From Riches to Redemption Page 10

  The last time he’d gone to the Steele mansion, he and Buster had waited outside for their chance to snatch up and ransom Jade Nolan. That wouldn’t work this time, especially since he was on his own. No, this time he needed to find a way to get inside the house. He imagined they had security at the door. The only people allowed in would be on their guest list. That meant the families and major donors only. That, and staff of course. It wouldn’t be easy to get into the Steele mansion, but it could be done.

  Thinking back to that night, Greg remembered that they’d pulled up alongside a white catering van near the rear of the house. They’d watched them carry out equipment and food, with easily a dozen servers in matching outfits going back and forth. The name and the company logo had been printed in black on the side of the van. It had had a smiley face with a bow tie, he was pretty sure. He tried to envision the logo in his mind, but the name of the company escaped him.

  If the Steele family used the same catering company for each event, they might be the ones handling this upcoming party as well. For an event this large, he presumed they hired extra staff, perhaps from a temp agency. If he moved quickly, he might be able to get on board with the caterer for the event. That would give him unlimited access to the house, letting him move around easily among the guests and execute his plan without anyone questioning who he was and why he was there.

  And what plan was that, exactly? He wasn’t sure what he would do once he was inside the mansion, but he had some time to figure that out. First, he had to discover who would be catering the party.

  Curious, he went to the cabinet where his father kept one of the last phone books in existence. Computers and smartphones were as alien to this household as robots and laser guns. He flipped through to the section of catering companies and found a large corner ad with the smiling face he remembered from the van.

  Black Tie Affairs!

  That was the company, he was certain of it. He glanced down at his watch. The library a few blocks away would be open for at least another two hours. If he went over there now, he could get on the computer and see about putting in an application with the company. His dad would be so pleased to know he was trying to get a job. Greg was certain this wouldn’t be what he had in mind, though.

  Slamming the phone book shut, Greg grabbed his keys and headed out the door to the library. His brain was spinning with ideas as he climbed into his van. He was almost giddy at the thought.

  This was his chance to finally make an impact on the Steele family. Perhaps literally.

  * * *

  Morgan couldn’t sleep.

  After the wine and lovemaking, she should’ve drifted off into a blissful slumber curled up at River’s side, but it wasn’t happening.

  River was out cold. She could hear his rhythmic breathing in the bed beside her and she envied him. Of course, he had every reason to sleep well. His conscience was clean and the truth was finally out. Morgan, however, had a million different thoughts running through her mind.

  Something about being here with him at his private retreat made it all too real. Spending the night together for the first time since they had dated as kids should’ve felt like an important milestone. They’d spent weeks taking long lunches together and avoiding any serious type of intimacy while they built the houses for her charity families. That was the way she had wanted it. That was the way she thought he wanted it, too. That was the smart thing to do. It wouldn’t be long before they would be done building and she would return to DC. It was no time to fancy any type of real emotions where River and their future together was concerned.

  But now, lying here, she was conflicted, not comforted, by his warmth beside her.

  Maybe she liked it too much. Everything about being with River felt right, just like it had back in college. She could very easily let herself get lost in the fantasy of being with him. As though this were something real instead of a casual summer fling. Deep down, she wanted it to be real. But she knew that was a dangerous idea. If she gave in to that dream, it would crush her just as badly as the first time she’d given in to her feelings for him.

  That was because even with River beside her, his hand resting on her pillowcase, she could feel him slipping through her fingers. In some ways, he was already lost to her. The sooner she accepted that, the better.

  The key ceremony was right around the corner. There was exactly two weeks until the event and if she intended for her relationship with River to continue beyond their agreed deadline the way she wanted it to, she had to take action.

  Morgan had to tell River about their daughter.

  The truth was like a dark cloud looming overhead. Anytime she thought she might see the sun, the clouds would roll in and remind her she was keeping the truth from him.

  Talking about Dawn had never been easy. Perhaps because she’d never really gotten to talk about her. When the whole family either didn’t know or was acting as though nothing had happened, you didn’t have anyone to confide in.

  Now that she needed to say something, she found she couldn’t. She’d wanted to. Just hours before when she realized the truth about the money that River had been given, it had almost spilled out. In that moment, all she could think about was that she’d kept the truth from River all that time—hidden the pregnancy and everything that happened afterward—because of lies her father had told her.

  Now she couldn’t stop thinking about how things could’ve ended differently. The complications of the pregnancy might not have been avoided, but if she’d had River at her side as they went through the ups and downs of it, everything would’ve been different. She would’ve had her husband there to hold her hand and cry with her. He would’ve fought to have Dawn buried in a real graveyard where people would be able to see her tombstone and know she existed. Even the baby’s name would’ve been different—Dawn Mackenzie Atkinson. Not Steele. Even though their marriage had been wiped from history, the baby would’ve had his name.

