What Mother Doesn't Know Read online

  Their conversation ended as they pulled up to the pier to have lunch. The seagulls flying overhead called out a greeting as Gabby stepped from the truck. She stood there with the door open and stretched her arms up over her head, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face and the slight breeze ruffling her hair. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she relaxed and listened to the crash of the waves hitting the shore.

  Rick startled her as he walked up behind her and put his hand on the small of her back. Laughing at the way she jumped, he took her hand, shut the truck door and led her out to the deck bar. “Come on. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s sit outside.”

  “That’s a great idea.” She let him lead her out to the deck, allowing herself to enjoy the feel of his hand enclosing hers. She could examine that later.

  Chapter 2

  The following weekend was a wash out. The rain was coming down so hard, it sounded like gunfire on the metal roof of the screened porch where Rick was relaxing. He loved the rain. He loved everything about it. The pitter-patter sound it made as it hit the leaves on the trees, the smell it left in its wake, and especially the fact that Sophia would use the dreary weather as an excuse to stay in bed all day.

  Speaking of his bed, he kind of missed it. He and Sophia hadn’t slept in the same bed in over a year. She didn’t even seem to notice most of the time. Rick knew he had to make a decision on when to cut ties with her soon, but he first had to make sure Gabby was away from the unhealthy, and possibly dangerous, house dynamic.

  “I thought I’d find you here.” Gabby walked out wearing hot pink yoga pants and a tight black shirt with a pink Playboy bunny displayed prominently in the center of her chest. It was almost distortedly stretched, due to her more than generous breast size. Rick tore his gaze away, but not before getting his fill.

  Jesus, she’s gorgeous. He grabbed the pillow off the porch swing he was sitting on and covered his growing erection. Patting the seat next to him, he said, “You thought right. Just enjoying the peace and quiet the rain brings. Come enjoy it with me.” Her hips seemed to sway more than usual as she walked toward him, making his cock twitch as he grew harder. When she reached the swing, she turned around and bent over to untie her shoes. Christ! If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

  “Mother still in bed?” Gabby glanced over her shoulder and caught him staring at her ass. She sat down next to him and took a peek at her watch. “Oh, never mind. Of course she is—it’s only two in the afternoon.” They shared a snarky smile and started swinging.

  “Gabby, we need to talk.” They couldn’t go on like they were. She had to notice the looks he’d been giving her. The sneak peeks, the sideways glances. Not to mention the way he would try to grab her scent as she walked by. She always smelled so fresh and clean, so unlike Sophia.

  She was fingering a strawberry blonde lock of her hair when she tilted her head in question. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” Rick took a deep breath and let it out slowly, not knowing if he should actually tell her how he felt or if it would be a colossal mistake. He needed her to understand that it was more than a physical attraction. He was pretty sure he was in love with her. “Okay, here it goes. Lately—well, a little bit longer than just lately—I’ve …” He looked away from her and kicked the floor to set them swinging again. “Well, I’ve …”

  Gabby leaned over and placed her hand on Rick’s chin to tilt his head up so that he was looking into her eyes. Eyes that made him think of kindness, comfort, home. They were warm, and such a beautiful shade of brown—like hot chocolate that had just the right amount of cream in it. “What is it, Rick? You know you can talk to me about anything. You and me, we’ve been in this together for a while now.”

  Rick knew what she meant. Sophia’s behavior gave them a common enemy. They had bonded over the past couple years and were now closer than they’d ever been. “I know, sweetheart. That’s what makes this so hard. I’d hate to do anything to ruin our relationship.”

  “You’re starting to freak me out a little here. Please, just tell me what’s wrong.”

  Rick once again pushed off from the floor, setting the swing to a speed that was too much for the old screws to handle. He heard a loud crack and looked up to see the screw on the left side of the swing come out. It happened so quickly he had no time to react. He slid toward Gabby before crashing to the ground on top of her. “Oh my God! Are you okay, Gabby?”

