The Object of His Protection (11 page)

S
urprise held Drey immobile for one stunned moment and then he threw his car keys on the table. “I saw no need to do so.” He then walked off.

Charlene followed and threw up her hands. “That doesn’t make sense. You’re handling a murder investigation for them and apparently your mother is somehow involved.”

He swung around as a deep, angry frown covered his face. “You don’t know that.”

“Look, Drey, all I know is what I heard earlier. Your mother was the last person who talked to Harmon. She apparently was the last person he tried to contact. Surely you want to know why.”

“I’ve questioned my mother and she doesn’t know why,” he snapped. “And I don’t want to discuss this investigation with you any longer.”

She took a step and got in his face. “Fat chance! I had to leave my home because of this investigation. I’m not even sure I’ll have a job to return to when all this is over, and you have the nerve to stand here and tell me you won’t discuss it?”

He leaned in closer. A cold, hard look appeared on his face. “Yes, that’s what I said. I don’t want to discuss it.”

And then he turned away and went into his office, closing the door behind him.

Drey leaned against the closed door and drew in a deep breath while his heart vibrated relentlessly against his ribs. No one was to know about his mother until he was prepared to tell it. He didn’t want anyone asking those same questions that Charlene had just asked.

He gritted his teeth to keep from lashing out and hitting something. The last thing he wanted was to be on bad terms with Charlene, especially when she was right. He did owe her an explanation. Because of trying to help with his investigation she had been forced to leave her home and could possibly have lost her job.

But he wasn’t ready to share with anyone how his world had gotten shattered a few weeks ago. He was still trying to work things out for himself. And he needed more time to do so. Problem was that time had run out. Charlene had figured out the truth and wanted answers. Answers she had a right to have. He could tell from the look on her face that he had hurt her feelings, something he hadn’t intended to do. He was about to open the door and go talk to her when he heard his front door slam shut.

Damn!

He quickly came out of his office and crossed the room to snatch open his front door, only to see Charlene drive off in her car. Where in the hell was she going? And more importantly he wondered if she would be coming back. Thinking there was a possibility that she wouldn’t come back made his gut clench. His chest suddenly felt tight.

He had never waited on a woman to come back to him before, but he would wait on Charlene Anderson.

Charlene had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she needed distance from Drey. Going into separate rooms hadn’t been far enough for her. She hadn’t wanted to be under the same roof with the man.

Deciding the best thing to do was to walk off her anger, she headed in the direction of the mall, and then quickly changed her mind. The last place she needed to go was some place where she might be recognized. Instead she thought she would go to a movie at one of those theaters on the outskirts of town.

A part of her wished she could go to her own house and sleep in her own bed tonight. But, was that what she really wanted after having slept in Drey’s bed? She knew the answer without much thinking. No. But she also knew she needed more from Drey than sex. She needed him to trust her enough to tell her what was going on. But why would he trust her? She was nothing to him but a temporary bed partner. Wasn’t that what he’d once told her was all he needed? Men didn’t have to confide in women they didn’t intend to keep around. She refused to acknowledge the pain she felt in her heart. Nor could she acknowledge that she had fallen in love with him.

She thought about what he’d said and the degree of anger with which he’d said it. Her thoughts then shifted to last night and earlier that day, when he had made love to her with a gentleness that had almost brought tears to her eyes.

Yes, she loved him. It was her issue, her personal problem. But it would never, ever be her regret.

Drey stopped pacing long enough to glance down at his watch. It had been three hours and it was now dark outside. Where was she? He had tried reaching her on her cell phone a number of times but hadn’t gotten an answer. Evidently she was too mad at him to return his call. He had even called her home number on the off chance she’d gone there, though he refused to think she would put herself in danger by doing that.

After he had time to fully think about it, he had called himself all kinds of fool for saying what he had to her. She definitely deserved an apology and an explanation—if she would only return to listen.

His breath caught when he heard a car door slam and automatically he moved to the door. If it was Charlene, she would knock since he hadn’t yet given her a key. His heart began racing when he heard footsteps moving up his walkway and he knew it was Charlene. It just had to be.

Too eager to wait for her knock, he opened the door and there she stood, utterly beautiful in the moonlight with a startled look on her face. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She shrugged. “No harm done.”

His gaze caressed her face before he stepped aside, allowing her entrance. Hoping she was there to stay and hadn’t just come to pick up her things. “If you’re hungry we can order out,” he said.

