Deception (12 page)

Her eyes opened and connected with his. “You inside of me.” She breathily answered.

On his knees between her long legs his fingers skimmed their silky length. “I want these beautiful limbs wrapped around me.” She wasted no time using her knees to squeeze his waist and pull him in closer to her. He chuckled at her aggression, her eyes dancing when she heard him, and her own laughter married with his.

God, he didn’t want to use a condom with her. He wanted to feel her squeezing around him without the latex barrier, but hopefully there would be many more copulations. He bit the inside of his cheek to focus on bringing her slow acute pleasure when all he wanted to do in the world was devour her like she was a girl with a red hood and he a wolf.

Inserting himself an inch into her sweet, tantalizing heat had him gasping for breath.

“Julian.” Her voice was strained, wet. “I want it all.”

“Ah, God.” This woman.
This woman.
She spoke to him like no woman ever had before. He plunged in, giving her all he had to give. Her body pulled him in and sang to his with her sweet moans and the hum of her skin. In their intimacy he felt something he’d never felt before—he sensed she wanted him for the man he already was, not the man she’d mold him to be. Pumping a few times had her eyes blurring over as she squeezed him tighter into her core.

He’d observed that she’d never spoken of money, despite needing it badly. Maura had not a clue what it meant that she was connected on any level with the David family.

“Maura, why did you want to be in this bed with me?”

She moaned. “To become one.”

Julian froze. Her eyes focused and intently regarded him, blazing with lust for him. Those words she’d uttered cut him deeper than anything else she could have said. He had to know why she’d picked him over everyone else. “
One
. With me?”

“Yes Julian, with you. Only you. Always you.”

“Why?”

“Beneath your hands I feel at home—soothing balm to bruised skin. There’s something dark inside of you that I’m drawn to and I know that you’re broken like me and I just keep hoping that one day your mouth will open not to spew discomfort and hurt, but to truly laugh like you really mean it. I want to hear you happy and I want to be the reason.”

“Maura, I—”

“Move inside of me Julian.”

His movements were methodically paced and calculated to bring them as close together as physically possible. The pull and push of taut silky skin molded into one rhythm as the pulse of their energy became solid.

“You made me a sandwich.”

“What?”

“Even when you were mad, you cared for me. You made me a sandwich and you let me swing on the porch.”

“Those things are trivial.”

“Not to me.” His hand palmed her thigh slick with sweat. “You say the opposite of what you feel.”

“I do?”

“When I apologized for hurting you . . . you said to have been hurt by me implied a deep connection we didn’t have. It was the opposite of how you felt.”

He pumped faster, keeping the pace even. “How did you figure it out? I thought I did a great job of being a total shitstick.”

Her breath was heavy, staccato, audible. “To tell you the truth, I hadn’t figured it out—until now. But I’d hoped.”

“Maura, I’m sorry I ever said those things. I have a bad habit of letting my tongue protect me while also digging my own grave with it.”

Her hand grasped his wrist. “I could live blissfully forever just from the joy you’re giving me at this moment.” He moved deeper inside of her and she moaned. “Julian,
more
.”

In that moment his sole purpose for existing was to bring her all that she desired. He pushed deeper and with each thrust her body answered with a moan and a shudder until he felt the pool of wetness between her thighs. Her tenderness pierced his heart and he knew he’d never be the same—he’d need her by his side forever.

Loud voices lilted into Maura’s consciousness.

“Davids! Get out here now!”

“What happened to this tree?”

Next to her a body stirred. She rolled and sat up realizing only then that she was completely naked. The moaning heap next to her rolled and Julian swung his feet over his side of the bed, taking his head into his hands.

Recalling the night’s escapades she smiled and stretched out her limbs. Sex with Julian was the best thing that had ever happened to her. “Sounds like your parents noticed the burning bush.” Maura spoke softly and with a giggle.

Julian’s head did a double take before his eyes focused on her. “Maura.” His voice was hoarse. He stared at her chest. He too was naked, the sheet had become twisted during the night and had migrated to the foot of the bed.

