Cont'd

She began leading Josie to the stairs overriding the other woman's half-hearted protests. "It will be all right, Josie," Amanda promised. "In the morning we can try to figure out what's best for the baby. Right now you need to rest."

Smiling wearily at Amanda, Josie said, "Thank you, Amanda. I'm just too tired to argue with you any more."

"Just one thing, Josie," Amanda said her voice tightening just a bit.

"Anything. Anything at all."

"Give me this one night with Cameron. No more interruptions."

Josie grinned broadly for the first time in days. "It's the least I can do, Amanda." Glancing back over her shoulder at her brother-in-law who stood at the bottom of the stairs, she added, "You do know how lucky you are to have him, don't you?"

Looking at Cameron with loving eyes, she answered, "I know, Josie. Cameron is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I will never let him go again."

They reached to top of the stairs, and Amanda opened the door to the bedroom. A gentle, yet knowing smile crossed her lips. "Everything you want and need is in this room, Josie," she said. "Sleep well."

"Thank you, Amanda," Josie responded, the sadness returning to her eyes.

Closing the door gently behind Josie, Amanda reached down and turned the key. She gasped slightly when Cameron's arms encircled her from behind and his lips nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Have you lost your mind?" he asked.

She leaned back against his body, reveling in the feelings his touch engendered in her body--and soul. "They need this time together to work things out," she assured him.

"If they don't kill each other."

Amanda turned in his arms, sliding her arms around Cameron's neck. "They won't. Gary's no monster, and he still loves Josie. This way they have to talk to each other." Kissing him softly, she added, "Now neither one can interrupt us again."

"There is that," Cameron grinned, returning her kiss, and ignoring the loud voices erupting from the bedroom.

Wrapping his hands in her hair, Cameron's lips descended on hers with growing passion. "I love you, Amanda Cory," he vowed. "Let me show you just how much."

As their kisses grew more fervent, Cameron swept her up into his arms and carried her down the stairs, pausing only briefly to extinguish the overhead lights once again. Standing together before the fire raging in the fireplace, they each knew the love they shared burned hotter and fiercer than those simple flames. No longer in a hurry to consummate their love, the two lovers savored each touch, each kiss, stoking the passion until it flamed white hot between them, threatening to consume them both.

~*~

Josie entered the bedroom, softly illuminated by a small lamp on the nightstand beside the oversized double bed. The sheets were turned down, and she felt momentarily guilty for ousting the lovers from their bed. With a sigh of deep regret, she promised herself to apologize to them in the morning. Right now she was too exhausted to move more than a few feet.

Her feet seemed oddly drawn to the far side of the room, where she could look out the window into the frigid blackness of the night. A sprinkling of stars glittered like diamond dust on black velvet. Although beautiful to behold, the night was cold and unfeeling, much like her husband. Gary would probably never forgive her for her betrayal of their marriage vows in Boca Lynda. And she didn't blame him. After all, she'd spent endless nights since Boca Lynda asking herself why she had made love to Cameron that night on the beach. Was it only to forget the pain of losing Gary or was it something more? A desire she had suppressed until that night. A faint smile crossed her lips. Cameron was such an innocent sometimes, having no idea that she found him attractive--too attractive that night on the beach.

She sighed deeply. Somehow she had to find a way to get through to Gary, make him understand that what happened on the beach in Boca Lynda and all the lies thereafter were her fault--not Cameron's. She owed that much to Cameron who had offered all along to take the entire blame for the pregnancy. He had agreed to step aside and never acknowledge the child as his even though he obviously loved the baby and wanted to be a father to his child. Whenever she had needed to vent her frustration and fears, Cameron had been there, shouldering her fears as well as his own. Now she needed to make Gary understand what had happened on the beach that night so he could forgive his brother.

"What the hell are you doing here?" an enraged voice exclaimed.

Josie stiffened momentarily, and then her shoulders sagged again. Amanda had had her revenge. Turning slowly to face her irate husband, Josie said, "Amanda told me I could spend the night in this room. She didn't tell me you were already here." She gazed at him longingly. "I'll go."

A myriad of emotions flashed across Gary's face, but Josie was too exhausted to decipher them. "No," he said quietly. "I'll go. Maybe they have another bedroom up here that I can use."

Stepping to the door, he turned the handle and tried to push open the door. To no avail. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "They locked us in!"

Gary began hammering on the door with tightly clenched fists, shouting, "Amanda! Cameron! Let me the hell out of here!"

"They're not listening," Josie said with a sad smile. "Let it go, Gary. They'll let us out in the morning."

But Gary refused to listen, and continued pounding on the door, demanding release. Growing tired of his antics, Josie crossed the room, and grabbed his hands. "Stop it, Gary! I promised Amanda this night with Cameron, and I'm going to make sure she has it. Just let it go."

