Treasuring Amber: The Temptation Saga: Book Five (12 page)

A
fter picking up her car
, Amber drove sullenly, Harper following her, to Karen’s house. Amber had long gotten over embarrassment in front of Harper. For him to see the cracker box she’d grown up in was nothing compared to those awful photos.

So this was what her life had come to.

A father she didn’t know because he wanted her mother and her dead. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around that one. She’d met the man.

Photos taken of her without her knowledge or consent, and a paper with her signature on it giving permission for the horrible things to be posted.

And Harper. Harper, who’d come to her rescue, but only out of loyalty to his sister. Not out of love for her. She still wasn’t the woman he’d thought she was.

“This is it,” she said as he got out of his car.

His dark eyes were sunken and sad. Was he feeling sorry for her? Well, she didn’t need his pity.

“You really grew up here?”

“We did okay.”

“Till she kicked you out?”

Amber didn’t respond. She didn’t want to think about that. Right now she wanted to go inside and have a cup of tea and figure out what to do. But inside was still a shambles.

“Is your mother home?” he asked.

“Probably. She’s not working. Most likely passed out somewhere.”

“Let’s go in and make sure she’s okay.”

“All right.” She was no longer embarrassed by her mother either. “In fact, there’s something I want to ask you about.”

“What?”

“It’s about my father.”

“All right.”

They went in and found Karen at the kitchen table. She’d actually gotten dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and she almost looked like she’d showered.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hello, Mama. This is Harper Bay.”

“Nice to meet you. He your boyfriend?”

Amber’s cheeks warmed. She inhaled. “Just a friend.” She strode to the counter and put a pot of water on for tea. “Sit down, Harp. You want a cup?”

“Sure. Nice to meet you…”

“Karen. Nice to meet you too.”

Amber put three mugs and tea bags on the table and sat down. “Harper knows Thunder Morgan.”

“You do, huh?”

“Yes, ma’am. He was a friend of my father’s. A good man.”

Karen simply nodded.

“Don’t you have anything to say, Mama?”

“About what?”

“About my father? About Thunder Morgan?”

“Why would I have anything to say about him?”

Amber pounded her fist on the table. “Because yesterday you told me he threatened to kill us both!”

Harper straightened in his chair.

Karen fidgeted with a hangnail. “Did I say that?”

“Yes, and
after
you’d sobered up.”

Harper’s eyebrows rose. “Thunder Morgan wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

“That’s what I thought. I’ve met him. He’s a nice man. Why do you think he wanted to kill us?”

Karen pushed a blond tendril of hair behind one ear. “He made it clear to me that night that this was a onetime thing. He wasn’t gettin’ tied down to anyone, and if I didn’t want to go through with it I could back out, no hard feelins’.”

“That’s a nice guy, Mama, not a killer.”

“Yes, he was a nice guy, or so I thought.”

“Didn’t he use a condom?”

“I don’t remember. It was a long time ago, Amber.”

“Well, whether he did or not really doesn’t matter. I’m here.”

Karen nodded.

“Ms. Cross?”

“Hedstrom. Cross is my daddy’s name, remember?” Amber said.

“Right, I’m sorry. Ms. Hedstrom, did he make any kind of threat to you and the child at all?”

“Once Amber was born, I tried to contact him. I just wanted him to know he had a little girl. I wasn’t gonna ask him for anything.”

“Yeah?” Amber said. “So what happened?”

“I tracked down his number and called, and a woman answered.”

“And?” Harper said. “She wasn’t his wife. He never married.”

“I don’t know who she was. I assumed she was his wife. Coulda been a maid. A girlfriend. All I know is she asked who I was, and when I told her my name, she said if I ever called there again both me and the little brat would end up dead.”

“So whoever she was, she knew you’d had Amber and knew it was from a night with Thunder,” Harper said.

“Seemed that way.”

“I can’t say for sure,” Harper said, “but my guess is that Thunder Morgan had nothing to do with any of this. If he didn’t make the threat personally, it’s possible he doesn’t even know you made that call.”

“But she knew about the baby.”

“You put his name on Amber’s birth certificate. That’s easy enough to track.”

“Why did you put his name on the certificate, Mama?”

“’Cause he’s your daddy. You deserved to know where you came from.”

