Unbreakable Bonds (18 page)

“You are.”

Ta-Mara shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

“You’re not dating Levi?”

Just the mention of his name sent pulses of heat through her, had her core throbbing and craving his touch. “Nope. He’s just staying at the house.”

“Booty call?”

This was the Heather she recalled, not the pale, worried one. “Enough about me,” she steered the conversation back to where it rightfully should be—on her friend, Heather, and off Ta-Mara’s relationship status. “This is about you and this mysterious man you’re dating.”

“You’ve met him.”

Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the tabletop, brow furrowed in concentration. “I’ve met him? Sweetie, you need to be a bit more specific than that. I meet quite a few people daily and since
no one
said they were dating you, it’s not sticking in my head.”

“A few days ago at the bookstore. He was in there.”

She pursed her lips. “Sweetie, I
really
need more than that to go on. What’d he look like and why the hell are you being so secretive?”

The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she knew someone was behind her. Turning her head, Ta-Mara saw a tall man, almost as tall as Levi, standing there. He was a good-looking man, fit. Cajun country—that was the first thing she thought while staring at him. He wore jeans and a T-shirt and had a beat-up ball cap on his head. Cowboy boots stuck out from the bottom of his jeans. Shaggy blond hair poked out from beneath the cap and she was taken in by the green of his eyes as the man looked them both over.

“Hope I’m not too early,” he said in a slow, unhurried way typical of the locals. Cajun all right, his accent flowed seamlessly and made her smile—many people she knew couldn’t stand it, but personally, she loved it.

“Hi, Matthew,” Heather said.

Ta-Mara watched as he walked to Heather’s side, tipped her face up and gave her a kiss that could have melted an ice cap. Then he settled beside her and turned his green eyes on her again.

“You must be Ta-Mara,” he said, reaching a hand out over the table. “I was in your store the other day with my friend.”

Accepting his hand, she shook it while nodding. “I recall.” She sliced her gaze over to where her friend sipped on her drink. “Nice to meet you, Matthew.”

“And you, Heather’s told me a great deal about you.”

Well, Ta-Mara couldn’t say the same but she smiled at him anyway. “How did you two meet?”

“At a club,” Heather said.

Ta-Mara smiled at her friend, unsure exactly why she wasn’t acting like her normal self. “And what do you do, Matthew?”

“I’m a fisherman.” He shoved a toothpick in his mouth and leaned back in his chair.

At his declaration, she saw Heather tense slightly. It dawned on her then Heather might be worried how she’d take what the man did for a living. Personally, she had no problems but she understood Heather’s concern. For all her heart, Jasmine was a woman who prided herself on appearances. Men needed to have a large bank account for her, and Jasmine could be very vocal about her disapproval.

“You know what I do, so that’s not a surprise.” She smiled and winked at Heather.

Matthew rose to get himself a drink after checking if he could get either of them a refill—they both declined—and she watched him walk off, a natural swagger drawing her eye.

“Wow, Heather. He’s…hot. Nicely done, sweetie.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him but you know how Jasmine is… I was just worried.”

“You know I don’t give a damn what a man does so long as he treats you right. But I’ve known you long enough, Heather, what the hell is bothering you? The truth, now. I know it’s more than me meeting that hot-ass man you’re dating.”

“I’m pregnant.”

The words were so soft that for a second, Ta-Mara thought she might have been imagining them. The panicked look on Heather’s face told her otherwise. Leaning forward, she took her friend’s hand. “What did you say?” She kept her gaze out for Matthew’s return.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Matthew’s, right?”

Heather nodded almost imperceptibly.

“Have you told him?”

This time it was a negative shake.

“Sweetie, you need to tell him.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m scared he’ll leave me. I haven’t even told my parents. In fact, you’re the only other person who knows aside from the doctor. And to get that confirmed, I had to go out of town and visit a clinic, just so the rumors wouldn’t be started and my father wouldn’t find out. I know from being a doctor at the hospital how quickly your business can get spread around when you don’t want it to.”

