by Christina OW
“Momma, I finally caught a fish!” DJ cheered, jumping up and down as Damien fought to hold their wiggling dinner in his hands. And it was a big one. Quickly he opened the ice box and dropped it in.
“Thank God!” she mumbled to herself. She was sure they were going to be out there for the rest of the night. DJ never liked to give up until he’d accomplished his goal. A good and time-consuming trait. “Good job, honey!” she yelled back.
Damien chuckled, handing DJ the cooler, “Here, carry this to the cabin while I carry your mom.”
“Okay,” DJ took it, carrying it against his side as he walked towards the cabin, leaning heavily to one side, his lower lip caught between his teeth, brows drawn together.
Tasha chuckled, watching him, “How heavy is that thing?”
“Not so much. I think it’s the size of it that makes him look like he’s carrying a ton. Ready?”
She nodded, her breath caught in her throat at how smoldering his eyes had gotten. He swung her up in her arms with such ease, it never stopped to amaze her. “How much do you bench press?”
She felt the rumble of his chuckle against her chest that was pressed against his. He graced her with one of his smiles that turned her insides to liquid. It would explain how she fell into his bed the first time.
“Why? You don’t weigh that much.”
A skeptical brow went up, “So, I guess a lot.”
He chuckled, “I like to keep fit.”
“I can tell,” she felt hot all of a sudden. Grasping for a safe topic, she asked, “So what’s for dinner, besides fish?”
“Roast potatoes and of course, vegetables.”
She pouted, “I’m never going to get over how easily you get him to eat his vegetables.”
Damien kissed her nose, surprising her, “What if I make it up to you with a nice bottle of white wine to go with the fish.”
She kissed his chin, “You’re already forgiven.”
Dinner went well like always, but this time it felt different. It felt more like a family dinner the way they joked and laughed, forgetting the outside world; except for the one in their little cabin in the middle of the woods next to the river. She was afraid the magic would last only for that one night, but it hadn’t. Two weeks and counting and they felt more and more like a family with each passing day. She felt more a part of it now that she’d taken over the cooking duties and some light cleaning. Damien still did all the heavy lifting, but they settled into their natural roles quite well.
“I’m going to divorce Tom,” she said one night. They were seated in front of the fire, cuddled together on the couch, her with a glass of wine and him with a bottle of beer. It was another thing that had come naturally to them. Like putting DJ to bed together.
He stroked her hair over her shoulder. Then he grabbed her thigh and pulled her back, more into his side. “Good.”
“I want to try again,” she said shyly into the following silence, glad she wasn’t facing him. It gave her courage to finally ask for what she wanted.
She felt his lips on her exposed neck and she shivered. “Even better,” he whispered into her ear.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“How did we meet? How did the whole affair start?”
He didn’t respond and she was sure he wouldn’t when he suddenly sighed heavily. She watched as he took her glass out of her hand and it disappeared behind her. Then she quickly clutched on to his arm when her ass left the couch and he moved, still holding her up before placing her down. Her back against the arm rest and her legs over his thighs. He watched her. His eyes solemn and questioning. It made her fidget anxiously. His lips lifted in half a smile and he stroked her legs as if to calm her.
“Your wine is behind you if you need a drink.”
She shook her head, “No. I would rather be sober when we have this discussion.”
He chuckled, “Alright. You and I met in Miami.”
Her first instinct was to say ‘I’ve never been there’ but how would she know? So she stayed silent and let someone else in her life fill her up on her past.
“I was lounging by the hotel pool and you walked right into my eye view and sat right in front of me on the other side of the pool. I got as randy as a green teenager. I nicknamed you Victoria Secret right then.”
She fought a smile. That explained why he kept calling her that or VS. It may also explain why she answered to it without trying to find out why, “Quit with the flattery and just get to the story.”
A thick brow went up, “Why is it beautiful women never can take a compliment? Anyway, I decided then and there that I had to meet you. We got to talking and one thing led to another…” his lips spread in a wolfish grin, a glint in his eyes.
Tasha smiled shyly, “You mean I fell for that smile and I lost my panties that same night?”
He chuckled, “We spent the whole weekend in bed. Best time of my life.”
“Well, it’s mine too ‘cause I got the best kid anyone could ask for from that weekend.”
“Yup, definitely the best weekend of my life.” His hand ran up and down the inside of her legs and the weird feeling made her want to fidget again, but she held herself still.
“So, tell me about your year of discovery. What did you do?”
She chuckled and his grin widened, “Year of discovery. I like that.” He leaned over her—damn he smelled good—and then moved back with a glass of wine in one hand and a long neck in the other. He handed her the wine as he sipped from his bottle. She followed suit, sipping the sweet wine and enjoying the bouquet as it rolled on her tongue.
“Well, the first few days were very confusing. I seemed to always wake up with no memory each morning, forgetting who everyone was and they had to keep reminding me.” She chuckled, “It got to a point that DJ made these name tags—Mike, friend and DJ’s godfather, Elaine, sister and DJ’s godmother, DJ, son who loves you very much,” she choked on that one. She used to tear up each time she saw it when her mind began holding onto memories, “and Tom, he wouldn’t wear his until DJ showed me why. It was, Tom, we don’t know him.”
