Beverly Jenkins (10 page)

She returned to the bed and beckoned him to join her. When he complied, she wrapped a firm hand possessively around his upright shaft, pushed his shoulders so he’d lie flat, then swung her parted legs over his supine body. She slowly impaled herself and he savored the glorious feel of her warmth and being where he most wanted to be.

As she began to set a slow sultry rhythm Drew hissed out a breath and clamped his hands onto the lines of her waist. He matched her lazy pace at first, but the more she moved, the higher his lust climbed. Soon that same lust had him blind to all else but being sheltered inside her hot slick sheath and the bed became the center of a raging storm. He wanted her everywhere—her mouth, her breasts, the skin of her throat, the flare of her hips, and she let him feed and touch with no shrinking or pulling away because they’d done all this and more. When he reached down between the tight fit of their bodies to get at that bud he loved to suckle so much, she leaned back to accommodate him just as he knew she would. In response to the teasing, her inner muscles tightened deliciously, sending him soaring higher. She leaned forward and offered him her breast, then bent low so his hands could seek and play behind. She arched in response to his carnal dallying and the sight of her lust-filled eyes increased the strength of his strokes and made the tendons in his arms tighten as he began to work her ferociously. Feeling his orgasm about to burst, he quickly put her on her back, thrust into her with passion-fueled strength, and she broke and cried out almost in unison with him as the storm swept them both away.

For the rest of the night, they renewed the sensual bonds they’d forged in San Francisco. Neither chose to think about what would come with the rising of the sun but concentrated instead on pleasure, because in that there was no anger, or harsh words, or hurt, only sensations flamed by passion.

Finally, a few hours before dawn a sated Drew pulled his equally sated wife close and slept. He awakened later hungry for more but when he reached for her, she was gone. Struggling to full consciousness, he sat up and looked around the room. He was in the bed alone.

Chapter 11

B
illie was on the floor playing with the baby. She’d quietly left Drew’s bed in the wee hours of the morning in order to forestall a painful parting, but now, he was standing in the doorway. From his mode of dress and the brown traveling valise in his hand she guessed he was on his way to the train station. There were circles under his eyes and a weariness in his face that matched her own, but she kept her tone light even as her heart was breaking. “Good morning, Drew.”

His mask was back. She’d donned hers as well.

“Morning. My mother has access to my accounts. She has my permission to purchase whatever you and the baby may need.”

“Thank you.” She waited. His gaze slid over the baby and then back to hers. “Anything else?” she asked coolly.

For a moment he didn’t respond, and she wondered if he’d expected her to go into histrionics over his departure, but she had more pride than that. Finally, he shook his head. “No.”

“Safe travels.”

“Thank you.” He turned and left.

She sighed. Shaking free of the melancholy threatening to overwhelm her mood, she refocused her attention on her son.

Downstairs, Drew searched out his mother and found her in her study going over ledgers. She looked up at his entrance. “Good morning. How are you?”

“I’ve been better. I’m on my way to the station. I let Billie know that she’s to come to you for anything she may need.” He saw questions in her eyes, but had no plans to entertain them now.

“And you’ll be returning, when?”

“I don’t know, Mother.”

She nodded solemnly.

He thought it best to change the subject. “When will Logan and Mariah be returning?”

“Any day now, I’m hoping.”

“Send me a wire when they do so that I’ll know they got home safely.”

“I will.”

“And if anything untoward happens to Billie or the baby, wire me that as well.” He walked over and placed a cool kiss on her cheek. “Good-bye.”

Watching his departure, Alanza shook her head and returned to her ledgers.

On the train ride back to San Francisco, Drew had much to ponder and all of it centered on his wife. How dare she leave him wanting more. Even now, he could feel her encasing him, recall her scent, and see her dressed in nothing but his mother’s emeralds while she rode him hard and put him away wet. He was supposed to have had the upper hand in their marriage, not crave her like a dying man seeking water in the desert only to awaken and find her gone, as if last night amounted to nothing more than a quick coupling, and meant even less. The distance he’d vowed to maintain buckled the moment he took her onto his lap, and vanished completely with their initial kiss. Damn her! The night had been good, so much so that only his pride kept him from saying to hell with the train and riding back to her as fast as his mount would go. However, he’d vowed to leave, and he planned to stay the course, but for the rest of the ride to San Francisco and the days immediately following his return, Billie filled his mind.

In the days after his departure, Drew was on Billie’s mind, too, but rather than pine over something that would never be, she concentrated instead on settling into her new home. Alanza had graciously given her and Tonio a suite of rooms in the same wing where Drew’s were situated. As they followed her inside, Billie glanced around at all the space and the sunshine streaming in through the wealth of windows.

