Deception (23 page)

Julian smiled tenderly at Maura. “But first we have to eat lunch.”

“Po’boys!” Adrian hollered.

“That’s right. And what did we make those po’boys out of?”

“David shrimp.”

“That’s my boy.” The snap of their high five reverberated around the cabin of the truck.

Julian walked around to open Maura’s door. She knew to wait for him to do so because it was something he always enjoyed. He carried the small lunch cooler in one hand and they each held one of Adrian’s hands as they walked to a picnic table beneath the canopy of trees on Avery Island.

They sat Adrian between them and Maura cut his sandwich into tiny pieces. “Mommy, I saved you the best one.” He dangled a battered shrimp in the air and waited for her to take it. Her mouth closed around it and she playfully nipped at his fingers. “Hey, you got my finger!” Adrian giggled and then kissed Maura’s cheek. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, baby.” She squeezed his head to her breast and inhaled the floral scent from his bath earlier.

After they’d eaten Adrian walked around their table gathering pecans and interesting-looking leaves.

Julian placed his arm around Maura and whispered into her ear, “Mom and Dad said they’d keep Adrian tonight.” He kissed just behind her ear and she settled into his chest. “I have a surprised planned.”

“Mmm. Sounds nice.”

“I want to have another child with you, Mrs. David.” He kissed her lips.

Maura smiled. “I want to have several with you.”

Julian smiled against her lips. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Daddy, stop kissing Mommy and come show me the positions.”

“Show me what you’ve got, kiddo.” Adrian demonstrated his knowledge of the five ballet positions. Julian groaned as he pulled himself away from Maura. “We’ll pick this up tonight.”

***

“Can I take off the blindfold?”

“Not yet.”

Julian guided Maura, whose vision had been blinded during the entire ride over to wherever they were now. He’d led her indoors. “Three more steps. Okay.” He removed the blindfold and as her eyes adjusted to the low candlelight she took in her surroundings.

An intimate dining table for two had been set up at Julian’s dance studio. He pulled out one of the chairs for her and she sat. He placed a cloth napkin in her lap. Pulling champagne from ice he said, “May I fill your glass?”

“Please,” Maura beamed.

“Do you know why I’ve brought you here for a cozy dinner?”

“Hmm.” Julian was fond of marking the little moments in their lives with huge gestures. He took his seat opposite her at the small table. “I’m thinking the dance studio has something to do with it.”

“You’re close, Mrs. David.”

She racked her brain trying to figure out what they were celebrating. “Ooh, it’s been one year this week since you opened the studio.”

“It has. I’ve never been happier in life or in love. I owe every wonderful thing in my life to you. I just wanted to thank you for not giving up on me. I love you, Maura. You and Adrian are my entire world.”

His intense eyes could bring tears to hers in a heartbeat. She dabbed away the drops with her napkin before they could ruin her mascara. “Julian,” Maura whispered as her throat closed up from the raw emotion coursing through her. “You’ve made me so happy. To have you is to have everything.”

“I’d give you anything. Whatever you ask, it’s yours.”

“Maybe there is one thing I would like.”

Julian sipped his champagne. “What’s that, love?”

“I want you to tell me the leech joke.”

A twinkle in his eye he said, “I thought you had forgotten about that one.”

“Nope.” Maura shook her head.

“Can I interest you in a set of diamond earrings instead?”

“Nope.” Her head still shook.

“Okay, but after I tell it, you won’t think I’m your knight in shining armor. That perception will be shattered.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Boudreaux’s cousin Robichaux had a pet leech. It was quite disgusting and Robichaux’s girlfriend, Duplessis, wanted him to get rid of it, but Robichaux couldn’t do that you see because he’d become quite attached to it.”

Maura’s eyes closed lazily and she smiled. Her smile turned into full, gut- wrenching laughter. Julian joined her.

“I love you, Julian. Never change.”

“I don’t intend to, but most importantly it’s you who must never change. I’d die without you, just as you are—nothing more, nothing less.”

His green eyes buzzed with electricity. “Now I must dance with my wife.” She watched as he removed his suit jacket, and then he walked across the studio to the sound system while Maura enjoyed his fine derrière. Michael Bublé’s smooth voice tinged the air with
Save the Last Dance For Me.

Julian shimmied across the floor using sensual hip movements. He’d taught her salsa, but he knew she appreciated when he danced for no one but her. Near the table he rotated his hips in isolation using the music as his guide. His long fluid legs were lean and strong and the sexy confident way he moved, along with the smolder in his eyes, made Maura overly warm as she sat in her chair and watched the show he performed just for her. His body rolls were precisely executed and she knew he’d use that same kind of precision later when he made love to her in their bed.

When he extended his arm to her she slid her hand in his. Pulling her from her chair, he then shimmied against her—his body warm and his scent extra potent. He lifted her from the waist and she complied, wrapping her legs around his hips. For a few beats he danced with her. When the song ended he dipped her in his arms.

When
Close Your Eyes
began to play things turned serious. He sang the words to her, just as he’d done many times before. This was his song for her and it was the way he told her things he almost couldn’t put into words.

Dancing cheek to cheek with their hands clasped tightly to his chest he whispered, “Maura, close your eyes so I can tell you all the reasons why I love you.”

She gladly complied.

“First, you freed me with your sincere honesty. Then you gave me life—a family of my own to love and who unconditionally loved me back. You gave me a need and a purpose. You—Saved—Me.” His lips descended onto hers in the sweetest-tasting kiss. “I love you, Maura.”

“I love you too, Julian, but you’ve got it backwards. It was you who saved me.”

