Road to Recovery (27 page)

“
Brooke, my God,” he said
hoarsely.

He sounded like he was agony, but he
continued to guide her the way he wanted it, the speed and pressure
that made him shudder and moan for more. When he seemed to have no
more control, he yanked her head back. “Enough. I can’t hold back,
and I don’t want to finish this way. Not now.”

He pulled her up to a standing position
and helped her quickly pull off her clothes. When she was as naked
as him, he pushed her back on the bed and came down on top of her,
pressing into her as his lips smothered hers, losing the last bit
of control he possessed.

Reaching his hand between their bodies
he slid his fingers between her legs. “Ready for me already, huh?
That do something for you, too?” he asked in amazement, then pulled
back and quickly reached for the packet in the pocket of his
discarded shorts.

Coming back on top of her, he used his
leg to nudge hers apart and slowly slid inside of her. Testing her,
making sure she was completely ready for all of him. He groaned
deep in his throat when her inner muscles gripped him
tight.

She raised her hips higher against him,
drew him in deeper. Together, hips frantically moving at the same
pace, they raced each other to the end. Faster and harder, each
urging the other on, until as one, their shouts echoed off the
walls.

***

“
Turn right here and go
through the iron gates,” Brooke instructed Lucas.

Lucas drove his Range Rover through the
twelve-foot gates that were spread wide open in welcome. Slowing
down to a crawl, he made his way down the long driveway and took in
the scenery around him.

Beautifully maintained and manicured
lawns were spread out all around him. Fountains surrounded by red
rosebushes still in full bloom were strategically placed on each
side of the driveway. More flowers and rosebushes stood in perfect
clusters placed throughout the lawn as he made his way closer to
the house. It was like a picture out of a magazine.

He pulled to a stop right
past the front door, in the half circle that spanned the front of
the entire three-story red brick colonial. His first thought
was
impressive
and
then followed by
too
cold
. It was too perfect. He’d never
understood Brooke’s comments about not being able to run around the
yard as a child, but now it finally made sense.

This wasn’t a property that begged for
children to run laughing and screaming, but rather invited people
to look and not touch.

Taking a deep breath, Brooke unbuckled
her seat belt and turned to Lucas. “Are you ready for
this?”

Lucas clasped her hand in his, leaned
over and gave her a gentle kiss. “I’ll brave it for you.” Then he
gave her one of his killer smiles that always made her smile back
at him.

The large white door was opened as
Brooke and Lucas made their way up the few brick steps. “Brooklyn,
dear, you look lovely. A bit thin, but lovely just the same.” Paula
Malone reached for her daughter’s hand, gave it a gentle squeeze,
then leaned forward.

Brooke moved in and placed a chaste
kiss on her mother’s cheek, then waited until she shut the door.
“Mother, this is Lucas. Lucas, my mother, Paula Malone.”

After watching the stiff interaction
between mother and daughter, Lucas was unsure how to proceed. But
when Paula took his hand in both of her cool clammy ones, he
repeated the same greeting as Brooke. “It’s a pleasure to meet
you,” he said.

Lucas wasn’t sure what he was expecting
from Brooke’s mother. But he definitely wasn’t expecting to see an
older, more mature-looking version of Brooke.

Paula was slightly shorter than her
daughter, but they shared the same graceful willowy build and
facials features. The same facial features as Mac. It was obvious
now the siblings took after their mother in the looks department.
The only difference was the hair color. Where Brooke and Mac’s was
a rich brown, Paula’s was more of an auburn color.

“
Please, come in. Make
yourselves comfortable.” They stopped in a small room off the foyer
that reminded him of an old English parlor.

Paula seated herself in a very
uncomfortable-looking wing chair, placed the same width apart as
its twin in front of an old brick fireplace that had been restored
to its original design. Brooke chose to sit opposite her mother,
while he remained standing and looked around the room for lack of
something better to do. He knew Brooke and Mac had come from
wealth, the same as he did. Only that was where the comparisons
died.

His family lived in their home. They
may have had the best furniture, electronics and luxury money
afforded them, but everything was cozy and comfortable. Brooke’s
parents’ house reeked of wealth, from art to oriental rugs
scattered over the refinished hardwood floors, to antique
furniture.

Everything was cold and stiff.
Unwelcoming. He couldn’t imagine growing up in a house like
this.

He was pulled out of his thoughts at
the mention of Mac’s name. “He is finishing up his rounds as we
speak. He should be here in plenty of time for dinner,” Brooke
informed her mother.

“
Very well. Your father is
on a conference call. He should be out shortly.” Paula then turned
to address Lucas. “Brooklyn tells me you are an attorney? Head of
the Legal Department at the hospital?”

“
That is correct,” Lucas
replied, wondering if his response sounded as stiff to her as it
did to him.

For Brooke’s sake he was trying to put
on his best professional demeanor, though he very rarely needed to
use it quite like this. Hardly anyone behaved as prim and proper as
Brooke’s mother.

They were saved from the awkward
silence by the entrance of Brooke’s father. Taller and stockier
than Lucas, it was obvious where Mac got his build. Where Brooke
was willowy like her mother, Mac was more a presence in any room,
much like Lucas’s own father and brother.

“
Brooklyn, you look well,”
Richard Malone’s deep monotone voice addressed his only daughter,
then he walked forward and gave her a brief kiss on the
cheek.

With a nod, Brooke turned toward Lucas,
and made the introductions. After a handshake, Richard turned
toward his wife. “Paula, bring them into the living room. They
aren’t guests to be seated in here,” he said with a
frown.

Paula drew her eyebrows together at her
husband’s tone but reluctantly stood up and smoothed any creases
from her cream-colored silk pants and followed Richard down the
hall into a grand living area. At least this room looked a bit more
lived in, Lucas thought. Though the furniture was still very high
end, it was more comfortable, even in appearance.