“But you never talked about him. Never mentioned him to me.”

“I was scared to! I thought you might go out and try to find him and end up dead.”

Amber reached out and touched her mother’s forearm, offering her comfort the way Angie had offered it to her. Odd, but she wanted to comfort her mother. “I’ve met him. He didn’t make that threat. I’m almost sure of it.”

Harper smiled. “I can vouch for him too, ma’am. In fact, I could call him up and get him out here if you want. I think he’d be right glad to know Amber’s his.”

“I don’t want him to see this mess,” Karen said.

“Harper, no,” Amber agreed. “I want to get to know him, truly I do, but not until this other…er…stuff is taken care of.”

No way was she telling Karen about the photos.

“I understand,” Harper said. “At any rate, Ms. Hedstrom, I’m sure we can clear this all up with Thunder Morgan.”

“Well, he owes me eighteen years of back child support.”

“Sixteen. You kicked me out, remember?”

“I’m afraid he doesn’t owe you anything, ma’am. Unless a court ordered him to pay support and he didn’t, which is not what happened. In all likelihood he didn’t even know Amber existed. If you want to get anything out of him, you’ll have to take him to court and get an order for back support. Are you sure he’s the father? Because the judge will order a DNA test at this point.”

“Harper’s a lawyer, Mama.”

“Oh, perfect. A lawyer.” Karen twirled a piece of her hair between her fingers. “He’s the father. I may look like I slept around, but I really didn’t. So again, I get nothin’. Story of my life.”

“You can take him to court,” Harper said.

“With what? My good looks? Look at this place. You think I got a dime in my pocket, much less what you lawyers charge?”

“Mama, we’ll figure this stuff out about Thunder Morgan, I promise. But not now. I have other things I need to do first.”

She had to keep her heart out of it.

“Ms. Hedstrom”—Harper stood—“thank you for your time. Will you be okay here for the night?”

“Of course.”

“Good. I’m taking Amber to a hotel.”

“Harper—”

“No argument. You need a decent night’s sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”

What a wonderful man! If only he could be hers.
Remember, he’s not doing any of this for you. He’s doing it for Angie.
She nodded. “Okay.”

“Come on, then.”

She wanted to resist, really she did. But for once it felt so good to have a man take the lead, to take care of her. Especially when it was the man she’d fallen hopelessly in love with.

If only he could return her feelings. She sighed. That would never be. She’d have to settle for a man who couldn’t resist doing a favor for his big sister.

Still a wonderful man, just not
her
wonderful man.

A
mber took
a long hot bath and wrapped herself in the luxurious fluffy robe provided by the hotel. Harper and Blake both had rooms on the same floor. Harper had told her to order room service, but she wasn’t hungry. She was tired—oh, so weary—and numb.

So very numb.

She lay down on her bed, wanting to cry. Wanting to sob her heart out. The tears didn’t come.

She got up, left the room, and walked across the hall. She knocked on Harper’s door.

Harper answered, looking tousled and sexy in green cotton lounging pants and no shirt. His hair was wet and clung to the sides of his neck, Evening stubble had emerged on his chin.

“Amber. You okay?”

She nodded.

“What do you need?”

“I…I don’t want to be alone.”

He shook his head. “You can’t stay here.”

Her heart sank. “I’m not asking to stay here. Can I just come in for a little while? Maybe watch some TV or something? I just need to know there’s another body in the room.”

“I’m sorry. You have to go back to your own room.” He walked through the door and grabbed her arm. “I’ll walk you back.”

He took the key card from her hand and slid it into her door. He opened it.

“Please, can you come in? Just for a few minutes.”

“Damn it, Amber.”

“I’m sorry if I’m being so needy. It’s been…”
It’s been what? A hell of a day? A hell of a few days? A hell of a few days from my nightmares?

A hell of a life?

“Amber, I’m telling you, I can’t come in.”

“Why, Harper?”

He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “Damn it!” He pushed her through the door and followed her in, slamming it. Then he grabbed her and crushed his mouth to hers.

He tasted of Irish coffee, of salt, of wild berries. She’d never tasted anything more delicious. Who knew that was exactly what she’d been craving? Now was not the time to be coy. She opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue.

Their tongues slithered together in a kiss of wildness and passion. Of pure unadulterated need.

