Against All Odds Part 30 Review ( Brooke and Bridget have a heart to heart where Bridget reminds Brooke of happier times. Bridget’s questions about love and passion causes Brooke to think about Caspian. Caspian wonders about Brooke and Lark’s connection. Kimberly plans a night with Scott when Rick arrives. She blasts him for not standing up to Brooke about her job. Scott wonders about his feelings for Bridget but decides to go to Kimberly’s. Brooke reads Caspian’s letter and daydreams about him. She cautions herself and throws the letter away. Rick confronts Brooke.)

Against All Odds Part 31 { Kimberly’s Men }

 

" Mom, answer me! Why would you fire Kimberly? She’s done a wonderful job for Forrester."

Brooke understood her son’s anger, she made a mistake not telling him about Kimberly’s firing but she had been so busy that she hadn’t given Kimberly another thought. "Rick, I know that you are upset but sit down and we can talk about this."

Rick shook his head giving his mother a cool look; he couldn’t believe that she was so calm about something like this.

"There isn’t anything to talk about. You made a mistake and you need to rectify it. Hire her back right now!"

Brooke ire began to rise. " Rick, I know that you are really upset over this, but you won’t raise your voice to me in my own home. Now calm down and we will discuss this matter."

Rick was agitated, but he recognized the look his mother gave him. If picked a fight with her, she wouldn’t change her mind. He had been wrong not to stand up for Kimberly once he had found out about the firing. He had been neglectful and hadn’t given Kimberly the love that she needed. He had been caught up in his own feelings and had allowed time with Eve to create a rift between he and Kimberly. He vowed that he would make it up to her; he would get her job back and much more.

Brooke sat down on the sofa and pointed to the other matching sofa sitting across from her. " Sit down and lets talk about this like adults. You are an adult aren’t you?" She raised her eyebrow and Rick sat down at the sofa across from his mother.

Scott deepened his kiss, stroking Kimberly’s tongue with an unhurried rhythm. He wanted this, to be with her, inside of her, he wanted a nice warm willing body to help him forget a girl who was too young to be arousing he. His mouth opened wider and his tongue ran around her teeth and his lips sucked her tongue inside of his mouth. He tasted wine on her tongue, had she been drinking? It didn’t matter; all he wanted was to explode inside of her. He gripped her brining her naked breast toward his chest. She moaned and began to rub her naked nipples against his. The contact of her nipples against his, make his harden. His mouth left of mouth and created a trail down to her collarbone, which he licked and down toward her breast. His tongue trailed a gleaming path toward her breast, when he reached her nipples; he circled her areola twice and hovered about it.

" Please Scott"

"Please what?" He licked the nipple used his hand to rub the other sensitive bud on her breast." Kimberly was heating up; his mouth was doing wonderful things to her breast. It trailed to other breast, biting and licking his way to it. But it wasn’t enough; she wanted him to take it inside of his mouth. He circled her areola again but didn’t touch the nipple. " Tell me what you want." He blew his hot air on her nipple and then lowered his mouth as if to take it, but he didn’t. Kimberly arched her breast so her nipple grassed his mouth; she wanted him to take it. " Take it in you mouth!" Scott grinned, " Why didn’t you say so?" He took the hard nipple inside of his mouth and played with it with his tongue, stroking the nipple. " Ohhh, that’s it Scott. I want more" Kimberly closed her eyes, she was on fire, her center was throbbing. He suckled her nipple, stroking, licking and biting her. Scott’s sat up and looked at Kimberly, her breast full, he nipples hard. He pulled down the leginere until his was nothing up a scrape of material in his hands. He looked at her beautiful naked body. He felt himself grow harder and lengthen. Kimberly watched as his shaft become even longer. She smiled and took her finger to touch the small opening at the head of it and caught the drop of liquid that glistened at the top of it. She rubbed the tip and watched as his essence caused his member to shine. " That’s enough. I want to come, but inside of you Kimberly." He pushed her down on the bed and studied her nearly perfect body. He leaned down and kissed her pubic bone, running his tongue inside her navel. He continued his descent and used his hands to part her thighs, his fingers found her. She was moist, slick and very hot to his touch. He began to rub her nub electing a response to her. She opened her legs further giving him access to her body, which was on fire; his tongue circled her navel again, while his head descended more and more. He dipped his between her legs and lowered his mouth on her. He found her center with his tongue and stroked her.

" Oh god! Please don’t…" Kimberly’s head came off of the bed while her body jolted up. He was to busy tasting her to notice, but he heard her command. He stroked her more and just when he thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he slid his finger inside of her.

" Yes, like that please, give me more." He pushed his finger deeper inside of her when he encountered a barrier.

" No this can’t be possible?" Scott slid his finger out and inside of her again. He felt it again and he pulled his finger outside of her.

Kimberly moaned when felt empty without him inside of her. " Scott what is wrong?"

Scott rolled over onto his back, ragging with an erection.

Kimberly looked at his tight muscular body and his erection and she ran a finger down toward his nipples. She leaned down and licked one of them.

" Don’t do that?" Scott pulled her head up.

" What’s wrong?"

Scott sat up. " You didn’t tell me that you were a virgin."

" So what, are you telling me that you don’t want me?" She ran her finger down his erection. " You do want me, I can tell."

" I can’t believe this, that you’ve never had sex."

Kimberly licked her lips. " You are right, I haven’t had sex with anyone. I’m still a virgin, but doesn’t that excite you. You can be the one to open up me up to the experience of sex." Kimberly leaned down and circled the head of his shaft with her tongue. She leaned back up and looked at him in his eyes. "Don’t tell me that you’ve never have wondered what it would be like to have a virgin."

At that moment, he had a vision in his head; it was of the beautiful Bridget. A sweet virgin, he had never had one before. He closed his eyes and felt a mouth cover him. Her tongue and mouth gave him pleasure as it stroked and suckled. He gave himself up with to his secret fantasy. Her beautiful mouth giving him pleasure, her innocence, her charm.

" Ahh, Bridget"

Kimberly paused in her administrations, for a moment she was angry but then she thought of how this night worked with her plan, her angry cooled. In the end Bridget wouldn’t get Scott, he was too old and the Forresters would never let them be together. In the end, she would have Thorne, but in order to do it, she needed Scott; it was too late to change her mind. She lowered her head to cover him again with her mouth.

Trudie looked at the menu at Insomnia, she was supposed to meet Eve after she got off from work. Trudie’s day had gone pretty well, all things considered. Her agent had called; there was word that Forrester Creations was looking for a new model. Forrester was a big job; they had great exposure. She had taken some new photos, they had a very sensual quality to them, it was a risk having them in her portfolio but she had liked them from the start. She thought about Chris, he had always said that life was nothing but risks. He had taken risks when they had been young. Their parents had died and instead of letting another relative or foster home take her, he had taken care of her. Working hard to feed, clothe them and working hard to finish college and school. She knew how hard he had to work to put her through school least alone modeling. Modeling cost money, but he had worked hard to help her with her dream, it was just starting to pay off. Money was important to her, she knew without a doubt money was power. Money, she thought about the money in his bank account, where did it come from? She thought about the money, she had plans for it; she was going to invest it and make more. She had to find out, she had to know what her brother had been doing.

" Excuse me, do you mind moving to another table?"

Trudie looked up from her menu to see a cute dark haired guy who has a swanky voice.

"What?"

" I hate to bother you, but I’m the owner and I really need this table, do you mind moving." CJ eyed the blonde, she was very hot sitting there in her tight low rider jeans and her light weight black white sequenced that showed off her flat stomach.

" Is there something wrong with this table?"

CJ looked at his watch, he and Amber were supposed to have dinner tonight with their lawyer. He wanted to have Little Eric’s name changed. He didn’t want his son to have anything to do with Rick. Although he had promised Amber that he would change his mind and allow Rick to see him, he changed his mind. He thought about those meddling Forresters, Eric would be better off without them.

" No, but they were supposed to reserve this table, it’s away from the noise of restaurant."

"Well, I’m sorry but I don’t plan on moving. This table was empty when I sat down and there was no reserve card. I guess you’ll have to move."

CJ couldn’t believe how bold this blonde was, didn’t she hear him tell her this was his restaurant.

" Look here, didn’t you hear what I said. I own this place."

Trudie gave CJ a sweet sincere smile. She stood up and moved toward him.

" I’m sorry did you say that you owned this restaurant."

"Yeah" CJ basked in his own importance, having this restaurant had made him a pretty big man on campus; they loved to hang out here.

Trudie licked her lips and hooked her fingers in the waist of her jeans. CJ’s eyes moved to her were her hands were resting and he noticed that her navel was pierced. He looked at the stud and at the moment he was filled with wanting. He hadn’t wanted a woman sexually since Becky. Becky his sweet who had died so young and sweet. He and Amber had been trying hard to give Eric a life, but things have been more than difficult, he missed his wife.

" So if you don’t mind, I would like this table."

"Well of course you should have this table, after all you own this place. I just have one small favor to ask."

CJ noticed that she had touched his shirt twice and moved closer to him. He felt himself harden. CJ grinned, maybe that is what he needed some hot sex, he looked at her breast and he could see the outline of her nipple through her shirt, they were hard. She had a sexy look about herself; she probably could fuck all night long.

"What is your favor" CJ stared at her nipples and wondered what they would taste like in his mouth."

Trudie smiled. " Well," She leaned forward toward his ear and whispered. " You are going to have to wait until I’m done." She leaned back, threw her hair over her shoulders and sat back down.

CJ couldn’t believe that she had done this. He also couldn’t believe how he had become so aroused by her, that he’d have to get a menu to cover his erection. She had spunk.

He laughed. " So the fact that I own this place doesn’t impress you?"

Trudie gave him a once over. " No"

CJ leaned crossed his arms over his shoulders. " What does impress you?"

She looked him in his eye and then moved her gaze toward his erection.

"That does."

CJ felt himself turn beet red. She was embarrassing him.

" Don’t tell me your ashamed, after all you’ve been staring at my breast like they were your own personal feast."

CJ threw back his head and laughed, she was something else. Trudie couldn’t help but to laugh too, it had been days since she did that.

CJ held out his hand to her.

" CJ Garrison"

"Trudie Hastings, but my friends call me True."

"Are you?"

She noted the sparkle in his eyes. "Am I what?"

"True to form?"

" In all ways."

CJ liked her. This was the first time in weeks that he hadn’t thought of Becky.

Amber walked into the door carrying Eric when she noted CJ talking to a never beautiful girl. She frowned, what was CJ doing? She didn’t like to think about it, but in the last couple of months she had CJ had become very close. She had also started to have feeling and fantasies about him. She thought that maybe he needed time; he still was hurting about Becky. But seeing him with that girl was upsetting her, CJ belonged to her and little Eric.

Scott moved his body toward the pair of lips that was giving him pleasure. He knew that this had to stop and he pulled her up. Gone was the fantasy of Bridget and there was Kimberly, she didn’t act like a virgin. If she wanted to have sex then he’d be more than willing.

" Kimberly, I don’t want you to misunderstand our relationship."

Kimberly flung her hair over her shoulder and took his finger in her hands and rubbed it against her nipple. " I know what this relationship is about, two adults wanting a night of passion. I don’t love you and you certainly don’t love me, it’s about sex. I want and you want it. Scott rubbed her finger against her nipple and knew that she was right, as long as she knew it. Scott grabbed her hair and pulled her mouth toward his, he mouth suckled her lower lip. She arched her body rubbing it against him his, while he caught her buttocks and she parted her legs. He rubbed himself against her heated entrance, she was slick and he wanted in. He rolled over until he was on top of her, he mouth feasting on her breast; he rubbed himself against the slickness and then slid the tip of his shaft inside of her. He slid in and out, giving her more of him a little at a time if needed to adjust to him. Kimberly pulled his head up and kissed him running her tongue over his lips, she wrapped her legs around his waist. " Do it now! I want you so much it hurts." With those words, Scott let go and thrust fully inside of her. " Oh, Scott…." Kimberly felt the ripping inside of her and the instant pain, she immediately tensed. Scott felt her tense under him and stopped. " He looked down at her face and noticed that her eyes had filled with tears. " I’m sorry Kimberly, I didn’t want to hurt you." Kimberly pushed herself toward him, he involuntary moved. " Ohhh, Kimberly, don’t move." She knew that it would probably hurt; this was part of making love. She also knew that it wouldn’t hurt when she was finally with Thorne. " It is alright, this is what I want." She pulled his head down toward her and kissed him. Scott began to move again, she was tight and warm. As he filled her, Kimberly let herself go and she gave himself more of herself. He moved as she did together in a rhythm. Scott closed his eyes and the rhythm increased his thrusts inside of her moving faster and faster. In his mind it was no longer Kimberly he was making love to but Bridget.

" You have no right to fire her mom. What did she do? She has been one of the best models for Forrester. You picked her yourself out of hundreds of models."

" You’re right, I thought that she was perfect for Forrester. She had a young fresh image, the girl next store. Her past work isn’t coming into questions here, although there are professional reasons that are behind her contract not being renewed. She wasn’t fired Rick, I opted to not renew her contract. As CEO for Forrester, I have that right."

Rick thought his mother was splitting hairs.

" What are you reasons mother, it doesn’t make any sense."

"Let’s take a look at Venice, she never finished her photo shoot there.’

Rick stood up angrily." Mom, you left Venice early and you know why she left, she was so heart broken about me and Amber."

" Still it cost us money. She also changed her hair color without our permission."

"Mom, that’s no reason…"

" She changed her appearance and it does matter. She didn’t ask."

"That’s not the real reason and you know it."

Brooke stood, if Rick wanted the truth, then she’d give it to him.

" Fine Rick, there real reason I choose not to renew her contract has to do with the fact that I’m not comfortable around her because…"

"This about Macy! My god mother, she is the one who shouldn’t feel comfortable you. You were the one having an affair with her sister’s husband. Not that I blame you for what happened, but you were involved with the accident. Don’t you know how hard it was for her, she was really mad at you? I can’t believe how selfish you are being about this whole thing!"

"Rick, I’m not uncomfortable with Kimberly because of Macy’s death. I’m sorry about what happened with Macy, I never thought that night would end in her death. I also think that Kimberly needs time to heal and therapy because she isn’t handling her death well."

" She is dealing with it well, she’s pulling her life back together."

" I’m sorry but I don’t think that she is. Rick she attacked me."

Rick didn’t know what his mother was talking about. " What are you talking about?"

Brooke ran her fingers through her hair. " A couple of months ago, she came into my office and trashed it. She was dressed in a parka and she pushed me through the window, if Thorne hadn’t come in, I could have been seriously hurt."

Rick shook his head. " No, Kimberly wouldn’t do anything like that. You made a mistake mother."

Brooke reached out to Rick but he moved away from her. " She did honey. She tried to hurt me. I didn’t want to tell you about it because I knew that she was grieving and hurting about Macy. That doesn’t change the fact that she tried to hurt me."

" You said it yourself, she was grieving and hurting. She wasn’t right in her mind."

" I thought that too honey, that’s why Thorne has been spending so much time with her. To help her get through all of this, but I don’t think that she has. When I see her she is hostile and disrespectful to me. Her hatred is obvious and I can’t work with her. I was only going to postpone her renewal but she was full of so much hatred, I knew that if she didn’t get professional help she wouldn’t be any good to anyone. I made a decision, my safety is important as well as her state of mind."

" Mom if you only give her a chance…"

" Honey I gave her one. She hadn’t gone to therapy has she, what is she doing? Is she getting help for her anger at all?"

Rick was petered; he mother was trying to give her a fair shoot.

" She’ll get the help, I’ll see to it. Hire her back and she’ll get the help. I promise."

Brooke knew this was hurting Rick, but her instincts told her that something was wrong with Kimberly. " I’m sorry honey. I would do anything for you, but the last time I backed down and did what you wanted, there were terrible repercussions. I can’t do it this time. I can’t make you stop seeing her, I can’t even make Thorne stop trying to work with her, but I don’t want too."

