by Belle Ami
She eyed Miles’s computer. Worried, she checked her watch. Her time was running out, but she would never get a better chance. When she opened the lid, the sleeping machine came to life. Quickly, she scanned the program files, noting that Miles had a folder on his desktop labeled “Fallyn and Liam photos.” She opened the Quicken program where Miles kept track of his personal and corporate expenses. Opening his corporate American Express expense account for June 2010, she quickly ran down the expense list until she came to the charges from the trip to LA. She stopped. Miles had bought a new Porsche in LA and had taken it to the dealership in Thousand Oaks. Was it just coincidence that her father’s Cayenne had been at the same dealership at the same time? She went cold as her mind raced through the implications.
After snapping another photo, she closed the expense files and returned to the program files. Just as she was about to close everything, she noticed the folder titled “Solarian.” Before opening the folder, she strained her ears, listening for any movement in the corridor. Hearing no sound from the hallway, she double clicked the folder icon. The file was jam-packed with correspondence and reports. There was no way she would have time to investigate everything in it. On a long shot, she opened a letter that was dated a few days after the accident. In it, Miles mentioned her father’s death as a propitious conclusion. It went on to say that the silencing of Lars’s opposition meant that the additional loans from the government agency could proceed. But he warned the president of Solarian that this would be the company’s last chance. He wouldn’t commit additional funds to a foundering entity. The company must show an increase in revenues. Quickly, she used her cell phone to snap photos of the relevant pages.
Adelia felt herself spinning. Miles couldn’t possibly have caused her parents’ deaths over an investment of money. She sat with her fingers poised above the keys, unaware as the door to the office opened.
Miles’s smile quickly disappeared. “Adelia…what are you doing?”
Her heart racing, she tried to project calmness. “Miles, I…I was looking at the photos of the kids. I really need to text you the new ones that I took the other day. My cell battery is low, and I was going to call Karolin and see how the kids are. They’re growing so fast. I feel a little guilty not being home with them.”
Miles considered her words as he walked to the desk. What she said was reasonable, but her demeanor gave him pause. Her cheeks were flushed, as if he had interrupted something that had nothing to do with her explanation.
She quickly closed the Solarian file and the lid of the computer just as he reached her, and she stood to greet him.
“It’s good for Aunt Karolin to be responsible for someone other than herself,” he told her. “The babies will be fine.”
She looked demurely at him, her heart pounding with deceit. “You’re right.” She pressed against him, her arms encircling his neck.
The scent of her perfume filled his nostrils. It was maddening how much he desired her. It was an obsession, a weakness within him that only she could satisfy. With her pressed against him, he completely forgot about the computer. His hands caressed the buttery leather covering her ass. He wondered if he should take her right here on the desk. The mere thought hardened him like a rock. As much as he possessed her, it was never enough.
She felt her power over him growing, simultaneous with a desperate need to release the anxiety of her own deception. The two forces demanded action. She caressed his manliness, which swelled beneath her touch.
He moaned. “Baby, don’t start something you’re not going to finish.”
“Maybe I won’t”—her eyebrows lifted teasingly as she licked her lips, her voice husky—“finish it!”
It was a clear challenge that could not go unanswered. He backed her into the desk as he swept everything on it aside. Damn, he would have her now. He knew she wanted it. Within a second, he was out of his pants, feeling the ecstasy of being freed. She arched against the desk as he slipped the leather skirt from her. Leaving her in her heels and lace panties, he inserted his finger into her, feeling the welcoming wetness. “You’ve been a very bad girl, and now you’re going to pay.”
The idea of role-playing was a new spin, but she could play that game. “I think I’ve changed my mind. I don’t really want you right now.” She locked her knees together.
Her rejection seared him and inflamed him. His desire thundered in his ears. He would not be denied. “Willingly or unwillingly, I’m taking what’s mine.” His mouth covered hers, stifling her protests. His finger pressed lightly against her swollen clitoris, enough to tease, but not enough to fulfill.
