Little White Lies (20 page)

Her life had been turned upside down. Nick was everything a woman could hope for. Attentive and kind, he seemed to take great pleasure in caring for her, rubbing her feet, brushing her hair, holding her on his lap while they watched TV. Several times she fell asleep there, and he’d carried her up to bed, tucking her in gently and kissing her goodnight.

On Friday Nick took them all out to eat, followed by a movie. Maggie took Caitie to see the latest animated feature, and Nick took Todd and Jason to an action film. It seemed to work out, and Maggie really enjoyed the girl time with her daughter.

Try as she might, she could find no fault with Nick. Well, almost none. When the power company disconnected her for paying late, he was not a happy man. When he found out that the money for the bill had been paid to the carpet cleaners, he was downright furious. Not only did he pay the electric bill, he had to pay a reconnect fee, and all because of her stubborn pride. On top of that, Caitie was so upset about sleeping in the dark, as the power company could not restore service until the next day, that Nick sprang for a suite at a downtown hotel. After the kids were asleep, Nick escorted Maggie from the sitting room into his connecting room, where he promptly sat on the bed and pulled her over his knee. Maggie howled her distress and apologies into his pillow.

Things calmed down a little after that night. School let out for the summer, and against her expressed wishes, Nick hired a part-time housekeeper/nanny. Maggie came home early, not feeling well. Unlocking the door, she let herself in and stopped dead in her tracks. At the sink was a young woman singing at the top of her lungs. Long, glossy black hair fell past her waist, and her butt wiggled with the beat as she rinsed a pan in the sink. Her jeans were worn and seemed to be much too large for her small frame.

Maggie approached cautiously and gently touched the woman’s shoulder. A piercing scream rattled the windows, and Maggie was so startled that she screamed too. Backing up and away from each other, Maggie could see that she was quite young. Wide, dark eyes stared at her as the girl struggled to catch her breath, ripping the ear buds from her ears. Her hand clutched her chest as if she was trying to keep her heart from bursting out.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she stammered, her eyes pleading as she gulped in air.

Maggie was leaning on the counter, sucking in air too. Intending to get the girl’s attention, she had not been ready for such a vocal reaction.

“Who are you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even and not alarm the girl further.

“I am Theresa…Tess. I’m sorry I screamed like that, but I thought I was alone,” she answered softly, still clutching her chest.

“What are you doing here, Tess?”

“I am the new housekeeper. I am supposed to come every day at noon to clean and watch the children until Mr. Nick gets home.”

“Mr. Nick? Is that who hired you?” Maggie asked gently. There was no sense in scaring this poor girl any more than she already had. It wasn’t Tess’s fault that she had a high-handed so-and-so trying to take over her life.

“Yes, well… it was Rory… Detective O’Malley, who got me the job. He said it would keep me out of trouble, but I don’t think it has so far. I am so sorry, Miss…?”

“Maggie,” she told her, extending her hand. “I’m Maggie Cassidy. Can I get you anything, a glass of water or a soda?”

“No, it is me who should be waiting on you,” she said embarrassed. “Is there anything
I
can get
you
?”

“Do you know where anything is?” Maggie asked with a grin.

Tess laughed.

“Actually no, I have only been here for half an hour.”

“Then I’d better get it,” Maggie told her moving to the fridge. “How old are you, Tess?”

“I am twenty-eight.”

“And how did you meet my brother, Rory?” Maggie asked as she handed the girl a soda. Studying her closely, she could see that Tess wasn’t as young as she first appeared. There was wariness about her, sadness in her eyes, and Maggie couldn’t help being drawn to her.

Tess flushed and hung her head.

“It is kind of complicated. I am not sure what to… he arrested me,” she finally stammered, her face red.

Maggie was momentarily shocked speechless. Would her own brother send a criminal to care for her children?

“No, Mrs. Cassidy, nothing like what you are thinking,” Tess told her, blushing fiercely.

“Call me Maggie, Tess. Mrs. Cassidy was my mother-in-law. Go on.”

“You see, I lost my job, and then I could not pay my rent, so the landlord made me move out. It was not much of a place anyway, but it was furnished so I did not have much of my own. I decided to sleep in my car until I could find a place. But it has been so hot, and my car is a compact. Anyway, I thought I would just sleep in the park. I had an old sleeping bag and the bench was not too uncomfortable. I did not think it would be a problem, but apparently there are laws against that sort of thing.”