" Is this what this is about, Thorne?"

Brooke’s eye narrowed at her son. " What are you implying Rick."

"Thorne, Kimberly said that you were jealous of her relationship with Thorne."

"I have no reason to be jealous of Thorne’s relationship with Kimberly, he has being trying to help her."

" Helping her, is that what he was doing coming out of her bedroom in the middle of the night while you were gone?"

" What are you saying?"

" You know what I’m saying. While you were gone, I went to visit her, she doesn’t know about it. I saw him mother, I saw him he was coming from her bedroom. She says that you are jealous and I didn’t believe her, but now the way you talk about her I’m not sure. I saw her tonight, she had plans but they weren’t with me, they were with someone else. She loves me but she said that she can’t be with anyone who doesn’t defend her. She’s right, you aren’t fair to her. She made a mistake, but you can’t past your own feelings to give her a chance."

Brooke’s mind was spinning, Thorne was in Kimberly’s bedroom." " Rick I gave her a chance.."

"Has she done anything to you since that night?"

"No, but I know in my heart that something is wrong."

Rick backed away with disgust, this wasn’t his mother. "You are becoming the thing you hate, you are being like Stephanie. "

Brooke instantly knew that Kimberly had done this, she had waited her time and then told Rick when Brooke was gone." Rick don’t you see, she’s trying to, she’s trying to come between us. Why would she say such things about Thorne? I’m not jealous of Kimberly. I know what he loves me; he’d never be interested in her. She’d a child, why would you believe he’d want her?"

" I don’t know, but I asked him about it and he changed the subject mother. Maybe he likes being needed by a younger woman with a beautiful body. All I know is that you fired her over personal reasons. She’s the woman that I love and I’m going to stand by her. Are you going to let your personal feeling run your decisions? I’m asking you mother to give her another chance, hire her back."

Tears filled Brooke’s eyes. She knew at that moment that Kimberly was cunning and she also knew with out a doubt that hiring her back would be a mistake. " I can’t, I’m sorry honey.."

"We have nothing more to say to each other. You do what you have I’ll do what I have to also mother."

"What does that mean?"

" You’ll find out soon. You are making a mistake mother, I’ll give you time to think about it. Don’t make me choose between you and Kimberly mother. I’m not Ridge, I can do it. I love you but I’m in love with her. I ‘ve made mistakes with Kimberly but I’m going to change that."

Rick walked out of the room, leaving his mother stunned and hurt. Brooke shakily sat down, what had just happened. What had Rick meant when he said that he’d do what he had too? Why had he said those things about Thorne? She had the feeling the trouble was ahead of her if she didn’t take care of matters; she had better go tell Thorne. If Kimberly had waited to tell Rick, she’d wait to tell Thorne. Brooke knew that she had made a big mistake underestimating Kimberly. She’d never do that again.

Scott finished putting his sweater on, he watched Kimberly as she lay and ran her hands down her body. " Are you sure that you are alright."

" I’m better than you think. Thank you Scott, you’d never know how much tonight meant to me."

He walked over the bed, leaned down and kissed her. " Are you sure that you wanted to do this?"

Kimberly sat up her beautiful naked body gleamed in the candlelight. " I wanted this and you. Scott, I know that you are worried about me catching feelings, but I don’t worry, I’m in love with someone else"

Scott didn’t understand her. " If you love Rick, why are you here with me, Kimberly?"

"Rick? Rick and I, we don’t have a future. He started seeing someone else."

"Tonight was to get back at him?" Scott’s face became a mask. " I don’t like being used, Rick is my bosses son."

Kimberly slid up the sheet and covered her body. " Don’t worry about Rick, I’m not trying to make him jealous. Why should you even care, you weren’t thinking about him while you were having sex with me. Besides, tonight was for the other man in my life."

"What man?"

"Don’t tell me that you are jealous? You do know that when you came inside of me, you called out Bridget’s name."

Scott was stunned; he didn’t know that he had done that. He had always been able to control himself. " Kimberly, …"

" Don’t worry I understand. She’d very pretty and you’d love to tap your way into all of that innocence. We both know however, based on the fact that we done it around 3 times tonight that you have certain needs. Bridget isn’t going to be ready to fulfill you for a long time unless you plan on going to jail. She’s only 16, and you don’t want to make enemies with those Forresters. Beside, little Bridget wouldn’t know how to please you. Her mother is such a slut that Bridget has decided to become the little ice princess to prove she isn’t like her mother."

Scott was seeing another side to Kimberly; she was almost gleeful. How could someone so beautiful be so cruel? " If this isn’t about Rick then why?"

Kimberly got out of the bed and wrapped the silk robe around her body.

" The man I love is older. He’s everything Rick isn’t. He has certain needs like you, but he has honor and wouldn’t like the idea of ruining a virgin. I’m not a virgin anymore so he’s free to have me any way that he wants."

Scott noted the demented dreamy look in her eyes.

" Do you really believe that? He’ll want you know that another man has had you."

Kimberly rolled her eyes. " Don’t men want your mother? I heard that she’d been around almost as much as Brooke. Women like your mother and Brooke have men coming out of the woodwork for them. He’ll want me all right. I’m going to have him."

Scott stood up; sleeping with Kimberly had been a mistake. There was something about her, she was cold and calculating. She had slept with him only to get a man she wanted, there was something sick about this. " I’ve got to go Kimberly."

" Scott, now that you’ve had what you wanted, and so have I. I’d think it was best if you didn’t tell anyone about this. You should also tell your mother to keep her mouth closed. I’d hate it if Bridget were to somehow to find out about us. I know that you don’t plan to have any relationship with her, but just in case you do. I don’t think telling her about us would help your case."

Scott looked at the beautiful nearly naked woman who had had just had sex with and his stomach turned, she had planned this whole thing. He left the room, slamming the door.

Kimberly walked over to the bed, where she had given up her virginity. She noticed the blood on the sheets, her blood. She smiled; she only had one more thing to that night.

Brooke pulled up to Thorne’s house. She needed to talk to him and since Bridget had called to tell her that she was staying over at her friend’s house, tonight was a good start. She used her key to open the door and found the house empty.

"Where are you Thorne?"

She walked over to a picture of her and Thorne and picked it up. A smile came to her lips. She walked to the patio doors and opened them to stand on his deck. She noticed Kimberly’s house. The girl was trouble and she knew it. She noticed that the lights were off. Where was Kimberly? Was it possible that she was with Thorne, was he helping her tonight. Brooke shook her head.

"No, Brooke this is what she wants you to do. When Thorne gets home you have to tell him the truth about Kimberly. You have to tell him how dangerous she is."

Kimberly knocked on the door of the house. Stephanie opened the door.

" Kimberly, that was fast."

"Mrs. Forrester, I called you on my cell phone on my way over here."

Kimberly walked into the living room.

" What is this about? Is it Rick?"

" Mrs. Forrester, Rick found out about my firing and he went storming over to Brooke’s, I’m sure of it. Soon with a little more pressure, he won’t be singing her praises."

" You have to work fast, the surprise party is in two days."

"Don’t worry after tomorrow, he won’t be even want to live there anymore. Anyway, I’m here for something else."

Stephanie wondered what else Kimberly could want, she had her job back.

" Mrs. Forrester, Bridget told me that you were friends with Bill Spencer and that he owned a pharmaceutical company over seas."

" Yes, that’s true."

" I was wondering if you could talk to him. There is a drug that I need to get without it being traced back to me. I know that if you talked with him he might get it for me."

"What kind of drug"

Kimberly handed Stephanie a paper. Stephanie wondered why Kimberly would need this drug.

" Kimberly why would you need this?"

" I don’t want to get you involved but with this, but I can do something that no one else could."

"What is that?"

Kimberly smiled. " Break up Brooke and Thorne for good."

" How?" Stephanie couldn’t fathom how sweet Kimberly could do what no one else could.

" I don’t want to give you all the details, but I will give you a peace offering to show my good will."

Kimberly opened her purse and pulled out videotape.

" What is this?"

" It’s a video that Brooke had hidden. You see as Rick’s girlfriend, I have access to Brooke’s home. On it is a certain night that you tried to kill Brooke in Big Bear."

Stephanie gasped.

" Brooke had it and I’m not sure but I think that she was going to use it against you."

" Does she know it’s missing?"

" No, I replaced it with a blank tape, unless Brooke looks at it, she won’t know." Kimberly didn’t tell Stephanie of the other items that Brooke had in her box. Information of Taylor’s affair with James, written reports of Rick’s involvement with Grant’s shooting and information about a man who loaned Eric money.

Stephanie took the tape and watched Kimberly. This girl was an excellent an allies. She went to her phone book and then her phone.

" Yes, Bill, this is Stephanie Forrester, I have a favor."

Kimberly turned her back, tonight had gone perfectly.

Against All Odds Part 31 Chapter Review { Scott finds that Kimberly is a virgin but makes love to her anyway after she insists. Rick and Brooke argue about Kimberly’s firing. Brooke turns down Rick’s pleads; she doesn’t want Kimberly back at Forrester. Rick comments that Brooke is jealous of Thorne and Kimberly’s relationship. Brooke feels that Kimberly is trying to come between her and Rick and tries to warn him. Brooke is concerned about Rick’s comment about Kimberly and Thorne and decides to warn Thorne. Kimberly is happy about losing her virginity and blabs about being in love with an older man to Scott. Scott notices how cruel Kimberly is when she mentions Bridget and his feeling for her; he regrets having sex with her. Kimberly threatens to tell Bridget the details of their night, if he ever mentions to anyone that they had sex. Kimberly goes to Stephanie and gives her the videotape that Brooke had on Stephanie’s attack on Brooke. She asks Stephanie to use her connection with Bill Spencer to get a drug that she wants. Kimberly and Stephanie become allies.

Against All Odds Part 32

Bridget finished drinking her orange juice, she had a relaxing day ahead of her. She had gotten home around an hour ago and surmised that her mother must have gone running, since she wasn’t home and she hadn’t gone to the office yet. . She had set the table for breakfast and was going to start on pancakes as soon as her mother got home. The turkey bacon was ready to be cooked and she had picked up a fresh fruit salad on her way from home. Maybe she could convince her mom to take the day off and they could talk about old times. Last night had been great, she had seen the far away look on her mother’s face, it was working, she was thinking about Ridge. The door bell rang, and she went to open it. A Ferderal Express worker was at the door.

"I have a package for a Ms. Bridget Forrester."

"That’s me."

"Please sign here." The man pointed to the X on the pad and she took the letter. Bridget noted that it came from the Insituites, her hands began to shake a little. In this letter was part of her future; did she make it to phase two? She sat down and stared at the letter.

" Don’t be silly Bridget, just open it."

Bridget opened the letter and read the words. Tears formed in her eyes and a beautiful smiled formed on her face.

" I made it," she whispered as if she said it too loud it would become a fantasy. The reality of the situation hit her, out of hundreds, she was one of twenty to make it to the second phase. This part she knew dealt with her parents and her interview, she knew that if she made it this far that she could probably do well in the next area.

" I made it! I made it!" She jumped up and ran to the music system and turned the radio on, playing was Every Little Thing by Sting. Bridget started to sing and dance around the room, swaying to the music and basking in her happiness. Rick came through the door from the foyer and found his sister dancing. In spite of himself and the night he had, he couldn’t help but to laugh it had been a while since he saw his sister truly happy. He watched her dance and sing at the end of the song, when the refrain came, Bridget of flew right into him.

" Oh! Rick" She stared to laugh. " I’m sorry, come dance with me big brother." Her smile raited throughout her face. Rick wasn’t in the mood for dancing, he half the night trying to call Kimberly, but she didn’t answer her phone. Bridget grabbed his hands but noticed that he wasn’t smiling. She cut the music off and sat down at the table.

" What’s wrong?"

Rick didn’t want to ruin Bridget’s mood with talk about Kimberly firing.

"No tell me what is making you so happy this morning."

Bridget leaned back in the chair. " Big brother, I’m offended, I’m always in a good mood."

" Not lately and you know it, so tell me what is it?"

Bridget beamed and handed Rick the letter which he immediately read. "Bridget, this is wonderful, I knew that you were good but not this good."

" I’ve been working really hard."

Rick looked at the letter again. His face changed to one of sadness. " Budge, this means that you’ll be leaving if you get in."

Bridget got up and hugged her brother from behind. " Rick, remember before you got Amber pregnant, you were going to leave to go to college."

" Budge you’re only sixteen and it won’t be the same without you here."

" I know, but this is my dream, I want to be an artist. I don’t want to be a designer and although I’m smart, I don’t want to deal with business like you do."

Rick was surprised, he didn’t know that being an artist was so important to her.

" Budge, I’m going to miss you."

" I’m going miss you too, but I’m come home and the institute’s school is based in Paris. I’ll get my schooling from them; they have a great educational program. I really want to get in Rick."

" You haven’t told mom, have you?"

Bridget sat back down. " No, I haven’t. I know that she’ll take it hard at first but she’ll accept it she’ll want me to be happy."

Rick’s face changed when she mentioned Brooke wanting her to be happy. His mother didn’t think about his happiness last night when she turned him down.

" Rick what is the matter?"

" Nothing, I got to go."

"What aren’t you going to wait to mom gets back, I’m making breakfast."

" Mom isn’t getting back anytime soon, she’s been gone all night, she’s probably still in Thorne’s bed right now."

Bridget heard the venom in his voice, something happened between he and mom. Bridget wondered what it was. She was also disappointed, her mother hadn’t stayed home, the moment she heard that Bridget wasn’t coming home, and she ran over to Thorne’s. Bridget got up from the table; her good day wasn’t so good anymore.

Brooke felt all tingly inside; passion was stirring inside of her. A seductive wet mouth was doing tantalizing things to her nipple. It was sucking and she felt two warm fingers push inside of her. " Ohhh" The fingers moved inside her body and then slid back out. The mouth slowly bit her nipple, playing and blowing on it. She didn’t open her eyes, she just wanted to feel, feel him strong and hard inside of her. She wanted his mouth, hands, lips and tongue everywhere. She spread her legs to give him more access and then suddenly as if he knew what she wanted, she felt him thrust his strength inside of her.

" I’m sorry baby, I couldn’t wait"

The sound of Thorne’s voice awoke her, from her dream. He was inside of her, making love to her. For a moment she was embarrassed, in her dream that man in the elevator had been making loved to her. Why had she been dreaming about him? Thoughts of the dream faded when Thorne lowered his head to her breast and started to move inside of her. Brooke clasped his head and wrapped her legs around his waist, she moved against him thrusting her body against his, accepting him enticing him and pushing him to give her more. Thorne noted that the love making changed, she became almost carnal; she scratched at his back, she bit his neck, her breathing labored. The passion built inside of her and Thorne caught her mouth with his. She pushed at him until she rolled over and she was astride of him. Thorne lay on his back with her astride him. He was embedded deep inside of her and he watched as she threw her back her head and rode him. He closed his eyes and trust upward inside of her, as she moved toward her own rhythm. He ran his hands up toward her breast and pinched her nipples. " Thorne, just like that." Thorne took hold of her waist and pulled her down. " Ohhh, Brooke, that feels so good." He thrust up ward as she moved down ward. Brooke moved and felt the shattering start inside of her. Thorne felt her contractions and he held off until as long as he could until he too spasm inside of her. Brooke collapsed on top of Thorne, as he tried to catch his breath.

" Honey, just when I think that I couldn’t get any better."

Brooke laughed and kissed the side of Thorne’s neck. She sighed and closed her eyes.

She remembered why she had come over to Thorne’s last night, to talk about Kimberly. He hadn’t been home; she waited then all she remembered was waking up to her dream.

" Thorne"

"Hmmm"

" Where were you last night?"

Thorne stroked her back and butt. When he had come home last night from dinner with James and Connor, he had been pleasantly surprised to find Brooke asleep on top of his bed. He had wanted to wake her but she had been so beautiful, he took off her clothes and had spent most of the night watching her sleep. He had waited all night to make love to her. He kissed her neck.

