Do Not Disturb (19 page)

When did he take off her panties? How did she get
naked?

He stood suddenly, stripping his sweatshirt off
his gorgeous body, then pulled her close. His erection strained through denim
as he bit her shoulder. He began walking her backwards toward the bed.

“Brett. We can’t. They’ll know.”

He lifted his head. “You are loud, but I’ll kiss
you and that should help keep the noise level down.”

She fell against the mattress. “I didn’t even
think about that. Oh my...” He followed her down, his mouth covering hers,
absorbing her words. 

He tilted his head. “See. It works. No worries.”

She shoved his chest back. “I meant the...” she
waved her hand. How could she say this? “The sheets...you know...”

His eyes popped open with awareness. “Oh.” His
brows drew together, then he released her and slid off the bed. “I’ve got it.”
He snatched his sweatshirt off the floor. “We’ll put this under us.”

“What?” She slipped to the edge of the mattress.

He stood there with his sweatshirt dangling from
his hand, pleased with his solution.

“This’ll take care of everything. And if you’re on
top, we should be able to catch most of the...”

She hopped off the bed and covered his mouth.
Again.

“I understand.”

She felt him smile under her fingers, before he
drew her hand down.

“See how creative I am?” He dragged back the
coverlet and spread the sweatshirt on the sheets. Standing back to observe his
handiwork, he looked pleased. “Of course we could always just use the shower.
It would wash away everything and we have experience in there.”

Allison sank against the mattress and covered her
face. “I can’t believe this.”

“What? I think it’s very smart.”

“It shouldn’t be this difficult,” she said through
her fingers.

“Oh come on darling, it’s an adventure.” He rubbed
her shoulders and pulled her against him. His hard, inviting body.

“I want you, Allison. I need you,” he whispered.
“Don’t you need me too?”

His hands framed her face. He was so, so sexy.

“Well, I am already naked.”

He smiled as she unbuttoned his jeans, running a
finger under his waistband and over the top of his smooth, hot erection.

“Oh yeah.” He gasped. “More.”

He reached to help remove his pants, but she
swatted him away.

“I can do it.”

“Hurry.”

She slowly unzipped his jeans, releasing his
erection into her hands. She stroked him, before kneeling to move his pants
down his hips. As she stood up, she flicked her tongue out, just touching him
as she passed.

A deep moan and his hands clenching her arms said
he liked her move.

“I think we’d better save that for a time when
we’re alone. I can’t promise to be quiet with your mouth on me there.”

He twisted her around and lay on the bed, her
beside him. “But I’ll be arranging a time for us to be alone very soon.” He
raised his head from the mattress, a question in his eyes. “If I can have a
rain check?”

“We’ll just have to see if I’m in the mood next
time, won’t we?” She ran her fingers around his erection, not touching it,
except for her wrist lightly brushing it as she passed. Her fingers traced down
his leg and back up to his stomach.

“Please be in the mood.”

“I can’t promise anything...but there’s a
chance...” She watched his body respond to her. Oh there’s more than a chance,
she thought. He made her want to do things, all sorts of things.

He wrapped her fingers around his erection. “No
more torture. Hold me.”

With his other hand, he slipped between her legs,
finding the same spot they’d discovered the last time.

How did he remember her body so well?

Thank God he did.

Just as her body melted, he drew her on top, his
hand still probing, creating the most wonderful...marvelous...

She raised up on her knees, straddling him, giving
him access. Her hand still wrapped around him. They stroked. In rhythm.

She moved against him, needing it harder.

“Allison?”

“Don’t stop.” She moved faster, his fingers moved
faster. It was happening. Again. He had brought her again to...that...

She arched back. “Yes,” she hissed through her
teeth.

He seized her hips and shoved her down. He was
inside. And he was so hard. She caught up to his frantic movements, helping
him.

She felt him up, inside. So far inside.

“Oh...” Gritting his teeth, he sucked in air
through his bared lips. His chest heaving.

She fell over him.

His arms slid down her back to her butt, holding
her close, still inside.

“Don’t move,” he warned. “I don’t think I could
take anymore without screaming.”

“So it was good?” she whispered.

“I’m sure if we practiced some more...”

She wiggled her bottom. “So we need practice?”

He clenched her hips, stopping her.

