Harlequin Kimani Romance September 2014 Bundle: Seduced by the Heir\Secret Silver Nights\Someone Like You\Indulge Me Tonight (59 page)

The room started to fill with other family members. Faro finished with his plate and called out to the others in a voice of welcome. Desree wondered if anyone noticed how insincere it sounded.

“Eat up, everybody! We got lots on tap for the day,” Faro said.

“Things gonna get weird like they did last night?” someone asked.

“Let's hope not.” Faro eased a quick knowing look toward Desree.

* * *

“Is it me or are you hiding?” Laura asked when she entered Tielle's office and leaned on the door.

“Why would you think that?” Tielle rolled her eyes when Laura sent a pointed look toward her platter of coffee, breakfast potatoes, bacon and fruit. She shrugged. “Thought I'd get more done in here.”

“Right.”

Tielle shook her head, smiled. “Did you hear about last night's dinner?”

“Bits and pieces. Enough to know you were pretty pissed over it. Walked out before dessert—is that right?”

“Humph. Walked out before dinner.”

Laura whistled. “That bad, huh?”

“That bad.”

“How'd Grae take it?”

“We wound up having dinner together in the library.” Tielle broke a bacon strip in half.

Laura's eyes widened. “What was that like?”

“We fell asleep on the sofa after dinner.”

“And?” Laura settled onto the arm of a chair. “Did it end there?” Her hope that it hadn't was obvious.

“Didn't have to, but he...” Tielle studied her breakfast with sudden distaste. “He pulled back.” Taking her mug, she left the sofa. “He wants to fix things, to make it up to me for driving us to divorce.”

Laura traced one of the pleats in her brick-colored skirt. “Does he plan to keep his distance until he's done that?”

“It's hard to sway him once he's made up his mind. Looks like he thinks it's best to stay away.” Tielle stood before the beverage cart, cup in hand.

“And where do
you
stand in all this?”

Kicking herself into movement, Tielle sugared her coffee and laced it with a heavy dose of cream. “I stand on the side of right,” she triumphantly announced and then gave a cold laugh. “At least that's how Grae sees it. He won't let me take responsibility for any of it.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Laura blinked.

“When we were married, he
asked
me—” Tielle returned to the sofa and cluster of arm chairs designating the office living area
“
—
asked
me to stay out of trying to revamp his relationship with his brother. His
asking
meant I had the option of declining, which I did.

“I did everything I could to bring him and Faro closer even after he stopped
asking
me to stay out of it and
told
me to.” She slapped a hand to the side of her pencil mocha-colored skirt. “Now we're divorced and he expects me not to take the blame for
any
part of that.”

“Honey, we've talked about this before.” Laura leaned forward. “You already know it would've been next to impossible for you to abide by that, no matter how he asked you to. This is who you are. It never would've turned out any other way than it did.”

Tielle settled into one of the chairs flanking the sofa. “Grae being here every day isn't the only reason I can't let it go.” She sipped from her coffee, relished the taste hitting her tongue and swallowed.

“Faro wants the family to come clean about everything that's driven them apart over the years. The night started passably enough, but then it swerved off course and went someplace no one seemed sure of except Faro.”

Laura exchanged her place on the arm of the chair for the seat cushion itself. “What are you saying, Ti?”

“All those years ago, I didn't stick up for Faro because I was just a bighearted fool, or because helping's just in my blood, or because I was trying to live up to some standard my grandparents had put in place.” She rubbed her hands against suddenly chilled arms bared by the capped sleeves of a black sweater. “I did it because he struck me as a man who'd been a horrible big brother, and he finally wanted to make it up and repair a relationship he'd destroyed.”

Laura appeared bewildered. “Are you saying you think he's no longer interested in getting things right with him and Grae?”

“No, Laura.” Tielle's smile was sad. “I'm saying that I don't think he was
ever
interested in getting things right with Grae.”

Laura's bewilderment cleared as she straightened on the chair. “When did this occur to you?”

