Passionate Bid (20 page)

Mentally, he added an oven to his list of things to buy. Later, he”d take the oven to the junkyard if only to keep his wife from using it again.

Dinner was great. He ordered three different pizzas: cheese for Sam, pepperoni and pineapple for him, and chicken with spinach for Joanie. Before he had his third slice, Sam was already zonked out on his lap.

Joanie didn”t fight him when he said he”d take Sam up to her room. He could tell she was still feeling bad about the pot roast and taking her frustration out on her slice of pizza.

Julian stared at Sam sleeping so innocently on her tiny pink bed. He hoped someday she would find someone who would love and take good care of her. He adjusted Sam”s blanket and kissed her for the nth time and then he reached under the bed to get the bag he stashed in there. He walked over to Joanie”s room and placed the bag in the middle of the bed before he went downstairs.

Joanie was still on the couch, nibbling her slice of pizza muttering something about a stupid cooking instruction, her feet propped on the coffee table.

“She must be really tired to fall asleep without asking for her papa.”

“Yeah. The owner of the coin-operated rides at the mall is fifty dollars richer today because of her. And Sam is a very satisfied customer.”

“Fifty bucks? Julian, I always ignore the rides. You shouldn”t—”

“It was worth it, Joanie.” He would tell her later about the elephant and bumblebee rides he ordered for Sam”s birthday. “At least I got to sit down and watch her while she was yippeeing.”

“Thank you for taking her to the mall. You shouldn”t have bought all those toys. Her room looks like a toy store now.”

He sat beside Joanie on the couch and propped his feet on the table, too.

“She twisted my arm.”

“Oh I bet. She could be persuasive. Especially when her lips pout and the tears…. oh, God.”

Julian laughed. “So what do you do when Sam goes to bed early?”

“If I am too lazy to clean the house, sometimes I watch a movie I borrowed from the library or read my torrid novels. Sometimes, I simply lie in bed and wait until sleep visits me.”

“Torrid novels? I didn”t know Browning wrote those kinds of novels.” Joanie laughed. “I read her books so many times I know How Do I Love Thee by heart. I”m older now. I thought it”s time to move on to a more matured reading materials.”

“Thus, the torrid novels. Grandma didn”t graduate from Browning”s works.

And she”s like you. An avid fan of reading.”

“Because she had found a reason to continue reading love poems. I believed in its power when I was young.”

“Not anymore?”

“I can”t say I do. But like Mister Darcy of Pride and Prejudice said, „love sonnets are food of love.” If there isn”t love to feed—it doesn”t have any use. Your grandma experienced love. The poems have been keeping the feeling alive for her.” He covered her hand with his and rubbed her knuckles. She said her wedding ring was somewhere. In her dresser maybe? “You believed in Browning”s poems. Loved reading each line, phrases, stanza. You read the words as if they were coming from your heart.”

“How did you know?”

“I listened to you read to Grandma. Joanie, you gave yourself to me that night because you believed in love.”

“Yes, I gave myself to you without reservations.”

“My grandmother suspected that you have feelings for me. But I didn”t believe her.”

“Now you heard the truth from me.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. Now, about this blind guy you found, but is yet to find you.”

“What about him?”

“He”s a big jerk, is he?”

“Yeah. But he”s been nice lately.”

“Really?” He looked at Joanie, her eyes were humorous and tender.

Reality hit him. He was the blind guy. “Does he happen to live in Manhattan?”

“That”s what he told me.”

“Do you really love him?”

“With my heart and soul.”

“And you will put your life before him.”

“Without second thought.”

“You still love me.”

“I didn”t say it was you.”

“Joanie…”

The amused look suddenly left her eyes. “I thought I was done loving you.

But I was wrong.”

“I don”t deserve your love.”

“No, you don”t.”

“Still…”

“Still…” she repeated.

He cupped her face and took her mouth with his. Last night, he felt her love through her uninhibited act in bed. She made love with him, not sex. She gave him her body and soul. Good God. Joanie loved him. “Joanie.” He devoured her mouth.

This time it was a hot tongue-twining kiss. Joanie loved him and God knows he was beginning to love her, too. He removed her shirt and unhooked her bra. Joanie helped him remove his.

Standing in the middle of room, he stared at her naked breasts before slowly lowered his head and sucked a nipple. Joanie gripped his hair, pressing him closer against her. He thought about the negligee he bought for her. “Let”s go upstairs,” he said between sucking her breasts and unbuttoning her pants.