“Have mercy on me, baby. I’m getting old and can’t
take too much excitement.”

“Then we’d better not plan to do this
until...say...a month or so from now.”

“A month? You’ll be lucky if I don’t attack you on
the flight home tomorrow.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Hmmm, have you ever—“

“Forget it, Brett. This was about as adventurous
as I get.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“I can’t believe you’re leaving so soon.” Margaret
followed Allison and Brett to the rental car early the next morning, chattering
as she walked. “Why couldn’t you at least stay until tomorrow?”

Curtis trailed behind her, his hands in his
pockets.

“Allison needs to get back to Kelly and see her
parents.” Brett packed their luggage in the trunk and turned to his mother.
“Don’t forget she left her daughter on Thanksgiving.”

“How selfish of me.” Margaret clasped Allison’s
arms. “Of course you want to get back. We’re so happy you could spend these
last two nights with us.” She drew Allison into a quick hug. “And please come
back. Anytime.”

“Thanks, Margaret. I enjoyed it so much. Meeting
all of you.” She backed up to Brett, not sure what else to commit to, if or
when she would see them again.

“Will you be home Christmas, son?” Curtis held out
a hand to Brett.

Brett’s muscles tensed, his elbow jumping into her
arm.

Relax. They’re just asking.

Brett pumped his father’s hand. “I don’t know.
I’ll call you next week.”

Good answer. Let’s go before everyone gets out of
control.

Curtis stepped back and dropped his arm across his
wife’s shoulder. “You know how much your mother—“

“Curtis...” Margaret reached up to gently touch
his hand. “Drive carefully.”

Brett kissed his mother’s cheek and opened the
door for Allison. He crawled in his side, cranked the car and drove over a mile
before he spoke.

“When will they stop?” Brett asked.

He wasn’t talking to her. She lay her head back
against the seat for the ride to the airport.

#

Brett dropped Allison’s luggage on the floor next
to the kitchen counter. “What time did you tell your parents we’d come out
there?”

It had taken about an hour into the plane ride and
Allison’s insistence that Brett help her with the crossword puzzle in the
airline magazine, before he slipped back into his carefree Florida mood.
Allison had decided there was nothing else she could say about his relationship
with his parents. This was something he’d have to work out on his own.

By the time they landed at Tampa International
Airport, he was suggesting they get a hotel room and tell her parents the plane
was late.

It was nice to have him back.

She pulled her phone out of purse. “I’ll give them
a ring.” Before she could dial she noticed a message. “How did I miss this?”
She glanced at the side of the phone. Damn. Still on mute.

She pressed play and speaker then reached for a
pad and pencil. The pencil slipped from her hands and skittered across the tile
when a female voice screeched out of the recorder. It’d been years since she’d
heard the voice, but she would never forget the negative, haughty tone.

“Allison, this is James’ mother. I received a call
from my lawyer Wednesday. Evidently you have hired an attorney and you think
can simply brush this issue under the rug. But I have news for you. You will
not get away with this. And you will not get one dime of James’ money. Just
because you had him fooled, you never fooled us. We knew you were after his
money then and you still are.”

She backed away from the table, hoping to escape
the venom spewing out.

“And just remember, if you pursue this, we have
many important...influential friends. Especially in banking.”

There was a pause and audible intake of breath
before the last part of the message froze the air in the room. “And you can
forget about me telling you where James is buried. Neither you nor that...child
will ever, ever get that close to my son again.”

The click of the message ending shook Allison out
of her trance.

“My God. She won’t even let Kelly see her father’s
grave. And it would help Kelly so much, just to see it.” Allison pressed her
fingers to her forehead. “I should have known better than to ask, but who would
thought she could be that cruel.”

Her head snapped up. “And what did she mean by
that other comment? Was she threatening me?” She grabbed her knotting stomach.
“Could she get me fired?”

“No.” Brett was at her side, his arms around her
shoulders. “She’s trying to scare you.” He moved to her front and lifted her
face. “You can’t let her get to you.”

“But, they do know people.” She shook. Her blood
drained from her fingers, leaving her hands cold. “Maybe I should give up. I
don’t want the money. I can --”

He shook her gently. “Listen to yourself, Allison.
You know better than to let her do this. Keep this message and let Michael
handle it.”