“Ideally, you and the baby would be with him across the hall, but he’s angry enough with me as it is, so we’ll put the two of you in here for now.”

The large bedroom was connected to a bathing room, and via a door a smaller room that could serve as Tonio’s bedroom once he became old enough. A verandah complete with a small wrought-iron table and chairs offered a beautiful view of the countryside. The big four-poster bed with its dark wood looked fit for a queen. There was no bedding on it however. Nor were there any curtains or rugs.

“This was once my son Logan’s rooms. I put all the boys in this wing so they could fight and play and do all the other noisy things boys do and not disturb the rest of the house.”

Billie knew Logan now lived with his wife so she didn’t have to worry about her presence displacing him. “This is very lovely.” It was easily twice the size of the room she’d once called her own back at the Black Pearl.

“Our first order of business is to get you some bedding. I’ll have Bonnie take care of that, and have Mariah run you up some curtains when she returns.”

Once again, Billie wondered how Mariah would react to having a former whore as a sister-in-law. She wanted to ask Alanza if she thought the two of them might get along, but didn’t. The woman would either accept her or not. “How old is Mariah’s daughter?”

“Little Maria was born April of last year.”

“What day?”

“The fifteenth.”

Billie shook her head with amusement.

“What’s the matter?”

“That’s Tonio’s birth date as well.”

Alanza stared. “Oh, my. Both my grandchildren born on the same day. God works in mysterious ways.”

“I guess so.”

“Now, all I need is for Noah to have a child on that date.”

“Who’s he?”

“My youngest. He’s a ship captain and is sailing on an ocean somewhere.”

Billie couldn’t help but wonder how he’d react to her, too.

Bonnie stuck her head in the door. “Senora. Mr. Logan and Mariah have returned. They’re waiting for you in the parlor.”

“Oh, wonderful!” But the elation faded when she took in Billie. Her voice softened. “Don’t worry. You won me over. You’ll do the same with them.”

Billie knew better than to argue, so swallowing her misgivings, she picked up her son and followed Alanza downstairs.

The man she assumed to be Logan was standing by the windows and looked to be older than Drew. Although he had none of Drew’s Mexican features, there was a resemblance and he was just as tall and handsome. His wife, seated on the sofa, had lovely gold-colored eyes in a face that could only be described as beautiful. The baby girl squirming on her mother’s lap had cute little gold eyes as well and facial features that were a blend of her parents’. Said parents viewed her and Tonio’s entrance with easy curiosity.

Alanza embraced them both, saying genuinely “Welcome home,” then promptly picked up her granddaughter and gave her a tender squeeze. “Your
abuela
missed you so much.”

The baby giggled and made a grab for the silver bobs in her grandmother’s lobes, making Billie believe the two cousins would get along well.

Alanza did the introductions. “Mariah and Logan, this is Billie. She’s Drew’s wife and this is their son, Antonio.”

Mariah cocked her head as if she hadn’t heard her mother-in-law correctly.

Her surprised husband looked Billie up and down. “Where are you from?”

“San Francisco.”

The way he stiffened made her think Drew might have mentioned her at some point in the past, so she added, “Yes, I’m that Billie.”

His confused wife turned to him as if seeking an explanation, but his blazing countenance was focused entirely on Billie. “And that’s my brother’s son?”

“Yes.”

“You can prove that?”

“Already have.”

His mother stepped in. “And to the satisfaction of both your brother and myself.”

Billie didn’t need her assistance, but let her have her say even though Billie knew it wouldn’t be enough to quell his interrogation.

And she was right.

“Since Drew never mentioned having a child, I assume he was unaware of the birth.”

“Correct.”

“So, you simply waltzed in here one day and made the grand announcement?”

“Logan!” Alanza snapped.

Billie said reassuringly. “It’s okay, Mrs. Yates. He’s Drew’s brother. He’s allowed.” She and Logan were gauging each other like two prizefighters in a ring. “In answer to your question. Yes. I just showed up, and your brother wasn’t pleased.”

“I’ll bet he wasn’t.”

Billie resigned herself to being a target for his anger, but she didn’t have to like it or him.

Mariah apparently had had enough. “Will someone please explain to me what this is all about?”

Her husband spoke. “This woman is Drew’s—” He hesitated as if trying to come up with a delicate way to explain what needed saying.

Billie helped him out. “Whore. I’m his brother’s whore.”

