Maybe Baby Lite (71 page)

I saw Caroline standing
with Nigel and another woman. “Who’s that standing with them?” I
asked.

“
That’s Tess, Caroline’s
protégé,” he said flatly.

“
I thought as much,” I
replied. “Is her husband here?” I scanned the groups of people
lingering nearby. I couldn’t locate any man who fit the physical
form of a jockey.

Tristan scoffed, “They’re
separated. Seems Tess has found someone else to her liking
now.”

My heart sank. I knew it,
she wanted Trey back. That explained her call for legal advice and
the strict confidentiality Trey so adamantly protected. I suddenly
felt sick and defeated. If he still had feelings for her, then I
didn’t know Trey half as well as I thought I did. I lowered my
lashes just enough to appear as if my eyes were closed, then
assessed my competition. Tess was petite with a waif-like, fragile
appearance. Her large brown eyes seemed to dominate her facial
features. She looked like someone who'd lost too much weight, and
not on purpose. Her hair was darker than mine and cut bluntly,
falling just above her shoulders.

As I continued my
lash-camouflaged perusal, I saw Trey join the group. He'd traded
the champagne for liquor. Probably Jack Daniel’s, I thought wryly.
He was genuinely sulking, and I took satisfaction in that fact.
Tess stood next to him, her hand brushing his arm as he bent down
to listen to what she was saying. He watched as Tristan and I
danced, a frown line creasing his forehead. He took a final swig of
his drink and approached us on the dance floor.

“
May I cut in?” his voice
was steely.

“
Of course,” Tristan
acquiesced, stepping aside.

Trey was still angry and
his touch wasn't as gentle as Tristan’s had been. I looked at
Tristan and saw an expression of amusement pass quickly over his
face. Tristan knew that Trey was jealous and he enjoyed
it.

“
Enjoying yourself,
Tylar?” Trey asked with forced congeniality, moving me away from
Caroline’s steady glare.

“
I was,” I replied, making
no secret of my discontent.

He squeezed me to him
tightly, making me squirm. “I think my brother was very
appreciative of the view you provided him in that low-cut dress,”
he hissed. I could smell the whisky on his breath. He stared at me,
his eyes boldly raking the swell of my breasts. I turned my head to
the side and spotted Caroline once again in my direct line of
vision. Tristan had joined them and was talking to Tess. Nigel
wasn't taking his eyes off of them. What strange dynamics between
these people, I thought.

Trey’s lips brushed my
neck, slowly planting warm kisses. I tingled at his touch. Deep
within my belly a seed of desire grew. I was determined not to give
in to it. I pulled back from him, spinning around and exiting the
dance floor. I passed a waiter with a tray of champagne-filled
flutes and grabbed one. I tossed it back, loving the bubbly taste.
I set the empty flute aside, making my way back to the foyer. Trey
was suddenly at my side, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to
face him.

“
What do you think you’re
doing?” His sapphire eyes flashed. I tried to jerk free of him but
he would not release his hold.

“
One glass of champagne
isn’t harmful,” I hissed, not about to let him intimidate me. “It
looks like you’re into your Jack pretty heavy tonight,” I snapped.
“Plan on knocking someone else up?”

I hadn’t seen Tristan
approach us from behind. “Trey,” he said calmly, “why don’t you
take a moment to collect yourself.”

“
Why don’t you keep your
fucking eyes and hands off Tylar,” he said abruptly, glaring at
Tristan.

Oh great, another family
scene underway. How dysfunctional was this family?

“
Well, well, what have we
here?” Caroline slurred in her shrill voice. The full glass of wine
in her hand sloshed over the side as she swayed on her feet. “It
looks like Tylar wants a second Sinclair in her bed tonight. Are
you absolutely sure that the bastard you're carrying is even
Trey’s?” she leered, taking a gulp of the wine.

“
Shut up, Caroline,” Trey
replied harshly.