Richard made his way to the bar in the
corner. “What can I get you to drink, Brooklyn? Lucas?”

Brooke had seated herself on the end of
one of the couches against the wall and tugged Lucas down next to
her. He reached over and gave her hand a gently reassuring squeeze.
“Wine is fine,” she replied.

“
The same,” Lucas stated. He
sincerely hoped he could make it through the next few hours without
falling asleep. Even his parents’ stuffiest dinner parties when he
was a child were never this uncomfortable. Brooke and her parents
seemed like strangers rather than family.

Minutes later a loud noise drew
everyone’s attention to the entrance of the great room as Mac
strode in. “Sorry I’m late,” he announced cheerfully. Then he
strode over to Brooke, lifted her up for a hug, and whispered in
her ear—loud enough for Lucas to overhear—“You owe me.”

Lucas had stood up when Mac walked in,
gave him a firm handshake and quick grin, and then sat back down.
He watched as Mac proceeded to walk over and repeat the same
greeting with his parents as Brooke did. Lucas couldn’t imagine
ever greeting his parents in such a way and had to fight the urge
not to laugh.

Before Mac could be seated, a woman
walked into the room to announce dinner was ready. Lucas watched in
amazement when Mac walked over and picked the older woman up in a
big hug. “Marie, when am I going to be able to steal you away to my
house?”

Marie batted Mac’s hand away playfully,
but before she could respond, Paula was scolding him, “Mackenzie!
That is totally inappropriate behavior.”

Mac grinned at his mother, not even
acknowledging her scolding. “It’s not like they are guests,
Mother.” Then he winked at the woman Lucas had assumed was the cook
and followed her into the dining room before everyone
else.

Lucas was slightly confused. He had
expected more people and had only assumed they were early yet. But
after the announcement of dinner, he realized Brooke shared his
confusion, if the look on her face was any indication. It finally
dawned on Lucas what Mac’s whispered comment meant. There were only
five place settings at the table.

Paula caught her daughter’s look, and
said, “I know how much you love a big party Brooklyn, but we
decided to keep it small tonight.” Then she lowered her voice and
addressed Lucas. “Mac told us about your aversion to dinner
parties. We wanted you to feel comfortable in our home.”

“
Aversion?” Lucas choked
out, eyes wide.

Paula placed her hand on Lucas’s arm.
“Yes, dear. Don’t worry. Your secret is safe. Mackenzie never
released any details, but I understand better now why Brooklyn
requested a small affair.”

Shooting a cold stare at Mac only
resulted in an answering grin. “Don’t worry, Lucas. Your secret is
still safe.” Lucas didn’t care for Mac’s mocking tone, but kept
quiet.

Lucas was thinking someone owed him for
being the scapegoat tonight, not the other way around. But if it
made the night easier for Brooke, he would gladly accept the blame.
He could only imagine what her parents must think of him. He grew
up in a family of successful attorneys, ran the legal department at
a major hospital, and yet had an aversion to dinner parties. It
made no sense at all, but if Brooke’s mother accepted that, who was
he to question it?

The five-course meal was delicious, but
he would have enjoyed it more if the conversation was a bit
livelier. There were huge gaps of silence, in between mundane
questions about work, the stock market and frivolous dinner
parties. Throw in some awkwardness when Paula mentioned Robbie and
his family a few times, and he could feel Brooke withdrawing next
to him. She was so tense next to him her muscles had to be
screaming in pain.

Lucas was uncomfortable and shocked
that someone who seemed to follow the rules of etiquette, as Paula
did, would bring up the name of Brooke’s former love who died over
a year ago. His only saving grace was that everyone else seemed
uncomfortable with the topic Paula seemed determined to bring up.
Even Brooke’s father managed to steer the conversation away when
Robbie’s name was brought up again and again.

“
Darling, have you contacted
a plastic surgeon yet?” Paula asked Brooke when the dessert was
being delivered.

“
Excuse me?” Brooke frowned.
“What for?”

“
Well, your scars, of
course. I realize that they are mostly covered, and the surgeons
did a good job, but not a perfect one. I would think you would want
them to be corrected a bit more.”

Lucas felt Brooke stiffen next to him.
Before she could reply, Mac pulled his phone out of his pocket and
interrupted everyone. “Sorry, it’s the hospital. I need to take
this call.” Then he exited the room fast before anyone could
question him.

Brooke’s father tried to change the
conversation again after sending a disgruntled look his wife’s way.
“Brooklyn, Mac tells me that you’re learning to garden?”

Paula gave Brooke a look of distain.
“Why not hire a service? Really, why would you want to spend your
time getting dirty?”

Lucas was ready to defend Brooke when
his own phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Mac’s
name on the screen. Confused, he apologized to everyone, then
answered. “Hello.”

“
Make up something and get
her out of here. Say you have an emergency. Go back and review some
files or a case or whatever excuse you can come up with. Just find
a way to leave,” Mac calmly stated into the phone.

Lucas looked around the
room, saw Brooke fiddling with something in her lap and her father
scowling at her mother. “I agree. Yes,
Doctor, I’ll get right on that,” Lucas stated and continued on
with a straight face despite Mac’s snort on the other end. “Let me
get back to you in twenty minutes or so.” He disconnected the phone
and turned to Brooke. “I’m sorry. That was Dr. Jones. He has some
information we need to go over before his trial this week. He said
it’s urgent.” His eyes drilled into hers, hoping she got the hint
and played along.

At Brooke’s confused look, Lucas tilted
his head and then turned to her father. “I’m sure you understand. I
obviously can’t go into details, but it’s an employee grievance.
Brooke has been instrumental in the interviews and we need to go
over our notes and return his call.”