Just One Week (9 page)

Across the picnic area, Emma stood at the head table and waved toward Jim.

“I’ve been summoned,” Jim said as he rose. “You think about what I said, okay?”

“I will.” She’d think about it. Doing something was another matter. Still she watched her surrogate father as he went to join his wife.

The trumpet player from the mariachi played a fanfare, drawing everyone’s attention to where Jim now stood with his arm around Emma and his glass raised for a toast.

“We want to thank all of you for coming,” he said. “And especially Kyle, for throwing this terrific party.”

Kyle waved back.

“I haven’t seen many of you for years,” Jim went on. “And you probably wish it had been years and years more.”

“Not if the wine’s this good,” someone shouted from the back, and the crowd laughed.

“So instead of toasting us, which’ll happen often enough in the next few days, Emma and I would like to offer a toast to all of you,” Jim said.

“My cue to get more wine.” Kyle got up from where he sat at another table and disappeared.

Even from a distance, it was clear Emma still glowed every time Jim touched her, and her smile beamed with love as she stared up at him now. The sting of disappointment and even jealousy settled in Michelle’s chest. Emma would probably have been around Michelle’s age when she’d met and fell in love with the man who’d give her such a blessed life.

“And because this is our special time and we have permission to bore you all to tears, we’d like to get our kids up here so they can share in this moment,” Jim said.

Alex and Chase joined their parents. Each also held his wine glass up in a toast.

“Alex here is All-Pro,” Jim said. “Some of you may have seen him on television.”

“Dad…” Alex’s cheeks colored as cheers went up.

Why did he always seem so embarrassed by his abilities?

“And I haven’t made a formal announcement, but Chase will be taking over for me at Stafford Publishing when I step down,” Jim said.

More cheers. Chase didn’t blush, but he did grin. “Dad keeps saying that but he never says when.”

The crowd laughed again, but Jim silenced them with a hand gesture. “We have two more kids here. Kyle and Michelle, come on up.”

Michelle joined the group, passing Alex’s grandmother along the way. Vivian nodded at her, the movement so tiny Michelle might have imagined it. By the time she reached the Stafford family, Kyle had his drink and joined them. Though she’d chosen a place on the opposite side from Alex, she nevertheless could feel his closeness. After the way their bodies had seemed to fit together perfectly an hour or so before, she could hardly get this near to him without some reaction.

“Kyle and Michelle are like our own,” Jim said. “And we like to take credit for everything they’ve achieved.”

Emma put an arm around Michelle and squeezed.

“Michelle got herself a PhD and is doing research in brain chemistry,” Jim said. “And Kyle makes the best damned wine in all of northern California.”

“Not the best,” Kyle said.

“I’m the guest of honor. Don’t correct me.” Jim hoisted his glass high. “So here’s to our kids and to all of you.”

Glasses clinked, and people drank.

Michelle gazed around her at all the happy faces. Multiple generations of family and friends, and Jim had brought her to the center of it. No matter what, she’d always have a home and a family here, even after her little honeymoon with Alex had ended. Eventually, he’d have a family of his own. And who knew? Maybe someday she’d find someone who could fit into an academic’s crazy life. She might pair up with another professor or researcher—a person who understood the demands of the job. Most of her colleagues had already done that.

If all that happened—and it could after she got herself established—she could bring her own husband and children here to incorporate them into the cocoon of love Jim and Emma had created. Then her fling with Alex would become part of the past, the same way her presence as his lover would disappear from his life when they left this time.

That was her plan.

…

Alex had to admit that for an intellectual bigwig, his little brother could roll up his sleeves and get dirty with the best of them. Stringing lights for an outdoor party wasn’t exactly messy work, but it did involve climbing ladders and doing some wiring. Working together, the two of them made an efficient team.

He handed the slip-lock pliers up to Chase so Chase could secure another string of lights to the top of the pole. “Do you think we have enough?”

“They’re for dancing, not playing a pro football game.”

“I could go into town and get more,” Alex said.

“We rented every light in Wheeler’s Mill,” Chase said. “These’ll be enough.”

Chase was probably right. The dim illumination would make the dancing more romantic. They were celebrating his parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, after all. Maybe he could share a slow dance with Michelle. You didn’t have to know fancy steps to do that. You just put your arms around your partner and moved to the music.

Problem was, he’d already started a slow dance with her, and not the kind you did in public in front of your parents. He’d started things with the kiss in the cottage. She’d acted so damned nonchalant, as if seeing him again had meant nothing to her. He could take her anger. Hell, he’d welcome it if it would help them work through their estrangement. But pretending she didn’t care one way or another? No, that wouldn’t fly.

