Forever in My Heart Read online

  He’d removed his shirt and lay on the floor doing sit-ups. Not plain sit-ups, but complicated ones with his legs up while he twisted side to side. The muscles in his stomach were taut and rippled, just as she’d imagined. The sight of him shirtless left her heart pounding and her forgetting her own name.

  “Jamie, I’m sorry.”

  He ignored her and kept up his vigorous workout.

  She stepped closer and spoke louder. “You were right. It was a mean thing to say, and I was wrong. I don’t know why I said it other than from habit. I know you weren’t responsible for anything that happened between your brothers and my family.”

  He continued to ignore her, now flipping onto his stomach and starting a fast and intense series of push-ups. Bulging muscles worked hard as he pumped up and down with rigorous velocity. How could he make all those iterations seem so effortless? She considered herself fit, but he was an exercise machine.

  “I apologized. The least you could do is acknowledge it.”

  He didn’t, the jerk. She stomped past him to gather the clothes she planned to change into for the party. She guessed they were back to being mad at each other, which was fine because it was easier to be mad than face the growing attraction she had for him.

  ****

  Jamie stepped back into the apartment when Vicky headed downstairs. After she stormed into the bathroom, he’d sought solitude on the fire escape. He hadn’t intended to ignore her apology but chose to, wanting her to understand the full impact of how her words offended him.

  And they had.

  She’d defended him the day crazy Kate had attacked him. So it surprised him when Vicky threw his brother’s transgressions against him. Things had been changing between them, and he believed she saw him in a new light—hopefully one she liked. But after her harsh words, he was confused more than ever.

  Grabbing a towel, he went into the bathroom. It smelled of Vicky’s perfume and made him wish for things he didn’t have a right to want—her.

  He showered and shaved. All he had on his agenda for the day was stopping by to see his father—not something he was in a rush to do. Although his father had been slightly better about picking up after himself, Jamie hired a woman to come in once a week and do light cleaning and wash. His father could afford it, so why the hell not?

  With a towel secured around his waist, Jamie headed toward the main room and stopped short when he saw Vicky in the kitchen. Her back was to him allowing the opportunity to pan his gaze over her sexy body. She wore a short blue and white floral sundress, her hair in a messy twist. She turned suddenly, probably having sensed him staring.

  “I’m sorry. I forgot something. I’ll be out of your way in a sec,” she fumbled.

  “It’s your place. Don’t stay away on account of me.”

  He moved into the kitchen, smiling when she spun away to thumb through papers on the counter. She was nervous. How interesting and very unlike Vicky.

  “Apology accepted,” he said walking up behind her.

  She swiveled, then took a step back, but there was nowhere to go except pressed against the counter and she bumped into it. “Oh, um, thanks.”

  A few strands of hair escaped and fell along her cheek. She wore makeup, and while she didn’t need any, the slight bit enhanced her beautiful face.

  “We’re okay, then?” she asked.

  “I don’t want to fight anymore, Vick.”

  “Me either.” She faced the counter.

  He should have walked away, but found himself stepping closer to her, placing his hands on her waist. She jumped, much to his dismay. “Not when there are so many better things we could be doing.”

  He lowered his head and pressed a light kiss on the top of her arm, continuing up to her shoulder. She smelled and tasted wonderful…a floral scent he didn’t recognize.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered, sliding his hands up her sides.

  She stilled, and the air between them crackled.

  “Thanks.”

  Her voice was husky and a little breathless like it got when she was aroused. Good, because he was definitely aroused.

  With her hair up, her neck was exposed and very tempting for his wandering mouth.

  “You promised to keep your hands to yourself,” she murmured.

  “I’m tired of keeping my hands to myself…I want you.”

  She let out a nervous laugh. “I’d say that’s pretty obvious based on what’s pressed into my back.”

