Condemned

by Barbara Huffert

  “I think it is. I always knew Brett was more than he seemed. He’s an incredible man. I don’t know why he chose me but I know what a lucky woman that makes me. I hope I don’t disappoint him because I know how much faith he has in me already. They are a rare bunch, aren’t they?”

  “Yes, they are. But you must see how much a part of the bunch you are. If you follow your heart and let Brett share the things that make you happy, nothing you do could ever put a dent in that faith. I can sense the same from you. You may think you’re lucky to have Brett but I think he’s just as lucky to have you. I suspect he is equally concerned that he might let you down but I’m counting on you not to let him. You are quite a woman, Andrea Sloan. I’m truly fortunate that you and my son are making a life together.”

  “Thank you, Gwen. I don’t think you know how much the things you said mean to me.”

  “I understand. I can assure you that Alex shares my thoughts. I hope you’ll keep this in mind if your mother and grandmother try to make you question your decisions. Whether we’re present or not, tell yourself that you have us.”

  Brett walked in as Andie hugged his mother in thanks. “I should probably apologize for barging in on you but I can’t stand knowing if Mom is saying something to upset you, Andie.”

  “If I didn’t know how new this is to you, I’d be offended by that.” Gwen glared at her son. “We were just having a little chat to reinforce the moral support you already offered on our behalf. I can guess the things you’ve said but sometimes it helps to hear it personally.”

  “So you’re okay in here?”

  “We’re fine.” Andie flashed him a reassuring smile. “You weren’t really worried?”

  “Get used to it. Men in love tend to be a bit overprotective. Alex and I have been married for thirty years and he still comes to my rescue if he imagines I might need it. In fact, if I stay in here with you much longer, he’ll come to see if our son is harassing me even though he could guess what I intended to say to you. I’ll go head him off so Brett gets a minute alone with you before your family arrives.” She winked at Andie.

  “Relax, son. This lovely girl and I will get along just fine once you manage to give us some time to get to know each other. I’m looking forward to it but I will understand if it takes awhile for you to be able to let her out of your sight.”

  “I’d be lying if I said it would be any time soon,” Brett admitted. “I’m having trouble believing that Andie’s keeping me after all I put her through. She’s much too good for me, Mom.”

  “See that you don’t forget it.” Gwen chuckled. “I think I’ll go see if your father has managed to get himself in trouble with Sadie yet. We’ll shout when they pull up. We can entertain ourselves so don’t think you need to come in there and sit with us.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Brett could see Andie’s confusion. “I tried to tell you how cool she is.”

  “I know but I guess I didn’t believe you. Keep in mind I have no experience with a mom like that.”

  “Maybe she’ll surprise you. Your dad was great. Maybe she and your grandmother are coming so they can tell you that they finally understand what you’ve been telling them and want to apologize for pushing you.”

  “If they are you better be ready to catch me when I pass out from shock.”

  “It would be my pleasure. Seriously, no matter what they say you can count on me staying by your side. No one will separate this beast from his wench.”

  “That’s good because this wench isn’t ever letting go of her beast either,” Andie declared as she drew his face to hers. When their lips touched, Andie urged Brett’s apart. She kissed him with abandon, as if trying to forget for a moment that her mother was about to swoop in and possibly destroy her newfound happiness.

  Brett understood Andie’s need and returned her kiss with equal ferocity. He knew she was afraid of the havoc her family would attempt to wreak as soon as they had the opportunity. What she didn’t realize was how determined he was to show her that he would never permit them to make her feel insecure again. They could say their worst and he would find a way to counter whatever it was. She’d learn to trust his parents soon enough too. It might take some time but Andie would eventually see that she was now a member of his family and could rely on all of them.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Brett leaned against the doorjamb and watched Andie shift things around on the piano in preparation for Charlie’s lesson. Her grandmother had returned home but her mother showed no signs of leaving. With the help of their friends they had been successful in preventing Andie from being cornered but they all knew it was just a matter of time before Adele managed to catch her alone.

