Wrong Way Renee (46 page)

His lips curled in a sexy. Cupping her breasts, he licked circles that veered ever-closer to the peaked points.

A hungry gasp broke from her lips as he finally sucked a nipple into his mouth.
The heat that had been simmering inside her all night roared to a flame.
She went to open his jeans, but he held her hands at bay.

“Not yet,
”
he whispered.
“You first.
”
His mouth devoured hers.

She wanted the kiss to continue forever. It swept her away, and she was happy to be lost in it. Her entire body tingled, aching for this man. The intensity of her desire caught her off guard as it reached a fevered pitch.

He guided her onto the bed as he
peel
ed off her jeans and cast them to the floor. He teased her, running his fingers around the lacy, elastic edges of her panties.
He trailed his tongue along
the
valley
between her breasts, then traveled down the center of her torso
.

Her body rocked of its own accord as passion like she’d never known spiked her desire to new heights.

“Lift up, love,
”
he said, almost inaudibly.

When she did, he slid her panties off. His tongue found the hollow of her neck
as his
roaming hands rubbed her inner thigh
s
, occasionally stopping momentarily on the
tangle of hair between her legs. He lingered
there long enough to make her moan with pleasure, before moving on.

She whimpered with helpless need. “Please, Joe.”

Her breath hitched as he grazed a finger over her sex. “You’re soaking wet.”

She bit her lip and nodded.

Desire rolled off him in waves as he rubbed her mound.
Her pleasure crested higher and higher. How did he know exactly how to touch her?

Quivering sensations rolled over her skin. Her climax hit her with a ferocious intensity that sent her into an erotic tailspin.

Wave after wonderful wave of pleasure washed over her, bathing her in rhapsody. The deluge went on and on and on. She writhed and moaned, sated and happy.

He got off the bed and stripped off his clothes
. S
he feasted on the sight of him. From his thick arms and shoulders, roped with muscle to his long, sinewy legs, he was everything she’d hoped and more.

His erection curved up to his belly and his
hooded stare heated her from the inside out. She held out her arms to him.

He dug in his pants pocket for a condo
m and rolled it over his shaft.

“Make love to me,” she said.

He
climbed onto
the bed
and kneeled between her legs. Then he licked and stroked and explored until he’d stoked her flame back to life. He moved over her and positioned himself over her.
“I love you, Renee.” With that, he pushed into her, gently at first, inch by delicious inch until he filled her completely, wonderfully.
Her intimate muscles stretched to accommodate him.

He started thrusting, slowly. His muscles quivered with restraint as he
brought her closer and closet to the precipice of
nirvana
again.
Nipping her neck and her breasts, he stroked harder, deeper, faster.

She fell over the edge into a sea of
bliss
where she’d have gladly drowned.
The deluge of pleasure went on even as he exploded in his own orgasm.
She tightened her intimate muscles around him and delighted at his joyful moans.

The power of
their ecstasy
brought tears to her eyes.
“I love you too, Joe.”

He
lay atop her, holding her, stroking her hair, loving her, perfectly.

They slept for a couple hours, then woke to make love again. Renee slept peacefully, next to the man she planned to sleep with for the rest of her life.

Chapter Fourteen

“Things must be going well or else you've started taking Prozac.
”
Renee
sat at her station three weeks later opposite Melissa.

“
I've been on Zoloft for years.”

Renee raised an eyebrow
.
“Oops. Sorry.”

Melissa shrugged.
“
I'm not ashamed of it. But things are g
oing particularly well lately.
I have some news.
”

“Tell me
.”

“We're leaving for Scottsdale this afternoon. Our
daughter was born last night.”

Her throat swelled with emotion. She
put down her file, unable to see through the rush of tears. She pulled a tissue from the box on her station, offering one to Melissa who was having the same problem. They sat there for a long time, crying together, neither able to get a word out.

Finally, Renee whispered,
“Congratulations.”

Melissa dabbed the tissue under her
eyes
.
“I have more news.
”
The floodgates opened again.

“Okay, let's hear it.”
She picked up her file, trying to work.

“I'm pregnant.
”

“Oh my God.” She
reached across her table and hugged her client, who had become her friend. They both started laughing.

“What are you going to do?
”
Renee asked.
“When are you due?”

Melissa wiped
her tears
.
“I'm about nine weeks along. I suppose I should have noticed before now, but I was sure I couldn't get pregnant and so preoccupied with the adoption, I never even thought about it. If everything goes okay, we'll have t
wo babies, seven months apart.”

“Wow. I think you're going to need a nanny or something.
”

“For now, all I want is
our little girl. Wish me luck.”

