Chapter 11
Ipulled into the large, circular drive and looked up at the mansion before me. It was exactly like Sherman had described to me years ago. Breathtaking.
I parked my car to the side and got out, making sure to grab the cake Landry had helped me make. It had a fancy German name, but hell if I could remember it. I just smiled and followed Landry’s instructions while he stood over me, assuring it was right. I’d tried to thank him again before I headed into the city, but he hadn’t been home.
Taking a deep breath, I approached the front door. It, like the home, was massive. I rapped on the door, expecting a maid to answer. When Sherman tossed open the door, any concerns I had about seeing him again went by the wayside. I went at him, hugging him tight. He embraced me as well, squeezing me.
I held the cake out, fearful of smashing it on him. He released me and glanced at what I was holding. “What’s this?”
I was about to answer when he closed his eyes.
“You remembered she liked to bake, didn’t you?”
“Yes. A friend helped me with it.”
He hugged me again and teared up.
“Remember our rule,” I reminded him.
He nodded. “We don’t let the other cry alone. If I cry, you’ll cry. Vice versa. I remember.” He put his hand on my back. “Come in, Meredith. I want to introduce you to my sons.”
“They’re here?” I cringed, wondering if his eldest was waiting to scream and shout at me again.
“They’re out by the pool. I hope it’s okay. I thought you might enjoy eating lunch on the patio.”
“I will enjoy anything. Lead the way.”
“First.” He eased the cake from my hand and called out to one of the maids. “Can you put this in kitchen to be served after lunch?”
She nodded.
He thanked her and then proceeded to lead me through the house. “I should warn you. I wanted to meet with you and walk to talk and catch up. My sons caught wind of this and insisted on being present to meet the woman who helped their father through a rough period.”
I tensed.
Sherman patted my hand. “My oldest son has certainly seen the light, Meredith. Have no fear.”
I didn’t really believe him but went along with him anyway. Huge French doors were already opened wide, several sets of them, leading to a patio area that was picture perfect. To the left was a waterfall that led into a giant swimming pool. To the right was a hot tub, submerged and made to look like rock as well. Flowers bloomed everywhere and the landscaping made it feel cozy. The walkway curved, so I couldn’t see around it. Sherman led me down the path and when it opened up, the first thing I saw was a rock wall with vines creeping down it. The next thing was a set of planters. They were sort of strewn about, looking out of place. One was cracked.
“Did a storm knock them down?” I asked.
“Knock what down?” Sherman asked.
I pointed to the planters.
He exhaled slowly. “Louise started the project right before she passed. These arrived two days after she was gone, along with some other things. I never did figure out what she wanted to do with them. All I know was back here was her favorite spot, so I guessed they were meant to be there. I just, well, I haven’t…”
I put my head on his shoulder. “Do you mind if I try something?”
“Not at all, but, Meredith, Louise marched to her own beat. I don’t expect you to be able to understand her when you’d never even met her.”
“But, Sherman, look.” I pointed. “That symbol means happiness. The other means togetherness. There are two with ones that mean ‘you’ and two with ‘me’ on it.” I gave him a knowing look. Smiling, I began to say the words to the song Happy Together.
He stared at me with wide eyes.
I froze.
He nudged me forward. “Carry on. Please.”
I glanced to my right and spotted a tiny statue of a turtle dove and laughed. “This is the spot.”
“How do you know?”
“A turtle dove.” I pointed to the statue. “The song is by the Turtles. Here.” I stepped forward and moved the planters around so they were stacked as they should be, spelling the lyrics to the song, with the turtle dove overlooking them. “You should have things that like to grow in clusters put in. Because well, they’re happy together. But in the ones that say You and Me, put your favorite flower in those and hers in the others. See. You and her.” I bit my lower lip. “Or not. I mean, I was just guessing. Probably not. I’m going to shut up now, okay?”
He teared up.
I did too. “I’m sorry. It was a stupid guess.”
“Meredith, that song was the song we danced to on the day of our wedding. She used to tell me she thought they had to have written it for us because it fit so well.”
