Page 24 of Brazilian Fantasy
She nods and falls back into a deep sleep, her head resting on her father’s shoulder. Lucas carries her upstairs, and I hurry outside with the pup. My mind races—full of hope and excitement that Maddie has found her voice again—as the newest member of the household sniffs around on the grass. With a chill in the night air, I rub my arms to create friction, but then Lucas steps up behind me, pressing his chest to my back. He puts his arms around me, and I absorb his warmth as his heart pounds hard.
“Piper,” he says, his voice hoarse and rough as it washes over the shell of my ear. “I—I can’t believe she spoke.”
I turn until I’m facing him and take in his warm, comforting presence. His heart crashes against my face as I lay my cheek against him. Tears prick behind my eyes. “I know.”
“She was sleeping, but still.”
“It’s the start of something,” I say and snuggle closer, never wanting to leave the comfort of his arms. Seconds tick by as we hold each other, neither wanting to be the first to break the connection. “I’m sure of it.”
“All because of you.” My breath catches at his words. I’d been so worried I wouldn’t be able to help this family, that I wasn’t the right girl for the job—that I would be a terrible mother.
The pup gives a tiny bark, and it breaks the moment. I bend to pick her up, and Lucas keeps his arm around me as we walk back to the house. Inside, he grabs the doggy bed and puts it beside Maddie’s mattress. I lay the pup down, and she snuggles in.
“Come on,” Lucas whispers, and leads me out of the room. My legs wobble. Everything about this situation—Maddie, Lucas, the pup—has me feeling all too much like a real family, the one I always wanted as a child. Lucas guides me down the long staircase and into his bedroom at the back of the house. “Think I can take a rain check on Sharknado?” he asks.
I nod. The rawness inside me is going to prevent me from enjoying it anyway. “I shouldn’t be in here, Lucas. What if Maddie wakes up and finds me? I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”
“I know? You’re right, but can you stay for a little while?”
“Yes,” I answer, wanting to stay for more than just a little while. More than the three weeks I’ve been allotted. He ushers me to the bed and sits on the edge, opening his legs to pull me between them. I hold him and run my hands through his hair. His fingers go to the hem of my sundress, and he eases it over my head. The rough pads of his thumbs brush my nipples through my lace bra, and I moan quietly as he caresses them.
I want more time with him. I want everything with him.
“You are so beautiful, Piper.” In one quick flick, he unhooks my bra, and it falls to the floor. He breathes me in and then removes my panties. I stand before him naked, and he stares, his appreciative glance making me feel like a prized possession. He stands—quieter tonight, more introspective then I’ve ever seen him—pulls the blankets down, and whispers, “Get in.”
I slide between the sheets, and he makes quick work of his clothes. Once he’s naked, he crawls under the sheets and drags me to him. He brushes my hair back, his touch so tender it stirs things deep inside me.
“You said you had loss.”
I don’t normally talk about my childhood. It’s a tender subject, but I feel so comfortable with Lucas, I find myself saying, “Mom left when I was little. I was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She said she had to go out for a minute, and she never came back.”
He sucks in a shaky breath. “Piper, I’m so sorry.” He shifts and pulls me closer, smoothing his hand over my hair. “What happened after that?”
“We never heard from her again. My dad started drinking heavily, losing job after job, and I was only little, you know. Like Maddie. I couldn’t do much to help out, and we pretty much lived off boxed cereal. I was getting sick, and that’s when the neighbors stepped in and called child services.” I stop and swallow hard as I dredge up the memories of that day so long ago.
Lucas stays quiet and runs his hand up and down my arm, but as he touches me with such tender care, the pain of remembering isn’t quite as jagged as it used to be.
“I was removed from the home and tossed around quite a bit. Then in my preteens, I ended up at this one place, near Alyssa’s. Kelly and Dan, the people who took me in, eventually adopted me.”
“A nice happily ever after.”
“Yeah, I got lucky.” I turn and let my gaze move over his face. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure?”
“How did your wife die?”
For several strained moments he says nothing, his eyes sad, regretful. My heart beats a little faster. “Car accident,” he says as if it takes all his effort to get the words out.
I wince as a lump of sorrow clogs my throat. “I’m so sorry.” I to
uch him, smooth my hand over his shoulder.
On a deep breath, he whispers, “She was leaving me, Piper. The marriage was over.”
As tears blur my vision, I sit up, cross my legs, and take one of his hands in mine. “I’m so sorry, Lucas. I didn’t know.”
As pain and something that resembles guilt flickers in his eyes, I get a deeper understanding of Lucas, see the man beneath the flesh. He touches my face, brushes my tears away. “We fought a lot. She said I loved my work more than her. I was at the office when she packed Maddie up and took off. But they didn’t get very far. She was hit and killed instantly by a drunk driver. Maddie was in the backseat.” He sucks in a shaky breath and briefly pinches his eyes shut. “She wasn’t hurt physically, but she witnessed the whole thing. Jenny was crushed, and it took the Jaws of Life to remove her. The whole thing left Maddie traumatized. We’ve been to numerous counselors, but…”