I hope you enjoyed
Deception: David Family Saga, Book Two
. I struggled with the mature themes in this one. I’m not sure if I’ve ever written characters as tormented as these two. I hope the ending was much sweeter for you all because of it. So what’s next? Well I think I would like to find out what is troubling Everett
. Wouldn’t you
? He will have his story in book three. Will we find out why he lives so far from home? Will Fiona let Everett take her on a date? Hmm, I don’t know about you, but I think she may be hiding something.

I’ve said this before but it’s worth repeating . . . when I wrote
Shameless (St. Martin Family Saga),
I got so many letters from fans thanking me for the book. Some had an opinion about Cory and Brook, while others rooted for Parker. As an author, I love feedback. Candidly, you are the reason that I explored Parker’s future and now we have the Davids. So, tell me what you liked, what you loved, even what you didn’t like. I’d love to hear from you. You can write me at
[email protected]
and visit me on the web at ginawatson.net.

Finally, I need to ask a favor. If you’re so inclined, I’d love a review of
Deception: David Family Saga, Book Two.
Loved it, didn’t love it, long, short, words of encouragement—I’d just enjoy your feedback.

As you may have gleaned from my books, reviews can be tough to come by these days. You, the reader, have the power now to make or break a book. If you have the time, here’s a link to my author page on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/author/ginawatson
. You can also find all of my books at
http://ginawatson.net/books/main.php
. To make it easier, I’ve only listed this one platform, but you may review it at Barnes & Noble, iBooks, wherever you purchased the ebook. Additionally, if you didn’t purchase the book at Amazon, but do have an Amazon account, you can leave your review there—just click the link above.

Thank you so much for reading
Deception: David Family Saga, Book Two
and for spending time with me.

In gratitude,

Excerpt has not been edited. Content may change upon final publication.

Chapter 1

Everett reclined in the pool, the heavy tropical Louisiana air making him lazy. He didn’t have too much work to consider these days. It was the southern way—he who is laziest wins the game. Once he’d made partner at the Boston firm his workload had diminished by less than half.

Courtney walked out onto the back porch of their childhood home. Only Courtney wasn’t a child. Neither was Parker or Julian. It baffled Everett that they still lived at home. They had no ambition, unlike him. He smiled, satisfied with himself and his accomplishments. He would have done anything that would have led him far away from Louisiana.

Courtney dove into the pool, splashing water onto his prized, pre-season release, Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. “Dammit Courtney, you splashed water on my glasses.”

“Have you become that much of a pussy Everett. Boston’s made you soft.”

“I just didn’t realize you were so rude and uncultured.”

“I’m uncultured?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the last book you read? Law tomes don’t count.”

“Whatever.”

“Why are you still here anyway? Aren’t you afraid the southern Louisiana stink is going to get into your perfectly cleaned pores?”

Yes, Everett was in fact leery of gun-slinging, backwoods conservative zealots. “If you must know I’m here to support Parker.”

Courtney laughed deeply and then pushed a wall of water at Everett.

“You’re going to pay for that kiddo!” Everett pounced on Courtney and pushed her until they were both underwater and in need of oxygen. They made it to the surface and gasped for breath.

“Good to see you’ve matured Ebbwet.”

“You splashed me,” Everett said around a cough. “And don’t ever call me that.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll tell Marcus Peterson that you want to have his babies.”

“Eww.” Courtney’s nose scrunched. “You’ve just got your panties in a twist because you can’t get Maura’s friend to go out with you. I believe they call that a shutout.”

Everett precariously balanced on a pool lounger. He’d made some gains with Fiona. They’d had a blast together in New York. He’d taken her to a bar after
Phantom of the Opera
. They’d both had a little too much to drink and the rest was history as they say. But he wasn’t going to tell his little sister that.

“I’m going to have more time to work on her.”

“How so?” Courtney sat on a pool step and applied sunscreen to her arms.

“I’m working on a gig at the Baton Rouge office.”

“
You
accepted a Louisiana gig?”

“I was requested.”

“By who?”

“Ashton.”

“Loony old Ashton David?”

“He’s not that much older than we are.”

Courtney frowned, “No but he’s totally screwed in the head.”

“Like you aren’t.”

“At least I can function in modern society. When’s the last time he even set foot outside of that dilapidated plantation?”

“Dad says he doesn’t ever leave.”

“I guess he doesn’t have a reason to. However, his snubbing of Mom’s holiday invitation every year is starting to piss me off. We share a property line with the guy—not to mention he’s our cousin.”

Everett looked across the property in the general direction of Ashton David’s plantation. “It must be hell on him to be so tormented at so young an age.”

“It must.” Courtney followed Everett’s gaze, and then they shared a knowing moment of silence for their estranged cousin who in his mid-thirties had been through as much suffering as Dante Alighieri when he descended into the ninth circle of hell.

“Still, I’m going over later today to get his estate in order. He’s got some oil leases he wants me to take a look at. Do you want to go with me?”

“Yeah, I’ll go.”

***

“Why are we taking the long way around?”

Everett looked upon his sister with measured disdain. “I’m not driving the BMW across a field.”

“Pretentious much?”

“It doesn’t belong to me Court. It’s the firm’s car. I don’t want to scratch it or worse.”

“Fine. We could have taken the mule you know.”

“Mule?”

“Never mind,” Courtney huffed.

“I climbed into Dad’s old Ford but the battery was dead.”

“Strange.”

“It’s what happens when vehicles sit up.” Everett shrugged.

“So you’re back indefinitely.”

“Seems so.”

“Well I’m glad. I’ve missed you. I don’t like you so far away from the rest of us.”

“You could come visit me more than you do. Of course that would require you to leave your beloved Baton Rouge.”