Fallen Angel, Part III Read online

  “He just seems more vulnerable than the others.”

  Robert knew exactly what it felt like to be vulnerable and it was a feeling he didn’t like. I laced my fingers with his and we moved to the lounge sitting side by side on the sofa. My fingers played with his wedding band, twisting it around his finger. Every now and again I was taken by surprise, realising that I was married to this wonderful man. We sat listening to music, chatted and watched the night draw in. A pair of headlights snaked up the driveway and Robert stood to watch. No one could get through the gates unless they were in one of the cars with a sensor or Security let them in, in which case we would know about it.

  “Travis?” I asked.

  “Mmm, I thought he was out tonight?” Robert answered.

  “Why don’t you pop over? It’s still early, see if he’s all right.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not, go. I’ve got a good book to start anyway.”

  Robert headed downstairs as Travis parked the car in the garage. I heard the car door slam, not a good sign. I watched from the window as he paced a little before Robert caught up with him, then the garage doors closed obscuring them.

  It was a couple of hours later when Robert returned.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “No, I don’t think so. Caroline’s pregnant.”

  My eyes couldn’t have got any wider.

  “Pregnant? They’ve only been together a couple of months.”

  “I know, Travis’s words exactly. They’ve argued about it. Stupidly he asked her if it was his.”

  “God, what a thing to ask. Is there any doubt that it would be his?”

  “Not according to Caroline. She hasn’t been with anyone else for over a year. He’s freaking out about it.”

  “I bet he is, what’s he going to do?”

  “Don’t know, he stormed out. I told him to get back over there and talk it though but he’s like me, Brooke. He doesn’t want his own kids either. Fuck, this is going to mess him up good.”

  Robert was clearly worried, he ran his hands through his hair as he paced the living room, a sure sign he was stressed. Travis was his brother, they had a relationship like no other and if one was upset, generally the other was too. It was a shame that these guys had the same attitude, neither wanted kids and yet both, if they let themselves, would make great parents. Okay, maybe Robert more than Travis.

  “Come on, let’s get to bed, we can talk about this in the morning,” Robert said, taking my hand.

  Chapter Two

  The following morning I woke a little bruised and definitely sore after a night of savouring each other’s bodies. An armoury of little toys, some not so little, had been building up and Robert was keen to work his way through them, not that I complained of course. I left him sleeping and surveyed the mess in the bedroom. Clothes were strewn everywhere, such was our haste to remove them, pillows were on the floor and a glass had been knocked over on the night stand. I quietly started to clear the mess. I tried to remember back. Had Michael and I ever been this passionate? The strangest thing was that I couldn’t remember what sex had been like with him full stop. It was as if being with Robert erased all memories.

  I heard the front door open and footsteps make their way upstairs. Travis. He would often come over on a Sunday morning to join us for breakfast. As I made my way up, I could hear him rattle around the fridge, fire up the coffee machine and then sigh.

  “Morning, Travis,” I said.

  He huffed, if that was an accurate description of the sound leaving his mouth.

  “Robert told me about Caroline, do you want to talk about it?”

  I poured myself a cup of tea and settled next to him at the breakfast bar. He nursed his coffee cup in his hand. It was hard to gauge his feelings, he was as closed as Robert. Usually there would be no emotion showing on his face at all but when he looked at me, I saw tears brimming in his eyes. I reached out and ran my hand down his back. He wasn’t a touchy person, he very rarely accepted or gave a hug but he needed comforting. He kept his head bowed staring at his coffee.

  “I don’t know what to do, Brooke,” he whispered.

  “Do you love her?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I like her a lot but we’ve only been seeing each other a few months and not that frequently either.”

  “How did this happen?”

  He looked at me, eyebrows raised.

  “Well, there are these birds and bees...”

  “I mean, she’s a nurse, she knows about birth control,” I said, cutting off his previous comment.

  “She told me she was on the pill. She’s only four weeks pregnant we think. She missed her period and took a test a couple of days ago. She’s going to see one of her colleagues, check out how soon she can have a scan.”

  “And then what? You need to decide if you want to be part of this baby’s life, be part of Caroline’s and you need to decide quickly,” I said.

  Our conversation was halted briefly by the sight of Robert climbing the stairs, his hair wet from a shower.

  “Hey, bro, how are you doing?” he asked Travis.

  Travis shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I need to go speak to her but I can’t face it today.”

  “Don’t run away from this, give her a call and arrange to meet later in the week,” Robert said.

  I poured Robert a coffee, topped up Travis’s cup and we sat either side of him, giving him as much support as we could.

  “I’m thirty-seven years old, I can’t see myself doing this,” he confessed.

  “You get on with Harley though,” I said.

  “That’s different, he’s nine. It’s the baby thing, Brooke. I don’t think I can deal with that.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Trav. I think you need to tell her your fears and all you can do is take it from there,” Robert added.

  I think if these two had had a normal upbringing, a family environment, they would feel so differently but I understood. Although thirty-seven wasn’t old, Travis was very set in his ways. But if Robert could adapt to a new lifestyle, so could he. Maybe if he spent time with Caroline, felt the baby’s first kick and watched it grow, it might change how he felt.