" I was out with Connor and James."

"James? James, is back?"

" Yes, but I don’t want to talk about him now. I want to make love to you."

Isabelle walked in her large office. Her taste of dark reds and burgundy reflected in the decor of the office. She sat down at the large mahogany desk and couldn’t help to rest her head against the leather chair and stare out of the beautiful view in the morning light. She touched the wild white orchards. When she had arrived at her office an hour ago, she had found the beautiful flowers, but it wasn’t just one set of flowers but dozens of them all over her office. She demanded to know where they had come from although she knew who had sent them the moment she saw them, Pierce. Last night she had debated on showing up for dinner, when a business matter reared. There has been a problem at the Pairs office and she didn’t want to bother Caspian. He had been in a feral mood ever since he had met Brooke. She flew out last night and returned in the wee hours of the morning. She had gotten rid of all the orchards, expect for the ones that sat on her desk. She couldn’t make herself get rid of them, she wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like she had never received flowers before, yet the stirred something. She touched the remote on her desk and electric shades slid and cover the windows causing her office to become dark. She touched another button on the remote and Uninvited, by Alanis Morrissette came on. She closed her eyes and felt the music embrace her body, the waves of rock and classic music combined; the words of the song filled her. Uninvited thoughts, uninvited thoughts about Pierce. His beautiful eyes, sensual smile and strong hands. She could almost feel him and those hands, sliding up her legs, touching her through her panties, and pulling them down. She reached up and undid the clasp that held her hair up and leaned back further in her chair. Her thoughts were of him, kissing her, his lips devouring her.

Pierce found her amazing sexual and he felt instant heat watching her. She lay back in her chair, her hair flowing around her shoulders; her nipples were hard beneath her violet silk blouse. He watched as her pink tongue eased out of her mouth and caressed her bottom lip. He wondered what she was thinking about. The setting was so sensual, the darkness of her beautifully created office, the sounds of Alanis overhead. He had come to her office to surprise her and had to use a myriad of means to get in. Isabelle had a highly secure office; it had cost him a great deal of money to get into her office. It had been worth it to see her like this, relaxed with out the cold veneer that often surrounded her. He stepped quietly in the room advancing on her. Suddenly, without warning, her eyes were open and she was holding a pistol at his chest. Where had it come from? How could she move so fast that he hardly seen it?

" You know that it is impolite to sneak up on a person, it could get you killed?"

"Are you going to shoot me Isabelle?"

A wicked smiled graced her lips.

" I have other plans for you."

Morgan rubbed her round stomach; her doctor’s appointment had gone well yesterday. Her son was growing and he was health. Clarke had started lemmas class with her, was really turning out to be a great guy. Clarke had supported her and kept her secret, his idea of getting the Forrester stock was going to work. Ridge was on his way over; he almost had a coronary the other day when she had showed up for dinner. Taylor had offered to be godmother to her child and she had almost keeled over with laughed when Ridge had turned stark white. She didn’t know what she had ever seen in Ridge, ever since he found out about the baby he had threatened and man handled her. Well she would have the last laugh along with the Forrester stock. She was sorry that she had missed work yesterday, rumor had it that Brooke had hired another designer and that Forresters were up in arms. She could just imagine Stephanie’s reaction, Stephanie had been quiet these days, and she surmised that Stephanie figured that she couldn’t do anything about the baby. Morgan heard footsteps on the porch and looked up at Ridge who had just arrived.

" Ridge good morning, would you like some tea?"

Ridge noted her rounded belly and felt like he had been kicked in the gut. He was giving up his child. He remembered a time when he would have given anything to have a child and now he had to give up one of his. He didn’t have a choice; Taylor would leave him especially if she saw that tape. The tape had ruined everything; it showed how much he had liked having sex with Morgan. He hadn’t wanted to admit it but it had been good, he didn’t have feelings for Morgan and he had thought that he had been helping her, but he body had responded. Taylor would never forgive him; he couldn’t take that chance with their marriage.

" I don’t want any tea Morgan. You know why I’m here. There isn’t any need for a polite exchange, I’m here to give you the thing that you’ve been after."

Ridge threw the papers onto the table. She took them and began to read it. Glee filled her body; Ridge was giving her 5% of the company stock. She didn’t want him to know how happy she was.

" Only 5%"

" Morgan, when Brooke took over the company, she received 51%. The rest of us had to divide our stock and we each received around 10%. I’m giving you half of my percentage. It’s more that what my own children will have."

"Don’t expect me to feel sorry for you Ridge, I know that your mother will see that your children will get her share. Eric will probably give you his also."

" Well Morgan what are you waiting for, sign the damn papers."

Morgan signed the papers and then smiled as Ridge signed them. " I’m giving them to my lawyer Ridge and once he has called to let me know when the transfer is official, I’ll give you the tape."

" When will you be moving?"

"After the showing. I’ll tell Brooke that I want that International Forrester job and I’ll be moving. Don’ t worry Ridge in less than an week I’ll be out of your hair forever."

Ridge glanced down at her stomach and stalked away.

Morgan smiled, as soon as her lawyer processed the papers, she would be gone forever. She had her baby and Forrester stock. 5% of a multimillion-dollar company was more than enough for her.

Ridge took off for home, he was going to spend the morning with is wife. Showing or no showing, Morgan would be out of their lives for good, which was reason enough to celebrate.

Olivia finished sipping her hot coffee when she felt a pair of eyes bearing into her back. She turned to find her son looking at her. She wondered what had brought him here; it had been a least a month since she had seen him.

"Caspian, it is good to see you, come and have breakfast with me."

Caspian took off his sunglasses and strode toward his mother. " I’m not here for socialization or breakfast mother."

Olivia flinched at the way her son said mother. He said it like it was some curse. She wouldn’t allow him to know that his coldness could still cut deep.

She finished taking another sip of coffee. " Tell me then, why are you here?"

Caspian threw the photos down on the table. " Mother the last time I was here you gave me these photos."

Olivia gave Caspian an unreadable look.

" The first picture is of Lark and the other is of Brooke Logan."

Olivia touched the photo of Brooke. " So you found out about her. Did you find out what Isabelle had planned for her?"

" I’m not here about Isabelle. I’m here about Brooke. What is her connection to Lark? Why do they look alike?"

" You are calling her by her first name and your face, it changed during the mention of her name. You’ve met her I presume?"

Caspian had no intention on telling his mother anything.

" I asked you a question, do you know why they look alike?"

Olivia leaned back in her chair. She was right, Caspian had met the woman and by all means it seemed that he was taken with her. She knew that he’d never admit it to her. Caspian hadn’t been happy about Olivia’s relationship with Lark. When Lark wanted to meet his mother, he’d never thought that Lark would feel compassion for her and would visit her at least once a week. She had become Lark’s champion, and Lark had given her a way to be involved in Caspian’s life. She also knew when Lark had become unhappy, not that she didn’t love her son, but she had realized that Lark didn’t belong in her son’s world. Lark had needed someone to talk to once she found out about Caspian real lifestyle. Olivia had been there for her to talk to and she had loved her daughter-in- law. Lark was a genteel spirit and she needed some mothering.

" I don’t know anything about Brooke Logan. All that I know about her is that she looks like Lark."

Caspian’s face became dark; his mother was lying to him. " That’s not all you know. You know something else."

" Caspian that you think that I’m the evil wicked mother in your life, but I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know why she looks like Lark. Lark saw her picture in a magazine one day. She was with Eric Forrester and Ridge Forrester, and Lark saw the photo and wanted to know how it was possible for them to look alike. She was worried and excited at the same time."

"Why would she be worried?"

" I don’t know. She thought that maybe your enemies might be setting her up. She didn’t know, but she had to know the truth." Olivia buttered a muffin. " I told her that I would help her. I had used on of my old people to check Brooke Logan out and found that she was all that she stated she was. Lark had wanted to meet her to find out what the real connection was. After all they were almost the same woman."

"Why didn’t she come to me?" Caspian’s gaze was hard as granite.

" You know why, you were having problems. She didn’t feel that it was the right time. I also think she felt a little insecure."

" Why would she feel that, not matter what problems we had, she knew that I adored her."

" I don’t know why she felt that way. But she watched tapes on Brooke and felt that someone how if she had met her that maybe things would change. I think that felt that Brooke was more like a woman who you should have been married too. Someone who could be aggressive and more sensual."

Caspian felt his heart begin to crumble. He had loved her, her gentleness, and her light. It hadn’t been enough. She didn’t like the way her touched her, he had to hide his passion from her in order not to bruise her delicate sprit. At times it was hard, he wanted to ravish her, but he didn’t. He loved his wife, he had been faithful to her, but it hadn’t been enough.

Caspian looked at his mother.

" You didn’t look into it?"

" Caspian after she died, you didn’t speak to me for 7 years."

" That isn’t what I asked you?"

Olivia head began to pound; dealing with her son was like dealing with a ferocious bear.

" No. She was dead, I didn’t want you finding some woman who looked like her and bringing her here to assuage your hurt."

Caspian turned to walk away; he would investigate on his own.

" Leave her alone!"

He turned around and glared at his mother.

"What?" He was deafly quiet, that was a dangerous sign.

" For all that his holy, leave that woman alone. The only reason I clued you in on Brooke was to stop your sister and her sinister ways. Caspian, for the love of God, don’t get sucked in. Brooke Logan has a life, children and by the looks of it a man who is close to marrying her. She isn’t Lark, let her be."

" I know that she isn’t Lark."

" Then leave her alone."

Caspian said nothing.

" Hasn’t one death been enough?"

Rage poured through his veins, Caspian’s dark eyes filled with hate.

" Don’t you ever speak that way to me! I’ve lived with her death every night. You have no honor mother, you never thought about the deaths that you caused or the pain. What was my sister, her soul died years ago, you allowed that monster to kill what was inside of her. You slept with the monster that killed my father. You haven’t even had to suffer."

" I’ve suffered with the hate of my children. I’ve said I was sorry. I didn’t know what he was doing to Bella. I loved her and I loved you, especially you. You were my boy; I named you after the sea. I still love you Caspian, that’s why I want you to stop, I know that in the end you’ll only be hurting yourself."

Caspian saw his mother reaching out to him, but he would never allow her to hurt him or Bella again.

" Good-by mother.’

He strode away never seeing the tears that formed in her eyes.

A teardrop landed on the photo of Brooke.

" I’m sorry Caspian, but I can’t tell you the truth about Brooke’s connection to Lark, it would only bring her here to you. She isn’t meant for you my son. I’ve got to stop you somehow."

" Thorne, I need to talk to you."

Thorne grazed her nipple with his teeth. " I’m not stopping you from talking."

Brooke sighed and widened her legs allowing his fingers to stroke her. Then she realized that she needed to set things straight with him about Kimberly. She pulled away from Thorne and closed her legs.

" Thorne, this is important, I really do talk to you."

Thorne leaned back against the sheets and closed his eyes. He wanted her again and all she wanted to do is to talk.

" What about?"

Brooke studied Throne; he looked at her lying there against the sheets. " Honey, this is something serious."

Thorne heard a tremor in Brooke’s voice; he knew that something was the matter. He sat up and took her head between his hands.

" Brooke what is wrong?"

" It’s about Rick. No it isn’t about Rick, he’s only part of the problem. The real problem is Kimberly."

At the mention of Kimberly’s name, Thorne became uncomfortable. He really didn’t want to have a discussion about her at this moment. He was going to suggest that she start seeing James. He leaned down to kiss Brooke, but she pulled away.

" Honey, this is serous I need to talk to you about her." Brooke got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, a few minutes later she came out of the bathroom in a robe that she had left at Thorne’s.

" This is a serous matter. I wanted you to know about something that I did before you hear about it from someone else. I need to talk to you about Kimberly."

Thorne stood and wrapped his arms around Brooke’s waist. " I think that I know what this is about. This is about her relationship with Rick. I know that the two of them are having a problem because of…"

" What kinds of problems?"

Thorne thought about the problems and he didn’t think that telling Brooke that her son might be cheating on Kimberly was something that she should concern herself with. " I don’t really know, I just know that there is something."

Brooke’s eyes narrowed. She wondered what Thorne knew about Kimberly and Rick that she didn’t. " Thorne I wanted to tell you that I fired Kimberly."

"What! Why in the hell would you do that?"

"To tell you the truth, I didn’t feel comfortable around her since she attacked me the day of Macy’s funeral."

Thorne could understand Brooke feeling uncomfortable, but he didn’t agree with Brooke’s decision. Although, being around Kimberly had made me a little uneasy, he cared about her. Her job was important and this was just another thing that she had lost in this past year.

" I can understand why you were upset about what happened, but Brooke you know that she was grieving."

" No Thorne, that doesn’t make what she did right. I don’t feel safe around her; there is something about her. I decided that it was best to just let her go."

"Brooke she is just a kid, she made a mistake. She didn’t know what she was doing?"

Brooke shook her head in aggravation; Thorne wasn’t listening. Didn’t anyone see Kimberly for what she was, she hadn’t but now she did.

" I disagree with you Thorne, she’s not a kid. She is past the age of 18. I know that she was grieving but she attacked me. On more than one occasion, I ‘ve noticed her venom toward me and I don’t like it."

" Brooke to fire her based on personal feelings, that isn’t right. She really needs this job. She has lost so much, Brooke. Her sister, her father and now her job. This isn’t right, we have to stand by her."

Brooke felt anger rise inside of her. Thorne was actually defending Kimberly.

" Are you listening to yourself? She had lost so much, blah, blah, blah. The girl needs help. And what is this we thing? I don’t own Kimberly anything."

Brooke took her robe off and started pulling on her discarded clothes.

" I’m sorry that she lost so much and I’m very sorry about her sister. What happened with Macy with all of us was a big mess. But you know what, this mess wouldn’t have happened if you had been more honest, if we had been more honest with Macy. I know that you are feeling guilty about what happened, but I don’t think means I should allow that girl to do what ever she wants. I’m not going to allow that. I had to argue with Rick about this but I don’t plan to argue with you about MY DECISION."

Thorne was stunned by Brooke’s attitude. She had an oblivious distrust for Kimberly. Where was this coming from?

" Brooke, I think that you are being unfair. That girl had been through so much. She was wrong to attack you, but she realizes it. I don’t think you understand what she has been going through."

Brooked pulled her shirt on. " Really Thorne, why don’t you tell me?"

" What had poor Kimberly been going through? Has she come under attack by a woman for many years who hates her? Has she been called the vein of all the problems in a family although they have their own problems? Oh I know; she had had countless attacks, physically in which people tried to kill her! I’m so sick of this. I’m sick of the moaning about Kimberly! How many times have your parents tried to kick me out of the company? How many times have I had to work with people who are disrespectful and belligerent toward me? Too many times."

Brooke stopped and looked at Thorne who was giving her a wretched look.

" Look, I don’t want to fight, least alone about Kimberly. I fought with Rick last night; it was awful. I can’t tell you to stop helping but Thorne I just don’t think you are the person to help her. She needs professional help. There is something wrong. I think that she’s trying to turn Rick against me."

" Brooke do you hear yourself. You are blaming her for an argument that you and Rick had. Do you know who you sound like, you sound like mother."

" How dare you say that!"

" I say that because it’s true. What do you think she did, tell Rick just so he could fight with you? Brooke he’s her boyfriend, you didn’t think that it would affect him? I will admit that Kimberly needs some help, but I still think that firing her was wrong. She is having a rough time and she really needed that job to help her."

" Aren’t you listening to me? She’s not right, Thorne."

" Brooke, if you would just give..."

Brooke held up her hand. She was emotionally drained. She looked at the empty bed, a half an hour ago she and Thorne had been making love and now they were arguing about Kimberly.

" I don’t want to talk about her anymore. Rick and you don’t see her like I do. I made a decision, she isn’t going to work for Forrester anymore."

Brooke picked up her purse and headed for the bedroom door.

