Crimes of the Heart (22 page)

Hope welled inside of him, releasing him from his paralyzed state. With tentative steps, he moved to the door. A niggling fear still rode his back, but he’d do everything in his power to quiet it over the coming weeks. He sensed this was his one and only shot for everything he ever wanted: his revenge, Jewel, and now Sean, a real family.

Shifting his bag, he dug into his pocket for his keys. A moment later, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. In the foyer, a dark shadow caught his attention, sending his heart to his throat. A soft meow soon followed.

“Someday you’re gonna scare the wrong person, Cat. Then where will you be?”

The feline meowed once again, and then padded lightly up the stairs. Devon shook his head as he closed and bolted the door behind him. In the dim interior, with only his instincts to guide him, he followed the gray ball of fur to the second floor.

Gingerly, still grasping his suitcase, he made his way to his wife. He hesitated outside the room, his reluctance to face her barring him from entrance as much as the wooden barrier.

Mustering his courage, he reached out and twisted the knob. The soft click grated along his nerves as the door swung open. Squinting, Devon waited to adjust to the darkness. Finally he was able to distinguish Jewel curled up in the center of the bed, her long porcelain legs, free of the quilt, clearly visible.

Frowning, he thought, how cold she must be. Quickly, he went to her side, dropping his bag in a nearby chair. He tried to figure out a way to shift her under the covers without waking her.

Reaching out, he touched her silky leg.
Icy.
His concern grew ten fold. Gingerly, he tugged the wedged quilt from beneath her. She moved restlessly. He stilled, holding his breath.

She tensed, and then sat upright, screaming. The sharp, high-pitched screech pierced his eardrums.

Just as swiftly, she stopped, gulping in great breaths. Running footsteps beat a path down the hallway. A shrieking sound from the cat came next.

“Mom, are you all right? I heard you scream.” Sean flicked on the light. Devon blinked at the sudden brightness. With his baseball bat clutched over his shoulder ready to swing, he faced his father, ready to go to battle with the intruder. “Dad?” His grip loosened and he eased the club to the floor, still holding onto the end of it as the gray feline rubbed against his leg. “Man, you scared me.”

Devon’s heart expanded as he gazed at his son, so young, so protective in his new dark blue pajamas. If need be, Devon figured, he’d have fought to hell and back for his mother. “Sorry about that,” he choked out, awed by how much of a young man his son was at times.

Looking at Jewel, he noted how she had a hand pressed to her chest as she regained her composure. He dragged a hand through his hair, repeating Sean’s unanswered question, “Are you all right?”

Nodding, she shot them a weak smile.

“You didn’t climb in the window again, did you, Dad?”

Holding back a chuckle, he said, “Not this time, son.”

“Good.” He yawned really loud, and then said, “Goodnight.” He turned, dragging the bat behind him. The cat scampered off to catch up with him. Devon barely made out Sean’s next sleepy words. “Hey, Cat, have we tried Whiskas yet?”

At the two sharp meows that came next, Devon smiled broadly. Turning back to Jewel, he said, “I guess that means he doesn’t like that one either.”

Wide, violet eyes stared up at him. He gulped hard as he scanned from her disheveled black hair, past her sleep-pinkened cheeks, to her slightly parted rosy lips. Allowing his gaze to travel downward, he became mesmerized by the way her breasts rose and fell with each breath she took. A knot formed low and deep in his abdomen, tightening as his eyes landed on how his shirt bunched at her hips exposing the long expanse of her bare, shapely legs. A groan rumbled in his chest.

Apparently aware of his scrutiny, she shifted abruptly so now she kneeled on the bed, with her sexy legs tucked beneath her. A shaft of disappointment lanced through him.

Tension swirled around him as she folded her arms across her chest. A cold sheen of perspiration beaded on his forehead. In the back of his mind he wondered if she was about to toss him out of her life. Her fierce look and next words didn’t ease his worry one bit.

“What the hell are you doing here, Devon?”

***

Looking out the row of windows, Jewel drummed her fingers on the kitchen counter. She barely registered the freshly weeded, barren garden she and Cyrus had worked diligently on the past week. Just as they had for the last fifteen hours since Devon returned, her thoughts stayed centered on her husband.