“Something about him last night.” Tielle slumped back in the chair and let her hands dangle over the arms. “I never noticed it before in all the times I talked to him. Guess that's because I never spent much time around him in a family setting—certainly none like what we're so privileged to be part of now.”

Tielle rested her head back on the chair. “Last night I felt like I was looking at a stranger, Laura, and if I was wrong about Faro, that means I jeopardized my marriage for nothing.”

Chapter 7

S
ince breakfast that morning was set to be more of a drop-in affair, Tielle made no effort to...
drop in.
Not that she'd had any intention to do so regardless. Following her chat with Laura, she decided that to venture completely outside the house would be a better plan. She was willing to try anything that would save her from running into those members of the Clegg family who still had a cross word or an evil eye to throw her way.

Grae found his ex-wife bundled on one of the cushioned chairs outside the pool cottage. “Being around my family is so bad you'd rather brave these morning temps,” he noted.

She smiled, but kept her eyes on the screen of her tablet. “Being around your family is so bad, I'd rather brave these morning temps,” she confirmed.

“Still pissed.” He phrased the question in his usual manner of statement.

Tielle didn't lift her head from the work she studied. “Still such a slave to your ego that you think me denying myself the full pleasure of your company means I'm pissed at you?”

“You've avoided me all day.”

She almost laughed. “It's still the morning!”

“Tel...” he virtually purred while easing both hands into the front pockets of the white fleece hoody he sported. “You know how much I like to ‘get up' early.”

“That's right...” She ignored the suggestion in his words. “It's still sex on your terms, your time...”

“Well, you never took the initiative.” Grae chuckled.

Tielle laughed then, as well. “There was never any need!”

He blinked, a stricken look befalling his finely crafted face. “Was that a problem for you?” he asked in a small voice.

“No, Grae, it never was.” Her expression was soft when she looked at him. “We only had one major problem.”

“True, but it was a major problem that shined a harsh light on all the rest.”

“Do you really think we can magically work out our issues, topped off by divorce and a year apart?”

“I don't think magic is the answer.”

Tielle shut down her tablet. “What is?” she asked.

“This place.” Grae spared a moment to study the sun-kissed expanse of gardens beyond the sunken pool area. “I can't think of a better place to find what we lost than the place it all began.”

Tielle couldn't deny the strength of his logic, nor the chill it sent through her despite the layers of her sweatshirt, tank top, jeans and the wool blanket atop them.

Memory took her back to a day eight years prior when Clegg Marketing, then led by Kenneth Clegg, had its first executive staff retreat. They selected Turner Estates and Gardens for the venue.

Tielle had arrived in time for a late supper with her grandmothers and was introduced to Ken's son, Grae. Tina and Danielle had already taken an extreme liking to the young man, whom they invited to stay and enjoy supper with them and their granddaughter.

Grae knew he would've accepted the offer regardless. Tina and Danielle had an aura about them that would have appealed to any man. When Tielle arrived halfway through the first course, Grae had no desire to dine elsewhere for the duration of the retreat or until Tielle left the estate. He had been utterly fascinated by the curvy, dark beauty, and they'd spent the next three weekends together. By then, he had tumbled headfirst into love with her. Two years later they were married, four years after that they were divorced.

Grae shook his head on the memory, grateful for the interruption of Tielle's ringing phone. He listened in as she greeted and chatted with Laura Cooper. Laura's contribution to the discussion must not have been good, for Tielle rolled her eyes a few moments into the conversation.

“We've been summoned,” she announced to Grae once the call ended. “Back for the therapy session.” She pushed off the lounge she'd occupied, collected her things, then headed toward the pool house to return the blanket she'd found there.

“Therapy session.” Grae shuddered as he followed her. “Why's
that
necessary?”

“Hey,
you're
the one who wanted me to agree to this thing.”

“Punch me the next time I come to you with such a great idea.”

She laughed and threw Grae a wink over her shoulder. “Do I get to choose where?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

“On whether you'll make it feel better once you bruise it.”

“Why'd I ask...?”

