Chapter Six

“Eliza, my older sister, is Reese’s mom. I think I told you we’ve always been opposites.” Taylor pushed her dessert away, even though much of it remained. Since she’d raved about how tasty it was, Curt took that as a sign this was a difficult topic for her. “I never understood how we could be so different. We have the same parents. And they gave us the same opportunities.”

Considering how different he and his older brother, Brett, were, this was a topic he could understand. “I’ve thought the same thing about me and my older brother. Personalities play a big role in the choices we make.”

“My dad was a cop in town, but that didn’t stop Eliza from getting into the drug scene in high school. At least that’s when she said it started. I know she started drinking alcohol in middle school. She went to UNH for a year, but after freshman year she dropped out. She’d failed every course anyway. She bounced from job to job and guy to guy for a few years. Whenever she needed money, she’d show up at our parents’ house. They always gave it to her.”

Considering the story so far, Curt wondered if her sister had passed away. Drugs claimed a lot of lives, and it would explain why Reese lived with them and not her mother.

“When Eliza got pregnant, we hoped she’d finally get clean. Mom and Dad got her into rehab. When she got out, she moved in with them until Reese was born. We all thought she was finally on the right path. That she’d stay off drugs for her daughter. Get her life together.”

He heard the bitterness in her voice.

“About two months after Reese was born, Eliza moved out. She took Reese with her but she’d drop Reese off with Mom several days a week, and often with me on the weekends. She always claimed she had to work. I didn’t believe her, and deep down I don’t think Mom did either.” Taylor paused and took a sip of her latte. “When Reese was seven months old, Eliza’s boyfriend at the time and one of his friends decided to hold up a convenience store. Eliza didn’t go into the store, but she drove the car. She was arrested and sent to prison, too. Thankfully, no one was hurt. She would’ve gotten a much longer sentence if they’d shot the clerk working that night.”

He wished he’d never asked about Reese’s mother.

“I became Reese’s legal guardian after that. My sister giving me custody might be the only smart thing she ever did. I think deep down she knew she could never give Reese what she needed, regardless of whether she was in prison or not. Because my hours are sometimes crazy, I moved back in with my mom. Dad passed away a few months before Eliza was arrested, so I think it was good for Mom to have us there.”

He couldn’t imagine finding himself in a similar situation. “What about Reese’s father? Didn’t he want custody?”

“Eliza doesn’t know who Reese’s father is. Considering the men my sister spent time with, Mom and I are okay with that.”

Curt usually knew what to say, but not now. How did one respond to a story like hers? The problems he’d faced in life were nothing compared to this. “I’m so sorry, Taylor. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you and your mom.”

“Mom struggled with it for a long time. She’s doing better, though. I think having Reese helps. It’s hard to be upset with her around. And it sounds crazy, but I’m glad Dad wasn’t alive when it happened. I think it would’ve been even harder for him than it was Mom.”

He thought of the friendly little girl who wanted to teach him soccer. Curt hadn’t known her long, but he agreed with Taylor’s comment. “It must’ve been hard for you, too, when it happened. In essence losing a sister and becoming a parent overnight.”

“Yes and no. I’d really hoped she’d get her life together, but part of me knew it wouldn’t happen. Some people can’t change no matter how much help and support they have. When we found out Eliza had been arrested, it wasn’t a surprise. She’d been arrested once before, just not for something serious enough to send her to prison.”

Curt agreed. He’d seen a few acquaintances spiral out of control with drugs and alcohol, despite good support systems. As far as he knew none had ended up in prison, but having powerful, influential relatives tended to help with matters such as those. “Is Eliza still in prison?”

Taylor shook her head. “She’s out now, but I’m not sure where she is. She called my mom about seven or eight months ago. Said she needed money for food. Mom’s heard that too many times to just hand over cash. Mom told Eliza she’d meet her at the store and they’d go shopping together.”

He knew the answer to his next question before he asked it. “What happened?”