“You look pretty pensive,” Chase said. At some point, Chase had climbed down from the ladder and now stood beside him.

“Just…thinking…”

“Thinking makes me thirsty.” Chase tapped Alex on the shoulder and gestured with his head toward the cooler their mother had put on the deck. “Come on.”

They took the few stairs to the deck, and Chase opened the cooler. After pulling out two bottles of water, he handed one to Alex and took a long drink from his own. “So, what’s going on?”

“It’s complicated.”

Chase wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I can see that. Tell Dr. Chase. Maybe I can fix it for you.”

“Probably not fix it, but maybe you can give me some insights into the female mind.”

Chase laughed. “No man can do that.”

“Even one who’s dated as many women as you?” Alex’s track record didn’t come close to Chase’s.

“Why don’t you stop beating around the bush and tell me what’s eating you?”

Alex went to one of the deck chairs and sat. As Chase took the seat next to his, Alex fought for words to describe the new twist in his friendship with Michelle. No good ones came to mind.

“Michelle’s trying to seduce me,” he blurted finally.

“No shit?” Chase said. “You’re sure?”

In answer, Alex glared at his brother.

“Yeah, I guess you’d know if she was,” Chase said.

“Thing is, I don’t know if she’s being entirely honest,” Alex said.

“How so?”

“She keeps acting as if it’s no big deal. As if she sleeps with her former childhood friends every day.”

“That doesn’t sound like Michelle,” Chase said. “She was always pretty intense about things.”

Alex rested his elbows on his knees, cradling his bottle of water between his palms. “I can’t believe she only wants a casual roll in the hay, but that’s how she’s acting.”

“Could there be some other reason for her to try to get you into bed?”

Revenge? Could she be trying to get back at him for the way he’d humiliated her eight years ago? That thought had finally occurred to him after another restless night in his old room. Getting him to care for her and then rejecting him would make for some lethal poetic justice. It hurt to think she still hated him enough to do that, but anyone with a brain would have to consider the possibility.

“Payback,” he said finally. “Right before she went to college we had a huge fight, and I said some really awful things to her.”

“And she’s harbored a grudge for eight years?”

“She stayed away, didn’t she?” Which brought him to another problem. “Then, there’s always Kyle.”

“Ah, yes. The protective big brother.” Chase stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed one foot over the other. “He won’t approve.”

“And I’d agree with him if I were the one making the moves.” Okay, he had kissed her first, but she was the one who’d pushed for more. And she was the one who kept pretending them having an affair was no big deal. “I’m afraid I’m going to get my best friend really mad at me.”

“Want me to fight him for you?”

Alex kicked Chase’s foot. “Very funny.”

“Yeah, Mom wouldn’t like it if I gave Kyle a black eye right before her party.”

“Could you get serious for once?” Alex said. “What am I going to do about Kyle?”

Chase shrugged. “I guess be honest with him. Michelle isn’t a kid any longer. She can make her own decisions.”

“What a freaking mess.” And yet, the possibility of making her his, even for only a few days, held so much appeal. They’d always cared about each other. Such a rare privilege that she’d trust him with her body. And he’d cherish her for as long as he could have her.

Ultimately anything short of that would amount to rejection. He’d done that once, and the memories still haunted him. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“Look, big guy, relationships are tricky,” Chase said. “But if you don’t try, you’ll never get anywhere.”

“It’s not going to be a relationship with a capital R. More like a temporary thing.”

Chase straightened in his seat. “Why the hell would you say that?”

“She’s dedicated to her work. She wouldn’t have time for me.”

Chase stared at Alex as if he’d grown another head.

“Besides, she’s smart,” Alex said.

“So are you,” Chase said.

“Not like her. She does amazing things I can’t begin to understand,” Alex said.

“No lay person can comprehend that stuff.”

“Which is why they marry each other.” Alex threw his hands in the air out of frustration. “Brilliant people who can carry on conversations about their work.”

“If you can’t read about her research, she can explain it to you.”

“What about her colleagues’ work or what some guy is doing overseas? She can’t explain her entire field to me.”

“She wouldn’t need to.”

Damn, why wouldn’t these insecurities go away? He knew damned well they were stupid. “Can you imagine me at a party with her colleagues, all of them talking a language I don’t understand?”

“This might surprise you, but scientists like football,” Chase said. “They’d probably find everything you had to say fascinating.”

Alex blew out a breath. “Yeah, maybe.”

