You are Mine (12 page)

Brian chuckled. “If you know what I’m
thinking about then you must be thinking about it too. I just don’t
see why we can’t think about it -- and then make it happen --
together.”

Still catching her breath from her stage
work and thinking that she hadn’t much time to shower and change,
Caroline shook her head. “Beat it,” was all she said in answer.

Catching up to her, Brian snagged her around
the waist from behind, and buried his nose on the side of her neck.
“Are you sure about that?”

Caroline shook her head chidingly and patted
his arm. “Yes!” she said laughingly and with exasperation.

He bit her neck.

Though her eyes had fallen shut and the
shiver that thrilled down her back made her want to give into what
he so clearly wanted, she shook her head and practically pleaded,
“You’ve got to behave.” She turned in his arms and even though she
noticed the photographer, smiled at Brian anyway. “Mom and Dad are
waiting for us at the party, and then I have to go change and come
back down.” She kissed his cheek, grabbed his hand and turned to
drag him behind her. “Come on, let’s go.”

“It’s those damn wriggles,” he muttered,
making her laugh out loud.

***

PATRICIA Singleton smiled happily and raised
her glass of wine in a toast to her daughter and son-in-law. “To
happy secrets,” she said and chuckled when Caroline, Brian and her
own husband looked confused. The light dawned in Caroline’s eyes
quick enough, but Brian and Charles, it seemed, were doomed to
befuddlement.

Surprise in her eyes, Caroline asked, “How
did you know?”

Patricia laughed and felt tears prick her
eyes. “Oh, there are tell-tale signs, but the main one is the
little pooch of your stomach, and your face is just a teensy bit
fuller.” She rose from her chair, walked around the small table and
hugged Caroline, who had risen from her chair. “Congratulations,
darling.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Caroline was barely able
to respond because of her own tears. “Can you believe it!” she
exclaimed.

Brian had also risen and now, Patricia
pulled him into the hug. “Congratulations, son.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

“Will somebody please tell me what the hell
is going on?” Charles demanded.

“They’re pregnant, Charles,” Patricia
explained as she sat back down. She waited for her husband to offer
his hearty congratulations and hugs and kisses and for everyone to
be reseated before leaning across the table to take Caroline’s
hand. “How far along are you?”

“About nine weeks,” Caroline said.

“Are you eating enough? Sleeping enough?
Getting exercise?”

Her expression wry, Caroline responded. “I
try my best with the first one, but morning sickness can sometimes
be a major deterrent. The second one, though? It takes me out like
Muhammad Ali did his opponents in his heyday, and I am down for the
count before I even know what hit me.”

“And just so you know,” Brian added, “the
count can last anywhere from ten minutes to ten hours.” He shook
his head. “It worried us at first, but we talked to the doctor and
she said it’s perfectly normal.”

“Yes, but it certainly can be startling to
wake up and realize I’ve lost most or all of the day.”

Patricia nodded in understanding, and then
indignantly, “Just when had you planned on telling us?”

Caroline rolled her eyes teasingly.
“Tonight, in fact, but you totally preempted us with your
creepy-mom omniscience bit.”

“Oh, well, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help
myself. I started to suspect when you were up there on stage, but
it became apparent when you sat down with us. At least I held out
until after dinner, right?” The party was winding down, and the
live band had been performing for more than an hour. Most of the
party’s guests were up dancing from their tables which ringed the
dance floor.

“It’s all right, Mom. As I said, we were
going to tell you anyway.”

“Will you find out the sex of the baby?”

Frowning in worry, Caroline said, “Gee, I
hope so.”

“No teasing,” Patricia protested. “The
moment is too special.”

“Well, I want to find out as soon as its
scientifically possible, but Brian wants to wait until the baby’s
born.”

“So, in answer to your question, yes, in
about seven weeks, we’ll know if it’s a boy or a girl,” Brian said
wryly.

Her heart full of happiness, Patricia
watched as Caroline fondly blew her husband a kiss, and then as if
she couldn’t help herself, gave him an actual one on the cheek.

“Oh, I’m thrilled!” Patricia said, “and I’ll
miss you in Paris in October for spring fashion week, but it will
be well worth the sacrifice.”