I took his hand in mine and gave it a tiny squeeze.
He choked up. “T-thank you.”
I tried to let go of his hand to give him alone time, but he shook his head and pulled me into a hug. I embraced him and he broke down, crying softly. I let him, never saying a word, but shedding tears for him, understanding his pain.
He pulled back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”
“Get back here. I’m not done hugging you yet. Those boys can wait and if your oldest makes one comment, I’ll hit him over the head with that turtle dove.”
Laughing through his tears, Sherman embraced me again. He patted my back. “I told my boys you reminded me of their mother. That she would have absolutely loved you. But—” He stood tall“—I have a feeling the two of you would have had your own way of speaking to one another that the rest of us would be lost to.”
“Oh yeah, totally. A Divine Sisters’ thing. I can see it.”
He laughed more and I stepped closer, wiping his cheeks. He put his hands over mine. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too.”
He stepped out of the way, and I tensed when I spotted two men standing near a table and chairs set. They were watching us with moist eyes. In addition, they were incredibly handsome in a tall, dark, and hunky kind of way.
“This is my youngest, Lucas,” Sherman said, pointing to the man on the left. “The other is my middle son, Lance.”
“Hi,” I said softly, embarrassed by what I’d done.
Lucas came straight to me and hugged me tight, as if we’d known each other for years. He pressed his lips to my ear. “Thank you for helping him.”
I nodded as he pulled away.
Lance stepped toward me and extended his hand. I took it and he brought my hand to his lips, kissing it gently. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Meredith.”
I just smiled, unsure what to say or do. I glanced around and blew out a long breath.
“You look relieved, any reason?” Sherman asked, a teasing note in his voice.
“Because I don’t see your guard dog oldest son. No offense, but that guy was a major jerk.”
“How major?” a familiar voice asked from behind me. I spun, my eyes wide. Landry wagged his brows. He was clean shaven and his hair was trimmed, looking less shaggy.
“What the…?” I stopped and looked back at Lucas and Lance, noting the similarities between them. When I glanced back at Landry, he was grinning like a fool. I went at him fast, slapping his chest. “Jerk!”
Laughing, he caught my wrist, yanking me against him. “I admit it. I was a dumbass.”
I touched his face. “You shaved. I wasn’t sure you owned a razor.”
His brothers laughed.
Landry slipped his arms around my waist. “Thank you for being there for Dad. I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. You have no idea how sorry I am.”
“Sorry enough to help me hang more shelves?” I asked.
He laughed. “I’m sorry enough to be at your disposal for a long time.”
“Good. I’ve got a ton of things I need done at the house,” I said, joking. I stopped and stared around and then back at him. “You’re not just a diner owner and an ex-lawyer, are you?”
He shook his head.
“You’re the swanky lawyer son Sherman told me about.”
“Yes. I stepped away from it all about a year ago,” he confessed. “I up and moved to Paxton Falls because it was like a Norman Rockwell painting. I can’t do nothing all day. It would make me nuts and I like to cook, so I bought the diner from the past owner, and you know the rest.”
I just stood there.
“Mer?” he asked, sounding worried. “Shit, Mer, hon, I’m sorry. I should have told you the truth.”
“Samson knows, doesn’t he?”
He sighed. “Yes.”
“Does everyone else in town know?”
“No. Just Samson and your dad. Your brother sort of guessed, and I told him the truth then. I don’t want to be known as the guy who is worth billions. I just want to be the guy who owns the little diner in the center of town.”
Another thought occurred to me. Gasping, I grabbed him and hugged him tight. “I had you help me bake a cake and today is the anniversary of your mother’s—”
He kissed my cheek. “Shh, it’s okay. I liked getting to spend the evening with you last night. It was nice not to be alone and to be thinking about Mom. And, Mer, I saw and heard what you did here today with the planters. I think you got it exactly right.” He put his forehead to mine. “Thank you.”
I closed my eyes.
“How mad at me are you right now?”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because your brother mentioned you took kickboxing with Natasha. I’m wondering if I should run now or what?”
