Unbreak my Heart (8 page)

After Edward and Michael re-joined them at the table, Clare went up to the counter to pay the bill while Crank took Willow and the twins out to the car.

By the time they reached Clare’s cabin Willow was fast asleep so Crank offered to carry her through to her bedroom while Clare walked in front and opened the doors.

“Would you like to
stay for a coffee?” she asked as they crept back out of Willow’s room into the sitting room. “You could finish telling me your story about how you made the dumbest split second decision in your entire life while the twins find something on the television to watch.It’s still quite early, only 9:45.”

Crank put his hands around Clare’s waist and drew her close. “I think I might have to take a raincheck on that coffee.
” he said disappointedly. “Michael was almost asleep when we arrived and I don’t think Edward was too far behind him so I think I might just head on back to the cabin and get them settled in.” He bent down and brushed his lips against hers; gently at first and then more urgently until they were exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues.

Crank felt
himself getting hard and forced himself to break away. “Clare, I have to go,” he rasped, raking a slightly trembling hand through his thick, dark locks, “while I still have the willpower to leave. Thank you so much for shouting dinner this evening. I think the boys had a great time.”

Clare
dragged her fingers through her mussed hair and glanced back toward Willow’s open doorway. “I don’t think they were the only ones,” she whispered, still panting from the heat of the moment. “Willow had so much fun that she completely wore herself out.”

But Crank was barely able to concentrate on her words. He was too busy
thinking about how and when he was going to finally break the news to her that he had only just been released from jail after spending six years behind bars for manslaughter.

Realising that Crank had slipped
back into some sort of painful reverie, Clare slipped her palms under his untucked shirt and slid them up to his abs to bring him back to the present, causing him to suck in a breath. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “You need to go. I’ve never felt more like making love to someone in my whole entire life and if it weren’t for the fact that your nephews were waiting for you out in the car I would probably drag you off to my bed right now.” She slipped her hands out from under his shirt and pushed him by the waist all the way back out onto the porch.

Looking out at Crank’s car she could see both boys were still wide awake waiting for
him. “We’ll see you boys around mid-morning,” she whispered, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “I have some fresh bread, chicken and cheese to make us all a picnic lunch and Willow and I found a bunch of rods and reels that belonged to granddaddy in the shed out the back so you’re welcome to choose whichever ones you like. Night Crank.”

She looked over at the car again and waved
to the twins. “Night boys. It was nice meeting you.”

Despite having a long, cold shower before going to bed, Crank still slept fitfully. Every bone in his body now ached for Clare and she had invaded his dreams every time he had actually managed to fall asleep.

At
6 a.m. the alarm went off on his watch, stirring him from oblivion, but rather than open his eyes he fumbled around with the buttons on the side until he managed to hit the off button and promptly rolled over to get a bit more sleep.

Suddenly
he was back in the sitting room of Clare’s cabin as she walked out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, but this time, instead of trying to cover herself she smiled at him seductively and slowly undid the towel, letting it drop to the floor.

The sight of Clare
standing naked in front of him was so incredibly hot, every part of her so sexy and perfect; while every part of him was alert, and hardening by the second with desire. Despite his growing arousal, he remained seated, it had been a long time since he had been with a woman and he wanted to take things slowly.

Sensing his nervousness,
Clare walked over to the sofa, pulled him to his feet and gently guided his hands around her waist. For the longest time they stood stationary in a warm, loving embrace, with Clare’s head cradled on his chest, but even though he was now fully erect, he still made no attempt to go any further. It had been such a long time since he had held a woman in his arms that he was genuinely afraid.

Once the hammering in his chest finally
began to subside, Clare lifted her head from his chest, unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it from behind until it fell to the ground in a heap. With the barrier removed, she then slid the flats of her hands from his pecs all the way down to his rock hard abs and then deftly removed his belt, tossing it into the corner of the room, before tugging down his jeans and underwear until he too was completely naked.

By now his need for her
was urgent and he instinctively pulled her into his arms until his lips were crushing hers and his erection pressed hard against the warmth of her skin. Gently, he lifted Clare up and began lowering her down onto his manhood, but just as he was about to enter her and meld their aroused bodies into one, there was a loud and sudden, intrusive rap on the door behind them. A knock so loud that it felt to Crank like it didn’t belong in the peacefulness and sensuality of the moment.

Suddenly t
he loud knock repeated. “Uncle Crank, are you awake? It’s Michael.”

Crank
tried desperately to ignore the voice and the knocking, but the damage had been done, it had woken him from his sleep and Clare suddenly vanished in his arms.

“Uncle Crank,
is it okay if I come in?”

Crank
grumbled with frustration and immediately covered his nakedness. “Yes Michael, come on in,” he groaned, letting go of the pillow he had been cradling and sitting up as his nephew entered the room. “What’s up?” he asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

“Clare called about fifteen minutes ago. She said
to tell you that she wants us to meet her and Willow at their cabin around ten to go fishing.”

Crank glanced down at his watch
and saw that it had already gone nine. “Shit! How did I manage to sleep so long?” he grumbled. “Where’s Edward?”

“He’s in the kitchen cooking up a pan of scrambled eggs for us for breakfast
,” he said slightly bemused that his uncle had overslept. “Edward and I got up around 7:00 and went for a walk along the edge of the lake, so I guess there was no noise around to rouse you.”

