Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer (23 page)

Theo reached across the table and cradled her left hand in his larger one. “What about Hope?”

Her head came up. “Hope is no different from those who write to Dr. Hope for answers. My personal life is as, or more, screwed up than theirs.” Her gold-brown gaze was steady. “For three years I dated a man, who proposed marriage a couple of months ago. I went to his place to tell him that I'd marry him, but found him in a compromising position with another man. I can't believe I never saw it coming. In other words, I was completely clueless.”

She found it odd that Theo's expression didn't change with her disclosure.

He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I hope you aren't blaming yourself because he's a switch-hitter.”

“There are times when it's hard not to.”

“Your ex-boyfriend's penchant for sleeping with both sexes has nothing to do with your inability to satisfy him sexually.”

Her gaze narrowed. “How would you know?”

Theo angled his head. “I've taken actresses to parties who
only
perfer women, but they don't want their adoring public to know this because it would limit them. Therefore, their secret had become our secret. Coming out of the closet is very risky in Hollyweird.”

Hope laughed, her dark mood lifting. “Is that what it is, Theo? Hollyweird?”

He nodded. “You don't want to know just how weird it can be. I've seen things that would make Caligula blush.”

“Damn-n-n,” she drawled, shaking her head. “It's weird, yet you won't leave it.”

“Wrong, Hope. I left it six months ago when I assumed guardianship of my brothers and sister.”

“Don't you miss the glitter?”

Theo released Hope's fingers. Leaning back in his chair, he gave her a direct stare. “Hell, no.”

She smiled at his response. “You've left Hollywood. Where do you go now?”

“I told you the kids want to live here.”

“There hasn't been a high school on McKinnon in more than twenty years, which means they'll have to go to Hilton Head Island.”

“I could always have them home-schooled.”

“What about football games, senior proms? You wouldn't want them to miss out on that.”

“You're right.” He picked up his glass and gave her a tender smile. “May I repeat the toast?” Not waiting for an answer, he said, “To us.”

Reaching for her glass, Hope smiled. “To us,” she repeated.

Sitting on the porch, staring out at a curtain of rain in the soft glow of candlelight was mysterious and romantic. Hope sampled the portions Theo had purchased from a Savannah gourmet shop. They were as pleasing to the eye as they were to the palate. She offset the spiciness of the guacamole with two glasses of champagne. The wine made her feel loose and uninhibited. Now she knew how Rebecca felt the night they talked well into the morning hours.

Without warning, Theo pushed back his chair and came around the table. He eased her to her feet, his arm around her waist. “May I have this dance?”

She tilted her chin and smiled. “Yes, you may.”

Hope closed her eyes and sank into the comforting hardness of his chest. She felt the strong, steady pumping of his heart against her breasts. All of her senses were operating on high alert: smell, touch, sight and hearing. The only thing missing was taste. Her arms moved up and curved around his neck, bringing his head lower. Boldly, confidently, she touched her mouth to his. He tasted of champagne.

“Nice,” she moaned softly. Theo deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth over hers and sending spirals of desire through the lower portion of her body.

Theo's probing tongue parted her lips. It was his turn to groan. “Nicer,” he murmured in the moist sweetness. He inhaled the scent that was exclusive to Hope, a scent that lingered on his clothes and skin long after they parted, a scent that sent currents of desire through him whenever he lay in bed.

It wasn't until he'd met Hope that he had come to the realization that he hadn't slept with a woman for more than six months. He'd tired of sharing his time with women who were for the moment. Perhaps turning forty had changed him in more ways than just celebrating a milestone birthday, or becoming a temporary father.

Hope ended the kiss and pressed her nose against the column of Theo's strong neck. She had to stop before she wouldn't be able to stop. A soft gasp escaped her as he swung her around and around in an intricate dance step. The song ended and they stumbled dizzily toward the chaise, falling heavily onto it, Hope atop him.

She went completely still. There was no mistaking the hardness pressing against her middle. The twin lamps flanking the front door provided enough illumination for her to see his expression. His steady gaze bore into her with a silent expectation that eliminated the need for speech. His gaze moved from her eyes, to her throat, and even lower to where her breasts were flattened against his chest.

