Forever Hers (36 page)

Eddie was surprised and touched. His father took a long time to warm up to anyone. “I’ll walk you to your car, Dad.”

His father nodded then looked over at Lori. “Coming, pumpkin?”

“See you guys tomorrow.” Lori kissed Raelynn’s cheek then looped her arm around her dad’s and asked as they walked toward his truck, “Can I drive?”

His father chuckled. “I plan to get home in one piece and that’s not going to happen with you behind the wheel.”

Eddie walked behind them and waited until they reached his father’s Land Cruiser. “Okay, what’s going on?”

Lori shot Eddie a warning glance and murmured, “Be nice,” then she disappeared inside the SUV.

Now he was worried. “Dad?”

“There are official things we need to discuss but that can wait until tomorrow. I want you to come and see me at nine.”

His father was the second highest ranking officer at his station and the head of Commercial Crime Division, Eddie’s division. “Then what’s going on?”

“Your mother and I have been talking the last year. She has changed and has a lot of regrets about the choices she made. She would really like to see you.”

Eddie frowned. “Lori asked for her when you arrived. Is she here in L.A.?”

A smile and a brief scratch of his nape, a gesture Eddie associated with uneasiness, then his father looked him in the eye. “Yes, son. She is here in L.A. Your mother has finally come home.”
 

Something warm spread in Eddie’s chest. He didn’t try to analyze it. “So why didn’t she come with you? She could have met Amy and Raelynn.”

“I wanted her to, but she thought it might be, uh, uncomfortable.”

The warmth Eddie had felt disappeared. All his cousins and aunties never forgave his mother for leaving. “Of course she did, and we wouldn’t want
her
to be uncomfortable.”

“You don’t understand, son.”

“Oh, I understand, Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow in the office.” He turned and walked away, getting angry with himself for hoping that once, just once, his mother would think of someone else. She shouldn’t even matter anymore. He had Amy and Raelynn.

Amy studied him intently when he slid behind the wheel. He gave her a kiss, pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.

“You okay?” she asked, rubbing his shoulder.

His eyelids lifted and he studied her beloved face. “I am now. Let’s go home.”

Raelynn was asleep by the time they arrived back at Eddie’s condo. He carried her to the room Amy had prepared earlier. Amy brought in the presents.

His family had gone overboard as usual. Not only had they made a big production of the party when he’d asked for something simple, they’d bought way too many presents. On the other hand, the look on Raelynn’s face had been worth it.

He could have done without the news about his mother. For one brief moment he’d been thrilled to hear that she was back. He should have known. People don’t change. Twenty years later and she still only thought of herself.

“She was smiling in her sleep,” Amy said as they started downstairs. She laced her fingers with his. “When you do something, you do it big.”

Eddie frowned. “You didn’t mind, did you?”

“No. It was thoughtful and sweet. Are you okay? You’ve been quiet since we left your cousin’s. Actually, since you spoke with your father,” she corrected.

“I have a meeting with him tomorrow at nine.”

“Is that a good or a bad thing?”

His job was the least of his worries. “Unless Internal Affairs guys found something on my former partner, I don’t see how it can be a bad thing.”

“You still believe he’s clean?”

“Absolutely.” He stopped at the foot of the stairs and studied her face. She stood on the bottom step, which lowered the gap in their height. “We haven’t discussed tomorrow’s trip. Ashley and Jade both offered to keep an eye on Raelynn while we’re gone, but I told them we’re taking Lori with us. That’s still the plan, right?”

“Yes.” Frowning, she reached up and pushed back the lock of hair on his forehead. “You sure you are okay?”

He lifted her hand from his hair and pressed a kiss in her palm. “I’m cool. Would you like a drink? Coffee or maybe wine?”

“Are those the only options?”

“Yep. Lori got the bare essentials.” He retrieved a bottle of red wine from a cupboard and two glasses. He uncorked the wine then turned to watch Amy as she walked around. Familiar warmth spread across his chest. He didn’t know what it meant, but he loved it.

Earlier, Chase and Baron had teased him when he couldn’t take his eyes off her. That was the kind of the effect she had on him. She could be in a roomful of beautiful women and he’d only notice her.

The print dress caressed her curves when she moved, dipping and hugging her body at just the right places. The neckline was high and demure, but it didn’t hide the lushness of her beasts. Blood rushed to his groin as he imagined undressing her. He always loved unwrapping his presents.

Oblivious to his amorous thoughts, Amy opened the fridge and studied the contents—a container of milk, regular eggs, box of egg whites, coffee creamer, orange juice and regular and turkey bacon. He’d given his sister the list.

Closing the fridge door, Amy sashayed to where he stood by the kitchen counter, blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I wasn’t talking about a drink.” She looped her fingers around the stems of the two wine glasses, gripped his shirt with her free hand, pulled him down and kissed him. Her tongue ducked between his lips to find his, an appreciative moan escaping her. He cupped her face, but before he could take over, she was gone.

She took his hand. “Let’s go. I want something else.”

“And what’s that?”

“You.”

He grinned. He loved her boldness. She was never afraid to show that she wanted him. No wonder he was crazy about her.

Upstairs, she pushed him on the bed, poured him some wine and handed it to him with a saucy smile. “Sip and savor while I get to work.”

‘Work’ didn’t sound like something he’d like. Still, he settled against the pillows and took a generous sip of his drink. He forgot about his drink when she reached her side to unzip her dress, her expression changing in a way he couldn’t describe. She shimmied out of the dress, her movement slow and seductive. For one brief moment, he was sure it wouldn’t slide over her lush hips. She kicked the dress out of the way then paused, arms above her head, foot arched, hip cocked.

