Small Packages Read online

  “I am not calling Sheila,” Brooke said flatly.

  “No?”

  “No,” Brooke repeated. “She’d probably knock me out and try to run off with my girlfriend.”

  Tess laughed. “Worried?” she asked playfully.

  Brooke looked at Tess seriously. “Let’s just say I’m not taking any chances.”

  “Brooke,” Tess took Brooke’s face in her hands. “I’m not running away, not to anywhere and not with anyone.”

  Brooke studied the expression in Tess’s eyes. “I’m sorry Dani got hurt on my watch,” she said sincerely.

  Tess kissed Brooke gently. “Not your fault. I’ve told you that. Not your fault,” Tess said. Brooke shook her head. “Stop,” Tess told her.

  “I guess at least they didn’t try to ride their bikes into the pool,” Brooke tried to relax.

  “Only because they don’t have bikes here,” Tess offered. Brooke forced a smile. “Hey, it’s a bonus to falling in love with a doctor. Immediate medical care.”

  Brooke finally laughed. “You’re nuts.”

  Tess reached for Brooke and kissed her deeply. “I’m serious about knocking them all out, you know,” Tess said as she broke their kiss. Her hands fell softly down Brooke’s arms.

  “Oh?” Brooke asked.

  “Mm-hm,” Tess responded as she moved to nibble on Brooke’s neck. Tess’s fingers moved to the bottom of Brooke’s polo shirt and she began pulling it up. “This has got to go,” she said. “Now.”

  Brooke smirked. Tess had a familiar sparkle in her eyes. They were lit by a hint of mischief and mirth. When Brooke looked just a little deeper, she saw the emotion underlying Tess’s playfulness. Brooke smiled at Tess and allowed Tess to remove her shirt. Brooke pursed her lips in amusement as Tess’s eyes danced. “You were serious about me sleeping naked?” Brooke joked.

  Tess narrowed her gaze for a moment. She pulled Brooke’s head down and captured Brooke’s lips in a searing kiss. “Talking too much,” Tess said.

  Brooke closed her eyes as Tess’s hands traveled up and down her back, over her hips, and finally back up to release her bra. Tess’s touch was gentle and passionate. Brooke looked down at Tess as Tess’s lips tenderly brushed over her throat and trailed slowly lower until Brooke felt warm breath caress her breast. She reached down and took Tess’s hand. Tess looked up in concern. Brooke simply smiled and led Tess to the bed that sat a few feet away.

  Brooke sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Tess to her. Tess straddled Brooke’s lap and kissed her tenderly, but urgently. Brooke held Tess steady and allowed her body to fall softly onto the bed, bringing Tess with her. Tess’s kiss moved from delicate to demanding and back again, leaving Brooke breathless. Brooke’s hands gripped Tess’s hips to steady the rising tide of emotion and desire that Tess’s touch commanded.

  Tess finally pulled back. She looked down at Brooke who smiled at her. Without words, Tess removed her own shirt and bra. Brooke felt the breath leave her body. She was positive she would never grow tired of looking at Tess, of feeling Tess close to her, of loving the woman who was now loving her so completely. Brooke’s eyes fluttered shut when Tess pressed her body against Brooke’s. “God, Tess,” Brooke sighed.

  Tess tasted the flesh beneath her and whispered in Brooke’s ear. “Not going anywhere, Brooke. Not ever,” she promised. Brooke struggled to take a full breath as Tess kissed her again. “How am I going to convince you?” Tess asked before placing a light kiss on Brooke’s lips. “I love you, Brooke,” Tess said before beginning a slow journey over Brooke’s body with loving kisses. Brooke felt her body go completely limp. She tugged at her lower lip with her teeth at the sensation of Tess’s tongue circling her nipple.

  Tess tasted and teased Brooke until Brooke began to writhe beneath her. Tess’s hands grasped Brooke’s hips and held them firmly as her tongue traced patterns over Brooke’s taut abdomen. Brooke’s body was an intoxicating combination of strength and softness. Most people witnessed the powerful side of Brooke. They saw her intelligence, her control, even her compassion and her kindness. But, as much as Tess loved those parts of the woman lying beneath her, it was Brooke’s vulnerability that Tess found the most alluring. Tess fell deeper in love with Brooke each time she felt Brooke yield to her touch. She understood the trust that Brooke had put in her. For Tess, that was the greatest compliment and the greatest gift Brooke could ever give—herself. More than anything, she wanted Brooke to trust that she would cherish that immense gift forever.