  He felt her body shaking and was scared to death that she had hit her head and was having a seizure or was crying because she was seriously hurt. “Gabriella! Are you okay? Honey, answer me.” He gently turned her face up to him. She was laughing! Rick wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh with her or throttle her.

  “I’m fine.” She shifted her hips, which firmly embedded him between her legs. “Are you okay?”

  He knew he should get up immediately. There was no space between them. They were touching from head to toe. Any second now she was going to feel his cock pushing against the juncture of her thighs. Just the thought made him involuntarily grind himself into her, and he let out a low moan. The pressure of her breasts pressing into his chest was almost his undoing. Through clenched teeth, he said, “It depends on what you mean by okay.” He placed his hands on the floor on either side of her head and started to push himself up.

  Gabby’s hand shot up and wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him back down onto her. With a smile, she wiggled her hips and pushed up against him, telling him without words that she did indeed feel his hard cock pressing into her—and she liked it. She licked her lips in clear invitation, letting Rick make the next move.

  Rick’s insides were so tight with tension, he thought he might vomit. He wanted her so badly. So, so badly. The way her body cradled his was like a piece of artwork—they fit together like a sculpture. But it was wrong. There were some things you just didn’t do, and having sex with your stepdaughter had to be near the top of that list. In the end, his body won out over his conscience, and he lowered his lips to hers.

  At the very second their lips made contact, the other screw gave way, and the swing came crashing down with a resounding thud, causing them both to jump.

  Neither one of them said a word. They continued to stare at each other, Rick still lying on top of her, until Sophia came in, screeching to a halt, mere centimeters from Gabby’s head.

  “What the fuck happened to the porch swing?” Sophia looked down at her husband and daughter. Rick saw the fury in her eyes and struggled to get up. He didn’t trust her not to hurt Gabby while she was trapped beneath him.

  “What the fuck are you doing to my daughter, you pervert?” Her words were slurred, but her meaning was clear. Sophia may not want him anymore, but she certainly wasn’t going to share him with her daughter, of all people. “Jesus, look at you two.”

  Rick finally set himself in motion and got up off the floor, pulling Gabby with him.

  “Mother, what are you talking about? We were sitting on the swing and it broke.” She gestured up at the ceiling where two gaping holes now existed. “We fell when the first side came down.”

  The hand that Sophia sloppily ran over her face, trying to clear the fog from her mind, looked none too steady. She walked over to Rick and grabbed the noticeable bulge in his pants. “That doesn’t explain why my husband is hard as a rock. You two been fucking behind my back?”

  “Sophia! That’s enough. Go back to bed and sleep it off, will ya?” Rick slapped her hand away and pointed to the door. “Go.”

  Undaunted by his actions, she put her hand right back on him and caressed him through his jeans while looking Gabby directly in the eye, even as she spoke to Rick. “Why don’t you go with me, Rick? It’s been so long, and my vibrator needs new batteries.”

  Rick pushed away from her and shuffled closer to Gabby. “No, Sophia. You disgust me. I won’t ever share your bed again, you know that. Just go.”

  She ma
de a grand exit by picking up a small potted plant and throwing it at him. Rick ducked and watched it sail past his head, landing on the broken swing. “You better not be fucking my husband, bitch. I know people. You don’t want to cross me.”

  “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you as a mother.” Gabby’s statement fell on deaf ears as Sophia was already walking out of the room.

  Gabby turned to Rick, her eyebrows raised. “Remind me again why I still live here?”

  “Just six more months, sweetheart.”

  “You want to talk about …?” She gestured at the floor where they were laying together just moments before.

  “Nope. I really don’t want to do that right now. Let me clean up this mess.”

  “Okay.” Gabby walked over to him, grabbed his face, and kissed him. It wasn’t a romantic kiss, it wasn’t a particularly hot kiss, it wasn’t a lover’s kiss, but it wasn’t quite an innocent kiss. “Thanks for saving me from the swing.” She walked out the same way she’d walked in. With an extra swing in those sexy as hell hips.