  He’d spent the entire week oozing as much charm as he could muster. As a result, Andie’s mother seemed taken with him. Her constant preening annoyed Brett to such an extent that he wanted nothing more than to toss her out on her phony butt and slam the door behind her. The tension he felt radiating from Andie grew every time her mother simpered in his direction. The woman had no shame with the way she deliberately cut off her daughter’s statements, interrupting conversations that had nothing to do with her. She demanded to be the center of attention, dismissing Andie in a way that made it clear that Adele thought of her daughter as less than whoever else was present.

  Brett would love to speak his mind and put Adele in her place. He itched to state what everyone was thinking, that Andie was a rare treasure of a woman who deserved to be cherished and protected from anyone who couldn’t see it. Unfortunately, he knew he had to keep his mouth shut. He had to continue to be polite and pleasant. He had to make the horrid woman feel welcome. It wasn’t up to him to send her home. Only Andie could do that this first time. Hopefully, she would realize that soon, before the stress took an even greater toll than it already had.

  “I’m sorry,” Brett spoke, startling her since she didn’t know he was standing there.

  “W-what?” She couldn’t break through the isolation that surrounded her to grasp what he was apologizing for.

  “This is not how I wanted us to spend our first weeks together. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  “If you don’t toss me out first.” She couldn’t hide her torment. “I don’t know why she didn’t go home with Grandmother. I’m beginning to think she’s going to stay forever. Or until I say I’m ready to go back with her. I can’t believe the way she bats her eyelashes at you. You probably hate me by now and are ready to pack me off with her and say good riddance to both of us.”

  Brett wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her head. “Don’t even joke about that. I won’t deny that I’ve had enough of your mother to last me a lifetime. You, on the other hand, promise you’re not leaving. I’ll never get enough of you. You’re my life, Andie.”

  “Thank you.” She turned in his arms and held on tightly. “I needed to hear you say that. I know you’re just being nice for my sake but I’m actually starting to be a little jealous of my own mother. I keep expecting her to make me leave so she can be alone with you.”

  “Not gonna happen. No way. No how. As willing as I am to keep the peace, I have to draw the line at that. She so much as hints that she expects me to perform for her and you’ll have to call Shane to restrain me. It’s hard enough to keep my mouth shut so I don’t tell her to stop behaving like she has been. We barely finished telling her that we had a committed relationship and intended to live together and she started with that act of hers. If she were anyone but your mother, I’d have been very blunt long before now. I hope you don’t mind that I hide behind you when we’re all in the same room.”

  “It doesn’t seem to matter. She talks around me like I’m not even there. Maybe I should just confront her alone so she can say what she wants. Maybe if she did she’d be ready to go.”

  “Maybe, but I’d prefer that she not tear into you. If I don’t hear her, I won’t get to tell her what I think of her opinion. I shouldn’t gripe
like this. I’m not being fair to you. I’m just feeling deprived by the way we have no privacy. How does she always manage to show up as soon as I get you in my arms? I can’t tell you the images that I see in my mind of us all over this house. If we don’t get some time to enjoy each other soon, I’m going to ask Jordan if we can stay in the gatehouse for a night and sneak you over there after she’s asleep. I hate that we have to hide in our room and whisper so she doesn’t come knock on the door like she did the first night. I miss hearing you when we make love.”

  “Me too. She makes me forget that this is our home and she’s the one who is imposing. I wish we could go upstairs and play too. I want to find out what other toys you got for us but I don’t want to be constrained. With her room right beneath there, I doubt if we’d enjoy it very much.”

  “She can’t stay forever. Maybe I’ll call your dad later and see what he thinks.”

  “I doubt if he knows anything more than we do. Um, Brett?” Andie blushed.

  “What? You’re blushing.”

  “Charlie’s going to be here in a few minutes.”