His hands dropped to his sides, but he refused to look at her. Although she was tired to the core of her soul, Josie knew she couldn't let this opportunity pass. "Gary, we should talk."

"There is nothing to talk about," he said between tightly clenched teeth. "My brother slept with you. He got you pregnant. And then the two of you lied again and again in a desperate attempt to hide your affair. Does that about cover it?"

Josie sighed, knowing that the chances of reaching Gary tonight were almost non-existent, but she had to try. "It's a little more complicated than that, Gary."

He turned to face her, anger still raging in his heart. Hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, as he fought to restrain his growing wrath. He pushed past her to the fireplace, and began throwing logs into opening. Josie recognized his actions as an attempt to channel his rage somewhere else. Somewhere where no one would get hurt physically. "Gary," she began, touching his shoulder gently.

Shrugging off her hand, he said coldly, "Don't."

Realizing that it was hopeless to even try to talk to him at this point, Josie stepped back to the window and stared out into the night. Tears streamed down her face unchecked. Gary was as cold and unforgiving as the blackest night.

"Why?" he asked suddenly. "Why did you make love to my brother?"

She continued to stare out into the darkness. "We had sex," she said. "We didn't make love. There is a difference."

"Not to me."

"Well, there is to me," she said quietly. "I wanted to pain to stop. I'd tried drowning myself, but Cameron wouldn't let me. So I turned to the only thing I knew to stop the pain--sex. It had worked in the past, I thought it would this time, too."

Gary stared at her back, rigid now as she relived the night of his supposed death. "You tried to drown yourself?"

Turning to face him, she answered, "Yeah. I did. But Cameron stopped me." A look of self-loathing crossed her face. "And how do you think I chose to show my gratitude to him for saving my life? I seduced him."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Gary said, "No."

"Believe it, Gary," she said. "I seduced Cameron, and he was in so much pain over losing Amanda that he let me." She turned to gaze into the night again. "And for those fifteen minutes of oblivion, I'm going to pay for the rest of my life. Both Cameron and I will."

Neither spoke for some time, each thinking of that night in Boca Lynda. Josie folded her hands across her stomach, just barely beginning to bulge into pregnancy. A look of wonder crossed her face. "Oh!"

"What is it?" Gary exclaimed, rushing to her side.

"The baby," she said. "It moved!" Grabbing his large hand in both of hers, she placed it against her stomach. "Did you feel it?"

A smile of awe erased to cold anger from Gary's face. "I did," he grinned. "I think we just may have a place kicker growing inside you." His smile faded. "Sorry. You and Cameron have a place kicker."

For some time they looked into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Suddenly Gary grinned a tad ruefully. At Josie's quizzical expression, he said, "I think Rachel Cory may have been right."

"Rachel?"

Gary nodded. "She was telling me about Matthew's biological father, and Mac's acceptance of the little boy who wasn't really his son. If Mac Cory could accept the son of a man he hated as his, how can I do any less? After all, Cameron is my brother, and the baby is my nephew. Flesh of my flesh in a way."

"Does this mean . . .?"

"I'm willing to try, if you are," he said, gently pulling her into his arms.

Holding him tightly, Josie said, "I am. I love you, Gary Sinclair."

"I love you, Josie," he said. "I always have, and I always will."

~*~

The sun streaming in through the windows awoke Amanda. Slowly she stretched her body sensuously, feeling sated and replete. The night had been everything she'd dreamed it would be. Cameron had proven himself to be a gentle, yet wildly imaginative lover. Whenever she had awoken during the night, he had enfolded her in his arms and flown her to paradise again. Reaching out with one hand, she sought the warmth of his body, but found nothing. The space beside her was empty, and for a moment she feared the night had only been a dream. "Cameron?" she cried out, sitting up with the coverlet clutched to her chest.

"I'm right here, Princess," he said, coming out of the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in both hands. "I thought you might need this."

"You're dressed," she said, staring at him accusatively.

Nodding to the couch beside her, he answered, "I took the liberty of finding you some clothes, too. You might want to put them on fairly quickly."

Amanda let the coverlet drop. "Or you might want to get out of yours."

Eyes hooded with passion, he said huskily, "Don't tempt me, Amanda." When she moved closer to him, he sighed and drew her into his arms. He kissed her long and hard with all the desire he'd suppressed for so long. "The tow truck will be here any time now."

"What?" she exclaimed, pulling out of his arms and grabbing the coverlet again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just did," Cameron said with a wicked grin.

Hastily pulling on the clothes Cameron had found for her, Amanda grumbled, "Why did you call them so soon?"

"Because I have no intention of making love to you on the living room floor in broad daylight with my brother and his wife locked in the bedroom upstairs," Cameron grinned a little ruefully.

Amanda cocked her head to one side. "It is awfully quiet up there, isn't it? Do you think they're all right?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Cameron replied, "Probably. Either that or they're dead."

