The Inheritance Part V Page 2

  She tangled her fingers in his hair, moving his mouth to hers again. Her pulse was a roar in her ears, a throb in her belly, a zing through her limbs.

  This wasn’t going to be just sex. Not for her or for him.

  And the anticipation made her body light on fire.

  Chapter 26

  In just her bra and panties, she stretched out on the bed, Andrew right beside her. Her heart beat madly in her chest; she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his face. He tugged off his T-shirt and pants, flinging them behind him, pressing his heat and hard cock along her left side. His fingertips stroked her breasts, setting sparks across her skin, and then he tugged her head closer and drew her mouth to his.

  She groaned, and he kissed her deeper until they were breathing each other’s air. She couldn’t fight the writhing of her body against his and slipped her thigh back and forth along his hard shaft, easily evident beneath his thin boxer briefs. God, she was getting so damned wet, had craved his mouth and fingers and every inch of his beautiful body.

  His hand moved down to stroke her dampness through her panties, and he let out a ragged moan. “I can feel how turned on you are,” he said, brushing his lips across her jaw. Then he slid his mouth down, down, and moved right to her core, blowing a small burst of warm air through her panties and setting her on fire.

  She groaned and gripped his hair as he moved his mouth over her, his tongue licking, tasting, sweeping boldly along her sex, covered by only a thin piece of fabric. Her pelvis ground against his mouth, and he reached down to grip the curves of her ass, pressing her closer to his warm lips. His tongue slipped her panties to the side and then danced along her slick, naked folds, and another burst of wetness dampened his mouth more.

  “Oh, that feels so good,” she said, breathless. His hair was silky beneath her fingers, and she dug her fingers gently into his scalp.

  He spread her thighs apart and nudged her panties to the side further, pressing openmouthed kisses to the back of her knee, up her inner thigh, slicking his tongue into her core, then over to the other leg. When he got back to her wetness again, she was so turned on she could hardly see straight.

  Everything within her throbbed with intense longing.

  Then he slipped a finger to her clit and began stroking it, the other hand pressing two fingers deep inside her. She arched, closed her eyes, exhaled a ragged breath.

  “Look at me, baby,” he said, and she locked eyes with him, saw the hot possession flaring in his gaze. She wasn’t sure how much wetter she could get, but she knew she was going to come if he kept touching her like that.

  Her mouth parted as she drew in air, and she swallowed. His fingers sped up their pace, stroking her inner walls, and she cried out as a slow tingle burned its way from her core. “I’m going to come,” she breathed.

  His eyes grew hooded with satisfaction, and he moved his finger from her clit, replacing it with his flicking tongue. “I love tasting you,” he said. “Come on my mouth.”

  She shook, arched, and then her body exploded as she pressed her pelvis to his open lips, crying out her orgasm, which slammed into her with a ferocity that left her shaking for several long moments afterward.

  Her limbs became liquid, and she couldn’t stop the satisfied smile that slid across her face. Andrew tossed his briefs off, grabbed a condom from his nightstand, put it on and pressed the full length of his body on hers. His arms bracketed the sides of her face, and a small lock of hair dangled across his brow.

  His eyes . . . they melted her. Intense with emotion that just radiated desire, heat . . . affection. A look she knew was mimicked on her own face. In his eyes she found home. And she knew he was finding home in her eyes too.

  The knowledge made her feel infinitely close to him.

  He gave her a crooked grin, a dimple digging into the corner of his mouth, and slipped his hands into her hair, spread it out the pillow. The touch was so gentle it nearly brought tears to her eyes. “You’re so beautiful.”

  “You are too,” she breathed.

  He moved between her legs, nudging his hardness at the junction of her thighs. One slow slick down her cleft, and he pressed inside her, his breath sucking into his lungs as he filled her.

