Family Secrets Read online

  Cari frowned and then nodded her head in agreement. Together they went upstairs and within a short time of lying down, she was sound asleep.

  Chapter 7

  Twice that night Cari awoke. She eased the covers aside and began caressing Jake into arousal. She saw the surprise and desire on his face as she moved and literally climbed atop him. It took her a little bit to figure things out, but once she did, it was a hot, sexy ride for them both. She was surprised at her blatant needs and sexuality. She wanted to feel more than that she just existed. When Jake was deep inside her, she felt the pulsing of his manhood and seemed to only then be truly alive, vibrant and a part of life!

  It was just past dawn when she awoke again and slid silently from the bed. She walked into the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the light. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her long hair fell in disarray over her shoulders and concealed most of her breasts. She moved her hair back behind her shoulders and looked at her full breasts. She had always thought they were too large for her short stature. She turned to the side and looked at her profile. She realized with surprise that she had lost weight over the last couple of weeks. She guessed that stress was good for at least one thing, and laughed to herself softly.

  Her eyes moved to her belly. It was still slightly rounded, going flat if she tightened her muscles, giving no indication of the life that was growing inside her. In a few weeks, the day of the wedding, she would probably have a bigger curve to her belly that everyone would put down to her usual ups and downs with weight. She should probably make sure the dress was loose enough…

  Cari stopped abruptly as she realized what she was thinking. She moved over and sat down on the closed toilet. She couldn't possibly be considering marrying Tony, after everything that had happened! She let her head drop forward into her hands. Obviously, she was going crazy. That could be the only explanation. She moved back over to the mirror, and turned on the tap of the sink there. She splashed some cold water on her face. As she lifted back up and looked at her reflection, the idea came to her.

  Cari shivered as she looked at herself. She couldn't believe she was really considering going ahead with the ceremony. And yet, she smiled slowly, what could be better revenge against her mother, her uncle Sal and her fiancé, than to stand him up at the altar. She smoothed her hair back off her face. She could see it now…

  She was walking up the aisle in the expensive white wedding dress, and everywhere you looked were all the fabulously over-priced floral arrangements her mother had wanted. Her mother would be dressed in an outrageously expensive “mother of the bride” outfit. Sal would probably have found a way to be sitting with her mother. And her father would have walked her up the aisle, smiling at her with love. Everyone would be poised and waiting until the priest asked if anyone had a reason why this couple shouldn't be joined…then she would say, “I do.”

  Of course everyone would be flustered at first. Surely they had misheard? The acoustics in those big churches could affect how words sounded.

  The priest would probably lean forward and tell her in a concerned, yet patronizing tone, "Not yet, dear. The 'I do's' come in a few minutes."

  Cari would lift her veil and turn to Tony. “I'm not sure that it matters, but I've been having an affair just like everyone else in this crazy family. And the real kicker is that I am pregnant with my lover’s baby.”

  Cari smiled, imagining her mother screaming somewhere behind her, and all the people gasping in surprise. Her mother would be so embarrassed that all of her friends had witnessed this public scandal. Perhaps she would turn and look at her uncle Sal and say loudly, "Thanks for paying for this entire shindig Daddy, just sorry I can't marry your choice. I don't think Tony really wants to raise another man's child as his own. Although you probably wouldn't mind. Just knowing that it was still your grandchild is probably all that counts with you. I almost forgot how 'big' you are on family."

  Cari turned suddenly as the bathroom door opened. Jake was standing there, pushing the hair back off his forehead. "Were you talking to yourself, Cari?” Jake asked her softly.

  Cari flushed, wondering if he had been able to hear what she had said. "I guess I was.” She turned towards the shower. "I was just going to get cleaned up.” She reached in and turned on the water, taking a few seconds to adjust it.