  Telling him the truth back then would’ve been so much easier. Even with the animosity from her parents, telling River would’ve been the right thing to do. But telling him now? Somehow, it seemed like the one thing she had to do to make their relationship work was the one thing guaranteed to destroy it.

  With a sigh, she rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. The slanted roof had a skylight that gave her views of the night sky you couldn’t get back in town with the light pollution there. She hoped for a shooting star to whiz by as she watched. Maybe then she could make a wish, and wish that all of this would work out at last with the man she loved.

  Morgan cringed at the thought and the naïve stupidity that allowed her to think it. But she couldn’t deny the truth. It was plain to see that she was in love with River again. Or more accurately, that she had always been in love with him. Even when she felt betrayed. Even when she was scared and alone and hated him for putting her in that position, she loved him.

  Knowing he had never done anything to make him unworthy of her love made it that much harder to ignore. And that much harder to tell him the truth because he hadn’t deserved the deception.

  “Are you okay?”

  Morgan turned her head to find River looking at her with concern lining his sleepy eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “So you normally lie awake at night and stare intently at the ceiling?”

  “I wasn’t staring at the ceiling. I was looking up at the stars.” She sighed and rolled over to look at him. “But no, it’s not normal. I’ve just got a lot on my mind at the moment.”

  River pushed up onto his elbow and looked down at her. “I guess my plan to whisk you away to my peaceful, private retreat backfired. Do you want to talk about it?”

  This was her chance. Here, in the dark, she could bare her soul. Confessions were always easier this way. And yet, maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe it was better to just enjoy this moment with River for what it wa
s. To indulge the way she’d intended to when this first started, and then walk away from it.

  Was it better to tell him the truth now and ruin everything? Right now, she had a lot on her mind, but she was comfortable and warm in River’s bed. She could reach out and touch him if she wanted to. She could kiss him. Snuggle up against him. If she spoke up, she could very well ruin everything and end up waiting outside for an Uber at three in the morning to get back to Mount Pleasant.

  Or was it a better idea to keep her mouth shut, let things come to their natural end and have this happy memory of their time together to cherish? The only way to truly keep the past in the past was to make sure her future didn’t include River.

  “Not really,” she said, chickening out once again. “It’s nothing you would want to hear about in the middle of the night.”

  “Try me.”

  “No. Just forget it. I don’t want to waste another minute worrying about something I can’t control.” And she couldn’t control it. Not really. She could tell him, but how he responded was on him. That’s what scared her.

  “Okay. Well, how about I help you forget about it?”

  River grinned wide in the moonlight and she knew that this was the offer she would accept. To lose herself in loving him and trying to keep the memory in her heart so she wouldn’t be too lonely without him.

  Nine

  Something was bothering Morgan, but once again, she wouldn’t open up to him about it. River wasn’t sure if she didn’t trust him or if it was one of those damned Steele secrets holding her mind hostage. Either way, her stress was palpable and ruining the vibe of their weekend retreat.

  So far things had been fine but hadn’t exactly gone to plan. She was here in his bed, unable to flee back to the office or the mansion, but his indulgent fantasies were still out of reach. The lights were still dim or completely darkened when they made love. And while they weren’t fully or partially clothed, she had packed a wide array of lingerie.

  Normally, River would find lingerie intriguing. Silky straps, lacy panels, strategic cutouts... There wasn’t anything wrong with that. But on Morgan, it felt like a lacy barrier protecting her from something. Him, he supposed.

  He’d offered to help her forget whatever was bothering her and the way she’d curled her leg around his hip seemed like an acceptance of his proposal. Her fingers were brushing over his beard and burying themselves in the thick waves of his hair. All signs pointed to her wanting him, and yet, as before, she was a little overdressed for the occasion. She’d put on a pale pink silk nightgown before she got into bed. It had to go. He’d just hold his breath to see if she stopped him.

  He placed one open palm on her thigh and rubbed up her leg to her hip. River caressed the skin, skimming over her tummy and moving up beneath the chemise to cup one firm breast. He watched her reaction with curiosity, but so far, it was all okay.

  Until he started pushing the gown up higher. That’s when he felt her stiffening the way she had just before she bolted from that town house. He eased back, afraid to push her too far. They weren’t in the middle of town where she could just jump up and leave. This time he was going to get to the bottom of it all.

  “I need you to tell me exactly what it is that I’m doing that makes you nervous,” he said.

  Morgan bit at her lip as she pushed up onto her elbows. She gently tugged the gown back down as she shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she argued.

  “Okay. Then let’s take this thing off. It’s in the way and I want to see you. All of you.” River gripped at the hem to pull the silky slip of fabric over her head, but the fear in her eyes stopped him before she could argue.

  “I’d rather not.”

  He sighed and leaned back. “I don’t understand what you think you have to hide, Morgan. I could tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had in my bed. I could tell you that I’ve done nothing but fantasize about you for ten years—and in all those fantasies, you were completely naked. I’m not sure it would make a difference with you, though.”

  “Fantasies aren’t reality. I’m not nineteen anymore.”

