A Tangled Web (A Books We Love Erotic Romance) (13 page)

Dior hadn't called back to say what he planned to do. Would he show up in White Grove or stay in
Florida
, pretending not to know about Angel's pregnancy? From the way he banged down the receiver, Derek bet on the latter. But he hoped Dior was just in shock and wanted to rush to the rescue.

Derek pulled into the hospital parking lot and found his way to ER. Julia and Walt were sitting there, holding hands. He joined them, feeling uncomfortable and unsure what to say.

"Any news?"

"Not yet, but a doctor is with her now," Julia said.

"Angel doesn't eat enough to keep a goldfish alive," Walt said. "I told you we should insist she take in more food."

"I understood she wanted to look svelte in her wedding dress," her mother said, "and I didn't think we should nag. But she was never heavy, was she, Dior?"

"Derek," he corrected gently. "No, she was just right," he added, aware of why she'd been afraid to eat. She didn't want a baby bump, she'd told him, and he'd understood that too.

A door swung open and a man in scrubs appeared. "Are you Angel Fairchild's family?" he asked.

Her mother gasped and her father put an arm around her.

"Yes," Walt said. "This is her husband-to-be." He nodded towards Derek. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine as soon as we pump some nutrition into her through an IV. Angel appears to have been starving herself. Does she have a history of anorexia?"

"Absolutely not," Julia said, glaring at the young man in blue. "It's just that she wanted to look beautiful in her wedding gown."

"A lot of young women get that idea into their heads, but it's foolish if they walk down the aisle feeling faint." He turned to Derek. "She'd like to talk to you alone."

As they walked down the hall together, the doctor spoke. "She might have miscarried or done damage to the baby, starving herself. I've given her a stern warning not to continue such behaviour."

"I didn't know she was undernourished," Derek said as he followed the younger man to a curtained section of the large room where Angel lay, looking pale, hooked up to monitors and an IV.

"You do now, so be sure to do something about it. I'm Dr. Cavish, by the way." He shook hands with Derek and patted Angel's hand. "It looks as if you'll be able to go home later today, Ms. Fairchild."

"I'm sorry, Derek," she said, bursting into tears when the doctor was gone. "I just didn't want Mama to know. She'd be so disappointed in me."

"Know what?" Julia Fairchild stood at the opening in the curtains.

"Mama!" Angel looked stricken.

"I told the doctor I'd waited long enough to see my little girl and I was coming back here, like it or not. You didn't want me to know what, Angel?"

"Tell her, Derek." She covered her face with her hands.

"Are you sure you want me to?" he asked.

"You're pregnant," Julia said. "Is that it? I was so afraid that might be the case." She looked as stricken as Angel had. "Oh, honey, how could you? And
you
." She shook a fist at Derek. "Messing up my girl's life. A good man would have taken precautions."

Clenching his jaw, Derek kept silent, but his gut churned with anger and frustration.

"Derek
is
a good man. I'm Janice Acampora, his mother, and I forbid you to talk to my son that way."

"Mom." Derek swung around to see her eyeing Julia. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep and when your father was leaving the room to get me a soda out of the machine, he found your note. Of course we were concerned about our future daughter-in-law." She smiled at Angel. "Hello, dear."

"Derek is a
very
good man. It's not his fault that I'm having a baby," Angel said between sobs.

"
A baby
?" Janice gasped. "It certainly isn't his fault. Derek can't father children."

Looking up at him, his mother tucked a hand in the crook of his arm. "So what's this all about? You know what the tests showed. Surely, you told her."

He squeezed his mom's hand and gave Angel a sheepish look. He hadn't told her and perhaps he should have.

Janice went on. "If you're having a baby, you've chosen the wrong man to pin it on, Angel. Is that your name? If so, maybe you should change it."

"Mother, there's no reason to be rude," Derek said.

"I thought something strange was going on." She turned to him. "You'd never even mentioned this woman and all of a sudden you two were planning a wedding. So, now it's obvious. She pushed you into matrimony without telling you she was expecting another man's child."

"My daughter wouldn't…" Julia sputtered.