“Who set this damn tree on fire?”

“Dad, the important thing to remember is that no one was hurt.” Parker’s voice drifted up through the open French doors.

Julian stood and Maura watched in delight as he walked toward the desk. His tight, perky ass flexed with his steps and had her licking her lips. He rummaged through the clothes basket, pulling on a pair of jeans, commando style, and a T-shirt.

“I’m going to go down and talk to Dad.” He didn’t turn toward her or even offer her a smile. She would have liked a good morning kiss or any sign that he’d enjoyed last night. He seemed moodier than usual and she thought maybe he wasn’t a morning person. Maura stood and gathered her bikini and then wrapped herself in a towel. Everything was different in the morning light and without the courage from the alcohol she felt insecure about walking through the David house in just a bath towel. Spying his bathrobe gave her a thought.

Maura soaked in the tub in the bathroom that connected to the mint-green room. With a smile on her face she recalled the last time she’d reclined in the tub, feasting on Julian’s naked torso. Gently she glided the loofah over her skin, the coarse contact on her still overly sensitized system sent shivers down her spine.

Maura pulled clothes from one of the bags she’d left behind in her move to the motel. She had her belongings spread across three places. A tear rolled down her face at the thought of her grandmama’s old escritoire that still occupied a small corner of her bedroom on Edgewater Lane. She would never go back to the house owned by Alan. Therefore, she would never again sit at the desk and imagine Grandmama doing the same as she replied to her correspondence.

She dressed in jeans and her Bonnaroo T-shirt and gathered Julian’s robe in her arms, inhaling deeply and picking up his earthy scent of pine and citrus. She walked toward his room, but stopped when she heard footsteps behind her in the hall.

“Oh. I was just coming to return your robe.” She laughed nervously, catching herself and forcing the giggles to stop.

Julian reached for the robe with measured indifference.

“I didn’t want to walk to my room in just a towel.”

He nodded—“smart”—and then he resumed his stride toward his room, leaving her with a view of his retreating back. She followed.

“Hey . . . um . . .” Standing outside of his bedroom door her speech skills stopped working. It didn’t help that he seemed to scowl at her with tight lips. “I . . . uh . . .” She looked down at her bare feet. Remembering her concert T-shirt brought back her conversational skills. “Don’t you think it’s wild that we were at the same concert?”

“What?”

She pointed to her shirt. “Bonnaroo, you have the same shirt. Were you at the festival?”

“Yeah, I was.”

He opened his door and walked through it. Maura followed. She picked up a framed picture of Julian performing a ballet move. “You’re a dancer?”

He pulled the frame from her hands and placed it face down on his desk. “
Was
a dancer.”

“Why’d you stop?”

He stared into the distance. “It’s a long story.”

“It’s Saturday. I’ve got time if you do.”

His eyes slammed shut in thought or irritation. She couldn’t tell.

“I’m a little busy.”

A little busy. Bullshit
. She’d bared all of her ugliness to him and given freely of herself. What the hell was this game he was playing? Her eyes narrowed. “Okay, well I guess I’ll let you get on with your day.” He didn’t say anything else so she turned and walked toward the door, stopping midway. “Julian, I enjoyed . . . well that would be a lie . . . last night was the best thing that has ever happened to me.” She was aware of a big stupid smile on her face, but she was so sincere there was nothing she could do to diminish its size.

“Maura, about that, I got a little drunk and carried away. It shouldn’t have happened. I apologize.”

Smile incinerated by a fire-breathing dragon by the name of Julian. She blinked back the tears now forming. “Did you not enjoy it?” If he didn’t that meant she royally misunderstood him.

“No it was great, but I think it may have meant more to you than it did to me. I’m not really looking to get exclusive with anyone.”

E
xclusive.
By definition: limited to one person. “I wasn’t thinking exclusivity. I was thinking it would be fun to check out Avery Island today and thought you may want to go with me.”

“Like I said, I’m busy.”