" Where are you going?"

" I’m going home Thorne. I’m weary of fighting."

" Wait, don’t leave."

"There isn’t anything left to say. I see that your feelings for Kimberly are stronger than I thought."

"What do you mean by that? I care about the girl, is that wrong?"

Brooke’s mind went to the remark that Rick had made about Kimberly and Thorne. She shook her head, as if to shake the thought out of it.

" I just didn’t know that you cared so much for her. I need to go, goodbye."

Brooke left.

Thorne sat down on his bed. What did Brooke mean by that? Why didn’t she understand that firing Kimberly wasn’t helping her? His heart was heavy; he didn’t want to fight with Brooke especially about Kimberly.

Thorne looked out of his bedroom window toward Kimberly’s beach house. In his mind, her saw her the night she was crying out to Rick. He was filled with guilt, he had said that he would help her and he hadn’t. He was torn, he wanted to help Kimberly but he didn’t want Brooke to be upset. He had made a promise that he would help Kimberly, but maybe it was time to allow someone else other than himself to do it.

Her blues eyes, they looked as if they could read his soul, see what was inside. Could she tell? Did she know the havoc that she played on his senses when he was near her? His body came alive and he wanted her and wild sex. He had never felt like that about anyone, the doctor in him knew that it was a baser need and he was above, until he came into contact with her. Isabelle watched the turbulent emotions display on Piece’s face. It was strangely exciting to know that he was bothered, that he couldn’t control himself. She felt the crescendo of the music all around her and inside of her. Some of that control snapped, she didn’t care, she wanted feel, feel him pumping inside of her. Then she’d discard him and move on. She stood up and before he knew what has hit him, she dropped the gun and literally crawled over her desk toward him. Lust rushed toward his ears, all that he heard was the music, and all he saw was her fire. It heated him, it ate at him.

"Let her have you," his soul said to him. She gabbed his head and pulled him mouth to hers as he hands found her hips and pulled it toward her aching arousal. Their tongues mated, teeth classed, they breathed for each other. She sucked his tongue into his mouth, then suddenly pushed him back hard, he landed in the soft black chair that was behind him. He watched her as she tore open her blouse and threw it as him. Her breasts were beautiful; her nipples hard as they pressed against the sheer violet material that made her translucent bra. She tore that her long black skirt, which fell as a heap to the floor. Tiny matching bikini panties covered her. He quickly noted the black-laced flower that seemed to cover the heart of her heat. She came to him, fast and hard, her mouth licking his, he caught her head and roughly kissing her, bruising her lips. He couldn’t say no, he couldn’t stop himself. Her rapid breathe, her breast pushing against him. She pulled back and then ripped open his own shirt, seeing his naked chest, she bent down and took one of his nipples in her mouth.

" Ohhh, god, Isabelle" He closed his eyes in a passionate need. It was all consuming need.

Her tongue played havoc on his nipples. She ran her tongue up his chest toward his and bit him. He didn’t care; he just wanted to be inside of her, exploding inside her warm heat. He caught her hair in his grasp and pulled her head back. She gave him an unreadable expression, but he knew that she was ready. There wasn’t going to be any foreplay, they both had a burning need. He leaned her back, bending her backwards and caught the strap of her bra in his teeth and pulled it down. She caught hold of clasp and opened it with a flick. She touched ribbon of the side of her scantly panties and they fell to the floor in a delicate motion. He saw her naked body and knew that if he didn’t have her, he might embarrass himself, he was so hard that he was close to coming already. She attacked his belt buckle and tore opened his pants, moved his underwear down and was preparing to mount him. He pulled her down until he slid into her tight wrath. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, all he could do was to feel, feel her. Isabelle moaned; he was throbbing inside of her. She looked down into his eyes, not wanting to close them to feel to total connection with him. They started to move together, chest against breast, heart beats mingled, mouths devouring, and a rhythm so ancient yet beautiful. He moved inside of her so hard and fast, they pounded together so wild that the chair fell over backwards. The pressure of the instant floor caused him inadvertently thrust even more inside of her writhing body. He thrust once more and couldn’t hold off, he heard his moan and exploded. In his passion, her heard her cry out echoing his.

Kimberly poured hot water inside of the teakettle. She had mint tea all ready and she was feeling great. Last night with Scott had been wonderful; everything that she had planned was working. She opened the album sitting in front of her. She touched the different articles, all about Brooke. She fingered the one in which Brooke had taken over Forrester.

"You use that company like you built it from the ground up don’t you. Your sexual conquest, your ploys, all becomes part of your business. You don’t care who you hurt."

Tears formed in her eyes as she came across a recent article that suggested that Brooke might have been part of Macy’s demise.

" They don’t see you for what you are, but very soon you won’t have anything left."

Stephanie finished eating her hot oatmeal; she had five pounds that she wanted to shed. Her doctor stated that she was in good condition and had reduced her medication. When she thought about where she was one year ago around this time, having that stroke, anger over came her. Brooke had caused this, had caused her stroke and all the unhappiness that there was in her family. She had tried to warn Ridge, but he didn’t listen. She tried to warn Eric, but he didn’t listen. Now Brooke had killed poor sweet Macy and was holding on to her son for dear life. Macy’s sister came to her mind. Kimberly was becoming a very useful girl. Her anger against Brooke nearly matched Stephanie’s. Kimberly had given her that damaging videotape, which could have caused a great deal of problem if given in the wrong hands.

" What did you plan to do with that tape Brooke? How did you plan to destroy me?"

Stephanie got up and pulled a piece of paper that held the name of the drug that she wanted. She wondered how Kimberly planned to use this drug to destroy Brooke. It didn’t matter, as long as she did it. Maybe this young girl could do what no one else had done, destroy Brooke.

Stephanie had plans for Forrester once they were back in the drivers seat.

" Soon Brooke. By tomorrow, your rein of terror will be all over. Rick’s birthday party tomorrow will be the be just the beginning of the end."

Stephanie looked at her watch; Jonathan will be there soon. She had called Bridget’s teachers and found that Bridget’s grades were suffering. They all noticed a change in the girl and were concerned. Bridget had cut quite a few classes and had become withdrawn. Stephanie knew that Bridget’s new behavior had everything to do with Brooke and Thorne’s relationship. She did nothing about it; she knew this was additional ammo against Brooke. The paperwork for petition for custody would be complete very soon.

Rick walked onto Kimberly’s deck and knocked on the door. He didn’t get any answer. He wondered where she was; he tried the knob of the door and noticed that it was open. Rick went inside of house; it was warm inside. He went inside of the kitchen and noted that the teakettle was still warm.

" Where did you go so fast Kimberly?'

He backed out into the living room and noticed a photo album sitting on the table. He opened the album and found cut out about his mother. He turned toward the pictures and felt a piece of paper fall to the floor. He picked up the paper.

He read a name of a drug.

Rick’s mind clicked, he knew that he had heard that name before, but he wasn’t sure where. Wasn’t it a drug?

" Kimberly, what is going on? Are you sick?"

Concerned covered Rick’s face, what was going on in Kimberly’s mind and where was she?

Kimberly stood in the doorway of Thorne’s bedroom. He wasn’t there, it was early, and she wondered where he had gone to so early. She hoped that he wasn’t with Brooke. She walked over to the bed that was unmade and laid down in the middle of it. She inhaled his scent on the sheets. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to in this bed with him inside of her. At that moment, her body began to throb on its own. She was still a little sore from last nights exercise with Scott. Last night had been exciting and thrilling. She liked having sex with Scott, although it had hurt a little, it was worth it. She now had a craving for sexual distractions; soon she’d have Thorne. She wanted to strip out of her clothes and wait for Thorne. She wanted to show him how good it could be, but he wouldn’t be ready yet. She closed her eyes and settled between the sheets.

Bridgett threw out the batter that she had made for the pancakes, her morning was ruined. Rick was right; once she checked her mother’s room she found that her mother’s clothes from yesterday were missing. Her mother had spent to night with Thorne. Brooke walked into the kitchen, wearing the same clothes. Bridget turned and gave her mother a cool look.

" Rick was here looking for you."

" He was? What did he say?"

" Nothing. I thought that we could have a family breakfast, but your weren’t here were you?"

" Bridget.."

"As soon as you found I wasn’t going to be home, you ran straight over to his place. Couldn’t wait could you. Hopped right into his bed."

Strain showed on her face. Another fight wasn’t what she needed.

" Bridgett, I’m sorry that you didn’t come back last night. We had a nice evening and I wanted you to come back home. Besides, I had a horrible fight with Rick last night. I was upset and I went to Thorne’s."

" Just what I thought, you were with him instead of us. We needed you this morning. I hope that your morning was well spent."

Brooke had had it with everyone.

" You want to know how my morning was spent. It was spent arguing and I don’t want to do with you."

Hope leaped in Bridget’s eyes. " You and Thorne were arguing, what about?"

" Really Bridget you could conceal your joy a little more. Go and do what ever you had planned for the day, we can fight later."

Brooke headed out the kitchen and went up the steps.

Bridget was curious, what were her mother and Thorne arguing about?

Bridget left the kitchen and as she walked in the living room and she accidentally knocked over the trash can. She never noticed as she ran out the front door that a note written in beautifully handwriting landed on the floor.

Against All Odds Part 33 (Business As Usual)

The model wearing the black dress turned her back on Eric while he adjusted the length of layered shirt.

" Does this feel too tight Jacqueline?"

" No it feels wonderful. I’m sorry that you had to adjust it."

" Don’t worry, but no more Mexican food, okay?"

" Sorry but my boyfriend makes a mean home made chili concorde. He has been out of the country for a while and now that he is back he wants to spoil me."

Eric grinned. " Just make sure that he spoils you in other ways until after the showing."

Eric turned and made adjustments to the three other dresses. Time was running out, the showing would be there in less than a week. He couldn’t seem to find anyone. Ridge hadn’t come in, nor had Morgan, Thorne was missing and Rick had called to say that he wouldn’t be in. The only person who seemed to come to work on time that morning was KC and he didn’t want her there. Thoughts of the new designer make Eric frown; he would have been more receptive if she had been considered without Brooke’s interference.

" Okay Liza, I’m done. Take this dress of and go and put the red leather dress on."

"That’s Morgan’s design, isn’t it?"

"Yes, but I need to make sure it’s measured correctly. With her being pregnant I don’t want her bending down to much."

With the collaboration between Morgan and Ridge, they had created some beautiful designs. He hated to admit it that but Morgan had brought a new energy to Forrester. Morgan hadn’t been so bad to work with, but lately she had seemed very quiet. Maybe it had something to do with her baby, motherhood changed people.

" I’ll get right on it."

The beautiful tall blonde walked out the door while Brooke came in.

" Eric, I’m glad that you are still in you office. I need you and Ridge to submit your musical selections and I also need Ridge to make some changes in Brooke’s Bedroom. Two of the negligees need to be altered. I don’t know the name of the model for the show stopper."

Brooke watched a line form between Eric’s forehead. Eric had someone in mind but it was best to keep Brooke in the dark about Kimberly, she was going to model it.

" Don’t worry we are going to use the classiest model. Is there anything that you need? After all we are all working hard to make your life easier."

Brooke ignored his remark. " Where is Ridge, he has an entire set of dresses that needed to be fitted.

" He isn’t here."

"Where is he?"

" Brooke, I don’t know."

" Well, find him. We don’t have time for this, we have a showing in less than a week." Brooke’s eyes narrowed as a thought popped into her mind. " This isn’t some sort of ploy because I’ve hired someone new? If it is, it won’t work. KC is talented and I’ll have her fit Ridge’s dresses for him since he isn’t."

" You can do that!"

Brooke put her clipboard down. " I just did. When Ridge decides to come to work, call me."

" Brooke wait, I thought that KC was going to start on your new line."

" She is, but I think that she needs to get to know Scott, they can do the fitting until Ridge gets back."

"Brooke!"

"What do you want Eric, I’m not going to change your mind."

" It’s not about business, it’s about Rick’s birthday party."

"Rick’s party, what about it?"

"Brooke it’s tomorrow."

" I know that Eric and I also know that you and Stephanie have planned something. I wanted to give Rick a party but since you started planning it; I didn’t want to step on your toes. Regardless of what you think, I don’t want to become between you and Rick."

" You’ll be at the party?"

" Of course. Bridget and I will be there along with Thorne." Brooke’s voice trailed when she said Thorne’s name. " We will all be there."

Brooke walked back to her office, she Megan and Giovanni had spent the last hour looking at the group of photos of women who all were opting to be the newest model.

Megan had noted that Brooke had been in a restless mood since she had come to work.

" Brooke is everything okay?"

" No, but that doesn’t matter. I need to get my work done before I start thinking about my problems."

Megan wondered what was bothering Brooke.

Music drifted down the hall toward KC’s office. She was sitting at her drawing board working on a sketch, in the background played Jill Scott’s song He Loves Me. KC loved music, it inspired her and her work, and she used it to conjure up the mood needed for whatever she was designing. Listening to the smooth sounds of Jill Scott’s highly sensual and beautiful music helped her get ideas for the skin colored jeweled dress that she had started designing.

KC heard the knock on the door.

" Come in."

Brooke walked into the office, she noted how much KC had done to the office in a small amount of time. It was beautiful; Brooke saw the beautiful black and white photos that adorned the walls. They were of men, different sized and races and all marvelously nude. There were no frontal shots, but the photographer had caught the men in different poses, which ranged from highly sexual captures to ones that caused one to marvel at the beauty of the male body.

KC watched Brooke as she studied the photos of the nude males.

"You like them?"

Brooke fanned herself with the clipboard in her hands. " They really are something. Whoever took the photos did a wonderful joy of capturing the beauty of the male body.

KC touched the photo the Brooke was studying, it was took me all day to capture this one, but it was worth it.

Brooke was astonished. " You did these? You took them?"

" I used to dabble in photography and other things."

" You call this dabbling, these are wonderful." Brooke grinned thinking about all those different naked males. " It most have been an awfully hard job."

" Yeah Brooke, it was definitely hard, no pun intended.

Brooke and KC broke out with laughter.

Brooke sat in down on black leather couch. " You are full of surprises, did you give up photography?" KC sat back in her chair picked up her colored pencil and started working on her design.

"I loved photography but when I started working with designers, I started to see lines and beauty of creating something from nothing. I still take photos from time to time, but I love designing."

Brooke remembered fondly how much she loved creating the B.E.L.I.F formula.

" I’ve never been a designer, but when I created B.E.L.I.F, it was a wonderful feeling, creating something from nothing. I used to love the entire process of watching Ridge create when we were married. He used to stay up late at night and work and I’d come down and watch him without knowing it."

"When you were married?" KC heard wistfulness in Brooke’s voice. It was hard to believe that Brooke and Ridge had been married, she had seen them in the office together when she arrived, it didn’t seem that they had been deeply in love at one point.

Brooke remembered those days when she had Ridge had it all, things were different, they could never go back or even be friends, she didn’t trust Ridge anymore.

KC saw the look of regret on her boss’s face.

KC remembered when her own relationship had gone bad because of Jackson; he had been her friend and betrayer. "Relationships are difficult and sometimes people can go back to the way things were. You try hard to fix things, but sometimes people do things that you can’t ever forgive."

Brooke agreed whole-heartedly. When Ridge betrayed her in Venice, it had cut her deep.

" At times it is hard. I never thought that Ridge and I wouldn’t be friends, but that’s the way that life goes. " Well, I don’t why I even thought about that, that was a long time ago, a lifetime it seems."

KC understood Brooke’s predicament, although she didn’t know the details.

She got up from the drawing board and sat in the chair next to the sofa.

" I quit a fantastic job."

"What?"

" Because of a relationship gone bad, it quit a job that I really loved. I was young at the time, and I couldn’t stand to see him everyday. No matter what went on with you and Ridge and believe me the media speculated; it seems like you handled it well. You never let your work here at Forrester suffer. I just wish that I’d been older, I wouldn’t have given up my job."

