Following Love (24 page)

“No you didn't. Hello, Kenneth,” Gaylord said tartly.

“Good evening, Gaylord,” Kenneth said. “And good evening to the five senior partners standing there with you.”

Five voices spoke up.

Gaylord cleared his throat. “One more thing, Ms. Brice. I believe you have a tape recorder that we would be interested in acquiring.”

“I'm no longer in possession of that item.”

“We filed an injunction.”

“I'm sure you did.”

“It can't be used in a court of law.”

“As I said, I'm no longer in possession of that item. But if you'd like to negotiate further, I'll be happy to pass the offer on.”

“We can discuss that at a later date.”

“I'll be around,” she said.

“If that's it…” Gaylord said.

“Not quite.” Dena spoke for the first time. “We'll discuss how you got a DNA sample from my son without my permission also.”

“Of course,” Gaylord said, then hung up, obviously unhinged.

After one united deep breath, the room went into an uproar. Hugs and kisses came from every direction.

A
fter the evening had settled down and congratulations and champagne circulated throughout Lynn's condo, Dena called Ellen afterward and told her the news. She was ecstatic. Julian drove Dena back to her house. They walked inside and stood in the moonlit foyer.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Congratulations,” he said, “you did it.”

“I did it for Dillon. It's his victory and his birthright.”

“He has no idea, does he?”

“No, at almost four the only thing that matters is pizza, getting dirty and loud noises,” she said.

“I'm proud of you. Dillon is a very lucky young man. He's blessed to have an incredibly loving mother.”

“Thank you.”

“So why exactly did you need to come back here?”

“I need to straighten up. This is the weekend, and potential buyers love weekends and open houses.”

“I thought I was buying it,” he said.

“Oh, that's right I forgot,” Dena said jokingly. Julian smiled, crossed his arms and waited, looking at her questioningly. “What, am I missing something?” she asked.

“I'd like a tour. If I'm gonna buy it, I'd like to know what I'm getting.”

“You'll have to talk to the Realtor, she does that part.”

“But it's your house, you know it better than anyone else, the cracks and creaks, you know them all,” he offered.

Dena looked around, suddenly feeling the ghosts of her past memories around her. She nodded. “Well, lets get started, shall we?”

“After you,” he said.

“The house is a Tudor style built six years ago. This is the living room, large picture window to show the sculpted landscaping all around the grounds.”

“Does the gas fireplace work?”

“Yes,” she said, walking through to the formal dining room. “This is the dining room, cathedral ceiling in both rooms. This is the kitchen and breakfast room.”

“Are you a good cook?” he asked.

“Not really, but I get by.”

“We'll have to change that. What's through here?”

“The garage. Open the door, the light's on the wall.”

Julian opened the door and turned on the light and found a classic 1969 Ford Mustang and a five-year-old Porsche Classic. He laughed loud, and hurried over, looking at the cars admiringly. “So this is how you guessed the year of my car.” She nodded. He laughed again then he stopped and looked at her. “Forester's, I presume.”

She nodded.

He walked over to her and took her hand. They went back into the kitchen and she sat at the table overlooking the deck and yard. She looked out, seeing solar lights shining bright in the darkness.

“Forester was a player who loved the ladies and the cars and the money. He married me to get back at his mother, but surprisingly we lasted almost two years. There were good times and bad times and just plain times in between. We would have definitely divorced eventually.”

“Maybe,” Julian said.

“Definitely,” she corrected. “When he died, I felt so guilty. He'd had an affair with a woman, then Adel made a point of introducing us and telling me that this woman was carrying Forester's child. I believed her. After all, a woman would know the father of their child, wouldn't she? I ran out, Forester followed. I got in the car and drove, he jumped in. It was icy and snowing, we got to the bottom of the hill and he reached over and grabbed the wheel. The rest is history.”

“He would be so proud of Dillon and what you just did for his son.”

“Yeah, I think so, too. Funny, on some level it feels like he's sticking it to her, too.”

