His Bahamas Affair (The Albury Affairs) (23 page)

Reluctantly, she
nodded. “The first time we were together, I know I was very rough and it could
be the explanation but if not, were you a virgin?”

Coyly she asked, “Did
you want me to be?”

His lips rose in a
lopsided sexy grin. “Lori?”

She chuckled shaking
her head. “No, I lost that to Jake.”

Both his eyebrows shot
up to his hairline. “Gay Jake married to Gil who kept touching my abs after we
went scuba diving?”

Loraine laughed out
loud as she nodded. Reno had stood there with one raised eyebrow watching as
Jake drooled all over him, his hands friskier than what any other straight guy
would have allowed. But Reno found it all amusing and took it in stride like
gay guys hit on him all the time.

“How the hell did that
happen?”

“Well, he stuck his—”

He slapped his hand
over her mouth, one brow lowering while the other remained up with a ‘don’t be
ridiculous’ look. “Spare me the details and explain how you got a gay guy in
bed.”

Loraine playfully
licked his palm as he pulled his hand away before she spoke. “I asked him to.”

He shook his head.
“Why?”

This part of the
explanation she wasn’t very enthusiastic in telling. The sudden change in his
face told that he’d noticed her sudden discomfort.

“Lori, I need to know
why you went to a gay guy to deflower you.”

He wasn’t asking
anymore, he was demanding, and that only made her even more anxious. She’d
already told him about her attack, why was this little detail so hard to get
out?

He took her hands in
his. “Whatever it is Lori, I won’t judge you, and I know I shouldn’t pressure
you, but I just need to know.”

Loraine took a deep
breath and nodded. It’s just a few words, nothing to it.
Then why can’t I
speak?

Reno let out a long
sigh, brushing his hand over his hair. “If it’s that bad maybe I shouldn’t
know.”

Just get it out!
“After what happened in Paris…”
deep breath
, “My parents wanted me to
get checked out in hospital in case he…he…” that word was like a sour pill!

Loraine winced as Reno
crushed her hand in his. He was trying to keep his face expressionless but the
storm in his eyes and her breaking hand belied him. He was enraged and fighting
hard not to show it.

“Of course he
didn’t…but at the time I didn’t want to find out in case he did. They wanted to
take me to a hospital in Paris but I refused. I just want out of the country
and off the continent and they agreed as long as I went to hospital once I got
home.”

Reno rolled his lips
into his mouth like he was keeping himself from saying something. This was
harder than she thought, and it never actually happened to her. Almost did, but
she lucked out thanks to Jeb. Ten seconds more and she would have been another
victim, another statistic in this crime filled world.

She scoffed silently,
like she already wasn’t.

She took a breath and
went on. “But when I got home I locked myself in my bedroom. They tried
everything to get me to go but I didn’t want to know. Then Jake came to see me
and he talked me into it, or so he thought. I convinced him to take me to his
place and when we got to his room I stripped. You can imagine how that went.”

Reno’s Adam apple
bobbed a few times as he listened, his livid eyes on her face. “Didn’t you
already know he was gay?”

Loraine forced a laugh.
“Yeah, but I didn’t care at the time. He was the only guy I trusted and I
wasn’t going to lie on a cold slab and let some person go poking around so soon
after…”

“So how exactly did
he…accomplish that?”

This time her laugh was
sincere. “You don’t want to know but he did get it up. It was scary having his
weight on me and I remember crying biting my lips shut to keep from screaming
for him to get off, for someone to help me. I was back in that dark room all
over again. He freaked out a few times but I forced him to do it and when it
was confirmed that I wasn’t…we cried relieved and sad tears together. Then I
got dressed and he took me to his shrink.”

“Why his shrink?”

Loraine heard the catch
in his voice, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
Maybe a change of
topic would help defuse the tension because soon I’ll be bawling my eyes out.

“His parents thought
gayness was a phase after he came out. Our fathers had great aspirations for
our futures especially as a couple. I figured it out right away that he was gay
so I suggest we pretend to be dating to keep them off our backs and it worked
for a while until some idiot
outed
him in front of
the entire school.”

“Poor guy.”

“Jake did better than
that other asshole.”

The edge of Reno’s lips
lifted in not quite a smile but something close. “Let me guess, you turned into
a bulldog and tore him up.”

Loraine smiled
triumphantly. “Got a month’s suspension and I’m not ashamed of it. No one
messes with my best friends and gets away with it.”

Reno nodded. “I figured
you two were close, once I got over my jealous fit.”

Loraine laughed
remembering how angry he’d been until the moment Jake touched his biceps saying
he couldn’t help himself and then Gil threw his own jealous fit.

Reno pulled her to him
and held her tight against his chest. “Thank you for telling me, Lori. I know
it wasn’t easy…you kept avoiding the word rape.” She winced as if she’d been
slapped. “Hey, it’s okay. Just because it almost happened to you doesn’t make
it any less traumatizing than if it had. I know that would have been worse but
just knowing it almost happened…”

His arms tightened
around her before he spoke again, his voice a hoarse whisper. “That’s your
nightmare isn’t it? Being raped…that’s why you fight so hard at night…”

Loraine burrowed deeper
into his embrace wishing she could hide inside his hard chest. Yes, that was
what tormented her, it actually happening and being powerless to stop it.

“God honey, I’m so
sorry. But you’re safe now. That bastard will never lay a finger on you again…I
could kill him for this!” he hissed.

“It doesn’t matter; I’m
home here and safe with you.”

Reno was quiet for a
moment before he whispered. “You mean it? You want to make your home here with
me and Tyler?”

