Winston smiled down at her, ecstatic at having her back. “You’re forgiven.” He gave her another prolonged kiss, then pulled back. “I know that it took a lot for you to come to me and say that, sweetheart, and I want you to know that I really appreciate it.” That she had done so touched his heart. “Now, that the preliminaries are over, can we go upstairs to our bedroom and in our own bed make love like two rabbits in heat?”
Sharon swatted him on the arm playfully. “All right, Superman. That’s what I like to hear.”
She gave a surprised yelp as he swept her up in his arms. Throwing her head back, she laughed, happier than she had been in weeks. As he held her in his arms close to his heart, she vowed that from this day on that was where she planned on staying.
Chapter 31
“And that’s the story up until the point where you pulled into the bus station parking lot.”
Sin collapsed into a chair by the window of the luxurious Bay front hotel in which he and Nedra were staying. They were both exhausted. This day would be one that would not be easily forgotten. With heavy eyelids, he observed Nedra’s reaction to what he had told her about his meeting with Evelyn Linwood. She stood looking out of the window, reflectively, before walking over to the chair to stand before him.
“God sure works in mysterious ways,” Nedra observed quietly. “She had to trust you totally to reveal something like that.”
Sin looked at her steadily. “Yes, and I’m betraying that trust by telling you.”
Nedra frowned. “She didn’t want you to tell me?”
“No, she didn’t.”
The room was silent for a moment as Nedra’s memory flashed back to a pair of wistful eyes following her husband off the dance floor. She hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but—Her eyes bore into Sin’s. “She’s in love with you.”
He didn’t blink. “She may be, but you’re my love.” Reaching out, he took her hand and pulled her closer to him. “I adore you, and I will love you until the day I die.” He placed her palm on his cheek and kissed it.
Touched by his words, Nedra rewarded him with a peck on the lips. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Leaning back in the chair, Sin toyed with her fingers as he emitted a prolonged sigh. “I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting.”
“You ought to be.” She withdrew her hand and crossed her arms to emphasize her point. “You’ve been acting like a real jackass.”
Sin’s jaw dropped. “Preacher Lady, did I just hear you say a curse word?”
“I call them like I see them.” Nedra countered without a trace of remorse.
“I guess I deserve that.” Reaching for her hand again, he tugged her closer, trapping her between his muscled thighs. “What I said to Colin about running away not being the way to handle problems hit me squarely in the face today.”
“It should have, with a sledgehammer,” Nedra deadpanned.
Sin chuckled. “Man, a brother can’t get a break, can he?”
“Nope.”
Sin shook his head in amusement. This was his lady. “So am I forgiven?”
Nedra squinted at him. “I shouldn’t do this, but…” She sighed dramatically. “I guess I can afford to be benevolent, this time. Just don’t let it happen again.”
“Yes ma’am.” He grinned. “I guess I had a temporary memory lapse, or I would have remembered that my woman don’t take no stuff.”
“I’m here to keep you on your toes 24-7-365.”
“And that’s the way I like it.”
They laughed, both grateful for the slightest bit of levity they could find in their present situation, but the mood changed quickly as Sin lay his head against the comfort of his wife’s breast and tightened his arms around her.
“I don’t know, baby. This whole thing is just—” He choked back his erratic emotions.
Nedra caressed the waves in his hair and planted a soothing kiss on the top of his head. “I know baby, I know.” And she did. The pressure on them both was enormous, but she had faith that they would weather this storm.
When they first met, she had found it impossible that God had sent Sinclair Reasoner to be the man she was to love for the rest of her life. He was too good-looking, too polished, and too worldly for a woman in her profession, but she never should have questioned His choice. Sin was a man that she could count on. What more could any woman want?
Taking his face gently between her fingers, she looked into his misting eyes. “This is something that you can’t fix, my love. We can only do the best that we can, and that’s it. The rest is out of our hands.”