  Jake nodded. "I'll join you after I use the bathroom.” He moved forward, and then paused. "Uh, I guess I should ask if you would prefer…"

  Cari blushed, understanding what he was saying. She mumbled that it was okay, and darted into the large shower. She kept her eyes closed and let the water cascade over her head and body. A few moments later, she heard the door open and felt Jake's body heat as he neared her. His hands slid over her hair, tracing its wet silky length down to the middle of her back. From there he slid them forward, around her waist. Cari was pulled back to lie against him and felt his hardness press against her soft ass cheeks. She didn't suppress her need to rub against him.

  Jake slid his hands upwards to cup her firm, full breasts. He massaged the large globes while he pressing his hard cock between her cheeks. "I am so hot and horny for you right now, Cari…"

  Cari didn’t resist him as he moved her.

  His voice sounded husky as he requested, “Lean forward, honey. Just cross your arms and rest your head on them.”

  With her lower body about two feet from the tile, Cari felt her full breasts fall forward. Jake pressed against her, moving her feet further apart. Breathing rapidly, she felt his manhood pressing forward against her soft womanly flesh.

  One of Jake’s hands moved down her belly and a moment later Cari felt his fingers probing between her pussy lips. The first touch of his finger on her clit and her hips jerked forward. As his finger worked her tender flesh, Cari felt his hard manhood pressing forward. When she felt her wetness seeping out over her lips and across his fingers, Jake groaned loudly.

  His fingers sped up the intoxicating seduction of her body. Cari couldn’t control her hips jerking forward and back a few moments later as her climax washed through her body and her senses. Without pause, Jake entered her body. As his hard cock moved into her, his hands moved back up to cup and squeeze her hanging breasts.

  “Oh my God! Jake!” Cari cried out loudly when he began matching his squeezes to the thrusts of his hips. After a few moments though, he deserted one breast and slid his hand down to her clit.

  Cari cried out again as he manipulated her tender flesh so surely and confidently. The water of the shower was drowning out the slurping noises of his cock sliding in and out of her body. Jake moved his other hand back and caressed her hips, buttocks and thigh on that side. Cari quivered under his seductive and arousing touches. She could feel him nearing his climax, as his thrusts were growing faster and shorter.

  Suddenly Jake moved his fingers more intently on her clit and stimulated her quickly to another climactic completion. As her body was caught in another orgasm, her inner muscle clenching with rhythmic spasms, he came deep inside her, shooting his cum high into her belly. For a long time it seemed, his body stayed buried within her, but finally they parted.

  Jake turned off the water and wrapped her in a big towel. He briskly dried himself as Cari toweled herself off. They walked back into the bedroom, and lay silently beside each other on his large mussed bed. Cari started to roll onto her side, away from him, when Jake reached out and pulled her backwards to rest against his body, spoon fashion.

  She was glad to feel his arm snaking around to hold her in place. He pressed against her, letting her soft, round buttocks cushion his own harder hips and now softened manly rod. When Jake slid his hand down and pressed against her belly, Cari’s breath caught in her chest. Their bodies couldn’t have been any closer, except when they were joined. Soon she felt the relaxing of Jake’s body and knew he was asleep.

  Cari lay quietly against his warm body for a long time, listening to his soft snores, and feeling the rise and fall of his chest with h
is breathing. When she was quiet and warm like this, she felt so incredibly safe and protected with Jake. She knew that he had no way of knowing that his hand was resting over the tiny body of his baby.

  The thought of telling him made her shiver in reaction. She had no idea how in the world to even begin to tell him such a thing. She didn't think she could go to the library and find anything of help under 'Miss Manners,' or something similar. And she couldn't go to her mother for help. Eventually, Cari relaxed and drifted off to sleep, completely forgetting her troubles as she dreamt of a lovely field where Jake was setting out a picnic lunch for them.

  Chapter 8

  Jake awoke slowly from a warm, pleasant dream in which he was making love to Cari. He rolled over, his arm reaching out towards her side of the bed. His arm fell onto the empty sheets and the next moment his eyes jerked open in surprise. He sat up abruptly, looking around the room, but there was no sign of her. Jake told himself that she wouldn’t have left without telling like the last time, if for no other reason than the fact that she didn’t have a car.