His wife looked stunned. Hand over her mouth, she ran widened eyes over Billie as if seeking some kind of physical verification of the confession. “Oh my.”

Logan glowered. “Why didn’t he just send you packing?”

“Because I insisted he do what was honorable,” his angry mother replied.

He stared. “What?”

“You heard me. Billie didn’t come here to make Drew marry her. All she wanted was to leave the baby with him. There’s a man threatening her life and the life of their child.”

He gave a bitter chuckle. “Since when are you so gullible? Drew probably didn’t believe a word of that cock-and-bull story, and neither do I.”

Billie tossed back, “This has nothing to do with what you believe.”

He paused as if viewing her for the first time. She thought she saw the ghost of a smile creep into Mariah’s gold eyes but it was gone so quickly, Billie decided she’d imagined it. The hard lines of her husband’s face weren’t imaginary though. He looked fit to be tied.

“What happened to Rosaline?” Mariah asked as if trying to be the calm before an impending storm.

Alanza replied, “Once Drew told her mother about the baby, the engagement was dissolved.”

“And Drew?” Logan asked. “Where’s he?”

Billie said, “In San Francisco. Giving the baby his name is all he’s offering. He’s not going to live with us, which suits me just fine. I don’t want him as a husband any more than he wants me as his wife.”

He seemed startled by that.

“So much for whatever you thought I came here after.”

His jaw tightened angrily. Billie looked him off, effectively conveying how little she cared about that as well. “I’m sure you all wish to talk about your trip. Tonio and I need some fresh air. Nice meeting you both.” With her son riding her hip, she turned and headed for the kitchen door, which led outside.

After Billie’s departure, Alanza swung her gaze to her son, who immediately came to his own defense. “Surely you don’t expect me to act as if this is something I approve of.”

“As she said, none of this hinges on your approval.”

“How could you condone this?”

“Did you not see the child in her arms?”

“Of course I did.”

“According to your brother, the man after them is very dangerous, so much so that she was willing to leave her son with us so she could flee back East with the hope he wouldn’t find her. And, she said, if the man killed her it would be okay as long as she knew her son was safe.”

He sighed angrily. “She’s a whore, Mother.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think I don’t know what the gossips will say or what my friends might say? My only concern is the child, Logan. His parents get along like fire and dry tinder but he shouldn’t have to suffer because of that. It isn’t as if he asked to be born into this mess.”

Mariah asked, “How long has she been here?”

“Almost a week. As the Fates would have it she showed up the day of the engagement party.”

“That couldn’t have been much fun.”

“It wasn’t. Emmalina couldn’t wait to get Rosaline away from here.”

“So, what’s Billie like?”

“Proud. Angry, smart-mouthed, but she loves her son like she loves breathing. Drew’s angry, too.”

“Then why make them marry?” Logan demanded.

“Because she loves him and I’m fairly sure he cares for her as well.”

Logan looked incredulous. “You’ve done some outrageous things, Alanza, but this is the mountaintop.”

“Thank you,” she replied sarcastically. “I knew I could count on you to take my side.”

He threw up his hands. “She’s a whore!”

“So you keep saying!” She shot him a quelling look and turned to her daughter-in-law. “Do you think I’m
loco,
too?”

“I don’t know what to think. I’ve never been in the same room with a woman like her before, let alone have one in the family. I’ll admit, I did like the way she told Logan she didn’t care what he thought. Reminded me a bit of myself for a moment there.”

Logan glared.

She shrugged in response. “Just being truthful. Very few people stand up to you, darling.”

Alanza found a modicum of comfort in Mariah’s words. “Her son was born the same day as Maria.”

Astonishment filled Mariah’s face. “Truly?”

Alanza nodded. “Yes. So we’ll have a birthday party for both of them.”

Apparently Logan didn’t care about any of that because he steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. “So, how long has Drew been gone, and when are you expecting him back?”

“He left the morning after she and the baby arrived. He said he didn’t know when he’d return. Gave me access to his accounts for whatever she might need and took the train back to Yerba Buena.”

Mariah sighed. “On one level this is completely mad, and on other it’s very sad. Is Drew planning to confront the man or involve the police?”

“He’s not shared his plans, at least not with me.”

Mariah looked to her husband and said firmly, “You may do what you like concerning all of this, but I’m going to try and be a friend to her. Sounds like she needs one.”

He shook his head. “I’ll not have you dirtied by her scandal.”

Her eyebrow rose. “Do you remember what Billie said about you and your opinion?”

His lips thinned.

Mariah got to her feet and picked up her daughter. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go meet your cousin.”