Athena's Daughter (17 page)

He still loved her!

Sighing, she nestled back against his thighs,
and gave herself over to the bliss of the gentle nips and nibbles
of his beautiful mouth. One of his hands slid down her arm, and he
laced his fingers with hers.

“Tell me about your life,” he breathed in her
ear. “I’ve missed so much, and I want to know about it.”

“Like what?” she asked, smiling at the sight
of their intertwined hands.

“Tell me about Steve.”

Athena froze, all her muscles going rigid
with shock. “You don’t want to hear about him.”

“The hell I don’t. He stole what was mine,
and I want to hear about it.”

If only he knew just how much Steve had
stolen of his, he would freak out. But he had asked; maybe it was
finally time to tell him everything.

“You said you didn’t love him,” Derek
continued. “Why did you marry him?”

Athena closed her eyes and used their linked
hands to pull his arm tighter around her. “Convenience,” she said.
“I married him because he was convenient, that’s all. I know that
sounds terrible, but it’s true. I already told you that I flipped
out when Tina told me you were her fiancé, but I don’t think you
realize how much I flipped out. I honestly think I went a little
crazy. I mean, how else do you explain my decision to run off with
him and join a commune in New Mexico after knowing him for
precisely five minutes?”

“Are you serious? You knew him for five
minutes?”

“Mm-hm.” The soft stroke of his thumb against
the back of her hand gave her the courage to go on. “All I wanted
was to run away from everything. I thought if I could just run, I’d
stop feeling, stop thinking. Of course, that didn’t work. And that
commune was probably – no, strike that; it was the worst place I
could have gone. No running water, no electricity, no food. It was
a nightmare.”

“Jesus Christ, Athena. Why did you go there
of all places?” His warm lips against her neck took some of the
sting out of his harsh tone.

“I didn’t know it would be like that when I
said I’d go. The way Steve described it was this beautiful group of
people all working together and sharing the profits. When we got
out there, we discovered that their idea of working was panhandling
in the towns nearest us, and going through whatever the groceries
threw out to see if there was something edible. Of course, I was
sick because of…because of the baby, but I had to get up really
early once a month and hitchhike into town for my doctor
appointments. And I had to leave early so I could go to a service
station or somewhere that had warm water so I could take a sponge
bath first.”

“You’re right, angel.” There was an odd note
in his voice, and she wished she could see his face. “I don’t want
to know.”

“No, you asked. And I want to tell you.” She
wanted him to know just how things had been in the hope that maybe
he wouldn’t lose his mind completely when she told him about
Elizabeth. Maybe if he knew everything, he might understand.
Maybe.

“All right, then,” he sighed. “I did ask, so
go on.”

“Okay, about Steve. Even panhandling was too
much like work for him, so when he found out we’d get a big
government check if we were married and expecting a baby, he got
this strange guy who called himself Sunbeam to marry us.” She shook
her head at the memory. “For someone who went around spouting off
about how the government shouldn’t intrude in the lives of the
people, Steve was really quick to let a government check intrude
into the mailbox each month. But anyway, this Sunbeam idiot came
out to the commune to marry us.” Funny how she could look back on
that time with such detachment when it had been the most miserable
time of her life.

“I still didn’t give a damn what was going
on, so I just let Steve plan it all out. But when we were standing
there getting ready to be married, I looked over at Steve and I
started crying. I looked over at him and he wasn’t you, and I just
broke down.”

Derek buried his face in her hair and
clutched her tighter. “How could I have been so stupid? I should
have sold everything I had and come back here with you when you had
to leave. Or I should have come when I didn’t hear from you. I knew
something was wrong, but I didn’t do anything about it.”