Her resistance melting, her locked knees slackened slightly. Instantly, he took advantage of her vulnerability and brusquely pried her legs apart. “I never want to hear you say no to me. When I want to fuck you, I will fuck you!” Taking himself in hand, he forced his engorged penis deep within her. “You know you want this.”
Adelia’s lips parted as she cried out in total submission, “Take me, you bastard!”
He was an unbridled stallion, fully aroused and overpowering in his strength. He ravished her, indifferent to her needs, his only focus his unwavering need to possess her. Smothering her mouth, his tongue filled her, his hard cock pounded her, and his greed devoured her. He had never meant to love her—he had told Karolin as much. It had come to him unbidden and unwelcome, but nonetheless, it had come. His need for her was a primal urge; one that he had no power to resist.
She gasped as wave after wave of pleasure rose from her core. Surrendering to his dominance, her eyes dilating in passion, she felt her body seize in climax. “Yes, yes, yes…what you do to me, baby! Make me come; I need you to fill me.” She wrapped her legs around him, balancing against the desk, pulling him deeper. Her hands reached for his face as she hungrily kissed him, their saliva and breaths mingling.
She was delicious, and she was his. He exploded, emptying himself into her, their moans lost in each other’s mouths as he continued to pump his semen filling her. Breathlessly they sank to the carpet, spent.
When their breathing had returned to normal, she whispered in his ear, “Next time, the boardroom table.”
“When?”
Giggling, she disentangled herself from him and picked up her skirt and purse as she headed to his private bathroom. “I’ll just be a minute.”
Humming to himself, he stood and slipped into his trousers. Noticing that her cell phone had fallen on the ground, he picked it up and unconsciously clicked it on. He saw that it was fully charged. Hadn’t she said her battery was low? He clicked it off as he stared at the closed bathroom door, frowning.
Chapter 19
Adelia exited the house with Fallyn in her arms and Gwyneth, the nanny, beside her. Miles, holding Liam, followed them to the waiting limousine.
“Listen to Daddy, Liam. You have to take good care of Mommy and your sister, OK? Give me a kiss.” The drooling five-month-old ignored his father, focusing on the teddy bear he held.
“Miles, I’ll call you when we’re in the air. Don’t forget to tell Karolin and Jane that the horses must be ridden every day. I’ve left detailed instructions on the whiteboard in the barn. I wish you were coming.”
“I just can’t, Adelia; I’m up to my ears. You’ll be fine with Gwyneth, and besides, it’ll give you more time with Lucas. It’s only for a week, baby.”
“I know. Lucas is going to go crazy over the babies. I’ve decided that they should call him Grandpa.”
“That should bring a tear to the old grump’s eye.”
When they finished loading the twins into their car seats, Adelia turned to Miles and threw her arms around his neck, whispering, “I’m going to miss my lover, so you’d better be well rested when I get home. You’re going to need your energy.” She gently raked her teeth over his earlobe, her warm, moist breath causing an ache in his groin. “I love you.”
&
nbsp; “I love you, too, baby.”
Miles watched the limousine drive away, aware that everything he loved best in the world was inside of it.
Lucas and Adelia sat on the couch in the living room, sipping coffee, while the twins played in their playpen.
Adelia’s eyes appreciatively regarded her home. Being with Lucas soothed her. “It’s good to be home, Lucas, and good to be with you.”
Lucas couldn’t take his eyes off the twins. “I can’t get over how they look exactly like you and Faye, Delie.”
Adelia smiled contentedly. “They do, don’t they? I wish Faye and Lars could see them.”
“They would have been very proud, honey. Speaking of proud, I can’t wait to show you what spring brought. Some new colts and fillies that—damn, if they don’t look like they should grow up to be some mighty fine horseflesh.”
“I can’t wait. When Gwyneth puts the twins down for a nap, you can show me everything. I told you the business was going to work out, and now that I can bring the twins, I can start coming more often.”
“That sure would make this old man happy.”
Fallyn began to cry, and Adelia jumped up and picked her up, rocking her. “Twins, can you believe it? What’s wrong, pretty girl?”