  They kept their eyes fixed on each other as he pushed in as far as he could, paused, then slid out. She tilted her hips to take him deeper, slipped her fingers to the sides of his waist. The soft hairs on his thighs brushed against hers, his muscles flexing.

  So sexy.

  A soft sheen of sweat glistened their skin where they touched. A staggered beat tore at the base of his throat as be began to stroke harder, quicker. His breath panted, and hers became more erratic in response.

  She dug her nails into his flesh. “Andrew,” she said on a half moan.

  He withdrew, then rammed into her, tossing his head back with a satisfied groan. “Oh God, that feels amazing.” He was full and hard, and her walls gripped him on reflex. “Don’t stop—just like that.”

  Pleasure unfurled low in her belly, tingled across her pelvis. That heat, that desire built. Her clit swelled, throbbed with her pulse in eager response to the friction of his skin against hers.

  She ground herself against him, wanton, hungry. He pressed warm kisses to her lips, her face, her eyelids. Another orgasm rushed out of nowhere to the surface, and she dug her fingertips in harder, arched her back so her breasts thrust against his chest. She couldn’t get close enough.

  “Yes, oh yes,” he whispered, slipping his arms under her waist and cupping her tight. He hammered into her, that delicious friction sending spirals of pleasure across her body. “You’re so tight and wet and hot, Maggie.” He buried his mouth against her neck, licking and biting, and she shivered from the decadent feel of his lips on her skin.

  The pleasure overtook her, and she cried out, the sound almost ripped from her lungs. A few moments later, he stiffened, gasped and called out her name with his own orgasm.

  Several long moments passed as they remained wrapped in each other’s arms. Then he pressed a soft kiss to her brow, murmured, “Thank you,” and slowly disentangled himself, giving an apologetic grin as he hopped up to dispose of the condom.

  Maggie’s heart finally slowed down, and she watched him depart, the firm globes of his ass catching a glint of light before he headed into the bathroom.

  Her chest tightened, and she bit her lower lip. She wanted this. To be here, in his bed, in his arms.

  No matter what happened with the inheritance, or her brother, or Bethany, or any of it, she knew one thing for sure.

  Nothing else was going to tear her out of Andrew’s arms again.

  ***

  The next evening, Maggie snapped the green beans, her mind totally distracted. At least her mom had given her something mindless to do. It occupied her hands while she continued to think about Andrew.

  He’d told her that morning that he wanted to see her again—soon. She knew what he was saying. No more playing games, pretending like this thing between them wasn’t real. She’d agreed, and even asked if he’d come over for dinner soon. Might as well let her parents know how things were between them.

  Her heart was two parts excited, one part nervous.

  They’d spent most of the night talking in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms and saying nothing important, nothing of consequence. Their favorite TV shows, what books they’d read recently, details about their jobs. Just avid fascination with discovering even more about each other. It had been wonderful. Exactly what her aching heart had needed.

  “I think that’s enough green beans,” her mom said with a small chuckle.

  Maggie looked down at her pile. She’d only meant to do about half the amount. “Uh, I hope Dad’s hungry,” she said with a guilty shrug.

  Truthfully, her distraction wasn’t just Andrew, though he was eating up a lot of her brain space. She also couldn�
�t stop mulling over their conversation about Robert. Her stomach churned as she considered what she wanted to ask her parents over dinner tonight.

  Would they listen, offer any assistance?

  It didn’t take much time to cook the green beans. The roast had been simmering in a crockpot all day, so it was ready to serve in no time. Maggie scooped out portions for her and her dad, and brought the heavy plates to the dining room table. For once, he was home early from work, wearing a smile on his face.

  “How ya doing, honey?” he said as Maggie slipped the plate in front of him. “Oh, this smells great.”

  “Mom worked hard on dinner today,” she replied, then set her own plate at her place.

  Her mom followed close behind, bearing a glass of water and a plate, and they all began to eat. Her parents made the occasional small talk about work and news on the neighbors.