  “I need to let off some steam, fancy the range?” he asked Robert.

  “Sure, Brooke?”

  “No it’s too cold out for me, you guys go. I’ve got things to do,” I replied.

  I thought they could do with some ‘boy’ time and it was quite cold out. Once they had left, I cleaned the kitchen then gave Evelyn a quick call to see if she was back from church. On her return, I made my way over for a cup of tea.

  “Well?” she said as she opened her door.

  “They’ve gone for a shoot but Travis isn’t doing too well, is he?” I replied.

  “I don’t know what to say to him, Brooke. I mean, we can’t talk him into staying with Caroline but the thought of her having to bring another child up on her own is just so sad.”

  After two cups of tea and an hour of chatting we were no further forward. It wasn’t really for us to try to persuade Travis of what to do.

  ***

  Pushing open the front door, I heard Robert call down. My tummy rumbled, reminding me that I had skipped breakfast and I made my way to the kitchen. Robert was sitting at the breakfast bar with a coffee.

  “Do you want some lunch?” I asked.

  “Sure, I think Travis has gone to call Caroline, set up a meeting,” he replied.

  “That sounds a little formal, what did he say?”

  “Only that he wasn’t happy, he wasn’t ready. He’s worried about bringing a kid into our world. He’s scared of getting close to a child in case something happens to him.”

  I hadn’t thought about it from that point of view.

  “Mack, Jonathan and Paul, they all have kids, maybe he should speak to them,” I said.

  “I said the same thing but right now, I don’t think he can think straight. He said that when
she told him it was like he got tunnel vision. All he could see was a spot on the floor and all he could hear was her telling him she was pregnant over and over.”

  I placed some sandwiches on the counter top and joined him.

  “Does he think something bad is going to happen to him?”

  “I guess he feels he’s been lucky so far, but what happened in New York seems to have really affected him. He says he can’t have a kid and live the life we do.”

  “What happened was seriously unfortunate, even I know the chance of that happening again is remote,” I said.

  “He thinks he’s got to make a choice, stay with me or choose Caroline and the baby.”

  My eyes darted to his. Surely it couldn’t boil down to that? There must be a way for Travis to come to terms with being a father and stay with Vassago. Would he really be able to break away? His past was always going to be his past, no matter what he did or where he lived. My heart broke for both Robert and Travis, they had been best friends, brothers, for so many years. Somehow I didn’t see Travis being the domestic type.

  “Do you think he’s just panicked? As you’ve said, he’s not thinking straight,” I replied.

  “Who knows, right now he’s coming out with all sorts of reasons why this can’t happen.”

  We finished our lunch and Robert leant towards me to wipe a crumb from my lip, his thumb brushed across my mouth.

  “I have an urge to get wet, join me?” I asked.

  He looked at me not understanding as I slid from the stool and held out my hand. At the bottom of the stairs I took the keys for the pool room and we headed out across the driveway. Neither Robert nor Travis used the pool, the hot tub or the steam room. Not even the small gym, which was a real shame. They usually worked out at the gym in the basement of Vassago Corp. They boxed to keep fit and to occasionally let off a bit of aggression.

  I used the pool frequently. Swimming had taken over as my new fitness regime although I still went to the gym each week for a kick boxing session with Joseph, my trainer. The shine had been taken off that though. Kerry used to join me and I found the memories of our time together too painful. I unlocked the door and pulled Robert in behind me.

  “I don’t have any shorts here,” he said, laughing.

  “Don’t need them,” I replied with a wink.

  The room was humid, the heat from the pool steamed the windows and I locked the door behind us. Facing him, I slowly stripped. Teasing Robert was not always a good idea, his passion for me often overtook him and as he came for me I ran and dove into the pool. Surfacing in the middle, I beckoned him. I took great pleasure in watching him pull his shirt over his head and his muscular stomach rippled with the effort. I licked my lips when he let his jeans slide down over his hips and saw that he was naked underneath. He also dived into the pool and I circled, looking for him. He surface in front of me, grabbed me by the hips and pulled my legs around his waist. Thankfully he was powerful enough to tread water holding my weight.

  I placed my arms around his neck and kissed him as we sunk under the water together. I clung to him holding my breath for as long as I could. I felt his body slide against mine, his arms tighten around my waist with one hand snaking up to the nape of my neck. When I could hold my breath no more, I broke away and kicked for the surface. I watched him swim the length of the pool without coming up for air, circling when he hit the edge and return to me. He surfaced laughing. His black hair was slicked to his head, his long eyelashes held droplets of water and his eyes were black with desire. He took hold of my hand and towed me to the side.

  We climbed out and made our way to the hot tub, the water already bubbling away. Robert sat on the seat and I straddled his lap, cupping his face in my hands. At first I looked at him in wonderment. He was mine and sometimes that thought was like a jolt to my heart. My feelings for him went deeper than love, he was a primal need.

  His hands roamed down my side and one slid between my legs as his mouth sealed over mine. He slid one then two fingers inside me, hooking them, stroking to find that spot that would send convulsions through me. I moaned into his mouth as my tongue tangled with his. My teeth nipped his lips and my fingers dug into his head as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me.