“Don’t you have any family?” Maggie inquired gently. As crazy as they were, Maggie couldn’t imagine not having her family around.

“No, I have a sister in California, but we never were very close. Our parents were killed in an accident when I was fifteen. Maria, that’s my sister, took care of me until I was eighteen, but the day after my birthday she told me I was on my own, and I have been ever since. Mostly I do all right, but lately it seems like everything is falling apart.” Tess was quiet, apparently lost in thought and not pleasant ones by the sadness in her eyes.

“So my sainted brother arrested you, did he?” Maggie asked, not thinking too highly of Rory at the moment.

“No, Maggie, do not blame him, he did make me leave the park three times in one week. Rory… Detective O’Malley, was very kind the first two times, walking me to my car and explaining the dangers of sleeping in the park. I guess I should have listened.”

“So the third time he took you to jail?” Maggie asked incredulously.

“Not exactly,” Tess mumbled. “He was so angry that night. Said there had been a woman attacked in the park recently, and as I did not have the sense that God gave an ant, he would have to instill some. He… he…” Tess didn’t seem able to continue.

Maggie pulled her over to the counter and sat her down, pushing her drink towards her.

“It’s okay, Tess. There’s nothing you could tell me at this point that would surprise me, but if it makes you uncomfortable to talk about it, I’ll understand.”

“That is just it Mrs. Cass… Maggie. I have to tell someone. It is just so embarrassing. I can hardly believe it happened.” Drawing a deep breath, Tess wrapped her shaking hands around her drink and continued.

“Before I could guess what he meant, he put his foot on the bench and pulled me right over his thigh. I tried to struggle away, but it seemed like a really long way to the ground, and I was afraid I would fall on my head. It did not matter anyway, because he is very strong and there was no way I could escape. I started yelling, but he said go ahead, maybe I could get a crowd to witness my foolishness. Not wanting that, I started quietly swearing at him, calling him a few choice names. It was not my best idea. Maggie, he spanked me, hard, and for a long time. I cannot remember the last time I was spanked. Matter of fact, I do not think I have ever been spanked, at least not like that. By the time he set me on my feet I was crying so hard I could not see. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped my face and made me blow my nose. That was almost worse than the spanking.” Tess shivered with a faraway look in her eyes.

“Finally he pulled a pair of handcuffs out and put them on me. He marched me to his car, plopped me in the back seat, and used his radio to call and have my car impounded. I could not believe it. No home, no job and now no car. It was the worst night of my life. We drove around for a long time. I kept quiet, trying not to make things worse. I swear if I could have gotten my hands free I would have smacked him just for the sheer pleasure of it.”

Maggie grinned.

“I know exactly how you felt. Go on.”

“After what seemed like hours, Rory called someone on his cell phone. We pulled up in front of this huge old house, and he parked and got out. I asked him if it was some kind of detention center, and he laughed. He said I would probably prefer jail, but he thought this might teach me a lesson. Rory helped me out of the car and firmly held my arm as he pulled me towards the house. I was really scared by then. Worse than jail? A woman came out of the door, and when he took the cuffs off he pushed me towards her. She is all yours, he told the woman. I wanted to run, but then she held out her arms and called me a poor wee lamb, and all I could do was stumble to her and cry my heart out.”

“That would be my mother,” Maggie told her smiling. “She never could resist a lost soul. So have you been staying there?”

“Yes, for the last few days. Then today Rory called and said I had a job. He said he talked to Mr. Nick, and I could start right away. Is that your husband? I hope you are not angry with me, Maggie. I had no idea you did not know anything about me.”

“Of course I’m not angry Tess. It’s not your fault, and no, Nick is not my husband. Like your story, it’s complicated,” she sighed. “I’ll tell you about it one day, but right now I have a killer headache and would like to lie down for a while. My sister Colleen is picking up Caitlin, my daughter, from Pre-K and keeping her for the night, but the boys will be here around three-thirty. I’ll be upstairs in my room, but don’t hesitate to wake me if you need anything. Don’t worry too much about what you get done today. Take some time to get to know the kids and feel comfortable.”

“Thanks, Maggie. I really appreciate how understanding you have been. I hope we will be friends,” she whispered.

“We already are, Tess,” Maggie told her with a grin. “We have a lot in common.”