Hope's body throbbed with a need she had not thought possible. The throbbing between her legs quickly became an ache that had to be assuaged. “Show me, Theo.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Tightening his grip around her waist, Theo shifted Hope until she straddled his thighs. He moved up against her, permitting her to feel what he was feeling—a runaway desire threatening to explode. He cupped her hips and pulled her closer.

“Hope,” he whispered in her ear, rotating his hips until she felt the distinct outline of his erection.

Her reaction was so swift that she couldn't stop the rush of moisture bathing the folds between her thighs. She followed his lead, squirming and wiggling on his lap. She quickened her rocking motion as waves of desire swept over her, clouding her mind and body. Her heart hammered against her ribs as the hot ache between her legs erupted in a fireball of throbbing ecstasy that left her struggling for each gulp of precious breath.

She still had not recovered when Theo stood up and carried her into the house. Her trembling hands reached out for him as he lowered her to her bed. He stepped back and pulled his T-shirt over his head. His upper body stood out in stark relief in the glow of the lamp on the bedside table. He was broad shouldered with long arms, a flat belly and narrow hips. He had a swimmer's body.

Theo never took his gaze off Hope as he removed a condom from the pocket of his jeans before he pushed them down around his hips. He wanted to see her reaction to his naked body—see how much he wanted her, and had desired her from the first time he saw her.

Hope could not look away from his erection. Just seeing him aroused increased her desire for him.

“Relax, baby,” he crooned, his hands sliding under her sweater. They feathered over her belly, up her rib cage, and over the silk fabric covering her breasts. The mere touch of his fingers on her bare skin made her arch off the mattress. Supporting his weight on an elbow, he brushed a kiss over her parted lips. “It's going to be good—for both of us.”

She closed her eyes and let all of her senses take over. It was only when she heard his breathing falter after he'd removed her bra that she opened her eyes to see an expression of awe on his face.

Lowering his head, Theo placed small, nibbling kisses over her full breasts. His tongue circled the areola before his teeth closed over one nipple then the other. He undressed her slowly, deliberately, tasting every inch of flesh he bared.

His tongue traced a path from her belly to the moist curls. His fingers searched and found the distended, blood-engorged nub at the apex of her thighs, and then his mouth replaced his finger, worrying the flesh with his teeth. She screamed and arched her back, her breasts trembling violently above her rib cage.

“Please. Oh, please,” she pleaded over and over as jolts of ecstasy shook her like a fragile leaf in the wind. “Don't tease me.”

He moved up her body and kissed her. With one hand sandwiched between her thighs, he reached for the condom on the pillow beside her head. “I should tease you, because you've teased me from the first time I laid eyes on you.” Smiling, he kissed her again.

He let go of her moist heat because he needed two hands to put on the condom. He slipped on the latex sheath, remembering her desire to have a child. He knew he wasn't ready for fatherhood: he did not want history to repeat itself. His greatest fear was to father a child and have that child grow up without him in his or her life.

Slowly his hands skimmed the sides of her body to her thighs. Resting his hands on her thighs, he spread them wider. He reached up and took Hope's right hand, guiding it to his penis.

He saw her staring up at him. “Let's do this together.”

Hope's fingers closed around him, and she closed her eyes. She welcomed him into her body, sighing in pleasure. Theo began moving in a measured rhythm that made her gasp in sweet agony. His lovemaking was slow, unhurried, and she responded in kind.

She felt her defenses weakening as she opened not only her body for his possession but also her heart. A profound feeling of peace carried her to a place where she'd never been. The heat of his body coursed down the entire length of hers and curled her toes. Her skin grew hotter and hotter until her breath came in long, surrendering moans.

The passion radiating from the core of Hope's body pulled Theo into a vortex of whirling passion that hurtled him to a dimension that was both exciting and frightening. What, he thought, was there about her that made him forget all of the promises he'd ever made to himself? His claiming her body had become a raw act of possession. She had become his.