“What?”
She waved his concern away. “Well, Elaine said I imagined that and I was in no position to question her. But later it read Tom, husband. And it wasn’t in DJ’s handwriting.” She took another sip of wine. “Once I began retaining simple things like names of my family and objects, my physiotherapist and neurologist thought I should learn the other stuff while learning to walk, like toddlers do. Apparently, doing the same physical movements every day would help my memory.”
He nodded and Tasha didn’t doubt he knew what she was talking about even though she still didn’t.
“It was hard work and it hurt like hell, falling on my ass all the time. My pride mostly took a beating. But DJ helped, cheering like I won the super bowl with each steady step I took.”
Damien ran his hand up and down her legs, squeezing the calves. “You know what the super bowl is? We are going to get along just fine.”
She smacked his chest playfully with the back of her hand. The man was hard with muscles she’d only seen on Mike. Damn! She drew her hand quickly away and he smirked as if he knew why.
Ass! She smiled. “It took a few weeks, but my legs got the hang of walking straight and I had toned my arm muscles while keeping myself up; it made holding a pen easier. If we had started with writing and not my legs, I would have lost all hope and fallen into a depression.”
“DJ would never allow that,” he spoke with conviction. A few weeks together and he had their son pegged. DJ was no quitter.
“In fact, he’s the one who taught me how to read and write. He made it fun. He said I did the same when I noticed he was smarter than the average kid,” she swirled the red liquid in her glass, “you know, my biggest regret is not remembering the pregnancy, his birth and all his firsts. He’s a remarkable child and as his mother I should remember all his first accomplishments. He probably start
ed talking—not baby talk, but talking—at the age of one, walking at seven months and reading at two years.”
He smiled sadly, “I would have given anything to be there for all of that.”
His confession filled her with guilt and she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes, “Maybe my not remembering is my punishment for not telling you I was pregnant. The least I could have done was record it so you wouldn’t have had to miss anything.”
He squeezed her leg, “Hey, calm down and no your amnesia was not a punishment. And you did try to tell me. You called several times but always got cut off before you could say much.”
She was relieved she at least tried to contact him. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was Tom who kept her from telling him. He was a jackass like that. Why the hell did I stay with him all these years?
“Tell me more about your year,” he urged with an encouraging smile.
She sighed heavily, the emotional moment passed, “Well, the moment I left the facility—”
“You mean rehab?” he cut in.
She shook her head, “No and I found that strange at the time. I was the only patient there and they all got to stay with me—DJ, Mike, Elaine and Tom—in rooms down the hall from me. When I think about it, it looked more like a large warehouse with partitions separating the rooms. Elaine said they hired the best and wanted all their attention focused on me,” she shrugged, “I didn’t think much of it. I was just grateful they cared that much. Why?”
He shook his head, “No reason. That must have been expensive.”
She snorted, “Apparently my soon to be ex-husband is very well off. I’m going to have to find a job when all is said and done.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll support us.”
Tasha couldn’t help but admire Damien more. If she’d only left Tom for him when she found out she was pregnant, their lives would have been very different, happier. She sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten into the accident that robbed her of her precious memories.
“So what happened next?”
“We went home. The moment I walked in I knew something was off. Yes, I didn’t remember the house, but I was sure that wasn’t my home. It was just a feeling, but one I’ve come to rely on. It was the same one I had when I saw you; that I knew you very well. But I didn’t trust it back then and I didn’t want to piss anyone off considering how good they were being with me. But things got even stranger. I wasn’t allowed to leave our house and groceries were delivered so I didn’t have a reason to go out. If I wanted clothes, I was to order them online and they would be delivered to the door. If I had to go out, I had to have an escort. When DJ started school, I put my foot down. I wasn’t going to miss his first day because they were cagey. I went with Mike and Elaine and they acted more like bodyguards than proud godparents. DJ wasn’t even scared, only concerned about me. You would have been proud.”
“I am.” And she could hear just how much in his voice.
“After his first month he skipped a grade but when they wanted him to skip again, he wouldn’t do it. He said he wanted to stay with his class even though it meant doing extra work. He didn’t want to make new friends all over again.”
He nodded his understanding, “I felt the same way. It’s not easy being that smart around average kids. They get resentful and mean and it gets lonely. But I had my two cousins so it was easier on me. And doing some of their homework made it easier,” he finished, laughing.
Tasha also laughed at that, “You guys still close?”
“Yeah. We’re going through a rough patch right now, but we’ll get through it.”
“I hope so. I want DJ to know your side of the family too. More people to look after him if something happens to me again.”
He took her free hand in his and lifted it to his lips for a chaste kiss, “Don’t say that. I just found you and I don’t plan on losing you again. So, how did you get them to let you go out alone?” He said, changing the subject, but he didn’t change the look of dread on his face fast enough. Loss was a fact and she had this feeling that something bad was about to happen.
“I told them I would leave, move to a trailer park with DJ if it meant getting my independence. The guys were annoyed, but Elaine laughed. She said it was nice to have me back—whatever that meant. But I realized later I’m very independent and I don’t take orders well. She taught me how to drive, but I was only allowed to drive DJ to school and back. We never went anywhere as a family, but DJ and I made the most of it. Life was pretty normal until you.”
