Authors: J. D. Faver
Tags: #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Romance, #Romantic Suspense, #Thrillers, #Mystery & Suspense, #Suspense
Their lovemaking was more tender the second time. Perhaps their desperation had spilled over the first time. Now they took their time, more embraces and kisses. More touching and words of passion. At this moment they lay spent and damp in each other’s arms.
Rene loved the way he held her. She didn’t want him to move for fear they would never be this close again. He nuzzled the side of her neck causing little shivers even now.
“So, what else?” he asked.
“What else? What do you mean?”
“You said some things had upset you. What else, besides me being a stubborn jerk?”
“Oh, nothing else.” She stroked his hair, too long in Houston, but just right here. “Except, maybe--”
“What?” He pulled himself up on his elbows, cradling her head on one arm. “Tell me whatever I’ve done to upset you.”
“Not you,” she said. “It was Mrs. Jolly. She was harping at me the other day at Hank and Bernie’s. Nadine was there.”
“I’m sure she was,” he said, “What did Mrs. J. say to upset you?”
“She accused me of breaking your heart, making you miserable. She even compared me to your ex-wife.”
“I was miserable, true enough.” Brett kissed her again, his hairy chest tickling her breasts as he pressed against her. “But, you’re nothing like my ex.”
“Really? She whispered against his lips as the next kiss engulfed her.
“No. She didn’t have ugly hair.”
Rene gasped in surprise and they fell into a fit of laughter.
“Your hair isn’t exactly ugly but I’m seriously glad you’re letting it grow out,” he said when they stopped laughing. “And, you don’t have to worry about Mrs. J. She and the Rev. are making wedding plans. She’ll be married in a couple of weeks.”
“No, she thinks you can’t function without her.”
“I’m willing to try. You and the kids can take care of me.”
Rene couldn’t suppress a slight tensing of her body. She took a breath and let it out.
“Or will your husband object?”
The silence that followed Brett’s question seemed to fill all the remaining space in the vehicle. She couldn’t breathe, as though the heater had burned up all the air.
“How--how did you know?” she finally managed.
“I just put two and two together. You’re pretty secretive about your past. You seem scared sometimes, but it’s not as bad now as when you first came.”
Tears closed her throat. “I’m so sorry I lied to you,” she bawled. “I didn’t mean to lead you on. I couldn’t help it. I was--I am so attracted to you and you’re such a good man.” She wept in earnest now. Brett held her as she sobbed out the whole story.
“That settles it,” Brett said. “You and the children are coming to stay with me until this thing is settled. You can file for divorce. I’ll protect you, Rene. All of you.”
“No, I can’t. You don’t understand. If I try to divorce Mark, he’ll get to me through the children.”
“What would he do to his own children?” Brett asked.
“You just don’t understand,” she repeated. “He’s obsessed with controlling me. He’s vicious. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“His own children? Brett repeated, incredulously.
“He would kill them to hurt me. He’s pure evil.”
~*~
They danced to slow music. It wasn’t so bad dancing with this behemoth. He was surprisingly light on his feet for such a big man. T.J. smiled to herself as they danced cheek to chest, accompanied by a baby grand with a string ensemble. No one pointed or snickered when they made their way back to the table.
He held her chair, exhibiting impeccable manners at all times. She knew her mother would love him. Look at the man she had chosen to marry. A big American named McCann with family roots in Scotland. She would think Terrence the perfect man for her only daughter.
Oh, no! I mustn’t entertain these thoughts.
Her assignment would be over soon and he would return to his homeland.
Terrence pushed a coin across the table towards her.
“They look like more than a penny’s worth, these thoughts that have carried you away from me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” T.J. said. She picked up the penny, still warm from his touch. “I was just thinking that I’ll miss you when you return to your home.”
“Perhaps you’ll come for a visit.”
“Perhaps.”
The warmth in his gaze radiated across the table to stir her insides. “My ma wouldn’t let you return to the U.S. She would be planning your trousseau and naming our children. And my da would say it was high time.”
T.J. laughed, surprised that his words echoed her thoughts so closely. She envisioned his parents standing outside a quaint little thatched roof house with sheep in the yard. “What do your parents do?” she asked.
“Oh, my da owns a Mercedes dealership in Glasgow and my ma keeps busy with their luxury car rental agency.
T.J. tried to keep her face from betraying her surprise. “Luxury cars?”
“Yes, that’s how I happened to meet the Sanders family. They had rented a car when they first arrived and then Dr. Sanders called to get a larger model with a driver. He said he really needed a bodyguard, too. I drove it up to them and decided to take the job.”
“And, you hadn’t worked as a bodyguard before?”
“Oh, sure, for the odd rock band or super-model. You know, keep the crowds away. Not too hard for a big fellow like me.”
“I’m sure it isn’t, for a big fellow like you.” She
smiled across the table and then looked hopefully at the musicians who had returned from their break.
Terrence smiled in return and rose to escort her to the tiny dance floor.
She didn’t really care if they were dancing or not, so long as he was holding her.
~*~
Discussing Mark with Brett had precluded all thoughts of lovemaking. Rene lay silently against him, trying not to let Mark intrude on this private moment.
“Okay, I’ll accept that he’s an evil-hearted creep, but the day will come when he’ll find you if he’s really looking.”
“That’s my worst fear,” she agreed.
“At least come stay with me. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect you. Surely you know that?”
“Yes, I think you would try, but Mark isn’t like you. He doesn’t play by the rules.”
