Family Secrets Read online

  He would have had to ask why or why now, or why couldn't she call one of her girlfriends to help her instead of him.

  Cari's eyes moved from Jake's face to her hand, and then to the ring that still graced her left ring finger. It was a big diamond. She remembered how her friends had all “oohed” and “aahed” over it. Now she realized that it probably had not been Anthony's money that had purchased the ring. It had probably been her…

  Cari stopped, her mind tripping over calling her birth father “Uncle Sal” any longer. She didn't think she would ever call him father, either. She took a deep breath and acknowledged that Sal's money had bought both the ring, and Anthony, for her. God only knew how much the wealthy Salvatore Andretti had given her mother over the years.

  It made her sick to her stomach to think that she had been used like that. She was a pawn in some kind of business maneuver. It was hard to realize the truth. It was true that Sal had no sons to inherit. In his mind, perhaps it made sense to have his daughter marry his choice to run his business one day. She closed her eyes as pain shot through her again and she took a deep, shuddering breath.

  She should have seen through Anthony. He was too good looking to glance at a girl like her. She’d never had any illusions about her looks. She knew she wasn't a toad. Being a little overweight, she also knew that size was a factor to a lot of men. She pushed her hand through her hair. The ring caught on the long strands, just as it always did. Once she had freed the ring, she gazed at it again.

  "Somehow, I don't think a penny is enough."

  Cari glanced up at Jake, surprised that he was awake. "What?" she asked him softly.

  "I think I will need at least a five dollar gold piece to buy your thoughts."

  Cari smiled. "Maybe they aren't for sale."

  Jake smiled slowly. "Hmm. What about for all the gold in Fort Knox?"

  Cari shook her head. "Maybe money isn't what I want,” she told him saucily, but quietly acknowledged how close this playful banter was to the truth.

  "Would you share them with me if I offered you all the tea in China?" Jake offered softly, lifting his hand to stroke the backs of his fingers down the side of her face.

  "Hmm, now I like tea. Perhaps I'll do a deal if you agree to make it for me, and bring it to me in bed every day.” She stopped abruptly when she realized what she had just suggested to him. But Jake just smiled at her. He moved the few inches separating them, sliding his arm around her.

  "That sounds like a workable solution to me. Just one thing though…" He leaned forward, and kissed her lips softly.

  Cari felt her inner soul warm with his gentleness, and playfulness. "What?"

  "I will have to buy a one story house. I don't like climbing those damn stairs carrying a tray.” He kissed her again, this time his tongue sliding inside to seek hers. His knee eased between her thighs, sliding up to press against her womanly heat. At Cari's soft sigh, he rolled her onto her back, and began to caress her breasts.

  Jake slid his mouth down her chin, neck, pausing to lick, kiss and suck his way down to her breasts. Her nipples were already taut and more than ready by the time he reached them. As his mouth began a slow, wet worship service at her breasts, his hand moved down to caress her belly, and then between her thighs.

  Jake groaned, and Cari knew he could feel the wetness on her shaven lips. He slid one finger inside her, while his thumb began an erotic, seductive dance with her sensitive clit. Cari felt like his cherished violin as he worked her body like a master violinist, stroking and caressing her until she cried out from his mastery.

  Her climax took her by surprise, and her second one came so fast behind the first, that she lay gasping on the bed. Jake moved over her, and shifted her thighs to accommodate his hips. Cari watched and felt him poised at her entrance, rubbing her wetness all over his cock. Cari was dimly aware as Jake pressed forward, and her soft, womanly flesh yielded to him happily.

  Jake groaned as her heat enclosed him so eagerly, as if she were welcoming him into her body. He looked down into her half-closed eyes, wishing he could hold off… But Cari's flesh was moving, caressing, and squeezing his cock as tiny little aftershocks of her orgasm still rocked her body. Her breathing was almost in tune with her body's movements, as it pulled him deeper. He cried out her name, and thrust into her again, coming into her body in a heated rush. Cari lifted her arms and held him tight to her body as he shot his cum into her.