“You should run, but not because of that.”
He grinned. “Then what?”
“Because you’ve sworn off women.”
“Landry?” Lance asked, signaling they could hear us. “Off women? Since when?”
Landry looked past me at his middle brother. No words were spoken, but I got the sense he wanted Lance to shut the hell up. He sighed and turned me to face his family. Sherman was tearing up again.
I tipped my head. “I swear I’m going to end up a mess if you dare shed another tear.”
He looked at Landry. “Marry her or I’m making one of the other two do it.”
I laughed. “Uh, Sherman, Landry goes out of his way to stress how much he’s off women for the moment. I don’t think marriage is in the future. I’m game for one of the other two. They’re both hot. You pick. I trust your judgment.”
He tipped his head back and roared with laughter.
Lucas eyed me closely and pulled out the chair next to him. Giddy, I tried to hurry to sit there. Landry caught me around the waist and steered me to a seat near him. I curled my nose at him. “You’re mackin’ on my action here, bucko.” I winked.
He pointed at Lucas. “Touch her and I’ll snap you in half. Got it?”
“Yes,” I said, batting my lashes. “He has a ‘look but don’t touch’ policy. Funny enough, it applies to himself as well. Ironic, don’t you think?”
Lucas snorted. “Oh, Landry, she’s perfect. I’m with Dad. Marry her or I’ll be happy to volunteer.”
I glanced at Lance. He was grinning too. “Can I hear a second bid?”
He laughed and nodded. “Hell, yeah.”
Sherman sat to my left and smiled at his boys. “This time next year, what do you say we agree to meet back here to honor your mother by having each of you married, with little ones on the way?”
The boys all jerked back. Landry included.
I smiled. “I think they’re afraid of the M word.”
“Marriage?” Sherman asked.
“Well, yes, but in regards to Landry, I think the M word he’s most scared of is Meredith.”
They laughed and made me feel very welcome right away. Lucas told me a little about his line of work, as did Lance. The three of them talked about things they’d done when they were children. They seemed as if they got along well. The food came and we ate, still talking and laughing. Soon after, the cake came out.
“At least we know it’s safe to eat,” I said. “Landry hovered the entire time I was making it.”
“You spent more time dancing in one spot than you did reading the instructions, so I thought it best I stick close,” he teased.
Standing, I helped the woman who was there with a cake knife. She grinned at me. The first piece she cut, I handed back to her. She looked confused. I winked. “For you.”
Twisting, she swatted Landry and rattled off something that sounded Russian. His brothers and father laughed. I looked at the woman and then Landry. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Uh, no. I did.”
I waited.
He rubbed the side of his head where she’d swatted him. “She’s still mad at me for being mean to you four years ago. She’s been with us since we were little and is more like a grandmother than anything else. I think she’ll be ticked for some time to come. She seems to really like you.”
“Hmm, she likes me and slaps you. I really, really like her,” I said, handing Sherman a piece of cake. I did the same for all the boys.
“You’re not going to chance any?” Lucas asked. “You made it. Should we be concerned you’re not eating it.”
“I’m no fool. You go first,” I said, making them laugh more.
We finished up, and then drinks were brought out. I sipped mine and leaned back in the chair, enjoying seeing them interact with one another. At some point, Landry had moved his chair closer to mine. After a while, I noticed he had an arm draped around me and the other on my leg. I considered pushing him off me but gave in to the urge to lean toward him. Lance said something about Landry when he was in high school, and Landry laughed a second before he kissed my temple.
I turned my face toward him and lifted a brow. He dipped his head and kissed my lips chastely before talking again with his brother. I eased away from him, his mixed signals making me insane.
Sherman sat, watching us with a smile on his face.
“Oh, Dad,” Landry said. “I got talking with Mer’s brother, Samson, and he told me she was on the university’s swim team. She was there when they had their best year to date.”
Sherman grinned. “Really? I used to swim as well. I was on the men’s team many, many, many, many moons ago. Did you dive too?”
“Yep.”
He tipped his head, staring at me more. His face lit. “Aha! I knew when I first met you that you looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t place you.”
