“Oh, Jesus,” she murmurs. “You’re making me crazy.”
“Not crazy enough.” With a wicked smirk on my face, I pull her closer and drive my cock inside her. Her fingers dig into my thighs as it slides in deeper and deeper. She groans.
Knowing I’ve taken her to the hilt, I fold my left arm around her thickened waist and begin to pound her. Her gynecologist assured us we could still have sex, and all the online research I did confirmed that. I’m going to give my gorgeous wife an orgasm that will send her orbiting. And I’ll be joining her in outer space.
“Oh, baby,” I grunt out. “You feel fucking amazing.”
“You. Do. Too. Fuck me harder.”
There’s nothing like the woman you love saying those last three words. A pregnant one no less. Gripping her hips, I bang her like there’s no tomorrow. Our ragged breaths mingle with the pounding water. I can feel the makings of a major orgasm. Hers. Mine. Vigorously rubbing her clit as I hammer her, she begins to convulse all around me.
“Oh God, baby. I’m coming,” she breathes out.
“Hold on. I’m coming with you.”
On my next harsh breath, the steamy shower clouding both my vision and mind, I don’t know who comes first. My explosive release meets hers, her pussy shuddering around my juddering cock, our ecstatic cries of relief almost one. Resting my head on her shoulder, I hold up her slack body.
“Holy Jesus,” I mutter, unsure if she’s heard me.
“Jesus,” she echoes. I guess she heard me. And for sure she felt me.
We stay in this position for several moments, neither of us able to move, the hot pellets of water beating upon us. Finally, I slide out of her. And, still hard, feel totally bereft.
“Baby, stay home with me. We can make love all day long.”
She shakes her head, hung low like a ragdoll’s.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” I ask, a fingertip scribbling a question mark on the back of her neck.
“I have an important meeting.”
“Seriously? With whom?”
“A whistleblower. It’s a big story I’m working on . . . I’m sworn to secrecy. I’ve got to get ready.”
To my dismay, she squirms out of my arms and steps out of the shower. My dick deflates.
I blow out a frustrated breath. Sometimes I think she’s more married to her job than to me.
Maybe when the baby comes, things will change.
CHAPTER 25
His soft snores fill my ears. Glancing at the couch, illuminated by a beam of moonlight, I can see his chest rhythmically rising and falling. His beautiful face is basked in serenity.
Oh, God! How I long for him to be sleeping beside me. I’ve missed him so much. The soft sounds of him; the hard form of him. Spooned against him. Blanketing me with his body and warmth.
With a mixture of resignation and longing, I pull the scratchy sheet over my chest, then the worn blanket. My mind reflects on this night. How intense it’s been. Maddie’s life-and-death episode uniting us both emotionally and physically.
I want him back in my life so badly. But things are so damn complicated. My charade. The fact that he’s engaged to another. The danger we face with my possible killer still out there.
I close my eyes, hoping sleep will claim me. No luck. Both the painful ache in my chest and relentless throb between my thighs keep me awake. Bending my knees, I slide my hand under the covers and then under the waistband of my jeans beneath my panties. Two fingers beeline to my clit. I rub hard. Harder. He’s all I think of. The man I can’t have.
My heartbeat goes into overdrive, my body heats, and I come silently. When all I want to do is cry out his name.
Finn.
CHAPTER 26
My eyes peel open as a sliver of daylight trickles through the slightly ajar curtains. Reaching for my phone I left on the side table, I check the time. It’s not even six a.m. I throw off the mildewy blanket I found in the closet and roll off the couch. My body aches; the lumpy couch was far from comfortable. But there’s something that hurts more—my morning wood as it strains against the fly of my jeans.
Scarlet is still sound asleep. Quietly, I watch her, her face peaceful, her perfect breasts heaving with each soft breath. Mesmerized by her beauty, I fight the urge to run my fingers along her gently parted lips.
A little moan escapes them, and for a few seconds, I reflect on how close I got to kissing her last night. So close I could almost taste her lips on mine, feel their tenderness and warmth. The ache between my legs intensifies at both the memory and the sight of her. She’s all I thought about as I tossed on the couch, and I seriously almost jacked myself off but worried I’d startle her with my release. It’s never quiet. I can’t hold back.