She walked into the foyer and turned around after placing her shoulder bag on the table. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I took in a movie and grabbed a couple of hot dogs while I was there.”

“Oh.” So that’s where she had gone. “Well, if you’ve got some time I’d appreciate it if we talked.”

She placed her hands in her back pocket and tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “What about?”

“What I didn’t want to talk about earlier.”

Her gaze lowered to the floor. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do.” And he honestly knew that he did. He could feel the strain between them, the distance. He didn’t want that. He wanted things the way they were last night. He wanted the closeness.

“All right, then. Talk.”

“Can we sit down in the living room?”

She shrugged again. “Sure. Why not?”

He watched as she went to sit on the sofa, folding her legs beneath her. With his heart still racing nonstop, he took the chair across from her, when what he really wanted to do was reach out and pull her into his lap and kiss her. But he knew he couldn’t do that. He had screwed up and had to backpedal. Get back into her good graces. Literally, he had to do something he had never done with a woman before—bare his soul.

He was a private person. No other woman had ever reached beyond that area of “do not enter” with him. But Charlene had invaded his space. In just a short period of time she had gotten totally and completely under his skin. And last night he had gotten under hers in the most intimate way. He had been inside her, places where no other man had ever gone. He had branded her with his markings all over her body and didn’t regret doing so. And if given the opportunity he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

“First, I want to apologize for lashing out at you earlier, Charlene. I had no right to do that. You deserve to know what’s going on with the investigation, every aspect of it.”

He paused a moment before continuing. “What I’m about to tell you is something I haven’t told anyone yet, especially the Braddocks. But I will eventually tell them because they too have a right to know. I took this case before knowing it myself. While I was investigating, my mother’s name come up as the last person the congressman spoke with. My mother says she honestly doesn’t know why he called her and I believe her. But something I do know is that the two of them had a history.”

“What sort of history?” she asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment and then he said, “My mother and Congressman Braddock had an affair many years ago, before I was born and before she married my father. She was young, inexperienced and thought she was in love, and yes, he was a married man at the time. However, it’s my understanding that he and his wife, Evelyn, were going through some things. That does not excuse his behavior or my mother’s.”

Charlene nodded and then said, “I can see your reluctance to spring that on the Braddocks.”

“Yes, but there’s more. It goes a lot deeper than that.”

She leaned forward in her seat. “Deeper in what way?”

He swallowed and felt a sudden tightness in his chest. This was the first time he would admit this to anyone. He spoke, hearing the words as he said them. “Congressman Braddock was my biological father.”

A
stunned expression covered Charlene’s face. “Your father!”

“Yes, my father. However, I didn’t find out until I questioned my mother as to why the congressman would call her and just how they knew each other.”

Charlene stared at him and immediately she knew that admitting such a thing had been hard for him. “And Ronald St. John? He was your—”

“He is the only father I know. I can’t deny it was Harmon Braddock’s seed that made me, but it was Ronald St. John’s love that shaped me into who I am today. He’s the person I remember from the time I was in the crib, who had always been there for me. The person who took me to my Little League games, showed up at every activity I was in while attending school and the person who made me believe I could do anything. Ronald St. John is the man I consider my father.”

Charlene eased to the edge of her seat. She could tell Drey still had a hard time accepting that biologically, he was a Braddock. “Didn’t you say that the congressman was your mentor?”

“Yes.”

“To me that means he wanted to share some aspect of your life.”

Drey nodded. “My mother said basically the same thing.”

“Don’t you believe her?”

He leaned back in his chair. “It’s not that I don’t believe her, Charlene. I just don’t care. Braddock had his family and Ronald St. John had his. I consider myself a St. John.”

“But truly you are a Braddock.” There, she’d said what he evidently needed to hear. He couldn’t deny who he was, not when Braddock blood ran through his veins.

He stood and walked over to the window and glanced out. She knew he was thinking. Moments later he turned to her. “I don’t know how I’m going to tell them, but I know I have to. I’m even doubtful that their mother knows about me. It’s my understanding that she’s aware that Harmon had an affair and with whom, but she doesn’t know that a child had been conceived out of it. I don’t want to do anything to tarnish her husband’s memory.”

Charlene didn’t know what to say because that was a good possibility when Mrs. Braddock discovered the truth.

He interrupted her thoughts by saying, “And then the siblings might be resentful.”

