Bella squirmed in my arms, wanting my attention, but I was fixated on Jared. “You heard me. Teresa left after Al showed her the file. She wouldn’t stand by and let him do this.”
Jared opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He spun around and stomped out the backdoor. I didn’t know what that meant, but I wasn’t thinking anything good. I watched through the glass as he slipped his cell from his pocket and dialed, pacing the back porch.
The doorbell rang, causing Bella to cry in my arms. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go see who it is,” I cheered, trying to make her smile. It did the trick, and she let out a long string of gibberish.
Oliver was waiting on the other side of the glass as I walked down the hall. I waved him in before I reached it and met him in the foyer as he rushed inside. He stared at Bella longingly, but he snapped out of it. “Where is she?” he demanded, pensive.
“In the livin’ room with Clara.”
He marched down the hall as I shut the door, but it caught before I could close it. After opening it again, Galen and Shelley came rushing in. “What’s going on? Jared only said to hurry here,” Galen inquired, concerned.
Shelley had a small, nervous smile tilting her lips. “Hey, Grey.”
I inclined my head, offering my hello, and reiterated, “Living room.”
I checked to make sure no one else was coming before I headed toward everyone. Teresa’s cries had renewed now that she was engulfed in Oliver’s arms. “I did it, Ollie. I really did it this time. I left him,” she told him brokenly.
“It’s okay, Mom. Everything is going to be fine. You did the right thing.” Oliver ran a hand down her hair. “I knew it was bound to happen eventually.” He was stoic, though I detected a bit of pain in his voice.
I stood next to Galen and Shelley and watched them continue to talk quietly. “So, Teresa is here,” Galen voiced.
“Yep,” I muttered.
“Didn’t see that coming.”
“Nope.”
“Gotta say, this is good news.”
“Yep.”
Galen glanced at me, his brows furrowed. “You okay?”
I sighed and nodded. “Yeah…just ready for this to be over. It’s like there’s somethin’ hidden around every corner, waitin’ to pop out at us. It gets annoyin’.”
“Yeah…” he agreed tiredly.
“Why don’t I take Bella upstairs?” Shelley offered, holding out her hands for her.
“That’ll probably be best,” I confessed, resigned, and checked the clock. “She’s due for a nap soon.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she assured me as she placed Bella on her hip. “You two need anythin’?”
“No, dear. I think we’re okay. Thank you, though.” He brushed a kiss across her temple and repeated the process to Bella.
“Okay, then… Call up if you need me.”
Jared strolled through the backdoor, his eyes blazing. “We need to talk to Teresa,” he told Galen and me.
“From the look in your eyes, nephew, I’d say something’s wrong,” Galen commented, frowning.
“You didn’t tell him?” Jared snapped, eyeing me.
I shrugged, unaffected by his hostility. “I haven’t had a chance.”
“Tell me what?” Galen questioned, confused.
“Al and his attorney are playing dirty,” Jared enlightened him. “We need to find out what she knows.”
“Are we still meeting them tomorrow?”
“I just called to confirm. From what Al’s attorney said, I don’t think Al knows Teresa is here.”
“Wait,” I cut in. It was the first I heard of this. “We’re meetin’ with them tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Jared answered. “We planned on offering a settlement.”
Fucking hell.
I was holding on by a string, but I covered that up and walked around the couches, interrupting Oliver and Teresa. “Sorry, y’all. We need to talk to Teresa.”
Clara felt the vibes in the room and looked between Galen, Jared, and me, trying to get a read.
“That’s fine,” Teresa murmured, calm…ish. “I’m sure there’s a bunch they need to go over, and I’ve got a lot I need to tell them.”
Clara stood and sidled up next to me. “What’s going on, Grey?”
“Once everyone sits down, we’ll explain. It’s not good, darlin’.”
“Great,” she muttered under her breath.
She wouldn’t be saying that in a moment.