Ta-Mara understood that need. Heather’s father was a serious man who, similar to Jasmine, was extremely concerned about appearances. She caught enough flak from the man for not being model-skinny or fit like her other siblings. To not only be bringing home a boyfriend who wasn’t even corporate but also what the man would determine ‘backwoods’ as well as being pregnant by him… Ta-Mara could understand her hesitation.

“What are you going to do?”

Tears welled up in Heather’s eyes. “I don’t know.”

Matthew retrieved his drink and began heading back toward them.

“Wipe your eyes, here he comes.” One final squeeze then she released Heather’s hand. “We’ll figure something out but I still think you need to tell him.”

The man turned back to the counter.

“We could always be like
Three Men and a Baby
just with two women and a baby. You’re always welcome at my house.” The offer was immediate and took no thought at all to reach her decision. There was none to make—Heather was her friend, and she would always be there for her.

“Thank you, Ta-Mara.”

“What are you two ladies talking about and looking so serious?”

“Jasmine’s birthday party. She makes it so difficult to throw her one,” Ta-Mara lied easily as Matthew sat back down. “You will be bringing Matthew, right, Heather?”

“If he wants to attend.”

“Who doesn’t love a good party? Drinks, food, music. We’d love to have you there, if you can make it.”

He gave her a slow grin, one that only increased his handsomeness. “I’ll have to check dates with Heather here and see if I can.”

“Wonderful.” She gave a pointed look to her friend, who gave a small smile in response.

“Hey, y’all!” Another feminine voice broke amongst them as Rachel dropped an arm around her shoulders. “What’s going on and why wasn’t I invited to the party? Are we planning Jasmine’s… Oh…oh my, hello there. I’m Rachel, and you are?”

“Matthew. Heather’s boyfriend.”

Rachel looked at her and mouthed “Oh my God, he’s fuckin’ hot!” before turning her attention back to the lone man at the table. “Heather, where have you been hiding him?”

Their friend sat down and soon they were actually planning the party and Matthew didn’t seem to mind being the only man at the table. His attention didn’t waver from Heather, and that to Ta-Mara was very telling. A wonderful sign. She waved to Shane for a refill and leaned forward as they went back over the plan to get Jasmine out to her house so they could throw the cranky bitch a party.

* * * *

“You’re dead,” Levi said, even as he stood and made his way to the door of the porch. “I saw your body.”

Calliope tracked his movement, her gaze remaining focused on him. She glided up the steps and he struggled with the urge to pull her into his arms and sink into her softness and scent.

“Yes, I am. I see the desire to touch me in your eyes, Levi. That cannot be. We can no longer touch.”

“Why?” he croaked. “Why are you here?”

“You’re not letting me go, Levi. I’m here until you allow me to go.”

He shook his head in fierce denial. “Let you go? You were taken from me, Calliope.”

“Yes,” she said, the patient smile he admired so much about her curving up her lips. “And you were taken here to have a second chance at love. This Ta-Mara LeBreaux seems to be the one for you.”

His heart torn, he didn’t know what to say. He dug his short nails into the flesh of his palms to keep from reaching for the woman who stood before him in a simple dress of pure white.

“How am I supposed to do that?” Christ, he hated how his voice strained. “How am I supposed to let you go, Calliope? You were ripped from my arms, taken from me before we even had a chance to begin.”

She stepped closer, the scent of magnolias winding around him like a warm blanket. “Let go of your anger. Of your hate.”

“Never,” he swore. “I saw, Calliope… I saw what they did to you. They told me with great glee in explicit detail.”

“This anger will eat you alive, my love.”

He gave into the urge and reached out for her. Fluidly she stepped back out of his reach and he dropped his arm back to his side in frustration. One more touch—was that so much to ask for?

“Let me go, Levi. Please, I want to go home.”

She faded right before his eyes and he called out, “No! Don’t go. Don’t leave me again, Calliope.”

It was too late, she’d gone. Like a whisper in the night. Same as when she’d been taken from him and killed. One minute there, the next, gone.

“Let me go.” Her voice was so faint he almost didn’t hear it and yet at the same time, he heard it louder than anything else.

He closed his eyes, sinking to his knees and bowed his head. The slamming of a door had him lifting his head. No fog surrounded him—in fact, the sun had skated across the sky and had begun its afternoon descent.

