hurt her, and it didn’t make sense. Did she really feel guilty? She’d been eavesdropping on his first call and he’d seen the questions in her eyes, but she hadn’t asked him anything. Part of him was glad, because he didn’t want to answer questions right now.
He still wanted her. He wanted to fall asleep with her in his arms, to inhale the scent of her lotion, to feel her hair against his face. Peter groaned. Oh, God. He was falling in love with her again. He turned from the window. He didn’t care. He wanted her too much to care. He’d have her again tonight and deal with the consequences later. He kicked a pillow out of his way as he walked to the door. He opened it then jumped back when he saw Claudia getting ready to knock. She let her hand fall.
He gripped the door frame to keep himself from grabbing her. She looked soft and cuddly in a short cotton nightdress. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.
“No.” She hugged herself, her eyes unsure. “My bed’s cold.”
He drew her into his room and kicked the door closed. “Mine’s not.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Are you ready to sleep?”
“No.”
They stripped down then fell on the bed, their actions less frenzied this time but no less intense. Afterward they lay in each other’s arms but didn’t speak.
Claudia lazily stroked his thigh then wrapped her hand around him, teasing the head with her forefinger. “How come Little Peter won’t go down?”
“If you keep doing that he won’t,” Peter said in a husky voice.
She drew her hand away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I didn’t say he didn’t like it.”
She rested her chin on his chest. “No one can know about us.”
“Why not? People have affairs all the time.”
“We’re different.”
He shrugged. “All right.” But he sensed something else bothered her. Like him, she could be quiet and patient when she wanted to draw out a secret from some one. He stroked her hair. “What else is on your mind?”
“I’m just thinking.”
“There’s no one else, Claudia.”
“Hmm?”
He glanced away then sighed. “That first phone call…I was talking to my brother, Thomas.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I doubt it.”
“You never talk about him.”
“It’s a painful subject.”
“At first I thought he was dead.”
“In my family, he is in a way.” Peter hesitated. “He’s developmentally delayed.”
“So what was that second phone call about?”
Peter rested a hand behind his head. “My father and I don’t agree on how to take care of him.” He released a weary sigh this time. “Before his accident, Thomas was the smart one. He was an honors student. He had the most innovative ideas, and my parents were certain he’d create something that would change the world. Then I came along—the black sheep of the family—barely scraping by in school. I was a star athlete, but that didn’t count. Any gorilla could throw a football—it took skill to solve an equation. I didn’t mind the comparison much, because I was proud of my brother. He was heading places, and then in one moment all that ended.” Peter swallowed.
Claudia touched his shoulder, sensing the memory was painful.
“And it was my fault. He wouldn’t have gone there if it hadn’t been for me.”
“Where did he go?”
“The basement. I know it sounds stupid. I mean, what could be so dangerous about a basement. But it was for him, and I knew better. See, it had been raining for days, and I was getting antsy because I hated being stuck indoors. My brother was fine with his books and video games, but I wanted an adventure. So I decided to explore the basement. We weren’t allowed to go down there, because it was damp and Mom was worried about mold, but I wanted to go some place forbidden. I was ten and didn’t fear the consequences of getting caught. I’d gotten in trouble before, so I didn’t care.
“Thomas was fourteen and didn’t want to go. He didn’t like to upset our parents. I called
He still wanted her. He wanted to fall asleep with her in his arms, to inhale the scent of her lotion, to feel her hair against his face. Peter groaned. Oh, God. He was falling in love with her again. He turned from the window. He didn’t care. He wanted her too much to care. He’d have her again tonight and deal with the consequences later. He kicked a pillow out of his way as he walked to the door. He opened it then jumped back when he saw Claudia getting ready to knock. She let her hand fall.
He gripped the door frame to keep himself from grabbing her. She looked soft and cuddly in a short cotton nightdress. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.
“No.” She hugged herself, her eyes unsure. “My bed’s cold.”
He drew her into his room and kicked the door closed. “Mine’s not.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Are you ready to sleep?”
“No.”
They stripped down then fell on the bed, their actions less frenzied this time but no less intense. Afterward they lay in each other’s arms but didn’t speak.
Claudia lazily stroked his thigh then wrapped her hand around him, teasing the head with her forefinger. “How come Little Peter won’t go down?”
“If you keep doing that he won’t,” Peter said in a husky voice.
She drew her hand away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I didn’t say he didn’t like it.”
She rested her chin on his chest. “No one can know about us.”
“Why not? People have affairs all the time.”
“We’re different.”
He shrugged. “All right.” But he sensed something else bothered her. Like him, she could be quiet and patient when she wanted to draw out a secret from some one. He stroked her hair. “What else is on your mind?”
“I’m just thinking.”
“There’s no one else, Claudia.”
“Hmm?”
He glanced away then sighed. “That first phone call…I was talking to my brother, Thomas.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I doubt it.”
“You never talk about him.”
“It’s a painful subject.”
“At first I thought he was dead.”
“In my family, he is in a way.” Peter hesitated. “He’s developmentally delayed.”
“So what was that second phone call about?”
Peter rested a hand behind his head. “My father and I don’t agree on how to take care of him.” He released a weary sigh this time. “Before his accident, Thomas was the smart one. He was an honors student. He had the most innovative ideas, and my parents were certain he’d create something that would change the world. Then I came along—the black sheep of the family—barely scraping by in school. I was a star athlete, but that didn’t count. Any gorilla could throw a football—it took skill to solve an equation. I didn’t mind the comparison much, because I was proud of my brother. He was heading places, and then in one moment all that ended.” Peter swallowed.
Claudia touched his shoulder, sensing the memory was painful.
“And it was my fault. He wouldn’t have gone there if it hadn’t been for me.”
“Where did he go?”
“The basement. I know it sounds stupid. I mean, what could be so dangerous about a basement. But it was for him, and I knew better. See, it had been raining for days, and I was getting antsy because I hated being stuck indoors. My brother was fine with his books and video games, but I wanted an adventure. So I decided to explore the basement. We weren’t allowed to go down there, because it was damp and Mom was worried about mold, but I wanted to go some place forbidden. I was ten and didn’t fear the consequences of getting caught. I’d gotten in trouble before, so I didn’t care.
“Thomas was fourteen and didn’t want to go. He didn’t like to upset our parents. I called
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