Escaping the Past (Wester Farms) (20 page)

“You didn’t need my help. You’re just saying that to make me feel like I was needed.”

“I need you,” he breathed at her.

Her breath caught in her throat. She licked her lips.

“Why do you need me?” she asked quietly.

“Because my mother just died.” He rubbed both eyes with his fists and moaned. “I am so tired. I don’t even think I
’
m fit for company.”

“You going to bed?” Lou asked quietly. Then her gaze grew more serious. “Your mother did just die. You haven
’
t had time to deal with
i
t yet so maybe some rest will help.” She patted his arm.

“I don’t think I could sleep if I wanted to. I think I’m going to go down to the bar in the study and get a bottle of Jack Daniels
,
and get stinking drunk all by myself. Maybe then I’ll just pass out and not feel this pain anymore.” He took her hand and held it over his heart. “All those years, I guess I just assumed she would always be here for me.”

“She was and still is, Brody. You take her strength with you in all that you do.
”
She removed her hand from over his heart and gave him a gentle shove toward the door. “Go to bed, Brody. You’ll feel better tomorrow if you get some rest.”

He surprised her by kissing her on the cheek. “
’
Night, Lou.”

“
’
Night,” she responded.

Brody walked out of her room and Lou closed the door behind him. She took off her clothes and walked into the bathroom, stepping beneath the spray of the shower. The heat pounded the tension from her body and eased the strained muscles of her shoulders and back. She came out of the shower feeling like some of the stress of the day had been washed down the drain. She brushed through her wet locks with a wide
-
toothed comb and then dressed in a tank top and long pajama pants.

Lou opened the screen door and flopped down in the rocker outside her room, hanging her hair over the back of the chair to dry. She absently chewed her fingernails.

Then she heard a sound coming from the shadows. Then she heard it again. The catch of someone’s breath?
T
he rocker squeak
ed
and then
there was
a sniffle, followed by someone loudly blowing his nose.

“Brody?” The squeaking rocker stopped. “Brody? Is that you?”

A muffled voice called back. “Yeah. It’s me.”

“Are you okay?” she asked nervously.

“I’m on my way to being okay.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, Lou,” he sighed. “Just go to bed.”

She got up slowly and walked across the porch on bare feet. She could see him sitting in the shadows, tears pouring down his face, a full glass in his hand.

“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.

“Getting stinking drunk, just like I told you I was going to do.”

“How much have you had so far?”

“Just one glass as of this moment.” He extended the full glass in her direction. “This one is number two.” He wiped his face with a handkerchief.

“Drunk yet?”

“Hell, no.”

“Close?”

“Not even.”

“Want some company?” Lou asked as she sat down in the rocker beside him.

“Do I get a choice?”

“Do you want one?”

“Not really,” he admitted.

“What are you drinking?”

“Jack Daniels.” She looked at him blankly. “Whisky,” he explained.

“Oh,” was her only reply. “Do you want me to leave you alone so you can go back to crying?”

He sniffled twice and a tear fell from his left eye. “Looks like I can cry just fine with you, here.”

“It’s perfectly natural, you know. Crying when your mother dies. I cried for weeks when my mother died.”

“But you’re a girl.”

“Pardon?” she tried to look offended.

“Woman.” He waved one hand in air. “Whatever. Girls are supposed to cry.”

“And that means you can’t show emotion when your mother dies?”

Her question caused even more tears to fall.

“Oh, Brody, I’m so sorry.” She stood up in front of him. “Would a hug help?”

“Yeah.” He set his glass on the porch and reached one arm around her waist. He drew her down into his lap and turned her sideways so her back was pressed against the arm of the chair, her legs draped across his.

She squirmed in his lap. “This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

“Just be still and humor me, will you? Can I just hold you for a second?”

Her movements stilled and she placed one arm around his neck and the other hand on his chest. She laid her head on his shoulder.

He took a deep breath. So did she.

They sat that way for a few minutes. Lou felt herself relax more and more, and then something changed. Brody’s thighs tense
d
under her own and his arms clutched her closer.
He
rub
bed
her cheek with the back of his hand. She sat up a little more.

“You feeling better now?” Lou asked right before
 
he
touch
ed
her chin and lift
ed
her lips toward his.

His lips breathed against hers, “Much. Thank you.”

H
er heartbeat quicken
ed
. “Brody?” she gasped right before his lips touched hers. They were firm, yet soft and she could taste the whisky on his breath. His tongue flicked lightly against her lips, daring them to open. They did. His tongue slipped inside and met hers in a frantic tangle. His hand slid into her hair and he tugged gently, breaking contact.