Caroline nodded. “Yeah, I thought about that
and I was thinking maybe --”

“Please don’t say you think you’re going to
Paris in the fall, because we’ve already had this discussion, and
--” Brian began.

“Hush, Brian,” Caroline said. “I’ll be seven
months by then, plus there’s my fall show at the Rutledge. I wasn’t
going to say I was going to go. I was going to say maybe Mom could
bring back video or photos for me. I’ll bet you Alvarado will let
you bring back a video of his collection for me,” she said, turning
back to her mother.

“Yes, I’m sure he would,” Patricia agreed.
“He loves you, and says you’re perfect advertising for a new
designer trying to make a name. Anyway, why don’t you tell me about
the nursery? Do you need any help decorating it? You know I’d love
to be involved.”

“Yes, of course, Mom. We’ll go as soon as we
get back from Mackinac Island. Oh, and wait until you see! I’ve
already picked some things out at Porthault.”

“I’m sure they’re all beautiful,” Patricia
said. “I look forward to it. Will you be boarding Motley while
you’re away?”

Caroline shook her head. “No, thank God.
Tracy agreed to keep her while we’re gone. Not that we don’t trust
the kennels, but we’d rather she be around someone she knows.”

“It’s too bad your father’s allergic,
otherwise we’d have taken her. What time are you two taking off in
the morning?”

“We’re going to stop by the house one last
time to make sure everything is right and tight,” Brian said, “and
then we’ll hit the road at about six, after dropping Motley at
Tracy’s.”

“That’s pretty early,” Charles
commented.

“Don’t I know it,” Caroline said. “Which is
why,” she began as she stood, “I want one last dance before we say
good night.” She looked expectantly at Brian.

“Good idea,” Brian agreed. “Let’s go. Good
night, folks,” he said before taking her hand and leading her onto
the dance floor.

The band had just started in with Ben E.
King’s “Stand by Me”, and Caroline smiled up at Brian and wrapped
her arms around his neck when he gripped her waist. “Did you ever
see the movie
Stand by Me
?”

“The one based on Stephen King’s story,
The Body
? Of course. Why do you ask?”

“Because whenever I hear this song, I think
of that part in the movie where the boys have to cross a swamp, and
when they climb out, are all covered in leeches.”

“Uh huh,” Brian encouraged as he looked down
at her. “I remember that scene well.”

“Well one of them, Gordie, I believe, has to
peel one off his penis. I remember being horrified for him, but at
the same time wishing the camera would pan in and show us just a
bit of it. I was mad with curiosity.”

Brian laughed disbelievingly. “Really? How
old were you? Fourteen? And you were a perv?”

Caroline only shook her head at him. “Yes,
Brian, I was a fourteen-year old pervert,” she said in a tone that
implied he was crazy.

Brian shrugged, still amused. “It’s not as
if it’s beyond the realm of possibility, and doesn’t it sound like
a great movie title? I,” he said with feigned importance and then
paused dramatically, “was a fourteen-year-old pervert. Think of all
the possibilities for the content.”

“Oh, of course. There’s possibility A, and
then there’s…let’s see…possibility A,” she said dryly. “No, what I
was at fourteen was horribly repressed, a little bit curious and a
lot awkward. So this song always brings back poignant memories for
me.”

“I guess it would,” Brian said and took one
of her hands in his when she moved her other one to his shoulder.
“You didn’t tell your parents about the latest regarding Brickman,
did you?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

She shook her head, looking guilty. “No, I
know I said I would, but I didn’t want to ruin the night for them.
But since they’re staying at the hotel too, I’ll leave a note at
the front desk for them on our way out tomorrow morning.”

“I guess that will have to do,” Brian said.
“We could leave a voicemail message on their house phone as
well.”

“Sounds good,” she said and moved into his
arms so she could rest her head against his shoulder as they swayed
to the music.

He bent and kissed her shoulder, which was
bared by the halter of the dress she wore. Feeling her shiver, he
smiled and did it again, his lips lingering wetly. “Do you know
what you do to me in this dress?” he murmured and now pressed a
kiss behind her ear.