She sat up and took his
face in her hands. “Where else would I go? I already found what I was looking
for, remember?”

He sighed with a
chuckle, pulling her down against him and kissing the top of her head. “Don’t
ever change, my
Crazi
Lori.”

“Never.”

* * * *

Loraine had been hoping
the night would end with some love making if not wild sex but Reno just held
her and they stayed silent, both engrossed in their own thoughts until they
finally fell asleep. They woke up to Tyler jumping up and down on their bed,
which ended in a mock fight between him and Reno. She watched them for a while
before she set off to make breakfast for her family, leaving Reno to help Tyler
get ready.

The night had been
wonderful she felt like the two of them had grown closer because of the
discussion though she felt guilty about not telling him the whole truth. But
soon she will when the time was right.

“And when will that be,
Lori?” she asked herself. When would be the right time to tell Reno she wasn’t
as safe as he thought she was? And now that she was involved with he and Tyler…

Loraine felt her chest
tighten with panic. If Pierre knew about Tyler, would he use him against her?
How far would he go this time to get her?

“Mama!”

Loraine jumped, the
spatula falling out of her hand. Damn, she was back to being jumpy! When would
she stop giving that man power over her? How long would his shadow follow her?
Disgusted with herself, she picked up the spatula from the floor and rinsed it
in the sink.

“Mama!”

“In the kitchen!” she
yelled back.

“You mean the galley,”
Reno spoke from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her
neck. “Something smells great.”

Loraine leaned into his
embrace letting him rid her of her nightmare. “Same difference and that would
be breakfast.”

Reno nibbled on her
neck creating an army of goose bumps down her body to the tip of her toes. She
fell back against him, glad he was holding her up because she’d suddenly lost
her sea legs.

“No, it’s you.” Her
pulse jumped when he suckled the flesh over it. “Damn woman you even taste
good.”

She knew they should
stop before Tyler walked in but he was making her feel so good. She pushed back
against him and he pressed forward. “Baby on board.”

Reno groaned pulling
away. “Just a few more hours.”

“To what?” she sounded
so breathy like she’d run a marathon. A few seconds in his presence and she
lost her breath. She was hooked, line and sinker on the man and it set
butterflies in her belly.

He chuckled swatting
her ass and walking away. “You’ll see. Tyler, get in here, breakfast is ready!”
he yelled the last part and the sound of small feet followed as Tyler ran in.

“Pancakes!” he yelled
jumping on the cushioned seat at the table.

“Yum, I’m starving.”

Loraine turned to the
sound of Riana’s voice, her jaw on the floor. “What…when…” she couldn’t get the
words past her surprise and began to scream and jump before hugging her best
friend.

“I’m happy to see you
too,” Riana said laughingly, hugging her back. “Never thought I’d see you
domesticated. Reno must have some magical powers.”

Loraine pulled away and
took a good look at her friend. She was rounder, her cheeks fuller and she
looked happier than she’d ever seen her before. She placed her hands on Riana’s
belly with awe.

“Pregnancy agrees with
you.”

Riana rolled her eyes
and a snort sounded from the door before Allan stepped in. “She’ll probably be
the only one who survives it. Pregnant women are crazy!”

“Watch it!” Riana
warned moving to stand next to her brother.

Loraine gave Allan a
quick hug. “You brought it on yourself. Wasn’t Aurora warning enough?”

Allan smiled, his joy
radiating off him in waves. There was no sign of the trauma he’d suffered a few
months ago on him. It was like it never happened, same with Riana.

Why
can’t I be like them?

“Yeah, but I love every
second of it,” he said staring lovingly at his wife. “Wouldn’t trade it for the
world.”

“Aww,” Riana cooed,
stepping to her husband and giving him a loving kiss. “I love you, Allan
Sinclair.”

“And I love you, Riana
Sinclair.”

Loraine and Reno
exchanged a look as the couple continued to kiss lightly, whispering to each
other.

“Can I have pancakes
now?”

The unexpected grumble
from Tyler made them all laugh and Loraine’s heart leaped for joy. In this room
was her family and she loved them all.

“Yes, honey, we can
eat.”

* * * *

“So, tell me, what is
your brother up to?” Loraine asked as they sat at the deck, watching Reno and
Allan speak quietly at the cockpit in what seemed to be a serious discussion.

“What are you talking
about?”

They had spent the
entire morning together, catching up and now that Tyler was down for his nap,
Loraine was on a fact finding mission. Something was going on and she had the
feeling she was the only one in the dark about it.

“Don’t play dumb, Riana
Sinclair, it doesn’t look good on you. What are you doing here?”

She sighed, throwing
her hands up. “You don’t know either? Allan put us on a jet and told me we were
coming to visit you, nothing else. Matthew and his family are also here but
they stayed back at the resort with the kids.”

Loraine watched Reno
suspiciously. He was up to something, but what? He turned catching her gaze and
flashing her a smile and a wink before turning back to Allan. Yup. He was
definitely up to something.

Melody’s business deal!

“He’s going to join Red
Roses!”

Riana pushed up on her
elbow where she lay on the lounge chair. “What?”

“Melody wants him to
join Red Roses. I don’t know much about the deal but if both Matthew and Allan
are here, it means they are going to discuss it and probably sign.”

Riana’s eyes widened in
excitement. “Does that mean you are all going to move to the States? Oh, that
would be so great having Reno close again!”

Loraine felt a chill
run down her spin like an ice cube had been slipped into her shirt. Go back to
the States? No way, never! Pierre was there!