WILL TIME WAIT: Boxed set of 3 bestselling 'ticking clock' thrillers (83 page)

“Oi,” Nicola said, then gave me a sharp eye.  “Are you
gonna do something about this, or do I have to intervene and bang your stubborn
heads together?  I’m not spending another decade watching you two pine for
each other.” 

I played with my necklace, the one Sarah had threaded by
hand for my birthday.  “I feel like a complete fool.  I believed that
text, believed Steph...  If I’d had any doubt, I’d have done a DNA test
years ago, but I believed her.  I really did.  She was a nurse and a
friend.  She knew all about conception and I saw no reason for her to lie
to me.”

“Exactly.  You had no reason to doubt her.”

“And if Brian is Sarah’s dad, then Michael died for
nothing.”

Nicola put her glass down.  She grabbed my arm and
pulled me to the patio doors away from everyone.  “Claire’s a bloody
lunatic,” she said, still keeping her voice low.  “If you don’t sort
things out with Brian, then Claire still kind of wins.  And as for Steph,
well, I’m sure you’re not the only person in the world who’s been confused
about the father of their child.  You were a distraught, pregnant sixteen
year old who believed a person who was older, supposedly wiser, and a nurse who
you thought was on your side.  And it’s not your fault that Michael
died.  How could you have known he’d react that way to the news?” 

“I wish I could have known.”

“You can’t change the past.  But you can do something
about your future.”  She bit her lip in delight.  “I just hope we get
the result we want.”

I glanced at Brian from the corner of my eye.  “If we
do, Brian’s going to hate me.”

She stroked my hair.  “No.  He’ll blame
Steph.  You were just young and naive.”

I nibbled my fingernails.  The wait had my stomach and
heart in sickening loops and knots.  “Brian texted earlier and said we’d
get the results...”  I glanced at the clock on the microwave. 
“Anytime now.”

“I know.  That’s
one
of the reasons I invited
him.  One.  This would be the best news ever.”  Nicola squealed
with excitement, then put her hand over her mouth.  “Oops. 
Sorry.  But, this is unreal.  All this time Sarah thought her dad was
dead and... he could be right here, in this room.”

I raised a finger to my lips.  “Shush. 
Please.  Sarah’s been through enough, I don’t want to get her hopes up.”

Nicola nodded.  “No problem.  But... come
on.  Can’t you feel it?”

I twisted my lips to keep from smiling.  Yes, something
warm on the verge of exploding in my belly told me that Brian was indeed
Sarah’s dad.  Although Steph had admitted to Brian what she’d done, we had
to be sure. 

Brad re-entered the Kitchen.  “Christa, you’ve got a
visitor.”

I swung around, saw Harry walking in behind him.  “Hi.”

“Listen, I... er... I saw you’d come back home and just
wanted to check you were okay.”  He nodded hello to everyone and handed me
a shiny bottle bag. 

I took it and looked at a posh arty bottle of chilli oil
inside.  “Thanks.  That’s very kind.”

“Just a little something for your birthday.”  He rubbed
his chin and waved his hand about his face.  “I can see it’s a bad
time.  You have guests.  I’ll leave you to it.”  He turned to
face the door.

“Any good at making sandwiches?” Nicola asked.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder.  “BLT’s, but
the bacon needs to be crispy.”

“Now you’re talking,” Dave said, licking his lips.

Nicola threw Harry a loaf of bread.  “I hope you like
cheap bubbly.”

Harry smiled and approached her.  “My favourite.”

“Good.  The more of us the merrier, ‘cos a few laughs
‘n’ smiles are long overdue in this house, right Sarah?”

She nodded.

A phone beeped.  Brian pulled his mobile out of his
pocket, stared and gasped.

A blanket of silence came over the room.

Brian shot me a stunned look.  Nicola dropped a sieve
on the bench and Brad froze, gaping.

Oh, Jesus.  My knees went weak.  “Is it the...?”

He nodded.  “The email’s here.”

I downed a gulp of my drink.  Then another.

“Hey,” Nicola said, clicking her fingers for my attention,
breaking the stillness.  “We’ve got this cake to finish up and... 
Why don’t you step out.”  She made a secretive face while Sarah wasn’t
looking, and cocked her head toward the hall.  “Give us half an hour so
you don’t spoil your birthday surprise.”

“I ... er...”

“Go on, mum,” Sarah said, happily playing along unawares.

Nicola’s eyes glittered with excitement.  She looked at
me and mouthed, ‘It’s the results?’

I bit my lip and nodded. 

Looking fit to burst, she came from around the bench, thrust
the pile of birthday cards into my hand, then shooed me into the hall. 
“Hey, Brian, go with her.  Make sure she doesn’t sneak in until we’re
done.”