  Only a towel stood between them, and the thick cotton was no match for his enormous erection. Her eyes widened when he turned her to face him. He wanted to devour her, to lift her onto the counter and thrust into her heat. It could have been so easy. But, he didn’t want her like that after all these years. After the build-up of almost a decade of fantasies, he wanted her slowly. More importantly, he wanted her to be sure. And despite the desire mirrored in her eyes, he saw the shadow of uncertainty.

  So he took his time. Lowering his head, he rubbed his lips against hers, pleased when they parted easily with only the slightest of pressure. Ever so lightly he kissed her, loving the taste of their tangled tongues. Her sounds of approval practically undid him, and he walked a fine line between control and total meltdown.

  Her hands explored his chest, his back, pulling him closer. He rubbed his arousal against her, and she pressed into him, causing him to moan in her mouth. Finding the zipper at the back of her dress, he unzipped it enough to slide the straps off her shoulder. Her bra was white satin and pushed up her chest into a tantalizing cleavage.

  With a groan, he nestled his face between them before reaching up and flicking open the clasp in the front. Her breasts spilled into his hands, and he relished their fullness before taking a taut nipple into his mouth. She sucked in her breath and kneaded his shoulders all the while pulling him closer.

  He kissed his way up her throat and along her neck, pausing below her ear, hoping it still drove her crazy the way he remembered. It did, and she lowered her hands to where the towel was secured at his waist. One yank and it would be on the floor.

  From a distance, he was aware of a noise.

  “Hey, Vick, your mom called to find out what was taking you so—oh, shit,” came the voice of Lucy as she stopped short after bursting through the door.

  Vicky jerked away, pulling her bra across her exposed breasts. “Doesn’t anyone know how to freaking knock or use the phone?”

  “Yeah…sorry. Well, um…I’ll tell your mom you’ve been delayed. Bye.” Lucy spun on her heel and took off.

  “Does the whole world need to see my breasts?”

  “Be grateful Tristan wasn’t behind her.”

  She leaned her forehead against his. “Oh, God. What are we doing?”

  He kissed her, trying to recapture the passion that had evaporated with Lucy’s grand entrance.

  “We’re doing what feels right. What is right,” he said.

  She put her hands on his shoulders. “Please…this is too much, too fast. I’m not ready for this, yet.”

  Yet, not never.

  “You seemed ready a few minutes ago.”

  She fastened her bra and pulled her dress up onto her shoulders. “It’s like I told you before, there’s more to us than what we’re feeling. My family is a huge obstacle.”

  No kidding.

  “I understand. But don’t you think it’s unfair of them to judge me, to judge us together before they’ve gotten to know me. They knew the punk kid I was. That’s not who I am now. Give me a chance to prove to your family I’m not like my brothers and that we’re good together.”

  “I’m not sure. This is so confusing.”

  “Okay. Just don’t tell me you won’t ever be ready for it.”

  She sighed. “I’d be lying if I said that.”

  He smiled and though still aroused and wanting her so much that his entire body vibrated, he stepped back but kept his hands on her waist.

  “Tell me what you want, but please don’t shu
t me out.”

  He could see the war in her—the woman fighting for what her heart wanted versus what was expected of her.

  She tilted her head back. “May God not strike me down for what I’m about to say. How would you like to go to a birthday party?”

  ****

  Vicky felt nauseated. Bringing Jamie to her nephew’s birthday party was probably the stupidest thing she’d ever done. In the car, her mother’s only comment was that her sister was going to give her a hard time. Carmen greeted Jamie and asked after his parents but wasn’t her normal chatty self. But it was Kate’s reaction that stung. If the looks she kept flashing Vicky could kill, she’d have been dead about a hundred times by now.

  The party was being held on the grounds outside the orphanage, and a huge tent had been erected with tables and chairs for the guests. She went to where drinks were set up, annoyed they were only serving nonalcoholic beverages. She needed something to calm her nerves.

  “Where’s your date?” Edward asked, stepping up beside her.