“No, Brett.” Allison moved her head slowly, left
to right, left to right. “This is getting out of control. I don’t know. I...”

He reached around her and removed the tape. “Are
you going to call Michael about this or do you want me to?”

She kept shaking her head. “I can’t deal with all
of this. It’s too much.”

He grabbed her phone. “we need to forward the
message to him now.” His voice softened and he rested his hands on her arms.
“You need to relax and get control of yourself before we pick up Kelly.”

“Control? I have no control.” Her voice escalated,
the volume rising. “Everything is out of control.”

“No it isn’t.” He spoke in soothing tones. “Do you
want me to get Kelly for you, so you can have some time?”

She turned away from his arms and reached for her
purse. “No.” She searched for her keys. “I’ll get her. I need to get her back
here. In the house. I need to get organized for next week. I need to unpack.”

“I think you’re saying you want to go alone.”
Brett stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Is that it?”

“I don’t think I’ll be very good company, Brett.”
She straightened the mail he had dropped on the counter. Stacking and
re-stacking. “I think I’m tired. It’s been a busy few days. And stressful.” She
rubbed her hands down the sides of her slacks. “The visit with the lawyer. I
need to send him all the information he wants. That will take hours. I haven’t
seen Kelly in days. She must be frantic.”

Brett pulled her against him again. “I don’t want
to leave you alone, but maybe you do need to rest and spend some time with
Kelly.”

She nodded against his shirt.

He turned her to his side and walked to the door,
stopping in front of her.

“Tell your parents I’ll see them next time” He
kissed her forehead. “And drive carefully. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Brett. I’m sorry.” She grabbed his arm as he
reached for the door. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. And, I know
I should be able to handle this better. I never fall apart like this. It’s just
getting so --”

“It’s okay, darling. Everyone falls apart
sometime.” He pried her fingers from his sleeve and kissed them. “If you need
to talk, call me. You know I’m here for you. Now go get Kelly.”

The door closed and silence enveloped her.

She was alone.

What was happening to her life? Everything used to
be in order and now...nothing was going the way she planned. Nothing was in
order anymore.

She rubbed her arms with trembling hands.

Maybe if she created a plan for the next few
weeks. A schedule. Yes, that’s what she needed. A plan of attack. Goals. Tasks.
She would handle this with a plan.

She swung her keys into her palm and rushed to the
garage door.

Control. She needed her life under control.

Brett drew Allison into his family room as Kelly
wandered to Caroline’s room. “Wait a second.”

He collected the magazines strewn across the sofa.

“I should never have agreed to this, Brett. I
don’t have time. I still have paperwork to send Michael.”

He dropped the stack to the floor next to the end
table. “Sit.” He steered her rigid body down.

“You and Kelly need to eat and I cooked.” Plopping
down next to her, he rubbed her back as she leaned forward, her head in her
hands. “But more importantly you need to relax.”

She popped up straight, looking his way. “How can
I relax with all this going on?”

“I know it’s not easy.” His palm moved smoothly
down her back, kneading the tight, sore muscles. “But there’s nothing you can
do tonight to solve anything.”

She jumped up. “There must be something I should
be doing.”

“No there isn’t.” He caught her leg and tugged her
back. “Sit and talk while the girls are in the back for a few minutes.”

When the phone rang, he dropped his hand from her
thigh and reached around her for his phone.

“Hello, Mother.”

Allison sank to the floor and flipped through the
magazines as he talked. Sports, Investing, Men’s Health, Boating. On the bottom
of the stack lay a book - “Understanding Control Freaks.”

Why did he need this? Her heart pumped faster. Did
he think she was a control freak? She shoved it back under the stack.

“I told you I don’t know about Christmas yet.” His
voice bristled with anger.

“She’s fine. Yes, she’s very nice and liked you
too.” He nodded to Allison.

His parents. That’s probably why he’s reading the
book. Or maybe even a client. It couldn’t be her. She glanced back at the pile
of magazines that he’d placed on top of the book. Could it?

“I don’t know, but you’ll be the first to know if
we decide anything. I’m thinking of Caroline, too.”

What’s he talking about? If who decides anything?
She and Brett? Brett and Caroline?

“Dad.” His face blanched and he leapt off the
couch, stepping over her legs. “I told you I didn’t need any help. I wish you
hadn’t done that.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I need to go now.
Tell mother I’ll talk to her soon. Good-bye.”