"I knew. She did tell me," Derek interrupted.

"Stop it." Angel's wail interrupted Julia's protest. "Both of you. All of you. It's not Derek's baby. He was kind enough to marry me with full knowledge that it was someone else's child." She glared at him. "But I didn't receive the same courtesy. Why didn't you tell me you couldn't have children? Were you trying to make a fool of me in your parents' eyes?"

"I didn't think it was important, and it would have ruined everything for you."

"Not important?" Angel fell back against the pillows.

"Whose baby is it, Angel?" Julia stomped her foot. "Do you know?"

"Of course I know. What kind of woman do you think I am, Mother?"

"The father doesn't know anything about all of this though," Derek offered, thoroughly pissed off by the mess he'd created, trying to be kind. And now Angel was turning on him. "She didn't tell him she was expecting his child."

"Oh, get out. All of you," Angel screamed.

A nurse came running. "What's going on here?"

"I want them all to leave," Angel said, waving an arm at the half-circle of visitors.

"I'm going," Derek said.

"No," the nurse said. "The baby's father should stay until the mother calms down."

"I'm not the father," Derek said, and walked away.

Chapter Twelve

Derek sat in his car in the hotel parking lot, cursing himself for being such a fool ever to have gotten himself entangled in such a mess. And it was mostly of his own making. He closed his eyes, his hands clenching the wheel. He wanted—no, he
needed
—
Erin
. He needed to hold her, to kiss her breasts, to tongue-fuck her until she cried out with ecstasy. If he could just go back to the way things were with her… He'd whisk her away to a secluded island where they could be alone to make love all day and night…

He closed his eyes and pictured it. Sitting on the soft white sand of the beach, the two of them listening to the waves lapping against the shore…

The lapping of the water was a foretaste of what Derek was going to do to
Erin
's pussy. Parting the lips, he'd dip in his tongue and lap her juices. His cock hardened and his pulse raced. First, he'd make her so blazing hot that she'd beg him to fuck her. He'd heighten both their desires to an unbearable level and then bury his penis inside her welcoming cunt.

A hidden stretch of fine white sand washed by wavelets from the sea was a lover's paradise.
Erin
sat close to him wearing a string bikini that exposed part of her smooth, newly waxed pussy and a bra that only half-covered her swollen breasts. She was already hot, he knew.

She sat cross-legged and he moved to a spot in front of her. Spreading his legs, he stretched them out so she sat in the V of his crotch. He eased away the fabric of her top and traced the delicate pink rims of her nipples, and they pebbled. He squeezed them between his fingers and she gasped. He dipped his hands inside the tiny bra and filled them with the ripe globes. Dropping her head back and closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath.

He was so hot for her body that his tight Speedo barely contained his hard, throbbing cock.

Smiling,
Erin
reached out and set his penis free. Running her fingers along the length of it, she snagged his gaze with hers. Her bright green eyes darkened with passion and her cheeks grew rosy.

"Yes," he whispered. "Keep getting hotter and hotter. I want you so hot for me that you won't be able to wait any longer—so eager that you'll beg me to fuck you with my dripping cock."

Licking her lips with the tip of her tongue, hands trembling, she undid her bra and tossed it into the sand. Her breasts looked like plump, ripe peaches ready to be plucked and eaten, and his mouth watered.

She saw him eyeing them and leaned closer. He sucked first one and then the other. She trembled. He ran his teeth over her nipples.

Erin
moaned and rubbed the head of his cock. "You're making me crazy."

"Crazy with desire for my penis way up inside you? Fucking your pussy?"

"Absolutely." She ran her fingers up and down his shaft lightly, playing it like piano keys. Leaning forward, she licked the slit that was wet with pre-cum. Tasting her lips, she sat back and smiled at him as if to say two could play this game.

Derek's cock throbbed and in two swift moves, he laid her in the sand and removed her bikini bottom. Kneeling, he straddled her. The sand felt hot and gritty beneath his knees, but it only added to his burning desire.

She smiled at him teasingly, and he squeezed her breasts again. He sucked them hard and she clung to him. He dipped his fingers in her pussy. "It's dripping wet," he said. She nodded her head against his shoulder.

