Neil, Louisa - One Queen with Two Kings (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (7 page)

On the drive up, she hoped they could keep the rescue under wraps for at least two days. It would give Dex and Russ some time to adjust before the onslaught began. It would also give the accountants at the company more time to go over Lloyd’s records. Now she knew it would give Alex and his design team time to go over the information Dex and Russ gave him about the plane’s hydraulic system and how it had been tampered with. He told him he was bringing home the proof.

Now it was up to Alex to see if Lloyd fit into the picture. If he’d sabotaged the plane, she’d, she’d…Thea didn’t know what she’d do, but it would be something. For now, she turned up the car radio and carefully navigated the backcountry roads to the lake house, their special place.

Thea had never been more nervous in her life. Even on the day they married, she’d been calm and happy. She’d never felt wedding
-
day jitters, for she knew Dexter was her mate. They’d both known right from the start at that first meeting when she caught sight of him across Alistair’s office. She’d simply known he was her match in all ways.

Things were going according to plan. Her groceries were delivered and stored, supper was started, and the chocolate cake and brownies were ready when he wanted them. As was Thea, showered and dressed, waiting for him. Alex had called her an hour ago and said Dexter was on his way. He and Russ had been brought from the private plane directly to her father’s house to clean up. They’d all had a few moments together
,
and he’d seen his parents. Now he was being driven to her.

She wandered around the house that had been in Thea’s family for generations
,
and only technical updates had been made to the old place. It was a large white clapboard structure with a wall of windows facing the Pennsylvania Lake. It had several bedrooms and baths upstairs, but the downstairs master suite was theirs. The large fireplace was made from fieldstone and continued up through the two-story home. Its pine
-
covered walls and floors held a high shine. The furniture was old and comfortable, plaids and nubby tweeds with soft cotton pillows and throws.

The kitchen was open to the dining room, which opened to the living room. The view from all three rooms was magnificent. To the left side was a small hallway with a den and a guest bedroom and bath. Across the other side of the home was their master suite. It
,
too
,
was rustic in style but elegant with comfort. The large king-size bed faced the lake and was covered with layers of down-filled blankets and pillows. The bath was updated to include a large steam shower, and outside on the private deck was a hot tub. Thea had made sure the large fluffy towels were clean and soft and that all of Dex’s favorite personal items were waiting on the shelf. His old clothes were hanging in the closet beside hers.

It seemed a longer wait than the last two years. Russell had been dropped off at his old apartment, still exactly as he left. Michelle had taken responsibility to fill it with fresh groceries. Alistair and Alex would be available if he needed anything.

The sound of automobile tires crunched against the gravel on the driveway. Thea felt sick to her stomach
,
but a few breaths cleared her nerves. She went to the door, pulling it open just as he opened the back door of the car. Her first glimpse of him was heaven on this earth. His brown hair had golden highlights from the sun
,
but his brown eyes hadn’t lost their flair. She wasn’t used to seeing him with a beard, but she’d adapt.

As he turned, he caught sight of her and froze as she did, several feet apart. The driver eased away quickly, leaving them to reunite in private.

“Dex,” was all she managed before taking the few steps separating them. She launched herself into his arms, and he caught her with delight. For long seconds they didn’t move, simply held on to each other. Reluctantly, she pulled away, her eyes meeting his for the first time in two years. She saw the small lines around his brown eyes and took in the deep tan he’d acquired. His face was half covered with a trim beard and moustache. Automatically, her fingers moved to touch it. “We thought you were dead.”

“I was inside, Thea. God, how I prayed I’d get to see you again.”

“Dex, I’ve missed you every day.”

“Let’s go inside, Thea, I want to kiss you properly and I don’t want to do it out here.”

Her smile widened, and she moved with him. Dexter picked her up against his body and moved quickly into their special place. Dex let her feet fall softly to the floor once they reached the inside of the house. Only then did he turn her to face him again, drinking in the sight of her. He held her gaze as she drowned in his. As if in slow motion, her arms slid up around his neck and her head came to rest on his shoulder.

“Dex, if this is a dream, I never want to wake up.” Her lips touched his warm skin under the collar of his shirt, and she felt him sigh against her.

“Thea, we’re both real, and I know we have to talk, but for right now, just let me hold you.” He pulled her closer
,
and it wasn’t long before she felt his tears against her cheek. Somehow, with him letting go, she was able to also. Her tears fell silently at first, her body relaxing against him. Soon they were both crying, tears of sadness and joy.

Dex recovered first, his hands moving to the sides of her face, his thumbs wiping away moisture from her cheeks. It was then his lips met hers for the first time in two years. Heaven existed for both of them once again. There was no discussion, no need for it. Thea sank to the carpet before the fire and pulled him down with her. In a flurry of arms and legs, discarded clothing and a sprinkling of laughter, they joined quickly, both wanting the reassurance. It was over too soon, but they didn’t care. It was as if it were something to get out of the way. Thea smiled at Dex as she snuggled against his bare chest, her fingers running through his dark
,
curling hairs. She hadn’t felt this good since the night before he left for the trip, the last time they’d made love.

In a passing thought, she felt like a virgin again. After two years her body had forgotten how it felt to have his cock inside her, stretching her until her body yielded and accepted his thrusts.