Liam immediately picked up the cry when his sister was rescued from their cage without him. “Lucas, you get Liam. I think nap time just announced itself.”
The late-afternoon sun tucked itself into the folds of the mountains, the last light outlining their jagged crests in neon orange. Once the sun set, darkness fell like a curtain on the ranch, enveloping it in darkness. A sole coyote’s cries wafted forlornly on the air as Lucas and Adelia sat on the porch, rocking. Between them, no words needed to be spoken. They shared a satisfied silence.
“Do you ever think, Lucas, that maybe you’ve been given a little too much? I mean, like maybe sometime in the future there will have to be a reckoning? I feel so blessed with my beautiful Fallyn and Liam, and Miles, who worships me. Maybe it’s all too good to be true, and it will be taken away from me, like Lars and Faye were.”
“Honey, why would you think that? You deserve to be happy.”
“I know it’s crazy…but I can’t help it.”
“Let it go, Delie. I want you to know that I was wrong about Miles. He’s a good father and a good husband.”
Adelia couldn’t believe she was hearing this from Lucas. She searched his face to confirm the truth of his words…but then, he didn’t know what she knew. She wondered what he would think if he knew her worst fear. Could she tell him that David suspected Miles of being complicit in her parents’ deaths? Never! Lucas’s sense of loyalty would require him to take revenge. Who knew what he might do? He was a man who lived by a strict code of right and wrong. Lucas was a bit of an outlaw, who definitely believed that the punishment should fit the crime. She remembered her father saying that Lucas had a wicked temper.
She patted his hand affectionately. “I’m very happy that you’ve come around to accepting Miles.”
“How could I not? The man made those two beautiful babies.” Lucas’s face lit up as he chuckled. “Besides, I can’t wait to get them on ponies. I’m certain already that they take after their mother.”
“You’re going to have to wait a while for that, I’m afraid.”
“Hell, they’ll be ready to start learning in no time.”
Adelia waited patiently at the dolphin fountain at Stearns Wharf for Detective Weiss. The salty air was crisp and cold in a cloudless sky, typical of Santa Barbara even in summer. The wind blew onshore from the sea, where dozens of sailboats braved the churning whitecaps, their sails unfurled, sweeping the horizon like angels’ wings, while sea gulls flew overhead, their cacophonous cries harmonizing with the thunder of pounding waves.
David stood for a moment, unseen, observing Adelia. It had been months since he’d last seen her. He hoped that the attraction he had felt for her would be gone, a yearning relegated to the past. He hunched his shoulders, bracing himself.
“Hi, Adelia.”
Adelia turned, her cheeks flushed pink with cold. “David, how are you?”
He ignored the feeling of claustrophobia that gripped him and wondered why she had to be so damn beautiful. He took her hand, shaking it. “I’m great. Are you cold? Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?”
“No, let’s walk for a while.”
He followed, sticking his hands deep into his jacket pockets. “Motherhood seems to agree with you; you look good.”
She smiled, meeting his gaze. “Funny how life changes. At first I had all kinds of trepidation about having kids. My future didn’t appear to include motherhood. Now I can’t even imagine my world without them.”
He nodded, dragging his eyes from her. She regarded his resolute profile, the thick, auburn curls that undulated in the wind and the piercing, intelligent hazel eyes that hid more than they revealed.
“But even my beautiful babies can’t erase the deceit and secrets in my marriage. Loving them fulfills me on the one hand, yet it is a constant reminder that Lars and Faye will never know them or hold them…and every time I look at Miles, I can’t help but ask myself, could he have caused all of this? If it’s true, then I’m in love with a monster.”
David stopped and grabbed her arms, forcing her to stop in her tracks. “I warned you, Adelia, that this could get ugly. The investigation will not bring you a definitive answer. It can only hurt you.” It occurred to him that he could just as easily be talking about himself.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she leaned her head into his chest. She needed his friendship and comfort, not his anger. There was a strength in the man that was more than unsettling. She could feel his heartbeat against her cheek as she rested in the safety of his arms. She had come to depend on his stalwart friendship; it frightened her to imagine her life without it.