  Jake collapsed towards the bed, but rolled them over so Cari now lay atop him. Her surprise was obvious, especially when he flexed his hips revealing how closely joined they still were. The tables turned though as she smiled at him, and then he felt her body purposely squeezing down on him. Jake groaned, and stroked his hands over her back. Slowly his hands cupped her buttocks.

  "Do that again, and we may never leave this bed," he threatened her idly.

  “Maybe I don't want to leave the bed, ever,” she said decisively. A moment later, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Food?"

  Jake shook his head. "That is one of the advantages of having someone working for you. I'll just call downstairs and order whatever you might wish.” He moved his hands upward to stroke her hair. Cari lay her head down on his chest, and actually purred like a kitten as he stroked and caressed her hair.

  "By the way, are you hungry? I let Mary and John take the evening off. We can fix something ourselves, order in, or dine out."

  Cari lifted her head. "What time is it?"

  Jake lifted his wrist and flicked a tiny switch on the side. He read the illuminated dial. "It is just seven now."

  "Would you mind taking me into town? I know this is a terrible imposition, but I'd really like to catch my father before his book club meeting."

  Jake wanted to demand an explanation of what was going on in her life to have her so upset, but he decided to bide his time just a little bit longer. He nodded his head. "But we will have to hurry. I believe that usually starts at eight, doesn't it?" He shifted Cari off his body reluctantly.

  Cari nodded and moved out of the bed. Jake saw her glancing around the room, and he guessed she was wondering where her suitcase had been placed.

  “Look in the closet, honey. Mary put your stuff away while you were still asleep. What she couldn’t hang, she stashed in the top drawer in the dresser, on the left.”

  Cari walked over to the closet, the room partially lit by the bathroom light. She pulled out a lightweight cotton dress, and slipped it on over her head. Seeing her sandals, she slipped her feet into them also. Jake dressed quickly, watching her silently. She moved over to the dresser and picked up Jake's comb and started to restore some order to her long hair.

  It was only a minute or so later when he came to stand behind her. Jake took the comb from her hand and combed his own hair. In the mirror, he saw Cari smiling back at him. He knew there was no explaining their relationship so far, but he couldn’t deny the warm feeling that surged through his body at such a simple gesture of sharing.

  Almost as if she read his mind, she told him softly, “We don’t have time right now, but later…”

  Jake grinned widely as she took his hand and walked with him out to his car.

  * * * * *

  Cari sat in the car next to Jake, waiting quietly for her father to appear for his book club meeting. She knew he never missed a session, and often stayed quite late discussing the books with friends from the club over coffee. One of the times she had suggested she go with him, but he had told her no, she would be way too bored. She had accepted what he said because he was her father.

  Cari decided she would call out to him when she saw him although she had no clear idea of what she wanted to say to him. But she felt the need to see him, and to have him hold her, even if it was only for a moment or two. Maybe she could find that safe place again, once her father hugged her close. She clenched her hands into fists, where they rested on her thighs.

  She hadn't said a word to Jake, other than giving him directions. She wanted to say somet
hing to him, but all of her thoughts and emotions were so cluttered inside of her, that she couldn't seem to form any words. She felt such chaos, and loss of control, inside of her, that she wasn't even sure what was real anymore.

  Jake had been watching Cari ever since he had stopped the car. She had been clenching and unclenching her fists constantly. At every noise, she would jump and turn to look in the direction of the sound. Finally, he could stand it no more. He reached out and covered her hand with his. He didn't move when she jumped in surprise at his gentle touch. And when she turned to look at him, he held her eyes, even though at first her gaze was so obviously unfocused. He gently squeezed her hand until he could see her returning from her million mile away journey of thoughts.

  Cari flushed as Jake watched her, touching her hand. She mumbled an apology.