I stare at her as she stirs. Something is so frickin’ wrong with this picture. She’s off limits. She’s my daughter’s teacher and I’m engaged to another. The woman who made me. I owe Kayla my career; I owe her everything. Yet, right now, all I want is the woman in the bed before me. I want to hold her, taste her, kiss her, caress her, and that’s just for starters.
I rake my fingertips through my unruly hair like I’m scratching my head. Searching for answers. I need to take a shower. Maybe that will give me clarity and wash away these lustful thoughts. And help me with the problem between my legs.
The shower of this rundown joint is surprisingly good. Though the pink and blue ceramic tiles must date back to the sixties along with the frosted glass shower door, the water pressure is excellent. The hot, forceful jet that pours from the showerhead soothes my cramped muscles as I lather up my hair with a bit of the cheap, complimentary shampoo. Harsh, it smells nothing like the sweet vanilla scent of Scarlet’s lustrous hair.
Even after fifteen minutes in the shower, I can’t get her out of my head. And my boner is still raging. I have no choice. The water pounding on my back, I curl my fingers around the base of my erection and begin to stroke my cock up and down, each stroke faster, harder, and more desperate than the one before. I squeeze my eyes shut, imagining she’s naked on her knees, all wet and slick, her deft hand jerking me off. My breathing grows harsher, my balls tighter, the inevitable only a few strokes away. And then I climax with a loud grunt that I hope the powerful shower will muffle. My release seeps into the palm of my hand only to be washed off by the spouting water. I’m relieved physically, but mentally I’m in a brain fog. Stepping out of the stall, I wrap a skimpy sandpaper-brown towel around my hips, feeling as conflicted as I am confused.
I can’t get involved with my daughter’s teacher. Hands off. It would be career suicide. With my one-man show around the corner, the last thing I need is for Kayla to go ballistic. Or for me to be accused of sexual harassment.
Thinking she’s still sound asleep, I traipse back to the bedroom. I’m in for a rude awakening. She’s gone!
CHAPTER 27
Holding two steaming Cremora-filled coffees, I teeter into our room and my jaw drops. The Styrofoam cups almost slip out of my hands. Finn, with just a skimpy towel wrapped around his hips, stops dead in his tracks. Our eyes lock. The shocked expression on his face mirrors mine.
Hastily, he checks his towel, making sure it’s secure. “Shit . . . I mean, good morning. I thought you were still sleeping.”
My breath catches in my throat. “I woke up while you were in the shower and went to the lobby to see if there might be some coffee.” I hold out the cups. “Bingo. I got you some. Lots of cream . . . two sugars . . . the way you like it.”
“Thanks.” Striding my way, he takes one of the coffees. “Do you think it’s safe to drink?”
“I tried it. It’s not exactly Starbucks, but it’s drinkable.”
My gaze stays on him as he takes a sip. Holy shit! He looks so hot. Straight out of the shower, his thick raven hair glistens and is slicked back. My gaze travels down his torso, landing on his impeccable pecs, a six-pack to die for, and that happy trail of dark hair that draws my vision to his pronounced pelvic V.
Finn always had an amazing body, but I don’t remember it being this gorgeous. So built. Chiseled like a Greek statue that belongs in a museum. Thank God, he’s wearing a towel though I secretly long for it to fall off.
He takes another sip of the brew. “You’re right . . . it’s not bad. How did you know how I like my coffee?”
Because that’s how you drank it every morning of our seven years together. I falter for a response. “Um, just a hunch.”
“A good one.” He grins. “You sleep okay?”
“Yes.” Truthfully, I hardly slept a wink, not dozing off until the wee hours of the morning. I tossed and turned, thinking of him. Thinking of my precious Maddie. Thinking about this awful predicament I’m in . . . and why I’m in it.
He fiddles again with his towel. “You should take a shower. It’s actually pretty good.”
“What about Norman?” I joke though I’m half serious.