* * *

Grae watched as she put away the blanket, smiling as she stepped onto one of the blackwood ladder-back chairs. Then she was able to reach the cabinet space in the back of the small sitting room area of the cottage.

Thoroughly, he surveyed the area. The stirring bronzed pools of his eyes narrowed.

Tielle was closing the cabinet when she noticed the direction he was heading. Having avoided spending much time in the house in an effort to quell the reminders it evoked, Tielle decided to leave Grae to enjoy his tour alone. She got no farther than the chair she'd used to reach the cabinet when he hooked an arm about her waist.

“New bed?” he asked.

“It is.” She masked a feeling of sudden displacement by clearing her throat. “The old one was on its last legs—literally.”

“It's nice,” Grae said against her temple.

“My guests think so.” Tielle took steadying breaths—ones she hoped might settle the rampant beat of her heart. “The summer folks usually like a nap after a swim in the pool or the lake.”

“And what about the winter guests?” Grae asked while gently nudging Tielle into the cozy room.

“They love it. Grae, we really should get going to that therapy session.”

“What's the rush?” His deep voice was a soothing wave. “It'll take everybody thirty minutes to get there and another thirty to get settled.”

“Grae...” His name was little more than a breathy whisper. She attempted to turn in his loose hold at her waist, yet the move wasn't an easy one considering the close quarters and who she was sharing them with.

What remained of her protest segued into a moan when she managed to turn and her tongue became otherwise engaged. Entangled, a ragged, wet kiss commenced between them. Grae quickly tired of aligning his imposing frame to accommodate her slight one. Rising to his full height, he took Tielle with him, keeping her body flush against the chiseled perfection of his.

She launched into resistance mode when her phone buzzed again. “Grae, we don't have time for this.”

“We got plenty of time,” he argued upon taking a momentary break from stroking his tongue across the roof of her mouth. “My entire family is elsewhere.”

“And we should be there, too,” Tielle almost purred when he cradled her bottom in his palms while his mouth took a slow glide down her neck and collarbone.

She felt the new bed beneath her back moments later, and Grae settled against her soon after. Eyes closing as though she were delightfully drowsy, Tielle gave in to what she needed from him. Giving in to the pleasure of him there. Tielle worked herself against the erection she'd missed.

Grae set his face next to her clavicle and inhaled. The tender act was fleeting. He needed to see her—
really
see her. Deftly, he pulled her out of her clothes, his lips skimming every silken patch of skin he bared. He lingered near parts of her that he'd missed most dearly, grinning arrogantly when she squirmed against him.

“Grae, we should...go...mmm...you—you told me to tell you to stop...”

He tended to one perky nipple, sheltering the pebble inside skillful lips and bathing it with his tongue. His thumb and forefinger tended to the other. She smiled when she arched more of herself into his mouth.

“Honey, you're not being very convincing,” he murmured.

Tielle bit down on her lip to silence a moan. “Listen to my words and not my body.” But her words were slurred.

“Are you serious?” He chuckled and continued his erotic journey downward.

* * *

Leo blew out a sigh through his end of the phone line. “You let that boy get inside your head, Des. You always do.”

“I see. And why, exactly, did you call me today?”

“What Grae said does make me wonder. I'll admit that. The fact that Faro was so hell-bent on having that retreat in that particular venue... Did he say anything else when you saw him this morning?”

“Only what I told you.” Desree sighed. “I guess you're right. Letting that child rattle me this way is asinine. He's probably havin' a helluva laugh over it.”

“But you don't believe that?” Leo guessed.

“If it is...
that,
how would he know it? He was a boy.”

“A clever one, as we both know.”

“But if we never spoke on it—”

“There were times,” Leo interrupted, “I talked to Ken a lot. He could've overheard.”

“But why would he wait until
now
to make an issue of it? I could've understood him doing it six years ago instead of now.”

Leo sighed, not wanting further reference to
six years ago.
Ken Clegg had followed his wife, Grace, into the afterlife.

“Since you called,” Des said, “least you can do is give me the benefit of your wisdom. Any suggestions on how to handle this?”