“I’m sorry I disrupted your lives.”
She snorted. He didn’t look the least bit sorry. “You disrupted it in a good way. Yes, our social life hasn’t changed but I never once felt caged in. I love it here and hope we never leave. And besides, you popped back into our lives at a good time. Tension between Tom and DJ had got to the point where Tom would threaten DJ to get him to do what he wanted.”
“With what?” he demanded, his voice as hard as the look on his face. Scary.
“I don’t know. It was implied when I was around and it would leave DJ shaken.”
Damien mumbled something and drank deeply from his bottle. “I’m looking forward to meeting Tom Turner.”
She cupped his jaw in her hand, forcefully turning his head to face her. Then she rubbed it to ease the clenched muscles, “No, you’re not. We have a good life now. Don’t ruin it with jail. Remember you are the only one who can support us. I’m just a housewife with amnesia.”
They stared at each other silently for a long time before he took her hand from his jaw and lowered it to her thigh, still clasped in his. “Do you mind if I ask what caused your amnesia?”
“No, it’s okay. I wrapped my car around a tree. I was in a coma for months and when I woke up, I had a family that I didn’t remember. It was scary, but again, I felt so guilty.” She rolled her lips into her mouth, fighting the urge to cry.
Damien squeezed her leg, “DJ understands why you couldn’t remember him. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
She shook her head, “Doesn’t make me feel better. A mother should never forget her child.”
“Tell me the rest,” he urged.
“I had to learn everything from scratch—walking, reading, writing—every mundane thing. But at least I could talk. The doctor’s said I was lucky to retain that considering how bad my head was injured.”
Damien sunk his hand into her hair and his fingers massaged her scalp. He didn’t have to say what he was doing, it was clear. He was searching for scars.
“The lines are very defined, I didn’t grow any hair over them.” His fingers found the large scar at the base of her head and he followed it to her temple.
“It’s practically a straight line. You got this from the accident?” he sounded skeptical.
Tasha shrugged, “It’s what I was told. I have no reason to believe otherwise.”
He stared at her, his brows furrowing deeper, “No you don’t. But have they ever given you proof that you are Tasha Turner?”
She shrugged, “Nope, I never thought to ask. But I do know my maiden name is Smith.”
A skeptical brow went up, “Because Elaine’s last name is Smith?”
She frowned, “You’re making me feel like an idiot. They must have been telling the truth since we’re here together.”
“They never told you about me. In fact, they told you Tom was DJ’s father.”
She rubbed her temple, the familiar ache ebbed slowly, “Look, a few weeks ago I would have been as doubtful as you, going through everything they’ve ever told me with a fine tooth comb but… Damien, the last time I tried to remember, when I tried to remember you, it took several hours after I woke up of DJ reminding me he’s my son. I’m not putting our son through that again.”
Damien nodded and he wrapped his arms around her and she pressed her face against his neck. “I’m sorry; I go overboard when I encounter a puzzle. But things are going to be different from now on. You’re my f
amily and I intend for us to live that way. I didn’t search for you for years just to give you up the moment I found you.”
Tasha sat up and looked at him. She smiled when she recognized the determined look on his face. There was no point trying to convince DJ otherwise when he got that look on his face either.
She caressed his cheek, “Whatever you want, we’ll do.”
“It’s a good thing you said that because there is one thing I’ve been dying to do with you.”
The huskiness of his voice made her insides clench. If she was reading him right, she wasn’t the only one having X-rated fantasies.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded, rolling her lips into her mouth.
“Good. I’m going to need those,” he tugged on her chin and her lower lip popped out.
“Damien… I haven’t—I don’t remember how to—” Oh for hell’s sake! What was she? Thirteen again!
His hand slipped behind her neck and he caressed the sensitive skin there, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll teach you. First a kiss—”
“I don’t remember how to do that either,” she blurted out. It was better he knew now so that he won’t be totally disappointed then they finally did it all.
He pulled her closer until their faces were an inch apart. He drew closer, brushing his lips lightly against hers, sending shockwaves of desire to her core. “Again, don’t worry about it.”
His hot breath against her lips made her sigh. She was in for one hell of a treat.
****
Damien sat in the wicker chair by the window and watched as his object of obsession slept on the massive bed, the silver-blue light of the moon fell perfectly on her exposed skin. She looked like a beauty out of a fairytale—a grown horny man’s version of a fairytale. She was on her belly facing him, some of her hair fell over her face and her beautiful smooth sculptured hand rested on the pillow beside her. The covers rode low around her hips, exposing her back that called for his touch. She’d kicked some of it off in an attempt to cool off after their recent session of love making, exposing one long, tempting leg. She looked so beautiful, gentle, innocent and defenseless. His mind was having trouble marrying Ellsa Jabari and Tasha Turner. They might share the same body, but they were not the same woman. But she was still his Victoria Secret in bed. She was the same uninhibited and passionate lover that had starred in many of his fantasies after their weekend in that hotel room in Miami.
