A Home for Christmas (16 page)

Cam stopped in his tracks but stood there a
moment, visibly trying to calm himself.  Riley watched silently, not
wanting to interfere with Jenna's parenting but ready to step in should he need
to.  After a couple of moments, Cam turned and came back to his stool,
picking up his fork and eating in silence.  Lot of issues there, Riley
noted.  Lot of issues for Lainey to help him through.  He had faith
in his cousin, though.  If anyone could help Cam, it was Lainey.

Jenna's doorbell rang promptly at ten
o'clock.  Jenna held Cam's hand as Riley went to the door to greet his
cousin.  Jenna had met Lainey several times before; she cleaned her house
twice a month, usually when Lainey wasn't home, though.  She saw Lainey
step inside and embrace Riley and saw the family resemblance immediately. 
Lainey's hair was a much lighter blonde, bordering on platinum, but the eyes
were the same, the smile.  Riley was right, though, Lainey was petite, and
certainly did resemble a pixie.

She glanced down at Cam and saw him staring
wide-eyed at Riley's beautiful cousin.

"Cam?" she whispered.

He looked up at her but didn't speak when Riley
approached, his arm around Lainey's shoulders.

"Hello, Jenna," Lainey said, extending
her hand for Jenna to shake.

Cam looked up at Jenna, over to Lainey, then back
to Jenna.

"You know her, Mom?"

"She's one of my clients, one of my very
first clients, actually." Jenna told him.

Lainey smiled at Cam.  "Your mom is the
best!"

He nodded. "Yeah, she is."

"You wanna show me around?" she asked
Cam.  "Riley said you are a pretty good Motocross rider.  Can I
see your pictures and trophies?"

Cam looked up at Riley, nodded when Riley winked
at him. 

"Lead the way, then, please, sir,"
Lainey told him.  "Jenna, Riley, just hang tight.  After Cam and
I finish our tour, we'll come back in the living room so we can all talk
together, OK?"

"Sounds good, Tink," Riley said.

Lainey laughed and Cam decided he liked the sound
of her laughter.  He liked that her eyes were green like Riley's, only
Lainey's were a deeper, brighter green, but they sparkled when she laughed just
like Riley's.  As they walked, she asked him questions about his school
and about what type of bikes he raced and he was impressed that she seemed to
know what he was talking about when he talked about the difference between an
80cc and a 125cc. 

In his room, he showed her all his trophies and
the pictures his mom had framed and put on his wall and his shelves.  She
paused before a picture of him and his dad the last time they rode
together.  She took the frame from the shelf and studied it a bit closer.

"This is your dad, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cam answered, sitting on
the edge of his bed.

"I went to school with him and your
mom.  They were older than me.  Seniors when I was a freshman in high
school, but we all knew who they were.  You don't get to see your dad that
much any more, though, do you?"

"No.  He's always busy."

She put the frame back on his shelves and then
sat in the chair at his desk. 

"Tell me about last night.  That had to
have been really scary."

He shrugged.  "At first.  But then
after they untied me, they started talking to me and telling me all kinds of
cool mafia stories."

Lainey laughed.  "Cool mafia
stories?"

Cam smiled.  "Yeah, about Al Capone and
John Gotti."

In the living room, Jenna began pacing while
Riley was sitting patiently, watching her.  She was trying not to
eavesdrop, but he could tell it was killing her not to be able to listen in.

"Come here, Jen," he said, capturing
her hand when she passed close to him.  She stepped to him and allowed him
to bring her down onto his lap.  He cradled her to him and kissed her
cheek, playing with her hair as he nuzzled her neck.  "Relax,
babe," he said against her ear.  "He's in good hands in
there.  The best."

She nodded and took a deep breath, letting
Riley's tender ministrations soothe her.  It wasn't long before all she
could think about was Riley: his hands, his lips, his hard arousal she could
feel against her hip.  He buried his hand in her hair and turned her head
toward him so he could seal his lips over hers, his other hand on her chin to
hold her in place.  She fisted her hands in his shirt, melting into him
when he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring and teasing, sending chills all
through her.  When she pulled back to catch her breath, his lips immediately
went to her throat, blazing a trail from her lips, down her jaw, down to the
base of her throat, sending chills all throughout her body and leaving her
aching for more.