  Tess took a moment and hovered above Brooke until Brooke opened her eyes. She smiled softly at Brooke and kissed her tenderly. Slowly, she pulled away and lowered her kiss steadily until she could taste the sweetness that was Brooke. She began softly, the sensations she produced in Brooke were so faint that it started to make Brooke dizzy with desire. Tess’s fingertips played over Brooke’s breasts and stomach, mapping out the landscape of her body, her eyes glancing up to watch yearning and submission mingle in Brooke’s expression.

  “Tess,” Brooke whispered. “Tess,” she repeated her lover’s name over and over again through ragged breaths. Brooke was becoming desperate. She moved in an attempt to bring Tess to her, wanting to touch Tess, to feel her softness. Tess grabbed Brooke’s hands and gently pushed Brooke backward. She lifted herself, still holding Brooke’s hands firmly in place, and Brooke struggled slightly to get free.

  “No,” Tess said, her voice echoing a resolve that Brooke was certain she had never heard.

  Nothing about Tess was imposing. She epitomized gentility and femininity. But, Tess possessed a strength that would have surprised most people. Her strength was rooted in her compassion and her determination. Brooke admired that. Brooke could see the resolve in Tess’s eyes. Brooke clasped the hands holding hers. “Tess…”

  “Just let me love you, Brooke,” Tess said. “I need you to know.”

  Brooke was perplexed. Tess’s explanation came in the form of a sensual kiss that was so full of love, Brooke felt tears begin to pool in her eyes. “I want you to know,” Brooke returned the sentiment.

  Tess placed a kiss on Brooke’s nose. “I do,” Tess said with a confident smile. She kissed Brooke and with no further explanation or discussion, Tess began to whisper her promises without any words. She communicated her desire, her love, her devotion to Brooke with passionate touches and reverent kisses. She took her time exploring Brooke’s body, every crevice and every curve. Brooke’s hands fell into Tess’s hair and she sighed as the soft waves cascaded through her fingers.

  Tess’s tongue danced over Brooke’s center playfully and then deliberately. Her hands held Brooke’s hips purposefully. Brooke gasped and called out to Tess. Tess answered by relieving the deep ache that had spread from Brooke’s core straight through to her heart. Tess entered Brooke tenderly, soliciting a deep moan that resonated in Tess’s soul. She felt Brooke begin to move in time with her as Brooke’s hands wound themselves deeper in the chestnut waves of Tess’s hair.

  “Tess,” Brooke begged. “Please.”

  Tess’s skin tingled with anticipation. More than she could fathom, she desired to feel Brooke let herself fall, fall helplessly and trust that Tess would catch her. Tess lifted her other hand to Brooke’s lips and felt Brooke kiss her fingertips. Brooke’s body was trembling lightly and it stoked the embers of Tess’s own desire. The soft sounds emanating from Brooke, and the way Brooke’s body moved against Tess made Tess’s body sing.

  Brooke began to fall just as Tess had hoped. Her descent was almost violent. Her body shuddered in ecstasy. Out of her control, Brooke was lifted higher until her body had no choice but to freefall in a spiral toward Tess. Tess inhaled a deep breath and released it just as gentle waves began to wash over her, carrying her along softly. It was a sensation that Tess had never experienced. As Brooke fell into her, it was as if the waves that had taken possession of her body, lifted her to greet Brooke, never needing Brooke to touch her.

  “Tess,” Brooke whispered hoarsely
when she realized that Tess had begun to fall with her.

  Tess lifted herself to meet Brooke’s watery eyes. Brooke’s hands caressed Tess’s back lovingly. Tess leaned in and placed a faint kiss on Brooke’s lips. She felt Brooke’s hand drift lower and stopped her. She smiled again. “Just hold me,” Tess said.

  Brooke studied Tess’s face for a moment. “Tess?”

  Tess fell into Brooke’s embrace. “I just want to sleep like this. Just like this,” she said.

  Brooke held Tess silently. After a few minutes, she kissed Tess’s head. “Well, at least I will know to pack light for the next trip,” Brooke said with a chuckle.

  “What?” Tess asked.

  “You want me to sleep naked. I didn’t need to pack those jammies you bought me.”

