Black Butterfly (39 page)

“I’m here,” he said, he went to her.

“Where were you?” she asked weakly. She turned toward him once he sidled up beside her on the bed.

He pulled her to him. “I was right here in the chair. You feeling better?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?”

“Your mom’s visit.”

“She’s gone now, and you’re here. We don’t have to talk about it.” Todd rubbed her back. “We’re going to see my friend tomorrow.”

“Really? Who is he?”

“A therapist.”

Trish pulled away from him. “Not that again.”

“Today was a close call. Your mom will be back. You have to be able to face her.” She bit down on her bottom lip, flinging long strands of hair from her face. “You think I’m crazy, admit it.”

“No, of course not, but you need someone to talk to.”

“I have you.”

“It’s not enough, Trish.”

“It is. If they come back, you can tell them to go away.”

“I can’t be here twenty-four-seven. Don’t you want to fight your own battles, face them once and for all, and show them that you won’t let them destroy you?”

Trish looked away, pulling up her legs. “You don’t want me anymore.”

“Stop it,” he said. He forced her to look at him. “Don’t say it again.”

“I knew they’d find me. I knew it when Muffy spotted me. Hell I may have known when I agreed to go to Nantucket. They have a house there.”

“They do?” Todd was stunned and stammered through his reply. “Wh-wh-why didn’t you tell me?” She shrugged.

“Trish, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“You Todd.” She bit back her sob. “You make me want to be strong, whole. I wanted to face them and prove to you I’m okay. Prove it to myself,” she said sadly. “But when I saw her, when I smelled the liquor on her, I knew the truth. There’s no way to really escape the hell of my parents.” She paused. “I need you. I’m so tired of being scared. She’s going to tell Daddy, and he’s going to do everything in his power to make me leave here. You don’t know him.”

Todd stroked her hair. “And he doesn’t know me,” he said.

“The first time I ran away and told the police about what he did, they had me committed. Do you hear me? They had me locked up and said I was crazy. They can do anything!”

“They won’t this time Trish. Not this time. I swear it.”

“This place is stunning,” Sydney mumbled.

“Yeah, it is.” Nolen opened the long drapes that framed the wall to reveal a landscape from her dreams.

Snowcapped mountains were in the distance beyond forest and green valleys. Sydney walked past the two dark leather sofas on the red and brown Indian print rug to stare out at them.

“The resort is built into the side of Westmore Mountain,” Nolen said, coming up behind her. “You like the view?”

“It’s breathtaking!” Sydney answered. “Why don’t you come here more often?” The man loved to hold her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, he stared out at the scenery. “I never had anyone to share this place with. My brother picked it, we used to come up to Westmore when we were kids and look out at those mountains.”

“Wait? You’re from here? I thought you were from Vegas.”

“We moved here after his death. Yes. I’m from here.”

She touched his face. “So much I don’t know about you. How is it possible I can feel so close to you still?”

“We belong together.”

“We do. And you can enjoy this now, with me. This is the perfect place for families, a place where you can raise your babies in peace,” Sydney said.

“Kids, huh?” he asked, running his hands seductively across her belly.

“Yes, a little piece of me and a little piece of you,” she said, tilting her head back against him. “Our babies.”

“What about your career?” He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Are you saying I can’t do both?”

“No. I just wasn’t sure you wanted to do both. Wait, what are we talking about here?” Sydney turned in his arms and faced him with a serious determined look. “Our future. We have one don’t we? Some day you and I will take the next step. I’ll be the star on Broadway and you’ll be the man running Wall Street and—”

“What if I told you that I don’t know about kids, that I never did? That I never will.” She grinned wickedly. “That’s odd, since you just announced our upcoming nuptials.” He blushed. “About that—”

“It’s ok. I know you were kidding.”

“You mean the world to me, Sydney.”

To keep from smacking him she had to step away. Sydney heaved in a deep breath and considered her words carefully. “I know I do. Thing is, I told you before we started that if we were going to do this it would be for the distance. Not just a casual thing. Right?”

“This is far from casual, beautiful.”

A little tinge of relief soothed the tightness in her chest. She tried to smile. “I want the whole package.