“She told Mom to forget it and hasn’t called since.”

Yeah, the answer he’d expected.

“Eliza didn’t even ask about Reese the day she called.” The bitterness was back in Taylor’s voice.

One word described a woman like Eliza Walker: bitch.

“Reese doesn’t know any of this. We’re waiting until she’s older to tell her everything. For now she just knows her mom couldn’t take care of her so she came to live with me. I’m dreading the conversation, but she deserves to know the truth. Mom and I both hope when she learns about Eliza, it’ll keep her away from drugs.”

“Sounds like the right decision.”

Taylor pulled her hand from his and reached for her dessert again. “Enough with this depressing subject. Time for something more interesting.”

“Name it.”

Genuine curiosity replaced the pain and anger in her eyes. “You.”

He’d opened himself up to this by asking about her sister. “Me?”

She’d shared more with him than any other man in recent memory, partly because he’d asked but also because she wanted to. Although there remained a lot she didn’t know about Curt, she couldn’t ignore the feelings he kicked up inside her. Feelings, both emotional and physical, she wanted to explore. Considering the way he kept looking at her, he wanted to do some exploring, too. At the moment, she wasn’t sure if he wanted to explore more than just her body. But since he showed a true interest in her family, she hoped it ran deeper than some simple physical gratification.

“Yeah, you. You said you come from a big family, but don’t talk much about them. Do they live around here?” Taylor understood not everyone wanted to share information quite as personal as the details she’d just shared with someone they barely knew. That didn’t mean he couldn’t offer a little more about his background.

Curt signaled for their server to come over. When she arrived, he requested another espresso. “Do you want anything else, Taylor?” he asked her.

“Sure, why not? Another latte would be fabulous.”

After the server left, several seconds passed before he spoke. “My parents live in Rhode Island. My sister Leah lives in Connecticut. Brett, my older brother, lives wherever Uncle Sam tells him to.”

Now they were getting somewhere. He’d shared some actual names with her. She’d noticed up until now he never referred to any family members by name.

“Perhaps about half my family is in the New England area, but I have a few cousins in New York and Virginia. I have at least one cousin out in California. Another was talking about moving there, but I’m not sure if he ever did. We’ve never been close, so we don’t stay in touch. And I have an uncle and aunt in the Washington, D.C. area.”

“Sounds like you always have someplace to go on vacation.”

“You could say that.”

A different server appeared again with their drinks. Taylor didn’t miss the once-over the woman gave Curt as she set down his espresso. She couldn’t blame the waitress. Curt was too yummy for his own good. There was something else about him, too. This aura of class and power clung to him. Called attention to him. Whatever existed in his background, it didn’t include ex-convicts like hers did. Curt didn’t seem to mind, though, so she wouldn’t worry about it either.

“I love visiting D.C., especially in the springtime before it gets too hot. I was in Virginia for some training last year and spent a day in D.C. before coming home. When Reese gets a little older, Mom and I plan to take her there. A few agents I graduated the academy with work in D.C. but live in Virginia and drive in every day. Does your uncle live in the city or on the outskirts?”

Curt shifted in his seat and reached for his espresso. “My uncle and aunt live right in D.C. They’ve lived there for several years, but visit New England when they can. They have a beach house in Newport, Rhode Island. And the whole family tries to get together for New Year’s Eve. My uncle throws a party every year. There’s always at least one person who can’t make it. Usually it’s my brother.”

If Brett lived wherever Uncle Sam told him to, it meant he was in the military. “You don’t see your brother much?”

“No. I haven’t seen Brett since my cousin’s engagement party last summer. I was surprised he even made that. He didn’t make Derek’s wedding. But we keep in touch.”

