you think Iâm wrong about this, but I also know that you know Iâm right. You should just end it now. Before itâs too late. Let the man be happy.â
Right, because heâd be miserable with me. She couldnât take anymore. âMom, Iâve got to get going. I forgot I need to head over to the care home in a half hour.â
âOh, thatâs nice. Youâre still doing that volunteer work?â
Everything HD-related was always âvolunteer workâ to her mother; she simply couldnât comprehend it in any other context.
So it didnât really matter whether she answered her or not.
âI really got to go. Thanks for chatting with me, Mom.â
âAlright, well good luck with everything. Remember, itâs always better to just rip the band-aid off. And darling, you know you donât have to thank me. Thatâs what Iâm here for.â
Tessa wasnât going to touch that one.
âBye, Mom.â
*
BRIAN CAME BACK in from his morning run and knew something was wrong the second he stepped foot in the door.
He was already racing across the house to Skylarâs bedroom, the muffled sounds of her crying slashing him with blades of paralyzing fear. He practically took the door off its hinges as he burst through, expecting to see a scene not unlike a post-apocalyptic disaster zone.
âSky-bug, whatâs the matter?â He eased over to her window seat, where she was curled in a tight ball, trying her best to get her crying under control. âAre you hurt?â
âI c-canât s-stop,â she stuttered, her breathing heaving in and out uncontrollably.
Brian ran out to the kitchen and returned with a paper bag. Holding it over her mouth, he squeezed her hand and said in the calmest voice he could, âJust breathe, honey. Keep your eyes on me and just breathe nice and easy, in and out. Donât think about anything else except for the sound of your breathing.â He nodded encouragingly when her gasping breaths started to slow. Removing the bag, he continued in a soothing murmur, âOkay now we have to do the belly breathing; remember how we used to help mom? Slow deep breath in through your nose, fill your belly up with airâ¦and then out through your mouth. Good, just like that. Just a few more. Take your time.â
Meanwhile, Brian was on the verge of hyperventilating himself.
The five minutes it took for Skylarâs breathing to return to normal felt like the longest of his life.
âHow you doing?â he asked gently when her eyes were no longer the size of saucers. âReady for a glass of water?â
Skylar nodded, exhausted, and slumped against the wall while he went to get her a drink.
It took far more restraint than he thought he possessed to remain silent as he watched her ease back out of her panic attack. Remembering how walking used to help Beth, and wanting to give Skylar a change in environment just in case that was the trigger, he held out his hand. âCâmon, letâs get some fresh air in the backyard.â
By the time they were both seated in the gazebo, she was looking relatively calm.
âYou want to tell me what happened back there?â
Her gaze dropped to the ground, and she shrugged half-heartedly. âItâs nothing.â
âThat was not nothing, sweetie. Do you need me to call your therapist? Schedule you an emergency appointment?â
At her smothered cringe, he grew even more confused. âAre you having a problem with Dr. Gibson?â Skylar had been going once a week for over a year now and never had he heard any complaints from either side.
âNo, I just… Iâm having a hard time talking to her lately.â She slid her focus over to the orchid plants woven into the far end of the gazebo. âI feel like we talk about the same things every week andâ¦itâs like she canât hear me, like no one can hear me. Except for Becky. And Tessa.â
Brian tensed. âSo this is about the gene testing again?â
âNot just the gene testing. Itâs all of it.â She shook her head and looked away. âYou just donât get it. None of you get it.â Her voice was starting to sound panicked again.
âThey canât get it, sweetie,â called out a calm voice approaching them. âNot unless you explain it to them.â
They both looked up to see Tessa walking across the lawn to join them.
When did she get here?
âSkylar texted me while you were on your run,â she explained, at his questioning look. âI got here as quickly as I could and I let myself in. You left the front door ajar.â
He had?
Everything had been such a blur. Still wa
s. Skylar had been talking for nearly ten minutes now and he still didnât have a clue how to help her.
Tessa sat down on the railing opposite of them and said quietly, âSkylar, itâs not that they donât want to hear you, itâs that they canât understand what youâre going through. You need to explain it to your doctors, to your father. I know you think they should get it because they already saw your mom go through it, but I guarantee you, they donât.â Her eyes landed on his as she continued, âSo just start from what you feel like when you wake up every day. Describe it if you canât explain it. And go from there.â
Brian watched in horror as tears filled Skylarâs eyes again. How had he not known his little girl was going through so much agony? âIâm listening, honey. And I promise Iâll hear you. Justâ¦talk to me, please.â
âItâs not every morning,â Skylar whispered as she looked up at Tessa, almost as if reaching for a lifeline before repeating, âItâs not every morning, but some mornings I wake up and I wonder if todayâs going to be the day that Iâll know for sure if I have HD or not. And for the five or ten minutes that I sit there and think about it, I feelâ¦almost happy. Like I can finally breathe again.â Her voice dropped a bitter note lower. âBut then after that one short breath, itâs like Iâm drowning all over again. I go to school and see my friends laughing and talking about stuff like what awesome things they want to do when they grow up⦠Normal teen stuff. I see them sitting there not worrying about anything reallyâsomething I never get to do. And when I see that, I get so jealous and sad and angry. And I just canât breathe.â
Brianâs hand gripped the handrail tighter to avoid reaching for her.
A frustrated strength began vibrating through in her words. âI know everyone thinks itâs better for me not to take the gene test, and I understand why. If it comes back positive, all that tells me is that Iâm going to get HD one day, and thatâs it; thatâs all itâll tell me. Not when, not how. So I get it. Everyoneâs worried that Iâm going to get all depressed and give up. Or that Iâm going to get all stupid with my life because I think Iâm going to die anyway.â A shudder wobbled her voice. âBut what everyone doesnât get is that not knowing makes me feel all of that anyway and more. I feel like Iâm not getting toâ¦I dunno, accept it. Or deal with it.â