Romance: Luther's Property (25 page)

I went to work the next day with a numb feeling in my
heart.
 
I couldn’t believe what I’d
witnessed yesterday, and it filled me with a sadness that I hadn’t quite
expected.
 
I waited on my tables and went
through all the motions, but my mind was preoccupied and my feelings were
scrambled.
 
As if dealing with my raw
emotions wasn’t enough, just as I was about to leave work, Christopher walked
into the restaurant.
 
“Hey, Alyssa.
 
Hope you’re not leaving yet.”
 
He smiled and then headed toward his usual
table.
 

“Actually, I am leaving, and I hope I never see you
again.”
 
I grabbed my coat and then,
without even buttoning it, stormed out of the restaurant.
 
Christopher ran out behind me, calling my
name as I threw open the door to my truck.
 
I didn’t want to see his face, but there he was, standing in front of my
hood, his arms in the air and a bewildered look on his face.

“What is going on?”
 
He yelled and I rolled down the window.
 

“Are you serious?
 
You
invited me to your house!”
 
I was so
upset I didn’t even know how to get my point across.
 

“Yes.
 
I did invite
you.
 
What’s wrong?”
 
Christopher still looked confused.

“What’s wrong is that I caught you in bed with another woman
yesterday.
 
Okay?
 
How do you feel now?”
 
I wanted to drive away, but I also wanted to
hear his explanation.

“Listen, Alyssa.
 
I
need to just be up front with you, oaky?”
 
Christopher looked at me with a shrug.
 
“I only dated you because some of my buddies dared me to.
 
They wanted to see how quickly I could get
you in bed.”
 
He shrugged and then turned
around to walk away.
 

“What?”
 
I was furious
but didn’t know what else to say or do.

“You heard me.
 
It was
a dare.
 
And you know what?
 
I’m allowed to sleep with whoever I
want.
 
Sorry to burst your bubble.”
 
He raised his brows, then turned around and
walked away.
 
I sat behind the wheel in
disbelief.
 
Then I started the ignition,
threw it in reverse and drove away.

When I got home I sat on my bed and cried.
 
I couldn’t believe all that had
happened.
 
I walked toward the window and
watched Lizzie as she moped around in the corral, then I got undressed and
climbed into bed.
 
Just as I was about to
fall asleep, I heard a gently rapping at my door.
 
Who could possibly be at my house?
 
Thinking that one of my neighbors had been
locked out, I got up and jogged down the wooden steps, then threw open the
door.

“Sorry to come by without announcement, but I really wanted
to see you.”
 
Rick stood in my doorway
holding a bouquet of roses.
 
He handed
them to me and then smiled.
 
I was too
surprised to say much of anything, so I just backed up and motioned for him to
come inside.
 
I realized that I had two
options at that moment.
 
I could either
tell him all about the ordeal with Christopher, or simply let it go and pretend
like it never happened.

“It’s actually wonderful to see you, Rick.”
 
I smiled and then wrapped my arms around his
neck.
 
“I’ve missed you since the last
time we saw each other.”
 
I was telling
him the truth, but it was still confusing for me because I didn’t know if I was
acting, again, out of vulnerability, or out of vengefulness toward
Christopher.
 
Why did relationships have
to be so complicated?

“Well, the feeling is mutual, and I wanted to make sure that
you understood how I felt about you, Alyssa.”
 
Rick looked at me thoughtfully and then swallowed hard.
 
“You know.
 
I didn’t mean to paint Christopher out as the bad guy when I told you
everything I knew about him.”
 
He hung
his head and then shrugged.
 
“I just
didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Well, you were right.”
 
I cocked my head and then laughed.
 
“Because I caught him in bed with another woman.”
 
I looked away, the feelings of disappointment
creeping back up my spine.
 
Rick looked
at me with a strange expression.

“You went to his house?”
 
He stood back and folded his arms across his chest.
 
I nodded my head and then reached for his
hand.

“I did.
 
Look, let’s
just…”
 
I covered my face with my hands,
wanting all of this confusion to just go away.
 
Rick stared at me with a disappointed frown.

“You went to his house?
 
After we made love?”
 
I could tell
from his tone of voice that he was disappointed.
 
I didn’t know what to tell him, and I really
wanted avoid getting into all the details.
 

“Listen, Rick.
 
I just
want to enjoy my afternoon, okay.”
 
I ran
my hands on his arm and then squeezed his hand.
 

“Okay, Alyssa.
 
Whatever you say.”
 
He sighed and
then followed me into my bedroom.
 

“Make love to me like you did the other day.”
 
I whispered in his ear and then pulled my
sweater over my head.
 
He stood back and
watched me in admiration.
 
“I’m in the mood.”
 
I leaned forward and whispered to him again,
then shook my leggings down to the floor.

“You know, I’m just going to pretend that you didn’t go and
visit Christopher.
 
I’m just going to put
it out of my mind.”
 
Rick shook his head
and then ran his hands over my body.
 
“I
want you so bad that it doesn’t even matter.
 
Even if you did touch that man-whore, I’d still be into you.”
 
Rick traced my jaw line with his finger, then
unzipped his pants and let them fall to the floor.

“I’ll tell you more about it later.”
 
I stood before him and rocked my hips slowly,
from side to side.
 
The sunlight streamed
through the living room window, and I could tell that the massive sheets of ice
from the previous snows were finally beginning to melt.
 
