Beneath the Surface (44 page)

Margaret left them with her thanks and well wishes, and then the storeowner came to the table to shake EJ’s hand and congratulate him for selling out stock.

“Thanks for hosting the event.” He smiled, eyeing Tabitha behind the owner, anxious to get at her as soon as possible, too much time and space between them. Too much.

“We’ve got your book on order, so you’re welcome back in for another signing whenever you’re ready.”

“I’ll make sure and do that.”

As soon as they were alone this time, EJ got up and came from behind the table to properly greet his future wife. He wrapped her in a warm and tight hug, welcoming her back into his life and elated that she had found him worthy.

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Her lips were hot and hungry against his, tongue and teeth ravenous as she sucked and bit him into a total state of arousal.

“Let’s get out of here. I need you.” She caught him by a hand and led him out to his Jeep.

EJ didn’t know how he was able to stay on the road with her sensual musk wafting out to him and her sexy thighs only inches away as she sat belted in the seat next to him, but he made it downtown to his house in record time and in one piece.

They ran up the stairs together, hand-in-hand, and EJ quickly opened the door, letting Tabitha into the loft behind him, and went to work on removing her clothes and his.

They left a trail of jeans, turtleneck, T-shirt, shorts, silk blouse, skirt, bra, and thong in their wake as they made it to his bedroom. In a tangle of arms and legs they collapsed onto the king size mattress, enmeshed in the sheets kissing and fondling each other into a heated haze.

“I love you, Eric. I’m sorry I never told you, sorry I never said—”

He put a finger to her lips, removed it only long enough to replace it with his mouth, hungrily attacking her full mouth with a ferocity he hadn’t known himself capable.

When Eric pulled up for air after several seconds, Tabitha said, “I’m pregnant.” at the same instant he said, “Marry me.”

They stared at each other and burst out laughing, then suddenly turned serious.

“That’s not the only reason you came back, is it?” EJ asked.

“No. I came back for you.” She paused, stared at him as she caressed his smooth bare torso, paying particular attention to his nicely muscled pecs and flat nipples. “You didn’t just ask me to marry you because I’m pregnant did you?”

“I’m old fashioned, but that’s not why.” He grinned and felt her tremble as he slid a finger into her moist heat, reacquainting himself with her very sensitive and responsive tissue. “I don’t want to make a liar out of Margaret.”

“Mustn’t displease the fans.”

“With that in mind…” EJ dove between her legs to explore his favorite cavern and relearn all the treasures he’d ever discovered between Tabitha Lyons’ beautiful thighs.

259

Gracie C. McKeever

Wantagh, Long Island—Twenty-One Months Later

Tabitha watched James Edward Vega toddle his way across the backyard’s rich lawn, away from her and toward his grandfather Edward’s outstretched arms.

At one he was an affectionate, but thoughtful and serious baby who preferred the one-on-one attention of his parents or another adult here and there, but once the group grew larger than three or four, he became antsy and searched the crowd for his parents or another familiar adult he could tolerate.

He tolerated few except his grandfather Edward and the Vega brood, accepted his father’s big family about as well as Tabitha had when she’d first been exposed to them, which gave him a big head start since he’d begun his adjustment early, from birth.

Tabitha guessed it helped that he had the unflinching and daring blood of Eric’s family running through his veins.

He yet preferred the quiet, creative and cerebral pursuits his grandfather Edward favored, the two spending hours together coloring in James’ various coloring books, and working with Playdough and erector sets so much that Tabitha thought she might have a budding architect or artist on her hands.

Angela came over and plopped down in the lawn chair beside her. “Well, how’s the little mother-to-be doing over here?”

“Shh! I haven’t told Eric yet.” Since she didn’t get the usual morning sickness like so many women, and she already didn’t drink or smoke, and followed a pretty good diet, there’d been no change in her habits to tip her husband off so he hadn’t yet guessed.

“Whoops.” Angela slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I get so excited over these things I just forget myself.”

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“I know. I do, too.” Tabitha chuckled, rubbing her belly and glancing out over Joe and Viviana’s large backyard where a raucous volleyball game was in full effect—

Angela’s and Emilia’s kids and a few of their friends against the Vega siblings.

She watched Eric make a diving rescue of an attempted winner. Nick tipped and passed Eric’s save to Emilia who spiked the ball right between her son Anthony and Angela’s girl Danni.

Laments of “no fair” and “bruiser” rose up from the Calminetti/Gallo side.

“Mom!” ten-year-old Anthony whined.

“Hey, we’re here to play, kid. You guys said no shorts, no prisoners. We’re just playing by your rules. We’re here to win!”

Tabitha laughed as she watched Emilia whoop and high-five her siblings.

She knew she was pretty competitive, but had nothing on Emilia, had gotten a glimpse of her sister’s-in-law competitive spirit her first Fourth of July picnic at Joe and Viviana’s when the gang had played softball. Emilia had slid home so hard she’d knocked the ball out of her then nine-year-old son’s glove.

“She tries so hard to be a mother and a father to him,” Angela murmured, and Tabitha had a feeling she knew what was coming.

Where was Angela’s accomplice when Tabitha needed her? “She’s done a good job with him,” she said.

“Yes, but she can’t teach him how to be a man.”

Oh, oh.

Evelyn trotted over just then and grabbed a can of soda from one of the ice-filled coolers on the long picnic table behind Tabitha and Angela.

“Whew, I needed a break. Em is brutal even for me. Don’t let one of us miss the ball.