He laughs. God, his laugh is sexy. “Don’t worry, he’s nowhere in sight. Plus, I’ll be here to protect you.”
I can’t help but smile as I sheepishly pad past him, feeling his eyes on me.
He’s absolutely right about the shower. It’s surprisingly good. Steamy hot and forceful. Only one thing would make it better—having him share it with me. Like we used to do every morning. Soaping myself up, I turn to face the back wall and my head lolls back, letting the fierce spray cascade over my hair and shoulders. For a good ten minutes.
I turn around again and I blink my water-soaked eyes several times. Then freeze. There’s a man staring at me! No, it’s not Norman, but Finn. How long has he been in here? Watching me? With the pelting water, I didn’t hear him enter. I suddenly feel more naked than I am though I must look like a blur through the frosted glass door and cloud of steam. Holding me in his unblinking gaze for a second, he quickly retrieves the clothes he left in the corner and dashes out.
Questions linger. Why was he watching me? And why did he look so shocked? Then it hits me like a brick to my head. Shit. Could he have possibly seen the flower tattoo etched on my butt through the mist? I turn off the shower hoping he didn’t, hoping he did.
CHAPTER 28
We check out of the dump and Uber to the hospital to pick up Maddie. The ride is short and neither of us makes mention of the bathroom incident. I assure an anxious Finn that she’s fine. Like him, I can’t wait to see her.
When we get there, she’s sitting up in bed, watching TV with Kangy stacked against her pillow. There are still a few attached monitors along with an IV taped to her wrist, but the breathing tube in her nose has been removed. She looks back to normal, her rosy cheeks glowing and her bright eyes sparkling. I inwardly sigh with relief.
Her face lights up when she sees us. “Daddy! Scarlet! Yay! You’re here!”
Finn breaks into a big smile. With me beside him, he strides up to her and smacks a loud kiss on her forehead. “Hi, sunshine. How’re you doing?”
“Great!! Guess what!”
“What?”
“I had Jell-O with whipped cream for breakfast. And pancakes with a funny face.”
I raise my brows. So much for a healthy breakfast, but I’m over-the-top thrilled that her appetite is hardy. Before I can utter a word, a nurse enters the room. Likely in her early fifties, plump, and clad in a Minnie Mouse smock.
“Hi, Nurse Andrews!” shouts out Maddie, full of glee.
“Hi, cutie patootie. I have good news for you and your parents.”
She corrects the nurse. “That’s my daddy. But Scarlet’s not my mommy.”
My heart squeezes in my chest and I swallow hard. Despite the ball of anguish that lodges in my throat, the desperate urge to scream out who I really am besieges me. Mustering a small smile to hold back the truth and hide my torment, I inform the nurse that Maddie is homeschooled and that I’m her teacher.
Maddie beams. “Scarlet is the bestest teacher in the whole wide world.”
Recovering, I return the compliment. “And you’re the bestest student a teacher could have.”
And the bestest daughter a mother could have. Unaware of my pain, pride washes over Finn’s face. “So, Nurse, what’s the great news?” he asks as she waddles our way.
“Your daughter had an excellent night. All her vitals are normal. Her doctor greenlit her discharge.”
Maddie cocks her head. “What does that mean, Daddy?”
I answer for him. “It means, sweetie, that you can go home.”
“Yay!”
Our eyes stay on the nurse as she gently removes the hook ups, one by one. Maddie watches too. Before removing the IV, the jovial woman reaches into a pocket and pulls out a Band-Aid. She peels it open and once the IV is out, covers the spot before it bleeds.
Maddie’s face again lights up. “Coolio! A Madeline Band-Aid!” She sports it proudly. “Can Kangy have one too?”
“Of course, honey,” replies Nurse Andrews, proceeding to give my daughter’s beloved kangaroo the same medical attention.
Finn completes some paperwork as well as reviews Maddie’s new action plan should she have another asthma attack. A few minutes later, Maddie is back in her own pajamas and in a wheelchair, with Kangy on her lap. While she’s squealing with excitement as if it’s a fun amusement park ride, the sight of my little girl in this big chair sends a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. She looks so tiny and vulnerable, and it brings back horrific memories. How many months did I spend in a wheelchair while my battered body mended? Months that added up to years. Years away from my child and husband.