She was unfazed by the
directive and continued to stare at me, her eyes narrowing. Tristan
took her elbow to lead her away. She twisted out of his grasp,
coming toward me. Trey was immediately in front of me, shielding
me. I didn’t need his protection. I scooted around him and met her
haughty face with my own.

“
Listen to me you
fucked-uppity bitch,” I stated firmly. “Everyone else may tolerate
your drunken tirades and despicable comments, but I don’t roll that
way. You keep your mouth shut around me and about me.
Understand?”

Her mouth fell open as my
finger jabbed the air near her face. She swallowed nervously,
backing up a step.

“
One more snide comment,
one more dirty look sent my way, one more uninvited intrusion into
my bedroom and I'll wipe the ground up with your skinny, useless
ass, east coast style, got it?”

She snorted at me, looking
from face to face and finding no support from anyone. She turned
and quickly fled the foyer.

I turned back to Trey and
Tristan who were regarding me with surprise. “I need some air.
Tristan, would you please help me find my coat?”

He nodded and walked
toward the hallway.

“
I’ll go with you,” Trey
offered.

“
No,” I snapped, “you’re
drunk and acting like an asshole. I’m not happy about the secrets
you’re keeping from me. I know that Tess is leaving her husband. If
you’re having second thoughts about me, Trey, we’ll dissolve this
engagement right now.”

“
What kind of man do you
think I am?” he snarled.

Tristan returned with my
coat, helping me into it. Just then Tess appeared in the doorway by
herself. She walked over to me, extending her hand.

“
Hello,” she said. “I
don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Tess Flannery. You must be
Tylar?”

“
Yes I am. I’m very
pleased to meet you, Tess,” I lied, shaking her hand. She smiled
weakly. Tess wasn't what I'd expected.

“
Tylar, would you excuse
Trey just for a few moments? I really need to speak with him
privately.”

Trey looked from me to
Tess, not sure what to do. I decided to make it easy for
him.

“
Of course,” I replied
smoothly. “He’s all yours. Tristan, will you walk with me, please?”
Tristan escorted me outside where I dissolved into tears before I
was off of the porch.

Tristan put his arms
around me, holding me to his chest. “Tylar, everything is going to
be okay. You must know that.”

“
I don’t know anything,
Tristan. All I know is that Trey is keeping secrets from me, Tess
has left her husband, and Caroline is a nasty, hateful bitch,” I
sobbed.

“
Things are not always as
they appear,” he replied. “Well, except for Caroline. That’s pretty
much a case of what you see is what you get.” His comment brought a
smile to my tearful face. He pulled a cloth handkerchief from his
pocket to dab my tears.

“
She wants him back,
doesn’t she? Tess wants Trey back. Just tell me the
truth.”

“
You’re wrong, Tylar. Even
if that were true, I can promise you one thing: Trey would never
take her back. He’s totally in love with you. I know my little
brother and we’ve talked about this just today. He loves you and
you only. Even when he was engaged to Tess, he was never as
committed and in love with her like he is now with you.”

“
It’s just because of the
baby,” I replied, blowing my nose on his starched
handkerchief.

“
It’s not,” he stated
firmly, “it’s you he adores.”

“
Then why’s she calling
him? Why all the secrecy?”

Tristan sighed heavily,
taking my arm and leading me down the drive away from the house.
“Tylar,” he started, “can you please trust me on this? I promise
you that the truth will be out very soon. It’s Christmas and, as
much as our family and Tess’s family have a long history with one
another, there are some skeletons that’ll be coming out of the
closet very soon. Not today though. Today is about
Christmas.”

I looked up into his deep
green eyes and I saw sincerity and honesty. I nodded.

“
Good,” he replied,
smiling. He pulled me into a brotherly hug, wiping my tears with
his thumb. From behind us, someone cleared his throat.
Landon.

“
Merry Christmas,
Tristan,” he nodded, smirking as he walked by toward the house. He
glanced at me, his lip curled in contempt. “I see you’ve moved on,
Ms. Preston. At least you’re keeping it in the family.”