“You don’t always have to be in control of every situation,” Chase said. “If someone says something at a party you don’t understand, ask for an explanation.”

“Great. And make myself look like the dumb jock.”

Chase whistled softly. “Sarah really did a number on you, huh?”

“Sarah and the whole rest of the world.”

“So you’re not going to tell Michelle about the dyslexia?” Chase said.

“Nope.” She’d pity him…or worse. Not worth the risk.

“Instead, you’re going to go through life with a series of friends with benefits,” Chase said.

Alex finished his water and set the bottle on the deck beside his chair. “I don’t see you doing anything different.”

“We were talking about you, not me.”

“Come on, Chase. Let’s deal with reality.”

“Okay. The way I see it, you have three choices.” Chase held up one finger. “You can avoid Michelle for the rest of the time you’re here.”

“That’s not going to work.”

“Very astute.” Chase held up another finger. “You can tell Michelle you can’t mess with her because her brother is your best friend.”

Would she understand? Most likely, she’d only see that as a rejection. Back to Square One—he couldn’t hurt her again.

“Or.” Chase’s middle finger joined the other two. “You can make love to her and see where things go.”

“Yup, that’s what I have to do.”

“Only don’t hold back,” Chase said. “If you two have a future together, go for it.”

“Thanks, little brother. Do you mind if I borrow the BMW again?”

“Sure thing.” Chase reached into his back pocket and produced his keys, which he handed to Alex.

Alex rose. “I’ll come back later to help you finish.”

“No need. Almost done.”

“Thanks.” With that, Alex left with his mind at ease, more or less, and a bit of spring in his step. After all, he was going into town to buy condoms.

Chapter Six

Later that night, Alex found the opening he’d been looking for ever since deciding he’d surrender to the inevitable and make love to Michelle. He’d sat in his bedroom after everyone had gone to bed, digging up enough courage to go out and knock on the cottage door. Instead, he watched as she emerged into the moonlight and walked slowly toward the pasture.

An invitation? She couldn’t be sure he hadn’t gone to sleep. On the other hand, she would know that she’d be visible from his window. She could have simply taken a chance he’d realize she was out there. She’d won.

He stuck his feet into his slippers and put on his robe. Before he left the room, he grabbed the condoms and put them in his pocket. He’d need at least one tonight. Then he left his room and went downstairs as quietly as he could manage.

No sound came to indicate he’d awakened anyone. The house was silent except for the hum of the refrigerator as he let himself out the back door. A little mental geography told him the direction to go in, and before long, he spotted Michelle where she stood with her face lifted toward the moon.

She wore something of a filmy, white material that glowed in the soft light. A breeze ruffled the material around her legs. With her graceful limbs and her hair falling down her back, she resembled a character from mythology—a creature you could only find in the moonlight and could never truly call your own. Someone who’d evaporate like mist in the heat of day and only return in your dreams.

Poetic and probably silly, but real in his heart.

He stepped on something that made a snapping sound. Most likely a twig. She turned and spotted him, and a smile tugged at her lips.

“Following me?” she said.

“Did you come out here to invite me to join you?”

She shrugged. “I thought you’d gone to bed.”

Yeah, sure. Everything about her smile said she’d planned this encounter to invite him into her web. But then, he’d come of his own will, needing nothing more than an opportunity.

He’d make love to Michelle Dennis tonight. As surely as the moon spilled silver light over both of them, they’d be joined before the morning came.

“Lovely, isn’t it?” she said. “I’ve missed this.”

“You must have full moons in Massachusetts.”

“I don’t mean the moon,” she said. “I mean being with you.”

Of course, their togetherness could be nothing like their earlier, innocent friendship. She’d never come to him wearing a negligee, and he’d never had condoms in his pocket.

She shivered a bit, and he got up close behind her. When he opened his robe and wrapped it around her, she fit against him like pieces in a puzzle. When he bent to place the side of his face against her, the perfume of her hair surrounded him. He almost groaned out of pure pleasure.

“What am I going to do with you, Dr. Dennis?”

She gave him a wicked laugh. “I can think of three or four things off the top of my head.”

“Evil woman.”

“You have no idea how evil.” She turned in his arms, and now her softness pressed against him everywhere. He wouldn’t be able to hold her this way for long before he became completely aroused. The stirrings had begun when he’d first spotted her out here and the reality about what he was going to do registered.

She became even bolder, lifting her face to nuzzle the tip of her nose against his jaw. She followed that with a kiss to the underside of his chin.

“You know what’s going to happen if you keep doing that, don’t you?” he said.

