Innocent Bystander, page 14
My life is so bright because Alex gave me the courage to dig deep and fight my way back from despair.
We walk in the door, but I stop at soon as we’re through it.
“What—” Alex begins.
I touch my fingers to his lips, then move to my tiptoes and plant a kiss on them. Taking two steps backward, I unzip the back of my dress and shimmy out of it, leaving me in only my cream silk panties and heels.
“Dear God in heaven.” His voice is a husky growl. “Bri,” he breathes my name, his tone raw, desire in his eyes. I move to drop to my knees, but he catches me before I do. “Not the floor. Too hard on your knees.”
I take his hand and lead him to our bedroom. I’m about to take off my heels when he says, “Keep them on, and the panties.”
Doing as he asks, I climb onto the bed and watch him undress. He’s like a Greek god. His skin is tanned, his abs defined, and his tapered waist draws my gaze lower to his engorged cock. It’s so incredibly tasty that I lick my lips. I want to pounce as soon as he settles on the bed with his back to the headboard, sitting up and watching me.
“Now that I’m here, what are you gonna do with me?” he asks with a smirk.
I wrap my hand around his cock, and without further ado, I take him into my mouth, my tongue slicking his slit and quickly eliciting a moan, which urges me to suck the tip. His hand tightens in my hair, holding it out of the way so he can see as I bob my head, taking him deeper. I fondle his balls and watch as he tilts his head back, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw.
“Jesus Christ, baby,” he moans. I love the way he tastes. I use my hands and mouth, and the louder his groans become, the more I’m addicted to watching him blow for me. All of a sudden, I’m pulled off his cock and am turned around with my ass in his face and him lying beneath me. His hands are on my cheeks, and he gives one a slap. “Back to work,” he commands. Wetness pools between my legs.
Going back to my task at hand, I swirl my tongue over his cock and pump him with my hand before I swallow him again. I feel my lace panties tear, and then his mouth is on my pussy. He attacks it like a starving man, and within moments, I’m soaked and gyrating my hips, pushing back against his face. His hands at my hips hold me firm as he continues to push me toward my orgasm.
Letting go of his cock, I cry out, “Alex, I’m going to come.”
“Come for me,” he orders and sucks on my clit until I scream his name over and over.
While I’m still in my orgasmic haze, Alex flips me onto my back and spreads my legs. He kisses the inside of each of my ankles before lining his cock up to my entrance and plunging hard and fast. He’s lost in his own release, and I bury my face in his neck, kissing him lightly, until his mouth finds mine. I can taste myself on his lips.
Later, in the shower, we make love again, this time slower, taking our time to lather each other’s bodies and let the water rain down on us. Eventually, we both slip into bed exhausted.
“Love the lace, buttercup.” Alex kisses my shoulder.
“I’m going to the mall to pick up more tomorrow,” I reply, and enjoy the chuckle from his sexy mouth.
TWENTY-TWO
Roast Beef and Mashed Potatoes
ALEX
The next day, Sabrina calls her parents to give them the news of our engagement. I can sense their apprehension and understand why they feel this way. They’ve never met me and have no idea what I’m all about. They’ve also lived through the horror of losing their daughter to a man who took them from her, not just physically, but emotionally too. If I were them, I’d feel the same.
I don’t want to lessen Sabrina’s excitement and happiness. She’s bubbly and cheerful, rambling on about Chloe’s wedding. Thank God for speakerphone, because Sabrina talks with her hands as well as her mouth. It’s cute!
I wait for a pause in her exuberance before I butt in. “Douglas, I’m wondering if you wouldn’t mind company next weekend. I think it’s high time that I meet the parents.”
“You’ll come out?” Douglas seems hopeful, and I can hear her mom, Cheryl, give a gleeful shout.
“Absolutely, if you’ll have us.”
“Of course. We’d be delighted.” He pauses a moment and directs his next comment to his daughter. “I miss you, baby girl. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Miss you too, Daddy,” she says, then comes to stand in my arms. Sabrina’s come far, but it’s been a long time since she’s been home.
“I’ll make arrangements, and Sabrina will let you know when we’ll be arriving,” I conclude. I think Sabrina needs time to regroup. We’ve talked about going to see her parents, and I know she wants to, but this is a big leap for her.
For the rest of the week, we talk it through. She called her counselor and had a session when she came home, and she says she’s ready for this.
“You say the word if you get uncomfortable or something triggers you, you tell me, and I’ll get us home,” I tell her. “I got your back.”
We land at the airport late Friday night, and Don, her brother, is there to pick us up. Sabrina’s clutching my hand so tight, I think she’s going to break my fingers, but as soon as she sees her brother with his arms wide open waiting for her, she tears off like a bullet and jumps in his arms.
Don is just as elated, picking up his sister and swinging her around in a circle before planting her back on her feet. I make my way over and see that Sabrina’s all choked up.
“I—I—” She’s so emotional that words won’t come out.
“Shush. I know,” he says, putting an arm around her shoulders. He looks over at me. “You must be Alex.” He extends a hand, and I take it.
“Pleased to meet you.” I smile.
Don takes one of the bags and slings it over his shoulder. “Let me give you a hand.”