  Jake worked her hand slowly, rubbing it gently, easing her fingers to relax, until her hand finally lay flat on her thigh. He leaned closer to her. "You need to relax honey. You are so nervous and jumpy. I keep thinking you are going to hop right through the roof of the car each time there is any kind of loud noise."

  Cari's lips curved in a semblance of a smile. "Jake?"

  "What, honey?"

  Cari took a deep breath. "I know that I owe you an explanation…"

  Jake pressed his fingers to her soft mouth, stopping her words. "Cari, I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. I want you to tell me freely, through your own rational choice, whatever, or however much you want me to know. But there is no way that you 'owe' me anything, sweetheart."

  Cari flushed brightly. "I didn't mean it like that, Jake…" She paused, obviously having trouble expressing herself. “I want to tell you. In fact, you are probably the only person I know who will understand. Somehow I know that you will listen, and not judge me or my family.”

  Jake hated to interrupt her, but he didn’t want her to miss this chance to speak with her father. "Isn't that your dad, Cari?"

  Cari turned her head and nodded. Edward Evans was across the street and walking towards the entrance. She threw open the car door and stood up. She raised her arm to wave, opening her mouth to shout.

  Suddenly someone else was calling out. As they watched, a tall, slender blonde woman walked quickly to Cari’s father and straight into his embrace. Cari gasped, and even though they were across the street, there was no missing the passionate kiss the two people exchanged.

  Jake was standing on the other side of his car, watching the passionate embrace. He turned to glance at Cari just in time to see the color draining from her face. Jake moved quickly, leaving his own door open, and sprinted around the car. He reached Cari's side just as her legs gave out. He gripped her arms, holding her upright. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Edward had released the lovely blonde woman. The two turned and were walking towards Edward's car.

  "Cari, sit down," Jake told her gently, but she didn't move. She didn't appear to really hear him. Finally, Jake pushed her backwards into the car. He squatted next to her, and pressed her head down between her legs for a few minutes.

  When he saw that some color had returned, he had her sit back up. He locked and closed the door after fastening her seat belt. Moving back around the car, he saw that Edward had already driven away. Jake restarted his car, heading back to his house.

  A short time later, Jake stopped the car at his front door on the circle drive. He told Cari to stay put and he would come around and get her. She wasn’t waiting and was already getting out of the car. She limped up the steps and through the front door, which was being held open by John. John greeted her politely, and Cari mumbled something in return. John then turned and watched as his employer came loping up the front steps and into the foyer.

  Jake glanced around but couldn't see Cari. Turning to look at John, his butler discreetly pointed towards the den. Jake nodded and walked through the large living room and on into the den, which served as his office and housed his exclusive, costly library. He stopped when he saw that Cari was pouring herself a drink. He grimaced as he watched her carelessly toss back the ridiculously expensive, aged brandy like it was cheap gin. He shook his head and walked towards her.

  Cari turned at the footfall sound approaching her, having just poured herself a second drink. She lifted the glass, once again drinking the brandy down as if it were water. This time she swallowed hard and ended up coughing and choking a bit. Before Jake could reach out to pat her back, she recovered, moving away.

  She soon came back and poured herself still another drink. She flounced angrily over to the leather sofa and flopped down upon it. She didn't want to admit that the liquor was going to her head so quickly and she was already feeling woozy and light-headed.

  Jake came and sat down quite close beside her. He reached out to take the glass from her, but Cari wasn't impaired that much and jerked her hand away. She took another drink from the heavy cut glass, but this time sipped it.

  "Cari, honey, why don't you give me the glass?"

  Cari hopped up off the sofa as it were on fire, her head spun a bit, but she recovered quickly. "I'll pour you one and then you won't want mine.” She moved back to the bar and poured more into her own glass and then walked over to the large windows that looked out over the garden at the back of Jake's home. The curtains had not been closed and she gazed out at the darkness. She could see her own reflection in the glass. She looked quite pale and had dark circles surrounding her eyes.

