Revealing the Diane Collier Erotic Romance Collection (4 page)

BOOK: Revealing the Diane Collier Erotic Romance Collection
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Now it was time
, she thought to herself as she packed a small bag for the weekend.
Finally time to lay those old ghosts to rest and finally try get on with her life.

Her mind wandered as she folded and packed her clothing, taking her back in time to when she was growing up.

Her biological parents had both disappeared soon after she was born leaving her to be brought up by various relatives.
She’d been passed around so many times she’d lost count until finally, at the age of five, she was foisted onto a reluctant grandmother.
Grandmother Anderson was a cold and demanding woman, expecting nothing less than total obedience and discouraging any ‘childish tomfoolery’as she’d put it.
From then on Debbie had been restricted and stifled, forced to grow up and be responsible long before it was necessary.

The only warmth and comfort she’d found was with Sandra Parker’s close-knit family.
Loud, loving, demonstrative and giving, every one of them, they welcomed her into their home like another daughter, even throwing surprise birthday parties for her knowing that her own family wouldn’t.
She’d always been included in their plans, whether it was going out for burgers on a weekend, or going on holidays.
Sandra and her brother Bradley had accepted her as a sister and never once made her feel like an outside or intruder.

It was Penny Parker, Sandra’s mother, who’d taken her shopping for her first bra, told her about growing up and given her good night hugs and kisses.
It was Penny who’d finally told her that both her parents had died many years earlier, when she was about three years old, and Penny who’d held her as she sobbed, finally letting go of the dream of finding her own mom and dad.
It was Penny she’d gone to when she’d fallen in love for the first time.

They’d never asked or expected anything in return.

Bradley was a few years older, popular in high school with both students and teachers alike.
He was not only extremely good looking and bright, he was a genuinely nice guy.
There was never a shortage of girls buzzing around him, each one hoping that she’d be noticed, but Bradley treated them all the same, courteously and respectful, never attaching to any one girl for long.

Debbie had been just one amongst the many who’d had a crush on him, only she tried to never let him know about it
.

Brad had never treated her like anything more than a sister, teasing her, giving her the nickname of ‘Skinny Minnie’ which he later shortened to just Minnie.
For Debbie this was pure bliss.
She lapped up every look, every touch, and every moment.
She lived with the hope that he’d one day see her as something other than a sister and return her attentions.
She never told Sandra or Penny about her feelings for Brad.

Finally he’d gone off to college and when he’d brought Anna home to meet the family, Debbie’s heart had broken into a million pieces.
Anna.
Tall, beautiful, clever Anna who was going to be a lawyer was almost all he could think about and talk about.
They had so much in common, both doing the same degree although Brad was a couple of years ahead of her.
At Debbie and Sandra’s graduation Bradley had told them that he was planning to ask her to marry him as soon as he had a job.
He was willing to support her while she finished her law degree.
That was all Debbie could bear to hear.

She’d applied to college in the city and left a month later, remaining away from home until now.

She’d managed to discourage Sandra from telling her about Brad and Anna, hoping that the less she knew, the easier it would be to bear.

Now it was time to go home again and face it all.
Finally she’d put it behind her.
She’d immersed herself in her studies and finding a satisfying job and learned to live without him.
Knowing that she no longer loved him made it all easier.
She’d be able to face them all with her head held high.

Debbie finished packing.

She felt a twinge of nostalgia and regret as the cab pulled up outside the Parker house, depositing her and her small weekend bag onto the icy sidewalk.
She stood there for a moment, looking around.
Not much had changed while she’d been away.
The frozen street seemed the same, even the Christmas decorations seemed to be the same.
For the briefest moment, she felt like the naïve, hopeful teenager again, breathless and eager to see Bradley again, even for just a minute.
She sighed and pushed it away.
She reminded herself that it was over and she didn’t feel anything for him anymore.
Anyway, she definitely wasn’t going to be pining and lusting over a married man!

Debbie pulled her scarf closer, smoothed her short blonde hair and rang the bell.
Moments later she was being pulled inside, hugged, examined from head to toe, hugged again and felt like she was finally home again.
Sandra’s delighted squeals brought Joe and Penny to greet her and once again Debbie was enveloped in the loving warmth of that she’d missed for so long.

“You’re just in time,” Penny was saying.
“Joe and I are just finishing up the dinner so you have about five minutes to settle.
Put your bag down, change if you want to and then we’ll see you in the dining room, okay?”

Debbie couldn’t resist giving Penny another hug as she smiled and thanked her.

“Oh, don’t be silly sweet girl,” Joe was saying.
“You’ve been away too long.
We’re all glad you’re home now.
Now scoot along and get your room sorted out.
Sandra, help her carry her bags will you.”

Chattering the whole way, Sandra led her to her old room.
They were so alike in so many ways, yet totally different in looks.
Where Sandra was tall and curvaceous, Debbie was shorter and almost skinny. While Sandra had been developing hips and breasts as a young girl, Debbie hadn’t.
Sandra envied her
ability to eat anything she liked without gaining weight, but Debbie would have gladly spent the rest of her life on diet if it had meant she had the stunning figure of her friend.

“Bradley’s home you know,” Sandra warned her with a knowing look.
Debbie frowned at her and then smiled warmly.

“Great.
With Anna?” she asked in a lackluster voice.