Breathing hard, he rubbed her clit between his fingers and she writhed. Rolling her head from side-to-side, she looked up at him—and begged. "Yes. Yes. Fuck me, Derek. Please. I need your hard cock inside me now."

She wrapped her fingers around his penis and he clenched his eyes shut, trying to resist. He needed to plunge it inside her warm, soft pussy but something else came first. The water was still washing against the shore.

"Listen. Do you hear the sea,
Erin
? Do you hear the wet lapping? Doesn't that sound make you want me to drink the juices from your sweet pussy?"

"Oh, God," she said and arched her back, lifting her cleft towards his eager tongue. "Yes, Derek. Eat me."

He spread apart the swollen lips of her vagina and snaked his tongue inside its sweet depths. She writhed again, whimpering. He began to tongue-fuck her, savouring the taste and feel of her pussy and its nectar. She buried her fingers in his hair and ground her vulva against his mouth.

"My God," she whispered. "That feels so good."

"How does this feel?" He caught hold of her clit and drew hard on it with his mouth and she cried out. He scraped it gently with his teeth. She spasmed and he sucked until more juices flowed. He nibbled on it and she went wild.

"You like that, huh?" he teased, coming up to kiss her on the mouth.

She tasted her juices on his lips and reached for his penis again.

"Now, Derek. Dammit, I
want
you. Now. Fuck me."

He lay down and plunged his aching cock inside her. The rubbing motion and the feel of her pussy swallowing it up in its warm interior nearly made him lose it. She felt so, so good inside. "I
want
you too,
Erin
."

She dug her fingers into his ass. "Then fuck me until you can't fuck anymore," she whispered fiercely.

He was about to explode and he'd tortured them both enough. Sweet torture. Now for exquisite fulfilment. He plunged his penis deep inside her. Again and again.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
Erin
repeated the word with every stroke of his cock. "I love the feel of your cock in my pussy," Suddenly, she cried out, "
Fuck!
"

As she shuddered and climaxed, she dug her nails in his back and Derek shot his cum. Bucking and ejaculating, thrilling as their fluids mixed inside of
his
woman, he wrapped his arms around Erin and held her close.

He never wanted to let her get away again.

* * *

Something woke
Erin
and she sat up, surprised to find herself in a hotel bed, alone. It had been all a dream—the bed of rose petals with her and Derek married. Everything concerning him was an illusion. Whether she was asleep or awake, her dreams of them finding lasting happiness together would never materialise.

Her cell phone pealed and she realised that was what had awakened her. With the surge of excitement coursing through her stilled, she felt empty. Nothing about Erin and Derek was true. There was no 'Erin and Derek'. He was marrying her cousin—dear, sweet Angel had one-upped
Erin
again, winning Derek. But Angel had won by default, having his baby.

The cell sounded again. Damn. That ring tone was annoying. She needed to change it to something less piercing. Sighing, she flipped it open. "Hello."

Looking at the clock on the bedside table, she saw she'd slept for more than an hour. Napping was an escape method she'd often employed over the years.

"Erin O'Brien Fox, what took you so long to pick up? Never mind answering that. We need to talk. Julia told me you'd checked into the hotel already. Why? I didn't think you were coming until Friday."

"I wanted to spend some time with Angel before the wedding."

"Well, forget that. I'm in the lobby. I detest elevators, as you know, so would you come down here at once?"

"I'll be there in five minutes. We'll go to the lounge and have a drink."

She didn't know what her mother meant by, 'Forget that'. But she did think she'd have to forget telling Angel about her and Derek's affair. It was too late to save her from marrying a cheater. They had to go through with the wedding because Angel was pregnant.

Erin
quickly changed clothes, splashed water on her face and fluffed her hair. Taking a look in the mirror, she decided she looked pale and applied bronzer and lipstick.

Five minutes after that, she found her mother standing by the elevator bank on the ground floor, her arms crossed and wearing an impatient expression, but looking slim and attractive in beige slacks and shirt. Her sister Julia always appeared dowdy beside Barbara. A bit plump, Julia tended to wear prints and favoured dresses over pants—clothes that made her look older than she was. Barbara dressed stylishly and didn't look her age. "You're looking good, Mom."