With a shake of her head, Amanda said, "You are twisted, Sinclair." She smiled at her lover. "But I love you anyway."

"Yeah?" he asked, grinning at her, eyes darkening with passion.

Amanda nodded. "Yeah." She moved closer, until she was standing in front of him. "What are you going to do about it?"

"What do you want me to do about it?" he asked, lips mere millimeters from hers.

Although she dearly loved to spar with Cameron, she was more intent on the physical aspect of their relationship at the moment. "Shut up and kiss me."

"Thought you'd never ask," he murmured as his lips captured hers in a soul-shattering kiss filled with passion and promise. For several seconds--or minutes, it was hard to tell which--they stood locked together in a slow dance as old as time.

"Don't you two ever quit?" a deep voice asked with sardonic humor.

Springing apart guiltily, the two lovers turned to face Gary apprehensively. Amanda recovered first. "I don't plan on quitting anytime soon," she assured him, pulling Cameron's arms around her almost defiantly. With a look of innocence, she asked, "Did you sleep well?"

Gary slid his arms around his wife. "Just fine, thank you," he smiled broadly.

"Good," Amanda said. "I was hoping you would."

The smile Josie wore on her face told Amanda that her plan had worked to perfection. Josie and Gary were at least talking again--and probably much, much more. She only hoped that some of the benefits of their reconciliation spilled over Cameron's way. He needed his big brother's love and forgiveness so desperately. Cameron's fear and wariness was palpable through their connection--both physical and spiritual.

"Josie is going to give me a ride back to Bay City," Gary said, moving slowly toward the door. "Just have the tow truck take the car to Walker's Garage, would you?"

"Sure," Amanda replied, when Cameron said nothing.

As they neared the door, Gary turned back to face them. "Tomorrow morning. Nine a.m. sharp, Bro."

"What?" Cameron stuttered.

"Gary!" Josie exclaimed. "Give Cameron and Amanda a few days together at least before you drag him back to work." Her eyes burned with love for her husband. "If I recall, neither of us was much use for over a week when we finally got started."

"But I need him tomorrow," Gary said with a slight frown. Then his eyelid dropped in a slow deliberate wink. "How does Monday sound, Little Brother?"

Cameron stood for a moment, unable to think let alone talk. "Gary?" he asked finally.

Taking pity on Cameron, Gary said, "We've got lots of things to work through, Cam. I know that. But you're my brother, and I need you in my life."

After swallowing hard, Cameron said in a choked voice, "Me, too, Gar." His arms tightened around Amanda. "I'll be there Monday."

Amanda and Josie shared a knowing glance, and Amanda was taken aback by the warmth of Josie's smile. Always before Josie had seemed to look down on her somehow or through her, but now they seemed to share a bond of some sort. And then she understood. Love for the Sinclair brothers had forged a bond between them. The brothers were on their way to becoming a family, and it would behoove their mates to at least be friends. Returning Josie's smile, Amanda asked, "How does dinner Friday night at the Harbor Club sound to you? Can you make it?"

Seeming to recognize the gesture as an outstretched hand of friendship, Josie answered, "We'd love to." With a rueful smile, she added, "Maybe I'll actually be able to eat something this time."

Amanda laughed with real humor at Josie's droll expression. "I look forward to it, Josie. I really do."

This time the two brothers exchanged a look. "I'm getting Josie out of here, before this gets any more sentimental," Gary said.

"Really," Cameron teased. "It almost sounds like a soap opera in here."

"Men!" Amanda and Josie exclaimed in unison.

After seeing Gary and Josie off, Amanda turned to look at Cameron, who stood staring into the fireplace, where embers still smoldered. From his expression, Amanda could tell that events had happened too quickly for him to completely comprehend. But he would eventually.

Standing behind him with her arms around his chest, she said, "Quite a morning."

"You could say that," he answered, fingers toying with the ring on her finger. Turning to face her, his eyes smoldering with rising passion, he said huskily, "It was quite a night, too."

"Just the first of many," Amanda assured him, arms sliding around his shoulders. "I'm rather looking forward to the afternoon as well." She kissed him. Raising her eyes to meet his, she murmured, "When does your promise run out?"

Lips nuzzling the side of her neck, he asked, "Promise? Which promise would that be?"

"That you're mine to command."

"Never," he said with a smile. "Lifetime guarantee."

She sighed with growing desire. "Love me, Cameron," she commanded, tilting her head backward to accommodate his lips.

Sweeping her up into his arms, Cameron moved to the stairs and began climbing upward, pausing on each step to continue his gentle assault on Amanda's senses. "Yes, Ms. Cory," he complied, kissing her slightly parted lips. "Whatever you want, Ms. Cory. From now until the end of time, Ms. Cory."

THE END

By Vicki