Seasons of Sorrow (31 page)

Then Charlotte stood naked before him and Greg stared at her body with reverence. It had taken time for her to become accustomed to being nude in front of him, but Charlotte rarely had the urge to cover herself any longer. Instead, she reached for his belt. After she unbuckled it, she opened his pants and let them fall to his ankles.

Greg watched as she slowly got to her knees and helped him remove his shoes, socks, and the pants she just unbuttoned. The muscles in his stomach contracted as her fingertips curled over the waistband of his boxer briefs. His breathing was heavy as she removed his underwear, pulling it down his legs, and tossing it to the side just as he had done with her panties.

When Charlotte’s mouth closed over the tip of his erection, he had to lock his knees to keep from collapsing because the sensation caused his legs to shake. He watched her lick and suck his length for long minutes, enjoying both the sight and the sensation, before he gently pulled away and dropped to his knees as well.

After the first few times they made love, they discussed birth control and Charlotte had gone to the doctor and started the Pill. She also had the doctor test her for diseases. Since her estranged husband had God knows how many lovers since they’d gotten married, she thought it would be smart to get tested. Greg was tested as well, though Charlotte believed him when he said he hadn’t been with anyone since his last physical almost eighteen months before. He said he wanted her to know without a doubt that she was safe with him.

They had continued to use condoms for the next few weeks, but, after Adam’s birthday, Charlotte had lost all desire for intimacy.

This would be the first time they would make love with nothing between them, only skin to skin. She knew it would be beautiful and more intense than anything she’d ever felt before. Greg laid her back on the carpet and pressed a kiss to her stomach, just below her belly button. His mouth moved to her breasts and he laved and sucked her nipples until she was moaning beneath him. When he moved his hand down her torso toward her center, she immediately opened her thighs for him.

At the first touch of his fingers, Charlotte threw her head back and gasped.

“God, you’re so wet for me,” he whispered.

As one of his fingers entered her, Charlotte arched her back and whispered, “Yes.”

He continued to lavish attention on her breasts, the sensations he caused were so pleasurable they were almost painful. Then he pressed two fingers inside of her and began to rub small firm circles over her clitoris with his thumb.

Within a minute or two, Charlotte was ready to climax. She whimpered in disappointment as he withdrew his hand. Immediately, his hand was replaced with the hard, hot length of his erection. Charlotte spread her legs wider to accommodate his hips as he moved between her thighs.

Greg pressed into her opening and she was so wet and ready, he slid inside her completely. Charlotte gasped at the sudden intrusion. After a few weeks of abstinence, she felt almost too full.

“Oh God,” she moaned.

“Sh, baby. I have you,” he murmured. “You feel amazing.”

He kissed her neck softly. “I love you,” he said into her ear.

Greg held perfectly still for a few moments, giving her time to adjust. Once she relaxed under him, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a kiss that shattered her heart and mended it all at once. Like the kiss he’d given her on New Year’s Eve all those years ago, it called to her very soul. This moment was beyond lust, beyond even love. Charlotte realized that he filled the empty spaces within her. He was part of her soul. There would always be a void in her heart that could only belong to her son, but the rest of the darkness inside her was for Greg to help her fill.

“Greg,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

He kissed her again as he began to move. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, trying to pull him as deeply inside her as possible. At last, the tension winding in her pelvis exploded and Charlotte came. She realized that Greg was right there with her, that they were experiencing the peak together, and it made the tears in her eyes trickle down her face from the beauty of it.

As she came down, panting and struggling not to cry, Charlotte reached up and cupped Greg’s face. His beloved face with amazing blue-grey eyes that saw straight into her heart and knew her deepest secrets and darkest places.

“I love you, Greg,” she said.

He stopped breathing. “Say that again,” he demanded hoarsely.

Charlotte licked her dry lips. “I love you, Gregory Swift.”

His eyes turned to pure mercury. “I love you too, Charlotte,” he said.

Then he kissed her for a long time. Finally, he got to his feet, lifted her into his arms, and carried her upstairs where he made love to her again and again. Each time, before he would allow her to climax, he demanded that she say it again, until Charlotte thought she would die from the pleasure he was giving her.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

T
he next morning, Charlotte awoke in the bed alone. She saw a note sitting on the pillow Greg usually used.

Out for coffee and bagels.

He’d signed it with a heart and the letter G.

Charlotte smiled and put the note back on the pillow. It was nice to know that she wouldn’t even have to get up and make coffee. Before she could decide if she was ready to get out of bed, the doorbell pealed. It seemed Greg was back with the bagels, she thought. Why he didn’t use the hide-a-key, she didn’t know.

She threw on her robe and darted downstairs. The bell rang again, several times in a row, and Charlotte laughed, thinking it must be cold out and that Greg was in a hurry to get inside.

“Patience, Greg. I’m coming. You sort of wore me out last night….” her voice trailed off as she opened the door to find Derek standing on the porch.

Before she could react, he walked past her into the house, crowding her back from the door. He shut it behind him.

“Hello, Charlotte,” he said. “I see Greg finally made his move.”

A sly look came over his face, an expression Charlotte had never seen him wear before. “Too bad they’re my sloppy seconds.”