“Scarlet, are you okay?” asks Finn as he wheels Maddie full speed ahead to the entrance of the hospital.
“Yeah,” I murmur, struggling to keep up, cold beads of sweat clustering beneath my tee. My heart palpitating, my breathing strained. A lie. I’m having an anxiety attack.
The truth, the sooner I get out of this hospital the better.
CHAPTER 29
An unexpected car awaits us in the driveway of Finn’s house. A shiny white Mercedes convertible with the top down. As Maddie jumps out of the Uber, Finn curses under his breath. I silently echo him, having a strong hunch whose car it is.
Maddie skips up to the front door, with Finn and me close behind her. The door jerks open before Finn can unlock it with his keys. A tall willowy blonde, dressed in head to toe ivory, stands before us. Kayla. Without acknowledging her, Maddie, clutching Kangy, scurries inside.
Scrunching her face, Kayla plants her hands on her jutting hipbones. “Phineas, where the hell have you been?”
My blood bubbles. Thank goodness, Maddie didn’t have to witness this snake-tongued woman’s crass welcome. Her eyes narrowing with fury, Finn’s fiancée continues her rant, her voice growing more incensed. Her language harsher.
“You’re fucking late. We have brunch in twenty minutes with Sheldon on his new yacht.”
Sheldon? Could it be? That Sheldon? The one she conversed with that night so long ago at Christie’s? That slimeball Hollywood producer who assaulted me? That encounter, as terrifying and vilifying as it was, is long in the past, so why does that name rattle me so much? It’s like a memory is banging away at the edges of my mind, trying to make its way inside. My head spins with uncertainty while Finn’s jaw ticks.
“Shit. I’m sorry. We had an emergency.”
We. The little two-letter word calms me down, but the name Sheldon still swirls around my head. Forming a question mark. In search of an answer as Finn explains.
“Maddie had a major asthma attack last night. She had to go the emergency room.”
“There’s always drama with that child.” With a haughty huff, Kayla rolls her eyes. “Seriously, darling, except for me, who’s more important than Sheldon Greenberg?”
My breath hitches. It is that Sheldon! Finn has no idea he’s the sleazebag who put his grubby hands all over me as he never got a glimpse of his face. And eager to put the encounter behind me, I never told him his name or brought it up again. Now is not the time with Kayla rant
ing.
“He’s your biggest supporter and is about to plunk down a million dollars on three of your paintings.” She sneers. “That child takes up way too much of your time.”
Anger is rising in me like bile. I want to punch this bitch out. How dare she care so little about my daughter? This darling little girl who will soon be her stepchild. My blood runs cold at the thought.
Finn looks at her, his gaze fierce. I can actually see daggers shooting out of his eyes. “Kayla, let’s get this straight right now. There is no one more important in my life than my daughter. Do you understand that?”
Kayla gives him a dismissive look. “Whatever. Get ready and let’s go.”
“I want to take Maddie with me.”
The bitch screws up her face. “Darling, are you kidding? A yacht is hardly the place for an impetuous, sickly child, and Sheldon has no patience for kids.”
A short, tense moment of silence follows. Then, a wicked smile crosses Kayla’s face.
“Just leave her with your babysitter.” She fires me a snide look. I remain stone-faced despite the rage that’s fueling me to explode.
Finn looks at me imploringly. “Scarlet, I know it’s your day off, but would you mind watching Maddie for a few hours?”
I agree. There’s nothing more I want to do than spend time with my daughter. Except . . . spend time with both him and her.
CHAPTER 30
“Let’s go already,” barks Kayla as Finn lifts Maddie into his arms.
“I love you, sunshine.”
“Come home soon, Daddy!” She affectionately cups her tiny hands around his handsome face.
Finn kisses the top of her head. “I will.”
Kayla scoffs. “Seriously, Phineas, what part of not being late don’t you understand?”
Remember Me Page 13
