Sudden Legacy (16 page)

He leaned back, resting his shoulders against the wall and helped move me up and down the length of him. I was clinging to him like a monkey to a palm tree, but the position was hitting me in all the right places. “Julien...” I gasped. “Julien! I’m going to-” I never got to finish my sentence, I could feel myself clench tightly around him as I came. He pushed off the wall and leaned me against the counter, thrusting forcefully into me as he found his own release. My arms were wrapped around his neck, my hands clutching my opposite elbows. He gave me sweet, languid kisses as the spasms rocking his body began to slow.

Slowly and clumsily I disentangled myself from him. My heart rate had not yet returned to its resting cadence. There was a familiar slickness on my thighs and I didn’t protest when Julien started the water running in the shower and turned to undress me. It was an easy job. He had only to tug my tank top over my head and I was naked.

He held me close while waiting for the water to reach a comfortable temperature. I basked in our afterglow and delighted in the feel of his skin against mine. Dipping his head, he took my right nipple into his mouth. He ran his tongue teasingly around my areola before clamping his lips down firmly and taking a long pull on the sensitive nub. My milk came in like a freight train. I was shocked by the feeling. Alex was all but weaned, and I hadn’t felt the rush of my milk letting down in months. Julien was caught off guard too. He hummed his surprise at the sudden milk flow. He swallowed and pulled away from my breast, only to clamp back on to staunch the flow that was trickling slowly but steadily down my torso.

It wasn’t a strong spurting; nothing like the torrential eruptions of Alex’s first few months. I remembered the first time my milk had come in. The memory caused my neglected left nipple to harden and begin to leak as well. Julien grabbed at the breast and met my gaze with laughter in his voice. “Mayday! I am outnumbered. How do you turn these things off?” I laughed and batted him away, stepping into the now warm shower. “You started it.”

He slipped in behind me, enveloping me in his arms and letting the hot water cascade down the both of us. He poured my body wash into his palm and began to wash me using his hands rather than a cloth. I slid against him whenever I could, languishing in the feel of his hands lathering my inner thighs. He pulled his arm up, purposefully brushing his wrist against my clitoris as he went. I squeaked and jumped back, knocking a shampoo bottle loudly to the bottom of the tub. We both froze and looked at each other in mock horror; me at the loud sound, he at my reaction. The bottle falling had seemed very loud, but everything seems loud when you’re worried about being heard.

After a moment of stillness we began to relax. “I don’t think they heard us,” I whispered in relief.

“Oh. ‘They’? Do we not want to be heard?” he asked in surprise. “I thought you were worried about waking Alex.”

I shrugged. “Alex is sleeping like the dead. You have quite worn him out.” I stepped into him again, wanting the warmth of the water, and also lacking the courage to look at him as I spoke. “As to Pops and Nan... I don’t know how they’d feel about... us,” I ended weakly, not knowing how to describe what was happening between us, and not wanting to sound presumptuous.

He gently cupped my jaw and forced me to look up at him. “All due respect to your grandparents,
Chérie,
but good or bad, I’d rather they know about ‘us’ and get used to the idea.”

“‘The idea’?” There it was again. That flicker of hope. That breathless sense of wonder that Julien meant what he was saying. Could this really be happening? I was still too gun shy to let myself believe in happy endings.

His brow furrowed with concern. “Are we not of one mind on this subject, Lara?”

“I’m not sure-” I started to say, but as I stepped away from him in nervousness I slipped, falling gracelessly to the tub and knocking Julien’s feet out from under him. He managed to stop himself from falling on me with his full weight by twisting and landing sharply on his hip.

“Are you okay?” we both asked in unison. That made us laugh, breaking the tension. My laughter abruptly halted when I heard someone thundering up the stairs. There was a rapping on the door, followed by Nan’s frantic voice.

“Lara? Are you alright?” She opened the door and poked her head in. How had I not locked the door? “I thought I heard you fall- oh!” She had clearly caught sight of Julien’s clothes piled on the floor.

“I’m fine Nan,” I called from behind the curtain. “I just slipped. Nothing’s broken.”

“Yes, well, do try to be more careful,” she scolded. She waited a beat, Julien and I still as statues, tangled together in the tub with the water splashing annoyingly in my face. “I’ll just be off to bed then.” I heard her open the towel cabinet and shuffle around a bit before saying ‘good night’ and softly closing the door behind her.

“Well,” I said as we slowly collected ourselves and stood. “I guess we don’t need to waste any energy debating on when to come out to Nan and Pops.” I turned off the water and pushed the curtain off to the side.

“Why are you so certain she realized I was in here with you?” he asked.

In answer to his question I gestured to the counter top like a prize model on a game show. With a flourish of my wrists I pointed out the two towels Nan had set out. I grabbed the top towel and tossed it to Julien before taking the second towel for myself. “Call it a hunch,” I said flippantly, then I snatched up my tank top, ruined panties, and contraceptive box and trounced out of the bathroom.

I awoke the next morning to a pair of rock hard breasts.
What. The. Hell?
How could so little attention garner so much reaction from my mammaries? I stared down at my sore chest. It was at least a full cup size bigger than usual. “You have got to be kidding me,” I said aloud to my empty room. “Your services are not needed here.”

I stumbled to the bathroom and leaned over the sink, pressing my nipple in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. The stimulation had opposite the desired effect, and I was horrified to feel even more milk try to let down, adding to the painful backlog. I eyed the girls with disdain. “Seriously? This is really happening?”