♥♥♥
I’d checked the locks before heading upstairs after Clara. I found her curled into a ball on her side of the bed. Clenching my jaw, I continued into the bathroom. Once I was done going to the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I walked back into our room. Clara was still in the same position.
Tonight didn’t go well.
Actually, it was a complete disaster.
Having Clara’s past recounted and torn to shreds in a courtroom was her worst nightmare…and it was coming to life. We understood that this was a possibility, but hearing the words were so much worse. As Teresa explained what happened with Al, Clara withdrew into herself again. But she wasn’t running, which was a really good sign.
I shoved the covers down the bed and climbed in, curling my body around hers. She let out a soft moan and shifted, rubbing her ass against my dick. That did nothing to help the situation.
Forcing my thoughts off of her body nestled against mine, I whispered, “How ya doin’, darlin’?”
“I’m okay,” she murmured weakly.
“I know tonight didn’t go-”
She rolled over before I could finish and faced me. Shockingly, a small smile was tipping her lips.
“What?” Why was she smiling?
“I know you’re worried, but I’m okay,” she assured me. She reached up and swept some hair off my forehead. “You need to get a cut soon.”
“That’s the last thing on my mind.” Who was this woman?
She sighed and placed her head on my shoulder. “I’m okay, Grey. I’m concerned, yeah, but I have been since we found out about this.”
“But you barely talked tonight, darlin’.”
She nodded. “I know. I was preparing myself.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I was preparing myself,” she repeated, chuckling softly at my confusion. “I’m going to have to get on the stand and tell the judge everything if we can’t get Al to back down. Now that they know all the details, I’ll have to give all the details. I was just getting myself ready for that.”
“So you aren’t freakin’ out?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that. I’m totally freaking out on the inside, honey.” She drew patterns on my skin with her fingertips. “Still, I’ve had to repeat this more than once since I’ve arrived in Bliss, and I’ve gotten through it. This will be no different. But, I will be saying this to gain something more important. I will be doing it for Bella, and I’m trying to find the beauty in the pain.”
“You never cease to amaze me.” I threaded my fingers through her hair and rolled her onto her back, following her body with mine. “One thing I hope our children gain from you, darlin’, is your strength. They’ll be invisible.”
Her eyes were bright once they met mine. “That’s sweet, honey.”
“It’s the truth,” I whispered and trailed kisses down her neck.
“Oh,” she mewled when I arrived at the sensitive part of her neck.
I licked my way down to her breast and tugged the straps of her camisole down, exposing her nipples. My eyes feasted on them, hungry for more, and I grinned.
“You’ve got a wicked gleam in your eye,” she murmured.
“Oh, I plan on doing a lot of wicked things to you.”
I planned on making her incoherent for a long while, so she didn’t think about anything other than me. Thoughts of tomorrow and Bella would be long gone, and finally, when she was too exhausted to keep her eyes open, she’d fall into a dreamless sleep.
She ran her ha
nds down my bare back. “I like that idea.”
“You’re goin’ to more than like it, Clara darlin’.” I circled her nipple with my tongue to drive that fact home.
She whimpered and squirmed under me.
My fingers skimmed down her waist, only to discover that she was only wearing a thong to bed with her camisole.
“Mmm,” I whispered. “I like these.” I grabbed the sides and rested back on my hunches. “But they’ve gotta go, darlin’. Actually, when you come to bed, make sure there’s nothin’ between us, ever.”
She chuckled, her eyes brimming with excitement. She liked that.
“Will you do that for me, Clara darlin’?” I continued to whisper as I guided the little wisp of lace down her legs.
She bit her lip, saying, “I might be able to accommodate you.”
I tossed her panties on the floor and positioned her legs over my shoulders. “There will be rewards when you accommodate me.” I licked her clit, showing her by example.
“Grey,” she breathed and laced her fingers through my hair.
“That’s a pretty sound,” I murmured and nuzzled my nose against her, causing her breath to hitch. “That one’s prettier, though.”