Leo spared a few seconds to send a groan through the line. “The devil with it. Just ask him.”

* * *

The small pool cottage was quiet except for the sounds of Tielle's hitched cries echoing throughout the three rooms. Her hands were curved into small fists that beat a steady tune against the flexing, ropey muscles of Grae's upper back and shoulders.

He'd relieved her of every scrap of clothing she wore and sent it all to the floor in a graceful tumble. Tielle arched and bucked her hips in a wild fashion until Grae laid a heavy forearm across her belly. The move effectively stifled any movement on Tielle's part.

With her open and settled before him, Grae treated her to a devastating oral display that sent her trembling. Climax stirred within a matter of seconds. Burying all ten fingers in her thick hair, Tielle lost herself in the deeply missed treat. Grae kept his arm across Tielle's belly while his free hand curved over one thigh, tugging it high to improve her position for him.

Tielle's gasping, throaty cries broke through with ease, coaxed by Grae's talented tongue. Her responses livened the air with a continuous stream of sound that, for Grae, was utterly ego-stroking. His head tilted and rotated, slowly at times, then with more fluid speed as he tested some new method of pleasuring her. It all produced the most splendid results, ones that sent Tielle right to the verge of another climax. She could feel herself tipping just slightly over the edge before he tugged her back in a way that possessed a sinful beauty instead of a rugged jarring.

She ordered herself not to beg him. Not wanting to linger in the cottage had little to do with the therapy session they were shamefully late for and everything to do with her not wanting to lower herself to begging him only to be denied again.

“Grae...”

“You want me to stop?”

“No...”

Slowly, he raised his head, easing up over her to tongue her navel with a maddening thoroughness. He charted the sensual course across the undersides of her breasts and the valley between them.

“Tell me what you want me to do, Tielle.”

“Take off your clothes,” she purred, heart thudding voraciously in her while she kissed herself from his tongue.

Soon, they were both equally bare and loving the feel of being together beyond clothing's boundaries. Sounds of satisfaction stirred from them both. Tielle reveled in the allure of security Grae provided with the power of his magnificent form seductively nudging her body. Each time she attempted pushing him to his back, he bumped the head of his erection against her entrance.

He wasn't of a mind to relinquish a shred of control.

His loose embrace at the base of her throat effectively stilled her into accepting his kiss. He toyed with her tongue, similar to the manner in which he toyed with the rest of her. Frequently, his sex grazed hers, taunting and then denying full pleasure.

Though desperately aroused, Tielle's gasp was prompted mostly by remembrance. “Grae...” Her nails scraped his hips in a subtle sign to have all of him. “Wait...”

“Ti—”

“We need condoms.”

Grae's bronzed stare narrowed dangerously. His hand flexed once like a vise on Tielle's hip. He inhaled deeply several times and, while the effort removed a sudden frown, the dangerous glint in his eyes remained.

“You're serious,” he said.

“It's okay.” She kissed his jaw. “I have plenty.”

“You what?” Grae's eyes narrowed almost to the point of closing.

Awareness seized its hold, and Tielle considered his hand at her hip. The hold had taken on a quality less akin to caressing.

“You have condoms.”

“Yeah, I—I keep them here. All sizes. I—I know you need larger...” Shrugging, she proffered a weak smile. “It's good to be prepared. I—I never know when the mood might strike my guests.”

“Is that right? And what about you?”

She blinked, greater awareness creeping into the cognac orbs of her gaze. “I'm pretty sure you keep a healthy stash somewhere convenient,” she challenged, instead of telling him that she hadn't thought about sex with another man in the year they'd been apart. Let alone even seeing someone else.

Grae appeared stunned, almost hurt by the accusation, yet he schooled his expression before it revealed too much. “So is that what you use this place for?”

She shoved at his chest. “Get off me.”

“Couldn't even wait for a year, Tel?” He refused to budge. “What about begging me for it last night? Do you keep condoms in the library, too? What would Miss Tina and Miss Danielle think?”