“I do.”

“And you’re giving me permission?”

“Complete and total.”

“We’d better go inside,” he said. “I don’t want to give anyone a show.”

“Come on.” She eased out of his embrace and took his hand as they walked back to the cottage. The place where he’d hurt her so badly years before. He’d make up for that now. He’d give her the sort of experience she’d been searching for with the wrong guy. This affair might not last for more than a few days, but he’d be the right lover for her…after all this time.

At the cottage door, she put her hand over his on the knob and gazed up at him. “Is there anything you want to tell me, Alex?”

Tell her? About the fact they were about to make love? “I have protection.”

“Thoughtful.” Her face fell briefly. He’d clearly gotten the answer wrong.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what you want to hear.”

She waved a hand. “Doesn’t matter.”

As so many things she said and did, it wasn’t completely convincing. Maybe he’d learn more about what she wanted from him by making love. Maybe then she’d finally open up to him.

He opened the door. “I feel as if I should carry you over the threshold.”

“Not necessary,” she said as she entered ahead of him.

Once inside, he locked the cottage door and made a circuit of the room checking that curtains were drawn. Then he hit the light switch, filling the space with darkness. In a second, the bedside lamp came to life. Michelle had turned it on and sat on the bed, waiting for him. What an invitation. He took it, of course, joining her and pulling her into his arms again.

Their hands tangled as they tried to undress each other. Neither his pajama top nor her gown would budge without a little coordination. She smiled at him and giggled, and the sight and sounds told his heart he’d made the right decision. He let her go first, baring his chest and tossing his robe and top aside.

“Nice,” she said, as she spread her hands over his pecs. “I often wondered how you’d look under the uniform.”

“I guess you’ll find out.” He took her wrists and kissed her palms. “My turn.”

She allowed him to strip her of her gown, holding her arms up so he could pull it off. It landed somewhere near his clothes, and then he could touch her breasts. Though he’d felt one the other day, he could only have guessed at their perfect, small size or the rosy nipples.

He covered them with his hands and squeezed gently. “You’re beautiful, baby.”

She closed her eyes in bliss. “That feels so good.”

He could do better, and so he did. Bending, he took one nipple into his mouth to suck. The flesh hardened against his tongue, and she clutched his head, sliding her fingers into his hair. She liked it. Good.

He released her long enough to guide her downward onto the coverlet. Following, he gave her other breast the same attention. Her breath came hard and fast, her chest rising and falling. Proof of her arousal and that he was doing this right.

He’d dreamed of doing this for so long, although he hadn’t allowed himself to fully admit it. He’d always been jealous of that creep Cavanaugh. And he’d never found complete satisfaction with any of his lovers. They’d been wonderful, and he’d done his best to be wonderful right back. But the sex had always lacked the totality of his fantasies. He’d fulfill them here, with this woman.

Glorious. His princess, the woman of his dreams. Beautiful, soft skin everywhere. She had a woman’s shape, not the stick figure fashion dictated women should emulate. He could make a pillow of her thighs, and if he rolled her over, he’d no doubt find an ass equally as plush.

She studied him, this time with less doubt but definite curiosity. Asking if he liked what he saw.

He grinned at her. “You’re perfect.”

“I want to see you.”

He didn’t need any further prompting. He toed out of his slippers and stood. When he shed the rest of his clothing and stepped out of the pile on the floor, his erection fell free. Given the state of his arousal, she could hardly doubt how much he wanted her.

She stared at him, her eyes widening, and she licked her lips in a way that send his imagination into overdrive. Before he forgot himself completely, he bent to fish the condoms out of the pocket of his robe and set them on the table.

“Do you always carry those around?” she said.

“Bought ’em today.”

“You’ve been planning this,” she said.

“Not exactly, but I had hoped we’d end up here.”

“Let me put one on you.”

“You get more perfect every minute.” He stood beside the bed as she selected a square packet, tore it open, and removed the condom. When she placed it over the tip of him, a surge of sexual excitement rushed through him. The first time she’d touched him, and she took great care unfurling the sheath over his length. A simple act, and one he didn’t think about often, but she made it erotic.

He climbed onto the bed and gathered her into his embrace. This time, nothing separated them. Nothing physical and nothing emotional. He kissed her, and their bodies fit together again. Her nipples grazed his chest, and his cock pressed into the softness of her belly. With a groan, he took her mouth over and over. No matter how much she gave, he couldn’t get enough. Her lips offered a lifetime of exploration, and right now, he only had the present. Twining her arms around his neck, she answered with the same urgency. As if the heat in his blood warmed hers as well.