“But, maybe if…”
“No.” Nedra placed silencing fingers over his mouth, effectively halting his protest. She leaned down and whispered huskily in his ear, “It’s out of our hands.”
The heat from her body singed him as Sin melted against the chair in which he was sitting. He was more than aware that they had not made love in weeks. His eyes stroked her as she knelt between his legs. Her face was serene. She was at peace with the certainty of her declaration. She had no doubts.
At that moment the love that he felt for this woman burrowed itself into the very marrow of his bones. His lady was very special. Splaying his fingers through her shortened locks, he brought her mouth to his and kissed her with all of the passion that he felt for her. Slowly, he pulled away.
The dazed look on her face at the intensity of his kiss made further discussion unnecessary. Sin unzipped her jeans. Their eyes held as Nedra got to her feet. Stepping out of her shoes, she shimmed out of her clothes, then stood before him in matching bra and bikini panties. Her half of his golden heart glistened against her dark skin.
Sin’s breathing escalated. He had bought the underwear that she was wearing, and he liked seeing her in them, but not as much as he enjoyed helping her shed them. His eyes slid slowly down her perfectly fit form ending at her painted toenails.
“How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?” He traced the curve of her hip.
“It was predestined,” Nedra answered. Wiggling out of her panties, she kicked them aside and stood before him partially nude
“Woman you are too fine and too sexy,” he rasped as he removed her bra and suckled greedily. Nedra moaned.
“Touché, Mr. Reasoner.” Nedra gave him a beguiling smile. Bending, she took his shoes and socks off and pitched them haphazardly over her shoulder. Climbing on his lap, she straddled him. Sin’s manhood flared.
With seductive purpose, Nedra helped him out of his sports coat and dropped it to the floor. Slowly, seductively, she raised his shirt. Sin closed his eyes and moaned his pleasure as her tongue slowly traced the outline of the gold heart laying against his chest—her heart possessed by him as surely as his belonged to her. Languidly, her lips found his nipple. Sin nearly leaped from his chair. After peeling the shirt from his body, she saved his pants for last. The large bulge straining against his zipper indicated that Sin was more than ready for relief, but his amorous wife wasn’t finished.
He gripped the arms of the chair as Nedra scooted back on his lap. She unbuttoned the waistband of his pants, and then began to play with the zipper. Slowly, very slowly, she brought it down, then up, then down, then up again, repeating the action with such erotic titillation that Sin had to bite his bottom lip to keep from crying out. His eyes slammed shut as he arched his body against the tortuous motion of the playful zipper. He was proud of the self-control that he displayed as a lover, but she was seriously challenging him. He was close to the edge.
“Open your eyes, love,” Nedra whispered erotically. Her tongue swept the contour of his ear, taking special care to nip at the golden stud in his lobe. Groaning, Sin managed to obey her command. She pulled his pants and briefs down his long legs. For a moment, she allowed her eyes to leave his as they wandered past his chiseled chest, to his firm stomach and lean hips to the object of her desire. Her eyes returned to his.
“That’s a good husband.” The kiss that sh
e gave him left him trembling. With deliberate movements, Nedra returned to his lap and once again straddled him. The wet heat of her desire enticed his throbbing member. Unable to bear her alluring foreplay any longer, he entered her. Their eyes never broke contact as he rose slowly from the chair. She tightened her legs around him as he walked to the bed with her in his arms. Every movement he made stoked the blaze within her. Nedra’s head fell forward involuntarily as she moaned his name. She wasn’t sure that she would make it to the bed.
Faltering on shaky limbs, a determined Sin continued toward their destination as the flames roared. They flared out of control just as the feathery mattress wrapped them in its cocoon.
“I love you,” she screamed as she shuddered in completion. Sin followed suit.
Nedra inhaled her husband’s essence as she drifted back to earth. This man had brought so much into her life that she had never known existed. Her pleasure was his first concern. With him she had no inhibitions and the intensity of their need for each other was nearly obsessive as the lovemaking resumed.