“Why?” she wondered aloud. “Why race back in the middle of the night to tell me he’d give it his best shot when he’d been bound and determined to walk away a free man?”

A coldness gripped her heart when she focused on the only answer she could come up with: She was his responsibility, his burden. That had to be it. Love wasn’t an issue; they’d loved each other for so long, but it had never been enough. And as far as Sean was concerned, Devon had already planned on continuing to be a part of his son’s life.

“Hey, what smells so good?” Devon’s question startled her from her reverie.

Twisting around, her breath caught in her throat at her glimpse of him leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest. She gulped hard as she took in his mesmerizing green eyes and roguish grin. His hair, usually neatly styled, drooped over his forehead, making her long to brush it back as she’d done countless times years earlier.

“Pot roast,” she finally answered, dragging her gaze away from the way his black T-shirt stretched over his sculptured muscles and how his jeans outlined his long, powerful legs. “Uh, dinner will be ready as soon as the biscuits are done.”

Flustered, she turned back to the counter, busying herself with transferring the beef from the roasting pan to the serving platter. The beautifully browned, aromatic meat should have had her mouth watering, but it had the opposite effect, making her slightly queasy. Nerves, she figured.

Or what I’ve suspected for a few days now
.

She kept that deduction to herself, burying it deep inside, afraid it may very well be true.

Devon’s light touch on her arm made her jump. His clean scent assailed her nostrils, shoving aside her momentary discomfort. “How did you move so fast without me hearing?” she blurted out, taking a step back, creating some much needed distance from this magnetic pull she always experienced with him.

“Practice, remember? How else could I sneak up to this house many a night without your dad catching on?”

His easy manner and playful words put her at ease.

Maybe he won’t mention how he spent the reminder of last night holed up in his study and not in bed with me
.

Jewel didn’t think she could endure any probing questions right now, couldn’t give answers to something she herself didn’t understand.

Like how come I wanted this, wanted him here yet immediately grew wary of the motives behind it?

A smile tugged at her lips as she focused on his query. “We did have a couple of close calls though, didn’t we?” She peeked up at him from under her lashes as she extracted the potatoes and carrots from the pan and arranged them around the succulent meat.

“Boy, did we.” The deepening of his voice alerted her to the heightened tension swirling between them. “Where’s Sean?”

“Football practice. Kev’s mom is picking the boys up, then taking them shopping with her. She’s famous for stopping at Mickey D’s, so I figured we’d start dinner without him.” She measured her words, carefully considering each and every one so she could concentrate on the task at hand and not allow her thumping heart to get the best of her.

Drawing closer, his heat washed over her and a low ache blossomed to life. “Devon,” she whispered, dropping the spoon. It clattered noisily on the counter. She pressed her palm against his chest to ward him off. Instantly, she lost her willpower as she felt the wild tempo hammering beneath the surface.

He covered her hand with his large, strong one. “It’s been a long time since you’ve touched me.” Leaning down, he said softly in her ear, “It feels so good.”

A shiver racked her body as his warm breath caressed her. Gingerly, he feathered kisses along her jaw, making his way to her mouth.

“And it’s been too long since I’ve tasted you, dollface.”

She closed her eyes the moment his firm lips captured hers in a slow, experimental embrace. When she responded by increasing the pressure, he lazily trailed his tongue along her flesh, slicing open the entrance to allow him full access.

Someone moaned, she thought, trying to decipher the continual sound infringing on the deep erotic, wet kiss. When his arms surrounded her, she melted into him, savoring the taste and touch of her husband. Lord, she’d missed him, missed the way she came to life being in his strong, loving arms. She never wanted this to end.

Abruptly, he pulled away, and then pressed his forehead against hers. “The buzzer,” he choked out between gulps of air.

“Huh?” she asked, trying to regain some sort of semblance of sanity along with her breath.

“The oven. The biscuits.”

Groaning in understanding, she recognized the incessant noise that had penetrated her foggy brain a few seconds ago and still blared. On shaky legs, she went to the stove, and then reached out to silence the offending buzz. She made short work of extracting the golden mounds and sliding them onto the awaiting plate. With nothing left to do, she fidgeted.

