“Rip his heart out and feed it to him? I like it. Thanks, Alex.”
Alex grabbed the boy in a headlock and ruffled his curly hair. “Don’t mention it, kid. It took a lot of balls to stand up for your mom, the way you did. I’m proud of you.”
The male bonding moment was cut short when Jenna stepped out the front door. “Alex, I’m not sure if mom is okay. She’s crying a lot.”
Alex dropped his head with a sigh. “I’ll take her upstairs and help her get ready for bed. Can you make her a cup of tea and bring it up?”
“Sure.”
Before Jerrod could follow Jenna into the house, Alex took his arm and held him back. “Look, I know I said I wasn’t staying, but I can’t leave her like this,” he whispered. “I’m going to spend the night, and I’m going to sleep in her room. Is that going to cause a problem with you?”
“I guess, if it’s okay with her, it’ll be okay with me. But you are going to leave the door open, right?”
Alex chuckled and shoved Jerrod through the door ahead of him. “If we didn’t already have Buck, you’d make a great guard dog, boy.”
In her room, Alex settled Lacey into her bed, and then stripped down to his T-shirt and boxers. He slid under the covers beside her and sat with his back against the headboard. He pulled her against his chest to rest her head on his shoulder.
Lacey was half asleep, but her breath still caught in occasional gasps from crying so hard.
Now that the truth had come out about his letters, things would be different. They could finally get back on track.
A tap sounded on the door and he looked up to see Jenna with Lacey’s tea.
“Come on in, sugar.”
Jenna handed Alex the cup and watched as he held it to her mother’s lips. “Mom will probably kick my butt for saying so,” she whispered, “but you look good there. She needs somebody like you to help her out sometimes.”
Alex smiled. “Good night, Jenna,” he said in a low, teasing voice.
“Good night, Alex,” she mimicked. She walked back through the door and began to pull it closed.
“Jenna. You can leave the door open.”
Jerrod had been man enough to stand up for his mom.
There was no need to drive him crazy.
Chapter Sixteen
Alex was technically awake, but he refused to open his eyes. Once he did, the spell would be broken. He’d have to get out of bed and start his day. Nothing in the world felt better than he did at that moment. He hated to give up the warm softness of Lacey’s body against his.
Lacey had been his only real relationship before the accident, and they’d had to sneak even a kiss. In all his thirty-two years he’d never slept an entire night with a woman in his arms. She fit him perfectly, from her head tucked under his chin to her round bottom snuggled between his legs. It was no wonder that he’d slept more soundly then he had in years.
Her scent was a mixture of wild flowers, sunshine, and clean linen. He buried his nose in her hair to inhale it deeper. Perhaps it would lull him back to sleep.
“Mom?” a soft whisper came from over his shoulder. “Mom…”
Alex grudgingly opened one eye and rolled toward the intruder. He slid his legs over the edge of the mattress and sat up pulling a pillow over his lap. Now was not the time to discuss morning wood with a preadolescent boy.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, and then let them travel through his hair. He looked at Jerrod through that one squinted eye. “What time is it?” he whispered.
“It’s almost seven o’clock,” Jerrod whispered back. “I’ve already done my chores and Jenna is just about finished with hers. Mom’s usually up by now. Is she okay?”
“She had a rough night. I think she could use a little more sleep.” Now that Alex had things under control he tucked his pillow against her back. “What’s the problem?”
“Well,” Jerrod shrugged sheepishly, “I’m hungry and Jenna is threatening to make breakfast. I’m not exaggerating when I say that you could sink a battleship with one of her biscuits. She always gets shells in the eggs and burns the bacon. I can make coffee, but that’s about it for my cooking skills.”
“Put the coffee on, kid. I’ll clean up and be down in a minute.” Now that Alex had his body under control, he stood and stretched. “You and Jenna are about to get a crash course in how to make breakfast the Benson way.”
When Jerrod had left the room, Alex turned back to look at Lacey. She looked like a life-sized doll as she slept on her side, all curled up. Her hands were pressed together under her cheek and her feet were peeking out from under the sheet. He noticed the way her lips were slightly opened in a sexy pucker. He’d pay a million bucks to have those soft perfect lips touch every inch of his body.