He could touch her everywhere now, and so he ran his hands along her ribs and lower to her hips. So soft and inviting. He eased beneath her to her butt and massaged the flesh there. The action brought her harder against his erection.

When he’d finished with her lips—for now—he moved to her jaw and beneath to sample her neck. Little kisses along the length until he reached the base of her throat where it met her shoulder.

Already, she was making the kinds of sounds a woman did when highly aroused, her breathing coming in soft sighs and little groans here and there. Audible aphrodisiac, as if he needed one. He’d make her sing a lot louder than that before he’d finished with her. So he moved lower, back to her sweet breasts. He loved each in turn with his mouth and with his hands. She had an even greater treasure, and he headed toward it, pressing more kisses across her ribs and over her belly.

She guessed where he was headed, obviously, because she gasped and tensed. Too shy for the ultimate kiss? He had plenty of other things he could do for her, but damn, he sure would have loved to taste her. After a moment, she relaxed and her fingers stroked the side of his face. Giving him permission. The trust warmed his heart. Other parts of him needed no warming.

Finally, he spread her legs and settled between them. The lips of her sex greeted him—swollen and parted to reveal her most sensitive flesh. When he licked her she released a cry. He’d found her sweet spot, all right.

He set about giving her the sort of loving she wouldn’t forget in this lifetime. This was Michelle, after all. He used a firm, slow stroke to make her crazy for more.

“Oh,” she crooned. “So good. Oh, God.”

At that cue, he picked up the pace, pressing and pressing as her gasps turned to cries. She was right at the edge, and the longer he could keep her there, the more intense the climax would be. A little more…a little more…a little more.

The pitch of her voice rose, signaling she’d arrived, and he worked furiously to finish her. With a shout, she stiffened, and her hips rose. Grasping her thighs, he held on as she climaxed. And when she sagged against the bed, he scooted back up beside her so he could hold her while she enjoyed the post-orgasm glow.

“Unbelievable.” She opened her eyes, and the vulnerability and trust he read there stole his breath. She’d exposed herself to him in so many ways, and he’d never let her down again.

He kissed her so she could taste her honey on his lips. “Feeling good?”

“I’ll feel even better in a few minutes.” She gave him a wicked grin. “And so will you.”

“You’re right about that.”

She sneaked a hand between their bodies and reached down to wrap her fingers around his shaft. After months of celibacy, he was operating with a hair trigger, and if she kept playing with him, he wouldn’t be able to go slowly with her. But they’d have other times before they left, even if they didn’t have a future.

She stroked him now, a firm grip from the base all the way to the head. “Does that feel good?”

“Too good, baby. I’ll lose it if you keep doing that.”

“Aww,” she said. “Another minute. You’re so much fun to play with.”

“A few seconds, not a minute.” He closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her fingers against his swollen flesh. She wasn’t shy about touching him, and soon, she had him ready to explode. That was so not happening before he could be inside her. So he reached between him and stilled her hand. “Some other time.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

With that invitation for more, he raised himself over her, settling himself between her legs again but this time with his sex at the entrance to hers. He held his weight off her and eased himself into her slowly.

Her expression spoke volumes about giving and taking pleasure. First, a look of surprise, followed quickly by a heart-melting smile. Then she closed her eyes and moaned.

For a moment, he didn’t move. She was so hot and wet around him, and her muscles gripped him so tightly. As soon as he started to move, he’d rocket off pretty quickly. For now, he wanted her to feel him and to register that he was making love to her with all of himself. She needed to recognize that her friend Alex was now her lover. He’d make up for the hurt he’d caused her.

In the end, he was only human, and being inside her felt too freaking good. He couldn’t hold off. As soon as he began thrusting, she moved with him. Wrapping her legs around him, she took him deeper. Blood rushed in his ears, and his heart pounded, and he couldn’t slow down.

Amazing woman. Sexy, beautiful, responsive. Everything he’d ever wanted in a lover but didn’t think was possible. He gave her his all, and she rose up to meet him.

I love you.

Had he said that or only thought it? No matter. He did love her, and he’d not only tell her. He’d show her.

His last cohesive thought before his lust took over. The moment had come, and he had no choice but to surrender. Just as the orgasm hit, gripping him in its fist, she climaxed again. Her inner walls spasmed around him, sending him even higher. He thrust a few more times—savage motions—and emptied himself into her. One hot wave after another.

When it finally ended, he sagged against her, struggling for air. Even then, her sex fluttered around his in sweet aftermath of what they’d just shared.