  He swung his legs out of the bed, grabbing his silk robe as he started jogging out of the bedroom. He barreled down the main stairs, calling out for John and Mary as he rounded the corner towards the kitchen. All the way, Jake was struck by the sick feeling he’d gotten when he thought Cari might have left him again. He shoved open the kitchen door and slid to an abrupt halt.

  Mary and John were turned towards the door expectantly, as if they had known he would be coming through it any second. He assumed it must have been the racket he made running down the stairs moments earlier. Before he could ask why they had not replied, he saw that Cari was standing at the stove, obviously cooking something. She was wearing one of his robes, and had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. He also noticed that Mary and John had been eating breakfast when he barged in. He flushed when they both greeted him with smiles.

  Jake signaled for them both to stay seated when they moved to rise. Before he could say anything, Cari turned from the stove and flashed him a huge smile. In that moment, wearing his clothes, her hair still mussed, Jake knew that this was something he would happily face each morning for the rest of his life.

  "Good morning, Jake! Have a seat, and pour yourself some coffee. I’m working on some more eggs here, and they will be done in just a few minutes.” She paused to share a conspiratorial wink with Mary. "I've been instructed in how you like your eggs, so hopefully you won't be disappointed."

  Jake moved to the kitchen table, sitting down. As he accepted the coffee Mary poured for him, he realized that other than the other morning, he had never before sat at his own kitchen table. The night with Cari they had used the counter to eat the meal he made. Mary always served him in the dining room, or in the smaller breakfast room, which overlooked the garden. He thanked Mary for the coffee, his eyes never leaving Cari. It was funny, sort of, but he was doing a lot of simple things with Cari. Surprising was how much he enjoyed sitting at the table like this, the four of them in the warm, sunny kitchen. Looking at Cari, they felt like a family, and Jake admitted how good this felt to him.

  "I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day!"

  Jake shook his head, realizing that Cari was speaking to him. He hurriedly glanced at his watch, surprised to see that it was after nine already. He was usually an early riser, even when he had a late night. He felt a flush steal over his cheeks, recalling the number of times that Cari had interrupted his sleep to make love to him.

  Cari turned just then and Jake was sure she saw the flush on his cheeks. She grinned at him, and Jake sensed that she liked seeing him a bit discomposed for a change. She filled a plate for him with eggs, toast and some little sausage links. After returning the pan to the stove, she returned to the table and sat down opposite him, sipping her tea. Jake was aware of her watching him devour the breakfast she had cooked.

  Jake remembered what Cari had revealed to him that night when he had cooked for her. Her cooking skills would have been close to nil, up until these morning cooking lessons with Mary. He looked up suddenly, and in between bites asked why she wasn't eating.

  Cari smiled. "I've already eaten, thank you. I've been up for awhile actually. If you hadn't come down, I was going to bang the dinner gong to get you down here!"

  John and Mary chuckled. Jake grinned widely at the thought of being awakened in such a rude manner. The household always ran so quietly and smoothly. Jake laughed a moment later, unable to resist the happy look on Cari's face. He had been quite worried about her last evening. Yet he couldn't help but wonder about the sudden change in her demeanor and outlook.

  Cari spoke, surprising the other three. “All we need is a deck of cards.”

  John and Mary looked surprised for a moment, turning to look at Jake. From the looks on their faces, Jake guessed that they were wondering what he was going to do. He frowned for a moment, wondering what she meant. Cari grinned, and Jake realized that she seemed to be relishing seeing him confused and at a loss in his own home.

  "How often do you get four people together?” Cari explained her odd statement a moment later. “We could play Euchre, or if you all are bridge fanatics, I'd be willing to learn."

  Jake laughed, seeing that things were going to be very different here with Cari around. Before he could reply, John and Mary excused themselves, saying they needed to get busy. A moment later, Cari and Jake were alone in the kitchen. Jake pushed his empty plate away, and took a sip of coffee. He took a deep breath before he told her what he had been contemplating for longer than he had really been aware of it.