Cabbage. Hadn’t I read somewhere that stuffing cabbage in your bra helped with this problem? I ran back to my room and threw on some clothes with the intention of searching the salad drawer. I drew up short upon catching my reflection in the mirror. This tank top would not do – I looked like a porn star. I added an old sweatshirt to my ensemble and crossing my arms over my new accessories to help keep them from jostling as I descended the stairs, I made my way gingerly into the kitchen.

“‘Morning Nan,” I said as nonchalantly as possible. She put down her crossword puzzle and leaned her arms against the table, giving me her full attention.

“Good morning, Lara dear. I trust you slept well?” Oh. Were we going to pretend last night never happened? That was
just fine
with me! “Mmhmm,” was all I said.

I opened the fridge, praying we had some cabbage. Crap. No luck. I pushed the drawer roughly back into place and shut the door with more force than was necessary. The glass condiment bottles rattled in protest.

“Is something the matter Lara?” I didn’t like the way Nan was studying me. I glared at her as if my current discomfort were her doing.

“Why don’t we have any cabbage?” I demanded.

Nan raised her brows at my surly tone. “Why
would
we have any cabbage, dear? Why do you need cabbage? I thought you hated the stuff.”

“Just... Never mind.” I yanked open the door to the cabinet where Nan kept the cold medicine and vitamins. I popped two Ibuprofen and washed them down with tap water, gagging a bit when one got stuck in my throat. As I set my glass down I finally noticed how quiet the house was. “Where is everybody?”

“Pops is out and about in the yard, and Alex is still asleep. As to Julien, well, you’re more likely to know where he is than I am.” Nan failed to hide her smirk before taking a sip of her tea.

I chose to ignore her bait and focus on Alex. It was unlike him to sleep so late. “Well, I had better go check on the little guy.”

“‘Little’, huh? I never would have pegged him for a little guy.”

“
Alex
, Nan. I’m going to go check on Alex.” I huffed out of the kitchen, leaving Nan giggling to herself in my wake.

Alex was burning with fever. I stripped him down to his undershirt and training pants, and tried to get him to take a sip of water.

“No, mama,” he croaked. “I cold.”

He burrowed into my side, pushing roughly against my tender breasts. I sucked in air through my teeth and shied away from him. “Milks?” he asked in a little voice.

Oh thank God.
“Yes, baby. You can have milks.” If his fever wasn’t proof enough, his desire to nurse in the morning was a clear indicator that he wasn’t feeling well. I pulled up my sweatshirt and tank top and offered him my breast. He was disconcerted by the size at first, but latched on without complaint.
Oh sweet release!
I sighed in relief as the discomfort in my left breast began to lessen.

I heard Nan on the stairs. She popped her head around the door. “Everything alright in here?” she asked.

“He’s burning up, Nan. Would you please bring me the fever reducer?”

She nodded once and disappeared into the hallway. She returned moments later with a bottle of children’s medicine.

I dosed Alex and rubbed his back, hoping he would be up for helping me with my other engorged breast. I quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. I lay down next to him as he curled up into the fetal position and drifted back to sleep. I hated it when my baby was sick. He seemed so feeble and helpless. It broke my heart.

I heard the driveway alarm chime softly downstairs. I wondered idly if it was Julien returning from his mystery errand. My thoughts were confirmed when I heard him come in a few moments later. He had brought donuts.

I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could hear Nan’s voice talking softly to Julien, and then the sound of his footsteps on the stairs. He hesitated in the doorway until I looked up at him. There was concern in his sharp green eyes. I smiled up at him, hoping to ease his worry.

“Is he unwell
Chérie
?” He knelt beside me by the bed.

“It’s just a fever. He’ll be fine.” I put a hand to Julien’s cheek and kissed him softly on the lips. “I’m sorry about storming off last night. I was just freaking out about having to face Nan and Pops...”

His face split in a grin. “I took no offense. The experience was well worth my bruised hip.”

Alex squirmed in his sleep and I eased away from him, covering him with just his sheet.

“Can I be of any service to you
Chérie
? I brought pastries...” I recognized his look of helplessness. It was the look all parents got when their child was ill and they could do nothing to fix it.

“Actually,” I said. “There
is
one thing...”

His brows shot up in anticipation. He wanted so much to be useful. I grabbed his hand and led him to my room.

He had never been in my room before. Seeing him standing by my bed brought back the memory of my vivid dream from the night he arrived. I quickly pushed the thought from my mind. This was no time for such thoughts. This was strictly business.

I was suddenly very shy. He stood before me with mild curiosity and a touch of good humor dancing in his eyes.

“Uh... I hate to ask, but I’m having a bit of a
situation
here...”

My uneasy demeanor instantly piqued his interest. “A situation?” he repeated.

I closed the door and leaned heavily against it. “Don’t laugh.”

He put his hands up in surrender. “I won’t laugh. What is it Lara?”

I glared at him in warning, trying to convey to him that I was serious about the not laughing thing. My bravado was really just a ploy to mask my mortification. I took a deep breath and pulled my sweatshirt over my head, leaving myself standing before him in my tank top, my lopsided breasts fully on display.

His lips parted in surprise. “What is this then?” he asked, uncertain as to how I expected him to help with this latest development.