A sly smile grew on Brooke’s face, the more she was around KC, the more she liked her.

KC took a handful of M&M’s out of the ceramic brown candy dish that her brother had made for her when she was in college. She popped two in her mouth savoring the chocolate; she was a chocoholic.

" Besides I don’t think that you’ve done too bad, after all Thorne is a good looking man."

Brooke gave KC a curious look. How did KC know about her and Thorne?

" I saw the look on his face when I interrupted you in your office, it was kind of obvious that you two are more than business associates. The way that Mrs. Forrester acts toward you, I have to say that you must work well under stress."

" If you only knew half of it, I think that I’m a glutton for punishment. Either that or a machinist."

At that moment, Giovanni appeared in the doorway. " Brooke I think that I found that face that we were looking for."

" Gio?"

Giovanni turned toward the voice and saw KC. " My God, KC!"

Giovanni walked toward KC and kissed her on both cheeks before he hugged her and started speaking rapid Italian then back to English. " It’s been ages since I saw you last. Let me take a look at you." He looked at her, her short-cropped hair and her sleeveless white turtle necked lightweight sweater and her white suede knee length skirt that fit her flawlessly to her slip on high-healed sandals.

" It is impossible, you look even more beautiful than you did five years ago."

"Thank you Gio, and of course you look great."

"What can I say, I love America"

"And American women, right."

"You know me."

Brooke looked at the two. " I assume that you two know each other?"

Giovanni looked at his beautiful boss who looked quite beautiful in her sliver gray sleeveless blouse and black short mini skirt. Brooke had a great pair of legs; Thorne was a lucky man. " Si, KC and I worked together when she lived in Venice. Ah the picture she took, and the pictures I took of her." He looked KC. " You are the newest designer, are you not? I heard that there was a new designer, you are it."

Brooke walked toward them. " Yes she is, and you are going to help her make WOW, wonderful. Lets see what you’ve found."

" KC, Giovanni and I have been looking for the perfect model to showcase WOW."

Giovanni put the photos on the table. She and KC looked at the first photo. " She’s young, vibrant."

KC nodded. " She is very sexy."

Giovanni smiled. " That is not all, she also turned in this photo, and it blew me away."

Brooke took the other photo; the blond was lying on the beach, totally nude except for a thin sarong, which was wrapped around her wait. A lily was in her hair and she laid in a manner in which the viewer had a side profile of her breast. The photo was daring considering that they had only asked for headshots. Brooke’s mind began to click; she had wanted the WOW model to become an icon for the next generations of Forrester wear.

" Call her agent, I want to see her." Brooke turned to KC. " I want you at the meeting too, you have to tell me if she’ll work for you. I want our WOW model to be something different, she was being seen all over. I want her at premiers, Music Award, MTV, add and bill boards. Regularly we have our model and people wearing our clothes to the Oscars and other major awards, but we are going for younger buyers with this line. She will be classy but young and free. I want women to buy this line, but I want to market those younger girls." Giovanni and KC watched as Brooke came alive with her envision. " Giovanni, what is her name?"

" Trudie, Trudie Hastings."

" Good, get her in tomorrow to see me. I want her here ASAP."

"Brooke, why do you need her so soon, they haven’t started the line?"

Brooke walked toward the large glassed windows and looked outside. " We have three outfits." Brooke noted KC sketch, "Almost four. I have idea and I think it will work, just in time for the regular showing next week."

Giovanni looked at KC hoping she’d be able to clue him in. " Don’t look at me, I just started working for her." Giovanni threw back his head and laughed. He was a lucky man to work with such beautiful women.

Pierce rolled onto his back with his chest heaving and his body sweaty. He was totally spent the last two hours were a blur of hot passion sex. Isabelle had done things that he only heard of. She was an amazing woman, so full of passion, yet even now she was retreating into her shell. He watched her as she opened her desk draw and took out a cigarette, lit it and started to smoke. She was beautiful, he watched, as she lay on the sofa unashamed by her naked beauty. He wondered what she was thinking, was she thinking about what they had done? He wished she had stayed on the floor with him, he had tired to hold her but she got up and left him on the floor.

" What are you thinking about?"

She laid her head back and blew the smoke out into a ring. " I was thinking that underneath of that professionalism lays a man who had a tiger in him." Isabelle’s finger traced on of the love bites that he marked her with. Pierce saw the marks on her breast.

He got on his knees and touched her breast lightly where he had made marks.

" I didn’t mean to hurt you."

Isabelle heard the remorse in his voice; he was really upset about the possibility of hurting her. It touched something inside her, he was worried about her. " You didn’t hurt me." She touched his face with her fingers on his cheek. For the moment she was gentle, then almost as an afterthought she pushed him away from her.

Pierce watched how quickly she pulled her mask back on.

" Why do you do that?"

Pierce rested on his haunches, trying hard to study her in the dim office.

" Do what?"

" Put a mask on, you know that I have feelings for you but you push them away."

" You have strong feelings? You have feelings of lust, that’s what this was, two people having sex." She inhaled from her cigarette. " Don’t make this something it isn’t. You don’t know me, you wanted to **** me and I choose to let you because I wanted too." Isabelle got up from the sofa and opened the door in her office that lead to adjoining bath. "You may leave now, you got what you wanted." Pierce followed Isabelle as she went into the bathroom. She went to a glass-encased shower and turned the water on.

Isabelle saw him in the reflection of the mirror next to the shower; even after hours of sex, he was still potent. It was too bad that things couldn’t go one between them.

" You can’t dismiss me like I’m some sort of servant. I won’t let you belittle what happened here."

Isabelle stepped in the shower under the hot water and started to wash herself. " Nothing happened, I had sex with a man. It wasn’t my first time and it won’t be my last. She turned and watched him as she ran the luffa sponge down her body. " In fact, I’m probably have someone else in my bed tonight."

Pierce opened up the door of the shower and stepped in

" Isabelle, what we did today wasn’t something that I planned. Yes, I wanted you and I gave into that. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to spend time with you and get to know you other than a sexual manner."

Isabelle stepped under the spray, allowing the water to rinse all the soap from her body and stepped out of the shower. She dried herself off and watched through the mirror as Pierce watched her. She pulled on the dark red silk robe. " You don’t even know me, anything about me." She brushed her wet hair and then turned toward him. " I thought that you were smart, you’ve always been about your business and anything you associate your name with. You should do the same about any relationship, sexual or otherwise. I know all about you, what you’ve done and have been working on. If you were smart you would do the same thing on me." She smiled. "That’s if you can find any information. She walked over to the shower where he stood; her face had become serious and hard. "You have no idea what I am or capable of. You are playing a dangerous game."

Pierce stepped from the hot spray of the shower. " I know what I’m doing."

Isabelle looked at him and gave a sinister laugh. " No you don’t."

Thorne finished his run on the beach; he was hoping the run would clear his head. It hadn’t worked because he was still torn. He had to help Brooke to understand that Kimberly wasn’t the enemy but the victim. He was going to enlist James help, after he dealt with the issue of Bridget. Once Brooke saw how much he wanted to help Bridget, she’d soften her opinion about helping Kimberly. Thorne ran to his back deck and took off his sweaty shirt, and then looked on to Kimberly’s house. Maybe it was best to try to talk to her. He dropped the shirt of the lounge chair and went to her house. He knocked on the door and was surprised when Rick came to the sliding glass door.

" Rick"

" You are looking for Kimberly? Why?"

" I wanted to talk with her about her firing. Can I come in?"

Rick glanced at Thorne, he had no reason to be mad that him. It was his mother who was being unreasonable.

"Sure, come it. I’m waiting for her myself."

Thorne walked into the house.

" She isn’t here?"

" No. Thorne why didn’t you warn me about what my mother had done."

"Rick, I didn’t know about that Brooke had fired her until this morning."

Rick kicked a chair and walked toward the fireplace. " Looks like she hasn’t told anyone about her decision, she just made it."

Thorne clasped Rick on his shoulder with his hand. " Buddy I know that you are upset with your mom, I heard about your fight."

" I bet you did. I asked her, no, begged her to give Kimberly another chance, but she didn’t. She kept going on and on about how Kimberly needed help and attacked her."

Thorne sighed; he had the same argument with Brooke that morning.

" Why is she acting like this? She’s made lots of mistakes and she was given second chances. Mom has always been pretty unfair, now all of the sudden, she won’t budge."

" I think that your mother has been under a lot of stress. Rick, I can understand why you are upset, but arguing with your mother isn’t going to solve your problem. We have to work on her and let her know that Kimberly isn’t a threat to her."

" How are we going to do that?"

" I have an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"Dinner tonight. There is a new restaurant that I’ve been wanting to check out, its’ called Zenith. Why don’t we have a family dinner? You, me, Brooke, Bridget and Kimberly."

"I don’t know Thorne, mom might not go for it."

" Look Thorne, if we go to a public restaurant, Brooke isn’t going to make a scene. I do have one favor though."

"What?"

" Your sister, she isn’t going to want to come if I’m there. We need her Rick. I want tonight to be a start of a new family for all of us. Bridget and Kimberly, we are all going to be a family.

Rick thought about it, it was true, he loved Kimberly, and he needed her. Suddenly a vision of Eve flashed before his eyes. He regretted how things were, but she had made a decision and he had to help Kimberly. He owed it to her.

" Rick, are you willing to agree to it?"

" Yes. Look if this is what’s going to help mom and Kimberly then sure. I wanted to talk to Kimberly, she’s been pretty mad at me."

" I’ve got to go to Forrester. It’s show time, and we are really behind."

" Thorne, with the showing and my birthday party tomorrow, are you sure that we are going to have time to go out to dinner today?"

" How did you know about the party, it’s a surprise?"

" You didn’t think that I thought that I’d turn 21 and there would be no party. I’m a Forrester, we always have parties."

Kimberly opened her eyes; she had just had the most erotic dream where Thorne had been having hot and wild sex with her. It had been so good; she wanted the real thing. She rubbed the sheets that she lay on, she didn’t want to go but she had to get going. Eric had called her that morning and she had a fitting with him later during the day. There were going to keep it a secret. She also had to find Rick and to play her cards just right, after all he had to see the injustice that his whoring mother doing to her. He had to be primed; tomorrow he would his inheritance, 15% percent of Forrester. If he added his combined stock to the other Forrester, they would have 64% and be able to vote any way they wanted. If Thorne didn’t agree with them and voted the way Brooke did, it would still give the Forresters the power of 54%. Kimberly touched man’s shirt that she wore; it belonged to Thorne. She couldn’t help herself; shed put it on and relaxed in his bed. She took off his shirt and slipped back into her clothes of cut off shorts and tank top. She threw the shirt in the hamper and left Thorne’s bedroom. She was just about to leave when she noted Thorne and Rick coming toward the house from her house. She ran out of the front door.

Thorne slid the glass door open and walked in.

" I’m telling you Rick, this will work, and we can give it a shot."

" I hope so Thorne."

Thorne went to the fridge and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

" Sure"

Thorne threw a glass to Rick and he caught it. He poured him some juice."

"So Rick, have you stopped sleeping with that girl?"

Juice sputtered out of Rick’s mouth.

"What?"

Thorne gave Rick a knowingly look. " Come on, I’ve been young. I know what it’s like. I also know that you’ve been keeping yourself busy lately. I assume it has been with that other girl." Thorne stopped and gave Rick a quizzical look. " It hasn’t been with Amber, has it?"

" No. Look Amber and I, well we are sort of friends. I mean after all with Becky, how could I not care about her. She really loved Becky."

" Are you seeing Eric?"

" Just recently, she’s been letting me see him in secret. CJ is still mad about….Macy" He ended his conversation with a whisper. Pain etched itself onto Thorne’s face. He didn’t like to think about Macy. CJ was right to be angry, with him and not Rick. He had been a horrible husband. He had to clear things up with CJ and maybe he’d let Rick be part of Eric’s life again.

" I hear you buddy."

" Rick listen, maybe if I …."

There was a knock at the front door.

" Hold on"

Thorne opened to door to find Kimberly standing there. " Hi Thorne." She reached up and hugged him pressing her body against his. When she let go her hand quickly ran down his chest and mistakenly touched one of his nipples. A ripple went through Thorne’s body. Had she meant to do that? He looked down at her innocent smile, it was just his imagination, she hadn’t know what she was doing, how could she?

" Hey Kimberly" Rick stood and gave her a soft smile.

Look at him; Kimberly thought he isn’t half the man that Thorne is. She studied Rick next to Thorne. Thorne was all sweaty and muscled from what looked to be his run, and then Rick with his boyish charm. There was no contest, Thorne won, hands down.

" Rick, what are you doing here?"

" I went to your house, but you weren’t there."

" My house?"

" Yes, the door wasn’t locked, I went in and waited." Rick glanced at Thorne; he still wanted to ask Kimberly about the paper that he found, but not in front of Thorne.

" Look Kimberly, I know that you are pretty mad at me, but I need to talk to you."

Thorne noted the desperate look that Rick was giving Kimberly.

" I think that you too need to go over to Kimberly’s house and talk about your issues.

" I think that you’re right Thorne, we do have a lot to discuss."

Kimberly ignored Rick’s hand, which he held to her.

" I need to talk to Thorne."

" Kimberly, go with Rick we will talk later."

" Thorne, it’s really important."

" Kimberly, please." Rick looked toward Thorne. " If you take her to restaurant tonight then she’ll be able to talk to you."

Kimberly was puzzled. Was Thorne going to take her out, if that was the case then she’d talk to Rick?

" We are going out to dinner?"

" Kimberly, Rick will explain. I’ve got to take a shower and I’m late to work." At the mention of work, Thorne was sorry. He went over to Kimberly and hugged her.

" Sweetheart, I’m sorry about your job at Forrester."

" Who told you?"

" Brooke did and don’t worry. Rick and I are going to see about you getting your job back."

" Thanks so much Thorne, I don’t know what I’d do without you."

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Thorne moved back and put some distance between he and Kimberly. " Don’t thank just me, Rick is a great deal of help. He is the one you shouldn’t know what to do without." On Thorne’s urging, Kimberly smiled at Rick in agreement.

Bridget finished making the final arrangements with Rick’s party. She told her dad and Stephanie that she’d make sure that all of Rick’s friends were coming. She knew that this party was important to them. She called the last person on the list when she noticed a pretty girl with dark hair looking at her. The girl looked familiar, she was a college friend of Rick’s. She waved at the girl and she came over toward her.

" Bridget, right?"

Bridget smiled. " Yes. You’re a friend of Rick’s aren’t you?"

Bridget noticed how the girl paused when she asked if she were a friend of Rick’s.

" Sort of. Listen, I know that you are his sister and that his birthday is tomorrow. If I leave him a small gift at your house, would you see that he gets it."

"Why don’t you give it him tomorrow at his party?"

" I don’t think so. Rick and I, its best that we don’t see each other."

" Listen…"

"Eve"

" Eve, listen. Why don’t you come to the party, it’ll be at that club called Inferno tomorrow night at 8:30. If you are a friend of Rick, he’ll want you here."

Eve gave a small smile. Rick’s sister was a really nice girl.

" I don’t think so, giving you gift would be best."

Eve stared at Bridget for a moment. " How is he doing? Is Amber letting him seeing the baby?"

" I’m not sure. He told you about the baby? He must be really close to you to talk about it." Bridget wondered about Rick’s relationship with Eve, was it possible that he and her has something going. That thought of Rick with someone other than girl besides Kimberly gave Bridget of feeling of relief, Kimberly said she loved Rick but Bridget didn’t think that she did.

" He needed to talk to someone. I was there when he needed me. He doesn’t need me anymore."

Bridget saw the moment of pain in Eve’s eyes. " You really care about him don’t you?"

" I do. He’s a really great guy, but I he doesn’t seem to understand that everyone doesn’t look out for his best interest. I care about him, but I care more about myself. He loves Kimberly, not me."