As soon as her zipper lowered, he snaked his hand inside and cupped her warm pussy. She was already wet. Joanie slid her pants lower. She twisted and bent a little, and then she was totally naked.

Her flushed skin glowed. “Julian, I love you.”

He felt a tug. Joanie was unbuckling his belt. A moment too soon, he felt her fingers wrapped around his cock. Her thumb rubbing his tip. His mouth left her breasts. “Joanie, Joanie, my wife…oh yeah…That”s it.” Watching her hand go up and down the length of his cock was so erotic. He moved his hips in a thrusting motion. His little wife was learning, exploring. He”d let her.

“You feel so velvety,” she said. And then to his delight Joanie kneeled.

“Joanie, hon. Ahhh…”

Joanie licked his head repeatedly. Her tiny tongue rasping on his sensitive slit was too good. But when she sucked him, he thought he”d ejaculate in her mouth. With all the strength that he could muster, he held his orgasm.

He moved his hips as he watched his cock go in and out of her mouth slowly until he couldn”t take it anymore. Grabbing her arms, he pulled her up. It was too late to go upstairs. “Place one foot on the table and the other on the couch.” He held her ass as she did what he told her.

“Julian,”

“From now on, you are mine.” And then he guided his hard throbbing cock in her waiting pussy. Joanie was so wide open he penetrated her deeply. He grounded his hips, feeling her walls around him.

“Oh my God, this is so wonderful.”

“Yes, love. It is.” Using his middle finger, he helped her reach her orgasm by rubbing her sensitive spot. Joanie moaned and met his thrusts. “You like that, love?”

“Yes. Oh, Julian, I can”t wait. Please…”

“Just let it go, love. Let it go.” Joanie”s walls gripped his dick and then her ass contracted. “Good, Mama. Now, hang on to me.” He placed his hands just below her ass and then he thrust so hard Joanie screamed. “Almost there, yeah…fu..dge!” His orgasm was so explosive he bit her shoulder. “Hmm….” His orgasm was slowly ebbing away when he realized something—he didn”t pull out.

He helped Joanie find her footings back on the floor before burying his nose on her neck. “Was it like your torrid novels?”

“Much better.”

Joanie emptied the dishwasher, thinking about the pink negligee that she found spread on top of the pillow when she woke up this morning with an accompanying short note. “Gone into the woods. See you later, Mama. Love J and S.” Pink negligee. The color was as bright as any pink could be. Sam most likely picked it. She was never a fan of anything pink, but it would do. Tonight, she”d wear it.

She was making a list of things to do and buy for Sam”s birthday when she heard a car coming. One thing she liked about a graveled driveway, the crunching sound always alerted her if a car was coming. Kind of like a barking dog.

Wondering who it was, she went outside. A black dust covered Mercedes parked in front of her house. It could be another buyer. Dang, she should go to the library and remove her advertisement. In two weeks, she”d have the money to fix her house. There was no need to keep the ads up.

A woman with straight blonde hair wearing a red mini skirt, white halter top, and huge dark glasses she”d seen Hollywood stars wear on television and movies got out of the car.

Joanie simply looked at her. A woman from the big city, no doubt. But what was she doing here?

From her porch, Joanie watched the woman plant her hands on her hips.

Like the corn silk, her blonde hair shone from the afternoon sun. And her high-heeled shoes were so pointy she was sure they”d get stuck in the soft ground like nails on wood.

The woman waved and gave her a Colgate smile as if she was posing for a camera.

I doubt this is my classmate from Seattle. Joanie racked her mind if they”d met before while she waved back.

And then the woman quickly walked behind the car and disappeared from her view when she opened the trunk. When she emerged, she was carrying the biggest stuffed butterfly she had ever seen in her life. How she had managed to stuff it in her trunk, she had no idea. But the woman wasn”t finished. She opened her passenger door and pulled six big shopping bags.

Who in the world is this?

Joanie ran her clammy hands on the front of her jeans and met the woman halfway. “Hello,” she greeted.

“Oh, hi there. Is this the Saint Claire residence?”

“Yes.” Joanie watched the woman walked gingerly on her front steps She was so careful one would think her porch was covered with dog poo.