I started to angrily
respond but Tristan shook his head, cautioning me to let it go. As
soon as Landon went inside, Tristan turned back to me.

“
Let it be,” he said
gently. I nodded but it was difficult. I'd never been exposed to
the type of treatment or hateful attitude displayed by Caroline and
Landon. The thought crossed my mind as to just how perfect they
would be together. Tristan and I continued our walk in the crisp
December air. We talked about his life in California’s Napa Valley
and about his winery. He said he actually missed the east coast and
had considered selling the vineyard to Nigel and moving back to the
area.

“
I know Trey would love
that,” I commented. “It seems like you and he have more of a bond
than he and Nigel. You both resemble each other so
much.”

“
Yes,” he admitted, “but
in looks only. Trey is much more of a stubborn hothead than I am,
I’m afraid. But he also has a very compassionate streak that many
people don’t recognize. I think that’s what’s making you feel
insecure right now. His love and his commitment to you is genuine,
you must believe it.”

From the front of the
house, a door slammed. Tristan and I looked over as Caroline
emerged on the porch. Nigel followed close behind. She had no coat
on. She staggered with a bottle of wine in her hand, periodically
taking swigs from it.

“
Dear God,” Tristan
murmured, “what now?”

“
Keep away from me you
cheating son-of-a-bitch!” she screamed, swatting at him with her
arms. “You didn’t think I’d find out? She was like a sister to me
you bastard!”

Landon joined Nigel on the
porch, trying to coax Caroline back inside. Caroline turned on
Landon, screaming at him. “
You
knew didn’t you?” she accused as she circled him,
pointing her finger. “How could
you
betray me like that?” She upended the wine bottle
on his head, dousing him with dark red wine. Landon spoke to her
quietly.

Tristan’s face turned
ashen. “Oh shit,” he warned, “get ready for some skeletons. This is
about to get ugly.”

Tristan and I stood
watching when I suddenly felt a hand touch my shoulder from behind.
It was Trey, still agitated but slightly more sober after his
conversation with Tess. I could tell he wasn't pleased with the
attention Tristan was paying me.

“
Tristan, will you drive
Tylar and me back to the manor? I’ve had too much to drink and
Nigel is driving my car back.”

Tristan nodded, still
eyeing the scene on the front porch. By this time, both Nigel and
Landon’s parents had joined the others, trying to neutralize the
situation. Tristan reached in his pocket for the keys to Susan’s
BMW and drove us to the manor. Trey instructed him to
wait.

Trey saw me to the door.
"I want you to go up to our suite; I have some things to settle yet
with my family and the Andrews'. I'm heading back with Tristan. I
won't be long."

Once inside I hurried up
the steps to our bedroom, exhausted from the drama and the secrets.
I undressed wondering what Trey had meant by things to settle. I
was sure another argument was brewing. I pulled on one of his tee
shirts and climbed numbly under the sheets. I fell against the
pillow, disheartened. I wished we were back in our apartment in
Atlanta. Our life seemed normal there, happy and content. I never
dreamed normal families could be so dysfunctional.

It was much later when I
heard Trey come into the room. He climbed underneath the covers
moving close to me. Maybe he was no longer angry. His hands slipped
underneath the sheets and pulled me close to him. He'd no way of
knowing that I was even awake but I didn’t think it mattered to
him. He hooked his thumb inside the elastic waistband of my
panties, pulling them down to my knees, slipping them lower over my
feet and off. He pulled the covers back, grasping my tee shirt and
pulling it up over my head. I was totally naked now but making no
effort to encourage him. If he thought I was going to respond to
his sexual foreplay after he’d had secret discussions with Tess he
was wrong.

Trey had me on my back. I
felt his hands on my breasts, kneading and pulling enticingly on my
nipples. My body defied me, as it unwillingly responded to his
caresses and touch. His lips moved to mine, plying them open and
his tongue explored my mouth with sweet urgency.