Dammit, he had to get a lock for that door.
****
When Lacey opened her eyes the sun was above the tree line outside her window. She figured the time must be after nine. She hadn’t slept this late since the twins had been born.
She’d awakened once during the night and found Alex’s arms around her. She’d stayed as still as a statue not to wake him. She couldn’t face him after what had transpired in her living room last night. The things her grandfather said, the letters he’d kept from her. She had accused Alex of lying and it had been her own grandfather who had deceived her. The sad thing was, she wasn’t surprised. He’d said horrible things about Alex all along.
Last night, Alex hadn’t only witnessed her grandfather’s ghastly behavior; he’d seen her fall apart. Strong, responsible Lacey had come apart at the seams. He’d had to take care of her, carry her to bed, and feed her tea. How could she ever face him again? He’d probably raced for the door before daybreak.
Looking in the bathroom mirror, she saw that her eyes were still a little swollen. She pressed a cold, wet cloth to them. She’d just started brushing her teeth when sounds came from downstairs loud enough to be a herd of buffalo in her kitchen. They were accompanied by a chorus of howls and laughter. What were those kids doing?
With toothbrush in hand, she raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sliding to a stop in the doorway, Lacey found Jerrod lying on his back in the middle of the floor. Alex was over the top of him with Jenna on his back. It was an Alex sandwich. They were all laughing hysterically.
Lacey nearly choked on her toothpaste when she saw Jerrod’s face covered in peanut butter. All three offenders froze in place and turned looks of wide-eyed innocence her way. They slowly got to their feet and faced her.
“We really screwed up this time, kids,” Alex mumbled. “She’s so mad, she frothing at the mouth.”
Both kids turned red and covered their mouths. Their eyes watered from the effort it took not to laugh.
Lacey rinsed her mouth, and then picked up the overturned peanut butter jar. “Would someone please tell me, what’s going on?”
Alex cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. He gave her a serious expression. “I’m sorry. I had no choice. Your son called me a sissy. He had to be punished.”
Jerrod scraped a finger down his cheek and into his mouth, looking unrepentant. “I stand by what I said, Mom. The man wears hair gel.”
“I tried to stop them,” Jenna added. “I was just getting ready to make lunch.”
“Lunch! What time is it?” She checked the clock above the stove. It was eleven-thirty.
Alex was still glaring at Jerrod. “If I didn’t gel my hair it would look like that mop on your head,” he growled.
“I want you kids cleaned up in fifteen minutes,” Lacey demanded. “I’m sure Alex has his own work to get back to.”
The twins left the room grumbling under their breaths.
“It sounds like you’re kicking me out,” Alex said. “If it’s because of the peanut butter thing…”
“It has nothing to do with peanut butter. I’ve just got a lot to do and I need some time to think without you crowding me.”
Alex looked like he’d just been slapped. “I do have some things to get done, but next time you get mad at me, we’re going to talk it out. You can’t keep pushing me away, then get upset because you haven’t heard from me. It’s not fair and I’m not going to put up with it much longer.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you threatening to leave again?”
“What that means is…you can’t always have everything your way. When we’re married, I won’t be your lap dog.”
“No need to worry. I’m not ever going to marry you.”
“Why?”
“I’ve already told you. This just isn’t enough.”
“Oh, right,” he replied with sarcasm. “You want more, the magical, mysterious more. Has it ever occurred to you that we all want more? I know I do.” Alex backed her against the wall with his forward movement, stopping only inches from touching her. “Every time I look in your eyes, I feel like I’m soaring through a clear blue sky.”
He bunched the back of her hair in his hand. “Every time I see your hair I want to touch it, smell it, and rub it against my face. I dream about what it would look like spread across my pillow. When you speak, my eyes are drawn to your lips.” He lightly kissed her. “I want to taste the honey sweetness of your mouth. I want to steal your breath for my own. I want to hear you whisper my name like a lover.”
Alex drew the strap of Lacey’s nightgown off her shoulder, exposing the top of her soft round breast where he placed another small kiss. “Your scent drives me insane with the need to taste every inch of you until you beg for more.”