Sometime soon you’ll have to decide if you want the same thing.” Portia sat down angrily. She dropped her carry-on to the side. The next flight to New York wasn’t leaving until four forty-five AM. She had already checked out of the hotel, so all she could do was wait in the terminal.

She remembered that Trish had wanted to tell her about her photographer boyfriend. Obviously Trish hadn’t realized that he was the same man whose apartment Portia had demolished. She also recalled how quick Nolen Adams had been to bail her out. He’d been covering for his friend, and Sydney had helped him.

Portia couldn’t believe that Sydney would repay her like this after all she’d done, and all the sacrifices she’d made. No wonder Sydney hadn’t cared when she’d told her about Ricky. Well, she’d care when Portia told Trish about her sneaky ass. And she’d show Trish how that asshole Todd Ellison was just using her.

Pulling out the magazine again, she turned to the page where her friends had been photographed dining with millionaires and wearing the most expensive, beautiful dresses she’d ever seen. Her jealousy simmered as she looked at their smiling faces.

“Nolen, go to sleep, please,” Sydney said, pushing his hand away from her breast.

Soft kisses to her shoulder only served to frustrate her more. Part of her wanted him, but she could barely keep her eyes open.

“I can’t sleep.”

How did his insomnia become her problem? Now he expected her to spoil him, after his non-committal comment earlier. “You’ve got some nerve.”

“Sydney, don’t make me beg.”

She shook her head sleepily, keeping her eyes closed as she rested on the large pillow. “I’m tired.”

“Then you can just lie here and do nothing. Just give me a little. I won’t be too much of a bother,” he whispered, rubbing his stiffness across her rump and sliding his hand down from her breasts, over her stomach and between her legs, parting her thighs.

“Nolen—” she moaned. He entered her from behind with her lying on her side. The lips of her labia parted from the pleasure of his passionate thrusts and the butterfly kisses to her back. Having already made love to him earlier in front of the fireplace, she had hoped that he would be asleep by now.

“See, right there. Mmm, babe, you feel so good,” he whispered. She pushed back against him. He held her to him. His soft panting turned into louder grunts as she felt him nearing his climax. He rolled her over onto her stomach, pinning her to the bed with his hard thighs pressed against hers. She cried out in ecstasy as he pounded inch by inch into her from behind. His hands slipped under her pelvis opening her pussy and she put a deeper dip to her back raising her ass for each pending blow. Sydney bit into her pillow to muffle the cries.

Finally after shaking through their passion, she felt him weaken, then collapse with exhaustion onto her back. She lifted her head from the pillow and found her voice. “Now can we please go to sleep?” He pulled out of her and chuckled. “I’m sorry, babe,” he said, falling over by her side.

“No, you’re not, but it’s cool.” She kissed his lips and added in a tired voice, “I guess I need to get on the Pill.”

Nolen’s eyes popped open. “What?”

Sydney opened one eye and smirked. “You didn’t use protection, did you?” He frowned in confusion. “I just thought—“

“Good night.”

Sydney turned over and let him stew on it. He didn’t want kids, but he wanted sex without protection?

Though she was on the Pill and very careful to remain baby free, she held back on saying so. She’d tell him in the morning.

Portia sat in a window seat, alternately she observed the other passengers as they boarded and looked out her tiny window to see the baggage handlers driving carts on the runway. She was taking a big risk by leaving her dreams behind, and the reality of that risk had begun to sink in.

She thought about how close they all used to be and how much she genuinely loved Sydney and Trish.

Why had it all changed for her, and when had she and Sydney become strangers?

The sad truth hit her in the heart repeatedly. She hated the way Sydney seemed to prosper without any effort. She had come to town a country-bumpkin virgin, and, within a week, the guy that Portia had been crushing on for months asked her out after one meeting. Sydney got callbacks and gigs, but turned them down if someone so much as propositioned her. Then, at an audition that Portia had arranged for her as a birthday present, she’d caught the eye of the wealthiest man in New York. It was just unreal. Now Sydney and Trish were living it up as if Portia didn’t matter.

Portia wiped away a tear and swallowed her bitterness, knowing this would be a long five-hour flight.

“Morning,” Sydney whispered in Nolen’s ear, moving his hair from his brow. Nolen snored louder, completely lost in slumber. She smiled, wondering what her father would think of him.

