For Eric's Sake (18 page)

She responded to his kiss with all the love in her heart. She had to show him her love since to voice the words would only make him angry and send him away from her.

He moaned against her cheek, "I'd give anything if we could slip away from here—just to be alone for a couple of hours."

"Yes," said Brandy, his words exciting her. She was committed to this man. He was her husband. She wanted to be a wife to him in every way. She could feel him wavering between desire and obligation. She ran her hands around his chest to his back, snuggling closer inside his loose jacket. She wanted to hide in Shaw rather than face again that roomful of strangers— people who were Shaw's friends, but not her own. They were the type of people who speared olives at cocktail parties and at the same time stabbed backs, she thought.

She shuddered involuntarily at the thought. Shaw hugged her closer. "We'll stay just long enough to have another drink or two," he decided, "and meanwhile you stay in the mood you're in right now."

"I won't promise," said Brandy, disappointed that she wasn't getting her way right this minute. Still, leaving early with Shaw was better than closing the party down, or having him leave with someone else.

He seared her mouth with another breathless kiss that weakened her knees and left her standing docilely in front of him as he buttoned up the bodice of her dress.

As she went back to the party with Shaw, Brandy felt much stronger. This time she was arriving with him beside her, making a grander entrance than before. They were husband and wife, and she wanted everyone to see how hard it was for them to keep their eyes, and hands, off each other.

Shaw was very attentive to Brandy, even drinking a toast to her with champagne instead of his usual Scotch. They linked arms like lovers and tried to swallow their drinks without spilling them while giggling at the absurdity of their honeymoon games. Lorraine had bought a large wedding cake topped with a bride and groom and Shaw went through the motions of gaily cutting the cake with Brandy, even smearing a slice of cake around her pretty lips to the delight of the guests. But Brandy didn't care, for his eyes were teasing, and at the same time anticipatory. Little did the guests know that night would actually be their true wedding night.

Brandy enjoyed herself, and despite the fact that all the guests were strangers to her, she was gracious and friendly. Shaw was beside her, and that was all that mattered. She even forgot about Marcus watching her from the background, ready to come to her aid should she need a little extra confidence.

"How long have you been married?" Everyone wanted to know. Shaw would answer with a knowing look at Brandy, "She swept me off my feet. I hardly knew what was happening."

All the while Lorraine was hovering in the background, playing the role of the perfect hostess, trying to assert her relationship with Shaw whenever she had the opportunity.

Brandy couldn't relax with her near. Whenever Lorraine sidled up to Shaw, Brandy tried to slip away, but he would ensnare her wrist and break his contact with Lorraine.

As hard as Brandy tried to ignore her, Lorraine finally got her chance alone with her. Brandy slipped away to the ladies' room, her head reeling from the countless glasses of champagne, and Lorraine followed her.

Brandy sat down at the vanity table, wishing her head would clear and her hand steady as she touched up her makeup. But as Lorraine came into the room behind her, Brandy was thankful for the haze the alcohol gave her. It made it easier to face Lorraine.

The other woman ran a brush through her hair, as if it were truly a coincidence that they happened to be in the ladies' room at the same moment.

"You won't get away with it," Lorraine said without preamble, tugging at her blonde locks.

Brandy didn't answer: she couldn't trust herself to. She was afraid if she tried to respond, Lorraine would have a quicker wit, so she sat silently, outlining her lips with a lipstick pencil, enraging Lorraine because she was ignoring her.

"He only married you for
one
reason, you know," Lorraine continued. "As soon as he tires of you he'll come back to me."

Brandy dug in her makeup kit for her lipstick.

Lorraine pried deeper. "Once he sees how much more satisfying a woman with experience is, you won't be able to keep him. He's already spending more time with me than he is at home with you."

Brandy wanted to argue, her neck muscles tightening again at the tension between them, but she knew she didn't have a defense. Just because Shaw spent time away from home didn't necessarily mean he was spending all that time with Lorraine—maybe he really
was
busy at work on the restaurant. For the first time she hoped that were true, but a quick glance in Lorraine's direction said it wasn't probable. The woman
was
beautiful and experienced.

"And what do you have to offer him?" Lorraine continued with her monologue.

Brandy turned to face her. "Love."

Lorraine laughed. "He can have
that
with any number of women. That's funny if you think you can hold him with something as tenuous as that."

"It's the
only
thing that will hold us together," said Brandy, knowing it was the truth, but also that Shaw had to love her as much as she loved him for the marriage to work. "He can have the entire female population, but I don't think anyone's ever offered him love before."

"My, but you're such an innocent. Money's much more important to Shaw than love; I guess you haven't known him long enough to have figured that out. He needs money to make this new restaurant of his a success and
I
can give him the money."

"He'll be a success because of the person he is, not because he has to hold onto the apron strings of some rich snob."