“Of course,” she admitted, her voice little
more than a low, husky whisper as she accommodated his mouth with a
slight turn of her head. “Don’t you realize that that’s why I
bought it?”

Brian thought about the clingy, iridescent,
midnight-blue, floor-length dress and concurred with a low moan. “I
suspected as much,” he growled against the dip in her neck right
before he gently took a tendon between his teeth.

Caroline sucked in a breath, feeling a fire
begin low in her belly and the muscles in her thighs go slack.
Lifting her mouth, she caught his in a kiss that was just short of
carnal. “I think it’s time to say good night, Gracie.”

“Good night, Gracie,” Brian muttered and
taking her hand, led her off the dance floor.

***

CAROLINE’S back hit the hotel suite’s wall
moments after they entered the room, and she clung to Brian when he
slid his hands under her dress and bringing the dress with them,
slid his hands up her thighs where he gripped her tightly and
hitched her up so she could wrap her legs around his hips. She
mewled softly as she felt his erection nestle familiarly in the vee
of her legs and rub against her clitoris. He pushed forcefully
against her and automatically, she took his tongue into her mouth,
nipping and sucking at it greedily.

“Let’s try to make it to the bed this time,”
she suggested, and with one hand on his shoulder, began to loosen
his tie with the other as she stared at his mouth.

Balancing her with his hands beneath her
thighs, Brian said, “If you say so, ” before gripping her tighter
and lifting her so that he was sliding against her again.

She’d still been staring at his mouth and
the feel of him, the wonderful pressure, had her moaning and
yanking on his tie to pull his mouth to hers where she bit hungrily
at his bottom lip before slipping her tongue into his mouth again.
When he growled low in his throat, she pressed closer and held his
face with both hands, feeling that it was impossible that she’d
ever get enough.

Brian continued the kiss as he carried her
through the door that led to the bedroom. Caroline unhooked her
ankles and unfurled her legs, moving sensually against him until
her feet touched the floor. He was kneeling before her now, and
began to take his hands on a slow trek up her dress.

She shivered as he leisurely smoothed his
hard palms over her calves and knees; moaned as he lovingly
caressed her thighs and whimpered as his fingers found their way to
her --

“Oh my, God,” Brian exclaimed, his voice
full of wonder and slightly accusatory, “You’re not wearing any
panties!”

“I couldn’t wear any,” she said in
distraction and with a bit of guilt, “the dress didn’t allow for
them. No need to get upset about it.”

“I’m not upset,” he muttered, “but a man
doesn’t like the idea of his wife going around in public without
her underwear, and besides, you could have told me! God, when I
think of all the good I could have done had I known…”

The rest of what he was saying was lost as
he gripped her behind and pulled her toward his face, pressed it
between her thighs and then breathed deeply, making Caroline squeak
in feminine delight and squeeze his shoulders.

“Oh...” she sucked in a breath, sounding
like a beginning swimmer trying to get a lungful of air after
taking a dip her first time in the water. “Oh…” huge gulp,
“…God!”

He opened his mouth and began to tongue her
through the dress. “Oh, God!” Caroline said again, her entire body
now suffused with heat. Trying madly to hold onto the feeling, she
widened her stance and gripped his hair in her fists.

He pulled back. “Oh, no,” he murmured, “it’s
to the bed with you. I need to see what I’m tasting. Take off that
dress.”

With weak knees and a woozy mind, Caroline
obeyed him and unsteadily reached behind her neck to loose the snap
that was holding the halter in place. The straps fell to her waist,
exposing her bare breasts before snagging at her hips. Still
feeling a bit wobbly, she began to push the dress past her hips,
but found Brian’s hands on top of hers. She looked down at him, and
found her gaze caught by his. He licked his lips, and finding the
move irresistible, she bent at the waist to kiss him, sliding her
hair behind her ears and holding it there to keep it out of their
faces.

“Baby, I want to eat you alive,” he growled
against her mouth and began to slide the dress down past her hips
himself, his lips following steamily in the dress’s wake. The dress
spilled around her feet and he took her hand, helping her to step
out of it. She stood there naked except for a pair of glittering
midnight blue shoes which matched the diamonds shining in her ears,
knowing without a doubt that the sight would drive her husband
wild.