"It took you
ten
minutes," her mother said, "but thanks."

She smiled then and
Erin
gave her a quick hug. "I had to make myself presentable."

"Over there," Barbara said. It was 4:00 and only a few tables in the lounge were occupied but she led the way to one in the corner farthest away from the other customers.

What could she have to say that she wouldn't want others to hear? The server promptly appeared and she ordered a piña colada.
Erin
, thinking it sounded refreshing, ordered the same.

Barbara smiled. "I've missed you, Erin."

Erin
, taken aback, patted her hand and waited anxiously for what was coming. It had to be
really big
news for her mother to come to the hotel. Just plain
big
, she would have divulged over the phone. "So, what's up, Mom?"

"You are not going to believe what's happening," Barbara declared. Her hazel eyes wide, she patted her short cut, ash blonde hair.

Erin
remembered when it was brown, but when grey appeared, her mother started colouring it.

"Julia called me, all atwitter, poor dear."

Their drinks arrived, and
Erin
wrapped her hands around her glass. Had Angel told her mother about the baby?

"Angel was rushed to ER today. For some reason I've suspected all along that she's pregnant, maybe because Julia didn't seem as thrilled about the upcoming wedding as she did when Angel first got engaged. When I learned she was in the hospital, I thought sure I was right and she'd miscarried. However, she was suffering from malnutrition. Julia says she wanted to lose weight so she'd look good in her gown, but I still wonder…"

She hadn't lost the baby. Not that Erin actually wanted her to…she didn't know what she wanted except Derek…but she'd be a horrible person to wish the infant out of the way. She had to be careful not to let on she knew anything. "So you still suspect she's pregnant and that's why she hasn't been eating?"

Barbara leaned closer. "If she is, Julia could be responsible for Angel starving herself. I don't know if my sister would go so far as to suggest dieting, but she would be embarrassed if her daughter 'showed' on her wedding day."

"Angel wouldn't want that, so it might have been
her
idea,
if
indeed she is pregnant,"
Erin
said.

Barbara nodded slowly. "Dior took Julia and Walt to dinner, and Angel, of course, and the next day Julia said he was handsome and well-to-do. He picked up the bill. She couldn't say enough good things about him."

"Dior? Is that the name that was on the invitation? I thought it was Derek." Since
Erin
hadn't read it, she was fishing. She'd give anything to learn it really was someone named Dior that Angel was about to wed, but no, Derek had told her, when he said they would call off the wedding…

"I don't remember what it said on the invitation, but I clearly recall you poking fun at his name when I told you Angel was engaged to Dior. I don't know what he does for a living or if he's really well-to-do, but I know that Julia has always wanted Angel to marry someone high class. Walter is a blue-collar worker and tight with his money and Julia wants better for her daughter. My sister was the 'golden girl' in our family and never wanted for anything, but she fell hard for Walt who, believe it or not, was an athlete and a little on the wild side. A lot of girls wanted him but she won out and was thrilled.

"However, after I married your dad who made an excellent living, Julia began to find fault with Walt who seemed to have lost his drive. Or maybe he never had any except for sports.

"Anyway," Barbara continued, "that's probably the reason Julia is always pushing Angel to be and do the best, with a good marriage the ultimate goal. If you ask me, she should just be glad Angel finally found a husband. Julia longs to be a grandmother, you know."

Erin
didn't know. However, Julia was going to get her wish under circumstances that probably wouldn't thrill her.

Even though
Erin
's parents divorced, she'd led a comfortable life and since neither of them remarried, her Dad provided for them well in his will. She'd never thought about Angel's family having a smaller house or less money and didn't know if it concerned her cousin or not, but the competition between their mothers seemed to go both ways.

"Now, listen to this," Barbara said, bouncing on her chair. "After Angel was fed intravenously, the doctor was going to dismiss her, but when Dior and his parents came to visit, there was some commotion that upset her. Now they're keeping her overnight for observation."