Later that day, Renee went to the desk to check her schedule. Pam was next. Dread crept into her heart. She went to the kitchenette for a drink, then cleaned her table and got her acrylic supplies ready. A moment later, Pam sat down, looking suddenly very pregnant.

“Hey. How are you?
”
Pam arranged herself in the chair.

“Good, you?
”
Sh
e was surpr
ised by Pam's pleasant demeanor—
a rarity lately.

“I brought my boyfrien
d with me. Mind if he sits in?”

Renee didn't even have time to think about it when a tall Hispanic man came out of the rest room and sat in a chair next to Pam.

His eyes locked
with
Renee’s and
a wave of nausea came and went in an instant. She saw the recognition on his face.

He
coughed and stood up suddenly.
“I'm gonna…
gas up my car.
”
He raced out the door.

“Wait,
”
Pam said to his back, but it was too late.
“Wha
t the hell was that all about?”

Renee started filing, looking down at her table, refusing to meet her client's gaze.

“Renee?
”
she shouted.

Chantelle
looked over, then went back to work on her client.

Pam lowered her voice.
“I asked you a questio
n. Do you two know each other?”

“W-what do you mean?
”

“Why did
Pablo
run out of here?”
Pam jerked her hand away and landed a fist hard on the table. Everything on it shook.

“I
…
I don't
…
”
Her heart pounded.

Pam leaned toward her, her eyes wild. Tell me now, Renee. I
know you're hiding something.”

She held up her hands in surrender.
“
Okay. I’ll tell you.
I met
Pablo
at a party. I went with Joe to his best
friend Wyatt's holiday party.”

“Yeah, I've
heard
Pablo
mention Wyatt. And?”

“And
Pablo
showed up with his
…
his new wife.
”

Pam gasped, then started shaking her head. “No, no way.” D
enial, shock and finally anger
registered in her expression.
“Son of a bitch.
”
She
stood so fast she knocked over her chair, and ran out the door.

Everyone in the salon looked at Renee, waiting for an explanation.

“She didn't like my prices,
”
sh
e said calmly before heading to the kitchenette for a glass of water. Her whole body trembled. She wished just this once that she was a smoker.

She wondered what would become of Pam and her baby.
S
he'd probably never see the woman again. Would it have made any difference if she'd told her about
Pablo
earlier? She doubted it.

Thank God she and Joe were now having an honest relationship. She’d never lie to him again.

* * * * *

“Do you think your parents will ever forgive me?
”
Renee took a bite of her salad
at a seaside restaurant in St. Augustine Sunday afternoon
.

Joe put down his fork.
“Dad's not the judgmental type. It's Eloise you have to worry about. She'
s a much tougher nut to crack.”

“I’ll never forget the look on her face that day.” She cringed. “Maybe if I get down on my knees and beg.”

“If you like being on your knees, I have something for you to do.” He winked at her and heat stormed through her. They’d made love about a dozen times in the last week and it had just gotten better and better.

He ate an oyster then wiped his mouth. “Look, she’s protective of me.
And she does hold grudges.”

She frowned.

“But not forever.
When I was a senior in college, I took her car one night without her permission and backed into a dumpster. It took her three or four weeks, but she finally started sp
eaking to me again.”

“She didn't speak to you for that long?
” She shivered. “
But you're her stepson. She had to forgive
you. I'm just your girlfriend.”

“You're more than that, Renee. She'll forgive you. She loves me. When you hurt something she loves, it takes her a long time. She loved her car, bu
t not as much as she loves me.”

Everything inside her ached with the knowledge that she’d been the cause of pain for him.
Her selfishness and cowardice had caused untold
anguish
not only for
Joe,
but for his
family
as well
.
She was through with lying to people.
With him by her side, she knew she could handle anything life threw at her.
“I'm so sorry I hurt you.”

H
e took her hand.
“I know. Let's not discuss this any mor
e. I want to enjoy my
oysters
.”

But
seafood
wasn't the only thing he enjoyed that night. When they returned to their room at the bed and breakfast, Renee put on her new, sexy nightie. It was lacy and black with satin bows across the bodice. Joe untied each bow with his teeth, then traced tiny circles on her skin with his finger, then his tongue. When he got below her navel,
sh
e couldn't take it an
ymore. She jumped off the bed.
“I'm not getting back in that bed unless you take me-right now.
”
She giggled.

H
e wouldn't budge.
“I'm not through teasing you yet.
”
He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

“I mean it, buster. I want it now.
”
She grinned wickedly.

H
e gathered the bedspread in his fists, pulling it up under his chin.
“But I'm afraid, missy, please, don't force me,
”
he said in falsetto.

Sh
e planted her hands on her hips, her nightie hanging open.
“I said now and I mean now. Do me.
”
She ripped the bedspread from his grasp
.