Athena rolled over to face him. “Derek, none
of this is your fault. None of it. It was my own stupidity that got
me into that situation. You’re not to blame in any way, and I’m not
going to listen to you try to tell yourself you are.” She touched
his cheek. “You can’t live your life thinking ‘What if?’ I’ve done
it, and it doesn’t do a damn bit of good. I’ve even got my child
thinking like that when we drive through Chickasaw Gardens in
Memphis and look at the beautiful houses and say, ‘What if we had
enough money to live here? Which house would we choose?’” She shook
her head. “Even Elizabeth knows we’ll never be able to afford to
live there, but we still do it. And when it’s all said and done, it
just makes us miserable to dream something we know won’t come true.
Same thing with you and me. We can’t change what we did or didn’t
do back then, and there’s no sense in wasting time wishing we
could.”

Derek brushed her hair from her forehead. “It
still kills me to think of the things you had to go through.” A
small smile touched his lips. “You’ve become a very strong woman,
angel.”

Uncomfortable, she shrugged. “I don’t know
about that. I just did what I had to do. The minute they handed
Elizabeth to me in the hospital, I knew I had to do better for her.
There was no way I was going to let her grow up in that commune, so
I told Steve that she and I were going back to Memphis. He could
stay or come with us; I didn’t care.” Her lips twisted in derision.
“Of course he came, because he didn’t want to lose that monthly
check. The joke was on him, though, because as soon as we got back
I got the job at the record shop and stopped all the assistance. He
left right after that.”

Derek exhaled strongly. “So he left you alone
with an infant. Great guy.”

“He was what he was. But, yeah. He left, and
I haven’t heard from him since. As soon as it was clear he wasn’t
coming back, I went to the courthouse to get the marriage annulled,
but they wouldn’t let me do it because he wasn’t there to confirm
that the marriage was never consummated. So I ended up filing for
divorce. Got it, too.”

“What?” Derek raised up on one elbow and
stared down at her, incredulous. “What do you mean it was never
consummated? You had a baby.”

“I was already pregnant when we got married,
remember?” Was this the opening she’d been looking for? Should she
tell him just who it was that had gotten her pregnant?

“What kind of a man ignores his child for
over six years?” His brows rushed together in an irritated frown.
“It’s completely reprehensible.”

“Actually, there are circumstances that…”

“None of that matters, Athena. Don’t make
excuses for someone like that, a man who just goes off and lives
his life while you’re struggling to do everything on your own.”

No. No, not yet. Not while he was so riled up
about Steve. “I didn’t do everything on my own. Andi and Walt
bought Elizabeth’s food for almost a year. And up until last year
my parents were paying for all her doctor visits because even if I
wasn’t putting money into savings I still couldn’t afford it. I had
help.”

“And when she got sick in the night, who was
with you then? Who was helping you when you came home tired from
work and had to care for her alone? When she started school?” A
flush of anger stained his cheeks. “Her father should have been
there, Athena, and I can’t forgive the fact that he wasn’t.”

Unable to look at him without bursting into
tears, she closed her eyes. The next instant, soft kisses were
placed on each of her eyelids.

“I’m sorry. I’ve upset you.”

“You didn’t. Really.”

“The last thing I ever want to do is upset
you. I’m proud of what you’ve done by yourself, and proud of the
woman you are.” He pressed a warm kiss on her lips. “I didn’t think
I could love you more than I did seven years ago, but I do.”

Athena wrapped her arms around his neck and
returned his kiss. “I love you, too, Derek. I never stopped.”

“Neither did I,” he whispered. “And now that
I’ve got you back, I’m not letting you go. In fact…” A hint of
mischief entered his voice. “I’m not letting you leave this room
for the next two days.”

Her eyes flew open. “But I have to go back to
my room. There are things I need.”

“Like what?” A devious smile brought out the
dimple in his left cheek.

“Well,” she floundered. “I need some more
clothes.”

“Nope.” He kissed her ear. “You definitely
don’t need clothes. I want you naked so I can look at that
beautiful little body of yours whenever I want.”

“Oh.” A quiver began in her belly and spread
down between her legs. “But I’ll need my toothbrush.”

“You can use mine.”

“Yuck.” She laughed under her breath. “And my
birth control pills.”

Derek’s hand slid over her stomach and inched
downward. “Oh, you’ll most assuredly need those.”