  Her brother-in-law was impeccably dressed, as usual. Although Vicky had seen him in jeans and a sweatshirt, mostly Edward wore stylish and expensive clothes. This was not a man who bought pants from a discount department store. Even his jeans were designer. Today, he wore black slacks with a cream silk shirt Vicky was sure cost more than all the clothes in her closet.

  “He ran home to check on his father, and then he’ll be back. Contrary to what everyone thinks, I hadn’t planned on bringing him. It was a spur of the moment decision.”

  “I see.”

  Why did it always seem he could see through her bullshit to what she wasn’t saying? It was a rather annoying trait that left her feeling vulnerable—something she hated.

  “There’s nothing to see.”

  Edward studied her, and a faint blush crept up her neck.

  “You decided to give him a chance,” he said.

  She was going to deny it, but that would have been stupid. It was time she stop ignoring her feelings for Jamie, despite how her family felt about him.

  “I did.” She lifted her eyes, defiance on her face. “I guess you have a problem with that, too?”

  “Actually, as long as he treats you appropriately and doesn’t try to rape or kill you, I don’t have a problem at all,” Edward deadpanned.

  She relaxed her shoulders a little. “He’s a good guy.”

  “I believe you.”

  “What does my sister think of that?”

  A crease wrinkled his forehead. “It’s a bit of a touchy subject.”

  “You’re fighting about it?”

  He rubbed behind his neck. “I wouldn’t call it a fight, exactly. It’s more of a heated discussion.”

  “I’m sure. One that involves Kate waving her arms, yelling, and swearing a lot, right?”

  “You know her well.” He gave her a crooked smile.

  Very well. A tantrum from her sister was not an event one easily forgot. “Dammit, Edward. I don’t want the two of you fighting over this. I won’t be offended if you side with my family.”

  “It’s not our first row, and it won’t be our last. I won’t hold back my opinion because it will upset her. Don’t they say arguing makes for a healthy relationship?”

  If so, then her relationship with Kate was very healthy. Over the years, they’d had their share of heated arguments. Kate always had a clear direction about what she wanted in life—in both her career and her love life. Vicky struggled to figure out what she wanted to do. Kate thought it was because Vicky lacked ambition, but nothing could be further from the truth. It just took her longer to get there. Neither of their attempts at marriage worked out, so in that respect, they were similar.

  Things had gotten better late last year when Kate had started dating Edward, but this whole mess put her and her sister back in opposite corners. And while Kate was vocal about her feelings, Vicky tended to retreat into her own private world rather than stand up to her. But she was tired of being that person, so if Kate wanted a fight, she’d give her one.

  “Tell me how business is coming along,” Edward said.

  Vicky smiled. “It’s wonderful. We’re packed every day plus there are all the orders I’ve gotten for cupcakes and birthday cakes.”

  “I’m glad it’s doing well.”

  “I’m having some work done in it now. Jamie and his partner, Tristan, are replacing the floors and painting. They’re going to create an area where I can have semi-private parties. I was also thinking of having a cake decorating class where kids would come in for a demonstration and then practice on either a cupcake or small cake.”

  “An interesting idea. If you wanted, you could even teach adults. That could be very prosperous.”

  “As long as it doesn’t stop people from buying my cakes,” Vicky added with a laugh.

  She looked at her watch and wondered what was taking Jamie so long. After finding the nerve to bring him to a family function, the worst thing would be for him to wimp out and ditch her.

  “I believe your date has arrived,” Edward said and taking her elbow, steered her toward where Jamie had just entered. “Come and introduce me. I want to see for myself what all the fuss is about.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jamie stood on the patio, clasping a hastily wrapped package, and scanned the crowd for Vicky. All he could see were kids of an assortment of ages running all over the yard. Adults lounged at tables under a tent, and he could feel their eyes examining him. He shouldn’t have allowed Vicky to persuade him to come here. Asking him had been a big risk on her part, and he couldn’t bear saying no, especially if he wanted to get into good graces with her family—assuming he could.