“He is, through you.”

“Come on, Mr. Hamilton, I'll show you the rest of the house.”

Upstairs she showed him three guest bedrooms, then Dillon's bedroom. “I like it. It looks just like him,” Julian said, picking up a child's construction hat and looking it over.

“Come on—” she reached out her hand to him “—I want to show you one last room.” She led him to the last door at the end of the hallway.

“Your bedroom?” he asked.

“Yes.” She grasped the knob, turned then opened the door and walked inside. He followed her, then moved to the center of the room. He stopped and looked around. It was like a showplace. Everything was perfectly styled.

“This is really nice,” he said.

“Thanks,” she said huskily as she walked up behind him and placed her hand on his rear. She started rubbing his back then around to the front of him. Her skillful hands roamed over his body like a sculptor's on clay. She rested her head on his back and just felt her way.

He turned to the side and half smiled. “Are you trying to influence my purchase?”

“Yes,” she said playfully. “Is it working?” she asked, already knowing it was. She felt his body tremble and tense. Then as her hand drifted lower, she felt him harden.

“Julian, make love to me,” she whispered just over his shoulder.

“Dena, you know that there's nothing I'd want more to do than to make love to you, but this may not be the appropriate place.”

“But it is, trust me. You said earlier that there were a lot of memories here. You were right, some good memories and some not-so-good memories. I need a new memory in this room, a good memory, one of tenderness and love.”

Feeling her way, she started unbuttoning his shirt from behind. When it was done, she opened and stroked the firm tightness of his six-pack. The tense steel pectoral and abdomen muscles flexed and tightened beneath her hands. She felt a sense of power that exhilarated her. He groaned, allowing her to have her way.

She lowered the open shirt from his shoulders and let it fall between them. Then she reached up onto his shoulders and ran her hands along the line, down his arms then back up to his neck. As he lowered his head she gently scratched down his back then leaned in and nibbled his arm. She kissed his body as her hands returned to his waist.

Feeling along the top of his jeans, she found the front button and stealthily opened the waistband. As she slowly pulled the zipper down, Julian's hands clamped onto hers. He reached around and pulled her to face him. The eagerness in her eyes moved him.

He took her face gently in his hands and stroked the smooth line along her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her briefly, sweetly, on the lips then leaned back and looked into her soulful and promising eyes. He saw his future. And his past, once troubled and unsettled, melted away like snow on cinders.

A flood of passion poured out to her. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he raised her hand to kiss.

She tilted her head and smiled, moved by his words, then held his hand and touched his chest to guide him toward her bed. He sat as she stepped back and slowly unbuttoned her blouse then removed it. She undid her zipper then stepped out of her skirt. Now standing before him in lace bra and panties, she moved closer.

She smiled seductively as he reached out to touch her. His hands came to her hips, her waist, then her stomach, then he cupped her breasts. She gasped, then sighed deeply. She was in heaven. She arched back and, leaning in, felt him bury his face between the crevice of her breasts. He nipped at her nipple through the lace and it immediately pebbled taut. Pulling herself close, she sat straddling his hips, her arms at her sides. Looking down into his eyes she felt the fiery blaze of passion burn as the precarious position enthralled them both.

Eyes wide open, they stared hypnotically, mesmerized as passion surged. He reached between their bodies and unsnapped the front clasp of her bra. It fell away. And her breasts, swollen and full, perked up. Her nipples hardened, offered out to him. He accepted, opening his mouth but not touching. Instead he blew a whisper.

The hot breath burned her body. She squirmed and leaned back but his steady resolved kept her in place. He licked her, thick and full, letting the flat of his tongue rub, tickle and tease circles around the dark brown orbs. The feeling was sensually divine, sending quivers through her into her stomach and making her shudder. Watching the thrill of his action was just as intoxicating as feeling it.