By the time they left Pellegrino and drove back to their neighborhood, she’d learned a little more about his family. She also learned he’d never had a pet, even though he’d wanted one growing up, because his mother was allergic to animals, and that he loved fresh fruit but detested bananas. Yet even with everything he’d told her, she couldn’t shake the feeling there was something he was holding back. Some important detail he didn’t feel comfortable enough sharing yet. In time she hoped he would. She could respect and understand someone holding back information for a short time, but she couldn’t be with someone who kept secrets. Regardless of anything else, a relationship needed honesty.

“Can I expect you by tomorrow with the pie for comparison purposes?” Curt asked. He’d stopped in her driveway and turned off the engine, but so far made no move to get out. His fingers brushed across her cheek before slipping down her neck. “Or I can bring it to you.”

Right now she didn’t care about comparing desserts. She was much more interested in tasting him. She planned on doing it, too, before anything else. Leaning across the console separating them, she gently covered his lips with hers. Curt responded immediately, his kiss more a caress that fed the desire building inside her. Each pass of his lips over hers communicated both tenderness and mastery. Needing more, she sucked on his bottom lip until Curt parted his lips. Her tongue tangled with his as his hand explored the bare skin on her back and shoulders. Each movement he made with his mouth and hands sent pleasure radiating from her core to the rest of her body. The console between them made it impossible to press her body against his, to feel his chest against her breasts and his arms around her waist. She considered and quickly dismissed climbing into his lap. She was a little old for straddling a guy in the front seat while they made out. Maybe eighteen years ago she could’ve justified it, but not now. Besides, Curt might be too refined for such behavior.

They pulled apart at the same time. Curt’s hand continued moving across her bare skin as his lips nipped at the skin along her neck.

She slipped her fingers into the hair. It was incredibly soft. “I’ve got a better idea,” she said.

“I’m listening.” His warm breath skated across her skin when he answered, and he sounded as breathless as she felt.

“We go back to your house, and I’ll let you know about tomorrow later.”

***

The windows remained bare, and moonlight spilled into Curt’s bedroom. Resting on her side, Taylor used the opportunity the light provided her and allowed her eyes to wander across his chest and down his stomach. Unfortunately, the cotton sheet resting just below his waist prevented her eyes from seeing more. She’d suspected the first day she met him that Curt took care of himself. No one had biceps like his naturally. What she saw now, and had felt earlier when she’d run her hands down his naked back and ass, confirmed her suspicions.

Curt’s fingertips brushed against her upper arm, sending her eyes back to his face. At some point after entering his room he’d removed his glasses, and she found herself even more captivated by his eyes than she’d been before. They simply were the most gorgeous shade of blue she’d ever seen.

“Stay the night,” he said.

Since becoming Reese’s guardian, she’d spent every night within shouting distance of her niece, except for those times she’d been forced to travel or Reese slept at Hazel’s. Sure, Mom was around in case Reese had a bad dream or an emergency arose, but Taylor saw Reese as her responsibility, not Mom’s. Responsibility like that meant she came home every night.

“I can’t. Not with Reese home. Sorry.” Taylor waited for his response. She’d had a similar discussion with a guy she’d dated when Reese had been much younger. He hadn’t understood. Instead, he’d insisted Reese would never know the difference and that she’d be okay with her grandmother.

Shifting his position in bed, his fingers moved over her shoulder and toward the sheet covering her breasts. “Do you want me to bring you home now?” Curt kissed the skin exposed above the material and her nipple pebbled against the sheet. He repeated the action on the other side before dipping his tongue into the valley between her breasts. “Or can you stay longer?”

Leave now? Was he crazy? She had a naked man who knew how to pleasure a woman next to her, who was ready to go again. She’d enjoyed herself with men before, but never anywhere near what she’d experienced with Curt. Either the guy had way more experience than she did, or he’d been born with one hell of a special talent.

When he changed his position the sheet dropped lower, but not as much as she would’ve liked. Tugging the material down, she didn’t stop until it reached his midthigh. She traced the well-pronounced vein in his penis before wrapping her hand around him. “How’s this for an answer?”

Curt responded with his lips and tongue instead of words.