Love With A Stranger (33 page)

“But our timing is lousy. I mean, I’ve only been a widow for two months. I didn’t intend for this to happen, and surely not so soon.”

“Love doesn’t read a calendar or clock, Cass. It’s rare to find the perfect man, so don’t risk losing him because of misplaced fears.”

“That’s what my heart says, but my head warns me about gossip.”

“No matter what you say or do, Cass, people are going to gossip about something. Just be discreet and you’ll be fine.”

“I suppose it’s obvious to you my marriage to Tom was a mistake. I was trying to make the best of it. I shouldn’t have allowed Tom to dazzle me and convince me to marry him. I was alone and lonely, I wanted children and a home. I married for all the wrong reasons.”

“I know what you mean; I’ve almost settled for men who weren’t right for me on several occasions. I probably would have if those men hadn’t changed their minds and walked out on me. Lordy, Cass, I’m twenty-seven and I’ve never been married and see no good prospects in sight!”

“It’s better to not be married or be divorced, perhaps with children, from some sorry bastard who tricked and betrayed
you. Would you believe Brad came to see me last Friday?” Cass related her ex-husband’s visit and motive and how Peter supposedly rescued her. “At least I can be grateful to Peter for that favor. He so terrified Brad that he’ll never bother me again.”

“That’s good news.”

“Oh, yes, I received other good news this week: the police have halted their investigation into Tom’s death and ruled it an accident.”

“That’s wonderful! No more stress from those angles.”

“Now, all I have to deal with are Peter and Jason.”
And Tom’s will.
“Have you ever met Jason’s children?”

“Yes, and they’re wonderful. You’ll like them and they’ll adore you. In fact, I wouldn’t mind snagging Stacey for myself, even if he is a few years younger than I am. He’s terrific like his father; and a real hunk.”

“Maybe you can snare him; Jason said he isn’t involved with anyone.”

“That would be a smidgen difficult since we live so far apart.”

“Well, he does come to visit his father, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, but I’m rarely around when he does.”

“Well, we’ll have to make certain you
are
around in the future.”

“Any help you can supply in that area will be appreciated.”

“Do you think Jason would want another child since his are grown?”

“He’s an excellent father and loves kids, so I think so.”

“I know I do. First, I need to see how Jason feels about having more children. I’ve certainly learned how important it is to discuss something like that early in a relationship. Do you know anything about him I should be warned about?”

“No, he’s as close to being perfect as a man can get, in my opinion.”

“Maybe that’s what scares me a little, or a lot: I’m afraid
to trust my judgment of him because I’ve been so wrong about my past choices.”

“This time, trust your feelings and intuition, Cass; he’s a jewel.”

“Well, we’d better pay our bill and get moving to the beauty spa or we’ll be late for our appointment.”

What she was about to do that night would be anything but fun for Cass, yet she hoped the unpleasant task would give her needed clues about Tom and possibly about Peter. She sat on her bed with pillows propped behind her back, her knees raised, and Tom’s diary resting against her thighs. She had used a screwdriver to break its lock and not felt the least bit guilty for invading his privacy.

She perused many entries over a year’s time period. Tom’s recordings about his wicked actions were almost all short and choppy, often crude, and featured a scoring system of one-toten and listed the types of “skills” his secret lovers possessed. She flipped from page to page, repulsed and shocked by what she read, but felt she had to learn the truth about the dark stranger who’d been her husband for over two years. Most of the entries for June through September seemed to correspond with the episodes she’d seen on the videotape. Then she got a few surprises.

October 5: Marlee: 9, Did first drugs today. Great sex. Didn’t like loss of control. Never again.

“So, even you have your limits. That’s a shock.”

November 6: Going home. Must be crazy to risk losing Cass. Love her and need her more than anybody in my life. Can’t help myself. Forbidden sex is like a potent and addicting drug.

“You had a strange way of proving you loved and needed me, you bastard! Am I supposed to feel sorry for you because you were an uncontrollable sex addict? Well, I don’t and never will.”

November 7: my sweet Cass, always an 11+.

“How nice,” she scoffed in a sacastic tone. “I rated over a ten.”

December 19: Took huge chance today with Dave in my gym. Next time, I’ll let him do me in his office. Maybe that sexy male nurse of his will join us for a threesome. Dave says he’s great.

“Dave? Are you possibly talking about David Hines? You two did those wicked things here in our home? You used those benches for…Oh, my heavens, and I’ve been lying on them while exercising! I’ll have to scrub and sanitize them tomorrow.”

January 13: Dave wants another shot at me. Said no. Too risky; he’s too promiscuous. What a fucking shame!

“And that filthy doctor touched me and treated me!”