  Tess smacked Brooke lightly. “You are incorrigible,” she said.

  “No, I just really love you,” Brooke said honestly.

  Tess inhaled the words into her heart. “I know,” she said.

  “That’s Han Solo’s line, Diana,” Brooke teased.

  Tess giggled. “Does that make you some kind of princess?”

  “If the shoe fits,” Brooke answered.

  Tess laughed. “Which princess wore green slippers?” she poked.

  “Cute.”

  “I know,” Tess quipped. She nestled closer to Brooke and sighed in contentment. “I love you too,” she said.

  Brooke kissed Tess’s head again. “Goodnight, Tess.”

  “Night, Brooke.”

  Chapter Three

  Thanksgiving morning arrived sooner than expected with a knock at Tess and Brooke’s bedroom door. The soft knock was followed by Dani peering in shyly. “Mom?” Dani asked sheepishly.

  Tess looked at the time on the clock next to the bed and sat up to regard her daughter. “Dani? What’s wrong?”

  The room was still dark. Tess could barely make out her daughter’s form as Dani shrugged. Brooke shifted in the bed, not quite awake and reached for Tess. Tess bent down and whispered in her ear. “Dani,” was all she said. Brooke sighed. She was thankful that they had both found a need to make their way to the bathroom in the night and had thought better of Tess’s pension for sleeping beside a naked Brooke.

  Brooke sat up and looked at Dani in the distance. “You feeling okay?” Brooke asked. Dani’s response was another shrug.

  “Dani,” Tess said. “It’s 4:30 in the morning. What’s bothering you?”

  Dani cast her eyes downward. Brooke frowned. Dani never made her way into Tess’s room unless she was sick. The doctor in Brooke took over. “Are you feeling sick?” Brooke asked.

  “No,” Dani answered.

  Tess heard the crack in her daughter’s voice. “Come here,” she instructed Dani. Dani made her way to the foot of the bed and looked at her mother hesitantly. Tess’s concern was growing. This was not characteristic behavior for her daughter. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on, sweetheart,” Tess said. Dani looked up with tears in her eyes.

  Brooke beckoned her to the bed. Dani moved to sit in between her mother and Brooke. “Bad dream?” Brooke tried a different tactic.

  Dani looked at Brooke seriously. “Are you leaving?” she asked.

  Brooke was utterly perplexed. She wasn’t sure what Dani meant. “Leaving?” Brooke asked. “Leaving where, Dani?”

  “Leaving us,” Dani explained.

  Brooke’s heart stopped momentarily. She looked at Tess and was met with an expression that she was certain mirrored her own. Tess stepped in. “Dani,” Tess called for her daughter’s attention. “Where would you get that idea?” Dani shrugged and moved her eyes to focus on her hands. “Danielle?” Tess asked again.

  “Grandma said,” Dani answered quietly.

  Brooke looked over at Tess. Tess’s face was unreadable. Brooke wasn’t sure if what she saw there was pain, anger, or disbelief. She suspected that there was a fair dose of each coursing through her girlfriend’s emotions at the moment. She shook her head. Just as she was about to address Dani directly, Dani looked back at Tess.

  “I’m sorry Mom. It’s our fault,” Dani said.

  Tess’s mouth was agape in astonishment. “Your fault? Dani, what are you talking about?”

  “Me and Davey. If we weren’t getting into trouble or getting hurt or sick, then Brooke would stay with you.”

  “Dani,” Brooke addressed the youngster. “I don’t know what you heard or where you got this idea, but I am not going anywhere.”

  “Really?” Dani asked hopefully.

  “Really,” Brooke responded.

  “Grandma said it was just a matter of time,” Dani looked at Brooke suspiciously.

  “Your grandmother told you that?” Tess tried to ask calmly.

  “No. She told Grandpa. Davey heard her talking after you guys went to bed,” Dani said. Tess nodded her understanding. “I don’t want you to leave,” Dani said honestly to Brooke. “Neither does Davey. We talked about it all night. I think he was crying when I left. I told him I was just going to go and ask.”