"Riley," she whispered, bringing his
mouth back to hers to taste his name on her lips.

He reached behind them on the sofa and pulled the
plush blanket she had draped there off and covered them with it, then let his
hand snake down her body into the waistband of her yoga pants and down inside
her panties to stroke over her center.  Jenna gasped and writhed against
his fingers, burying her face in his neck.  She couldn't believe he was
doing this with his cousin and Cam just down the hall, but couldn't bring
herself to make him stop, not when she was yearning for his touch like she was.

"Shh," he cautioned when a small
whimper escaped her throat.  She nipped at his throat, moving against his
hand as he stroked her. "That's it, baby," he encouraged her, keeping
his voice low.

"Riley," she gasped as his fingers
picked up speed.

"Hush, baby," he said, stroking her
harder and deeper.  She fought to keep from crying out.  He tilted
her head up with his free hand and covered her mouth with his as he felt her
release hit, absorbing her cries with his mouth.  He continued to stroke
her slowly and gently as she was coming down, then slowly withdrew his
fingers.  She whimpered when he raised them to his mouth to lick them
clean.  "You taste so sweet," he told her, eyes locked on
hers.  "I can't wait to be back inside you; feel you under me."

"Riley," she gasped. 

"I want to feel your mouth on
me...everywhere."

"Oh, God," she cried.

Riley chuckled, gathering her close and kissing
her brow.  "I love you, Jen," he whispered.

She clung to him, snuggling close to his chest,
feeling suddenly sleepy.  He was feathering light kisses along her brow
and she felt herself drifting, listening to the steady beat of his heart under
her ear.

Riley was unbearably aroused but wouldn't trade
these moments with her sleeping in his arms for anything in the world.  He
knew it was pushing the boundaries of her decency to basically make out like
teenagers on the couch while Lainey was there counseling Cam, but he knew he
needed to take her mind off her son so that she could relax.

He looked up when he heard Cam's door open and
saw Lainey walk into the room, smiling when she saw Jenna asleep in his arms.

"How'd it go?" he asked, keeping his
voice low.

She sat in the chair opposite him, placing her
briefcase down on the floor.

"Good.  He is a really sweet kid. 
I think he's going to be fine.  He's washing his face and calming down
just a bit before coming out here so you can let her sleep for a bit."

Riley nodded, eyeing his cousin.  "What
aren't you telling me?"

"Well...I think he will get over yesterday a
lot easier than he will get over the resentment he has towards his dad. 
And he really, really likes you.  I mean, a lot."

Riley smiled.  "Feeling's mutual."

"I think he knows that, but...he needs to
hear it from you, Riley.  I know you haven't been in their lives very long
but..."

"It's been long enough.  I don't intend
to leave, Lainey.  I'm here to stay."

She smiled at him. "That's so great,
Riley.  I'm happy for you...and you may be just what that kid needs to get
through all of this unscathed."

Cam came into the room and stopped when he saw
his mom asleep in Riley's lap, eyes wide.

"Is she OK?" he asked, worried.

"She's fine.  Just tired from all the
stress of yesterday," Riley assured him.  He dipped his head down to
place his lips against her ear and kissed her.  "Jenna, baby, wake
up.  Cam and Lainey are in here."

Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a soft
smile before sitting up with his help.  She saw Cam giving her an anxious
look and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Hey, bud, how'd it go?"

"Good," he answered.

"C'mon, kid, let's go toss the football
around outside so your mom can talk to Lainey," Riley said, helping Jenna
off his lap.  He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Jenna's cheek and
then walked to the back door with Cam.

After they were gone, Jenna stood, raking her fingers
through her hair.

"Can I get you anything, Lainey?"