“Shut up and lick me,” she demanded sassily.
“As you wish…”
She laughed, but it was cut off when I sunk my tongue inside of her. “Grey!” she cried and bucked against me.
I tapped my fingertips over the little bundle of nerves and tasted her deeper, dipping my tongue into her as far as it could go. She tasted sublime. Always did. I replaced my tongue with two fingers, going in deep. She writhed under me, panting. I continued licking and fingering her until her back bowed off the bed and she screamed my name, her orgasm flashing through her.
I kissed up her body, taking my time with her breasts again, before I tugged off her shirt. “Up on your knees, darlin’,” I instructed her and nipped her nipple. “I want to see that beautiful ass while I fuck you.”
“Oh, God,” she whispered and rolled onto her belly, out from under me. I lay on my side and watched as she arranged herself on her hands and knees.
“That’s a beautiful sight, babe.”
She threw her hair back over her shoulder and stared at me, smirking. “What are you waiting for, Grey?”
I chuckled and settled on my knees behind her. I skimmed my fingers down the curve of her back. “You won’t be laughin’ in a few minutes – you’ll be beggin’ me.”
She arched her back and rubbed her ass against my dick. “Promises, promises.”
“You’re sassy tonight, darlin’,” I observed, liking it, and pulled my boxers down.
“So are you,” she murmured.
I drove inside of her sweet, wet sheath instead of responding, ripping a gasp from her chest. And I thought she tasted good… Nothing was better than her pussy, though. She was tight and hot, so gorgeous.
“Yes,” she whimpered, fisting the sheets. “Hard, Grey. I want it really hard tonight.”
I gripped her hips and plunged in farther, forcing her hips back to meet mine. I pounded into her as she continued to cry out, each thrust as hard as the one before it, just like she wanted. I reached around and found one of her breasts, toying with her nipple as I continued my assault. The sounds of our bodies slapping together reverberated through the room, and the scent of our shared ecstasy mingled together in the air. It didn’t take long until she was crying out her peek again, the sensation decadent.
But I wasn’t done yet.
I pulled out once it left her and flopped onto my back. I heaved her with me and guided her to straddle my hips. “Ride me, darlin’, and take me home.”
“Okay,” she whispered breathlessly and slowly engulfed my cock.
“God, that’s beautiful,” I hissed.
She tilted her hips back and ground against me, her head tipped to the side as she watched.
“Hard, Clara darlin’. And play with yourself.”
The image of her doing that the weeks before was seared into my brain. I wanted to witness it again.
“Okay, honey,” she murmured, her voice strained.
My eyes followed her hands as she lifted her breasts in her hands. Her thumbs passed over each nipple, and she mewled, her pussy growing tighter around my cock again.
“That’s fuckin’ hot,” I growled, rocking into her as she undulated against me.
She had a tilt to her lips as one hand left her breast and slowly made its way down her stomach. I felt her fingers against me as they swirled against her clit.
“Oh, God,” she whimpered, her head falling forward. The ends of her hair brushed across my chest as she moved, heightening my every nerve ending.
She was exotic, stunning, in every way.
Her pussy grew tighter and tighter, driving me insane. “Hurry, Clara. Get there,” I warned, getting closer to the pivotal moment. I grabbed her ass and forced her to ride me faster, thrusting upward vigorously.
“Grey!”
“Hurry, darlin’.”
Her pussy spasmed around me, and she screamed my name, falling forward as it washed over her. The convulsions around me were enough to shoot me off, and I followed her, my body shuddering. I pressed my face against her neck and moaned through my orgasm.
After a few minutes, I murmured, “Christ, Clara. You’re magnificent.”
I waited for a response, but I didn’t get any. I tipped my head away from her neck and swept her hair from her eyes. Her face was lax as she slept, surprising me.
When I wanted her to fall into a dreamless sleep, I didn’t realize I’d accomplish this so thoroughly.
Well, that mission was accomplished.