Blanketed in sudden and complete stillness, she sensed the increasing oppressive atmosphere. Neither she nor Devon moved. Seconds ticked by, stretching endlessly.

Unable to endure it a moment longer, she broke the awkwardness. “Listen, let’s forget what just happened and not mention it, all right?”

He half-laughed and half-snorted. “That’s convenient.”

“It might work.”

“I doubt it.” Drawing in a deep breath, he released it slowly, and then said quietly, “I dreamed of you every night. It was as if you were real, so soft, so silky.”

Unnerved by his words, she grabbed the platter of pot roast and vegetables and shoved it into his hands. “Here, you carry this and I’ll get the rest.”

His low, seductive chuckle sent a tingle clear to her toes. “All right, Mrs. Marshall, we’ll do this your way, but just remember you won’t get away with it tonight.”

The threat held the promise of a long night of lovemaking. She shivered in anticipation.

A minute later, entering the newly decorated dining room, Jewel nearly collided with Devon’s back as he stood rooted to the spot. He whistled under his breath. “This is great. You’re incredible.”

She beamed inwardly at his praise. The long hours of tolling away in order to restore the large, impressive room to its former grandeur seemed well worth all her efforts now. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like the walls painted a forest green, but I took the chance.” She shrugged, saying, “The Persian rug and cherry furniture were kind of over budget.”

“No, it’s perfect.” Awe laced his words. Coming out of his stupor, he moved toward the long gleaming table, already set for two, and deposited his handful on top. He glanced from one end of the table to the other, obviously noting the distance between the place settings.

Making her way to her seat, she wondered what he’d say about it. Nothing, it turned out. His actions spoke volumes as he swiftly grabbed his tableware and transferred it to the place on her left.

“There, that’s better.” He grinned boyishly, and then winked at her.

Warmth crawled up her cheeks. With just one look he could always make her feel alive and special.

Once seated, she let him fill her plate, not wanting to spoil the fragile truce with any kind of refusal. “So…” She searched for a safe topic to discuss. Finding none, she tried to salvage her flailing attempt at conversation. “I hope you like it,” she said lamely, nodding to his dinner.

He took a bit, and then groaned in appreciation. After he chewed and swallowed, he commented, “This is by far the best I’ve ever had.”

A glow came over her and she giggled. With even a smidgen of flattery he still could make her act like an impressionable schoolgirl.

“Aren’t you going to try some?”

The queasiness returned in full force and she had all she could do to cover it with a weak smile. “Of course.” Tentatively, she cut into the slice of beef. Not wanting to lift her fork to her mouth, she plunged into a touchy subject, knowing it would divert his attention away from her at least for the moment. “Tell me what you’ve discovered from the paperwork in the trunk.”

Devon nearly choked on a mouthful of tender carrots. Quickly, he reached for his water glass, and then gulped down the entire cool contents. “Why do you want to know?” He stalled for time. Suddenly his appetite dwindled and the delicious meal tasted like dust in his mouth.

“Curious, I guess. It is my family, too.”

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead and he swiped it away. How could he tell her his growing suspicions after poring through the piles of business records last night and today? “Nothing conclusive yet,” he fabricated, knowing as he searched his wife’s inquisitive expression he couldn’t voice his concerns. Even a hint of what he speculated had occurred over twenty years ago would destroy her. He’d keep everything to himself until he had all the facts.

Clearing his throat, he offhandedly said, “Talking about family, I never did find out how your dad met your mom.”

The smile that transformed her face was priceless. She radiated pure joy and something kicked him in the gut as a memory of her gazing up at him took hold. With that one look he’d been bathed in sunshine and her fanciful dreams.

Placing her fork on her plate, and then pushing it away, Jewel sat forward, resting her chin on her folded hands. “To have heard my mother explain it, it was love at first sight for both of them. Now, my father would never admit it nor deny it. He’d just have this twinkle in his eyes. You see, she applied for a receptionist job with his company.” She went on to describe the meeting in detail.