Time dizzily slowed as he took his leisure pleasuring her body. His sultry kisses were intense yet passionate and serene with secret promises of fulfillment. Dena clung to him, urging his passion as she raked her nails over his back. She moaned as he devoured her with his mouth, scorching her body as he sucked and she moved with his rhythm.

She felt his body throbbing hard for her and it excited her more. Uttering incoherently, she moaned her rapturous pleasure anticipating as he eased her up and his mouth teased and tingled her stomach and waist. Slowly she rolled to the side as he removed the rest of his clothes, pulling a condom from his wallet. Covering himself, he came to her.

She reclined on the bed, watching him. Leaning over, he kissed her then slowly lavished her body as he removed the last remnants of clothing, tossing the lace panties to the floor. Touching her all over, his masterful hands spoke lovingly. Her breasts, then her stomach, then lower, until he reached the sensuous treasure. Pulsating and throbbing, he relished her body until her moans turned to shrieks and gasps turned to screams.

Seeing her lying there naked and breathless was his undoing. “Come inside,” she whispered, then opened and welcomed him.

The intensity of their joining made her squeal with pleasure and an instant spasm of pleasure escaped. He filled her and she sizzled, inhaling deeply then holding her breath, releasing gasps of delight.

Yielding to his cadence she wrapped her legs around him and moved against his motion. Plunging deeper and deeper, he entered and reentered her, building on the arousal of their passion. Throbbing, thrusting strokes rocked them while her gasps and shrieks continued. The pace quickened then slowed, driving her body closer and closer to the pinnacle as together they culminated, surrendering to ecstasy.

Breathless and depleted, he rolled over, holding her to rest on top of him. Dena closed her eyes and smiled for the memory she would keep forever. After a while she moved to the side and snuggled beside him as his breathing and heart rate slowed to normal. Hours later she woke up in peace in a room that had given her so much pain. She was finally free.

She looked over, seeing Julian still asleep. She smiled. She loved him and spending the rest of her life with him was all she wanted, but to do that she knew she had one more thing to do.

After a quick shower she dressed then went back into the bedroom. Julian was gone. Moments later she heard the shower turn off in the master suite's second bathroom and the door open. She turned, seeing Julian standing there with a white towel wrapped around his waist. His body, sweet chocolate, was still deliciously wet.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning,” he said, his brow rising with sinful interest seeing her standing there.

“I have to go,” she quickly said.

“Then wait a minute, I'll get dressed, we can have breakfast and I'll follow you back.”

“No, take your time. I have something to take care of before I leave the city.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, seeing the strained expression on her face.

“Yes. I just need to make a few stops before going back to Aunt Ellen's house.

“Dena…” Julian began.

She turned away quickly, ready to finally get this over with. “I'll talk to you later.” Hurriedly heading down the steps, she was nearly at the front door when Julian called after her again.

“Dena,” Julian said, leaning over the rail from the second floor.

“I'll talk to you later, promise,” she called, then hurried out the front door.

Julian stood overhead seeing her dash out. He walked back to the bedroom and stood by the window looking out. Her car backed up and quickly drove away.

A sinking feeling pitted him.

 

Guilt propelled her.

Leaving Julian like that was unfair but she knew she needed to finish this once and for all.

Dena drove around the curved lane leading to the Graham Manor on the hill. It was the first time she'd been to the house since Forester died. As she drove by the tree and slowed, she felt her heart tremble. This was the place where it all ended and now it will begin.

She continued up the hill, around the bend toward the big house. The front gate was open. She pulled into the driveway and parked next to the Benz, the Porsche, the Cadillac and the little red sports car that belonged to Kirkland. All newly waxed and detailed, displayed like a shrine to the departed.

She rang the bell and waited for the door to open. Adel stood there, glaring. Her mouth tightly pinched and her eyes glazed with too much alcohol and too much pain. Dressed in a black silk jacket with pants and a pristine white silk blouse ruffled at the collar and cuff, she looked like the perfect socialite for
Town & Country
or one of the other magazines she always fanned out on her sitting room coffee table.