A Family Reunion (30 page)

Just when Rae’jean was certain she wouldn’t be able to endure his kiss a minute longer before her body began going up in smoke, with excruciating slowness he pulled his mouth away.

She heard him utter a soft chuckle as he continued to hold her in his arms. “If that wasn’t passion, Rae’jean, I’d like to know what it was.”

She swallowed as she looked up at him. The burning inside of her was too intense to say anything at the moment.

“Take care, Rae’jean,” he whispered into her ear before releasing her.

Before she could gather her wits he had opened the door, walked out, and closed it behind him. Taking a deep breath, she licked her tongue to her lips, savoring the taste he’d left behind. Her insides quivered at the memory of how it felt to be held in his arms. Sensations raced along her nerve endings. She had felt simmering heat. She had felt tingling in her toes. She had felt turbulence of the most jolting kind, a fierce throbbing need in the very center of her body.

She placed her arms around her waist as heated blood rushed through her veins and she acknowledged what all of that meant.

In Ryan’s arms she had felt passion. Unmistakable earth-shaking passion.

And she had liked it.

“Thanks for a lovely evening, Ryan.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Rae’jean covertly studied Ryan as they stood in front of her apartment door. The restaurant he had chosen had had good food as well as good entertainment, a live jazz band. And as much as she hated admitting it, she’d been glad to see him when he had shown up at her place at exactly seven o’clock to take her to dinner.

As if they had a mind of their own, her eyes lingered on the sensual fullness of his lips, and she remembered their kiss of three days ago. She had actually melted in his arms. As she continued watching his lips, she suddenly noticed they were moving and realized belatedly—with deep embarrassment—that he’d said something to her.

“I’m sorry; what did you say?”

His smile and the amusement lurking in the depths of his eyes made her think he knew where her mind had been. “I asked when you were leaving for Texas?”

“Tuesday morning.”

He nodded. “And you still plan to surprise your sister?”

Rae’jean heard the censure in his voice. “You don’t think that’s the best approach?”

He conceded that with a nod. “Not all people like surprises. Why don’t you give her a call first?”

Rae’jean blew out a breath, not wanting to tell him that she had dismissed that idea for fear Danica Turner would refuse to see her. At least if she showed up unannounced they would be forced to meet face-to-face.

“It will be a blessing for her to want to meet you, Rae’jean. If for some reason she doesn’t want to meet you or get to know you, it will be her loss.”

Rae’jean met Ryan’s gaze. He had read her thoughts explicitly. He knew her doubts and fears. “I want things to turn out right for us. We’re sisters.”

“But you’re also different people who may not have the same values and the same feelings about things. You were raised differently. You’ve always been surrounded by family. After reading the report I’m sure you know that your father was all the family she had. It may be hard for her to accept he had another daughter, especially if he didn’t mention it to her.”

Rae’jean nodded. “But we look so much alike. Surely she won’t deny that we’re related.”

“No, but acknowledging that the two of you share the same blood doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll want to strike up a relationship of any kind with you. You may want to be prepared for that.”

Rae’jean saw the point he was trying to make. “You’re right and I appreciate the advice.” After a few moments of silence she asked, “Would you like to come in…for coffee or a drink?”

With his gaze never leaving hers, he said, “Yes, I’d like to come in just for a minute.”

Ignoring the faint trembling of her fingers, Rae’jean opened her apartment door, and the two of them stepped inside. Ryan closed the door behind them. Breath became suspended in Rae’jean’s throat when he placed his hand on her wrist to stop her from going anywhere.

“This will only take a minute,” he said huskily before leaning down and joining his mouth to hers.

There was a huge explosion or the loud popping of fireworks. Rae’jean wasn’t sure exactly which sound she heard the moment Ryan’s lips touched hers. A tiny moan broke past her lips and was captured by his as his mouth moved over hers with hungry abandonment. She pressed her body against him and felt the proof of his maleness as well as his want and his desire. His ravaging of her mouth was too delicious, too wonderful, and too passionate.

She had thought all this time that she didn’t need or want passion. But the onslaught of his mouth on hers was proving otherwise. She was melting in his arms again.

He pulled away briefly. His voice was thick against her mouth when he said, “Do you still want to downplay passion, Rae’jean? Can you still honestly say you don’t want or need this—the passion, the turbulence, the fire? Can you still settle for calm?”