I didn’t say a word.
“You were the girl in the silver bathing suit who was part of the charity auction the teams held about five years back.”
“Yes,” I said. “But how did you know that?”
“Holy shit, she’s the hot chick who was dancing with that guy on the top dive board?” Lucas asked. He coughed. “I mean, well, umm.”
I laughed. “It was a lot of fun to be had and it was for a great cause. The afterparty was supposed to be this posh, boring event, but that’s not how it went down.” I thought back. “I remember bumping into a woman who I thought for sure would say something snide to me because the other women around her did. She told them to shove off, in even worse words, looped her arm through mine and asked me if I was up for livening up the joint.
“I nearly fell over when she whistled for the swim team guys to grab a gal and get their backsides on the dance floor. What was even better was when she had the band there stop playing crap and start playing what they liked. I had so much fun with her that night. She even got up on a table with me and danced. I’m pretty sure she’s the only reason school officials didn’t toss my butt out of there. Natasha even had a blast. The lady and I pulled her up there and got her dancing too. My ex came and lifted me off, not so happy with my antics. She pointed at him and told him to knock it off or she’d have her boys handle him.”
All men present were smiling, yet their eyes were moist.
“What else do you remember about the party, Meredith?” Sherman asked. “About the woman even.”
“She and Natasha got down when these three guys in tuxes came and basically lifted them right off too. The woman swatted the one guy’s arm, pointed at me and said, ‘I pick her.’ My ex was dragging me in the other direction, shaking his head about me getting into trouble yet again. I never did see the other guy’s face.”
My excitement waned. “Later, I went outside for fresh air and I found her there, sitting alone, with someone’s tux jacket around her. She was looking up at the night sky. I went to give her privacy, and she patted the spot next to her. I sat down and she thanked me for going out of my way to help with the charity and that it was special to her as well,” I said. “When she told me that she was suffering from the same disease, I did the first thing that came to mind. I hugged her. She didn’t seem to mind a bit. Anyway, we ended up sitting out there, talking the night away. She confessed she’d not told her family the truth, and that she didn’t plan to.”
Sherman took a deep breath.
“I asked her why, and she told me that doctors had given her two years tops and she wanted those two years filled with joy and laughter, not worry and sadness. I couldn’t fault her for it. I would do the same thing. I’d not want my loved ones to worry about me. I’d want my time with them to be as happy as possible. I felt so bad and angry for her. She was this beautiful, vibrant woman who knew her life was going to be cut short. I pulled her up, and we started to dance to the faint sound of the music. We actually waltzed. It didn’t match the music and we must have looked crazy, two women dancing like that, but it felt right and it made her smile.”
Landry touched my chin and turned me to face him. I barely had time to register the tear on his cheek before he was kissing me thoroughly. I was too stunned to push him away.
When he pulled back, his breathing was hard. “Thank you.”
I touched my swollen lip. “For?”
Sherman touched my shoulder. “Meredith, the woman you were on the table with was Louise.”
I gasped and looked around at the other boys. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t…”
“Kiss her again to stop her from saying she’s sorry or I’ll come over and do it for you,” Lance said to Landry.
Landry did just that, and my eyes grew to the size of half dollars. I pushed on his forehead, making him stop. “You’re off women. How can you forget that? It’s your friggin’ mantra.”
The look on his face was feral, like he was thinking about knocking me to the ground and having at me. The idea sounded perfect to me, but I knew him well enough to know he’d back out right before the deed was done. Standing, I lifted my chair and raced around to sit between Sherman and Lucas, making everyone laugh.
My cell phone rang, and I glanced at the screen, spotting Brice’s name. I gave Sherman a sad look. “I have to get going.”
“Oh, no, Meredith, stay,” he said.
“I wish I could. I promised to meet a good friend of mine for dinner tonight. I’ve been putting him off for a while now and since I knew I was coming into town today to see you, I promised him we could do something together.”
“Him?” Sherman asked, his gaze sliding to Landry.
Landry was watching me with narrowed eyes. “Brice?”