February 9: Must give up other life and fight weakness for it. If lost Cass, would kill me. Mine forever, even after death. Would die if she ever cheated on me, but she never would. She’s the only person who loves me for myself, but she would never understand my weaknesses.

“For once, Thomas Grantham, you’re absolutely right!”

February 18: Marlee: 7 today. I just wasn’t into it and distracted.

February 21: I know Cass wants a child and she deserves one. Maybe it’s a good idea and timing is right this summer. Must get treatment if necessary to change, but must stop taking chances. Need to get closer to Peter; he’s becoming too much like me.

“I’m glad I don’t have your child, you sorry bastard!”

March 3: Doing Gretchen for last time this weekend. Love and need Cass more than these pleasures. No more risks. Get rid of tapes and journal. Burn all names, addresses, and phone numbers. Never again.

“So, you were on your last sordid fling, were you?” Cass muttered in disgust. “Perhaps fate was kind to me by taking
you away before you had the chance to dupe me further and before we could have a child.”

Cass closed the book and stared at its black leather cover and broken lock. How strange it was, she thought, that Thomas Ethan Grantham had kept a diary like a teenage girl, and how risky it was of him to make such detrimental recordings for someone to find. Had Tom been mentally ill, so sick in mind that he truly wasn’t responsible for his actions? Had he been crying out for help?

Who were you, Thomas Grantham?
Cass agonized.
What were you? What would Peter pay to make certain this diary is burned? Could I use it to force him to make a settlement with me to get what I deserve, to let me outwit Tom? I wonder how much Peter is like you. If he’s ignorant of your evil, this discovery could hurt him deeply, though he probably doesn’t deserve my help and compassion. How badly do I want at least part of my inheritance? Enough to do anything necessary to obtain it? Enough to risk enraging Peter to perhaps a dangerous degree? I’d better think about those questions seriously, because I’ll have to act on their answers soon.

Friday evening and fortuitously before Peter came home from work, Cass left her house at a little before six o’clock to drive to Jason’s. She wondered what was in store for them tonight.

Cass settled herself on a thick multi-striped coverlet that Jason had spread inside the widow’s walk railing atop his home. As he poured two glasses of wine, she reflected on how they had prepared supper together in his spacious but cozy kitchen and had cleaned up afterward as a team. Broiled swordfish steaks, baked potatoes, rolls, and a garden salad had never tasted better; nor had she ever found routine chores to be more stimulating. They had taken a stroll on the beach, daring to hold hands in their solitude on the sand, then climbed the exterior spiral steps to enjoy the view and each other’s company. The sun had set and nighttime engulfed them, but a full moon and countless stars gave soft light. A cooling breeze with intermingled floral and ocean scents wafted over them. They were positioned to the rear of his house where the gentle slope of its roof, many tall trees, and the one-storied adjacent dwellings prevented them from being visible to inquisitive eyes and minds.

As Cass took the glass of blush wine from Jason, she smiled
and said, “Thanks. This is wonderful, Jason, so tranquil and lovely. I think I could sleep up here.”

“Yep, a perfect night for stargazing. And romancing,” he added.

Cass saw his eyes brighten. He appeared to be trying to look and sound calm, but she perceived his suspense and anticipation. Those same feelings assailed her. So did the annoying question of should she relent to her rampant desires. She had been the one to make the restrictive rules for their relationship, but she yearned to break them. Over the rim of an upturned glass, she watched him lick his lips after he sipped some wine, shift his position to be closer to her, and let his adoring gaze roam her face. She knew she was weakening, and suddenly she didn’t care, couldn’t retreat. “Careful, Doc.”

Jason asked, “Why? I’m in no danger of falling.” He watched her tease manicured nails over his forearm and was enthralled by her magnetic allure. He yearned to undress her and make love to her.

Cass lifted her right hand and toyed with a windblown lock of tawny hair. “I meant, be careful of how you look at me or I might seduce you. Besides, I thought you already had fallen, fallen for me.”

“I have; I took a hard and fast tumble the first time I met you. I’m more than willing to become putty in your lovely hands.” He captured the empty one and kissed each fingertip, then its palm several times.

Cass warmed and quivered in desire. “If anyone on this roof is a lump of susceptible putty, Doc, it’s me. You got me here, didn’t you?”

“I’m glad you came and I’m overjoyed you trust me. I love you, Cass.”

Please convince me that’s true and you aren’t a perilous stranger.
Just above a whisper, she said, “But you hardly know me, Jason.”

“I know you well enough to know I love you and want
you.” He noticed she was breathing more quickly now, and her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes glowed with what looked like passion as she held his gaze. It was a struggle not to yank her into his arms and kiss her, but he wanted her to make the first move tonight to make certain he didn’t overstep his bounds.