“Some things never change, Dex. Get rid of the first load quick and enjoy the second,” she joked with tear-filled eyes.

“Something like that,” he told her, pulling her tight to him.

“Are you hungry
,
or do you want to talk?”

“Thea, I know some of what’s happened. I need to know the rest before we have to go back over the weekend. But for right now, I want food and then a long soak in the tub with you. Any problems with that?”

“No. You’re too skinny. Tell me, do you want real food or dessert?” Her eyes lifted to his and they both laughed.

“Food first, and then I’ll have you as my dessert.”

It took them an hour to finally make it from the floor to the kitchen, but neither cared. Thea moved around the kitchen with a practiced flair, their meal mostly put together before he arrived. She grilled the steaks on the gas grill on the deck while he watched. She didn’t ask about his slight limp and figured he’d tell her in his own time why he was limping. They ate quietly at first, almost mechanically, until she finally broke the silence.

“Dex, how much do you know?”

“Alex played the tapes for Russ and I while we were getting cleaned up.”

“Then you know I almost married him. I couldn’t go through with it, Dex. I knew I couldn’t let him touch me.”

“Thea, you thought I was dead. I knew there was a possibility if we were ever rescued you would have moved on. It wasn’t a good thought, but I did think about it.”

“Oh, Dexter, I’m so sorry. I should have pushed them to search longer, to look in other places. Even your mother knew something wasn’t right.”

“None of it matters now. From what I can gather, Lloyd didn’t have you and
,
if anything
,
he came close to raping you. And don’t think I won’t take that up with him when we get back. Alex said you decked him. I’m proud of you.”

“Dex, there was nobody else. Even though I thought I could marry Lloyd for Dad’s sake, I couldn’t let him touch me.” She closed her eyes as the revolting thought swam before her eyes. Dex stood quickly, his chair turning over as he did, to take her into his arms.

“Let it go, Thea. We’re both here now, and I love you more than ever before
,
if that’s possible. Please, let’s just start from today.” She was only able to nod against his chest. “Thea, you’re not wearing my wedding ring,” he whispered. She pulled back and smiled at him as she loosened the chain that hung between her breasts. Pulling it off, she let the gold ring fall into his open hand.

“I was waiting for you to put it on my hand.” She glanced up at him, hoping he understood. Dexter P. Norden took the ring and slipped it on her finger.

“Forever, Thea.”

“Forever, Dex. God, I love you so much. I went crazy for a while when we first learned you were…gone.”

Dex laughed aloud. “Thea, I know you all thought we were dead. It’s okay to say the words. I’m not
,
and neither is Russ. We kept each other alive on that lousy island for over two years. I’m pretty sure he never wants to hear your name again. I was pretty preoccupied with dreams of you.”

“Dex, tell me what happened.”

“Later, my love. First, I’m going to take you for a long soak in that tub out there and then to bed for a few hours. After that, we’ll talk.” Thea took his outstretched hand and followed closely behind him, dropping the silk robe she pulled on while making their supper long before they reached the tub.

Chapter Four

Time had no meaning for them. They moved fluidly against and with each other. Their joinings were slow and teasing one moment, then hungry and demanding the next. Only after they had exhausted themselves did he pull her against him and settle back against the pillows. With her hand moving against his chest for reassurance that he was still there, she listened quietly as he spoke.

“Everything was normal at first. The preflight check seemed normal
,
so we headed to the meeting. The plane checked out and handled normally for the first thirty minutes or so. When we hit open water, Russ realized we were losing hydraulic pressure. We radioed the Mayday and started to turn back, but it was too late. The system failed and we lost control. We managed to make it to the island and crashed on the beach.” Thea pulled him tighter to
her
when she felt the shudder run through him. “Russ broke his arm and I broke my left leg. What a pair! He did the leg parts and I did the arm parts.” He laughed at a memory he didn’t share, and she didn’t push for him to reveal it.

“It took four months for us to both be reasonably movable again. The plane was broken up, but we managed to use it for shelter until we were both mobile. We lived off the land, Thea. Ate fish and fruit. We knew the Mayday call had gone through, it was just a matter of time before we were found. But as time went on, it didn’t make sense. The plane was in pieces, but it was on the beach. We just didn’t understand why the rescue teams didn’t find us. When we realized we weren’t seeing any planes, rescue or otherwise, we knew, Thea, we just knew something wasn’t right.

“Russ had a makeshift splint on his arm, and I had one on my left leg. We figured it took six months before we were both healed enough to start to get mad.”

Thea cried into his chest, not racking tears, just a constant flow for the agony he went through. Dex pulled her closer to him, if that were possible, but he didn’t tell her not to cry. He quietly continued with his story.

“We started pulling the plane apart just about that same time. We’d finally been able to both cover the whole of the island and knew every inch of it. Russ had cut down palm leaves, and I’d sit and weave them together. Eventually we had mats to lie on and used the plane’s fuselage for shelter from the weather. We used bits and pieces of the plane and put together nets to fish with. Fire was a luxury. There wasn’t much to burn on the island, and we kept a signal fire ready if we saw anyone overhead. We just went day to day. We walked and jogged and ran the coast of the island. We thanked God every day that there was a fresh water spring toward the center of the island. It was a two-hour walk each way to get to it. It kept us in shape and took our minds off what we eventually found.”