“But for now, just take me.”
 
I threw back my head and he kissed my neck,
then clutched my waist with his hands and licked my stomach with his warm,
determined tongue.

“Get on the bed.”
 
Rick eased me back and I lied down, my head propped on a silky
pillow.
 
He ran his hands down my thighs,
taking time to feel the delicate bends of muscle that led down my calves and
toward my feet.
 
“You’ve got an
incredible body.”
 
He kissed my toes and
then backed up so that he could admire me in all of my naked glory.

I watched as he positioned himself on top of me, then
grabbed his waist and pulled him close.
 
I liked the way that his shape melded into mine, and I could tell that
we had an unspoken attraction for each other.
 
His caress was filled with passion and determination.
 
I could tell that he was a man who knew what
he wanted and knew how to get it.

I closed my eyes as he gently spread open my legs.
 
He slid his fingers inside my wet, warm hole,
and then circled them around inside me until I moaned with pleasure.
 
I turned my head to the side and
relaxed.
 
It felt so good to receive his
touch, and I longed for him to move his manhood inside me.
 
He leaned back and then pressed forward,
entering me in one long, determined movement.
 
“Yes.”
 
I cried out and ran my
hands up and down his back.
 

“You feel incredible.”
 
Rick thrust himself inside me as I lied on my back, anticipating every
move that he made.
 
I delicately arched
my back to meet him each time he drove himself inside me, and he groaned with
satisfaction.
 
I spread my legs wider,
wanting to feel every inch of his body inside me.
 
He pressed harder against me and I ran my
hands down his back, enveloped in the steady stream of passion.

“I love how you feel.”
 
I whispered in Rick’s ear and he groaned.
 
I could sense the wave of pleasure building
up inside me and I cried out just as the feeling reached its height.
 
I clutched Rick with all my might and then
let out one long, extended cry of ecstasy.
 
He had taken me to the heights of enjoyment once again, and my body
responded with an orgasmic wave of relief.

The two of us lied motionless for a several minutes.
 
Then I reached down for the blankets and
pulled them up to our chins.
 
We smiled
in the afterglow and then rolled onto our sides.
 
I ran my finger over Rick’s nose and then kissed
him on the cheek.
 
“That was
incredible.”
 
I smiled and then looked
deep into his eyes.
 
They were a smoky
blue color, and they reminded me of a cool February day.
 

“I hope that we grow closer, Alyssa.”
 
Rick traced his fingers around my breasts, then
cupped them with his hands.
 
“You
know.
 
You can tell me anything.”
 
He looked at me with concern, and I bit my
lower lip.
 
Did he really mean that?
 
Could I really tell him whatever I wanted?

“I’m glad to hear that, Rick.
 
Because I actually do have something to tell
you.”
 
I sighed and then propped myself
up in the bed.

“And what is that?”
 
He raised his brows and propped himself u, as well.

“I’m pregnant.”
 
I
stared straight ahead for a few seconds, then got out of bed to get a glass of
water.

Rick looked at me with astonishment.
 
“Did you seriously just tell me that you’re
pregnant?”
 
He shook his head and then
ran his hands through his hair.
 
“I must
be hearing things.”
 
He leaned forward
and then stared at me for confirmation.

“You heard right.
 
I
know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
 
I
offered him some of the water and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Obviously, it isn’t mine.”
 
Rick shook his head and then looked away.
 
“Just my luck.
 
The one woman in all of Bozeman who I fall
for, and she tells me after we have sex that she’s pregnant with some other
guy’s baby.”
 
He covered his face with
his hands.

“Not just some guy.”
 
I corrected him and then took a deep breath.
 
“It’s my husband’s baby.”
 
I held back a tear and then looked at Rick as
he flew off the bed.
 

“You’re married?”
 
His
voice rose and then he jumped off the bed.
 
“This is unreal.”
 
He walked
across the room and reached for his clothes.
 
“It’s about time for me to be going, Alyssa.”
 
He pulled on his pants and then reached for
his sweater and started to walk out of the room.
 
I ran behind him and grabbed him by the arm.

“You’re misunderstanding.
 
My husband passed away.”
 
I shook
my head and then started to cry.
 
Rick
stood before me in silence.
 
“He was
killed in a construction accident a few months ago.
 
It was totally unexpected.
 
I didn’t find out about the baby until about
a month ago.”
 
I bit my lower lip and
then looked away.
 
Rick lowered his head
and then reached for my hand.

“I’m sorry, Alyssa.
 
I’m actually sorry about all of this.
 
Maybe we moved to fast.
 
I think
that the best thing for me to do right now would be to walk away.
 
I hope you understand.”
 
Rick let go of my hand and then slowly walked
toward the door.
 
I covered my face and
cried.
 

“I’m sorry, Rick.
 
I’m
sure you think I was being dishonest, but I wasn’t.
 
I knew I wanted to tell you about the baby if
we ended up seeing each other again.”
 
I
let out an exasperated cry, and he just stared at me.

“Alyssa.
 
Of course I
planned on seeing you again, but the problem isn’t just not knowing about the
baby.
 
It’s about you going to see
Christopher, it’s about you being married so recently.
 
I just need some time to process all of
this.
 
I’m sure you can understand.”
 
He adjusted his glasses, put on his hat, then
headed for the door.
 
I watched him
through the window as he climbed into his truck and drove away.
 
Then I threw myself face down onto the bed and
bawled.