Bridget felt saddened. Although Kimberly was her partner against her mother and Thorne, she knew that she wasn’t the best for Rick."

"Eve come to the party, he might need you. He might not always be with Kimberly."

Eve wondered what made Bridget make that remark about Kimberly.

" Bridget, how well do you know Kimberly?"

" What do you mean, she’s Rick’s girlfriend and she used to work at Forrester, my mom fired her."

"Do you know why she was fired?"

"No. My mom had her reasons, I guess."

"Do you think that she is seeing anyone other than Rick?"

Bridget wondered why she thought that Kimberly might be seeing someone else besides her brother. She hoped that Kimberly wasn’t seeing anyone like Scott. She had been flirting with him that day in Insomnia.

Eve glanced down at her watch; she had gotten a new job as a waitress the restaurant Zenith. She told KiKi that she’d cover from her tonight and she still had told True that she’d go over to her agent and give him her change of address, apparently he hadn’t gotten it. The waitress job paid much more than her last job and she needed the extra money for next semester’s books. True had come up with some money from her brother’s death, with Eve’s business sense they had but some of that money with some money Eve had saved on the stock market.

CJ sauntered into and saw Bridget talking to a pretty brunette. Although he was angry with Rick, Brooke and the rest of the Forresters, Bridget was just a kid.

" Hey Bridget"

Bridget saw CJ; she had really missed having him come around the house.

" CJ, it’s good to see you." She saw little Eric in his hands. A smile covered her face.

" Can I hold him?" Eve touched little Eric’s hand; he was a cute little thing.

CJ could never say no to Bridget, he had grown up with her.

"Sure Budge" He winked at her.

Bridget took Eric in her arms. She rubbed her nose against his. " You’ve missed me, haven’t you little pumpkin? Well I missed you. Maybe I can talk your daddy into letting me baby-sit?" She raised her eyebrow toward CJ.

" I don’t see why not, I could never say no to you."

" You could never say no to Rick before."

CJ’s faced darken. He held his hands out toward her.

" No not yet." She closed her eyes and held Eric toward her.

Eve and CJ watched the two of them together. Eric grabbed a handful of Bridget’s hair, but she didn’t wince, instead, she smiled.

" They look really good together, she really loves him."

CJ remembered how Becky used to hold Eric like that. " Yeah she does." He took his eyes off of Bridget and looked at the girl.

Eve was going to leave but she had to say something.

" I know that it’s none of my business, but Rick misses him too."

" What do you know about Rick? Rick has everything he wants. He’s a Forrester. His whole damn family does whatever they want. Besides, you’re right, it’s none of your business."

Eve’s teeth grasped her lower lip and she sealed her resolve. " You know I don’t know much about Rick’s world, I’m not even close to being rich or pampered. I’ve been through….well my life has been tough. I can tell you this; all that money doesn’t make him happy. Rick hasn’t had the toughest life, but it hasn’t been easy on him. He lost his son and his best friend; he misses you both."

CJ make a cynical laugh. " Don’t tell me about what Rick’s lost, he still has that rich family who thinks they can do anything or buy anything. You shouldn’t feel sorry for Rick; he’ll land on he feet. If you feel sorry for someone honey, fell sorry for me I’ve lost my sister and my wife. I never even knew my dad until I was around 15 and I don’t act like I can own the whole world like those Forresters. If you think that your little speech is going to change my heart, you have another thing coming." He gave Eve a once over noting her form fitting jeans and small white shirt. Although she was pretty, there were no pearls, no manicure, nothing that eluded any of that Forrester elegance. " If you think that he’s going to leave a peace like Kimberly for you, you’ve got another thing coming. You probably haven’t ever been to the country club or anything. If you know about me, then you know about Amber, you aren’t his type. You’d better save those feeling for yourself.

His words stung, although she he didn’t tell her anything different than what she already knew. " This isn’t about me. I know all about Kimberly and I’m not trying to get any brownie points for Rick. He’s suffering; he lost you as a friend. Whatever you are mad about, it doesn’t have to do anything with him. He didn’t do anything to you. You’re letting your personal feeling about Rick’s family get in the way. Do what is best for that boy, let him have two fathers, it’s better than one. I never knew my father; I wish that I had one let alone two. Just something for you to think about."

Eve left while CJ stood easily rebuked. The brunette had made a point, but forgiving Rick meant betraying Macy; he wasn’t sure that he would do that.

Kimberly closed the door to her patio. "What do you want Rick?"

" I went to my mother yesterday."

" What did she saw, did she give me my job back yet?"

" No"

Kimberly turned her back on Rick. " Then we have nothing to talk about."

Rick came behind Kimberly. " I tried, we had a terrible argument. She said that you attacked her. You didn’t tell me about that."

"I wasn’t thinking at that time. I was grieving; I was so hurt during that time. Your mother destroyed my sister’s marriage. She was there when she died and she wouldn’t have died if she hadn’t been there."

" Kimberly, we’ve been through this. My mother wasn’t responsible for Macy’s death."

Anger coursed through Kimberly’s body, Rick was still defending his whore of a mother.

" Rick! I don’t want to talk about your mother’s dealings with my sister. I’m trying to let things go. I’ve accepted that my sister is gone and she isn’t going to come back. I’ve dealt with that with your help and Thorne’s help. Back then I was blaming your mother and I wanted her to hurt like I was hurting."

Rick watched as tears formed in her eyes.

" You weren’t there, you didn’t see that car explode, and you didn’t search for her knowing that she didn’t have to be there. You didn’t watch as your sister’s husband cried over his lover! He cared and loved Macy, but he was there crying about Brooke. It hurt me so much. Macy was letting him go and your mother couldn’t wait. I was so hurt so I wanted your mother to hurt. I was wrong; I don’t think that I’d really tried to hurt her that day? I wanted to scare her. I realized that I was wrong and I’ve told her time and time again that I’m sorry."

Rick caught the tear that ran down her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Kimberly had to go through all of this pain alone. He kissed her cheek and slowly kissed her lips. He lifted his head. " I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you, you needed someone, but I though that you blamed me."

" At that time honey, I blamed everyone."

"Except Thorne."

" He tried to save my sister, he is my only connection to her. How could be mad at him? Don’t get me wrong Rick, I wasn’ t happy with Thorne, I just needed someone to listen to me."

Rick kissed her forehead.

"That’s why I was so upset Rick, after all that I went through, your mother was so unforgiving and mean to me. She said that I needed time from my job and that I wasn’t what Forrester needed. She didn’t try to hear what I had to say. All she said was that I was disrespectful toward her. I was angry and at times I still am. I don’t like what your mother did, I’m not sure if I’ll ever like her but I was willing to try for you." Kimberly touched Rick’s cheek. She leaned forward and kissed him slipping him her is tongue."

Rick pulled her toward him, she melted, as he cupped her bottom and pulled her toward him. Kimberly broke off the kiss.

" No! Rick, don’t you see that this isn’t going to work. I’m crazy this won’t work at all."

Rick didn’t know what Kimberly was talking about. He hoped that she didn’t want to end their relationship.

" What won’t work?"

"This thing with us! Your mother doesn’t like me; she hates me for some reason. She is jealous of my relationship with you and Thorne. She told me that she "sees" me for who I am and that I’m clinging to Throne. She hates me, she fired me and I need my job. I don’t have anyone, any real family. I hoped that we could be a family, you and me Rick, one day, but it won’t work."

" It will work, I’ll make it work Kimberly! I love you and I’ll get your job back, mom will change her mind. Tonight we will have a family dinner, all of us. Mom, Bridget, you, me and Thorne."

" Thorne’s coming and Bridget."

"Yes, it’s a surprise, Thorne wants mom to see that we all can be a family. Baby that includes you too. He wants all of us to get along and he wants you to have your job back."

"What if your mother won’t listen? What if she won’t give me my job back?"

" Don’t worry, I’ll see that she does. Like I said, it will work. If you want something hard enough and put on the pressure, things can go your way."

Rick hugged Kimberly while she stroked his hair. " You’re right Rick, if you work hard enough, things will always go your way."

Pierce watched Isabelle; she was so beautiful and strong. He didn’t know what he was getting into, he had heard things but he didn’t take stock in what he had heard.

" You don’t know anything about me, yet you want to see me, for what? Sex, we’ve had it. I could call you from time to time if you want to ****, you see I love ****ing."

Pierce wouldn’t let her belittle what they had together. He got dressed while she used a remote to reopen the blinds in her office.

" You don’t have any idea about who I am, how insipid of you. You don’t know to be afraid, you should be."

" I’ve heard that before…."

The door to the office opened and Caspian strolled in." Isabelle, I need you to take a look these papers…" Caspian stopped, there in his office was a man who was fixing his shirt with wet hair, and his sister was wearing a black robe and what looked to be nothing under it.

Caspian gave his sister a wirily smile; this was something of a shock for him. In all the years together, she had never mixed business with pleasure. She had kept her sexual conquest away from the office. The tall handsome looking man didn’t look too happy with his sister at the moment.

" Am I interrupting something?"

Isabelle could see the smile on her brother’s face. She however wasn’t amused, she had been so caught up with Pierce that she had done something so amateurish, not locking the door. " You’ve interrupted nothing. Pierce is getting ready to leave."

" I’m not going anywhere until we finish talking."

Caspian was so surprised by the man’s demeanor; he said nothing. No one ever told Isabelle no, unless it was him. He wondered who this man was; he was probably out of his mind. Pierce felt possessive toward Isabelle and didn’t like that fact that the man was so comfortable with seeing Isabelle in practically nothing.

" I’m Pierce Peterson."

Pierce shook Caspian’s hand. " I’m Caspian, Bella’s brother. You aren’t from here, are you? Most people, especially men fall right into line when it comes to her." He glanced at his sister, she looked cool but inside she had to be angry. Maybe this man would bring back a smile on her face or at least help her get past the façade that she showed. " Since you are busy, I’ll talk to you later." Caspian studied Pierce for a moment then turned to leave.

Isabelle was fuming, she didn’t know why it bothered her, but it did that Pierce had caused her to leave her objectivity. " It’s time for you to go, now."

" I’ll leave, but this isn’t over between us. I don’t care about who you say you are, I’ll find out the truth. It’s not over, it’s just beginning."

" Before you make that promise, you’d better know who you are really dealing with. Once you find out, you’ll be scared and if you aren’t, you are crazy."

Pierce touched Isabelle on the side of her face. " Only about you. I’m crazy about you and I love a challenge. I’ll be seeing you soon." Pierce left while Isabelle looked at the white orchids and touched them slowly. Pierce was a complication she didn’t need. She had his background checked out, he knew Brooke, he knew the Forresters, and he knew her.

Isabelle rang the buzzer to her assistant, Cynthiana.

" Yes Mrs. Delango?"

" Please come into my office Cynthiana."

Cynthia came into the office. " Yes"

" You let Mr. Peterson in my office?"

" No, it was security, they let him and said that you wanted to see him."

" Who in security?"

" Lorenzo. Mr. Peterson said that he was a friend of yours."

" Fire Lorenzo and the entire shift of security. No one is to come into my office, friend or not. Ever."

Isabelle knew that if Pierce got in someone else could. She wasn’t going to take any chances.

Brooke studied the photos of Trudie that were on her desk. The girl was perfect; she looked elegant in one photo, sultry in another and girlish in another. She embodied everything that she wanted for her line, the perfect model. She had plans for this girl; she was going to make Forrester a lot of money. Brooke was taking the idea of WOW with her when she made her move to Paris. She had called a realtor and they had already started to look for property. She decided against telling Thorne about her plans for right now, she’d handle Stephanie on her own, in fact she’d take care of that little matter right after Rick’s party. She’d use that tape to put the squeeze on her, but first she’d take care of Taylor. She hadn’t forgotten what happened in Venice, it was time to take care of Dr. Do Good. Brooke touched a family photo of her and her children. Right now Rick was angry about Kimberly and she had to do something about that. Brooke put the photo back and thought about Kimberly. Part of her wanted to call on her connections at other fashion houses and have them to make an offer to Kimberly out of L.A to get rid of her. She’d be gone and she wouldn’t have to worry about that troublesome girl. Inherently, Brooke knew she couldn’t do that; it would go against her grain to do something so underhanded. Getting rid of Kimberly would be something that Stephanie would do, no matter what she wasn’t ever going get rid of someone because she didn’t like him or her.

Against All Odds Part 33 Review { Brooke and Eric exchange words when Ridge and Morgan don’t show for work, with the showing a couple of days away. KC and Giovanni reacquaint their friendship. Giovanni brings a picture of who he thinks would be the best candidate for the WOW model to Brooke and KC, it’s Trudie. CJ runs into Bridget who is making last minute play for Rick’s birthday. Eve tries to talk to Cj about Rick. Isabelle dismisses Pierce after they had sex. Rick talks Kimberly into coming to a family dinner Thorne has planned.}

Against All Odds Part 34 { Dinner}

KC finished tightening the bodice of the shell colored two piece shirt and top. It was a beautiful combination of elegance and beauty. The pants suite was quite beautiful and a testament to the talent of Ridge Forrester. Scott was busy fixing the hem of the dress he was altering. Cassidy the model had been flirting with him most of the day, but he had successfully ignored her advances. KC smiled, although he had been successful in design school, Scott wanted to do a good job on fitting the models for Ridge’s designs. This was the first major showing that he was helped with. Scott had come into her office five hours ago, she had introduced herself to him and they had commenced to working. She liked him already; he was easy going and had a charm that reminded her of someone she couldn’t put her finger on.

" Ok Cassidy, I’m finished." The gorgeous red head smiled and gave him a long licentious look. " Are you sure that there isn’t any other thing that I could do for you?" Scott looked a little uncomfortable for a moment.

KC decided to help him out; he was just learning the ropes. " Cassidy isn’t there a rule here at Forrester that designers don’t date models." Erin, the model that was being fitted by KC smirked at Cassidy, she knew that lots of rules around Forrester were broken.

Cassidy glared at KC, she didn’t know who this woman thought she was, she had just started working here. " You should know that rule is only rumor, after all if there were no fraternization rule then all of the Forresters would be in serious trouble. All of their affairs are work related, look at our industrious CEO, she has all the Forrester men, not that I don’t blame her. My god Ridge is sexy as hell and that Thorne, well he is a hottie."

KC didn’t think that Brooke’s personal life was anyone’s business besides her own.

"That doesn’t change that fact that there is a rule. Scott doesn’t want to jeopardize his job here no matter how good the rewards." KC nodded toward Erin. " How does it feel?"

"It feels great."

"Okay go get into the gold brocade dress." KC gave Cassidy a pointed look. " I think that you should change into the other dress." Cassidy ignored KC look and winked at Scott then left the office.

Scott put down the pins in his hands. " Thanks a lot KC."

"Don’t worry, she just didn’t like that type that would take no for an answer."

Scott sat down on the sofa. " Is that a really a rule."

"Well, sort of. They like to keep designers from sleeping with models at most of the houses, if possible. It can get a little sticky when relationships fall apart." KC checked one of Ridge’s designs. " Don’t worry though, no one gets fired because of that. Is there a model that you are interested in?"

Scott thought about Kimberly. She had been so cold and calculating. Giving up your virginity in order to sleep with another man was sick any way you cut it. He wondered if he should warn Rick. He decided against it, sooner or later, he would see her for what she was. He had made a serious mistake sleeping with her; he was going to stay away from her from now on.

" Scott? Is there someone you are interested in?"

"No. I was just thinking."

KC knew it was hard work to be around such gorgeous men and women. Keeping it professional had been hard for her when she had just been a photographer, put she had leaned her lesson well. Jackson had taught her that friendship, work, and lovers didn’t work out. There were days that she wondered how things would ended up if she had just never let go and given into the passion that had felt. KC shook her head; there was never a point in looking back.

" What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important." He moved to the drawing table and picked up her design that was in progress. " This is fabulous."

" You like it?" KC gave him a brilliant smile.

" Yes. You really are something. I think that I’m going to learn a great deal from you."