“Maybe, I won’t either.” His voice took on a gruff tone.
“Yes, you will. You’re that kind of man.”
“And what kind is that?”
She blinked as her eyes filled with tears. “Honorable.”
“I want you to move in, even if I have to burn the cabin down to pry you out of it. I wanted you to like it, but not this much.”
“You don’t understand. This is the only place that has been truly my own. It’s filled with things I selected, not a decorator. I can leave dishes in the sink if I choose to. I don’t have to please anyone else.”
“You can do whatever you want to my place.”
“Yes but it’s your place. Besides, my sister has written me a couple of letters hinting that something is happening down there, something that may help me to get Mark out of our lives permanently. I tried to get in touch with her by e-mail. Maybe I’ll hear something soon.”
“I don’t see what bearing that has on your living arrangements.”
“Just be patient with me. It may not be too long.”
“Two weeks. After that, I’m evicting you from the cabin. I’ll bring all the things you’ve gotten to fix up the cabin. When you see your things at my house, you’ll start thinking it’s your house, too.”
“Two weeks, then,” she agreed.
“And next weekend,” he said firmly.
“What happens next weekend?”
“Can you get Nadine or Cindy to keep the kids?”
“Yes. I’m sure I can. What happens next weekend?”
“This.” He kissed her tenderly. “And lots of this.” He kissed down the side of her neck. “And some of this.”
“I get the picture.”
“
And?” he asked.
“
And, I’ll be ready on Friday after school, but you’ll have to bring me back here after church on Sunday because I’m going to start teaching the Schraeders to read.”
“
By the time you’re through, you will have educated every person in Alaska and the Yukon Territory.” Brett sat up and started putting back on the layers of his clothing he had thrown to the floor. “I didn’t need to worry about you leaving me. There are plenty of remote tribes when you run out of people to teach right around here. You’ll always have someone to save from illiteracy.”
“
Don’t make fun of me,” she said.
“
Wouldn’t think of it. We make the perfect couple.” He leaned over to lightly kiss her lips. “An honorable man and a crusading woman.”
Rene laughed and set about trying to locate what remained of her clothing. The thermal undershirt and the flannel gown were slit open from neck to hem. Arranging them as best she could, she buttoned her bulky cardigan over all. She found her house shoes; still wet on the outside from her few steps in the snow. She wrapped the blanket tightly around her as Brett opened the door. He stepped down, his boots crunching in the snow. Holding out his arms to her, he lifted her from the seat and carried her to the cabin.
Quietly opening the door, they found it pleasantly warm, but the logs had burned to embers. Brett silently added more logs to the fire and set the screen in place.
“
It’s hard to go home to my empty bed,” he whispered.
“
I know. It’ll be hard to climb into this one alone, but we’ll spend next weekend together.”
“
I’ll take you and the kids to church tomorrow.”
“
The Burkes are picking us up.”
“
No, I’ll take you. I want to take you.”
“
I see,” she said.
~*~
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“
Do you want to go out to the club tonight, Marky? Candy and Lawrence are going to be there.” Tommy lounged in the stairwell as Mark reached the second floor landing.
“
Sure, why not?”
“
You’re becoming quite a dancer.”
“
I’ve never danced much before.”
“
You’re a natural. We can go out to dinner first or
...
you could come down to my place. I’m a great cook.”
Mark looked down at Tommy’s hopeful expression. “What did you have in mind?”
“
I thought we might have a bite and relax a while before we go dancing.”
“
Sure. That would be great.” Mark entered his apartment and locked the door behind him. What started as a means of maintaining a low profile was fast becoming a problem.
He had planned on parking behind the Sanders house again tonight. The electronic listening devices Wayne had planted on the Sanders phones only worked within a short range. He couldn’t park in the alley in broad daylight. If Rene was still in Europe she might call when it was nighttime in Houston. Mark resented his feeling of desperation. When he got Rene back she would regret putting him through this. She would pay dearly.
He tore his thoughts to his immediate problem. It was time to make a decision. What would happen if he rejected Tommy’s advances? Would he turn him in for having electronic equipment installed at Maddy’s? Surely he wouldn’t risk getting Wayne in trouble but he couldn’t necessarily count on it.
People do crazy things for love.
~*~
Rene latched the door behind Brett and turned off the light. She stood on her bed to watch through the window as the Hummer folded into the darkness of the trees. Listening to the growl of the motor fading away, Rene smiled and wrapped her arms around herself. She sank down on top of the quilts and leaned back against her pillow, recalling the thrill of his touch.
The next thing she knew, the alarm was nagging her to get ready for church. Chilled, because she hadn’t crawled under the quilts and blankets, and a little stiff from exercising some long unused muscles, she groped for the alarm. She tiptoed to the bathroom and lit the heater before twisting the tap in the shower. The hot water steamed up the small bathroom before Rene could get out of her layers of clothing. Hanging the cardigan on the back of the door, she grinned when she saw the remains of her flannel gown and thermal undershirt. She shed them as well as the rest of her seductive outfit.
Stepping into the stream of hot water, she gave in to this simple pleasure, letting it rinse away her aches and fatigue. Rene lathered her hair with a fragrant shampoo, imagining all her troubles swirling down the drain.
“
I don’t have ugly hair. I have beautiful hair,” she sang, making curls in the lather.
By the time Rene and the children were dressed and she’d prepared their breakfast, she heard the rumble of the Hummer’s motor.