“Anna?” Sandra looked at her quizzically.
“Babes, you need to read my emails once in a while.
I told you about two years ago that she’d bailed on him.
She was involved with some guys at school and decided that Bradley wasn’t exciting enough, or smart enough or rich enough or whatever.
Last we heard, she was knocked up by one of them and had dropped out of school about three months before getting her degree.
Thank god!
I’m glad Bradley’s rid of that witch.”

Debbie couldn’t speak.
He wasn’t married?
He was single?
He was free?

“Did I ever tell you that I missed you?” Sandra laughed and hugged her again.
“Let’s go eat dinner.
The parents have been so excited that you were coming home, they’ve made all your favorite things.” Arm in arm they left the room.

Debbie stood in the dining room door way for a moment, enjoying the family bustle as Penny and Joe brought the various dishes to the table, bossing Sandra around and feigning exasperation with each other.
Suddenly she felt herself being picked up and spun around.
Squealing with surprise, Debbie heard Brad’s voice in her ear.

“Ah, little Skinny Minnie.
I didn’t see you there.
I nearly tripped over you!”
Bradley teasingly laughed and deposited her back on the floor, helping her to steady herself.
Brad grinned at her, “Welcome home Minnie, we’ve missed you.”

“You have?
I missed home too you know.
I’m glad I came back.”
She smiled shyly at him. Feeling a little bewildered and overwhelmed, Debbie let herself be led back into the dining room and sat at the table.

Yes, she knew he was home, but hadn’t thought as far as sitting across the table from him for dinner.
Suddenly she couldn’t eat without spilling, drink without making a noise.
She felt self-conscious and awkward.
She’d made herself believe that she’d only encounter him the next day and had hoped for that extra time to be able to prepare herself mentally for the meeting.

Dinner was just like old times, with Brad and Sandra teasing each other and Mr. and Mrs. Parker exchanging loving looks while indulgently chastising their offspring.
After dinner was over and the table had been cleared, Penny declared it was photo time.
Amidst the familiar groans and complaints, she managed to get them all into the lounge and directed and arranged them all for picture taking.

“Hey guys, you know I’m going to take the photos, whether you cooperate or not,” Penny laughed.
“You have a choice you know.
You can do it smiling or you can do it crying.
Either way, I’m getting my pictures.”

Debbie laughed at the familiar refrain.
Penny’s photography hobby was a source of pain for the entire family, but they all knew that the sooner they let her have her way, the sooner Penny would be done.
Ten long minutes of posing later, they were done.
When they all got up to follow Penny to the computer to see the results and select which ones got deleted, Bradley pulled her aside, holding her arm tightly and whispering into her ear.

“So, Minnie, have you been naughty or nice?”

She closed her eyes as she felt the shiver down her spine.
Forcing herself to be strong, she pulled away.

Her voice was strained.
“I heard about Anna, and I’m sorry.”
Feeling like an idiot for her response to him, she stormed out of the room and left him standing there.
Why oh why couldn’t she be more sophisticated and flirt back?
Why was she always such a serious little mouse around him?

The atmosphere between them was strained for the rest of the evening, but no one else seemed to notice.
She was aware of every time he looked her way, but she wouldn’t make eye contact with him or speak to him directly.
Finally, when they all started excusing themselves for bed, she was glad of the respite and made the break to her own room where she lay tossing and turning after a hot shower, unable to sleep.

The house was dark and silent as she walked on tiptoes into the kitchen for a drink.
Bypassing the soft drinks, she reached into the fridge for a beer.
Not being a big drinker, she thought that maybe it would relax her enough and she’d be able to get to sleep.
She stood staring out of the kitchen window as she took long sips of the cold beer.
Thinking about Bradley and her response to him made her uncomfortable.
She didn’t want to start down that road now otherwise she’d
never
fall asleep. A small noise behind her startled her and she spun around tucking the empty bottle behind her back, expecting to see Sandra.

It was Bradley and he looked good enough to eat, standing there in his boxers and a tee shirt, his hair ruffled.
 

“What’re you doing?” he questioned in a soft gruff voice, his eyes raking over her, taking in her pajamas.

“Nothing,” she sounded as guilty as she felt.
“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me either.
I can smell beer,” he looked at her quizzically until she finally showed him the empty bottle, putting it onto the counter beside her.

“You’re drinking my beer.
You party animal you, standing here in the dark sneaking a drink.”
Brad chuckled.
“You’ve changed since the last time I saw you.”
He opened the fridge and took out a beer for himself.
“Another?” he offered.
Debbie shook her head.
One was plenty for her.

“How’ve I changed?” she asked, curious.
She still felt exactly the same as she always had.
She felt like the naïve, gauche school girl that had a crush on her best friend’s older brother.
Dreaming of him and sighing over him but never brave enough to tell him.

His eyes raked over her, making her body heat up as she realized that he could probably see straight through her cotton sleep shirt.

“You’re all… grown up.
I feel like I don’t know you anymore.”

Debbie looked away, trying desperately to quell the butterflies in her tummy.
“That’s what happens when we get older.
Growing up.”
She sighed softly.
“I don’t think I’m that different though.
Inside.
I’m still the same girl.”

Leaning back against the sink, she folded her arms across her chest and watched him in the shadows.
“Have
you
changed?”

BOOK: Revealing the Diane Collier Erotic Romance Collection
4.53Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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