He threw the phone down on the chair. “Damnmit.
Why can’t they let me run my own life?”

He spun around, a vein pulsing across his
forehead. “My father ran into a friend of his at the golf course who knows
someone down here. He suggested I call him for advice. To help me with my business
plan. Maybe even get me a loan. Damn.”

He shoved a clenched fist into the open palm of
his other hand with a loud smack. “Why can’t they let me do things at my own
speed? Just because I have the rest of my life detailed out to each minute they
think I don’t have a clue. I am sick of living like that. Can’t they see that?
I don’t want that.”

This wasn’t good. This definitely was not good.

As Allison hopped to her feet, she tripped over
the magazines and scattered them, the “Control Freak” book now exposed and
staring at her, the light bouncing off the shiny book jacket.

“I need to go, Brett. I think we’ve all had an
emotional weekend and need some rest.”

He dropped his head back. “I’m sorry for the
outburst. You see me at my worst around my parents.”

“It’s okay.” She ran to the door and yelled down
the hall. “Come on Kelly. I forgot something I need to do before tomorrow.”

Brett followed her. “You don’t need to run,
Allison. We haven’t eaten.”

Her heart pounded. “You can save the extras and
won’t have to cook tomorrow night.” She had to get out.

“Maybe we do need some sleep. I’ll call tomorrow.”

She looked up at this handsome face. Confusion and
pain warred for dominance in his eyes. She wanted to sooth him, but she was
drained. And confused herself.

Why did they have to be so different?

#

Allison set the black purse on the bedspread. It
would match the black suit she’d selected for tomorrow. The same suit she
always fell back on when she needed to feel her best. She had doubts it could
work its magic in this situation, but she had to try something. Matching shoes
stood next to the purse at the end of her bed.

She surveyed the results. Everything ready except
her briefcase. She snapped open the locks. Lifting the papers from her dresser,
she reviewed the meticulous plan she’d created over the last two days.

Problems, Solutions, Goals, Tasks. Her next week
detailed to the hour. She replaced the paper clip and dropped it in the leather
case.

As Brett ran from control and planning, she
created more.

Her throat closed with emotion. It would never
have worked. Why didn’t she see it before?

#

Allison sat in her car outside Brett’s house for
fifteen minutes before she summoned the courage to ring his doorbell.

Her stomach turned over and her skin switched from
hot to cold, to just plain clammy.

“Allison? Was I expecting you?” Brett towed her
in. She hadn’t moved since he opened the door.

“Where’s Kelly?” He glanced over her shoulder.

“No. You weren’t expecting me and Kelly’s with a
neighbor.”

“Is something wrong?” He wrapped his arms around
her and cocooned her in warmth. Maybe if she just stayed here, everything else
would go away.

No, that wasn’t the answer. She pushed away.

“Have you gotten another call from that woman?”
His brows drew together in concern. “You know Michael said not to talk to her.
You did speak with him today didn’t you?”

“Yes. First thing this morning. Thanks for sending
the voice mail.” Her voice was weak.

“Then what’s happened?”

He wasn’t fooled, but she tried to smile. “There’s
some good news and...” she motioned to the den. “Can we sit?”

“Oh, of course.” He moved ahead of her, picking up
a football and dropping it in a box.

She peered into the cardboard container filled
with books and papers. “What’s this?”

He shrugged. “Just some old stuff I was going
through. College yearbooks and other junk. Rob’s wife called and wanted to
borrow one to show her son pictures of his dad. She couldn’t find theirs.”

“Oh.” She looked back to his face, remembering the
sadness he had endured earlier in the year. “It must be tough to look back.”

He squinted as though a flash of pain ran through
him, then reached for her arm. “Come on and tell me what happened.”

She sat on the edge of the sofa cushion next to
Brett. “The bad news is my boss, Walter Carson, had triple by-pass surgery over
the weekend.”

“Wow. Is he going to be all right?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “He’s fine. He’d been having a
few problems, but they had been able to take care of them with medication.
Until now. Anyway, he’s decided to retire early and I have a new boss.”

He rested his elbows on his knees and turned his
face to hers. “Is that bad?”

“Probably not. It’s only temporary. They want to
divide Walter’s job into two positions and I’m being considered for one of
them.”