Her response was breathy when she spoke. “I—I don’t think so.”

“I don’t think so, either.” He curved a hand to her neck and brought her closer as he dipped his head again and captured her mouth. The intensity of his kiss conveyed a deep emotional yearning; it bestowed an even greater emotional need. He gave them both the purest of pleasure in this mouth-to-mouth contact as their tongues mated.

Slowly he pulled away, his breathing deep. “I’d better go,” he whispered against her lips. “While I still have the mind to do so.”

She nodded. Yes, he had better go, while she still had the mind to let him. With a sigh she took a step back. A small warning pricked at the back of her neck reminding her that she did not want to get seriously involved with someone else this soon. She looked away from him as her insides began tightening in tangled knots. She wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore.

“Think about it, Rae’jean.”

His words invaded her thoughts. She didn’t have to ask him to elaborate on what she needed to think about. He had read her thoughts again. Somehow he knew she was having doubts about their getting together. “And will you do the same, Ryan?” she asked, looking up at him. She knew that because of his fairly recent divorce, he had issues to deal with as well before thinking about getting involved in a serious relationship.

“Yes, I’ll think about it,” he replied huskily. After a few brief moments he asked, “How long will you be gone?”

“I plan to be in Texas for a couple of days; then after a pit stop in Macon I’m flying to Jamaica to attend my cousin’s wedding.”

He nodded. “So you’ll be gone for a week?”

“Actually, it will be ten days.”

Ryan hung his head as if in deep thought. When he lifted his head and looked into her eyes, the gaze that held hers was intense. “We should know by then what, if anything, we want from each other. A serious relationship or just friendship.”

She nodded. “I agree. I can’t become sexually involved with anyone I don’t care deeply about, Ryan. I’m not into casual affairs.”

“Neither am I. I lost my head to passion one night and it ended up costing me two years of heartache and pain. I don’t ever want to go through that again. I want to take my next relationship with a woman slow. I won’t risk there being any misunderstandings between us by rushing things. I would want for us to get to know each other better, spend time together, and see what happens from there.”

If Rae’jean was thankful for one thing, it was for the way Ryan saw things. He didn’t want to rush anything between them. He wanted to take things slow and was willing for them to sort through things and determine just where, if anyplace, they wanted to go.

“I hope things turn out the way you want them to in Texas. Will you at least call me and let me know something?”

“Yes, I’ll call you.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “Good-bye, Rae’jean.”

“Good-bye, Ryan.”

She then watched as he opened the door and walked out of it.

FIVE DAYS LATER IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Rae’jean looked around the plush restaurant, feeling grateful that Danica Turner had agreed to see her.

At first the young woman had staunchly denied that her father could have fathered another child without her knowing about it. There was no way he would not have told her that she had a sibling somewhere, she had said over the phone. He wasn’t the type of man to keep something like that a secret. She had taken Rae’jean’s number at the hotel anyway and said she would talk to someone who would know the truth, a man who’d been her father’s best friend for over fifty years.

It had been another full day before Danica returned Rae’jean’s call. Her father’s best friend had confirmed that David Turner had gotten a young woman pregnant nearly thirty-one years ago while working in Macon, Georgia. However, after he moved to Texas his grandfather told him the young woman had miscarried the child. Blaming himself for the heartache and pain he’d caused the young woman and her family, he had made a decision not to contact the young woman again.

Rae’jean glanced up when she heard someone’s approach and saw the young woman walking toward her table. She studied the features of the young woman and thought once again that it was simply amazing how much the two of them favored each other. The other woman evidently thought the same thing. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Rae’jean, then somehow collected herself and continued walking toward her.

Placing a cheerful smile on her face, Rae’jean stood and nervously extended her hand out to Danica. Staring into a face that looked so much like hers was almost a bit much. “Hi, I’m Rae’jean.”

“This is amazing,” the young woman said softly, clearly astonished. “I wish Dad could have lived for this moment. He would have been speechless and deeply shocked to know he’d been lied to all those years, Ms. Bennett.”

Rae’jean nodded as the two of them sat down. “There’s so much I want to know about him. Mom never talked about my father. She died eight years ago, and only recently was I given his name.”

