Love Rekindled (Candle Light Book 2) (6 page)

“What do you mean love?” He sounded absent, stroking my hair.

I pulled away so that I could look up at him. He had a distant look in his eyes, a slight frown on his lips and brow.  He almost looked like he was in pain but trying hard to hide it. Could it have anything to do with why he ran and hid himself away? Eric’s death had triggered something. What?

I raised my hand to his cheek and stroked it. His light buzz tickled the tips of my fingers. He came awake then, looking down at me with a wide smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“You want to tell me what’s bothering you? And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

He turned his face in my hand and pressed his lips in the middle of my palm. Innocent yes, but it shot a volt straight to my groan, making my body trembled. I swallowed hard liking my suddenly dry lips. I probably needed another glass of water. Once I met his eyes, I grew more perched. His gaze was heated as he stared into me. That’s right, he stared right into me and sent my body temperature up through the roof. I felt the wet tip of his tongue and quickly jerked my hand away. But he grabbed it, forcefully holding it to his mouth.

“Ron, you’re avoiding the subject.” He’s wet tongue on my palm reduced my voice to a whisper, my body into shivering jelly.

He pulled my hand and draped it over his shoulder. His hands dropped to my hips and I was up off the couch and down straddling his lap in a second.

“Ron…”

“Sandra…” he sighed heavily, “Look, I’m not avoiding anything. I would just rather make love to you than discuss what’s bothering me.”

I crossed my arms behind his neck, “Ah, so there is something bothering you.”

“Yeah,” he began with a sly smile, shifting me on to his crotch then pushing up, “Something is definitely bothering me. Good thing I have you to help relieve it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, “Ronald tuck this Casanova version of you—which I do not like very much by the way—back in it’s box and bring back the sweet vulnerable you.”

He dropped his head with a sigh.

“Ron—what are you—” the rest of my sentence was cut off by my shirt going over my head. He had my arms up and my shirt off in a second. I sat there in my bra staring at his smug face in complete shock. “You have stripping women down to a science.”

He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it where he had mine, “I’m quite talented in silencing them too. And I only use my tongue.”

Just the thought of his tongue on me made me mute. And judging by his arrogant smile, the ass knew it. We wouldn’t be talking about his problems for a long time, but I was determined to help him just as he was helping me.

*

As I sit here on the porch swing, staring at nothing but trees, for the first time since Eric died I feel like there was something more than a loose band aid holding my heart together. After weeks of living in the middle of nowhere with Ron, I feel like my heart is stitched up and the healing process had began. I still hurt when I think about my dead baby but it doesn’t drown me, smother me. The grief doesn’t have its hands wrapped around my throat squeezing the breath out of me. I still cry for what I lost, what I was robbed of but I also smile because of what I had with Eric. Ron had a hand in that, in my feeling steady. Each day he asked me to tell him something about Eric and I end up laughing more than I cry. Yes, the memories hurt but they give me comfort.

Chapter Six

“Ron, Ron?” I held the bed sheet tighter around my naked frame and left the bedroom to go in search of Ron. When I woke up the side of his bed was cold so he’d been gone a long time. I made my way down the corridor but slowed when I heard his voice. He was on the phone and his tone suggested…

I shook my head. No way. He wouldn’t be that much of an asshole. He wouldn’t do something as slimy to me.

“Yes love I know I’ve been gone a while but you know business… what kind of business? Since when were you interested in knowing?”

I felt like my neck was in a chock hold and I couldn’t breath. Business? Was that what I was now? Love? I never claimed exclusivity to the endearment but damn it hurt hearing him call someone else that. I walked into the room he was having his phone conversation in just catching his whispered ‘I miss you too can’t wait to fuck that sweet ass again’. I doubled over like I’d been punched in the stomach.

I was back to being that foolish girl again. Building castles with no foundation, a life with a man who didn’t see her as nothing more than a temporary
shag
. One month we’d been here in what I used to consider our love cabin in the middle of the woods had just been reduced to a shameful tryst by his few words.

“Sandra…”

I held my hand out wading him away, “Don’t. Don’t come near me, don’t speak to me just don’t!” I straightened fighting for a little dignity and stared him down. My vision was blared but I kept myself from blinking.

I waited for some half ass explanation, some of his English charm, seduction but nothing. He just stood there staring at me, with a blank expression. He hadn’t meant for me to hear him but he also wasn’t going to waste his time trying to convince me I heard wrong.

“I can take you home in an hour if you like?”

Oh dear lord that hurt! I shook my head, “No. Just take me to the nearest town and I’ll make my way home myself.”

“Sandra—”

“I’m not asking for your permission nor was it a request! I can’t stand to be near you for more than I have to and I don’t have to endure hours to New Jersey.” I yelled at him and he flinched.

Quickly, not trusting myself to hold it together any longer, I ran back to our bedroom and quickly got dressed. And just as quick I packed my two bags taking a minute or two to break down. How could I have been such a fool to think this time would be any different? But he didn’t promise me anything and I was the one how suggested adding sex to our mourning process.

I sat heavily on the bed, my face in my hands. I’d made such a mess of my life, it’s a wonder I still get surprised when things keep going wrong.

“Sandra…”

I vaulted up on my feet. Keeping my back to him I palmed dry my face hissing a little when I rubbed my soar eyes a little too roughly.

“I’m ready to leave.”

“Would you like me to take your bags?” he sounded subdued but I wasn’t going to give myself even a second to romanticize it. His hesitance may suggest pity just as it would guilt.