Their passions peaked simultaneously in a shuddering explosion that left them shaking uncontrollably. Afterward, they lay together, savoring the aftermath of their lovemaking. Theo withdrew, gathered her to his chest, and held her until their respiration resumed a normal rate.

Hope savored the feeling of satisfaction that made it virtually impossible for her to move. She was awed not only by the magnitude of her own desire but also by the passion Theo had aroused in her. She wanted to kiss and taste his body like he'd done to hers. A smile softened her lips. Next time, she mused, as she closed her eyes.

 

She woke with a start.
“It's okay, sweetheart,” said Theo close to her ear. She was in bed, but the room was dark. “I just put everything away and locked the door.”

“Aren't you going home?”

“Not unless you tell me to.”

Hope reached out for him, her hand grazing his thigh. “Not tonight,” she said, laughing softly. Her fingers closed around his flaccid penis. She slid down his body, lowered her head and took him into her mouth. He hardened, his breath coming quickly.

“No!” he gasped. But it was too late for protests as her mouth worked it magic.

It was later, after he had ejaculated inside her, that the enormity of what he had done swept over Theo. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” he said over and over.

Hope savored the weight of the body pressing her down to the mattress. “Sorry for what?”

“I didn't use a rubber. It's… it's the first time that—” Her fingertips stopped his explanation.

“You can't get me pregnant.”

He grasped her wrist, pulling her hand down as he tried to make out her expression in the darkened room. “Why?”

“I'm on the Pill.”

Theo let out an audible sigh and reversed their positions. His fingers feathered up and down her spine. He kissed her mussed hair and smiled.

“Go back to sleep,” he said softly.

She kissed his chin. “Good night.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

 

 

“D
on't get up.”

Hope noticed slivers of light coming through the curtains of the bedroom windows. “What time is it?” “Almost five,” Theo whispered. “I'm leaving.” He kissed her forehead. “Will you come for dinner tonight?”

She nodded. “What time?”

“Six.”

“Okay.”

He kissed her again. “I'll see you later.”

He was there, then he was gone. Hope turned over on her side and rested her head on an outstretched arm. Her mind burned with the memory of what she and Theo had offered each other.

The second time they had come together their lovemaking had been passionate, unrestrained, and totally uninhibited. This coupling had stripped away her insecurities, allowing her to give and receive love on equal terms. She rolled over and turned on the bedside lamp. After completing her morning toilette, she would write for several hours, call Marissa, then go to Savannah for a scheduled day of beauty. She had made the appointment because she was grossly overdue for a facial, manicure, pedicure, touch-up and a trim.

 

Hope waved
to Brandon and Noelle as she maneuvered her car into a space next to the Lexus. She turned off the engine and reached for the large white box on the passenger seat. Brandon wasn't wearing his glasses, and his resemblance to Theo was uncanny. Instead of their usual shorts, T-shirts, and bare feet, he and his sister had on clothes that would be more appropriate for school. It was the first time she had seen them wear footwear other than sandals or running shoes.

“Hi, Miss Hope.”

She handed him the box. “Hello, Brandon. Here's a little something for dessert.”

Noelle moved closer and touched her hair. “Your hair looks beautiful.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

The stylist had relaxed her new growth and cut her ends before blowing it out and bumping the ends. Each time Hope moved her head, layers of coal-black hair rippled as if they had taken on a life of their own.

Noelle slipped her hand in Hope's. “Come inside. Theo has a surprise for you.”

Brandon glared at his sister. “Big mouth. You weren't supposed to say anything.”

“My bad,” Noelle said, wincing.

Hope squeezed her fingers gently. “I promise to act surprised.” She followed them into the house, wondering what the surprise could be. As soon as she saw Helen, Christian and Theo, she knew they would not dine at home.

“Miss Hope brought dessert,” Brandon announced loudly. He gave the box to Helen.

“I'll put it in the refrigerator for another time.”

Hope stared at Theo staring back at her. He wore a pair of oatmeal-colored slacks with a matching jacket over a black silk T-shirt. “Where are we going?”