Maggie headed upstairs, not letting Tess see just how annoyed she was with Nick and Rory. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the girl, she did. As far as her needing help, she could understand that too. It just would have been nice to have been consulted. Maggie would let Nick know exactly what she thought later. As for Rory, maybe now that he had someone else to keep his eye on, Maggie could catch a break. Tess was beautiful with her silky black hair and big, dark eyes. Hopefully, she would need a lot of attention. She certainly needed someone to step in and care for her if she was sleeping on park benches, she thought, just before sleep claimed her.

* * *

It didn’t take Maggie more than about five minutes to let Nick know how she felt after he walked in the door. Jason and Todd made themselves scarce as soon as they heard the tone of her voice.

“I really wish you had thought to talk to me before you went ahead and hired someone behind my back,” she informed him testily. “This is my house you know. And last time I checked they were still my kids.”

“Don’t you like her?” Nick asked, walking to the fridge and snagging a bottle of water.

“Yes, I do like her, very much. That’s not the point.”

“Yes, I know, Maggie, there’s always a point with you,” he sighed. “Look, you needed help around here, and she needed a job. I think that about covers it, don’t you?”

Maggie sputtered as he approached her and put a hand on each of her shoulders. When he pulled her to him for a long, hot kiss, she momentarily forgot what she’d been going to say. One kiss became two, and desire wove its magic spell around her. Nick’s arms slipped from her shoulders to her waist, and his mouth dropped to her neck as he pulled her closer.

“Are we good about this?” he asked between nibbles.

“Hmm, good, yes, very good,” she sighed, her hands on his hips holding him against her. She wiggled closer still as he gripped her bottom and lifted her from the floor, pulling her into the cradle of his thighs.

“So no more complaints, right?” he asked, sucking on that oh-so-sensitive spot between her neck and her shoulder.

Maggie was wet, hot, and aching. She shivered when he bit her, then soothed it with his lips. Her breath came quickly in soft little pants as she tried to remember the question.

‘No… no more… complaints,” she sighed tilting her head to give him better access.

“Good,” he told her firmly, setting her on her feet with a crisp smack to her butt.

“Hey,” Maggie yelped one hand going to her bottom and the other grasping the counter for balance. “That’s not fair. We were discussing something…”

“No, we’re through discussing,” he told her his eyebrow shooting up, daring her to challenge him.

“How do you know I can even afford a housekeeper?” she demanded pouting.

“You can’t. That’s why I hired her, and that’s why I’ll be paying her salary,” he informed her, jerking her to him once more and kissing her hard. “Now, what do you want for dinner?” he asked, heading towards the door.

“Pizza, with a large antipasto. And pick up a bottle of wine. A large bottle.”

“I thought you gave up wine after, you know…” he asked her, waving in the direction of the living room with a cocky grin on his face.

“I did, but I have a feeling I’m going to need some tonight,” she shot back over her shoulder as she headed upstairs to change her panties. Damn him and his sneaky tactics.

Chapter Fifteen

The man was damn near perfect even if he was bossy, and she could see him trying to curb that tendency too. It amused her to see him gritting his teeth at some comment she made, and she wondered how much longer it would be before he blew.

Finding time alone was almost impossible, and Maggie frequently thought about marrying him just to get the man in her bed and keep him there. All he had to do was look at her from across the room with those smoldering eyes and she was heading upstairs again. Apparently there weren’t enough panties in the world to take care of her problem. Nick knew exactly what he was doing to her, and finally, in retaliation, she began what was vulgarly referred to in high school as “copping a feel”.

Every chance she got she brushed against him, sometimes lightly stroking him on her way by. If he hugged her, she would hide behind her hair and quickly suck or bite his neck. She frequently rubbed his thigh if they were sitting next to each other, either at the table or on the couch, slowly going higher each time. Maggie relished making him sweat, and she found that if she stood in front of him she could keep a hand behind her and gently cup and rub him without anyone noticing. As he hardened in her hand, he was trapped there, unable to move without revealing the state of his arousal. It really was sweet torture. Nick got so if she came near him when anyone was around he would pull her to his side, holding her tightly to him. Although this prevented her from a direct assault on his manhood, she was still able to slip her arm around behind his waist and happily rub and squeeze his butt. His hissed
“
Behave!” was music to her ears, and if she could get a groan out of him it was even better.