forward to connecting with his brother.
Most of all, though, he wanted to be with Brenda. Needed to be with her.
When he arrived at her door, he hesitated. They hadn’t parted on a good note. Maybe he should have called, to see if it was okay for him to stop by.
He rang the bell. Brenda opened the door and her mouth relaxed into a smile when she saw him. “Is your brother all right?”
He nodded. “He will be. At least physically. The rest will come later. Okay if I come in?”
“Of course.” She stood aside. She was wearing sweats and no makeup. He loved how she looked all dressed up and polished, but he also loved her like this. Barefoot, face scrubbed clean, hair damp from a recent shower.
He kissed her and inhaled the strawberry scent of her shampoo. God, she was delicious.
“What are you doing?” He could see she’d been working.
“Developing a new idea. ‘Love is the emotional chocolate of the universe.’” She told him about K.C.’s saying and the upcoming campaign.
“I like that. It’ll be great. Can I steal you away for a bit?”
She blushed, which he knew she detested. “Sure. Let’s talk.”
“Let’s not.” He swooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
He needed her, more than ever before. More than he could imagine. More than he could contain. More than he could tell her.
All he could do was show her. With his mouth, his teeth, his tongue, his skin, his fingers, his nails, his head, his hands, his feet and his sex. Repeatedly.
He took her in his arms and buried himself so deeply into her that he could forget his fears. Could forget the whole world outside this room. He thrust in and out, in and out, banishing another demon with each move. With her rising to meet him, surrounding him with her warmth and her acceptance, her love, he had his first moments of peace since he’d found out about Ryan.
In her arms, he could almost allow himself to believe they could come through whatever life threw at them. That he could be there for her the way she was for him.
They made love wordlessly, instinctively, primitively. She invited him to the very deepest, most hidden parts of herself and opened up to him in a big, silent Yes.
She shattered into pieces with him and then together they grew whole and strong. United in passion, neither would let go of the other. Spent, he kissed away her tears and they fell asleep in each other’s arms. More like collapsed into sleep.
But then, even after all they’d shared that night, in the dark time before sunrise, he sprang awake. Terror once again seized him like a giant shark with razor sharp teeth. He couldn’t talk about it, and he knew she’d want him to. Hardest thing he ever had to do was tear himself away from her at dawn, turn his back and walk out.
Maybe it was the kindest thing he could do for the woman he loved.
Chapter Four
May 25th—Brenda’s thirtieth birthday minus one day
Keith had spent much of the week getting to know his brother. Learning that they had lots in common but were also very different. But the biggest surprise was finding out what had led to the breakdown of his brother’s marriage. “Mara Lynn hooked up with her old boyfriend and wanted a divorce,” Ryan told him. “I tried to talk her out of it. Didn’t want to do to my kids what our folks did to us, you know? But I couldn’t budge her. The boyfriend got nasty. I figured I’d done what I could and gave up.”
“Sounds like you went through a rough patch. Sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
Ryan shrugged. “No way you could have known.”
“Hey, let’s make a pact. Nothing like this will ever go down again without one telling the other. Nothing like this should happen again, but if it does—“
“I hear you. And I agree. So, here I was, getting my mind around a divorce, custody stuff. Then, after Mara Lynn moved out and I met Janine, Mara Lynn’s boyfriend dumped her. That’s when she started making accusations and
Most of all, though, he wanted to be with Brenda. Needed to be with her.
When he arrived at her door, he hesitated. They hadn’t parted on a good note. Maybe he should have called, to see if it was okay for him to stop by.
He rang the bell. Brenda opened the door and her mouth relaxed into a smile when she saw him. “Is your brother all right?”
He nodded. “He will be. At least physically. The rest will come later. Okay if I come in?”
“Of course.” She stood aside. She was wearing sweats and no makeup. He loved how she looked all dressed up and polished, but he also loved her like this. Barefoot, face scrubbed clean, hair damp from a recent shower.
He kissed her and inhaled the strawberry scent of her shampoo. God, she was delicious.
“What are you doing?” He could see she’d been working.
“Developing a new idea. ‘Love is the emotional chocolate of the universe.’” She told him about K.C.’s saying and the upcoming campaign.
“I like that. It’ll be great. Can I steal you away for a bit?”
She blushed, which he knew she detested. “Sure. Let’s talk.”
“Let’s not.” He swooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
He needed her, more than ever before. More than he could imagine. More than he could contain. More than he could tell her.
All he could do was show her. With his mouth, his teeth, his tongue, his skin, his fingers, his nails, his head, his hands, his feet and his sex. Repeatedly.
He took her in his arms and buried himself so deeply into her that he could forget his fears. Could forget the whole world outside this room. He thrust in and out, in and out, banishing another demon with each move. With her rising to meet him, surrounding him with her warmth and her acceptance, her love, he had his first moments of peace since he’d found out about Ryan.
In her arms, he could almost allow himself to believe they could come through whatever life threw at them. That he could be there for her the way she was for him.
They made love wordlessly, instinctively, primitively. She invited him to the very deepest, most hidden parts of herself and opened up to him in a big, silent Yes.
She shattered into pieces with him and then together they grew whole and strong. United in passion, neither would let go of the other. Spent, he kissed away her tears and they fell asleep in each other’s arms. More like collapsed into sleep.
But then, even after all they’d shared that night, in the dark time before sunrise, he sprang awake. Terror once again seized him like a giant shark with razor sharp teeth. He couldn’t talk about it, and he knew she’d want him to. Hardest thing he ever had to do was tear himself away from her at dawn, turn his back and walk out.
Maybe it was the kindest thing he could do for the woman he loved.
Chapter Four
May 25th—Brenda’s thirtieth birthday minus one day
Keith had spent much of the week getting to know his brother. Learning that they had lots in common but were also very different. But the biggest surprise was finding out what had led to the breakdown of his brother’s marriage. “Mara Lynn hooked up with her old boyfriend and wanted a divorce,” Ryan told him. “I tried to talk her out of it. Didn’t want to do to my kids what our folks did to us, you know? But I couldn’t budge her. The boyfriend got nasty. I figured I’d done what I could and gave up.”
“Sounds like you went through a rough patch. Sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
Ryan shrugged. “No way you could have known.”
“Hey, let’s make a pact. Nothing like this will ever go down again without one telling the other. Nothing like this should happen again, but if it does—“
“I hear you. And I agree. So, here I was, getting my mind around a divorce, custody stuff. Then, after Mara Lynn moved out and I met Janine, Mara Lynn’s boyfriend dumped her. That’s when she started making accusations and
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