He looked her in the eye and said, “Unless you want me to make love to you, you had better go to bed now.” Her eyes narrowed as they stared into his. She scooted closer to him in his lap and put both arms around his neck, her lips finding his. He groaned loudly and stood up with her in his arms. He turned and strode toward her bedroom. She reached out and opened the door so he could carry her inside. He dropped her legs and let her slide down his front until her feet hit the floor. His mouth devoured hers and she responded just as passionately.

“God, I want you, Lou. I need to know, though, do you want me?”

S
he nodded against the pressure of his lips. “But hang on.” She walked through the bathroom and locked the door, just in case Sarah woke.

Brody kicked off his loafers as she started to unbutton his shirt. Her fingers trembled as the buttons slid through their holes. He broke the kiss long enough to pull the shirt over his head. Her hands tentatively touched the hair on his chest and she ran her fingers through it. Her hands shook. He clasped them both in one of his.

He asked quietly. “You can still tell me to go away if you want.”

“I don’t want you to go away
.
”
S
he looked him in the eye as she said it.

“Good, because I don’t want to go.” He slid his hands beneath her bottom and lifted her feet off the floor. He turned toward the bed and they tumbled onto it. His weight rested on his elbows. His knee pushed her legs apart and he rested between them.

“God, I’m scared,” Lou said, her hands in his hair, stroking him gently as he gazed into her face.

“No need to be scared. I won’t hurt you.” His lips touched her shoulder softly. “This hurt?” he mumbled against her skin.

She shook her head no.

He kissed his way down her throat. “This hurt?”

She shook her head again.

One of his hands cupped her breast as his thumb slid slowly across her nipple. A breath hissed out between clenched teeth.

“Now, I know that didn’t hurt.”

“Maybe just a little,” she gasped.

“Well, then I had better try it again.” His thumb slid across her nipple again and she arched her back, trying to get closer to his touch.

“Much better,” she whispered.

“I think I can do better.” He bent and placed his hands at her waist, tickling her lightly as he lifted her shirt. He went slowly as the fabric passed over her breasts and she heard him groan before he pulled the shirt over her head.

He cupped one full breast in his hand and said, “You are so beautiful. Your body is perfect.” He began to stroke one breast with his tongue, lightly flicking against her hardened nipple.
She gasped
. His other hand still cupped her breast
,
so he began to rub across her nipple with his thumb.

The sensations rocked through her and she moved her hips against his, startled to feel his hardness pressed against her belly. Her eyes grew wide. He moaned. She moved again. He moaned louder. “You had better stop that or this is not going to last nearly as long as I want it to.” She moved her hips against him again. He broke contact with her and stood up to remove his pants. He lifted her hips and slid his hand inside the waist of her pajama bottoms. He kissed her lightly beneath her belly button as he lowered her pants.

Butterflies flittered in her belly
as he took off her pajamas.
He slid them ever-so-slowly
over her thighs and over her feet.
They landed
in a heap at the foot of the bed.

Realizing she was completely naked to his gaze, she covered her breasts with her hands.

Brody settled himself to the right of Lou. “Don’t you dare cover yourself.” He licked around her fingers with the moist tip of his tongue. He lifted her fingers playfully to gain access to her nipple. The sensations were overwhelming.

Brody drew small circles on her flat stomach with his hand. Lou
’s
stomach flip
ped
as he ran his hand over her hip and cupped her bottom. His fingers returned to her stomach and then dipped into the auburn curls at the juncture of her thighs. She stiffened. His mouth caught hers and kept it occupied while one finger slid down through her curls and into her heat.
H
e sighed against her lips. He slid one finger to the entrance of her core. She moved slightly against his hand. He moved from the center of her to the little nub that was her pleasure center and rubbed it slowly. She moved against his hand. He drew another circle. Her hips lifted from the bed.

Brody raised himself up on his elbows and settled himself between her parted thighs. She tipped her hips up toward him and squirmed.
S
he would
surely
explode from all the sensations that were shooting through her body.

He insistently pressed
against her center
, gritting his teeth as he
slid inside. His arms shook. She moved a little beneath him, urging him to go deeper. He did. He plunged into her.

She tensed when he entered her, crying out softly at the pain of it.
He stopped and looked into her face. Small tears fell from between her clenched eyelashes.

“What the…”