She wondered if he was afraid that would happen. Was he concerned that his siblings would reject him because of what their father and his mother had done thirty-three years ago? “I don’t know, Drey. I met them today and they seem a pretty confident yet wholesome trio.”

“They are close.”

“Yes, I can tell they are,” she said slowly. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t let you in or that—”

“I might not want to get in.”

He did,
Charlene immediately thought. Otherwise he wouldn’t be carrying so much on his shoulders. What would it take to make him see that no one could blame him for the congressman’s and his mother’s actions all those years ago?

Suddenly, something hit her.
Drey needed her.
She wasn’t sure just where that thought or idea came from; it was just there, in her mind and in her heart. It was still strange how quickly things had progressed between them, but they had. And although he might never admit to any feelings for her, she knew at that moment she had to have meant something to him for him to have shared that with her. Okay, she wasn’t about to operate under any false illusions. In all honesty, she knew exactly where she stood with him. But for her, it didn’t matter. She loved him and would always love him and would be there for him until he said it was time for her to go. She would love to share more with him, but he had a wall erected, one she doubted she could scale.

She slowly walked over to where he was standing. For a long moment she stood silently beside him and looked out at the same pond, saw the same ducks and for a little while felt the same sense of peace.

“So now you know,” he finally said softly, without looking over at her.

“Yes, now I know. Thanks for sharing.” She then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.

Automatically, he reached out his hand and captured her around the waist and pulled her closer to him. She felt him, every hard part of him, while she gazed deep into his eyes. He was tall, well muscled and unmistakably male. And she was willing to accept that he would not love her back no matter how much she loved him. But that was okay. She could handle it. Didn’t someone say it was better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all?

“Are you still upset with me?” he asked, and the deep timbre of his voice felt like silk sliding across her skin.

“Not anymore. But promise me the next time that we’ll talk through things,” she said firmly.

“I promise.”

The air between them suddenly felt hot, charged. Sexual tension was building, spreading. She could feel it the longer he looked into her eyes. Desire was vibrating in her veins, causing a ripple effect in her stomach. She watched his gaze shift slowly from her eyes to her mouth, and automatically she licked her lips.

“Let me do that for you,” he said in a throaty voice and proceeded to lick her mouth from corner to corner. As she released a breathless sigh, he slid his tongue inside.

Caught, she thought, as she grabbed hold of it with her own and began mating with it, the way he had taught her to do last night. She felt him pull her deeper into his arms as she feasted on his mouth. When she had returned from the movies she had been wound up so tight, and now she was beginning to unravel, right in his arms, under the onslaught of his tongue.

He suddenly pulled back and shut the blinds. He then proceeded to tear his clothes off right there. She followed his lead. He finished undressing before she did and helped her get out of her clothes. The last piece to go was her panties and when he dropped to his knees to help her remove them she had a feeling where such helpfulness would lead.

He backed her up against the closed door for support, spread her legs and then buried his head between them. She heard his manly growl just seconds before his tongue invaded her, going deep and devouring her. She was no longer shocked by how much he enjoyed tasting her this way. She held her breath, fought back an intense scream as sensations tore into her, ripped through every part of her body, fizzled through her veins and electrified her pores.

And then he took his hands and lifted her hips, wrapped her legs over his shoulders so he could feast more. She was a goner. She felt the buildup inside her ready to burst and couldn’t hold back any longer.

She screamed as an orgasm of gigantic proportions slashed into her. But that didn’t deter Drey from his goal, which was to make her come again.

She did. But instead of screaming she released a deep, gutted moan while he continued to hungrily lap her up. And when she thought there was no way she could take any more, he quickly eased her legs off his shoulders and placed them around her waist just seconds before thrusting hard into her feminine core. He began pumping into her with whiplike speed, making her aware of every throbbing inch of him that was sliding in and out of her, stroking her insides with a skill and perfection that she found astounding.

The warmth of his breath stirred her ear as he whispered just what he was doing to her and how he was doing it. She wrapped her arms around his neck when she felt another orgasm coming on. And when he called out her name, she felt him explode deep inside her, shooting his hot release everywhere. She followed, tumbling into a sea of ecstasy that nearly drowned her.

Moments later, without disconnecting their bodies, he supported her back with the palm of his hand and with her legs still securely wrapped around his waist, he moved away from the door and carried her to his bedroom.

Drey stared at Charlene while she slept.