This time it was Sin who initiated the torturous kisses that had her panting feverishly. He kissed her from head to toe, licking her, biting her, savoring her. Nedra’s body pulsated, convulsed, responding shamelessly to his demands.
There was urgency to their lovemaking that went beyond their joy of simply being together. There was a raw, unbridled depth to the love that they made as if they were locked in battle. Each challenged the other to restore the equilibrium that had been taken from their lives. Sounds of passion filled the air. Nedra wrapped her legs around him tightly, forcing his member to burrow deeply within her, as they rolled across the oversized bed, ecstasy propelling their every move. Entwined in a mass of sheets and blankets, a satin comforter cushioned their fall as they slid from the bed onto the carpeted floor. Undisturbed by their tumble, their bodies danced in syncopation as they tried to eliminate the fear, ease the pain and erase the uncertainty in their lives, replacing it with joy, if only momentarily
Afterward, with their bodies drenched in perspiration and their energy depleted, they lay on the floor of their exclusive hideaway. Wrapped in the billowy luxury of white satin, they lay together joined as one, and they cried.
Much later, as pink painted the dawn sky, Sin and Nedra discussed the plan that could set their family free. It was decided that she would approach Linda Hoover. A female’s presence might be less threatening. Sin’s East Coast contact had provided him with the information he needed about the private investigator whose name that they had gotten from Sharon. Sin would follow up on that lead.
After showering, they each departed on their designated assignments. Buoyed by the love that forged their commitment to each other and to their family, neither was prepared to fail.
Chapter 32
Samuel Jamison had been calling Royce since yesterday. He was on his boat, he was sure of that. He had called his Nob Hill apartment and had been told by the housekeeper that Royce was spending his weekend there. Samuel knew how he loved to sail. Perhaps it was the only thing in the world that Royce did love, but he would have to insist that he come in today whether he wanted to or not. Their attorney had called to tell him that he had obtained a temporary custody order for Trevor from the court and that they could have the boy with them as early as Monday. Royce was about to become a custodial parent, and there were plans to be made.
The doubts about what he was doing had faded for Samuel in the excitement about the child’s pending arrival. It had been a long time since he had a child in his life. He was looking forward to it more than he had anticipated, but first he had to contact Royce and get him to come home and play father, even if it was pretend.
* * *
It was early Saturday morning and the breeze on the San Francisco Bay was perfect. The fog hung thick and heavy, but Royce didn’t care as he emerged on deck from below. He was shaky and only semi-recovered from his night of drinking, but he felt good. He was in his element on his boat. Here he was the king of the world. He didn’t have to answer to anyone, especially his old man. It was just him and the sea that he had learned to master as a boy. This was his domain.
Ignoring the morning chill, Royce stretched and took a deep whiff of the damp air, then broke into a coughing spasm. It was a reminder that adding an exercise regiment to his agenda might not be a bad idea; neither was cutting down on his liquor intake. The latter was a promise he had made to himself often, every time his father had bailed him out of trouble and covered up his misadventures. Over the years, it had cost the old man a fortune.
The sound of his cell phone ringing roused him out of his musing. He didn’t bother to withdraw it from his pocket because he knew who it was. His father had called several times before, but he had no intention of answering his call. He had given himself until Sunday evening before he had to return to the old man’s nagging, and he wasn’t about to let him change his plans. He was docked now, but he was going out again today, come hell or high water—away from Samuel Jamison, away from the threat of becoming some kid’s daddy, away from the rest of the world.
Returning below, he gathered the empty bottles of liquor that he had consumed the night before. Tossing them into the garbage, he opened up the refrigerator and removed a beer. He was supposed to have been on the wagon for the past couple of weeks, spurred by a threat from his father to cut him off financially. He had made a good show of cleaning up his act, at least on land. This was the only place where he could really enjoy himself. He was tired of marching to the beat of his father’s drum for a kid that he damn well didn’t want. Today was his day. He had a boat full of liquor, the weather forecast was perfect for sailing, and there was nobody looking over his shoulder. He was going to have a good time. To hell with everybody! Yet, the cell phone rang once again, and despite his declaration, Royce answered the call.