“No, I got it.” I turned around to face him and he looked impeccable. I’d missed it the first time.

His hair was sleeked back with product, his beard and mustache in perfectly cut lines. He wasn’t in a suit but he was in something close to it with his GQ long open neck sweater and dress pants with matching shoes. He was back to being the lady killer Ronald Stanford. No longer was he the mourning Uncle Ron.

I grabbed my bags and hurried outside. I tried to open the car passenger door but it was locked so I stood there stoic, my bags in my hands and waited. I could hear him behind me locking the cabin up. I was tempted to turn around and look at the place where I learned to bear the loss of my son but I was afraid learning that I was nothing but a temporary distraction in the same house would break me. From the look of Ron, the cabin had also served its purpose as did I.

“Would you like me too—”

“I can get my own bloody door just open it!” I bit out.

He moved away from me and walked around the car to his side. He stood facing me but I kept my gaze away for the eons he stood looking at me. When that click that signaled the doors were open, I practically ran to the trunk, tossed my bags in then reluctantly walked to the passenger side. I wish it wasn’t one of those selfish cars with just two seats—the driver and passenger. I got in, did up my seat belt then turned to the door, squeezing against it. I wanted to be far away from him as possible.

“You are the one who made it what it shouldn’t have been, not me!” He vehemently defended himself.

I wanted to curse him out but he was right. I was the one who made it more than it shouldn’t have been. But it didn’t make the betrayal hurt any less. “Well, I’m ending it now. We both served our purpose. Let’s not mention it, to anyone, ever. It also won’t ever happen again.”

“You said the same thing last time.”

“Just shut the fuck up and drive.”

~*~

“We had a great night, didn’t we?” I spoke, looking down at the plush carpet as we walked down the corridor towards his room.

Ron chuckled softly, “Yes we did.”

I felt my heart beat a little faster, “It doesn’t have to end now, does it?”

My suggestion was met by silence and cursed myself wondering how I would take that back. It was a completely stupid move! Why would he take me seriously? I bet he had women throw themselves at him sounding surer of themselves and not like virginal teenagers asking their boyfriends if they ‘wanna do it’.

He moved to walk closer to her until their shoulders bumped, “Am I reading that right?”

Woman up! I pushed my shoulders back and tipped my chin up, “Yes you are.”

He chuckled again then out of the blue, I was pressed flat against the wall with him pushing up against me.

“Do you feel that?” he whispered wetly in my ear.

I nodded. Oh boy did I feel it. He was huge, pressed against my ass like that and I swear I was on the verge of an orgasm. My legs buckled under me, and I was hot with need all over. I wanted to feel even more of him and with no clothes between us.

“I’ve being carrying that around all night thinking of the three holes I could put it in and the numerous ways I could ease the strain. Have you been thinking of the same too?”

Hell yes, though nothing as crude. I was just about to answer him when his hands cupped my breasts, my nipples caught between his fingers. I moaned, pushing back against him.

“Fuck me already!” I did not just blurt that out loud!

His lips pressed against my pulse. He sucked in and legs gave under me. Good thing his thigh was already between my legs and he held me up.

“Oh love, I plan on doing exactly that.”

The door next to my head opened and out walked out a Megan Fox look a like with the littlest underwear I’d ever seen. Embarrassed, I tried to push Ron off me but quickly stilled at her next words.

“Oh, Ron. Is this your way of asking me for a three way again?”

“What?” my heart beat pounded in my chest but for a whole other reason.

Ron stepped away from me and I turned around to face him, leaning against the wall for support. Again for a whole other reason.

He gave me his lopsided grin and shrugged, “Can’t blame a guy for trying. What do you say Sandra, interested?”

Dear god he didn’t just ask me to… “You want me to have sex with both of you?”

He trapped me against the wall again but no part of his body touched me. His hands on the wall caged me in. “I find girl on girl action very arousing. I promise I can satisfy you both.”

Megan Fox look a like leaned against Ron and she stared at me like she was seriously considering it. Then she smiled, a very creepy pervy smile. “I haven’t had a black girl’s pussy before…”

I went from stunned to pissed off in a nanosecond. I pushed Ron away from me, slapped him across the face and ran down the hallway with their laughs chasing me. Once in the elevator I sank to the ground crying, speed dialing my sister.

“Kristy, you were right. Ron is a class A asshole and I would sooner take up on a street corner than have him near me ever again.”

~*~

I stood at William’s door with a whole other mess on my hands. He and Morris were not going to like this new development. After Ron had dropped me in the nearest town, I walked to a bus stop ready to buy a ticket to New Jersey but something stopped me when I got to the counter. I wasn’t ready to face any of them just yet, especially still raw from what I did to myself with Ron’s help. I still needed a little more time, but on my own this time. I remembered Kristy liked to go to this place when she was feeling down. She called it a retreat, I called it a commune where tree huggers who became terrorists were bred. She offered to convince them to let a non-supporter in so that I could see what the retreat was about. I refused of course. I couldn’t imagine eating nothing but leaves like a rabbit for an entire week.

Well, that’s where I’ve been for the past six months. And they’d added meat to their menu to boast up business. They had everything: a quiet, fresh air, unpolluted area in the woods with their own organic farms with no contact from the outside world. It was the sanctuary I needed all along until I finally decided I couldn’t hide anymore.

I took a deep breath and shook off the nervousness. They were my family, my brothers, they wouldn’t judge me. And if they ask who did it, I’ll just say it was a result of a drunken night. Before I could talk myself out of it, I used my key to open the door and stepped in. One huddle down…