  As they talked, Maggie cast her gaze at her parents, remembering her conversation with Andrew. Did they have any of her doubts, her worries about Robert? Had they ever talked to him about the whole Cassandra thing? Only one way to find out.

  She speared a green bean with her fork, struggling to find the best way to approach the conversation.

  “What’s on your mind, pumpkin?” her father asked, giving her a crooked grin. “I can practically hear the wheels churning in your brain.”

  She gave him a chagrined smile and ate a crisp green bean. “That apparent, eh?”

  “Just talk to us.”

  Maggie put her fork down and sighed. “I have . . . some concerns. About the case, of course. But more specifically, about how Robert fits into all of it. I recently learned about his large gambling debt. And about his arrests.”

  With this, her parents gave each other a fleeting glance. Maggie didn’t miss it.

  “I think I understand why you kept them both from me,” she continued. “But I’m trying to figure out what it all means. Do you guys believe his gambling and alcohol issue is tied into Cassandra? That maybe he’s looking for something to help him cope?”

  Her dad’s mouth slitted into a thin line. He shot a sideways, raised-eyebrow look at Maggie’s mom, who swallowed and licked her lips. There was a faint tic underneath her right eye.

  The crow’s-feet around his eyes deepened as he looked at his plate, then at Maggie. “Your brother . . .” He paused. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you before about his arrest. We were afraid of coloring your opinion of him. Plus, he asked us to not tell anyone, even you, and we wanted to respect his wishes. He’s had some issues dealing with things. Never was one to face a problem head-on. Even as a kid, he’d try to pretend like something never happened.”

  Maggie’s mom dropped her hands into her lap, exhaling softly.

  “I know this inheritance stuff is dredging up old issues for us all. But are you guys okay with us doing it? I mean, really okay?” she asked.

  “I wasn’t sure at first,” her mom admitted. She glanced at the row of paintings on the wall, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on them. “But now that it’s happening, we just have to deal with it. And your father and I both agree that we want answers. This has gone on long enough. We need to find out what happened to your sister so we can all heal.”

  “I’m trying,” Maggie said.

  “We know you are.” Her dad reached out and patted her hand. “I’m sorry no one talked to you about it. I wanted to and have been trying over the last couple of weeks to convince your mom to open up.”

  Her mom sucked in a shaky breath. She pressed her fingers on the table, gripping the edge. “I’m sure you’ve heard us arguing. But I was afraid that I was going to . . . crack if I had to have one more conversation about all of this. So your father kept quiet for me.” She threw him a loaded glance. “And I think that’s part of the reason why he hasn’t been home much these last couple of weeks. Because he couldn’t face you without wanting to talk.”

  What she said made sense. But there was a strange crackle of tension in the air that wasn’t easing up with the revelations. In fact, it was growing stronger. Was there more than just Robert’s gambling addiction and arrest that they were talking about? Maggie looked at her mom, who steadfastly kept staring away.

  The stress thickened in the dining room.

  “What else is going on?” Her stomach churned. “What do I still not know?” God, could she handle any more surprises right now?

  Her dad kept his voice even as he said, “Honey, that time period was hard on all of us. But it wasn’t just your sister’s disappearance that fractured us. There’s more.”

  Her mother finally looked Maggie square in the face. Her jaw was tight, and anxiety rippled off her. “Right before your sister disappeared, I had an affair with another man.”

  The air whooshed out of Maggie’s lungs. She swallowed, her heart slamming with disappointed, angry thuds. Cheated? Her mom?

  He didn’t look at her mom, kept his face smooth and unemotional.

  No wonder there was so much awfulness in their relationship. The strain had been there for years, lurking beneath the façade. And this was why. Because her mom had been unfaithful to her dad. Was that why he’d emotionally pulled away from her?

  But wait. What did this have to do with Cassandra, if anything?