“I suppose so if you’re going to keep me in
this bed for two days.”

“I said nothing about keeping you in the bed.
I said the room.” His hand slipped between her legs, and he grinned
at her. “I guess I should qualify that since this is a suite. But
there are some chairs that I can’t wait to see you bent over.”

“Chairs.” Her breath came in small, shallow
pants as his fingers drove her wild.

“Yes, chairs. And there’s a wall just over
there that I’d love to see you spread-eagled against while I’m on
my knees in front of you.”

“What exactly would you be doing on your
knees?”

“I’ll think of something.” His eyes cut
toward the closed curtains on the far side of the room. “And on the
other side of those curtains is a balcony. I can’t wait to take you
out there and let you fuck my brains out.”

“On the balcony? Derek!” She stared up at him
with wide eyes.

Those blue eyes mimicked her shocked
expression. “Athena!” Two of his fingers slid inside her and began
to move with a slow, maddeningly good rhythm. “But I think we’ll
start right here where we are. Then you can go get your pills. And
your toothbrush if you’re quick about it.” He kissed her with pent
up heat, and murmured against her lips. “Then I’m going to make
love to you in all the ways I’ve dreamed of doing for years.”

He lifted his head and grinned at her before
he started kissing his way down her body, and Athena forgot all
about going to her own room.

When Athena took the job as Wolf’s personal
assistant, she thought the last week of the tour would be her
busiest. Three concerts were scheduled at The Forum in Inglewood,
California, and the band would be spending the entire week at the
notorious Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles. Not for nothing
was this place referred to as the Riot House in rock circles. Bands
loved it for its proximity to The Whiskey and The Rainbow, hot and
cold running groupies, and management that didn't care what they
did as long as the bill was paid – along with compensation for
horrendous damages, of course. Athena was dreading the circus
atmosphere, and what she feared would be a week of running her legs
off. But when she mentioned this to Derek, he shook his head and
laughed.

“Actually, this will be the easiest week
you’ve had.” He took her hand and squeezed her fingers in
reassurance. “We’re not as, er, active as some of the other bands,
but the fans in L.A. are…” One shoulder rose and fell in a shrug.
“Well, they’re different. They just sort of come round and make
themselves at home. Anything we want, we can get it from them.”

Paul spoke up from across the aisle of the
jet where he sat with Veronica. “He’s right, love. Even though
things will be hopping, there won’t be much for you to do. Just sit
back and enjoy it.”

Within moments of the band’s arrival at the
hotel, people began showing up in a steady stream. It was like some
rock ‘n roll bat signal was shining over the building calling the
faithful to attend their idols, and they answered in spades. By the
time Athena finished making sure all the bells and whistles the
band requested were stocked in their rooms, she could barely
squeeze her way down the hall.

She slipped into the room she shared with
Derek, and leaned against the closed door for a moment, shaking her
head. This was rock ‘n roll decadence at its finest, and she knew
beyond the shadow of a doubt she wasn’t cut out for it. Not that
she’d be experiencing it in the future; but the father of her child
would. Her heart gave an uncomfortable thump at the thought, and
she frowned, unsure how to handle it.

Pushing away from the door, she made her way
into the bedroom where she found Derek coming out of the bathroom
shirtless, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. That half-smile
appeared when he got a good look at her.

“Interesting out there, is it?”

Athena made a sound of amusement. “That’s one
way to describe it. Insanity is another.” She swung her carry-on
bag from the floor and set it on the bed. Reaching in, she removed
her toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and a bottle of facial wash.
“I’m not going out there again unless I have to. And neither are
you,” she added over her shoulder as she went into the steamy
bathroom.

Derek’s laughter lifted her spirits, but it
was his words that warmed her heart. “Don’t want to. I have
everything I need right here.”

Grinning, Athena placed her toiletries near
the sink where they’d be handy when she needed them. She picked up
a hand towel and wiped some of the fog from the mirror and sighed.
Derek’s shower left the bathroom feeling like monsoon season on a
tropical island, and her hair was already starting to develop
frizz.