“Er, sure.”  He slipped the phone in his pocket, gave
Sarah a lingering kiss on her head, then followed me into the hall.

“Hey, Christa,” Nicola said.

I turned around.

“Remember what you said to me the other day about
currency... love, loyalty and all that.”

I nodded, remembering when I’d tried to lift her spirits so
we could escape from Sarah’s room.

“Well, look around you girl, no matter what’s on...
that
,”
She nodded toward Sarah, Brian... everyone in the room that was here to support
us.  “You’re a millionaire.”

I smiled and walked down the hall next to Brian.  “Are
you sure that text is the...?”  I couldn’t finish.

“Yes.”

“Do you know?”

“I don’t dare look.” 

I grabbed his hand and squeezed.  “Let’s go somewhere
quiet.”

CHRISTA

I
stopped on the landing outside my bedroom and put my birthday cards on the
floor.  I faced Brian and glanced at the phone in his hand.

“This is about us, Christa.  Okay?”  He engaged my
eyes.  “Whatever happens, nothing will bring Michael back.  So let’s
not feel guilty.”

I nodded up at him.  “About us.”

“And just so you know, I don’t blame you.”

I pressed my lips together. 
I wouldn’t blame him if
he did.

“My sister can be very... overbearing and persuasive at
times.  I should have realised that what came from your mouth was actually
coming from hers.”

“No.  You shouldn’t... it was me.  I-I’m
embarrassed and I...”

“Let’s forget that now.  It’s done.”  He touched
my arm.  “Ready?”

My heart practically leapt into my throat.  “Go for
it.”

He opened the email on his phone.

Brian inhaled through his nose, then shifted his eyes to
mine, his face giving nothing away.

“Well?” I put my little finger between my teeth and bit
down.

He shrugged a shoulder.  “Looks like I’m...”  His
face lit up, causing the hairs on my nape to raise.  The most brilliant,
joyous blue eyes stared back at me.  “I’m officially a dad!”  He bent
his elbow and fisted the air.

Oh sweet Jesus. 

Dad. 
God, I loved the sound of that. 

I stumbled a step back, but then he picked me up and twirled
me around the landing.  My mouth was still agape when he set me on my feet
near my bedroom door.

We stood staring, lost and awestruck.  Brian was
glowing, brimming with delight and it made my stomach flutter.

He put a hand on my waist.  “How do you feel?  Are
you okay with this?”

I struggled to speak.  “I-it... it’s awesome.”

“Best news ever.”  

“Th... this is unreal.  Sarah will be... be...” 

Catching me unawares, he punctuated his delight by planting
a kiss on my lips.  “Sorry.  I shouldn’t have.  I...”

Stunned, I glanced down.  “N-no.  It’s okay. 
I’m just a bit...”  I raised my eyes to his and my heartbeat
quickened.  Here he was, the man I loved, but thought I’d lost many years
ago.  The real father of my child was standing before me, sharing this
most... electrical moment.

I lightly touched the skin below his bandaged arm. 
“Does it still hurt?”

“It’s not so bad.”  He stroked my cheek with his
thumb.  “Tell me what you’re thinking?”

Goose bumps raced up my arms.  I used to think the
world was against me... but maybe, just maybe it wasn’t anymore.  “I’m
thinking...”  Drunk on the DNA results, Brian, Nicola’s pep talk, the end
of our nightmare... I took a breath of courage and raised my eyes, now unable
to look away.  “Wanna try again?”

His eyebrows slanted as though he thought he’d
misheard.  “Wait.  Do you mean...”

I raised an eyebrow.  “Sure do.”

With a tug, he pulled me into him and our lips crushed into
one explosive kiss.  I snaked my hand around his waist and stroked the
soft, warm skin of his back.

His grip on me tightened and he nipped my lower lip with his
teeth.  He swept his mouth across my jaw, groaned low and throaty then put
his lips to mine again.

My chest heaved to match his, and then he broke the kiss and
pulled away.

I opened my eyes and blinked hard.    
Did
I do something wrong?
  “W-why did you stop?”

He brushed my hair behind my shoulders and smiled. 
“I’m sorry about...  Look, I messed up and I know it might be hard to
forgive me for everything.  For Claire.  I should have known.  I
kind of pieced things together while on the way to your house that night. 
I remembered that Claire was the one who told me that biblical story, and she
just knew too much about you and your habits to not be-”

“Hush.”  I pressed my finger to his lips.  “Forget
that...
her
.  Nicola explained and made me see sense.”

“She did?  When I saw her in the hospital I thought she
was gonna rip my head off.”

“Yes.  She was.  And now she’s threatening to bang
our heads together if we don’t, you know, sort things out.”

He laughed and cocked his head toward the stairs.  “We
should tell Sarah the news.  I can’t wait to see her face.”