Growing up in Beaufort, she hadn’t been allowed to date anyone outside of her church, and her father had never entertained the idea of her moving on with her life outside their family. Nolen would be a surprise to both of her parents.

Hearing a knock on the suite door, she glanced at the clock. It was six in the morning. She grabbed a robe from the bathroom and walked through the cool suite to the door. The fireplace was smoldering, and the wine bottle and glasses were still on the floor.

“Who is it?”

“Amy.”

Sydney opened the door to Michael’s wife. “Oh, hello.”

“Good morning,” she said. “I’m sorry to wake you so early.”

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. Please come in.”

Amy shook her head and passed her an armload of towels. “We never rent this suite since it’s on our private floor, and I had no time to prepare it. I just wanted to give you these towels.”

“That’s so nice of you. Thank you,” Sydney said, as she accepted the load. “How’s that precious baby of yours? Is she up and ready for her big day?”

“Yes. She’s a handful.”

“How many months?”

“Six.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to see her. I’ll bet she’s an angel.”

“Well, I’m planning to fix breakfast in our suite if you and Nolen would like to come. It should be ready in an hour.”

“We’d love to. I have to get him up first.” Sydney glanced over her shoulder toward the bedroom where her snoring man lay sprawled on the king-sized bed.

“See you in a few then, and welcome to Westmore,” Amy said.

“Thanks.” Sydney closed the door. An odd sense of mistrust clouded the warm feeling Amy tried to convey. The little impromptu visit had been staged for some reason. When she turned she became startled to find Nolen leaning in the doorway of the bedroom, naked. She nearly dropped the towels.

“Who was that?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, his hair disheveled at the crown of his head.

“Nolen!” Sydney snapped. “Put on some clothes. She could have seen you!” Nolen turned up his nose at her. “No, she couldn’t,” he said grumpily and headed back into the bedroom.

Sydney went to the bathroom to the front of the suite and dropped some towels on the rack. “That was Amy, your brother’s wife, and we’re invited to breakfast.” She didn’t hear a response, so she stepped inside the room. Hearing the water in the shower turn on, she opened the bathroom door with her free hand. Tempted by his silhouette behind the foggy glass doors, she placed a few towels on the shelf and removed her robe. Morning love would make him agreeable to breakfast.

The shower door opened outward with a soft press of the latch and she stepped in. He stood under the rain spout that dropped from the roof of the stall. Inwardly she grimaced. Explaining to Nolen why she didn’t like wetting her hair in the shower after a good styling had always fallen on deaf ears. With a shower like this one it would be impossible to avoid it.

He continued to rub hotel shampoo through his wet hair. The muscles in his back and shoulders flexed as he scrubbed. She let her gaze travel down his golden, tanned body to his muscled Viking thighs where tiny black hairs lay silkily flat from the stream of water.

Nolen looked over his shoulder at her and smiled sexily with lather in his left eye. Standing under the circular showerhead in the large two-person shower, he rinsed his hair and swept it back. Droplets of water coursed down his chest, inviting her to touch him. He extended his hand for her to come closer, and he pulled her against his chest and turned her so that the warm water ran down her back.

Sydney closed her eyes. She tilted her head back to let the water flow across her face and neck. This always turned him on, seeing her wet. He responded as she expected. Dipping his face to run his lips over her skin softly while his hand slid down her back to her behind, he pulled her into a much-anticipated kiss as the water fell over their heads and shoulders. She gripped his wet hair and kissed him back, her heart racing from the morning taste of him. Nolen gently pushed her against the shower wall, trailing his kisses to her nipple, flicking his tongue at it as he squeezed and massaged the other breast. She yanked his hair and forced his head back, causing him to release the seal he made around her nipple. She brought his face up to hers once more, and hooked her left thigh around his so he could maneuver between her legs and take her.

The warm mist rising from the pooling heated waters at their feet swirled around them, and her hair, now heavy and wet, clung to her face. It forced her eyes shut. Feeling her feet leave the watery shower floor as he pushed her up against the tiled wall, she panted and wrapped her legs securely around his waist. Sydney put her arms around his neck, shaking her head from side to side as his tongue traveled across her collarbone and down to her breast. He sought her nipple once more. He sucked so hard she winced from the sweet pain, and then relaxed as he teased the tender tightness with his tongue.