"Water would be good," Lainey said,
following her into the kitchen.  "And before we begin, I want to just
say, I'm so happy to see you and Riley have hit it off so well.  I don't
think I've ever seen him so happy."

Jenna smiled, handing Lainey a glass of ice
water.  "He is amazing...in just everything.  Cam loves
him.  Adores him, actually."

"He does," Lainey agreed. 
"He talked about Riley, a lot.  He loves him and he wants desperately
for things to continue to work out between you and Riley.  He said it
would be cool to have Riley for a step-dad."

Jenna felt a lump form in her throat. She'd known
Cam really liked Riley but it was nice to hear it confirmed.

"What did he say about last night?  I
mean, I know you can't tell me specifics, but...is he going to be OK?"

Lainey took a deep breath.  "I think he
will be fine with what happened as far as the kidnapping.  It helped that
the guys who grabbed him were really good to him.  Other than scaring him
when they took him and tying him up, they talked to him, told him stories of
old mobsters like Al Capone and La Cosa Nostra like John Gotti.  That
helped, a lot.  But, Jenna, he has some serious issues with his
father.  He already had some resentment toward Wade and then after last
night...there may have been some irreparable damage done."

Jenna nodded.  "I was afraid of
that.  He has a lot of anger toward Wade.  More than I'm comfortable
with him having."

"I agree.  I can help him work through
that, but, at some point, Wade is going to have to do something to repair the
damage.  He is the only one who can fix this."

"So, what do you recommend?"

"I'd like to see Cam at least once a week to
help him work through the anger issues...and then when Wade is out of rehab,
I'd like to see him as well...and at some point, I'd like to work with them
both together."

Jenna shook her head.  "Yeah, good luck
getting Wade to rearrange his schedule for that."

"Well, if it comes from Cam, if Cam tells
his father this is what he needs to help repair the damage, then maybe he will
do it."

Jenna sighed.  "I hope so.  I hate
that Cam can't rely on his father right now.  I hate that he has had to
learn about live-in girlfriends and the never-ending stream of them from his
father.  I hate that he's been so jaded by his father's lifestyle that he
thought nothing of having Riley stay and sleep in my bed with me.  I hate
that Wade's selfishness has made Cam grow up too soon."

"I understand, but, Jenna, Cam is a really
good kid.  He has a heart of gold and it shows in what he said about you
and Riley.  That's to your credit.  Don't ever sell yourself short on
the impact you have had on him.  You've taught him a strong work ethic and
the value of a dollar.  He is the child of a celebrity but I didn't get
the impression that he is spoiled.  The nightmare he had last night I
think was just a result of it being the first night.  He may have a few
more, but I don't think they will be a problem for him, not with you and Riley
around for him...and I know that you are cautious about having Riley here
overnight, but I would recommend you do keep him here overnight, at least for
the next few nights.  It will help Cam feel more safe and secure, knowing
that Riley is here.  He doesn't have to be in the room with you, he can be
on the couch or in a guest room, just so long as he is here."

"I saw the impact Riley had on him last
night.  And to be honest, I feel safer with him here as well."

"Can't beat having a trained SEAL under your
roof."

"Exactly," Jenna agreed.

Lainey smiled and walked around to embrace
her.  "I know I said it earlier, but I'm so glad you and Riley are
working out.  He deserves some happiness of his own after all he's been
through.  Since he's been home, he hasn't let himself settle down, just
was drifting between Jack and Trevor and Aaron's places. He needs a place to
call his own."

"Yes, he does.  And I'm hoping to
convince him that he's found that place here with me and Cam."

"Honey, from what I saw earlier? 
There's no convincing involved."

They walked out back so that Lainey could say
goodbye to the guys, then Riley walked Lainey up front to her car. As they
rounded the garage, Mike was just getting out of his car.  Jenna watched,
intrigued, as Lainey looked up at Mike, and Mike's eyes locked on her as they
paused while Riley introduced them.  Jenna was sure she'd just witnessed
some serious sparks fly between the two.