She’s all over us like…like EJ on Tabitha.”

Tabitha felt blood rush to her face at the allusion to her and Eric’s sexual antics.

Admittedly, they didn’t know how to keep their hands off of each other, even after almost two years of marriage. She hoped they remained at least as randy for the duration.

Evelyn and Angela laughed as Evelyn took a seat beside her sister on the foot of her lounge chair. “So, what’s going on over here? Picking out baby names?”

Tabitha shot Angela a look. “Is there anyone you haven’t told?”

Now Angela blushed, sheepishly smiled. “Evie’s the only one.”

“Okay.” Sheesh, she’d tried so hard to keep this a secret until just the right moment, but with a sister-in-law who was telepathic it was hard to keep any secrets.

Eric had given her a few pointers, showed her how to fortify her already strong shields and engage them at will, but for some reason, Angela seemed more immune to her armor than Tabitha’s own husband.

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“I think Eve is nice,” Evelyn said now.

“You would,” Angela said.

“What would you call her? Because we all know it’s a her.” Evelyn smiled and patted Tabitha’s stomach.

“Angie’s a nice name, and in case it’s a boy, Angel is even better.”

“Of course.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, and Tabitha chuckled at them.

Aunts. What was the kid going to do but accept their wild and crazy antics as they endlessly doted on her?

“Why don’t we change the subject before Eric gets suspicious and comes over here,”

Tabitha muttered.

“Oh, right. Don’t want to spill the beans,” Evelyn said, peered at Angela. “So, who’s your next project since you’re on a roll, Ms. Cupid?”

Angela grinned. “I’m not sure yet, but I think Nick is a good candidate.”

“You have someone in mind?”

Tabitha put her hands over her ears with the proper amount of histrionics and said, “This is info my virgin ears do not need to hear.” but couldn’t help listening anyway.

“No, but I’m keeping a lookout…”

Who would Angela use as an accessory when she was trying to hook up Evelyn, Tabitha wondered and glanced at Angela to see if she’d caught the thought.

Of course she had, was smiling like a cat left with a bowl of cream.

“Actually, there’s a colleague of his who should be here shortly.”

“You’re not talking about Slany Breeze!”

Tabitha had heard about Ms. Breeze, and according to Nick during any of his numerous gripe sessions—and, of course, he was biased—Slany Breeze was a real man-eater who thought her shit smelled like lavender sachet.

“I most certainly am,” Angela answered her sister.

“They’ll kill each other.”

“He’ll be nice. Besides, I invited her over under the guise of a truce, initiated by her friendly rival, Nick.”

“And she agreed to come?”

“It took some convincing, but I mentioned that Nick wanted to apologize for the hard time he’d been giving her on their last project together.”

“And she didn’t wonder why Nick didn’t call himself?”

“I didn’t call her. I sent her an e-mail from his address.”

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How she’d managed that, Tabitha did not want to know, only gaped as Angela turned her gaze toward the back porch where a statuesque, auburn-haired, green-eyed beauty had just arrived and was standing on the top step surveying the backyard as if it were her domain. Clad in green silk pants, matching tank top and red designer sandals, she did not look like she was ready to play anyone’s volleyball or chow down on a mustard-slathered hot dog at a Labor-Day-picnic-slash-one-year-old’s-birthday-party.

“The Fourth may be two months past, but when Nick sees Slany, he’s going to blow up like a professional fireworks display,” Evelyn observed.

“Why should my bro blow up, pray tell?” Eric had silently sidled over before his sisters or Tabitha realized. Just what she had been afraid of all along.

He grabbed a bottled water from the cooler, opened it and took a long gulp before splashing some on his face.

Angela winked and Tabitha quickly stood, hooked both her arms through one of Eric’s and pulled him to the side, away from his sisters and the porch.

He smelled good, sweet-spicy musk of his aftershave blending with his perspiration to form a potent pheromonal aperitif that instantly put all her female hormones on high alert, as well as gave her another good reason to get close besides dragging him away from the action, but she didn’t move near quick enough.

Eric glimpsed Slany on the back porch eyeing the action on the makeshift volleyball court and gaped. “Isn’t that—?”

“How do you feel about Denise for a girl’s name?”

“Huh?” Eric turned to her and gawked.

This wasn’t really the way she wanted to share her news, but desperate times called for desperate measures and from the approving look on Angela’s face, Tabitha guessed she’d made the right move.

She glanced over a shoulder to see Nick stalking towards the back porch and led Eric away as fast as she could.

“Denise is nice. Any particular reason?” He automatically reached for her stomach, rested his palm against it and smiled. “Are you sure?”

“Got the confirmation last week and was just waiting for the right time to tell you.”

“And what makes now the right ti—?” Eric cut himself off as a loud shouting match broke out behind him and Tabitha, Nick and Slany’s voices rising in anger.

Tabitha led Eric further away, shaking her head, didn’t think another zip code would be far enough to get away from the heat and outrage of Angela’s latest victims.

Poor Nick and Slany.

Tabitha had a feeling it was going to be a stormy courtship—if they didn’t rip each other to shreds and dispense with courtship altogether.

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“Nick’s going to have to fight his own battles,” Eric said before Tabitha could respond to his aborted question. He caught a hand and led her towards the front of the house, away from the line of fire. “Let’s you and I discuss this name business in more detail, Mrs. Vega.”

“Gladly, Mr. Vega.”

He leaned in, cupping a full breast and hungrily kissing her on the lips as they entered the house and closed the door behind them.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

THE END

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