He gave her a mysterious smile. “It's a surprise.” Closing the distance between them, he kissed her cheek. “You look very nice.”

Noelle nodded. “Isn't her hair the bomb, Theo? Maybe when I take my braids out I'll have it styled like Miss Hope's.”

“We'll talk about it.” He turned to Christian. “You're the designated driver tonight.”

“Woo-woo,” Christian said, grinning. “Somebody plans to get lit up tonight.”

Theo looked at him under lowered lids. “Let's go, mister.”

After everyone was settled in the SUV, Christian backed out of the driveway and drove toward the ferryboat landing. Helen sat beside him, while Hope and Theo flanked Noelle in the rear seat. Brandon sat in the cargo area for the short ride. The ferryboat was waiting when they arrived, and at exactly 6:55 it sailed.

A light breeze lifted Hope's black-and-white striped silk dress around her legs as she stood at the rail with Theo, feeling the heat of his gaze on her face. The rain had stopped and the sultry heat had returned.

“What are you celebrating?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“My pilot was accepted, and network executives want a total of thirteen scripts.”

Turning, she smiled at him. “That's wonderful news. Congratulations.”

His smile was modest. “Thank you.”

She turned back to stare at the water. “You never told me what it's about.” Theo would have told her if not for the stranger taking their photograph.

Theo rested his arms on the railing. “It's a dramatic series about a group of highly successful businesspeople who become targets of a government investigation after one is deliberately set up by a rival group. It opens with him being charged with bribing an elected official to approve a construction contract.”

“Are the lead characters black?”

“Yes.” There was a hint of pride in his voice.

“Why cable and not regular network television?”

“Some of the episodes are a little too graphic for regular programming.”

Hope glanced at his profile. “Language?”

He glanced down at her. “Language, sexual content, and occasionally violence.”

“When is it scheduled to debut?”

“Next February.”

She nodded. “I'll be certain to watch it.”

Noelle joined them at the rail, and Hope curved an arm around her shoulders. She was rewarded with a warm smile as Noelle returned the hug. The ferryboat reached Savannah and they traded one boat for another, boarding one of the old-fashioned riverboats for dinner on the Savannah River.

Theo ordered two bottles of sparkling cider, and everyone raised their glasses several times in congratulatory toasts. Live music from a combo added to the festivities. Brandon and Christian sang along with some of the songs, adding their own hip-hop baseline beats.

Hope laughed at their antics, which seemed to amuse Helen. “It's apparent you don't have a lot of experience with teenagers.”

“I don't. My sister's and brothers' children haven't reached that age.”

Helen crossed her chest. “I pray for them.” She smiled at her employer. “Theo has no idea how many novenas I've said for him.”

He winked at his housekeeper. “The power of prayer is amazing.”

“Miss Helen, are you going to miss Chris and me when we leave for college?”

Her blue eyes misted. “Of course I will, Brandon.”

“Don't rush it, Little Brother,” Theo warned, smiling. “You guys still have another year.”

“That's true,” Christian added, “but it will come fast.”

“Have you selected a college, Chris?” Hope asked.

Chris glanced at Theo. “That depends on where we live. If we move here, then I'll probably apply to schools in North Carolina or Georgia. I'm kind of partial to Duke.”

Hope looked at Brandon. “What about you?”

“I'd probably apply to the University of Virginia or Georgetown because of their political science programs.”

“Why don't you both go to the same college?” Noelle asked.

Theo touched Noelle's braided hair. “I told them it would be all right if they decided not to go to the same college.”

He had suggested it more for Christian than for Brandon. It was apparent that Brandon was intellectually gifted, and despite being a year younger than Christian, he still achieved higher grades. Attending different colleges would eliminate what had become an inconspicuous competition between brothers.

The musicians played a slow number from the early sixties, and Theo extended his hand to Helen. “May I have this dance?”

She blushed to the roots of her silver hair. “Oh, Theo.”

Christian touched her shoulder. “It's your kind of music, Miss Helen.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “What would you know about my kind of music?”