Danica smiled, shaking her head. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. And I should apologize for doubting what you said over the phone.”

“An apology isn’t necessary. Your reaction to my phone call was understandable.” She looked deep into Danica’s eyes and said, “It’s hard to believe that we’re actually sisters. I’ve never had a sister before.”

Danica chuckled. “Neither have I, and I would love to get to know you better.”

Rae’jean smiled. “Same here.”

They had both taken the first step.

Later that night Rae’jean placed a phone call to Ryan and told him everything that had happened that day.

“I’m glad things worked out the way you wanted them to, Rae’jean.”

She held the phone tight in her hand; a part of her wished he were there with her. “Thanks, Ryan. She plans to visit me in Boston for Christmas.”

“What about her fiancé? Did you get a chance to meet him?”

“Yes, and he’s a very nice person. I think they’re getting married sometime next year.”

They both became quiet; then after a few moments Ryan said, “I miss you, Rae’jean.”

Rae’jean inhaled deeply. She hadn’t realized that such a deep male voice could sound so soft and raspy. “I miss you, too, Ryan.” As she said the words, she wondered how it was possible. They had only shared breakfast together twice and had shared dinner together once, but for some reason Ryan Garrison was becoming a very intricate part of her life.

“Rae’jean?”

“Yes?”

“I hope to see you when you get back.”

You will,
she wanted to say but knew she couldn’t. She still had a lot more thinking to do. She had to be sure she was ready for more than just friendship with him. “Good night, Ryan.”

“Good night, Rae’jean. Pleasant dreams.”

When Rae’jean went to sleep that night she did have pleasant dreams, and just like the nights before, they were about Ryan.

Taye forced open sleepy eyes when she heard the doorbell chime downstairs. It had to be past midnight, so who would be dropping by this late?

Shoving the bedcovers aside, she tucked her feet into the Tigger from
Winnie the Pooh
slippers the girls had bought for her while in Orlando. Walking over to the window, she peeped down at the street below and saw Michael’s car parked in her driveway. She’d known his flight to Connecticut would not return until fairly late, but why had he come by her place? Had he forgotten the girls were staying overnight at Fayrene’s house?

Picking her robe up off the bed, she thrust her arms through the sleeves, thinking that a good night’s sleep had been too much to hope for. The AKAs were holding their national sorority convention in Atlanta this weekend, and Taye had prepared more sistahs’ heads for the event than she cared to remember. She had arrived at the salon at seven that morning, and it had been nonstop from then on. She had done more weaves today than she’d done in a long time. Everyone wanted the Alexia Bennett look. As far as Taye was concerned, that particular hairstyle—which should have retired right along with Diana Ross—was being brought back by Alexia and in a big way, which wasn’t surprising, since Diana was Alexia’s idol. Everyone wanted the long, full-looking, wild hairstyle and was willing to pay good money to get it. She shook her head thinking of the number of sistahs who didn’t seem to mind that the amount of hair on their heads was out of proportion with their faces.

The doorbell chimed again before Taye could make it down the stairs. She saw the silhouette of Michael’s body through the door’s beveled glass. After freeing the chain and the dead bolts, she quickly opened the door. “Michael? What are you doing here? Did you forget the girls are spending the night with Victoria at Fayrene’s house?”

Michael leaned against the doorway, produced a charming smile; then very softly he said, “No, Taye, I didn’t forget.”

She glanced at him warily. “Then why are you here?”

“I just got in and didn’t think I could make the drive the rest of the way home.”

Taye narrowed her eyes.
The rest of the way home was only a whopping two miles.
“Are you saying you couldn’t drive those two extra miles to your own house?”

He leaned in closer. “I probably could have had I really pushed myself,” he said smoothly, slipping her another charming smile. “But I like your place better. With Kennedy gone my house will be lonely.”

Taye shook her head, returning his smile although she didn’t want to. “Haven’t you gotten with the program yet, Michael? Parents aren’t supposed to miss their kids when they’re away for the night. You’re supposed to rejoice, count your blessings, and relish the peace.”

He chuckled. “Then, no, I guess I haven’t gotten with the program yet. I’m used to coming home from a flight knowing Kennedy’s home with the sitter or that she’s over here with you and the girls.”