  Across the room, Vicky walked beside a tall, attractive man, and they were headed his way. The man was stylishly dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, and Jamie was glad he’d taken another few minutes to change out of his jeans and T-shirt into khakis and a navy polo shirt.

  “You made it back,” she said when he approached.

  Anxiety filled her voice and made him want to clasp her hand. Knowing what her family thought of him, he didn’t. Rather, he smiled and hoped it would be enough to reassure her.

  “Sorry I took a little longer. After I checked on Pop, I made a pit stop.” He held up the present. “I figured your sister would hopefully be less likely to toss me out if I brought a gift.”

  The man beside Vicky laughed. “If I know my wife, a gift is no guarantee you won’t get kicked out.” He held out his hand. “Edward Weston.”

  Great. Now he’d insulted Vicky’s British brother-in-law.

  He gripped the other man’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Jamie DiSilva, although I’m sure you’ve figured that out by the glances of death being sent my way.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you and see for myself you don’t have horns or fangs the way Kate and the others made it sound,” Edward said.

  Although his speech was formal, there was a teasing to it, and Jamie relaxed his shoulders a bit.

  “How’s your dad?” Vicky asked.

  Jamie shrugged. “All the man does is putter around the house. He meets a few of his old pals, and they go to the racetrack a couple times a week. The rest of the time he watches TV and does crossword puzzles. I think he misses my mom, not that he’ll admit it.”

  “Where’s your mother?” Edward asked.

  “She’s in rehab. After my dad’s heart attack a few weeks ago, I convinced her to get help for alcohol addiction.”

  “How’s she taking to the program?” Vicky asked.

  “Better than I expected. She hasn’t skipped out and from what the doctors tell me, she’s doing wonderfully. I think she wants to stay another month, though.”

  “I’ve had several friends go through rehab. From what they’ve told me, it’s difficult to return to their regular routine after being isolated for weeks. She’ll need a lot of support when she’s home,” Edward said.

  “The problem is the
only people she has are me and my father. There’s some family, but they live in Florida.”

  “How about friends?” Edward asked.

  Vicky winced.

  “She’s been estranged from her friends for a while,” Jamie said.

  “I see,” Edward said, and something in the way he said it made Jamie think he really did.

  “Why don’t I show you where to put the gift, and we can get something to drink,” Vicky said.

  “How about you take the gift to the table, and I’ll get Jamie a drink,” Edward offered.

  Jamie caught the questioning look Vicky shot her brother-in-law.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “It will give me a chance to get to know your mate, here.”

  Vicky reached for the box. “I’ll be right back.” She narrowed her eyes at Edward. “Don’t pester him with questions.”

  As she walked away, Jamie couldn’t help notice the way her dress hugged her ass.

  He looked away quickly. He was on thin enough ice with Vicky’s family. The last think he needed was her family catching him ogling her, despite her fine ass.

  “Come,” Edward called and led them to a small table on the opposite side of the patio that held cups and a variety of soda and other beverages.

  “I appreciate the offer, but you don’t have to babysit me until Vicky returns. I don’t want you to get grief for talking with me.”

  “I can handle any grief my wife tosses my way. We often don’t see situations similarly.”

  Jamie raised an eyebrow. “That must make for an interesting marriage.”

  Edward laughed. “Oh, it does. Kate is passionate, especially in matters concerning her family. She’ll do anything to protect them.”

  “I’m not a threat to her family.” Jamie grabbed a plastic cup, added ice, and poured a cola.

  “I was in a similar position as you a few months ago. Kate didn’t trust me, got fired up every time she was near me.”

  “What changed her mind about you?”

  “Your brother.”

  “What?”

  “When Sal started threatening Kate, I was there to support her. I’d almost go as far as to say he was instrumental in us getting together.”