Chapter 32
Clara
I checked my makeup in the mirror, making sure every speck was perfect. I was spending more time on my appearance than normal, but this afternoon meant a lot. We were meeting with Al and his attorney, Charles Billows.
Jared and Galen went over their strategy with Grey and me again this morning. Jared would be going with us to The Ridge. We would let Al and his attorney lead with their demands, and then we’d respond with what Teresa had revealed, showing them that we had the upper hand. Once they got over their shock, we’d offer them a small settlement, hoping they’d back off. After that, if all went well, it would be over.
The plan sounded okay, but I had my doubts. There were so many ways this could go.
Grey opened the bathroom door, holding Bella in his arms. “This little lady woke up from her nap,” he explained and grinned.
“Did she now?” I smiled and put my lip gloss in the drawer. Once I turned, I held out my arms for her as I ambled toward them and asked, “Are you about to head out?”
Bella squealed and practically threw herself at me, happy to see me. Grey shook his head at her, his grin growing into a broad smile. “Yeah…”
I hiked Bella up on my hip and took a step closer to him, tipping my head back. “I’ll see you soon, right?”
His lips trailed along my jaw as he whispered, “Of course.”
I met his mouth with mine and gave him a kiss goodbye. “Hurry back.”
He leaned back and frowned. “You okay?”
I nodded reassuringly. “Just nerves. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m only gonna be gone an hour, Clara. Mom and Dad will meet us here with Teresa before we go to watch Bella. She’ll be in good hands.”
“I know, Grey. I don’t think it’ll go as smoothly as Jared hopes, though. I’m antsy about it.”
He kissed me again. “We’ve got this, Clara. Without Teresa, they’re screwed.”
I wiped my gloss from his lips, murmuring, “I know.”
“Love you.”
“Me too. Hurry home.”
Bella jerked on my hair before he could respond, but it caused us to laugh as I went through the difficult process of untangling her fingers from the strands.
“Come on,” Grey stated as he linked our fingers. He guided
me out of the room and down the stairs. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay, honey.” I stole one more kiss before he grinned and walked out the door.
I sighed, wishing he didn’t have to go, but I knew that couldn’t happen. He had responsibilities he had to handle. Plus, he’d be gone all day tomorrow and maybe a few after that if things didn’t go well with Al. That thought was frightening.
I needed to keep myself busy, so I placed Bella on the floor with her toys while I did the dishes and tidied the kitchen. It didn’t take long, though. I picked Bella back up and was about to waste time by folding laundry upstairs when the doorbell went off.
“Who’s that?” I asked Bella, trying to stay optimistic as I headed for the hall. Once seeing Wes through the glass, I relaxed a bit and smiled. “Hey, Wes. It’s been a while,” I told him as I opened the door.
“Clara. Good to see you.” He winked and gave me a half smile, but then he noticed Bella. “And there’s that cutie-pie.”
Bella giggled, smitten. I wasn’t surprised – any woman within seeing distance of this man swooned.
“Come on in.” I opened the door all the way and led him down the hall. I waved to the couch. “Sit. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Water’s fine.” He rounded the couch and took a seat on the loveseat.
I grabbed two bottles of water and placed Bella in her swing. I handed him one and relaxed onto the couch. “What can I do for you?”
“Is Grey around?”
“No. Should I call him? If you want to wait, he should be home in half an hour or so.”
“No, it’s fine. I wanted to discuss a few things with you.” All pleasantries went out the window when he met my gaze. He was here for business.
“Okay,” I drawled.
“We are closing the investigation into your brother.”
I let out a long breath. “Oh…okay. Did you find anything?”
“We’ve discovered evidence that proved his wife’s suspicions. After identifying these girls, we talked with them.”
My heart hurt for them.
“Are they okay?”
Wes leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees before he ran a finger over his lower lip. “Some are. Some aren’t.”
Finding Bliss (Bliss #1) Page 49