  Chapter 3

  Rick spent hours in his workshop working on the broken porch swing. He wasn’t exactly avoiding Gabby, but he didn’t precisely follow his normal Saturday routine either. Instead of cleaning a room or two or doing a couple of loads of laundry—because God knew Sophia didn’t do any of that anymore—he kept himself busy and out of the house. When he finally did go back inside, a bit past six, he intended to get a shower and read a book, but the smells coming from the kitchen had him walking in that direction.

  “Rick? Is that you?” Gabby called to him from the kitchen. “You hungry?”

  Fuck yeah, I’m hungry. But it’s not food I want. The mirror on the wall seemed to mock him, calling him all kinds a fool. “Shut up,” he snapped at his reflection. Against his better judgment, he allowed his feet to carry him into the kitchen—and stopped dead in his tracks.

  “What are you wearing?”

  Gabby stopped stirring whatever was in the pot on the stove and peeked up at him through her lashes. “Huh?” She ran her hands over her skin tight blue jeans. She knew their painted-on look accentuated her curves, along with the bright red top she wore. It was snug and very low cut. There was a tiny, black bow at the center of the v the low cut created. Bless that bow—it drew his attention directly to her gorgeous breasts, which were in danger of completely spilling out. Top all of that deliciousness off with her creamy, smooth skin that flashed him with each miniscule lift of her arms, and he was a goner. She was so fucking hot.

  “Uh huh.” He visibly swallowed, trying to get the sudden lump in his throat to go away. “Are you, ah, going out?”

  “Nope.” She went back to stirring her pot without another word.

  “Gabby.” Before she could turn back around, he was behind her, pulling her back to his front. “You know we can’t do this.” He said the words even as he was pulling her hair back to nuzzle her neck. And she gave a soft moan.

  “Why? Why can’t we do this?” She dropped the spoon in the pot, all pretense gone, and reached behind her to pull him closer, feeling his cock riding the seam of her ass. “I know you feel it, too, Rick. I see the way you look at me.”

  “Fuck, Gabby. We just can’t. It’s so wrong. What about your mother?”

  “What Mother doesn’t know …”

  Against his better judgment, he let his hands roam up her body to cup her perfect breasts. Too much for one handful—precisely how he liked them. He pulled her top open, just a tad and was rewarded when one of her nipples popped out. “Oh God. You’re breasts are beautiful.” He gently pinched the tight bud, earning him a gasp of delight.

  Gabby leaned her head back against him and thrust her breast more fully into his hand. “Yes, Rick. Do that again.”

  He was about to free her other breast when he abruptly came to his senses. What the fuck am I doing? Rick pushed her away and left the room, his heavy boots pounding loudly with each hurried step.

  Gabby followed him through the house to the main bathroom. Standing with her forehead to the door, she knocked lightly. “Rick, let me in. I’m sorry.”

  Rick splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm himself. “It’s my fault, Gabby. Just—just give me a minute, will you?” He waited until he heard her retreating footsteps before opening the door. He had to get out of there for a while.

  ***

  The overhead lamp in the garage cast just enough light to reflect off the pipes of his Harley. He hadn’t ridden in so long, he wasn’t sure if she would even start. When Sophia started with her shit, he stuck close to home, giving up things that he enjoyed doing—like riding his bike. But since she was passed out in the house, he felt it was safe to leave Gabby there alone for a while. He just had to get away for a minute or two. Rain be damned.

  Flicking a switch and rolling the throttle resulted in a satisfying roar as the Fat Boy came to life. Rick pulled on his helmet, leather jacket, and gloves before he backed out of the garage into the rain.

  Gliding carefully down the wet hills gave him some much needed time to think about what the hell he was doing. Or not doing. Was it really so bad? Was he only attracted to her so desperately because she was forbidden fruit, or did he truly have feelings for her as much as he thought? He needed to figure out the answers to those questions.

  ***

  Back at the house, Gabby sat on her bed, dumbfounded. Why had Rick rejected her? It couldn’t be about her mother, could it? Neither of them could tolerate Sophia anymore. They had both tried to bring her around for over a year, and it seemed like the more time went on, the worse she got. Their attempts to reach the old Sophia had failed, and there came a time when you had to take care of yourself. Gabby had shed more than enough tears over the loss of the mother she once knew. Now she just wanted to be done with her.