Levi felt disoriented and confused. He sat on the steps leading to the backyard. Where had all his time gone?

“Levi? You here?” Ta-Mara called out to him.

It took him a few tries to get the words out. “Back steps.”

Moments later she appeared, her brown eyes sparkling at him. “Hey. You have a good day? Sorry I was gone so long, didn’t expect to get so caught up in the plans for Jasmine’s party. Plus I met Heather’s new boyfriend, so that took a bit more time. He’s a great guy, fishes for a living. Kind of the quiet sort, like you. I think you’d like him.”

She crouched beside him and handed him a beer. “Looks like you could use one.” Tilting her head to the side, she studied him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

What was he going to say?
No, I lost a few hours this morning when my dead woman came to visit me. I don’t even remember getting dressed, much less anything other than Calliope.

“Yes,” he lied smoothly. “I’m fine.”

Ta-Mara looked delicious. She wore a maxi dress tie-dyed in all the colors of one of those old time soda shoppes she’d shown him. Light and crinkly, it flowed around her and made him think all kinds of naughty things when he watched her in it.

“Okay. Are you hungry? I could eat, like, a pizza myself. All I’ve had today was a piece of coffee cake and way too much coffee. But, at least the plans are finalized and we’re ready to tackle this thing.”

He listened to her ramble on about her day and the anxiety within him began to slow. She had that effect on him, calming. To his soul anyway—to his libido it was the opposite. He drank some beer and watched her as she recounted more about her day with Heather and Rachel. The way her throat moved when she swallowed, the dimple in her left cheek when she smiled. The endless joy in her laughter and of course the way the sun shone off her skin and hair.

“I’m sorry, listen to me carrying on about what I did. What did you do today?”

He didn’t mind, in fact he loved listening to her talk. “Little bit of this and that. Not much. Sat outside and just rested.”

“I’m glad.” She pushed to her feet and he smiled over the fact she no longer wore shoes and her turquoise nail polish glittered in the sunlight. “I’m going to start something to eat. My stomach has been growling the entire way home and I really don’t need to be drinking without some food to counteract the alcohol.” She squeezed his shoulder and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts and beer.

Dropping his head to his hands, he groaned. What was going on? Her book. None of this had happened until he’d touched that book of hers. Perhaps all he needed to do was take another look at it. A closer one, this time.

He stood and walked inside the screened porch. Music filtered through the living room to him and he knew she would be in the kitchen dancing and singing along as she fixed whatever it was she was making. Suddenly being with her and the joy she put into everything she did became more important than looking at the book. He traversed the porch, living room and ambled into the kitchen.

She’d not changed and he stared at the flare of her hips covered by the colorful cotton as she moved them to the beat of the music. He recognized the artist. Trey Songz. He placed his bottle on the counter and went up behind her, gripping her hips and moving with her.

Ta-Mara spun in his hold so they faced one another. She looped one arm around his neck, fingers sinking into the hair at the nape of his neck, while her other hand settled upon his chest. As did her face.

He held her close and allowed the slow motion they had convey words he didn’t know how to verbalize. He loved holding her like this, so close, so intimate. So perfect.

“What can I do to help?” he asked in her ear as the music kicked up its beat yet they continued their slow dance.

“Mmm. I’m good right here.” She burrowed closer.

“Me too, but if you’re hungry…”

Her sigh was loud and exaggerated, bringing a smile to his face. “How true. If you can cut up the fruit for the salad, that would be great.”

He tipped her head back and kissed her. A gentle kiss. An exploratory kiss. At least that was how it should have been. And it was…right until she released that sexy little mewl from the back of her throat.

Levi gathered her tight to him, growling low as he angled his mouth to kiss her better. He couldn’t get enough. He wanted more. Even as he deepened the kiss, he began tugging up her dress to grant him access to the smooth, supple flesh beneath.

She didn’t fight him. In fact, she helped. He just needed to not think about what had happened earlier in the day. And if he were going to lose himself in something, truly he couldn’t think of anything better of losing himself in Ta-Mara.