“Thanks,” I say. Sabrina takes my hand, and all of us make our way to Don’s car. Once we’re settled, Don fills us in on what’s in store.
“Mom’s been cooking all day. Dad has paced the floor so much, I think the rug is threadbare. They’re so excited to see you again. Mom’s been cleaning for days,” he says with a laugh.
“I remember she does that. Whenever she’s nervous, she cleans,” Sabrina tells me. “How’s Dad?” she asks Don.
“He’s doing good.” He glances over to his sister. “The heart attack was a warning to change his lifestyle, and Mom’s made sure that he did. He walks every day now, tinkers in the garage, and has started some woodworking projects. He’s getting pretty good at it.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come home,” Sabrina says in a quiet tone. “I put it all on you.”
“I get it. I really do. I’m not gonna lie to you, it sucked. It felt never-ending. Day in, day out, keeping Mom from losing her mind, taking Dad for rehab. But I get it, Bri. You were protecting us, and you didn’t think we’d be safe,” he tells her. “Sis, the only thing Mom and Dad care about is the fact you’re here now. They’re so happy. It’s so good to see them this excited.”
“I can’t wait to see them too,” Sabrina says with a small smile. “I can’t wait for them to meet Alex.”
“FYI, dude”—Don focuses his attention on me—“with all that’s happened, it’s fair for them to be skittish of a man being with their daughter.”
“Noted,” I reply. “I would think it strange if they didn’t have questions.” I would be nervous too if I were in their position. I would already have run a background check on the guy dating my daughter. A baby girl would absolutely kill me. If she was anything like Sabrina, sweet and trusting, I’d have to hire Mason on full-time to follow her around.
As we’re coming into the driveway, a pretty older woman who resembles her daughter steps out onto the porch. I’m getting a glimpse at how beautiful my woman will be when we grow older. She’s got silver-gray hair and sparkling eyes and is petite like her daughter, and nervous. She doesn’t seem to know what to do with her hands and has them clasped tightly in front of her. Stepping out to join her, Douglas stands by her side with a cane in hand. The effects of the heart attack is apparent, but he’s still a strong-looking man eagerly awaiting his daughter’s return.
I open Sabrina’s door as she stares out the car window, frozen in her seat. “Go, baby. They’re waiting for you,” I urge. She takes my hand and steps out, her eyes glued to the porch. The next few moments are like a scene out of a movie. Sabrina races up the steps and settles in her mother’s arms, and her father embraces them both. All three of them ramble on about how much they love and missed each other.
Don pops open the trunk, and I help him with the bags. He jostles my arm. “Thanks, man. They’ve been praying for this day.”
“She would eventually have gotten here on her own.” It’s Sabrina who’s done the work. It was her decision to get the help she needed to get past this and her courage to follow it through.
“Yeah, but I’m also certain it would have been a much longer wait,” he replies. He leads the way to join the others. “Are you guys going to break it up so we can get through?” he jokes. They come apart, and immediately, Sabrina comes to link her arm through mine.
“This is Alejandro Manuel Perez. Alex for short. He’s my best friend and fiancé.” She turns to me, “Here they are, my parents.”
“Chloe’s not going to be too pleased. She thinks she’s your best friend.” I give her a grin, then extend a hand to her father. “It’s an honor, sir. Sabrina talks about her family all the time. It’s good to meet you.”
“Come on in, son,” he says, and makes room for Sabrina and me to enter.
The day moves along, with everyone a little tentative at first. The conversation’s a little disjointed but Don fills in the gaps with really bad jokes. Eventually, Sabrina starts to share about her job and the patients she helps. Her father talks to her about the exercises he was taught for his recovery. Before long, they’re talking about everything and anything. Sabrina shares about Chloe and Damian and the story of how they got together, and about Caleb and how desperate his mother is to see him married. And of course, Zeke and his mad skills with technology.
Cheryl fusses over us, a natural reaction to hide her nervousness, but eventually, she calms down and starts updating Sabrina about the news in town, who married who and all that stuff. I totally tune out. I asked Don about his job, and it’s clear that he loves what he does. I like him. He’s a man who understands family and community.
“I’ve been really fortunate to find great people. If it weren’t for Chloe catching on to what was happening with Cameron, I’d still be running,” Sabrina tells them. “Then Alex took over from there.” She reaches over and links our fingers together. “He’s the one who found him and all the evidence needed to lock him away.”
Her mother looks at me and says, “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”
“No thanks necessary. I’m only sorry that Sabrina had to go through any of it at all,” I reply. “He’s been put away for a long time, and even longer now since his latest stunt.” I don’t go into detail, but I want them to know that Cameron will probably never see the outside of a prison again.
“We set you up in your old room. Did you want to take your things upstairs?” Doug suggests. Later, I find out that he must like me, because only his friends call him Doug. The rest of the world calls him by his full name.
Her room is that of an idealistic high school girl. It hasn’t been changed since the day she left home. A couple of trophies are sitting on a shelf, a white desk sits in the corner, and, according to Sabrina, they swapped out her twin for a queen-size bed.