I nodded, but pursed my lips.  “She’s waited thirteen
years.”  I raised my leg and back-kicked my bedroom door open.  “And
so have I.  What’s a few more minutes gonna hurt?”

A wicked glint flashed in his eyes.  “Just a few? 
Nicola said half an hour.”

My pulse leaped.

He scooped me up and carried me into the bedroom. 
After kicking the door shut, he lowered me to the bed and whipped his shirt
off.

I kissed his bare chest then started unbuttoning my top.

“No.  Let me.”  He pushed me back on the bed and
straddled me, his erection pressing into my pelvis. 

I moved my arms to my sides, and grinned, inviting him to
explore. 

Slowly, he unbuttoned my top and spread it open. 
“You’re beautiful.”  He ran an open palm down my chest, then pulled the left
cup of my bra down, revealing my breast.  He rolled my nipple between his
thumb and finger, then leaned down and took it into his mouth.

He ran a hand down my body and touched the sweet spot
between my thighs.

I arched my back, moaned and pushed my hands into his
hair.  Brian, touching me in this way, it was exquisite.  Wild desire
surged through me.  I know he’d said... no, I couldn’t wait.  I
fumbled for his belt and undid it, then unzipped his jeans.

He dragged his lips across my chest, then stopped and slid
my leggings and panties down to my ankles, stealing a peek at the most intimate
part of me.

I used my heel to push my panties off and to the floor.

Brian wet his finger, put his hand between my thighs and
circled my flesh.  While I writhed beneath, he scrambled out of his jeans,
then stopped and stood.  He whipped his marl-grey fitted boxers off and
his erection sprang free. 

My breath caught.  I leaned across the mattress and
rooted in my bedside drawers for a condom.  “God, please don’t say I... 
Got one.”  I rolled onto my back again and held up the foil like a coveted
trophy.

He crawled along the bed, blew on me, then licked and sucked
his way up my naked body with tantalizing torture.  He unhooked my bra,
slipped it down my arms and rested on his elbows above.  Face to
face. 

He smiled, kissed my lips then raised himself up.

I tilted my pelvis up to meet his warm groin, then ripped
the wrapper open and pulled out the condom, aching to feel him inside me.

“Let me.”  He sat back on his heels and rolled it on.

I reached up, gripped his neck and pulled him back down into
a kiss.  The taste of him, his hungry lips on mine... oh, it made me dizzy
with desire.

He shifted on top, nudged my legs wide apart with his knees,
then inched himself into me.  Our joint, soft guttural moans filled the
silence.

He started moving inside me, slow and deep.  Intense
arousal built and I clawed the sheets.  I’d wanted this, him, for so, so
long, just hadn’t known it. 

Thoroughly worked up and hot, I put my palms on his chest to
switch position, and pushed until he was sitting back on his heels.  After
raising myself up, I placed my bent knees either side of his thighs, and
lowered myself onto him.  He put his hands under my bottom and together,
vertical, we found our rhythm. 

My body burned hotter with every motion.  Trembling
around him, I tightened and my arousal started to peak.  I kissed him hard
on the mouth and gripped his back.  My fingers slid over his sweat.

A moment later, he thrust into me harder and faster.

Primitive instinct swamped my mind, a ferocious need took
over my body.  “Oh, God,” I groaned, bounced on top of him and found my
release.  From the place we connected, a warm, pulsing energy zinged out
and through me in a long-reaching wave.

I threw my head back, falling apart and trembling all over
while he kissed my breasts.  A loud, gasping moan of pleasure tore out of
my throat.

His fingers gripped my bottom.  “Ah, Christa.”  He
thrust hard again, then stilled, going over the edge himself.  He pressed
his palm over my mouth, silencing me. 

I captured his nape and squeezed, breathing through my nose.

He nuzzled my neck and dragged his tongue across my collar
bone.  “Enjoying the party so far?”

I lowered my head, met his hot, satiated eyes.

“Well I sure did.”  He winked, hand still wrapped over
my mouth.  “Are you gonna yell again?  I know it’s a big house, but
still, they might hear you.”

I shook my head and sucked one of his fingers into my mouth.

“Good.”  He laughed.  “‘Cos I don’t want Sarah
asking
her dad,
why her mum’s screaming the house down.”  He
removed his hand and replaced it with his lips, invading my mouth with his
tongue. 

I squeezed him tight, then pulled away to dot a kiss on his
bandaged arm. 

“Thanks.  Completely forgot about it.”  He winked
and whispered, “See, told you it was fine.”  He rubbed my back and sucked
a breath in through his teeth.  “God, I could stay like this with you for
hours.”

“Forever, but...”

He signalled toward the door.  “You have guests.  And
an announcement to make.”

“I know.  I feel kinda guilty.”  I collapsed
backwards onto the bed and he slipped out of me.