He held her tightly, pressing himself into her. He didn’t care anymore about the truth or right or wrong. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer. “Look, maybe we should take a break from the investigation.” He released her, turning away. If he didn’t put some distance between them, his body would betray him.
“We can’t. I can’t…stop. I can’t do this without you, David.” She shouldn’t have cried. What was wrong with her? “You’re the only one I can talk to about this. Please don’t turn away from me.” She shivered, feeling exposed by the sudden absence of his warmth. “Can we get that coffee now?”
“Yeah, sure.”
They walked in silence, consumed with their own thoughts, aware only of the occasional brush of their shoulders. One day he would have to tell her how he felt. He was in too deep. He needed her to put him in his place and tell him there could never be anything between them. He had to remain cool headed and impartial, or the facts would get away from him. He wasn’t in this to break up her marriage.
The coffee shop’s warmth and mundane human interaction dispelled the emotionally charged confrontation that had taken place. They focused on the business at hand.
“I’ve printed everything that I found at Miles’s office.” She handed him the thick manila envelope she had been carrying.
“Good. I knew you could do it.” He opened it, pulled out the papers, and gave them a perfunctory glance before stuffing them back in the envelope. “Go back to New Hope, and go about your life. Don’t drive yourself crazy. Miles is going to notice if you behave differently. Do you understand me?”
“I guess so.”
“We don’t have a case, Adelia. It’s all circumstantial evidence. I can’t tie him to it.” He couldn’t bear to see the hopefulness in her eyes. “I’ll call you when I have something to report. In the meantime, you have a couple of kids who need you, and that’s all that really matters.”
Just the mention of Fallyn and Liam was like a ray of sunshine breaking through a cloud-laden sky
. “Next time I’m in town, I’ll bring them to meet you.”
Seeing the sadness leave her face relieved him. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Chapter 20
Living at the farm in New Hope was like living in Shangri-la. The demands of the sales barn and the kids were more than enough to fill Adelia’s days and keep her fears at bay. Miles was in London, and Karolin had spent the week at the farm. The week had flown by. Summer was the busiest time of year for selling horses, and the business was flourishing. They had sold two horses in the last couple of weeks and had two more prospects in the offing. Karolin was showing a lot more interest in the business, and Adelia was grateful to have her companionship and input. They had spent the day exercising the horses and were exhausted. They sat in the great room, sipping wine, while Fallyn and Liam played on the carpet at their feet.
“I love the way they entertain each other,” Adelia said. “It’s nice that they’re never alone.”
“Miles and I were just like that. We always knew what the other one was thinking. Of course, I was always instigating trouble, and he was always getting blamed.”
Adelia laughed. “I can just imagine the indignities he suffered from your antics. I spoke to him this morning. He should get in tonight. He misses the kids terribly.”
“I’m sure he does, but I think he misses you even more. I swear the man is obsessed.”
Blushing, Adelia sipped her wine without comment. Karolin sat on the carpet and began building a tower of blocks with Liam and Fallyn.
From upstairs could be heard the distinctive sound of a cell phone ringing. “Shit. Adelia, would you mind getting my phone? I must have left it upstairs in my room when I showered.”
“No problem. I’ll get it and be down in a few minutes.”
The cell phone had stopped ringing by the time Adelia entered Karolin’s bedroom. She picked it up and was about to leave when she noticed a large, leather photo album lying on the night table. She picked it up and began to thumb through it. The photos were mostly of Karolin and Miles’s parents in happier days, before a series of unfortunate events destroyed their hopes and dreams. The attractive couple smiled up at the camera. She turned the page and smiled as she looked at the photo of a young Karolin, missing her front teeth, but grinning proudly as she sat astride a fat pinto pony. Adelia turned the page again and was struck by a photograph of Miles and Karolin as babies. Their resemblance to Fallyn and Liam really was uncanny. The older the twins got, the more they looked like their father and his twin sister. It somehow bothered her that Karolin looked as much like the twins as she did.