* * *
Nedra was outside the small yellow stucco house bright and early Saturday morning, parked close enough but not too close to draw attention. She didn’t know what Linda Hoover looked like, but Sin had said that she was picking up her daughter some time today. If she had to sit where she was all day and all night, she would do it. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait that long.
A wine-colored van pulled up in front of the house. A petite blonde got out. Pulling her short leather jacket against her thin frame, Nedra watched her walk toward the yellow house, knock, then go inside. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Could this be it? Could this woman really hold the key to the rest of Trevor’s life?
The woman stayed inside the house for about an hour. Then the door opened, and she emerged holding a little girl by the hand. From the description given by her husband, the child had to be Cindy. Before they reached the van, Nedra slipped out of the car and called the woman’s name.
“Linda! Linda Hudson!”
The woman’s head snapped up with a start. Cautiously, Nedra approached her as the woman searched her face warily trying to find some familiarity. Clutching her daughter’s shoulders, she held her close to her. Nedra recognized her concern. With arms outstretched, she began to explain her presence.
“I’m a friend of Evelyn Linwood’s. You’ve known her in the past as Evelyn Lee. She’s my son’s teacher. I need to speak to you.”
Linda’s expression turned from wary to antagonistic. “My name is Mrs. Hoover, and I don’t know you. Please go away.” She started walking toward the van.
Nedra changed tactics. “Hi, Cindy, how are you?”
The little girl’s curiosity got the best of her as her mother dragged her along beside her. “How do you know my name?”
“Leave us alone!” Linda jerked Cindy to the other side of her and kept walking. Nedra continued to address the child who was half-hidden by her mother.
“My husband met you last night here at your grandmother’s house. He told me that you reminded him of our little girl.” Nedra’s eyes shifted back to the girl’s mother. “We’ve got three childre
n, Mrs. Hoover, and one might be in trouble. That’s why I need to talk with you.”
Linda glanced down at her daughter, then back at Nedra. She unlocked the door to the van and ushered the child inside. Closing the door behind her, she moved away from the van, then stood with her hands thrust in her jacket pockets, glaring at Nedra.
“What do you people want from me? Why did Evelyn do this? She promised me…swore to me… ”
“I’m not here to judge you, Mrs. Hoover.” She hesitated for a moment, her silence meant to reinforce her words. “Whatever you did in the past is your business. I’m just here to save my son. I won’t beat around the bush. Royce Jamison is the biological father of my adopted son. He wants custody of him, and it’s possible that he could get it. I don’t have a lot of time. He may be granted temporary custody of our son very soon. So I’m begging you to tell me what you know about Royce.”
Linda backed away as if repulsed by the name. “I don’t want anything to do with this. Just leave me alone.” She started toward the van. Nedra kept pace with her.
“Anything that we can get to use against him so that he can’t get his hands on our son would be appreciated. That’s all I’m asking.”
Linda shook her head. “His father is too powerful. I can’t help you.” She maneuvered around Nedra and toward the driver’s side of the van.
“So it’s his father that you’re afraid of. Has he threatened you? Has Royce?”
“I’m not important enough to threaten. He already did his job on me.” She made a move to get into the van. Nedra grabbed the sleeve of her jacket.
“Please, Linda. I’m begging you.”
Linda jerked away and took a step backward. “My name is no longer Linda Hudson. I’m a different woman now—a married woman with children, and I have to think of them!” Her voice trembled with anger as she turned back toward the van. Nedra jumped in front of her.
“I have children, too, and I’m trying to save one of them. I’m trying to save my family. I love my children as much as you love yours. How would you feel if someone tried to take one of them away? Especially someone like Royce Jamison.”
Sinful Intentions Page 29