  “Yes.”

  “But Mom won’t be back for a few hours.”

  “Yes.” Brett returned her grin, hoping she was about to suggest what he was thinking.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs and get yourself all ready for me? I’ll come up when we’re done down here.”

  “Hmm, you want me to go wait for you? You want me ready when you get upstairs?” Andie nodded to both. “You gonna think about what we’re gonna do so you’re ready too? It’s only fair.”

  “I’m already ready,” Andie murmured as she hid her face against his chest.

  Brett groaned. “Wench. You said that on purpose, knowing that I want to unzip your jeans and see for myself. You also know I won’t because Charlie would walk in on us.”

  “I, um, you could probably be able to tell if you touched my jeans on the outside.”

  Brett’s hand was on her instantly. She was right. He could feel her heat through her jeans. He captured her mouth in a searing kiss as he pressed harder against her mound. He shifted his hips so she would feel how hard he was for her.

  “Mm.” Andie gave him a playful squeeze. “This is a good start but I expect it to be even better by the time I get up there.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Brett promised as he continued to stimulate her through her clothes. “I have some drawings of a very sexy wench that I can look at if I need extra motivation.”

  Andie wiggled against him, loving the way he made her feel. “Just make sure you don’t get so worked up that you don’t wait for me.”

  “I’ll wait. I won’t promise that I’ll make it much longer than it takes to get inside you but I will hold off that long. At least we managed to sneak out to the doctor’s so we don’t have to waste time on condoms anymore.”

  “I agree. And it’s good you’re so ready. I want the first time today to be as hard and as fast as you can make it. I want you as out of control as I feel so don’t even consider holding anything back.”

  “Andie,” Brett groaned.

  “I know.” She kissed him as hard as he’d kissed her. “You’d better get out of here. I don’t want Charlie to see you like this and ask questions.”

  “As we both know she would.” He kissed her one last time. “Don’t cut her lesson short but please try not to keep her extra either. I’ll be in pain if you take too long to get to me.”

  “Can’t have that.” She forced herself to step away from him. “See you soon.”

  Brett pulled his sketches of Andie from the drawer where he’d stashed them. He opened his fly, freeing his erection from his jeans just enough that she would be able to see it when she walked in. He’d removed his briefs downstairs, deciding Andie would like the picture he’d present once she joined him. He left the door open so she could peek at him first if she wanted to. Thinking of how excited she was when she suggested this rendezvous and the way she blushed made the visual stimulation unnecessary. Brett was more than ready to fuck Andie hard and fast like she’d requested. He positioned himself on the bed and spread his drawings around him anyway. Looking at them, Brett knew they were good but not as good as having the wench in person. When he thought Charlie’s lesson was almost over, he wrapped one hand around his shaft, stroking himself slowly, knowing Andie would be even more turned on when she saw him.

  Brett heard footsteps approaching the open door of their playroom. He continued his movement, turning his head slightly away to concentrate on the picture of Andie he held in his other hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw motion and knew the door was being pushed open the rest of the way.

  Brett was about to face Andie with a seductive grin when the shrieking started. It was Adele standing there, not Andie. She was staring at his exposed crotch, her eyes glued to his erection. Brett struggled to tuck himself back into his pants as she glanced at the drawings of her naked daughter surrounding him.

  Adele continued to scream as she backed out of the room and ran for the door that would take her downstairs. “You stay away from me! Don’t touch me!” She yelled even louder as she made her way to the steps that led to the kitchen. “Don’t come near me you-you pervert!”

  Brett snagged her arm before she burst into the solarium. “Stop! You are not interrupting Charlie’s lesson. I don’t give a damn what you think you just saw but I am not about to let you barge in when Andie’s teaching. Just sit down and shut up.”

  “Stay away from me.” Adele was marginally quieter. “Pervert! Sicko!”