Need.
Amber needed him. Now. So much now. But not just now.

Forever.

She stopped her thoughts. Forever would not happen for them. She knew that.

She’d take
now.

She deepened the kiss and he followed her lead. With her tongue, she traced his teeth, his gums, the inside of his cheeks. His mouth covered hers hungrily. The kiss sent the pit of her stomach into a wild swirl. His lips were hard and searching. She wondered briefly what he might be searching for, but then could no longer wonder.

She let her body take over, let the kiss sing through her veins like a concerto. When his lips left hers she mourned the loss, but as they trailed over her cheek to her ear, nibbling on her lobe, she nearly swooned.

Oh, the sensation. The heady caress of his lips on her neck set her aflame. His lips continued their searing path across her shoulders, where his hands gently eased the robe from her body.

It fell into a heap on the floor. He cupped both of her breasts as his lips reclaimed her mouth.

She kissed him back with a hunger she’d never known. A desire. A raw need, both pure and impure.

Gently he thumbed her nipples, and they hardened into tight buds.

“Oh, baby,” he said against her mouth. “God, I’ve missed you. I have to suck those beautiful nipples.”

His lips left hers again, but instead of mourning this time, she anticipated their touch on her nipple. First he merely teased—a lick here, a tug there. The touch was light and painfully teasing. Her clit throbbed.

Dear Lord, I’ll die an untimely death if he doesn’t suck a nipple between his gorgeous full lips.
“Please, Harper. Please.”

He locked his lips around a turgid peak and sucked. Sucked. Sucked.

“Oh,” she groaned. “So good.”

“You’re so beautiful, baby. So enticing.” He wrapped his lips around the other nipple and sent her surging again.

He pushed her ever so slightly until they were against the bed. Once there, he laid her gently down. Her nipples were red and erect from his attentions, and they wanted more.

As if he read her mind, he clamped his mouth onto one again and sucked.

She writhed beneath him, her hips moving of their own accord. She was wet, she knew. She could feel the moisture between her legs. If only—

Again, he read her mind. One hand wandered downward, and he inserted a finger into her channel.

“Ah!” Her voice was breathy and husky.

“So wet, baby.”

God, yes.
Wet for him. For Harper. For the man she adored.

He left her breasts and returned to her mouth for a passionate kiss. Her nipples tingled against the hair of his chest. So, so good. His hard body atop hers, she thrust her hips upward, trying to take more of his finger. More of whatever he would give her this one night.

Their kiss deepened, and he added another finger. Harder and harder he thrust them into her, and wetter and wetter she became. Her sighs and moans grew louder, until…

“Yes!” she cried. The climax pushed her upward, nearly out of her own body. She writhed against his probing fingers, against his rock hard chest.

“That’s right, baby,” he said against her lips. “Come for me. Make it feel good.”

She soared higher, the spasms inhabiting her whole body. Only one thing would complete this feeling of ecstasy.

“Harper, make love to me.”

He rose slightly, pushed his lounging pants over his hips and plowed into her.

The hardness against her slick walls made her orgasm begin again. She spasmed around his cock as he pumped.

“That’s it. Keep coming, baby. You feel so good.” His breath puffed against her neck. Still he pumped, harder and faster, until she came yet again.

“God, baby. You’re so hot.” He kissed her neck, nibbled her ear lobe. “I’m coming, baby. I’m coming.”

“Harper, come for me. Come in me.”

“What? In you? Oh my God!”

He thrust hard, and she was so sensitive from her climaxes, she felt every single contraction of his cock.

“Mmm.” She sighed and closed her eyes. So good. So good to make
him
feel good.

He pulled out of her quickly. “Goddamn!”

She opened her eyes.

He was standing by the bed, his eyes troubled.

“What is it?”

“Condom. We didn’t use a condom.”

Was that all? “Don’t worry. I’ve been on the pill forever.”

“Well, then, at least I don’t have to worry about pregnancy.”

“What else would you need—”

His meaning her like a freight train, knocked the wind right out of her lungs.
Disease.
With her past, he was worried about disease. She’d never slept around. She’d had two one-night stands, and she’d gotten a clean bill of health after both of them. She’d never slept with men at the club. Even in those dreaded photos she wasn’t having sex.