I nodded.
He stood quickly, knocking his chair to the ground before storming away. Stunned, I set my phone on the table and rushed after him. “Landry?”
He spun and put a hand in the air. “You’re really going to run off from here, from this, from me, and go to him?”
“From you?” I asked, shaking my head. “Are you drunk?”
He gave me a hard look. “Call him and tell him you changed your mind.”
“But I didn’t change my mind,” I said. “He’s my friend, Landry. I went from seeing him daily to not seeing him in almost two months. I had no idea you’d be here today.”
“So, you wouldn’t have made plans with him if you had?” Venom coated his every word, taking me off-guard.
“Oh, I’d have still made plans with him, I’d have just pushed them back later.”
“Seriously?” He ran a hand over his face. “You’re leaving me for him?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Sherman said, interrupting his son, “but didn’t Meredith mention you’ve sworn off women and that the two of you are only friends? And then you go and kiss her. Son, that’s a hell of a mixed signal, especially when I know damn well you haven’t sworn off women.”
“Dad,” he said sternly. “Stay out of it.”
“Don’t talk to your father that way.” I put a hand on my hip.
“I’ll talk to him any damn way I want. Don’t tell me what to do. You’re barely old enough to live on your own, let alone—”
I shoved him hard, knocking him into the pool. His head popped up and his eyes widened. “Meredith!”
“Wow, I was right the first time. You are a major jerk!”
He wiped water from his eyes. “Mer, I didn’t mean to…”
Pointing, I leveled my gaze on him. “I’m talking now. You’re shutting up and listening or so help me, I’ll come in there and drown you.”
His lips twitched. He nodded and pinched his lips shut, looking so adorable I wanted to smile, but held back.
When I didn’t speak, he did, “I thought you wanted to say something?”
“I did, but you and those damn brown eyes. Stop looking at me so I can yell at you.”
Landry flashed a wolfish smile. “Sorry.”
His father tapped my shoulder. “I like your style, Meredith.”
“Landry, in the two months I’ve known you, you’ve never once behaved this way. What is your problem?”
“My guess,” Sherman said, “he’s jealous. He’s not ready to admit how he feels about you, and he’s not willing to let another man step up to the plate.”
“Dad, don’t get—”
I pointed at him. “No speaking.”
His gaze heated.
“Fine then. Talk.” I pushed out my jaw. “Want to say something else that is going to tick me off to the point I paint my windows black?”
“Paint your windows?” Sherman questioned.
“Ask Peeping Landry,” I said quickly.
Sherman laughed and motioned to the other boys. “Let’s go in and give them some privacy. I think your brother is going to need to focus fully on getting back in her good graces. If she holds true and continues to remind me of your mother, she’s going to be mad a while.”
“Peeping Landry,” Lucas mused, as he hurried away.
I waited until everyone was gone before kicking off my sandals. I took a seat on the edge of the pool and put my feet in, lifting my dress just enough to keep it from getting wet. “What’s going on? You were fine one minute and then crazy the next.”
He turned his gaze from me as he stood, water streaming off him, his clothes hugging his sculpted body.
“Now you’re not going to talk to me?” I snorted. “And yet you hint that I’m the immature one. Got it.” I made a move to stand. “See you later, Landry.”
“Mer, wait.” He moved up to the edge of the pool and put his hands to each side of me. “My dad might have been onto something.”
I was at a loss for words.
“I don’t want you with other men.”
“But you don’t want me with you either,” I said.
His lack of an answer was telling.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Landry. You’re a smart man. You know that. You can’t hold out a hand with a shiny red apple in it and then as I go to touch it, yank it away. I’m not up for that constant temptation and it’s not really fair to me. You agree?”
He nodded before pulling off his wet shirt. He twisted it, wringing out the water and setting it on the edge of the pool.
Unable to help myself, I put my hands on his shoulders. “What’s happening to us?”
“I don’t know, Mer,” he said, his forehead coming to my lips. I kissed it and held him to me. “I never planned on you.”