  Andie and Charlie were just finishing up when she heard the shouting. As quickly as she could, she ushered Charlie out to Flynn and Joey who were waiting to take her home.

  “What’s going on in here?” Andie asked as she rushed into the kitchen.

  Adele stood on one side of the room and pointed at Brett who was lounging against the counter. “That, that pervert was, he was touching himself. With pictures of you. Andrea, go upstairs and pack your things. You are coming home with me this instant!”

  Andie suddenly understood what her mother had walked in on. She glanced at Brett who nodded and shrugged, confirming her conclusion. He was so obviously fighting to keep a straight face that Andie couldn’t look at him. “Calm down, Mom.”

  “Calm down? Calm down! How can you tell me to calm down? You have no idea what kind of deviant that man is. Thank goodness I’m here to protect you. All week I’ve been trying to come up with a reason why he would possibly want you here. Now it’s all perfectly clear. He thinks he can use his charm and his money to attract an inexperienced girl like you. Well, I won’t permit it. Andrea, he has a room up there that must be just for the sick things he’s planning for you. Did you even know it was there? There are ropes on the bed,” she said with disgust.

  “Yes, I know. Why are you back so soon? I thought you told me you were going shopping and wouldn’t be home until after dinner?”

  “I changed my mind and it’s a good thing I did. Who knows the perverted things he would have forced you to do if I hadn’t gotten back when I did? Why are you still standing there? Get upstairs and collect your things. I won’t stay in this house one second longer than I have to. You’re lucky I haven’t already called the police,” she screamed at Brett. “Thinking you could take advantage of someone like my daughter. How many other unattractive girls have you lured here with your good looks? I knew there was something wrong with you the instant you claimed to be serious about my poor daughter.”

  “Mother,” Andie growled. “Shut up!”

  “Andrea!”

  “I mean it. Not one more word.”

  “Andrea, stop it. He’s been telling you lies, don’t you see? He flashed his smile and his money to get your attention. He gave you false hopes that someone like you could actually interest a handsome, sophisticated man like he pretends to be all so he could make you do unmentionable things. Sexual things, Andrea.”

  “That’s enough.” A
ndie slammed her palm on the table. “For your information, this is my house. I’m the one who invited Brett to live with me. He’s practically penniless and I couldn’t care less. And as to that room up there, I’ve not only seen it but spent many very pleasurable hours there already. I tied myself to that bed more than once and can’t wait to do it again. How dare you speak about things that are no one’s business but ours? What I beg Brett to do with me is private and I forbid you from every saying another word about it.”

  “My God, Andrea, he’s brainwashed you! We have to get out of here.”

  “You go right ahead. You’ve overstayed your welcome anyway. I don’t know what you thought you were up to and I truly don’t even care anymore. I’ve had enough of your meddling. I’ve tried to tell you to butt out of my life nicely for years but you and Grandmother never listen. Well, I’m done being nice. From now on, you can either accept the way I choose to live or you can disown me. I’m not wasting another minute worrying about what you think.”

  “You ungrateful brat. You can’t speak to me like that. I’m your mother and it’s high time you remembered that. After all I’ve done for you!” Adele raised her hand and took a step toward Andie.

  Brett’s fingers clamped around Adele’s wrist. “I wouldn’t try it if I were you. You may be her mother but I won’t let you lay a hand on her. It’s been bad enough, watching you treat her with so little respect. I’d hoped that Andie and Sadie were exaggerating about the attitude you and your mother seem to have toward her. Now that I’ve spent some time with both of you, I realize that they were being too kind in their descriptions. I don’t understand why you keep trying to undermine Andie’s confidence. She’s a beautiful, talented, loving, and generous woman with the kindest heart and the sweetest nature. Why aren’t you proud of all your daughter is instead of harping on the imaginary faults you seem compelled to invent?”

  “Of all the nerve,” Adele gasped at Brett. “What makes you think you have any right to criticize me after I saw the indecent thing you were doing?”