At the smug tone, she came out of her stupor. As she remembered all the cold, hurtful things this man had said and done to her, Charlotte lost her temper and did something she never thought she would ever be capable of doing. She punched rat bastard in the nose. The crunch of cartilage was followed by blood. Surprisingly, she didn’t find this disgusting at all. In fact, she was slightly disappointed at the small amount of blood dripping from his nose. It would have been nice if it were more of a gush.

Seeing her estranged husband clutching his face just didn’t satisfy her rage, so Charlotte took a preparatory step back and then kicked him in the nuts as hard as she could. When Derek crumpled to the ground, wheezing and coughing, she decided that she felt much better. She walked away from the prone form of her soon-to-be ex-husband and went into the kitchen to make coffee. Even though Greg was bringing her a latte, she needed the caffeine now.

As she was waiting for her coffee to brew, Charlotte heard the front door open and Greg’s incredulous voice.

“What in the hell?”

She heard Derek groan. Then Greg said, “On your feet, jackass. What happened to you?”

Charlotte smiled to herself when she heard Derek answer, “Charlotte.”

His voice was hoarse and quiet. She imagined he was in a lot of pain. It may have been petty of her, but she hoped that was the case. He deserved that and a hell of a lot more.

She had just finished adding sugar and creamer to her coffee and was about to take her first sip when Greg walked through the kitchen door, helping a limping Derek. Now that she was calming down, Charlotte noticed that her husband looked fit and tan. Obviously he had been somewhere sunny after he left her. It made her want to punch him in the nose all over again. While she had been wrestling with her grief, he’d been out getting some sun.

She watched dispassionately as Greg let Derek drop into a kitchen chair. Derek moaned and bent at the waist to rest his head on the kitchen table. Charlotte grabbed some paper towels and took them over to him.

“Use these on your nose. I don’t want blood on my table,” she said.

Derek took them and stared at her with surprised eyes. Before she could walk away, he grabbed her hand.

When Charlotte stopped and stared hard at where his hand was wrapped around her wrist then up at his face, he released her as though she burned him.

“May I have some ice?” he asked.

She nodded and walked away.

Greg stood in the corner of the kitchen, his back leaning against the counter and his arms crossed over his chest. He was staring at Derek, his facial expression stony. As Charlotte grabbed a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer, Greg began to ask questions.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. His voice was tight and Charlotte could see he was barely hanging onto his temper.

Derek didn’t answer, and Greg’s body tightened further.

“Where’s the money you took, Derek?” Greg asked.

Charlotte wrapped the peas in a towel and tossed them on the kitchen table in front of Derek. Her husband flinched when they landed in front of him with a loud smack, but didn’t answer Greg’s question. Calmly, she walked to the mudroom, opened her purse, and pulled Agent Bray’s card out of her wallet. Then she went back into the kitchen and picked up the cordless phone on the counter.

“What are you doing?” Greg asked.

“Calling the FBI,” she answered. “I’m sure they would like to know my estranged husband is in town.”

“Wait, wait,” Derek said, “I came make things right.”

Charlotte hung up the phone and turned to fix Derek with a cold stare. “How could you possibly make this right, Derek? You have hurt everyone in your life.”

He looked ridiculous with the paper towels held to his nose and the peas on his lap. He shifted on his chair and winced.

“Danielle is pregnant and it’s been difficult for her. She’s due in two months and wanted to come back to be with her family for the birth.”

The knowledge pierced Charlotte’s heart like a knife and she flinched at the bite. After the first rush of pain receded, she wanted to kick her husband in the nuts again, but knew it wouldn’t make her feel any better. If doing it the first time hadn’t rid her of the urge to hit him, then it probably wouldn’t work a second or third time.

Greg started for Derek, but Charlotte stepped between them. “Don’t, Greg. He’s not worth it,” she said.

“You shit,” Greg spat, “You got your mistress pregnant before you divorced your wife? Less than a year after your son died? I knew that you were a dickhead, but I underestimated how low you could sink.”

Derek sighed and tossed the bloody paper towels on the table. “I know you don’t understand, Greg. I’ve done things I regret, but it’s time for me to fix what I can.”

“Why?” Greg asked. “Why did you marry Charlotte if you couldn’t love her? Especially since you knew how I felt.” His voice was tight with anger.

Charlotte felt the beginnings of a headache stir at the base of her skull. All this back and forth was making her nerves scream.

“I was jealous, Greg. I’ve always been jealous of you. My father thought you were such a great guy; a hard worker, smart, handsome. He constantly reminded me of all your accomplishments and asked me why I couldn’t be more like you. Even when we were friends, I still resented you.” He cleared his throat. “When I realized that Charlotte had no idea how you felt about her, I made my move. For once, I wanted to beat you. It was foolish and petty and I’m sorry.”

Derek looked at Charlotte. “I’m sorry,” he said again.

She stared at her husband. He sounded so sincere, but she was remembering the expression on his face when he first arrived. Charlotte was certain that Derek was telling them whatever it took to get himself out of hot water. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn. She just wanted the entire situation to be over. She wanted to be free of him and his manipulative ways. He was toxic and she wanted no part of him.

“If you’re truly sorry,” Charlotte said, “you will sign the divorce papers. Now. Today. Before you turn yourself into the FBI.” She glanced at Greg, who was standing still as a statue. “And you will reimburse the company with all the money you stole.”