  Tess closed her eyes. Davey had gone through a particularly hard time when her ex-girlfriend had left. The twins were young, but old enough to grasp the concept that someone they had loved had left them without so much as a goodbye. That experience, dealing with her children’s pain in its aftermath, is what had prevented Tess from considering a relationship again for a long time. The last thing either of the twins needed was for someone to paint distrust in their hearts toward Brooke. They had both grown attached to Brooke. Tess was used to her mother’s way. Mary Sinclair was sometimes missing a filter; the filter that told a person certain statements were uncalled for and hurtful. Sometimes, a person needed to learn to keep his or her opinions private. Putting Tess through the ringer was bad enough. Dani and Davey now found themselves the unwitting victims of their grandmother’s issues.

  Brooke sensed a fury building in Tess. “Dani,” she began, “I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

  “Jackie said that,” Dani told Brooke.

  “I’m not her, Dani,” Brooke said honestly. Dani finally nodded. Brooke opened her arms and Dani crawled into them. Brooke looked over at Tess as Dani snuggled up to her. Tess smiled at Brooke. Brooke felt as if her heart had simultaneously broken into a million pieces and become so full that it would have no choice but to break again. Seeing the fear in Dani’s eyes produced a fierce sense of protectiveness in Brooke. She loved Tess. She also loved Dani and Davey. The thought of leaving them had never entered her mind.

  Brooke realized that Dani and Davey enjoyed having her around. She had not given much thought to how deeply the twins’ attachment now ran. The fact was, they were already a family. They had started becoming that before Brooke and Tess were even a couple. One thing that Brooke did know, while Davey displayed a great deal of bravado outwardly, he was the most sensitive of the two children. She took a deep breath, kissed Dani’s head and directed Dani to look at her.

  “Is Davey waiting for you to come back?” she asked, suspecting she already knew the answer. Dani nodded. Brooke smiled. “You stay with Mom,” Brooke said. Tess looked at Brooke in amazement.

  “Where are you going?” Dani asked.

  “To get D.,” Brooke responded as she climbed out of the bed.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Tess asked.

  “No,” Brooke said. “I think this is something D. and I need to talk about alone,” she said. “I’ll be back.”

  ***

  Brooke rapped on the door to the bedroom Dani was using. She opened the door slightly and was startled when Davey spoke. “When is she leaving?” he asked, assuming that the form behind him was his sister.

  “She’ll be leaving with all of you on Sunday morning. In fact, she’ll be driving you all to the airport,” Brooke answered from just inside the door. Davey rolled over in the bed and sat up. “Unless, of course, you wanted me to leave before that,” Brooke said.

  Davey shook his head and lo
oked down at the bed. Brooke could tell that he was both hopeful and embarrassed. She sighed and made her way to the bed, taking a seat on the edge.

  “D.,” Brooke began gently.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt Dani,” he said.

  “I know that,” Brooke said. Davey looked up at her skeptically. “Is that why you think I am leaving? Because Dani got hurt?”

  “You were upset,” he observed. “Grandma said you thought it was your fault. It was my fault. Mom should be mad at me, not at you.”

  “D.,” Brooke took a deep breath. “Look at me, okay?” Davey looked up reluctantly. “No one is mad. When Mom gets mad, that is usually because she is worried, you know? She loves you and she wants you to be safe and to do well, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, but if she gets mad at you because of us, then you’re gonna leave. Just like her. Even Grandma said it. We’re too much,” he said sadly.

  For the first time since Dani had walked into the bedroom, Brooke felt angry. She had come here hoping to make a good impression on Tess’s parents. Tess had been a wreck all week about the trip. Brooke had hoped that Tess’s fears would be eased and things would go more smoothly than she anticipated. Tess’s stress upset Brooke on its own. Seeing the kids dragged into the equation infuriated her.

  Brooke had never considered herself Davey and Dani’s parent. That was Tess’s role. Brooke, however, did not try to be the cool aunt or friend as she did with Rachel’s son or the children of her other friends. Dealing with Dani and Davey on a daily basis meant that Brooke had to play a different role. She cared for them often. She tried to follow Tess’s lead. Dani and Davey were not hers. She did love them and she did not appreciate anyone causing either of Tess’s children any pain, even if that person was their grandmother.

  “D., you are not too much, and I am not leaving,” Brooke said.

  Davey looked up and Brooke’s breath caught in her throat when she saw tears streaming down his cheeks against his will. “If you do, you’ll say goodbye, right?”

  Brooke took hold of Davey’s arms. “Davey, I am not leaving,” she said. “Can you imagine what Grammy C. would say?” Brooke asked.