His hand traveled up her leg, just to the edge of her panties. “When I touch you, I want to bury myself so deeply inside you that we no longer qualify as two separate people. I want to drive myself in your silky tightness until you come apart in my arms and drain me.”
Lacey’s eyes felt sleepy. Her chest rose and fell with every rapid breath. Her light cotton gown felt constricting. She ached to touch Alex, to kiss him, to give him all he’d asked for.
A thump from overhead drew both their attention. It reminded them they weren’t alone. The kids could be back in an instant.
“We don’t always get what we want.” Alex grabbed his keys from his pocket. “When you figure out what
more
is to you, give me a call.”
Lacey watched from the living room window as Alex drove away. She knew she’d overreacted and come off like a shrew. Why couldn’t she control herself around him? How had her life gotten so complicated?
She ran upstairs and quickly changed into a blouse and jeans. She had work to do, unlike some people.
When she returned to the kitchen, Jenna was quietly making sandwiches at the counter. She didn’t face her mother. Lacey knew the kids were going through almost as much turmoil as she was. She’d have to find a way to smooth things over for them, but right now she had more pressing matters to pursue. She pulled the truck keys off the peg by the door.
“Hold down the fort for me, honey. I’ll be at Granddad’s house if you need me.”
“Mom.” Jenna swung around in near panic. “Are you sure you should go by yourself?”
“Jenna, last night is history. I can’t say I’m over it, but I can handle it. I’ve dealt with Clarence Carlyle for years. He can’t hurt me anymore than he already has. Now, it’s about damned time he gave me some answers.”
Chapter Seventeen
Lacey didn’t bother to knock on her grandfather’s door. This had been her home at one time, and he was her family. She walked straight through the house until she found him in the kitchen.
His back was to her as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He poured a second cup and brought them both to the table. If Lacey didn’t know better, she’d think he’d been expecting her. How would he know she’d ever speak to him again?
Clarence sat at the table and silently poured cream in his cup from the little pitcher in the center of the table. He blew into his coffee, and then took a sip. “Have a seat. You make me nervous, just standing there.”
Lacey had always obeyed her grandfather. It was a habit she’d been taught from childhood. A person respected their elders no matter how bad they were. She sat across from him and said the first thing that popped into her mind. “What is wrong with you, Granddad?” Respect only stretched so far.
Clarence didn’t have to ask what she meant, he knew. “Funny, you should ask, I’ve been wondering the same thing for years.”
Was that self-loathing she heard in his voice? Oh no, she would not let him turn this around on her. She would not feel sorry for him. She was the one who’d been hurt by
his
actions.
“I always knew you didn’t like me. But I had no idea how much you hated me. You even hated my mother, and all she ever did was love my dad. You barely tolerate Jerrod and you don’t have anything to do with Jenna.” A lump formed in Lacey’s throat and tears burned her eyes. “My dad may have been the only person you ever cared about, but even that wore thin before he died. You were so tough on him. Have you always hated everyone? What made you so angry and unyielding?”
As much as Lacey willed her grandfather to look her in the eye, he wouldn’t. He stared into his coffee cup. She began to wonder if he’d ever answer. Finally he did.
“I loved your father. That’s why I was hard on him. I didn’t want him to end up like me.”
“You wanted him to be exactly like you. You wanted him to be a businessman and care about nothing else. You wanted him to be cold and closed off. You hated that he fell in love.”
“Yes, I did. Nothing good comes from it. It’s not real. All you get is pain.”
“How can you say that?” Lacey was truly shocked by his claim. “You must have loved my grandmother, the result being my father. It’s a shame you had to lose her so early, but it happens and you have to move on.”
Clarence huffed. It couldn’t have been a chuckle because he didn’t look amused. He looked sad. Then, he said something that truly shocked Lacey. “Did someone tell you that your grandmother died, or is that just an assumption?”
Lacey thought back to the only time she’d asked about her grandmother. It had been during a conversation with her mother. “Your dad lost his mom at a very young age. He doesn’t even remember her.” Lost, exactly what did that mean?
“I guess I just assumed,” Lacey mumbled. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the truth.