  Her phone beckoned to her from the table next to her bed. Gabby looked at the clock and decided a call to Marcy was in order. It was an emergency of sorts, and she needed to talk to someone.

  “Hello?” It was obvious from her soft, confused tone that Gabby had woke her up.

  “Hi Marce. I’m so sorry. I woke you up?”

  “Huh? Gab?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  Marcy’s voice held concern, as she asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong? Why do you think something’s wrong?” Gabby knew she was stalling. She did need someone to talk to, but she felt ashamed of her feelings for Rick, which in turn, made her angry. Why should she be ashamed?

  Marcy remained silent, waiting for Gabby to tell her why she was calling.

  “Okay, so I guess there is something I wanted to talk to you about. But it’s kind of—I don’t know—wrong, maybe? Can you listen with an open mind?”

  “Jeez, of course, Gabby. You’re my best friend. I don’t judge you.”

  “Well, it’s about Rick.” She waited to see if her friend would jump in, but she was met with silence again. “Uh, well it seems like we have an, um, attraction to each other.” Gabby leaned forward and put her hand on her forehead, elbow resting on her knee as she waited with bated breath for Marcy’s reaction. More silence. “Marcy, say something!”

  “What do you want me to say? I’m not surprised.”

  “You’re not? Wow. I was certainly surprised. It’s just been lately, well, maybe the last six months or so, I’ve felt these things toward him. I thought maybe it was a schoolgirl crush, or because he saved me from Mother’s friend, but it hasn’t gone away. And now, I fantasize about him. Oh, God, do I ever.”

  “Gab, right before I left I saw Rick looking at you like you’re not only the whipped cream, but the cherry on top. And he wants to devour every inch of you. Know what I mean?”

  “What? Are you serious? Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”

  “I figured if you knew, you didn’t want to talk about it or you would have said something then, and if you didn’t know, I wasn’t sure if I should mention it. I mean … he
’s like your father, right? Plus, I wasn’t even sure that he realized he was looking at you that way.”

  “Yeah, see, that’s just it. I don’t see him as a father anymore—at all.” It seemed like he’d always taken care of her, from the day he moved in with them, but she definitely did not feel fatherly affection for him now. She wanted him to rip her clothes off and teach her how sex was supposed to feel; her previous encounters were not all that pleasurable.

  “Okay. So we have two possible issues here. The first one, and it’s a biggie, is your mother. Where does she fit in with this?”

  “Rick hasn’t even slept in their room for the over a year, I think. He told me a few days ago that he’s only staying here for me. He won’t leave me alone with her.” Gabby went on to tell Marcy about the swing incident, the tiny kiss she gave him, and her mother threatening her and calling her a bitch, all before Rick walked out on her in the kitchen.

  “Damn, Gab. That sounds like a fun day.”

  “Yeah. It really wasn’t. Anyway, as soon as you get back, I’m outta here, so he’ll feel free to leave.” Again, there was silence. “Marce?”

  “Oh, Gabby. I’ve been trying to find a time to tell you. I’m going to be spending another year here. Please don’t be mad. I’ve got a great opportunity to do an internship with Dolce & Gabbana. I can’t pass it up, Gab. I just can’t.”

  “That sucks. No, wait. I didn’t mean that. I’m really happy for you. Ecstatic. I just miss you. Of course you have to do it. God, think of how that will look on your resume! Aw, Marce, congratulations.” Shit, shit, shit. Gabby had to rethink her plans.

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure. I was trying to stick it out so that we could find a place together when you got back, but if you’re not coming home this year, I’ll find a place for myself. I have to get out of here. I can afford a place on my own, so that’s not a problem. You know what? I’m going to start looking tomorrow. There’s just no viable reason for me to stay here another day.” Gabby had no idea what that would mean to Rick. He needed to be rid of Sophia, and he could be if Gabby didn’t live with her anymore.