Taye nodded and her voice turned serious. “You do know that she’s OK over at Fayrene’s, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know that. Old habits are just hard for some fathers to break.” He released an aggrieved sigh. “Are you going to make me stand out here all night or are you going to invite me in and let me use your sofa?”

Taye’s sigh was as deep as his. “What kind of person would I be if I were to force you to go on home to an empty house?” she said, stepping aside so he could enter. “Besides, I’m too tired to argue with you at this hour.”

“You had a busy day?” Michael asked as he stepped into her living room.

“You can definitely say that. A sorority convention is in town this week. I earned enough money today to cover a lot of my bills for the month and still have some chump change left.” She yawned. “I’ll be back in a minute with some blankets for you.”

“You sure you don’t mind if I crash here tonight?”

“Nope,” she said as she headed for a hall closet that was off the living room. “Why should I mind that you prefer my lumpy couch to a nice, comfortable bed at your house?” She tossed him a sheet and a blanket. “I’m going back to bed. If there’s anything else you need, just help yourself finding it. Sleep tight.”

Michael sighed with resignation as he watched Taye go back up the stairs. He growled under his breath as he mentally took a long, slow count to ten. The woman looked utterly tempting wearing a plain white cotton bathrobe. Jeez. Octavia Bennett wasn’t making things easy for him, and he was fast losing his patience.

Ever since their Orlando trip, whenever he tried taking two steps forward with her she would counter his efforts by taking two steps back. She was determined to keep things in a family way between them. He was beginning to get sick and tired of this family crap, since it was keeping them at arm’s length. She was willing to sacrifice what he knew they felt for each other for the sake of the family.

He cursed softly. It had been nearly three weeks since they had returned from vacationing in Orlando, and the memories of that night on the patio were driving him crazy. He thought about her constantly, and whenever he was around her for long periods of time he nearly went out of his mind. Even the girls’ presence didn’t downplay his desire for her like it used to. He was too far gone. He would sit and watch how she would take time with her girls as well as with Kennedy, who had lacked a woman’s presence in her life for the past six years. He’d longed for that same kind of loving attention that Taye was unrestrictedly giving her daughters and his.

Michael sucked in a deep breath. He had missed his daughter true enough, but he’d known that she was OK with Fayrene. What had really driven him to this house in such a mad dash had been this desperate need to see Taye.

The thought of making love to her was constantly on his mind, and knowing that she was under the same roof, upstairs in her bed, only made the longing worse. He glanced down at the items she had handed to him. There was no sense getting worked up over something he couldn’t do a thing about until she saw for herself that the two of them were meant to be together.

Upstairs, Taye lay in bed unable to get back to sleep knowing Michael was downstairs and that they were the only two people in the house. Other times when he’d slept over, Kennedy and her girls had always been here with them. Now, that wasn’t the case.

It was just the two of them and they were alone.

Taye rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling, thinking about how good Michael looked tonight dressed in his pilot’s uniform. There was just something sexy about a man in a uniform.

She heard the front door downstairs open and then close a few minutes later. Michael had evidently gone out to his car to get his overnight bag. When she heard the sound of water running, she knew he was about to take a shower. The thought of his naked body standing beneath a spray of water made her feel all hot inside, and she couldn’t help but think about that night in Orlando. That was the night they had crossed the bounds of acceptable family behavior. Since then she had been plagued constantly with memories of that night when he had held her in his arms, against his hard body, and kissed her in a way that had left her body hot, bothered, and hungry for more.

She inhaled deeply, trying to fight off the hungry longing that had been tormenting her for three solid weeks. She couldn’t be in the same room with him for long periods of time without wanting to jump his bones, which meant her bond of restraints was beginning to rage out-of-bounds. Even now, when she should have been too tired to think about anything, thoughts of him were consuming her mind. She couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel for his naked body to be pressed against hers, inside of her, making love to her. Those thoughts made a fevered need burn deep within her. It was a need she was slowly losing control of as her body began protesting ten years of denial. She tightened her legs together and gripped the bedcovers, forcing her body to cool down, relax. She had never known such agony before and wasn’t sure if she could endure what she was going through much longer.