It was a crazy thing to do but a rather simple one, mainly because he liked looking at her, especially after they’d made love. He liked seeing the perspiration on her skin as well as the passion marks he’d put in various places. He liked seeing the peaceful look on her face and how her lips twitched on occasion while she slept.

To be quite honest, he liked everything about her. Especially the way she gave herself to him, so unselfishly and with a thrill that excited him and heightened his desire for her.

When she shifted in sleep, he tilted his head to the side and gazed at her breasts. The tips of her nipples still looked hard, as if they begged to be licked. Or better yet, sucked. He could imagine her baby doing that very thing.

No, he couldn’t imagine it because the baby would belong to some other man rather than him, and the thought that someone else’s child would grow in her stomach was unacceptable.

Easing closer to her, he placed a hand on her waist. He wasn’t used to feeling possessive, but around her you could call him Caveman Drey and it wouldn’t bother him any.

Why?

Why was he so affected by her in a way he had never been by any other woman? The sex was good. Off the chain. But good, off-the-chain sex had never made him feel this way toward a woman. Ever. But then he had to admit making love to Charlene wasn’t just good or off-the-chain. It was thrilling, sensational, mind-blowing. It was the kind that made you want to make love all night, all day, every chance you got. It was addictive.

But most importantly, it was theirs.

And he knew he would only feel this way with her, which suddenly made sweat bead on his forehead. He was getting hooked on her and for him that wasn’t a good thing. He wasn’t a man prone to having just one woman in his life. He didn’t intend to settle down, now or ever. He liked having bed partners, not long-term girlfriends or, heaven forbid, a wife. It just wasn’t in his makeup.

He would enjoy what they shared for now and then work her out of his system. When she left that would be it. He would bury himself in another case. And he would be fine. He would get over her. He had to.

Charlene woke with the sun shining in through the window. Her head lay nestled in the crook of Drey’s shoulder and he was turned slightly toward her with one leg thrown over her thigh and one hand resting between her legs, tangled in the curls covering her femininity.

She glanced up and found him asleep, which was fine. It gave her time to think about last night. He had shared himself with her, and later she had shared herself with him. She had no regrets. All she had was a happy mind and a satisfied body. She couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Aren’t we just full of cheer this morning?”

She glanced up and looked into Drey’s smiling face. He was awake. “Yes, we are,” she said, and then almost groaned out loud when his hand between her legs began moving.

“Like how that feels?” he asked in a husky voice. “Do you like for me to touch you this way?”

“Yes, I like it.”

“Umm, I like it too. I like it especially when you get wet, like you’re doing now. You’re getting real wet. You know what that means, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then ease over here. I want you to ride me this morning.”

She slid her body over his, found him hard and ready and looked down into his face. “Is this all you want me to do?”

“For starters.”

And then he lifted her up and eased her down on his shaft, connecting their bodies immediately when he slid into her. She began riding him and from the expressions that crossed his face, he was enjoying it. And so was she. She could get used to starting each of her mornings this way, but she knew that was only a dream. For now, though, she could make her dream a reality.

Drey glanced over at Charlene across the breakfast table. He had a busy day ahead of him. First he planned on meeting with Senator Cayman and Judge Hanlon, before paying a visit to Stewart Industries. There had to be a reason Harmon had been contacting his mother. Was there some specific information he had wanted her to find out for him but had gotten killed before given the chance to reveal it to her? Connor Stewart, who was currently dating Shondra, had welcomed his visit. Connor’s father was CEO, but it was rumored the old man was about to step down and would name Connor as his successor.

“More coffee?”

He glanced across the table at Charlene and smiled. “No, but I’d love having more of you.”

She chuckled. “You’ve had enough, thank you. Don’t be so greedy.”

“Ah,” he said with an amusing glint in his eyes, “you of all people have the nerve to call me greedy. You, who have become the multiorgasm queen.”

Her smile unashamedly widened. “Yes. You know what they say. Practice makes perfect.”

He laughed, not believing the conversation they were having at the breakfast table. “I want you to hold on to that thought until I return later.”

“I will.” Her expression turned serious then and she asked, “Do you think Congressman Braddock took either Senator Cayman or Judge Hanlon into his confidence and told them anything?”

“Not sure but I won’t know until I ask. Once I tell them about my theory regarding the congressman’s death not being an accident, I’m sure they’ll want to help any way they can.”

“I feel certain they will too.”

Drey reached across the table and took Charlene’s hand in his. “Miss me today.”

She smiled and lifted the hand that held hers and kissed the back of it. “I will.”