I snickered. “Ditto, buddy. Do you think I had any clue when I quit my job and moved home that I’d find myself attracted to a man in a way I’ve not been in years?”
There. I said it.
His hands inched closer to my thighs, and he kept his head where it was. I kissed it again and smoothed back his wet hair.
“Sorry I pushed you in.”
He lifted his head. “No, you’re not.”
I smiled. “No. I’m not.”
“I’m getting you wet,” he said as water dripped off him and onto me.
“Ah, no worries. You’ve been doing that for months.” I pushed gently on his shoulders. “We’re okay, right?”
“Are you leaving to go see Brice?”
“Yes.”
He grabbed me and yanked me in with him, against my very vocal protests. He barrel-rolled with me, dunking me under too.
We came up and I slapped his shoulder before laughing. “Jerk!”
“Is that a pet name for me now?” he asked, holding me close to him as he swam toward the deeper end.
My finger found his lips. The next thing I knew, I was going for his mouth, kissing him like a deprived woman. He jerked me against his body, his erection digging into my mound. We continued our kiss, making our way to a tucked-away spot behind the waterfall section of the pool. It was a place I suspected wasn’t visible from the house.
My dress billowed up around me. Landry shocked me by grabbing it and pulling it over my head. He tossed it to the side and came back to kissing my mouth. When he skimmed his hand down the length of my torso, I bit at his lower lip. He grabbed the edge and flashed a hungry look at me as he pulled off his shoes, socks and pants. He tossed them aside. I was surprised to see him wearing boxer briefs.
“Meredith,” he said softly, grabbing me to him and kissing me. He backed me up against the edge and kissed my neck, my shoulder, my upper chest—seemingly anywhere he could get to with ease.
My body heated and I rubbed against him, biting lightly at his shoulder.
He reached between us. The second I felt the head of his erection pushing at my panties, I gasped. He slipped my panties to the side and pressed his cock head to my entrance. Ours mouths connected at the same moment our bodies did. He thrust in and I cried out in his mouth.
Landry stilled. “You feel so fucking good.”
“So—” I kissed him again “—do you.”
He began to move slowly, and I panted, clinging to him, my legs wrapping around his waist, causing him to go deeper. The combination of his lower abdomen rubbing against my clit and the water had my body tightening in no time flat. Pleasure crashed over me and Landry moaned, pumping harder and faster. My pussy fluttered around his cock as my orgasm hit. With a roar, he pushed in deep, filling me past the point of comfort as his cock twitched, filling me.
He withdrew so fast that I actually went under for a moment before surfacing again. I assumed it had been an accident. When I came up to find him swimming away from me, grabbing his pants and clothing, I knew better.
He regretted what had just taken place.
It was hard to keep from crying as I took hold of the side of the pool and pushed out. I grabbed my soaked dress and fought with it to get it on. Landry made no attempt to stop me as I grabbed my sandals and my cell phone. He didn’t even look at me. I hurried off, spotting a way out of the yard without having to go through the house. I took it, running toward my car. By the time I got in, I was in full-blown tears. I didn’t drive to Brice’s house. I drove home, calling him on the way, telling him I didn’t feel well and that I needed to go home and sleep. I don’t think he believed me, but I was too upset to care.
By the time I was home, had soaked in a long hot bath, and cried a fair amount of tears, it was late. I put on my pajamas, a silk pair of bottoms and a tank top, and tossed a robe over them before taking a bottle of wine out back. I didn’t bother turning on any lights. I didn’t want to chance Landry being home and seeing me. I just wanted to fade away while I licked my wounds.
I took a seat on one of the two oversized chairs on the dock and cracked open the bottle of wine. I drank it straight from the bottle, staring out at the sight of the moon reflecting off the lake. The stars were bright and high in the sky. I was halfway through the bottle when I realized I was good and on my way to being drunk. Still, I kept going, wanting to dull the pain any way I could. At some point, I drifted off to sleep, still holding the bottle of wine.
Someone eased it from my grasp, and I stirred. “Hmm?”
“Come on, hon,” a deep voice said. “It’s cold out here tonight. Let’s get you to bed.”