Crank
stretched out his arms and yawned to wake himself up. “I’m glad to hear that you guys have started doing a bit of exploring while you’re here. You know just last night your mama asked if I would make sure that the pair of you didn’t just keep your noses stuck in your computers or in a book.”

“P-LEASE!”
Michael said cheekily, “As if Edward would ever stick his nose in a book! I have my doubts whether he can even read!”

Crank grabbed the pillow and playfully tossed it at his nephew, causing him to duck. “You know very well that your brother can read just as well as you
can,” he retorted. “Now get out of here and let me take a shower and get dressed. Oh and leave me some egg, I’m starved.”

Michael picked up the pillow and tossed it back onto the bed
, narrowly missing his uncle’s head. “Well let’s just hope Edward knows how to cook!”

***

Despite sleeping in, Crank and the twins arrived at Clare’s cabin at 10 a.m. sharp and after picking out a rod each and digging through Clare’s overgrown back garden for some worms, while she packed a delicious hamper for their lunch, the five of them spent a perfect morning together picnicking and fishing by the lake, with Willow particularly thrilled when she managed to catch a small Bass on her line.

Every night for the next
two weeks, Crank fell into bed exhausted and happy, managing to fall asleep without any sign of guilt despite spending his days bushwalking, sight-seeing and fishing with Clare and Willow and his twin nephews.

To further add to his happiness,
this morning his sister Macey had called excitedly to tell him and the boys the good news that their dad, Eli, was now fully conscious and was expected to make a full recovery within a matter of weeks; giving the five of them another opportunity to dine out in celebration.

This time
the twins and Willow had requested Chinese so Crank and Clare had taken them to a Chinese restaurant in Marshall called
The Red Dragon
and while they were there he had finally plucked up the courage to tell Clare about his multi-billion dollar empire that he had built from scratch with his business partner, Kurt, and how he was personally worth over 1.5 billion dollars.

At first
Clare had simply laughed it off thinking he was pulling her leg, but finally realised he was serious when the twins confirmed his story.

“I tried to tell you that
Uncle Crank was rich the night you came with him to pick us up from the bus,” Michael reminded her, but Uncle Crank stopped me.”

“I’m really sorry about that,” Crank apologised as Clare reached for her wine glass to steady her racing mind. “I’ve
been wanting to tell you for days, but the timing never felt quite right, but tonight, after receiving the good news about my brother-in-law, Eli, it felt like the right time to finally come clean.”

Clare was speechless for almost a full minute.
“I guess that explains why your business partner, Kurt, was more than happy to pay for my radiator and hoses,” she said finally, picking up her glass and taking a larger than usual swig. “Is there anything else that you have been holding back from me Crank?” she teased, eyeing him with mock suspicion, “or do you have another huge revelation left up your sleeve for another day?”

Crank
felt a sudden surge of panic. There was still something extremely important that he had not yet told her –
Like the fact that he had only just been released from prison after serving six years behind bars for manslaughter.

S
ince being interrupted when he tried to tell her at the pizza joint on the first night the boys arrived, he had so far failed to come clean and tell Clare the rest of his story.

H
urriedly, he changed the subject. “What about you Clare?” he asked, turning the spotlight back on her. “Is there anything that
you
are holding back on telling me? How do I know that you don’t secretly own a billion dollar company?”

Clare
nervously cleared her throat. “Actually, it’s almost the exact opposite,” she confided. “As a matter of fact I am almost flat broke. Clay’s savings have all ran out and Willow and I are about to be without a home once the real estate agent sells it.” She took another sip of wine to steady her nerves. “The truth is when we get back to Houston we’ll probably be forced to put the cabin on the market as well so that we can afford to buy a cheaper house in one of Houston’s outer suburbs without the burden of a mortgage.”

Crank reached his hand across the table and rested it on hers. “Clare you don’t have to
sell your cabin. How would you and Willow feel about moving to Austin with me? I don’t have a house right now but I could …”

“Stop, Crank, please,” she interjected, “slow down, we’ve only known each other for
two short weeks. Don’t you think you’re trying to move things a little too fast?”

Crank squeezed her hand. “Maybe?” he agreed, “but I’m not really sure. All I do know is that when I’m with you I feel happy and complete,
and when I’m not I feel empty and lost.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Will you at least think about it?”

Clare got up from her chair and s
lid onto his lap. “Crank, I feel the same way about you, you know that, but I’m scared. I have Willow to consider if things don’t work out. How about for now we just leave things as they are and continue to enjoy each other’s company while we can. Agree?”

“Whatever you
think is best,” he said, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close, “but sooner or later I intend to convince you that you and Willow belong with me and when you finally realise that I’m right, I intend to marry you.”

“Oh really?”
That’s very forward of you Mr Jackson,” she said teasingly. “Then I guess you had better invite Willow and I to the lake tomorrow for a picnic and perhaps we could ask the twins to take Willow for a walk so we can spend some time alone, just the two of us.”

Crank
cradled her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. “Consider it a date. What time would you like the boys and I to pick you and Willow up?”

Clare was just about to return the kiss when Willow appeared by her side. “Where is Crank taking us tomorrow Mama?”
she asked curiously.

“Crank and the boys are taking us to the lake for a picnic,” she said excitedly. “
How ‘bout that?”

“Oh yeah,”
Willow cried enthusiastically, pumping her fist in the air. “I love picnics and we haven’t had one in days.”