Michael had settled in on the couch and was staring up at the ceiling for a long time. He couldn’t sleep and there was no excuse for it. He had taken a shower and felt refreshed, cool. But his body was beginning a slow throb at the sound of Taye moving around upstairs. He wondered what she was doing. He’d thought she would be asleep by now, but from the sound of things above him, she was pacing the floor. Was she OK? Had she worked herself into a tired frenzy today and couldn’t settle down and rest?

After a few moments when he still heard the sound of her pacing about, he pushed back the covers, slipped into his pants, and slowly began walking up the stairs.

In the privacy of her bedroom, Taye was going through pure hell.

She had gotten out of bed and had begun pacing the floor. Breathing deeply, she tried to fight the urges that had been tormenting her for weeks and were now raging out of control. She’d had a hefty amount of sensuous dreams over the past few years that had been so steamy she would wake up drenched in sweat. She would even admit to getting really turned on while watching one of those after-dark adult movies that she’d come across on the cable channel late one night when she couldn’t sleep. But no matter what, she had always been in complete control of her mind and her body.

But not now.

She was losing it and losing it fast. In truth, she had already lost it. She had never known this sort of agony before. The very center of her body, the area between her legs, felt hot, electrified, intensified, sensitized. In need.

It took the last of her strength to make it over to her bed and sit down on the side of it. She tightened her thighs together as a throbbing sensation ripped through her loins. A deep, tortured moan escaped her lips, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach and bent her body to ease the ache, the pressure, and the desire that were pounding through her.

“Taye? Are you OK?”

The sound of Michael’s voice penetrated her feverish mind, her tormented senses. She could barely raise her head to look at him standing in the open doorway, but when she did, the look on her face and the way she was holding her abdomen must have alerted him that she was in some kind of pain. He began moving quickly toward her.

“What’s wrong, Taye? Are you having a bad stomachache? Side ache? Bad cramps? What is it, baby? What’s wrong?” He sat next to her on the bed and gently gathered her into his arms.

“Michael,” she said in a tormented voice, barely above a whisper. “I—I ache.”

Total concern covered Michael’s features. “You ache where? Should I call a doctor? Take you to the emergency room? What do you want me—”

“Michael,” she said in a deep, ragged voice, interrupting the panic she heard in his voice. Way past the point of feeling shame, she said, “I ache
here.
” Taking his hand, she pressed it against her gown to the area that ached between her legs.

Michael inhaled deeply as he broke eye contact with her and brought his head down until it nearly touched hers. He pulled her closer to him when he realized what her torment was all about and just what part of her was aching. He breathed in deeply again as he continued to hold his hand pressed against her while she began trembling in his arms. “It’s OK, baby. It’s OK,” he said softly in her ear.

Taye tried twisting her head away from him.
No, it isn’t OK,
she wanted to scream as she continued to lose touch with reality. Her body was beginning to feel hotter and hotter. His closeness and his touch, even through the material of her cotton gown, were pushing her over the edge and destroying her last hold on reality.

“Michael…” His name was again forced from her lips. The sound was tormented, desperate. “It’s—it’s not OK. I need…”

“It
is
OK, baby; I’ll take care of you,” he said soothingly as he eased her onto her back in the bed. “Trust me, Taye.” He looked down at her as he tried fighting his way through her desire-hazed mind. “Will you trust me to take care of you and know I’d never do anything to hurt you?”

With the last shred of sanity she had left, she nodded. In her heart she knew that Michael would never hurt her, just like she knew in her heart that she loved him and had always loved him.

Michael fought back his own rampant need as he lifted Taye’s gown up to her waist. He breathed in deeply and whispered her name as he eased his hand between her legs. At first she stiffened against his intimate touch and tried pushing his hand away. But he wouldn’t let her.

“Trust me, Taye. Let me take away the ache, baby.”

The sound of his voice soothed her mind but not her body. “Michael, I—I can’t help this. I need…”

He leaned down over her. “I know, sweetheart. I know what you need. Just trust me, Taye,” he murmured before stretching out beside her and kissing her.

He slowly began stroking her mouth with his, the same way his hand was stroking the sensitized flesh between her legs. She was wet, intensely so, and she was hot. He forced the thoughts from his mind of how it would feel with him inside of her as he felt himself get thick and hard. At the moment, her needs outweighed his. He was determined to release her body from the torment raging inside of her from having gone without for so long.