  Her mom must have read the confusion on her face. “The night she disappeared, I . . . I wasn’t home. I was—” She waved a shaky hand in the air. “Well, I wasn’t home until very early in the morning. So I just crawled into bed, not looking in her room to see if she’d gotten home yet.” Guilt flared up in a bright flash on her mom’s face. “I should have checked. I knew she’d gone out, but I’d assumed she and your brother were home.”

  Maggie pressed a shaky hand to her stomach. “You cheated on Dad?” she said. “And you weren’t home that night, despite what you’d told everyone for years—including your own daughter?” How many more people had secrets that she didn’t know about? Her carefully constructed belief system and her trust in her family were crumbling bit by bit. “Is this why you pushed so hard to just bury the whole thing? Because you were afraid the truth would come out?”

  Her mother’s jaw tightened even more, and Maggie could almost see her teeth grinding. “The truth did come out. Your father found out I hadn’t been home, and one thing led to another . . .”

  Maggie looked into her father’s eyes. The steadiness was gone, and she could see a deep well of pain in them. How had he gone on, stayed with her mom this whole time, knowing what he knew?

  But her dad straightened and shook his head, the pain diminishing a bit. “While it might seem easy to blame your mom for all of this, I’m part of the relationship too.”

  Her mother froze in place, glancing over at her dad, a touch of surprise evident on her face. She wasn’t the only one. How could he take any part of the blame for her mom’s infidelity? Anger and betrayal flared anew in Maggie, and her chest ached from the tightness.

  “I was gone a lot,” he continued in a quiet voice. “I know that now. And I think I drove her into someone else’s arms from my absence. Then, with Cassandra and Robert and all the things that unfolded . . .” He shook his head, eyes filling with sadness. “It was easier to stay away.” This time he turned to look at her mother. “I’m sorry for that.”

  Her mom sucked in a ragged breath, pressed her hands to her thighs. Her nod was short, not revealing much emotion.

  Were they too far gone to ever heal? Would finding out what happened to Cassandra help them shed their painful past and move on? Or was it too late?

  “I’m sorry too,” she whispered to her father, not having a clue what to say but feeling like she needed to say something to fill the silence.

  It couldn’t have been easy for her mom to confess the truth to her, knowing it opened her up to judgment, but Maggie didn’t have any kind words for the woman right now. So she kept her gaze fixedly away fro
m her.

  Her head began to throb at the temples. Appetite lost, she stood and gave an apologetic nod, then gathered her plate and glass. “I’m not feeling well. I think I’m going to bed.”

  Both of her parents peered up at her, lost in their own sorrow, but their regret at dragging her into the middle of their drama was evident.

  Maggie tossed her food in the garbage, put her dishes in the dishwasher and slugged her way upstairs. Her chest felt like an elephant had sat on it when she changed into pajamas and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. How had things gotten so complicated? Had Cassandra known about their mom’s cheating? Did Robert know?

  Should she ask him?

  Her mind wouldn’t stop whirling with images of her mom’s face, etched with shame. Her father’s tight mouth and stiff body. Her heart hurt for her dad, for the secret he’d been carrying inside for years. It was going to take her a while to process all of this information. But not right now. She needed to shove this angst aside and focus on the case. She’d deal with her parents later.

  She grabbed her cell and sent Andrew a quick text: Miss you. Good night. Somehow, reaching out to him, her solace in this storm, helped ease the heaviness in her heart. She needed to see him again, craved his comfort, but this wasn’t something she wanted to just dump on him.

  She needed to process it first.

  Her phone dinged. I miss you more. Good night, sweetheart. Can’t wait to see you soon.

  God, she was falling for this man so hard. Despite the heaviness of the evening’s conversation, her heart had a much-needed moment of sentimental squeezing as she thought of Andrew’s gentle smile.

  Maggie put her phone on the nightstand, wiped a couple of errant tears from her eyes and finally slid into deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 27

  “Are you sure?” Maggie said into the phone. That didn’t sound right at all.