“I don’t wanna go to bed,” I said, twisting and pulling my knees to my chest.
“Mer, please.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “I just want to be alone. You should go. Everyone goes, don’t they?” I bent my head, my eyes closed. “It’s me. You don’t have to pretend. I know the truth. I’m a bad seed just like Mom said. It’s why she left. It’s why Phillip left. Why Matthew couldn’t stay with me. It’s why Landry is ashamed and hates me.”
Someone cupped my face. “Meredith, honey, look at me. You’re not a bad seed.”
Opening my eyes slightly, I tried to focus, but found it harder than it should be. “Landry?”
“Yes, honey, it’s me.”
I pushed on him, trying to get him to move away from me. It didn’t work. “Go.”
“I can’t just leave you out here, Meredith.”
“Don’t kid yourself,” I said with a laugh. “You are more than capable of turning your back on me. I saw it firsthand.”
“Meredith, please. I didn’t mean to lose control like that with you today. I was emotional about my mom, I was…”
I tried to stand, but nearly fell. He caught me around the waist and I shook my head. “Don’t.” I swayed. “Don’t pin this on that. You’re ashamed of what happened. Plain and simple. You regret it and view it as a mistake.”
“Meredith, I didn’t mean to—”
“Go home. I don’t want to hear your voice.”
“You’re drunk and sitting on the edge of the water. I’m not leaving you here.”
“Why not?” I asked. “If I did drown, it would save you from having to avoid me forever, wouldn’t it?”
“Don’t talk like that,” he said, trying to hug me. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, Mer.”
I pressed on his chest. “Go. I won’t do this with a man again. I won’t let some rich guy string my heart along and then walk away from it all without a care in the world. Not again. Not ever again.”
“Meredith.”
“No, leave! I don’t want to hear your excuses. You didn’t want to be with me. It was a mistake. Sorry it was so horrible for you that you couldn’t even look at me or say a word after it happened.”
He caught my face with his hands and dipped his head, kissing me, shutting me up. He drew back and licked his lips. “Mer, I can’t be sure, but I think I might have just gotten drunk off kissing you. How much have you had to drink?”
I glanced at the empty bottle of wine on the deck. “That much.”
“Oh, hon, let me get you to bed.”
I shook my head and tried to walk away from him all on my own. It was easier said than done when the dock felt like it was moving under my feet. Landry swept me up and off my feet, making my world spin more. I clung to him, fearing I’d be sick. He carried me into my house and all the way up to my room. I assumed he’d dump me on my bed and go. He didn’t. He eased my robe off me and proceeded to strip down to his underwear. He climbed onto the bed and pulled me against him, spooning me.
Unable to help myself, I proceeded to cry silently.
Landry kissed my bare shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mer. I regret moving that fast with you. I don’t regret the act itself and you’re wrong, it was anything but horrible. I lost control and took what I wanted. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did,” I said.
“I know, honey. I know.” He kissed my neck, and I gave in, sinking into his embrace, closing my eyes.
“Meredith, I want to be with you. I do.”
“Right this minute,” I countered. “But you’ll change your mind again. It’s what you do.”
He kissed my shoulder. “No. I won’t.”
I snorted and began to drift off again.
His rigid cock nudged my backside, and he kissed my neck more. “Meredith.”
As much as I wanted him, I was still too hurt to give in. “We can’t.”
“Because you think I’ll hurt you?” he asked, nibbling on my shoulder.
“Yes, and because I’m not on birth control. But mostly because we both know you’ll hurt me again.”
He was silent a minute before rubbing my arm and kissing my shoulder again. “You’re not on anything? Why?”
Teetering on the edge of sleep, I sighed. “Because the last man I had sex with was my husband. Okay, the only man I’ve ever had sex with, aside from you, was my then-husband. I really wasn’t expecting to be shoved against the side of your family’s pool and fucked. Sorry. I should have so planned for that, asshole.”
He pulled away from me and got off the bed. I didn’t bother turning to look at him. I just snorted and gave in to sleep.