Lorraine's face darkened. "If you love him, you'll let him go. The restaurant means the world to him. I'll see that he doesn't get the money he needs if you stay with him. Without that money he'll be broken financially. There are a lot of expenses involved with a venture of this size and it's a gamble for any man. Shaw has me and my money as the ace in the hole, but not for much longer, lady—not if you persist in your notions of love and marriage."

"You can't threaten me," said Brandy calmly, putting her makeup back in her purse to hide her shaking hands.

"Threaten you?" Lorraine laughed. "I'm not threatening you, sweetheart. I'm merely telling it to you like it is. Without me, Shaw will be a failure—and I don't think you want that for him. Just ask him sometime how important that restaurant is to him. He already owes my father quite a bit of money. All I have to do is see that father doesn't let him borrow anymore."

"Shaw is not the kind of man to stoop to your petty style of blackmail." Brandy faced Lorraine. "If he can't get the money from you, he'll get it elsewhere. Shaw's a prominent man in town. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Don't count on it," Lorraine spat. "He also has quite a reputation, which should also look good if it were brought out in this ridiculous custody battle you've involved him in."

Brandy's hair hid her face, as she brushed it all forward vigorously to keep from showing her fears, then she tossed it all back, her eyes shining as she faced Lorraine squarely for the last time. She couldn't sit there any longer and put up with Lorraine's spiteful-ness. "You seem to forget one thing. Shaw married
me
. That speaks a lot more strongly than the kind of relationship the two of you shared—in the past. It's a lot more binding. And if you're so concerned about Shaw's success with the restaurant, you'd do well to tell him of your threats to withdraw your money. He and I don't
ever
discuss business. Now, if you'll excuse me, my
husband
is waiting for me." She stood up, forcing her legs to walk out of the room rather than bolt like a frightened lamb. If she listened to Lorraine much longer she knew she'd be weeping.

The drive home was an unusually quiet one: on Shaw's side as he contemplated the seduction of his wife, and on Brandy's as she wondered whether she could let him make love to her. She had to give Lorraine credit for choosing the worst time to make Brandy feel guilty about her deception of Shaw. If she continued this charade—if only for Eric's sake—would it ruin Shaw's personal and business life?

"Shaw," she said as they neared the apartment.

"Hmmm?" He smiled across at her and reached out to take her hand in his own.

"How important is this new restaurant to you?"

"Do you need to ask?"

She frowned. "Yes."

He shrugged, stroking her hand as best as he could while driving at the same time. "It's my first step in the big business world. Without this second restaurant I'm nothing more than a glorified manager, and never will be anything more."

"I don't understand."

"The first restaurant was just a piece of a franchise that's operating all over the country. I'm opening the new place based on the reputation I've made with The Pub, but it's my restaurant this time. I won't answer to anyone, nor have to share any of the profits. That's why the White Horse Pub means so much to me," he explained honestly.

She nodded, beginning to understand. "And you've put a lot of money into it?"

"Just about everything," he admitted, "but you shouldn't worry about that. We're going to be a big success."

Brandy prayed that would be true. "But what if something happened? What if you didn't get all the money you needed to open the White Horse Pub?"

"I don't even want to think like that. Negative thinking is the beginning of a person's downfall to my way of thinking. We're
going
to succeed."

Any other time, Brandy would have taken some delight in the way he said "we" as if he were including her… but whether he knew it or not, she was part of the venture—perhaps the key to his succeeding or failing, if Lorraine's words were true.

"Are you going to have to borrow a lot of money?"

"Hey—" He looked across at her. "I feel like I'm taking home my bank manager instead of my wife… and tonight of all nights I'd rather
not
talk business."

If only it were that simple, Brandy thought, quietly brooding over his words for the rest of the way back to the apartment. He noticed her silence as he opened the door, but only smiled, thinking she was looking ahead to their time together in bed.

Brandy checked on Eric while Shaw paid the babysitter and escorted her outside to her car. Eric was sound asleep, content in his new home. How much longer would they remain here? Brandy wondered.

Would he be allowed to stay long enough to wake up here in the morning? Or would Shaw dismiss them from the apartment as he had the babysitter once he knew the truth about his marriage to Brandy? She
had
to tell him. If they were to have any kind of marriage at all, it had to begin with honesty. She had told him weeks ago that if he cared enough about Eric, then nothing Brandy could do to Shaw should interfere with his feelings for the boy.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't hear him enter the apartment and walk softly across the deep pile carpet. The next thing she knew he was standing beside her, his hands on her shoulders, looking at Eric with her. Brandy closed her eyes. She wanted so much to share children with Shaw—not just Eric, but other little boys and girls that she could give him. But after she told him the truth, she might not even know the touch of his lovemaking.