  "I want you to move in here, with me, Cari."

  Cari coughed and sputtered as her tea went down the wrong way. Stunned, she looked at Jake. If she had tried to guess what he might want to say to her, after last night, this would not have been on her list.

  "Jake, I'm not sure…"

  He reached across the table, covering her hand with his. "Hear me out, Cari. We get along really well, and I think we would be incredibly good together. And while this isn't the main reason for me bringing this up now, I think you need some time away from your family. I don't understand all of what is going on, but it is obvious you’re stressed out by what is happening. And I don't like seeing you unhappy."

  Cari had been staring at his hand, holding hers on the table while he spoke. He was giving her an out, she realized with a start. She had been thinking that time away from her family, and the issues, would be the perfect solution! She didn't know if it would be fair to either of them to take it. Her life was so complicated right now, and she didn't want to use Jake that way.

  Even more important was that she didn’t want Jake thinking that was the only reason she was with him. Before speaking, she pushed the niggling thought that she was pregnant with Jake’s baby to the back of her “to deal with list.” She looked up to meet his eyes as he finished, opening her mouth to tell him it would not be fair to him. Jake stopped her by pressing a finger against her lips.

  "You don't have to make a decision right now, honey. Give it some time. Stay here for a bit and consider it a vacation."

  Cari smiled at his insistence. It was so very tempting. "I’ve never stayed in a hotel this nice before. I might not know how to act, not to mention that too much time spent with me could end up backfiring on you."

  Jake shook his head. "No way, Cari. Sometimes I take a long time to decide something, and other times, I make a snap decision. This decision feels right, as few things ever have before in my life. So let's just relax and let things happen, okay?"

  Cari savored the wonderfully warm feelings inside of her as she looked into his eyes. It was almost overwhelming, the caring and security she felt here, with Jake. In fact, not since she’d overheard her mother while she was trying on her wedding dress, had she felt so safe. All of that was before she knew that the people she trusted lied and hurt one another.

  There was no denying her naivety, despite her age. Thank God she discover
ed the truth before the wedding! Slowly, she nodded her head. There would still be some questioning of her motives, but she did know that her feelings for Jake were real and deep. And maybe, with time and luck, everything just might work out all right.

  Jake grinned, sipping his coffee. “This could be the start of a lot of new trends.”

  Cari frowned, not sure what he meant. Her heart hesitated to hope for too much. If she thought Anthony had been out of her league, it was nothing compared to Jake! She couldn’t say for sure, but she could guess that Jake was wealthier than her Uncle Sal. He also came from a higher class of people, although he didn’t act like it. Yet it was subtly obvious in the way he talked, and especially in the manner he treated other people.

  That had been one of the things that bothered her about Tony. He was always treating waitresses, waiters and almost anyone who worked in a service industry as if they were below him in some way. After all, they were just like himself and Cari, no matter how they were making a living. In fact, Cari realized, Tony was a snob and he had no business being one!

  Swallowing hard, she questioned him. “You’ve lost me, Jake.”

  “Next thing you know you’ll be making me a ‘lazy woman’s egg salad sandwich!’ After that, the sky’s the limit I should imagine.”

  Cari shook her head. It was impossible to resist the wonderful warm and caring feelings growing inside of her. With Jake, everything seemed like it really could work out. “I wouldn’t joke if I were you.”

  “I’m not joking, honey. I look forward to sampling your egg salad.”

  “Yeah! I’ll remember that the night you come home to find that I’ve cooked all the dinner, and you have no Mary to save your poor stomach.”

  Jake took the last sip of his coffee. “I’ll eat whatever you cook for me.”

  Cari felt compelled to add, “We’ll see.”

  Jake grinned back at her, lifting one eyebrow devilishly. “I look forward to seeing anything and everything you have to show me.”