KC winked at him. " Stick with me kid, we’ll go places."

Brooke unbuttoned her blouse and kicked off her shoes. It had been a long and tiring day, Ridge hadn’t shown up, Eric was belligerent as ever. Morgan had decided to stay home, the baby was almost due and she was having a hard time. Models had been running around trying to get fitted, while KC and Scott picked up the slack. Brooke had a conference call to Victor in order to solidify some details in order to make her move to Paris. Brooke took off the rest of her clothes and hopped into the shower hoping that the hot water would ease her tension. She washed herself rehashing all of the stress of the show and her arguments with all the people she loved. She stepped out of the shower, dried herself off and wrapped the large puffy towel around her body. She went into her bedroom and found Thorne sitting on her bed.

"Thorne! You scared me."

Thorne could feel the tension coming off of Brooke’s body. Obviously, she still hadn’t forgotten their argument.

" You left the office a little early."

Brooke dropped the towel and wrapped a pail green silk robe around her body.

" I needed to get out of there, it was a mad house. Ridge didn’t come in and I had to get KC and Scott to refit his clothes. Morgan didn’t come in, so Eric had to get her designs fitted, I had an add meeting with Carl and I’m looking for a WOW model."

Thorne ran his fingers through his hair. " You also spent half the day avoiding me."

Brooke stopped brushing her hair and abruptly threw the brush down. " If this is why you came here, to fight then go home Thorne. I still have to go back tonight and I need some rest and some food."

Thorne came behind Brooke and wrapped his arms around her. " Honey I didn’t come here to fight." He leaned forward and inhaled her scent; just smelling her was making him hard. He kissed the back of her neck. " I was looking for you myself when KC told me that you had left. Today was horrible for me; I just wanted to make up. I don’t like fighting with you."

Brooke turned in his arms. " I don’t like fighting with you either, especially about Kimberly. I made decision Thorne, and I think that I made the right one." " I don’t want talk about it anymore, not today. I made a decision and I’m not going to change my mind."

Thorne wondered why Brooke didn’t understand the depth of Rick’s feelings for Kimberly. This was a matter that wasn’t going to blow over.

Thorne wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Thorne kissed Brooke on her forehead; he would change her mind about Kimberly later at dinner. " Let’s not talk about our argument right now, let’s talk about dinner."

" Dinner?"

"Yes, Dinner tonight." Thorne nuzzled the side of her neck with his nose. He began to nibble on her neck. " The whole family at Zenith."

Brooke leaned her head back allowing him more room. " All of us? Are you sure?" She began to giggle as he nibbled.

" Of course, it will be great."

Brooke pulled her head back. " Rick’s mad at me and Bridget, well she is angry that I spent last night at your place."

Thorne caught the ends of Brooke’s robe and untied the sash; the robe fell to the ground. His lips caught her nipple and he wrapped his arms around her carrying her to her bed. He laid her down. " Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of everything." He murmured against her breast. Thorne stripped out of his clothes and came back to her. He cupped her breast and ran his tongue over her hard nipples. He suckled them and tasted them and created a trail down toward her navel and descended further. He spread her legs while Brooke arched toward him. His mouth found her heat, he stroked her, tasted her again and again. Just when she would have climaxed, he stopped and thrust inside of her.

He moved inside her in a hurried fashion while she accepted him fully. They both wanted to get past the emotions of their fight earlier that morning. He stroked her with his fingers when he knew that he couldn’t hold on anymore and then he climaxed and she quickly followed him.

Thorne rolled off of Brooke and held her. He stroked her hair. " I’m sorry, I know that it went fast."

" No, sweetie, it’s fine." Brooke closed her eyes and he kissed her. She snuggled closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"This is what has been missing Brooke."

" Hmmm?"

" You and me sleeping in the same bed. That was the great thing about Paris. We could sleep in the same bed. Baby, I want this, every night. I want to go the bed with you in my arms and wake up with you."

" I want the same thing."

" Do you Brooke?"

Brooke laid her head on his chest and stroked his chest with his fingers.

" Of course I do. How could you ask that?"

" It’s just that we don’t talk about it anymore, us having a life together."

Brooke sat up. " Thorne, I love you and I want to have a life with you. I’ve been making plans toward that."

"What kinda plans?"

" Just plans for you and me."

Thorne kissed her slowly.

" I don’t want to make anymore plans with you. I want action."

"Action?"

" Yes. Brooke action. That’s what I want for us." Thorne looked deep into her eyes.

" Marry me Brooke. Be my wife and my life. I love you and I don’t want to wait anymore. I want you to be mine."

Tears started to fill in Brooke’s eyes. " Are you serious?"

Thorne cupped her head in his hands. " How can you question that? I love you and I want to marry you. I know that we still have to work on Bridget, but I need you. I want to let the whole world know that I love you. I want to marry you."

Brooke smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. " Yes, Thorne I’ll marry you."

They kissed passionately and made love again, slowly this time. After she was spent, Thorne got up and took a ring out of a box he had in his pocket. Naked to the bone, he got on his knees and slipped the ring on her finger. Brooke gasped and tears filled her eyes. " You kept it. My ring, you kept it."

"You told me to, remember?" Thorne smiled and kissed her longingly. " I’ll never let you go and I’ll never let you take it off." Brooke gazed at Thorne, he was sweet. " I’ll never take it off, I love you." They made love once again and Brooke drifted off to sleep while Thorne silently held her.

Eric finished fitting the black nittie when Bridget walked in. " Dad have you seem mom?"

Eric glanced up from the model that he was fitting. " No, don’t tell me that she left."

" Megan said that she was might have been with Giovanni, but he said that he was finished with her about an hour ago." Bridget bit her lower lip. " I guess that you haven’t see her."

Eric nodded to the model and she left the room. " I haven’t see your mother since this morning."

Bridget sighed. " Oh "

He put his fastening pens down and stood up." What is it honey? Is there anything that I can do?"

Bridget thought about the acceptance letter than was laying in her backpack.

She shook her head. " No, I need to talk to her. We had an argument this morning and

I wanted to talk to her."

Eric moved toward her and cupped her head in his hands. A scowl replaced the placid look that he had before " What kind of argument?"

" The same arguments that we have been having about Thorne. She didn’t come home last night because she was with him. It really upset me. I thought that they would have broken up put they are still together."

" I know honey, I’m sorry about what this is doing to you."

Bridget gave her father a weak smile. " I know you are but maybe something will happen maybe they won’t get married. I just can’t accept it. I won’t accept him as my step-father."

Eric hugged his daughter. It was obvious that she was miserable, he wouldn’t allow Brooke to destroy Bridget with her lust. She would destroy all of them if he let her. Eric was convinced that Stephanie was right taking Bridget from Brooke would be best for everyone, including Bridget.

Bridget picked up her backpack, " I gotta go dad, don’t work too hard it already 7."

" It’s showing time and of course with Rick’s birthday tomorrow, I’ll need to stay until probably midnight."

Bridget walked out the office and ran into Scott. Her heart leapt at the sight of him, he was wearing a soft light blue sweater that matched the color of his eyes with black pants that fit him perfectly. He was so beautiful; she would love to sketch him.

"Hi Bridget." Scott couldn’t take his eyes off of her; she was such a beautiful girl. Her smile was one of innocence, it was nice to see her smile since she hardly ever did so it seemed.

" Hi Scott. You’re working late too."

" Yeah, Ridge didn’t come in so your mother asked KC and I to fit some of his designs."

" Who is KC?"

"You don’t talk to your mom much do you?"

Bridget made a face. Scott reached out and pulled her back toward him when she moved away from him. " I didn’t mean to upset you it was a joke, what’s wrong?"

" Nothing, maybe you are right, we don’t talk much anymore. Last night we had a great time, dinner just her and I. We talked just like we used too before Thorne but as soon as I left she ran over there to be with him and probably spent all night in his bed having sex. At the mention of sex, Scott’s mind went back to his mistake. Bedding Kimberly was one of the biggest mistakes that he ever made.

" You never answered my question, who is KC?"

"KC is the newest designer, your mother hired her when she was in Paris." Scott guided Bridget down the hall toward KC’s office. Bridget followed Scott into the beautiful office. The first thing that she noticed was the photo of the nude males. Her mouth dropped open as she saw one of a beautiful black man standing in the surf totally naked and only his hands covered his**** and at the photo of a white make lying on the bed on his stomach with his perfect naked butt exposed. Bridget eyes devoured the cords and muscles of the man.

" Careful, your eyes might fall out."

Bridgett turned red. " It’s just that I’ve never seen a…."

" A naked man before." Scott stared into Bridget’s eyes; she was such an innocent. She had never seen a man in the flesh before he guessed. Had she kissed a man, felt his tongue touch hers, had a man every touched her body? The thought of a man touching her upset him for some reason.

" I’ve seen pictures and of course I’ve been to some movies." Bridget’s heart raced, she wondered what Scott looked like with no clothes on. The sweater that he wore molded against his chest. He obviously worked out, did he look like the man in the bed? Who had a slim yet muscularly athletic body.

"It isn’t the same is it? The guys in the movies aren’t real." He stood besides her as she

as looked at the photos. " KC took them."

" The designer, she was a photographer?"

" Yes."

" She’s a true artist."

Scott couldn’t help himself; he brushed a lock of her hair off her shoulder. " Like you. How is it coming along?"

Bridget opened her backpack and handed him the envelope. Scott read her acceptance letter on the second phase of the Montez program.

" This is great, Bridget." Scott pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Bridget felt her pulse quicken and her head rested chest. She could smell the Polo sport that he wore; she loved the feel of his strong arms around her. Scott closed his eyes and marveled how a mere slip with a girl with a spunky attitude could feel so good in his arms. He could feel her breast which her plastered against him. He wanted to run his hands down her hips and cup her body toward him. He grew hard and had an erection. Bridget felt him grown and become hard against her. She looked into his eyes and he suddenly let her go. What was he thinking but she was just a kid. It amazed him, although she was young and innocent, she had aroused him so quickly more quickly than Kimberly ever did.

Bridget blushed; she had never felt an aroused man against her. It thrilled her a little to know that she excited him.

KC walked through the door. " Okay I got your rare roast beef and my shrimp salad sandwich."

KC stopped in her tracks, Scott was standing next to a pretty blonde. They both had a funny looks on their faces. " Hi"

"Bridget, this is KC. KC this is Bridget."

"Hi Bridget. You are Brooke’s daughter, right?"

"Right."

" You look just like your mom, looks run in the family."

"Are you kidding, you are gorgeous. I’ve seen you somewhere, I know it."

"I don’t think so, I’ve just come back to L.A, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here."

Bridget’s cell phone rang.

" Hello"

Bridget listened to the call, it was Rick. " Okay. No, I do want to go." She hung the phone up.

" I gotta go, family dinner at Zenith’s." Bridget looked at Scott. If you want you could come by to have dessert or something, we have reservations around 8:00." She nodded toward KC. "Nice meeting you."

"You too Bridget."

Bridget left and Scott stared after her.

" So it’s not the models but the daughter."

"What?"

"Bridget, she likes you and I can see that you like her."

"She’s a kid. I just think that she is nice."

KC bit the end into her sandwich and drank a sip of her fruit punch Snapple.

" Uh-ha, sure you do. Very pretty girl."

 

 

Brooke rolled over and touched the empty space beside her. She opened her eyes.

" Thorne?" She went into the bathroom, which was empty and dark expect the moonlight coming in through the large bay windows. She went back into her bedroom. " Thorne?" She noticed a rose on her desk with a letter under it.

Brooke,

Tonight you made me the happiest man on earth. Honey I love you and want life with you. I wanted so badly to stay with you, but I’m not sure that Bridget should find me in your bed. Soon, very soon, my love, we will be together. Just remember that I love you. In your closet, I left something for you to wear along with my ring. Although, I love seeing you in nothing, I'd love to see you in this.

I’ll see you soon.

I left a little something for Bridget; I hope that she will like it.

Thorne

Brooke picked up the rose the rubbed it’s soft petals against her cheek and then inhaled the fragrant scent. She went to the bathroom and turned the water on in the large marble tub, pouring scented bath oils she and bath beads she created a wonderful bath. She sat that the vanity table in her bathroom and glanced at her beautiful ring. Thorne had saved it even when he had been married to Macy. She took the ring off and placed it on the counter. She opened her closet and took out the garment bag, unzipped it. She took out an amazing red dress. It was a single strapped dress with a diagonal curved neckline; the hem of the dress was also on a diagonal slant ending in a sharp edge. It was simple yet beautiful. There was a knock on the door.

" Come in."

Bridget walked in looking slightly shy. Brooke put the dress on the bed. " Bridget"

" Mom, do you have a moment, I need to talk to you."

" What is it? It isn’t about this morning?"

" It’s about something else." Bridget saw Brooke’s red dress. " You bought a new dress, it’s beautiful is if for tonight?"

"Yes, it’s for tonight." Brooke clasped Bridget’s hand. " What do you want to talk with me about?"

" Mom, you know that I love my artwork."

"Yes, you are talented. You get it from your father." Brooke pushed a lock of Bridget’s hair around her ear. " I was always amazed at how your father and Ridge could create. I’ve seen your work and you have that Forrester talent."

Bridget tried to compose a way to tell her mother that she might be leaving. The interviewing process could be any time and they would want to talk to her. Brooke was curious about Bridget’s demeanor.

"Honey you are starting to worry me!"

" Mom, don’t worry. It’s nothing like that."

" I applied to a art program. It’s called the Montez program and it is wonderful. It is a full time study of art. Students learn to hone their craft, study and use different forms and medium of artwork from some of the world’s best teachers. Every year there are a total of 15 slots available. Mom, I’ve put in an application to the program and I’ve made it to the second phase."

"Bridget, that’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you." Brooke hugged her daughter.

" Before you get too excited you had better read this." Bridget gave her a pamphlet on the program. Brooke read the information while Bridget watched the range of emotions of her mother’s face.

Brooke was startled by not only the depth of the program but the fact that Bridget would be willing to live abroad for at least two years.

" You want to move to Paris?"

" I wouldn’t see it as moving to Paris, just going to school there. Mom, grandma and granddad live there so I’d be near family. You visit Paris a great deal and I’d be able to see you."

Brooke’s mind began work. She had been wondering how she was going to persuade Bridget to give up her life in L.A. in order to live in Paris with her and Thorne. Bridget getting into the program would work out perfectly; they’d be able to be together.

Bridget wondered what her mother was thinking about, was she going to say no.

" Honey, this is wonderful." Brooke hugged Bridget.

" You aren’t upset?"

" Why would I be upset?"

" I don’t know. Rick was upset about me moving to Paris, if I get in. I just thought that you’d be sad or something." Bridget was a little disappointed, she hadn’t wanted her mother to be upset, but the way her mother was acting, she acted as if she didn’t care.

" Don’t you care that I would be leaving?"

Brooke wanted to alleviate any fears that Bridget had. " Of course I’d be sad. You’re my baby. I don’t want you to leave, but I understand that this is something that means a great deal to you." She kissed Bridget on her cheek. " I love you honey and I want you to have this. We’d work something out, I’d never leave you."

Bridget felt relief and she hugged Brooke. " I’d better get ready for dinner. I want to look nice; I heard that Zenith was a cool restaurant. Brooke watched as Bridget left the room. She read the pamphlets again; moving to Paris was now foremost in her mind. Brooke would investigate the Montez program and if it met her standards her daughter would go. Paris meant a new life for all of them.

Thorne loved the feel of the hot water on his body. He was a very happy man, after they told the children about the marriage, he knew that Bridget would be upset at first, but she’d get over if. He wanted to make the announcement at Rick’s birthday party.

Throne finished his shower he dried off with a towel and threw it on his bed. He walked naked into his living room to get to get a drink.

" Thorne."

Thorne whirled around to find Kimberly standing in his living room. " Kimberly!" He dashed into his bedroom to get a towel and wrapped it around his body. Kimberly wore a smirk at her face; his body was magnificent. It was muscular and wet from his shower

Thorne came back into the living room where she was standing.