  So this is what a nervous breakdown must feel like, she told herself silently. After several minutes, she spoke quietly, almost as if to herself. "What would you do if one day everything you had thought was true about yourself, your life, was suddenly found to be false?”

  Cari turned to look at Jake who was still seated on the sofa, watching her. She glanced at the glass in her hand, wondering how it had gotten there. She rarely drank. She set the glass on the bar as she moved back to the sofa. She didn't sit next to Jake, but rather sat on the arm of the sofa, her now bare feet resting on the seat cushion. Looking into his eyes, she felt reassured, and some of the hopeless desolation she’d been feeling faded away.

  "I need to tell you some things about myself, I guess. I just hope you won't think less of me…"

  Jake reached over and curled his hand around her ankle, caressing her gently, before sliding his hand upwards, caressing her calf. "Sweetheart just tell me what it is. Nothing you tell me can change what we have between us."

  Cari listened, not sure if he meant that their relationship was so shallow and meaningless, that he wouldn't be affected by what she told him. Was he saying that since he didn't really know her, whatever she said wouldn’t affect him? Damn! She didn't really know herself anymore either.

  "I don't quite know where to start, Jake."

  Jake surprised her by reaching out and catching hold of her left hand. His gaze went from the 2-carat diamond on her finger up to her face. Cari could see the questions in his eyes. Like why was she was wearing an engagement ring, and sleeping with him?

  "Why don't you start with this morning?"

  Cari looked at the ring on her finger for a long moment. She realized that finding the right words was going to be more difficult than she had thought. It was funny, but the words seemed clear in her head, and yet couldn’t make it to her tongue for expression. Jake moved closer to her on the sofa, and released her hand only to begin caressing her naked calves. "I'm afraid it goes back much farther than that…" She moved forward and slid into the narrow space between the arm of the sofa and Jake. Her thighs were pressed to her chest and she slid her arms around her legs in a seemingly protective gesture.

  "My fiancé has been cheating on me all along. It appears that everyone knew, even my mother.” She paused and slid the ring from her finger. She held it up, letting the light reflect off it for a moment. Without a word of warning, she threw it towards a dark corner of the room. "I followed him and saw him with her…"

  "Just dump the bastard, Cari,” Jake told
her harshly, his anger visible on his face and in his words. “He’s a jerk and you deserve much better.”

  Cari held his gaze as her head moved up and down for a moment. "If only it were that simple, Jake."

  "Why isn't it just that simple then, honey?” Jake asked her softly, and Cari felt encouraged to continue.

  "I guess you could say because I'm not really Cari Evans." She looked away for a moment and then back into Jake's eyes. "It appears that my mother has been cheating on the man I thought was my father since before I was born. And the man I thought was a friend of the family—I called him uncle—is really my father.” She paused as she saw the disbelief on his face. “It gets better, Jake. It turns out that my biological father arranged for Tony to get engaged to me. And as if I thought my life couldn't be any more of a lie, tonight it appears as if my father has been having an affair too.”

  Cari lowered her head to rest against her upraised thighs. She closed her eyes, not seeing anyway out of this mess. "I don't want to live in that house anymore, Jake. I feel as if my whole life has been a lie." She looked up and saw Jake looking right back. “Dear God! Who the hell am I?”

  Jake lifted his hand and caressed her hair. "You’re still you, Cari. You are who you are because of your life experiences, not whose genes you have. Sure, genes are the basis, but it is the people who raise you, day in and out that truly determine who you become. So, Edward is just as much your father now as he ever was. And granted, we don't know what is going on, but if your mother has been involved with another man, your father has probably been aware of it. He is a man, honey, and I'm sure he has needs."

  Cari blushed, but acknowledged the truth of his words. "I can't go on living a lie, Jake. I don't see how I can face my mother and Uncle Sal…or my father. I guess I just need to leave…"

  Jake shook his head. "Let's go to bed. You are exhausted, and probably starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. In the morning, things will seem much clearer." He paused, smiling. “I just hope you don’t end up with one hell of a hangover.”