“It makes it much nicer for sleeping and watching movies.”“I really love it,” she said as he pulled her into his warm embrace, his arms wrapping around her waist.“I’m very happy you do. We will need to stay here while our house is being remodeled and you can use my office to work on your writing.”“Then, sir, let’s see where I am going to make my mark as a great children’s author.” Creighton smiled and walked back down the stairs beside her, leading her to their desired destination.The room was clean and bright, considering there were no windows in this room, either. The walls were a soft off white. The desk was a large dark walnut, big enough to spread out a multitude of files, papers and documents and held a desktop computer. Two cream and brown colored chairs faced the desk while a comfortable cream-colored leather chair sat waiting for Creighton’s backside. The dark wood floor was covered with a deep pile brown, cream and gold rug that occupied the center of the room, with bare
The bathroom door opened, and Sandra walked through, padding her way across the carpet. Creighton had shut his computer and was napping on the thick soft duvet, his feet bare and hanging across the side of the mattress. Sandra stifled the giggle. She had known him to nap only once since they had met, but he looked so comfortable and relaxed that she didn’t want to wake him. Instead, she quietly retrieved her clothes and stepped back into the bathroom, dressing in a simple pair of black jeans, her running shoes and a yellow pullover tee-shirt, before leaving the man to sleep and heading to the large kitchen.She found the items she wanted and assembled a plate of crackers, cheese and sliced meat. Taking a bottle of White Zinfandel and two glasses, she returned to the bedroom, setting them on the bedside table before struggling to open the bottle of wine. She felt like she was all thumbs, no matter how hard she tried she just couldn’t get the stupid cork out. She was quickly becoming f
“The groom and bride do not share a bed until they’re married. My mum is very old-fashioned and very demanding. She couldn’t have raised five children if she were a jellyfish. We’ll just have to be careful and not get caught. As for now, we do have an hour before we have to be downstairs,” he teased her, one hand capturing her hip, the other sliding up the front of her shirt to her breast. “I’m quite certain I can prove how perverted I can be in that amount of time.”Creighton laid her on the bed, stretching out across her as loud footsteps came thundering up the stairs, Irena shouting excitedly for them. She burst into the room at the same instant Creighton tried to crawl off Sandra, tripping over his own feet and falling on the floor next to the bed.Sandra had no choice. She erupted in a bout of laughter, Irena froze by the door’s entry and Creighton cursed verbally, but whether it was because they had just been caught, or because he had fallen on his ass, she wasn’t certain.“Bloo
Sandra looked to Creighton who sat down beside her again, taking a drink of his coffee. He physically became tense, his jaw clenching for a moment before he pulled himself back under control, glancing up at her. Their eyes met, and she knew he was aware she had noticed the change in him. He drew a deep breath when the man stepped to the table, patting him on the back. Creighton stood and accepted the hug his brother offered, even though it was a little strained on both sides.“Good to see you, brother,” the man said, his eyes drifting to Sandra as he released Creighton. “So, this is the famous Sandra,” he said with an amused smile, his eyes taking in every feature of her face, then lower to her tight tee-shirt.“Sandra, this is my brother, Andrew,” Creighton said, watching closely when the man reached out and shook her hand.“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I was wondering if this boy would ever have the courage to bring you to meet the family or not.”“Why do you say that?” Sandra asked
“What dress is this?” Cathy asked with a frown.“Your sister helped me with my final project for school,” Sabrina said quickly. “I am taking textile designing and management, and I had to make a design of my own and take it from print to model, but the woman who was supposed to do the photos was sick, so Sandra did it in her stead. Because of her, I received the highest marks in my class, so when Creighton asked if I would be willing to sell my design to his future bride, I agreed willingly.”“It was your design that earned you the grade, not the photos,” Sandra said with another blush when Creighton released her from his embrace.“Just think, everyone is going to see it and want one just like it,” Irena said excitedly. “It will be just like Hollywood. You’ll both be famous.”“I’m more famous then I’d prefer to be,” Sandra said shyly.“Sabrina, you and Irena go get the dessert and we’ll adjourn to the parlor,” Emma instructed to disrupt the conversation and return it to normal. The g
“Sandra…” he began.“He’s your brother,” she interrupted, touching his cheek gently. “I don’t want anything to interfere in our marriage. You’re both adults - okay, maybe he isn’t the best farmer in history, neither is Cathy - but that is old news. He is what he is, and he has his own opinion on how he wants his life to be lived. It doesn’t affect you or me. You need to tell him about Miriam’s book, and you need to clear the air. Talk to him, if not for my sake than for your mother’s. It’s obvious that she doesn’t want her boys at odds with each other.” Creighton drew a deep breath and sighed.“I know you mean well, Sandra, but this is different than an argument over a toy. He was a lazy bugger who refused to help father and shagged the same girl I was. He always treated people like they were less than he and I have no respect for him. How am I supposed to just pretend that we’re old friends? Hell, I could get on with a hog better than with him.”“Then pretend he’s a hog but talk to h
“She’s written a book and we’re in it. She talks about her first sexual encounters.”“How much does she talk about?” Andrew said in a very hushed tone.“All of it, more than I ever knew. Oddly enough, it appears she shagged just about every bloke in the county, including you.” The two were quiet for a few minutes as they considered the past and how to broach the next subject.“I watched you sneak into that old barn with her for weeks,” Andrew began softly. “At first, I thought it was amusing. You were young and shy, never really had much to do with the girls, so fooling around with her was a joke. But then I heard the blokes at school talking about her, how cute she was, and everyone wanted to shag her, but you were the one doing it. I guess I got jealous.”“The way she described your encounter with her, she practically admitted that you raped her.”“I suppose I did. I’m not proud of it, Crey. It was only the one time and I felt sick afterward. Hell, it took me nearly a year before I
Sandra bid Creighton good night just after midnight as the house began to wind down. They stepped out on the front porch and waited while Derek and Kristin carried their sleeping children home, followed behind by Andrew and Cathy, who stepped to the front walkway, talking silently for a few minutes before he kissed her good night. Much more passionately than Sandra would have anticipated.“How did it go?” she asked after Cathy retired to the house, leaving them alone on the porch.“It was much as you had thought,” he told her, his arms around her as they snuggled on the wicker settee, looking across the field to their new house. “Nobody knew I was shagging Miriam until her father caught us.”“See? Not as bad as you thought.”“Your GPA shines again,” he teased, kissing her temple. “Since I did you that favor, it’s time for payment.”“Exactly what did you have in mind? You’re spending the night at your brother’s.” Sandra smiled, knowing full well he had other plans in mind than sleeping