I sit on the edge of her bed and tug her close to stand between my parted legs. “How many boys snuck into your bedroom?” I tease.
“Not a one.” She bends at the waist and playfully kisses my nose. “But I did sneak out once and nearly broke my neck trying to climb down from the trellis.” She giggles.
“Oh yeah.” I pull her down onto my lap. “It’s a good thing you didn’t break your pretty little neck. I like it. A lot.”
She folds her arms around my neck. “Thank you for coming with me. It made it easier.”
I kiss her soft and slow. “I’m glad. You’ll have to reward me with something special when we get home. No way on earth am I fooling around with you in your parents’ house.” I chuckle and watch as her face lights up as she laughs along with me.
“That doesn’t include necking, right?”
“Tease. We’d better get back down there. I got a feeling that a search party will be along any minute.”
We go back down, and Doug invites me to go with him for his walk. I know this is his way to get me alone and ask questions. I’ve been waiting for it. Sabrina looks concerned and is about to pipe up, but I jump in before she has a chance.
“Yeah, sounds good.” I kiss Sabrina’s cheek. “We’ll be back soon.”
Doug and I head down the block and veer off to a park close by, walking along the pathway. He wants to talk, yet he hesitates.
“Ask me anything. I’m an open book,” I start off.
“Sabrina told us you lost your parents. I’m sorry about that,” he begins.
“Thank you. I was sixteen, and I was fortunate to have great people in my life who took me in and showed me the same love as they did their own son. Damian and I are like brothers. Actually, I need to add Caleb and Zeke to the mix. We’re all solid.”
“I’m worried about my baby girl,” he admits. He slows down and takes a seat on a bench, and I join him.
“I’m not sure what I can do to ease that worry. What I will tell you is that I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. This was before I knew about her past trauma. I lost it when I found out that Cameron was still after her, and wouldn’t rest until we got him. There’s no crystal ball. I can’t tell what the future will bring, but I will say that I’m a man with a job I love, with people I respect, in a nice home in a good neighborhood where Sabrina and Chloe see each other all the time. She sits on the back deck, face toward the sun, and smiles. Christ, it’s one of the most beautiful things about her. Or the way she pours so much into her patients and how every step they take to recovery is a celebration for her. But you know all this because she’s your little girl. I don’t want to take her away from anything. I want to join her in everything.” I mean every word, and Doug sits back, gazing intently, taking it all in.
“I don’t want to lose my daughter again,” he whispers, his voice raw and filled with emotion.
“You won’t. Not because of me. She misses you, but she’s harboring this guilt. Her choices affected all of you, and she struggles with that. I’m hoping that this visit helps her realize that no one cares about that. Family love conquers all, right?”
“What does she have to feel guilty about? I’m the one who didn’t pull her out of there. I’m the one who couldn’t find her when she disappeared. I failed her,” Doug replies, lowering his head between his hands as he leans forward with his elbows on his knees.
“This isn’t a blame game.” I put my hand on his back. “The situation was extreme. The only one to blame is the man who put her through it all. Like it or not, I’m here to stay, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she breathes easy. All she needs from you is for you to be her father.”
“She’s my little girl. I’ll love her till the day I die.”
“That’s all she needs to know.”
Doug looks at me with a smile. “You’ll visit often, I hope.”
“Planes fly both ways, and we have a guest room. If we can’t make it here, you’ll come to us. Don too.”
He pushes himself up to his feet. “We’d better head back. Cheryl will lose her mind if we’re late for dinner.”
“Sabrina doesn’t like it either. Must have picked that up from her mom,” I joke.
Doug laughs, and we continue chatting as we make our way home. As soon as we come through the door, Cheryl chastises her husband. “Were you planning on staying out all night?”
Doug doesn’t bother responding and simply makes his way over and kisses her to quiet her down. It seems that works for both mother and daughter.
“All’s good, honey. We’re home, and dinner isn’t ruined,” he says, smiling down at her.
“I made roast beef and mashed potatoes. We need to all sit down together. Our first family dinner,” she insists.
“There’ll be plenty more, Cheryl,” Doug says, and with those words, everything seems to slow down, and we sit at the table as a family.
TWENTY-THREE
Dead
SABRINA
We’re hardly through Alex’s’ front door when my cell phone goes off. I can hear it ringing in my purse. My hands are busy holding our jackets, my purse, and an extra bag we had to buy because Mom took me shopping and there was no way I was going to be able to fit everything into the overnight bags we took down with us.
Mom didn’t just splurge on me. She made sure that Alex was spoiled too. By the time we were on the way home, Alex and Don were carrying five bags each. It wasn’t until later that we had to go back out and pick up a small suitcase.
At first, Alex wasn’t happy with Mom spending money on him, but Dad pulled him aside, and I vaguely heard him tell Alex, “She needs to do this. You’ve got to let her.”
Alex was quick to reply, “Then know this, when you come, we’re doing the same.”
Dad laughed, but nodded in agreement, which seemed to take the wind out of Alex’s sails.
By the time I drop everything on the sofa and dig through my purse for my phone, it stops ringing. I’m about to check to see if they left a message when Alex’s phone rings. Somebody desperately wants to get hold of us.