“That’s great news, Allison.” He kissed her cheek,
his lips warm on her skin. “Just what you’ve been working for.”

 “Yes, well...” He was so close. “It’s not
definite yet. There are two other employees they’re looking at and, in the
meantime, I have to take on a few more projects. Sort of as a test, I guess, to
see how I do.”

He pulled back, frowning. “But you’ve been there
for ten years. Don’t they already know how you work?”

“Yes - ” She tried to interrupt, but he rushed on.

“And how can you possibly take on any more? You
already work longer hours than anyone there. It doesn’t sound fair to me. Are
these other employees taking on projects too?”

Didn’t he understand? Of course it was fair.

“I don’t know. They’re in another office. Where
the new president is.”

“Ohhhh.” His dropped his head, nodding slowly.

“What does that mean?” She leaned down, trying to
see his eyes. “This is a wonderful opportunity.”

His head jerked back to the side toward her. “Calm
down. I didn’t mean anything.”

“Yes you did.” She backed away from his intense
gaze. “You think they’re taking advantage of me and the other employees have an
edge because they know the president.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you were thinking it.” Her nails dug into her
palms as her fingers clenched tighter.

“What?”

She jumped up, placing her back to Brett.

“I can do this. I’m very organized and I can
handle more work. It won’t be for long and then they’ll see I’m the right one
for the job. It’s why I got my MBA. What they promised me.”

“Allison.” She felt him stand up behind her.
“You’re getting very worked up over this. What will happen if you don’t get it?
Sometimes--”

“Don’t even say that.” She swung around. “How can
you not believe I’ll get it? You’re not the only one that can be successful you
know.”

“Hold on, Allison. I wasn’t talking about your
abilities.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I was going to say sometimes
it’s other factors. Things out of your control.”

“No. That is not how it works.”

Why is he saying this? Her chest grew tighter,
heavier. 

“I have goals. I’ve been planning for this. And I
can work harder. I am in control.”

“And what about Kelly? How will you find time to
be with her and do all this extra work?”

Stop it. He should be encouraging her not saying
these things. She could still be with Kelly. Now her throat was getting thick.

“It will only be temporary. This is important for
her future.”

His eyes narrowed. “How do you know it’s
temporary? Once they see how much you’re willing to do, they may want you to do
more.”

She shrugged his hands away and stepped back. “You
don’t know anything about what they’ll do or what I need. This is important to
me.”

“I know your career’s important, Allison. I just
don’t want you to get hurt if you don’t get this promotion. When it isn’t your
fault.” He shifted his weight to one side and crossed his arms over his chest.
“You seem to be putting way too much importance on it. And you may not be able
to control the outcome this time with a project plan.”

“I can control it and I will control it.”

The blood rushed to her ears. “Just because you
don’t think it’s important to plan, to document, to see to the details...” She
waved her hand in the air. “I don’t know how you can get anything done that way
anyway. If I hadn’t done the plan for the carnival, what would you have done?
Just relax and chatted about it until something happened?” Resting her hands on
her hips, she raised her chin in the air. “It doesn’t work that way and you
should know this. You worked in a large company.”

“And that’s exactly why I quit. Control. Planning.
Details.” His words were clipped, the volume increasing. “I’m sick of everyone
wanting to plan life to the minute. It’s all I’ve known all my life. And my
parents still won’t stop.”

“I am not your parents, Brett. But I can
understand why they pester you. You won’t share anything with them. You just
clam up and walk away with your determination to do everything your way.”

“Like you aren’t determined to do everything only
your way?” His face flamed. “How happy do you think you’ll be when you’re all
alone every night toiling away at your job? When you can’t, or won’t, fit a
personal life into that rigid schedule of yours. Not everyone wants to live
according to a plan, you know.”

Her jaw began to ache from pressing her teeth
together.

“Well you’ll be just as lonely if you can’t get
over your obsession with thinking others are trying to control you. You need to
accept where you come from and quit fighting everything your family does just
because you don’t agree with it.”

“I’ll be just fine. I know what I need to be
happy.”

“Well so do I.”

She snatched her purse from the floor. “I don’t
know how we ever thought we could have a relationship. We are just too
different.”

She whipped around and raced to the door, slamming
it as she escaped.