She was breathtaking. The black stockings, the thong and bra contrasting with her golden skin, the garter belt following her hips. He sat up and put his drink on the side table.

“No, no, sweetheart. Finish your wine first.”

Eddie threw his head back and gulped the drink, draining the glass. He jumped to his feet, gripped the lapels of his shirt and pulled, buttons flying. He threw his shirt aside.

“Eddie!”

He paused in the process of unbuttoning his pants, taken back by her tone.

“I want to make love to you and I can’t when you want to be in control all the time.”

He shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

“It is my turn to take care of your needs. You are going to sit back and enjoy it. Sit,” she ordered.

He sat.

She caressed his face, speared her fingers through his hair. “Every time we make love, you push me to the limit and watch me fall apart over and over again. You worry about hurting me every goddamn time even when I say I’m okay.”

He grinned, but her eyes narrowed. She gripped his hair, titled his head backwards then leaned toward him, her breasts almost spilling from the lacy cups.

“It’s my turn to watch you fall apart and worry about hurting you for once,” she whispered.

She could never hurt him. Not his Amy.

“Don’t move,” she ordered.

She was magnificent, a she-warrior in a garter belt and stockings, and completely insane. Memories of how he felt whenever he was inside her slammed into him, when she bit and scratched him while in the throes of passion and begged him to take her or go faster. Didn’t she understand she always had the control?

One look from her and his body reacted. Her smile had the power to make his chest feel tight, and her laughter sucked the oxygen from the room, making his chest hurt and his mind foggy. And every time she said she loved him, it was like a double-edged sword coming at him at the speed of light. He felt euphoric that she loved him without any guarantee of him returning it and at the same time scared that one day she’d stop loving him, stop saying it.

He watched with utter fascination as she lifted one foot and placed it on the bed between his thighs, the tip of her shoe too close to his jewels. He couldn’t summon the energy to scoot away. Then she unhooked her garter belt from the lace-tipped stockings. Smiling saucily, she watched him through her lashes as she rolled down one stocking to the shoe and eased it off her foot, her movements deliberate and graceful.

Blood roared past his ears and his hands curled on the bedspread when she unhooked her bra and her heavy breasts spilled out, the nipples standing proud. His eyes crossed. He had enough of this crap.

“Okay, lesson over. You have me completely under your spell. ” He jumped to his feet and reached for her.

She stepped back. “No. I’ve barely started. We do this my way or…or I’ll tie you to the bed.”

She wouldn’t dare. His Amy wouldn’t, but this temptress before him would. She could have threatened him with leaving, but she wanted this. Needed this for some crazy reason. The knowledge had him sitting down like an obedient child. The sooner she was done the faster things would go back to normal.

Smiling with approval, she hooked her thumbs on her thong. The world stopped when she worked it over her hips, slowly, seductively, until she stood naked before him. The light from the bedside lamp bathed her in golden perfection; the delicate curves and the hollows, the lush beasts. Crap! He was ready to explode.

“Now, it’s your turn,” she said.

Double crap. She stood between his legs, cupped his face and kissed him, her tongue sliding inside his mouth, teasing his, drinking hungrily. He instinctively reached up and put his hands on her hips, needing to feel her softness.

She took his wrists, eased off the kiss and looked into his eyes. “No touching.”

The thought of not touching her was like a knife through his gut. He wanted to ignore her, take over and bend her to his will, maybe punish her for torturing him.

“Amy—”

“If you don’t let me love you, Eddie, I’m going to march out of here.”

“Like hell you will. You belong in here with me.”

“I know.” She cupped his face again and looked into his eyes. “I just want to love you. Why won’t you let me?”

She did every time they were together and made him feel too much. Half the time he didn’t even understand what was happening to him.

“How long do I—?”

“No questions. Just let me be in charge for once. Trust me not to hurt you.” Then she gently nudged him backwards until his back touched the bed. “Put your hands above your head.”

He hesitated then complied.

He swallowed when she grabbed his belt and pulled. He stared at her hand and the belt, not sure what she planned to do with it then sighed with relief when she threw it over her shoulder. She stroked his stomach, the feel of her hand on his heated skin both heavenly and torture.

Carefully, she maneuvered his pants and underwear over his erection. Eddie hissed and decided he really, really hated having her in control. From the gleam in her eyes, the smile on her lips, she loved every moment of it, so he let her torture him, push him, until it hurt to breath. He swallowed, but it didn’t stop the burning in his chest.

This went beyond the two of them and her crazy belief that he didn’t give up control when making love to her. She needed to chase her past demons away. That she chose him as her guinea pig sucked, but at the same time, he hated the thought of her doing this with another man.

She sunk to her knees and took him in her mouth. Eddie shuddered and groaned, fought the urge to push her head away. Pull her closer. Beg her to stop. She was good. Passionate. Relentless. She drove him to the brink of insanity. Then she hummed and the sound vibrated through every bone in his body. He started to shake. The humming grew intense. She peeked at him from through her lashes. As though she knew, she’d pushed him too far, she eased off.

“Where are the condoms?”

“Drawer,” he croaked.

She must have gotten one, but he either passed out or time stood still because the next second, she was straddling him. She lowered herself and took him in. All of him. Her nether muscles clung to him and he lay there too scared to move. Not because he could hurt her. He couldn’t move because he was close to peaking and embarrassing himself. Worse, the shakes didn’t lessen.

Then she started to ride him, at first slowly as though to give him a little respite. She lifted herself until he was almost out of her then sunk back onto his hips. Skin glowing with a pearly sheen of sweat, eyes partially closed, her head flung back as she picked up tempo. She was magnificent. His goddess, seductress. She leaned toward his chest and pulled his arms, then grabbed his wrists and placed his hands on her hips.