“Thank God. I”m Georgina Myers, Doctor Julian Ravenwood”s fiancée.” Stunned, Joanie just looked at the woman”s unblemished face. Did she say fiancée? But Julian told her last night they were not together anymore. Did he lie to her? Okay. If he did, what was his fiancée doing here?

“Whew! I thought if I keep on driving, I”d end up in Japan or China. I”m not even sure if I”m still in the U.S. of A.” Georgina laughed. It sounded rehearsed.

“Last time I check, Bend, Oregon is still part of America.” Joanie quickly imagined a world map. It had been years since she last stepped inside a classroom, but she would bet Japan or China were still Asian countries. And Asia was the biggest continent separated by large bodies of water from the other continents; therefore, one couldn”t just drive there.

“Well, you have a neat area here. Different from what Julian had told me over the phone. So, are you the hired help for the Saint Claire”s?”

“Hired help?”

“A maid or housekeeper.” Georgina smiled.

Self-consciously, Joanie smoothed her hair. “No, I”m not the maid. I”m Joanie Saint Claire.”

“Oh, Joanie. So wonderful to meet you.”

Joanie staggered backwards when Georgina gave her a fierce hug. “Julian isn”t here right now.”

“That”s fine. It”s you I want to talk to anyway.” Georgina struggled with her load.

Did she say she wanted to talk to me? Whatever for? “Can I help you?”

“With these? Yes. I didn”t know toy stores were massive.” Joanie grabbed the shopping bags overflowing with stuffed toys.

Emblazoned on the bags were the big fancy letters, FAO Schawrtz.

“Glad Julian mentioned his precious Sam likes butterflies, so I didn”t have to walk around the mall looking for a perfect gift.”

“Did you say this stuff is for Sam?”

“Yes. I have more in the trunk, but I”ll ask Julian to get them for me. Is Sam home?”

“No. Julian took her into the woods for a walk. They”d be back soon.”

“Pooh! I was hoping I”d meet Sam right away.”

“Why?” the question came out so quick.

“Well, since Julian and I are engaged—unofficial, of course since you”re still married to him—I thought I should get to know Sam so when she comes over to see Julian—”

“Sam is not going anywhere.” The sound of her own teeth grinding were loud in her ears. What the hell was this woman talking about?! Julian didn”t say anything about taking Sam to Manhattan. Besides, that wasn”t part of their agreement. Joanie felt her flesh started to quiver.

Georgina turned her diamond ring around and around, catching the light as she did. The stone sparkled. “Oh, I am sure Julian said he”d take Sam to our apartment to visit her great-grandma. May I come in?”

“Sure.” Joanie walked ahead of Georgina and dumped the bags on the couch.

“Oh, wow! What a lovely home. Julian told me your house was a shack. I don”t think so. I love it. Simple and homey.”

A shack? Had Julian really called her house that? Yes, she”d made him sleep on the man-eating couch, and he”d seen the sorry state of her house, but she doubted he would call her home a shack. Whom should she believe? This woman or Julian. Her woman”s intuition kicked in. Why was she really here? “Can I offer you anything?”

“Orange juice or milk or whatever you have available.”

“I”ll be right back.” Julian told her Georgina was a model, but he neglected to mention she was Venus walking on earth. So Julian had told her about Sam and her upcoming birthday. When did he tell Georgina all of this? When she was asleep?

She poured orange juice in her clearest, nicest drinking glass. After all, the woman brought Sam presents and thought of her house lovely.

“It must have been hard on you to know your husband is planning on marrying another.”

Joanie turned. She didn”t expect Georgina to follow her in the kitchen. Hard was an understatement. But she didn”t have to know that. “Not really. Julian and I are married only in paper. We hardly knew each other when we got married, and he left while I was still in my gown.” Planning on marrying another? But Julian told me he and Georgina weren’t an item anymore.

“That”s horrible. So no honeymoon for you, eh?” Georgina lowered her painted lips the way one would when feeling disappointed. But Joanie doubted she felt anything but that.

Joanie didn”t answer the question. “Have a seat.” She placed the glass on the table. “Here you go.”

“Thank you. Hmm…real good. Is that Sam on the picture on the refrigerator?”

“Yes. She was only a year old in that picture.”

“Joanie, she is beautiful. I”ve wanted to have my own pretty girl, but Julian didn”t want a brat—yeah, he said a brat—running around his apartment. He hates kids.”