Cass wanted Jason Burkman with every fiber of her being. Right or wrong, wise or foolish, she must have him again tonight, here and now. She set aside her glass and slipped a leg over his hips to sit across his lap. She clasped his handsome face between her hands, gazed into his blue eyes, and said, “I want you and need you.” She kissed him with boldness and fierce longing.

Jason’s arms banded her back and he returned the kiss with fervor. He realized she craved him as much as he craved her. She was giving him permission to pursue her. He pulled her more tightly against him as his lips feasted on her mouth, face, ears, and throat. As she erotically rubbed her body against his, his trembling fingers unfastened her blouse, peeled it off, and cast it aside. He did the same with her bra, then nestled his face between her breast, his tongue teasing the sweet skin there before wandering to taste each taut, waiting nipple. His hands caressed her sleek bare back and delighted in the warmth and silkiness of her skin.

Cass leaned back her head and sighed with pleasure as her fingers roamed his broad shoulders. She moaned and writhed in his lap, aware of the hardness straining against his shorts. Ever since her arrival, or perhaps before she left home, a gigantic ache for him had been building within her and she had to assuage it or surely go mad. She grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. As she fumbled with the drawstring at his waist, wanting to feel her flesh in contact with his, he halted his actions to assist her.

Cass slid from his lap to remove her skirt, half-slip, and panties and toss them into an increasing pile of clothes. She worked fast; she didn’t want either of them to cool down a
single degree and she could hardly wait to be embraced by his arms again.

Jason stripped off his shorts and briefs in an eager rush, glad he had taken off his dock shoes and socks earlier. He lay atop her, but didn’t enter her, wanting to prolong their foreplay and regain some control.

Moonlight danced over their naked and writhing bodies as the ocean’s waves crashed on the nearby beach at hightide. Gusts of wind blew across their enflamed flesh, but failed to cool them or even be noticed.

He fondled and kissed her in an almost mindless frenzy, his control strained. At one point, he leaned back, looked down at her, and said, “You can’t possibly know how beautiful and tempting you are or how much pleasure you give me.”

“Oh, Jason; you make me feel so good, and you drive me wild. We probably shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t help myself.”

“Neither can I, Cass. I would beg for mercy, woman, but I don’t want to receive any.”

“Me, neither.” She parted her thighs to coax him to unite their bodies, and he did.

Jason sank deep into the core of her need and Cass gasped with pleasure. Sweet ecstasy coiled steadily within her as she eagerly moved with him as he drove her ever closer to the brink of ecstasy.

“Tell me when you’re ready, my love,” he murmured against her ear.

“Now, Jason, now.”

“Love me, Cass, take all you want.”

They came together in a blissful and stunning climax that left them clinging tightly to each other.

Cass felt like purring in satisfaction. Never had sex been so powerful and soul-thrilling. She wondered if each time with Jason would be better than the time before. It hardly seemed possible!

Jason stayed ensheathed within her as he relished their closeness. The love, satisfaction, and serenity that encompassed him was wonderful and overwhelming. While controlling his weight atop her, he gazed into her limpid brown eyes and ravishing face, leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

The kiss was so filled with strong emotion that Cass almost cried in happiness. For the first time in her life, she felt as if she had experienced genuine lovemaking and had given of herself completely. At last, she had found the perfect man to share her life and claim her love. She hugged him tightly.

Jason eased himself out of her body, hating to break the intimate contact, and lay beside her. Relaxed in the golden aftermath of the exhilarating experience, he cuddled her in his embrace and took a deep breath. “This isn’t pillow talk, Cass: that was the most wonderful lovemaking I’ve ever had. I don’t know what it is about you, but you do things to me no other woman ever has. I want you around me all of the time. Just your smile or laugh or voice warm me. I love you with all my heart, all of it, Cass. I want to marry you.”

Cass had been about to reveal she felt the same way, until his last sentence reminded her of the obstacle between them. She rolled to her side, propped herself up by an elbow, looked down at him, and said, “There’s something important I have to tell you.”

When she looked over his head and hesitated, Jason feared the worst. “What is it?” he asked.

Cass felt his body tense, heard the strain in his voice, and saw his look of concern. “It’s about Tom’s will and my inheritance. I don’t…” As she paused to select her wording, Jason interrupted her.

“I swear to you I’m not interested in you for your money, Cass. I have plenty of it and a profitable practice. If you want a prenuptial agreement, that’s fine with me. I don’t care whether you come to me with a nickel to your name, just as long as you do come to me.”