  “I don’t want you to be nineteen. I want you. Right now. Just as you are. And I want you to trust me when I say that I mean it. I don’t know what you could possibly be hiding. Did you get an ugly tattoo? Grow a big hairy mole? A gnarly scar? None of that matters to me. You’re beautiful, Morgan. Every inch of you.”

  Her brow knit together in thought as she considered his words. “Give me a minute,” she said at last.

  He considered arguing but thought better of it. If she needed a little bit of time to be comfortable with the idea, he shouldn’t push her. “Okay.”

  Morgan left the bed, rummaging through her luggage for a moment and then disappeared into the bathroom. River laid back against the pillows and stared up at the skylight. A moment later, he saw a streak of light cross the sky. Maybe he would get his wish tonight and Morgan would stop holding back. The clothes and the lighting seemed like they were just a physical manifestation of the way she was resisting her feelings for him. He’d hoped getting her here away from the city and the Steeles might help.

  When the bathroom door opened, all River could see was the nude silhouette of Morgan against the bright backlighting. The nightie was gone, with all of her curves on display. He could tell she was topless. The natural movement of her full breasts and their taut nipples were visible as she turned to face him, even from a distance. But as his eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed that she wasn’t entirely naked. Even after their discussion.

  Morgan crossed the room, leaned over to the nightstand and flipped on the small lamp there. The light bathed the room in a golden glow that wasn’t too bright, but it was more light than he’d seen her in, as yet. Now he could see that she had on some clothing, but it was hard to complain about her choice of outfit. She had on a fire-engine red satin garter belt with red and black lace that stretched over her hips and tummy. The garters stretched down her creamy thighs and each clasp had a silk rosette that held up a sheer pair of black stockings. A hint of her bare skin was visible beneath the edge of the lace as she moved, and he was pretty sure there were no panties beneath the garter belt.

  Then Morgan surprised him by turning around to give him the full view. Apparently, it wasn’t shyness that kept her partially covered. In the back, the lingerie had little more than a thin belt and another set of garters holding up the stockings. The plump curve of her bare ass was gloriously on display, confirming his suspicions about her missing panties.

  “Damn,” he whispered as she turned back to face him. If she felt the need to wear something, River had to admit it was a great choice.

  She pulled back the covers and slipped into the bed. “Is this okay?” she asked. “There shouldn’t be anything in your way.”

  River could hardly speak for the lump in his throat. He only nodded and reached for her. “Come here,” he said at last with a rough voice.

  Morgan immediately curled beside him, letting River cover every inch of her body with his own. He ran his hands over her stockings, loving the feel of them against his rough skin. She didn’t hesitate to part her silk-clad thighs as he moved higher, letting him seek out her heat with his hand.

  She gasped and arched her back off the bed as he gently stroked her center. He teased at it at first, applying more pressure gradually until she was pressing her hips against his hand. He slipped one finger, then another inside of her, grinding harder until she was panting and squirming anxiously beneath him.

  “I need you now, River,” she cried. “I don’t want to come without you.”

  He stilled his hand, considering sending her over the edge anyway, but opted to give her what she wanted. With a condom in place, he nestled between her thighs and found his home there. He bit his lip and surged forward until he was buried deep inside her. He closed his eyes and savored t
he feeling of her heat wrapped around him. The soft stockings rubbing against his hips as she pulled up her legs to cradle him, the rough tickle of her lace garter belt against his stomach.

  Even with that last scrap of clothing left behind, it seemed like a victory. He’d never felt closer to Morgan than he did at that moment.

  She must have felt the same way, because they moved together as though they were one person. River refused to rush this time, slowing the pace to taste her mouth, her throat and her breasts. Tonight, they had all the time in the world together to enjoy this. He reveled in the sound of Morgan’s soft cries and the press of her fingertips into his shoulder blades. After the last few weeks together, he could even feel her release building up inside as her muscles tensed around him and her breath moved rapidly in her chest.

  “River,” she gasped with an edge to her voice.

  She was so close. He knew she would be after he’d taken her so far before. This time he wasn’t going to stop until she was screaming his name. “Don’t hold back, baby,” he whispered against the outer shell of her ear. “Just let it happen.”

  River was talking about more than just her orgasm. He wanted her to stop resisting all of this. Maybe she felt like she had good reasons to hold back her feelings for River, but he didn’t want her to fight it anymore. He wanted this moment to last. Beyond tonight, beyond the weekend, beyond the key ceremony. He wanted to give this a real try without the interference of anyone else.

  They deserved a second chance. A real chance, not just some fling to relive their youth and soothe their past wrongs. They both knew it meant more than that. He was lost the moment he laid eyes on her again. All the old feelings, good and bad, had rushed to the surface. With most of the bad set aside, he was tired of fighting the good.

  “Yes, River!” she shouted to the empty room, clinging to his shoulders as her body was rocked with the spasm of her release. “Yes!” she cried again and again until she stilled beneath him.