  The water churned around us and I could feel his erection pressing against my stomach. I reached down with one hand wanting to feel his hard cock and the silkiness of his skin. I stroked him. My hand tightened and squeezed, my thumb ran over the soft tip as his cock twitched in response. I raised my body slightly, rubbing him over my clitoris and sending delicious shock waves through my stomach. Robert removed his fingers and I lowered myself onto him, forcing him deeper and deeper inside me. I felt that heat, that burn in the pit of my stomach. I felt the tingle creep across my skin and my legs started to quiver. He held my hips, controlling the pace as his lips, his teeth, raked across my shoulder, biting and marking me. My face was in the crook of his neck, my lips and tongue tasted him. When I couldn’t hold on any longer, my fingers dug further into his head, my body gave in and I came. He growled into my neck as his release followed.

  I don’t know if it was the heat of the water or the intensity of my orgasm, but my body felt as if it was on fire. I rested my forehead against his. Robert moved, he rose and picked me up in his arms. He climbed out of the hot tub and moved towards the pool. I screamed and clung on as he jumped, submerging us in the cooler water. Spluttering and laughing, we surfaced.

  “That was good,” he said.

  “Mmm, we should do that more often,” I replied.

  We swam side by side to the other end of the pool and climbed out. I pulled two towels from the shelf and wrapped us up in them as we lay on one of the day beds. My head rested on his chest and I listened to his heart beating. It soothed me and with the warmth in the room, I started to nod off, comfortable in his arms. A little later I felt Robert’s fingers trail down my cheek and my eyes fluttered open. He smiled down at me.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

  “So are you.”

  “Come on, I’m getting stiff here,” he said.

  I raised my eyebrows at him and a small smirk played on my lips.

  “Legs, Brooke, my legs are getting stiff. Although...” He leant down to give me a kiss.

  I laughed as I stood, stretching my arms above my head to relieve the stiffness I felt in my back.

  “I could fuck you all day long,” he said, his hands massaging my shoulders.

  “Make love, Robert, you could make love to me all day long.”

  “I could fuck you, then make love to you all day long,” he replied laughing.

  With Robert there was a distinction between the two, and I enjoyed both versions of course. Sometimes we fucked, it would be wild and full of passion and lust and sometimes we made love. Those times he was gentle and sensual. But every time, he blew my mind. I craved his touch as much he craved mine, we needed the physical connection as much as the emotional one.

  After we dressed we headed back to the house just as the sun was setting. Glancing up, we both noticed the lights were still out in Travis’s apartment and I wondered whether he had gone to meet Caroline.

  Chapter Three

  Travis was quiet as we made our way into work the following morning. Robert and I let him be, he would speak when he was ready to talk. He parked the car and we made our way through security. He ignored the “good mornings” and strode straight to the lifts. I gave Robert a quick peck on the lips before heading off for my office.

  “Morning, Brooke. Did you have a good weekend?” I heard.

  Bailey, my colleague, was coming out of the kitchen with two coffees, one of which he handed to me.

  “Thanks, and yes, nice and quiet. How about you?”

  “Banging, still have a sore head,” he said with a laugh.

  We settled at our desks and I fired up my laptop. Jess, the third member of our team, was holding the phone slightly away from her ear. She was listening to someon
e shouting and cursing. I mouthed the word ‘coffee’ and she nodded. I think Bailey had given me hers and she looked like she needed one. I made my way to the kitchen to refill her cup. On my return I noticed an email from Sam wanting to meet for lunch, he had important news. I wondered what his important news was as I replied. However, I had no driver. Gary was still on leave, having not recovered as quickly as Robert.

  A month or so ago I would have just left the building without a care and wandered to the deli arm in arm with Sam. Now I always thought twice. It wasn’t so much that I was scared, it was more a case of dodging the press. It had become a regular occurrence to see my name in the headlines and I was very uncomfortable about it. I knew it would die down, eventually. The first headline had been about the wedding, the second detailing Kerry’s death then Robert’s stabbing. I tried to avoid reading the papers, as I had not reached the stage where I didn’t get angry at the speculation and gossip. Robert would often take them away from me, roll them into a ball and throw them on the fire when I started complaining.

  I texted Robert, “Sam wants to go out for lunch with me.”

  He replied. “Okay, I’ll find someone.”

  We were at the stage of contacting potential retailers for the units in Manhattan, the list had been formalised and press releases issued for the new development. Building work had already started. It was unfortunate that Paul was spending time in New York away from Rosa as their marriage was still a little rocky. I carried on with my work until I saw Sam at the door, he seemed agitated and was beckoning me. I held up my hand asking him to give me a minute while I made a call to Robert.

  “Hey, baby, what’s up?” he asked.

  “Sam’s here, he has some important news for me and wants to go to lunch now.”

  “Okay, wait a minute though. Dan is going to come with you.”

  Dan was a guy I’d never spoken to before but had seen occasionally. He sat in the same room as Mack and Travis and seemed to spend his day watching CCTV monitors. All I knew about him was that he was the guy who discovered the cameras had been altered before my incident. I collected my bag and headed for the door.