Page 26 of Beneath Deception
~Sixteen~
I will never forget the look on Tessa’s face when I walked in the room carrying the breakfast tray. Her excitement sparked like a young kid on her birthday. It was the most amazing sight I had ever seen, other than the comforter falling away exposing her absolutely perfect breasts. I was so captivated by them that I almost dropped the tray so that I could indulge in her perfection.
Watching her cover her breasts, I moved toward the bed and waited until she was settled. Placing the tray across her lap, I took a seat on the edge of the bed, keeping my eyes focused on her as she picked up a strawberry and very seductively bit into it. “If you continue to eat that strawberry in that manner, I might be forced to take you right now and forget about letting you eat.”
This was the first time I had actually seen her smile. With a small giggle, she said, “Whatever you wish,” before popping the rest of the fruit in her mouth.
Hating that I needed to get serious for a moment, I picked up a slice of buttered toast and took a bite. Taking a sip of juice to wash it down, I put on my businesslike expression and asked the one question that would open a new set of doors for her. “Tessa, can you tell me what you remember of your childhood?”
Wiping her mouth with the cloth napkin, she waited a moment before answering. “I really don’t remember much at all. I only know what Colin has told me. My mom and dad both died when I was very young, and Colin took me in.”
“Did Colin ever tell you how they died?” I asked, treading lightly with her so she wouldn’t get upset.
“I’m sure he did at one point. I think he said they were in an accident.”
“Okay… so you at least know that isn’t true,” I pointed out.
“Yes. Thank you for telling me about my father.”
“There is something that I need to tell you and it may come as a complete surprise,” I waited until I had her full attention before telling her what I knew. “There might be a possibility that you have an older brother.”
I wasn’t sure how to judge her reaction. I couldn’t tell if she thought I was full of shit or if she was surprised to have been told this bit of information.
“What do you mean, I might have a brother? And who is he?”
As much as I wanted to tell her that it was Kyle, I had to make sure myself. The last thing that I wanted was to tell her who it was only to find out that he wasn’t. “Let me find out first if it is true before I tell you any more.”
In my effort to move the tray from her lap, I could tell she was upset with my last statement by the way the tray nearly spilled onto the white comforter. Scooting over to the other side of the bed, I caught her arm just in time. I should have let her go, but I needed her to know that I would find out. “Tessa, I want you to know that I will find out the truth.”
“How could you do that? Tell me that I might have a brother and then not tell me his name? That’s like telling someone they may look at the menu, but they can’t order,” she rationalized.
She was one hundred percent right. I never should have told her about Kyle. With no other option, I said, “Kyle Lincoln might be your brother.”
~*~*~*~
After going back and forth with her about Kyle, we decide that it was a moot point to argue until I could find out for sure if it was true. Her point was justified, since she knew him way before I came into the picture and he never gave any indication that they had been related. Another point she made was they didn’t even look alike. Tessa was right about that. There wasn’t any family resemblance, at least not the way there was between her and Jonathan. While Kyle’s hair was blond, on the verge of being white, Tessa’s was hazelnut in color. Then there was the difference in eye color, hers being a brilliant shade of blue and his being as brown as brown could be.
Finally, once I was able to convince her to eat, Tessa regained her appetite and digested everything on the tray. Picking up the empty tray, I suggested she take a shower while I headed downstairs to dispose of the empty plates and see if Jonathan was around. I wanted to confront him about what I overheard, but I needed to be very careful on what I said so that he didn’t get wind that I was listening to his conversation.
Agnes was still in the kitchen, only this time she was cleaning the breakfast dishes. Seeing what was left of breakfast on the counter, I began picking at the bacon and eggs before she turned around and caught me in the act. “Xavier, you are like a little kid getting his hand caught in the cookie jar.”
“Sorry, Agnes,” I apologized, “Tessa ate everything, and I hadn’t had my fill of your excellent cooking.”
“Well, then let me at least fix you a plate.”
As I sat down at the breakfast nook, Agnes began placing a sizable portion of everything on a plate and put it in the microwave to warm. I could tell that with everything she did, one thing she enjoyed the most was taking care of people. If ever I needed to have a housekeeper or a cook, I would certainly hire her in a minute. She was one in a million.
After finishing the meal that Agnes had prepared for me, I headed first to the dining room to see if Jonathan was there as Agnes stated. Just like she said, he was seated at the table reading the morning newspaper and drinking his coffee. Taking a seat next to him, I grabbed a cup that was sitting on a silver tray and poured myself a coffee. When a few minutes passed with no shared words, Jonathan finally asked, “Is there something on your mind?”
There had been something on my mind, I just didn’t know how to bring it up. Taking a sip of my coffee, I asked in a roundabout way, “So, any information on Kyle?”
Looking at me with confusion, he replied, “It was only yesterday that you had brought him to my attention. How would I have any information yet?”
He was right, unless of course someone, namely myself, overheard his conversation. “I just thought that you may have contacted someone regarding our conversation.”
“You are mistaken. I need to get some things done at the warehouse. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy your stay. Maybe you and Tessa can do something fun.” Jonathan was up and out of his seat before I could question him any further.
Heading back up the stairs, I decided to check in on Tessa to see if maybe she was up for a drive. She had been cooped up in this cabin for a while and a nice drive might do her some good. Hitting the top of the stairs, it could have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I heard Tessa talking with someone. When I had pushed open the door, my assumption was correct as she placed her phone on the stand next to the bed.