Cass hugged him and gave him a brief kiss in gratitude before she related the truth of her situation, numbers and all. “Tom was very cunning with his will; if I marry again within five years, I forfeit everything left in my estate, which would be the major portion of it. And until those five years pass, I get only living expenses, a monthly allowance, and a Christmas bonus. It almost sounds as if I’m an employee instead of his widow. It makes me angry, disappointed, and embarrassed to be treated that way. He dangled a huge golden carrot over my head, but he attached a lengthy and strong and unbreakable chain to it. It’s not that I’m greedy, Jason, and I didn’t marry him for his money and even signed a prenuptial agreement to prove it; but I deserve and want my inheritance, at least part of it. I’d have to wait ten years to get the other half, and I’m not willing to make that sacrifice. But if I walk away now, all I can take with me are my personal possessions and a few thousand dollars in my checking account; I can’t even keep my home and its furnishings.”

After Jason sat up and tossed his shirt over his groin, Cass donned her long-tailed blouse to conceal her nudity for the serious conversation.

Jason chose his response with care. “You told me last week what your percentages were and I knew Grantham was a rich man, but I didn’t realize how much wealth was involved. Are his stipulations legal?”

“According to what Simon Johnson told me, legal and binding; that bloodline provision stays in force for life. He said there’s no way I can break or change the terms. I started to see another lawyer as you suggested, but I decided Mr. Johnson wouldn’t lie to me about something I could easily disprove, then cause trouble for him. Since he’s such a prestigious and skilled attorney, I’m sure he knows his business and there’s no loophole.”

“What happens to the money if you decide to remarry?”

Cass revealed the one omitted point, “It reverts to his son or heirs.”

“Peter gets it?” He saw her nod. “All of it? Everything?”

“That’s right, and it’s the reason he tried to dupe me about your motive for wanting me. I had to question why he would destroy a budding relationship with you when it would profit him to toss me into your lap.”

“I can’t imagine, unless he’s romantically interested in you. Is he?”

“Not that I know of; in fact, I’m sure he still dislikes and distrusts me. If he wants me, the only reason is to get his hands on the money. Don’t worry, I have no interest in him in that area. I think he drugged me because I had to be mentally and physically incapacitated for him to get to the will and companies’ books before I saw them. I suspect Hines helped him either for money or to protect some secret Peter knows about him.”

An estate that size was nothing to sneeze off lightly, Jason reasoned, that choice had to be hers. If he coerced her into making one in his favor, it could cause resentment later. But was collecting it worth costing them five or ten years of marital bliss? Was he willing to settle for a lengthy love affair if that was her decision? He had to discover her stand on the matter. “I realize that over fifteen million dollars plus added future income is a lot of money, and I know the value of real estate here, so are you telling me you can’t marry me for at least five years?”

“I honestly don’t know. Our relationship happened so fast that my head hasn’t cleared yet, and we’re still getting to know each other. I don’t want to leap into another marriage until I’m certain it’s the right thing for me to do. The same caution should apply to you. We have to make sure there’s more than a physical attraction between us. It’s a lot of money, Jason, and I deserve it for what he did to me.”

“What do you mean by deserving it for what he did to you?”

Cass drew a deep breath before revealing to Jason the truth—though partial—of Tom’s sexual dalliances.

“After Tom was killed in that accident, I discovered he had been cheating on me with countless lovers. He used me and betrayed me and he endangered my life by taking risks that could have given me AIDS. If those detectives or the media had gotten wind of his secrets, I would have been humiliated by a scandal. He manipulated and dominated me for years, and he’s still trying to do that from his grave. Damn him!” Cass was positive Jason assumed she was referring to female lovers and she couldn’t force herself to tell him otherwise.

He put his arm around her, drew her closer, and urged, “Relax, love, everything will be all right.”

“I shouldn’t have married him, Jason; it was a huge and stupid mistake. I realized too late I didn’t love him enough to be his wife, but I tried my best to make it work. I just wanted to have a real home and a family, to be happy and fulfilled. Tom wasn’t the man to give me those things, and no amount of money makes up for them being denied.”

“I understand. I did the same thing: I married Brenda for all the wrong reasons, the same ones you mentioned, and paid dearly for doing so. We’re only human, my love. But now, we’ve found each other. We can be happy, Cass; we can have a family together. You don’t need Tom’s money, but I understand why you want to collect it. I’ll even admit I’m tempted to encourage you to do so just to keep Peter from having it and to repay Tom for misusing you badly, but I have to let the past go to be happy and free.”

Cass leaned away to gaze deep into Jason’s eyes as she said, “I love you and want you, Jason, but I can’t give you an answer until I resolve this matter for myself. I won’t come to you with ghosts haunting me; that isn’t fair. And as I said earlier, we have to get to know each other better before either of us should make a serious commitment.”

Jason beamed at her confession. “You don’t know how
happy it makes me to hear you say you love me. The last thing you need is more pressure and stress, especially from me. I’ll give you time to work out that problem. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be seeing each other, right?”