Theo stood up and pulled back her chair. Everyone clapped as he led her out to the dance floor. Brandon rose to his feet, offering his hand to Hope. “Miss Hope, may I have this dance?”

She gave him a perplexed look. “But it's not my kind of music.”

“Neither is it mine,” Brandon countered, refusing to be denied.

Hope pushed back her chair and took his hand. “I do like a persistent man.”

Noelle and Christian touched fists after their brothers exchanged partners, Brandon and Miss Helen dancing with at least three feet of space between them, while Theo held Hope so close they could have been one.

The celebrating continued when the riverboat docked and Theo suggested they go to a restaurant known for their ice cream concoctions. Conversation was nonexistent as the amount of ice cream decreased and waistlines increased. Theo patted his belly and smothered a yawn. He smiled at Christian. “Now you see why you're the designated driver.”

Christian flashed a brilliant, white-tooth smile. “Everyone knows old folks have to take a nap after they eat.”

Theo bit back a smile. “I thought I warned you about old folk jokes. I'm going to be the first to give you back your words once you're forty with a wife and a couple of knuckleheaded kids giving you grief when they break curfew, rear-end the car, and invite all of the neighborhood thugs to hang out at your house the minute you darken the door.”

Shaking his head, Christian said, “You're forty, and you don't have a wife or kids, so what you say won't matter.”

Theo's expression was a mask of stone. “I don't need kids. I have you guys.”

“We're not your kids, Theo.” Brandon had decided to contribute to the conversation.

“You're our brother,” Noelle added.

Christian folded his arms over his chest. “You need your own kids.” He stared at Hope. “Shouldn't he have his own children?”

Shaking her head, she held up a hand. “Please, don't drag me into this. Theo has the right to decide whether he chooses to become a father.”

Noelle tugged on Hope's arm. “What about you, Miss Hope? Don't you want a baby? If you and Theo got married and had a baby, then I'd be an aunt. You can always count on me to babysit for you.”

Theo hit the table with the palm of his hand. “Night court is adjourned. All rise.”

Christian and Brandon exchanged a knowing smile. It was apparent they had gotten to their older brother. It was just a matter of time before they would wear him down completely. They'd had years of practice with Mary Anderson.

Helen fell asleep before the ferryboat sailed away from the Savannah landing, Noelle a few minutes later. Brandon and Christian stood at the rail, pointing out constellations in the night sky.

Theo cradled his sister's head to his chest, while his free arm curved around Hope's shoulder. “I'd like to apologize for Chris and Brandon's meddling.” His mouth was pressed to her ear.

“There's nothing to apologize for,” she whispered. “They're just looking out for you.”

“Their not-so-subtle attempt at matchmaking doesn't bother you?”

“No, Theo. They're just kids.”

“Kids on a mission.”

She grasped the long fingers hanging over her shoulder, squeezing them gently. “In a couple of months they'll be back in school, and then you'll be off the hot seat.”

A couple of months,
Theo mused. Everything and everyone would change by summer's end. He hoped to complete at least script number five, and although he wanted to purchase property on McKinnon Island, he knew realistically he would not be able to finalize a closing before returning to Los Angeles.

In a couple of months Hope would close up her summer home and return to New York and whatever awaited her there. He closed his eyes as a foreign emotion swept over him. Sleeping with her had changed him; in the past it had been he who had always walked away from a woman. The tables were reversed now, though, for he did not want to acknowledge what had become so apparent. He had fallen in love with Hope.

 

The ferryboat docked
at the McKinnon Island landing and Theo changed seats with Christian. He dropped everyone off, then drove Hope to her little house on Beach Road. They stood on the porch, arms around each other.

Hope broke the silence. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. I really enjoyed your family.”

He smiled down at her. “They like you, Hope.”

She returned his smile. “That's because I like them.”

“I like you—a lot.”

She dropped her gaze, staring at his throat before glancing up again. “Thank you, Theo.” Rising on tiptoe, she brushed a light kiss over his mouth. “Good night.”