“That’s cool. I’ll see you around, Julian.” Maura forced herself to walk with measured strides when what she really wanted to do was sprint from his room. Her face was hot and her gut cinched. She’d been humiliated by the guy she’d given head to last night.
Perfect
. The door to her room stuck slightly but she pushed through it and paused. Now would be a perfect time for a pity party. No one would blame her, but no. She wasn’t going to be doing that. She slid into her canvas shoes and grabbed her purse, and then swiftly made her way downstairs.

Out on the back porch she found Courtney and Bailey in full clean up mode. “Hey, guys.”

“Maura check it out—the burn mark is in the shape of a heart.” Bailey pointed to the palm tree that had been aflame last night.”

“Weird. Courtney, do you think it’s some kind of sign?”

“Hell no,” Courtney grumbled and massaged her head. She wore sunglasses and her hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head.

“Hung over?” Maura asked.

“Yeah. It didn’t help that Dad woke me up hollering and carrying on like a coyote.”

Maura helped them clean, although they had most of the mess contained already. She held a garbage bag open while Bailey threw away the evidence of their séance. “So I thought I’d go to Avery Island today. Anybody want to accompany me? I read that they have a drive-through swamp with alligators, and of course there is a Tabasco museum tour.”

“Parker and I are meeting the floor people today.”

“Of course, I completely forgot. That’ll be nice.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Courtney, you interested?” Courtney had resigned to one of the chaise loungers and had a straw hat covering her face.

“I’m not moving from this spot all day.”

“All right, well I’ll bring you back a souvenir.” Courtney waved her hand in the air without moving any other body parts.

Maura turned and saw Julian standing like a tower with arms folded across his chest. Ignoring him she passed through the French doors and continued through the house and out to her car.

It had been a mistake to sleep with Julian last night. Not for her, but for him it seemed. After the lovely night they’d shared Julian had been dismissive of her, and that hurt more than anything Alan had ever done to her.

Funny thing—Maura always thought that if she lived in a house full of people she’d never feel alone again. As she drove down the interstate to her Avery Island family destination, she’d never felt more alone in her life. And that statement was huge considering she’d been married to Alan.

***

Julian stood in the foyer and watched Maura walk to her car. She pulled the strap of her purse up to her shoulder and crossed her arms. He saw when she passed her fingers across her eyes to wipe away the tears. He wanted to go with her and show her all the secrets of the island and gardens, but he couldn’t. She deserved better than him. He had nothing to give her but pain. The thought that haunted him the most was that he might even be capable of physically hurting her. He’d done it before. No, he couldn’t pursue a relationship with her. The bliss she’d so freely given to him last night would have to sustain him for the rest of his life. Maura had had a difficult go at life. She was strong. She’d survive him and she’d be all the better for it.

***

The gravel crunched under the wheels of Maura’s Corolla as she pulled under a throng of hulking old oak trees with peat moss hanging from their arms. Avery Island was peaceful with its salty breeze and buzzing cicadas.

“
Po’boy.”
Maura practiced, calling the sandwich by its proper name as she unwrapped the shrimp po’boy, made with David shrimp—she’d asked the cashier to confirm the brand. A large bite that barely fit her mouth had remoulade sauce dribbling down her chin. A family of four exited a van near her and the dad pulled a large cooler from the back. He nodded to her through the open window as he walked by the passenger side of her car.

“
What are you doing here
?” Maura scolded herself. It was beyond ridiculous that she’d come to this family destination. Every turn a reminder of what she’d held onto by a thread at one time. Would she ever have a chance at a family of her very own? A little girl to dress in frilly clothes and hair bows? She sighed. Those things weren’t so important. Bailey was doing well. Her lab work had steadily been within normal limits and Maura was utterly thankful for that blessing.

Maura finished her sandwich and started her car. It wouldn’t do for her to tour the island in her current state of mind so she steered her car back the way she’d come. Maybe she could relax in the pool and hook up with Bailey later in the evening. Or maybe Courtney would feel like doing something. Maura really enjoyed her company and thought they might be friends, but whenever she asked her to do something she’d always been busy. As pretty as Courtney was, Maura had no doubt her social calendar was full.