" I’m sorry Thorne. I knocked and the door was open. I didn’t know that you’d be naked."

Thorne cleared his throat. " Kimberly, you should have let me know that you were here."

" I’m so sorry. I just wanted to know what time you wanted to go to the restaurant. I’ve already dressed."

Thorne had noticed her dress. The strapless black dress encased her body like a second skin. It was a lightweight shimmering material that had two large oval holes of the sides that tied together at her hip with a jeweled clip and then open again for a split. The holes showed off naked skin, a partial view of sides of her breast and toned body; the open slit showed that she didn’t have any visible panties on. It was obvious that she wore nothing but the material called a dress and slinky black high healed sandals. Her hair was swept up and held by a jeweled black clip. When she turned her could see the outline of her nipples and way too much of her body. In the past he had looked at Kimberly as a girl but she wasn’t, she was a woman. He was uncomfortable with this feeling, in his head he cared for her as Macy’s kid sister but his body was responding to her as if she wasn’t. It was better that he step back and allow Rick to handle Kimberly for now on besides he had a wedding to plan and Bridget to help.

" I’m not taking you to dinner. I think that Rick is."

Kimberly’s eyes devoured him. His eyes wouldn’t meet hers; she knew when he had looked at her in this dress that he had felt something. She had worn it just for him; she wasn’t a little girl. " I thought that we were going to talk, we don’t do that much anymore."

"Kimberly, I know that you are upset about Brooke, but I think that this dinner tonight it is a step in the right direction. We all need to relate to each other. I also have made an appointment for you with James Warwick."

"James Warwick?"

" He’s an old friend of the family and a therapist. You still are mourning Macy’s death and I think that you need to talk to someone."

"I don’t need any one I’ve doing fine. The only thing that bothers me is that I don’t have a job."

"Don’t you see that you are the only one that I need to help me? You’ve helped me so much, with Rick, with Macy’s death and even with dealing with Brooke." Kimberly picked up Brooke’s picture. I haven’t truly forgiven her for her part of Macy’s death, but will take time."

" I think that you are making progress and I’m sure that you will do fine, with the help from James. I think that you need to talk to someone besides me. I think that you need to talk to someone. Dr. Staten isn’t coming back and I want you to go to James, he’ll help you."

"Do you think that going to him will help me to get my job back?"

"I think that it will help, Brooke is uncomfortable and I can understand why she was upset."

Thorne didn’t see the look of contempt of Kimberly’s face.

" Anyway, call Rick. I’ve got to get dressed." Kimberly turned toward him and smiled.

" Alright, I’ll call Rick. You are also right about James, maybe I need to talk to someone."

Thorne turned to go back into his bedroom. " Kimberly, I think that from now on, if I don’t answer you should wait. Brooke is sometimes here and things could get uncomfortable."

Kimberly left. She had no plans on listening to Thorne, she’d use Macy’s key whenever she wanted to.

Brooke glanced into the mirror of her living room at her reflection. She looked beautiful in the red dress that Thorne had given her. Her hair was twisted back and held with a gold clip at the nape of her neck. On her ears she was a stunning pair of emerald cut 2-carat diamonds and on her beautiful engagement ring on her finger. She checked her makeup. The phone rang and she answered it. " Hello?"

" Brooke this is Connor. Weren’t we supposed to meet here at 7:30? You need to sign those papers for Rick’s trust."

" I forgot!"

" I can come over if you want."

" No, I’ll meet you at the office."

Brooke hung up the phone. She yelled upstairs to Bridget. " Bridget! I’ve got to run to the office I’ll meet you at the restaurant. See if Rick will give you a ride!"

" Okay mom."

Brooke left.

Bridget came down the stairs; she had wanted to see her mom’s reaction for her dress. Her mother had brought her a beautiful dress for dinner. The thin lavender dress has spaghetti straps with a fringed bodice; it flowed down her legs with a fringed hemline. One the side of the dress was a beautifully created butterfly, which was a mixture of lavender and pink. Bridget wore the butterfly clips in her upswept her with a matching necklace that had a small yet exquisite diamond. She looked like a vision obviously her mom had great taste. She was hoping that maybe Scott would come to the restaurant for at least dessert. She walked toward the sofa dropped her purse; she saw a note that her mother must have dropped. Bridget picked up the note and put it on the table.

Rick walked through the front door looking great in his Forrester suit. He whistled.

" Wow Budge, you look great!"

"Thanks, you don’t look half bad yourself. "

"Where’s mom? Bridget saw the apprehension in his face. " She had to run an eran. Don’t worry big brother, she’s not mad at you. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I got to pick up Kimberly."

" Kimberly is going to dinner with us?"

"Yeah."

"Does mom know?"

" No"

"Well, this is going to be interesting."

Brooke arrived at Zenith and she was impressed, she now understood why people talked about this place. An escort took her on a tour of the outside dinning facilities. There was selected tables set up in private dinning areas in the middle of a beautiful outside garden. Music flowed from the outside stage where the light melodic sounds of singer rang throughout the night air.

" This is beautiful"

Keith could hardly keep his eyes off of the beautiful Ms. Forrester. The other men in the restaurant felt the same way, many had stared at the beautiful blonde. " Inside we have private as well the public dining room. On the other side of the restaurant there are two outside the pools, one where there is a pool to swim in and the other to dine around. There is a disco on the third floor with a bar for our younger crowd. Brooke followed her escort into the first floor of the restaurant and was enchanted by the private dinning area that was set up for dinner.

"Mrs. Forrester, horderves are already set up for you." Brooke looked the silver lined tray full of different assortments of clams casino, Chinese dumplings, and spicy shrimp. Brooke bit into a large seasoned shrimp and it was delicious.

" Mrs. Forrester would like a glass of champagne."

"Yes please."

Brooke sipped the cool champagne as she nibbled on her piece of shrimp. She moved toward the open French doors that lead to a private exit to the gardens. Her meeting with Connor had gone by quickly, for his birthday Rick would receive a large sum of money and stock that Brooke had acquired, at age 23 Rick would get his Forrester Stock.

"What are you thinking about?"

Brooke turned to find a very handsome Thorne in a tuxedo smiling at her.

"Honey, I’m so glad that you are here." Brooke ran to Thorne and they kissed with passion. Brooke broke off the kiss and turned to model the dress for him. " It’s beautiful, thank you." Thorne touched tentacle of Brooke’s hair that slipped from the clip on the back of her hair.

" I’ve didn’t want to leave you."

She rubbed her face against his hand. " Don’t worry you did the right thing, Bridget could have come home any time. I love you so much." She wrapped her arms around him as he leaned forward to kiss her.

"EEH, Mr. Forrester, I hate to disturb you, put there is that little matter." Thorne glanced at Keith. " I’ll be back honey." He kissed Brooke and left the room.

Brooke smiled and sat at the table when a pretty brunette walked in wearing her waitress uniform.

" I’m sorry the rest of your party isn’t here yet."

"No. I’m expecting my son daughter."

Eve’s heart leapt, it was Mrs. Forrester, which meant that she had to see Rick, and she didn’t want this. She had to trade dinning areas with Sara."

"Yes Ms. Forrester."

"You know me?"

"No, I know your son Rick, we were once friends."

"You are friends with Rick?"

Eve was uncomfortable, Ms. Forrester was a powerful lady, and she probably didn’t want anyone like her near her son because of Kimberly.

Bridget walked into the dinning room to find her mom talking to Eve.

" Hi Eve."

Eve turned toward Bridget. " Wow, you look beautiful." Bridget turned around to model her dress. " My mom got it for me."

"Bridget, I didn’t buy you the dress, although I would have if I’d seen it. You look like an angel"

"You didn’t buy it?"

"No, Thorne did."

"Why would Thorne buy me a dress?"

Brooke stood up, because he wanted you to look good tonight.

"Why would he care about how I looked? We are having a family dinner, it doesn’t involved Thorne!"

"Yes it does. Thorne is part of our family, we are all having dinner tonight."

Anger filled Bridget’s eyes. " No, this was supposed to be about family. You, Rick and me. I didn’t even want Kimberly to come but I’m willing to deal with her."

Brooke’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Kimberly.

"What do you mean Kimberly! Kimberly isn’t coming here for dinner."

"Rick and I picked her up! She’s coming for dinner. I don’t care about her, I want to know whose idea was this dinner?"

"It was Thorne’s"

"Well I’m not going to stay for dinner!"

"Yes you are young lady!" Thorne strode down the steps. " I’ve planned a family dinner tonight and we are all going to spend some time together." He glanced at Eve.

Eve started toward the door when Rick appeared with Kimberly. Rick turned white.

" Eve" he whispered. Kimberly turned toward Rick and kissed him on the cheek.

"Rick, it’s you little friend."

Hatred sparked in Eve’s eyes, she hated Kimberly. " Rick, it’s good to see you."

Brooke noted the exchange, as well as the look that Rick gave the waitress; there was something there.

Kimberly descended down the stairs. " Thorne, Bridget, it’s good to see you." She turned her eyes on Brooke. " Brooke"

Brooke looked at Thorne; he didn’t seem surprised at all by the fact that Kimberly was here. She glanced at him. " You knew about her coming didn’t you, she asked in a fierce whisper? Thorne took her hand and she pulled it back. " Honey….we all have to talk our problems out."

"This was supposed to be a family dinner. She isn’t family and I don’t want her here."

Bridget smirked at her mother. " Come on mom, we are all family, after all Thorne is here." Bridget sat down at the dinner table.

Rick stood in front of his mother. " Kimberly is family, I love her mother. If she isn’t invited then I’m leaving, you can control her at work but who I see."

Kimberly and Rick sat down at the table.

Thorne touched her shoulder. " Don’t be angry, we all need to settle out differences. How are we going to do that if we don’t talk?"

Brooke sat down at the table followed by Thorne.

She noted Kimberly’s dress and shook her head, was that little tramp using her body to entrap her son?

"Kimberly looks good doesn’t she mom."

" She is a beautiful girl, I’d never dispute that. It’s just that I’m surprised that you’d wear that sort of dress.

"What’s wrong with dress. I bet you would have worn this sort of dress if they were out when you were my age." Kimberly smirked. " In fact, if you could get away with it, you’d wear it now."

Brooke took a sip of her champagne. " My you have gone through a whole metamorphosis, your hair, your clothes you attitude. I’m just wondering where this all came about."

Kimberly leaned forward so that Thorne and Rick had a view down the front of her dress.

"This sort of thing? Looking sexy. Isn’t that what we do at Forrester? You have your Brooke’s Bedroom and they aren’t selling bed sheets. Besides, I learned that being meek would get you nowhere. I think about my sister, she was nice and she died."

Rick rubbed Kimberly thigh. " Sweetie, don’t." Mom, Kimberly has had a hard time. She going through changes, but she still is the same person. She can also do her job."

Eve came in with the menu and passed them out. "Would you like me to tell you about the specials for tonight?"

Eve’s eyes glanced at Rick’s hand, which was resting on Kimberly’s thigh. Kimberly smiled rubbed Rick hand.

Eve gave the specials of the day and took the order.

Kimberly knocked over her fork. " Oh Eve, I’m sorry could you get this, it’s dirty. I don’t like dirty things, neither does Ridge. He always likes clean things."

Eve shot a look of hatred at Kimberly and then plasted on a fake smile. "No, problem." Eve took the fork and left the room.

"Don’t to that Kimberly." Rick turned his head to watch Eve leave.

"What?"

"Be mean to Eve."

"I’m sorry, should I be nice to her? How would you feel if I had another man at my house?"

"You know this girl Rick?"

Rick sighed; he wished his mother hadn’t brought it up. " Eve and I are just friends, we have class together."

" You don’t like her Kimberly?"

"She wants Rick but he is too nice to her. She should know that I’m the most important thing in Rick’s life."

Bridget hated the way that Kimberly treated Eve. " She’s really nice Kimberly."

Kimberly tossed leaned back in her chair. " I’m sure she is, but that still hasn’t stopped her from coming on to Rick. Anyway. I have other things to do besides worrying about Eve."

"Like what Kimberly?" Brooke finished chewing her clam.

" Well, Thorne had made arrangements for me to see James Warwick and of course I have school."

" That’s good that you going to see someone to help you with your anger. You need to talk to someone."

" Mom! That’s enough. Look Kimberly is going to get some help for her anger and I think that while she is doing that you could think about her coming back to work."

" What? I told you that I made my decision."

"You made a decision based on anger mother, Kimberly is going to get some help, why can’t she work for Forrester. She’s beautiful and her catalog shots are the best for her age group. Mom, Thorne and I both think that you should…"

" I don’t care about what you and Thorne planned, I made a decision.’

"You can’t do this!"

" I can’t, it’s my company and as long as I run it I will make all final decisions!"

She rose from the dinner table and walked toward the open French doors. Thorne followed her. Brooke felt betrayed by Thorne. " This is all for HER isn’t it. The dinner, this is some sort of plan to butter me up. Is that why you asked me to marry you tonight? To placate me? That’s why you asked me isn’t it so I’d be accepting and sweet natured to her." Brooke whirled away and Thorne grabbed her.

"Damn it Brooke! Stop This!" He shook her. " I asked you to marry me because I love you and I want you to be my wife! How could you think that I would ask you to marry me in order to get something from you? I love you and I tried to prove how much I loved you over and over again. I gave up my family for you. I’ve put our relationship on hold for Bridget!"

Bridgett dropped the shrimp that she was eating; she had enjoyed the little fight between Brooke and Thorne until she heard Thorne talk about marrying her mother.

" You didn’t say yes, did you mother?"

Bridget saw the gleam of the ring on her mother’s finger.

"No!" Bridget ran to her mother and shook her head. " You give it back, you can’t marry him!"

" Bridget you knew that this was coming, I love your mother!" Thorne reached out toward Bridget.

" No, you can’t marry him mother. He doesn’t belong with us." Bridget took Brooke’s hand and tried to pull the ring off. Brooke was shocked by Bridget’s action.

"Sweetie, stop it." She tried to push Bridget away in a gentle manner.

Thorne reached out toward Bridget and grabbed her. " Stop It!" Bridget pulled back hitting Thorne on the arms.

" You can’t make me want you or accept you! You are f*cking my mother! You are my brother! It’s disgusting what you do in your bed. You think that some dumb dress is going to change my mind. I don’t want you in our lives. You are her friend and she doesn’t love you! Not really, if Ridge were free do you think that she’d want you? She’d be f*cking him right now!

Brooke reached out to Bridget. " Calm down! Ridge and I are never going to be together. I don’t love him anymore, we aren’t even friends. I love Thorne and I plan on marrying him. You knew this."

Kimberly felt range build inside of her; Brooke wasn’t going to marry him. There was no ways she’d let that happen. Rick stood up; things were getting out of hand.

Bridget looked at her mother again and than her ring. " You don’t care about anybody but yourself. No wonder you were happy about me being accepted in the program but now I know why. You want me to be gone to be with him. You want him, you can have him. He’s going to hurt you and when he leaves you for some other woman, don’t blame me."

Bridget ran from the room. Rick went after.

Thorne saw the tears in Brooke’s eye. He moved toward her. Honey.."

Brooke pulled away. " Don’t why don’t you help Kimberly, she’s the reason you are here!"

"Damn it! You know that isn’t true. I just wanted us to be a family."

"Well here we are, one big happy family."

Brooke strode out of the door into the night with tears running down her cheeks.

" Brooke wait!"

Brooke ran faster until she was in the garden. She leaned against on the hedges and cried. She knew that Bridget would be upset but she didn’t think it would end like this.

Kimberly had followed Brooke since Thorne left the room. She found Brooke crying against the hedge. " You are a real great mother aren’t you?"

Brooke saw Kimberly and wiped the tears from her eyes. " Your own daughter is upset and all you are worried about is how Thorne feels about me."

" I’m worried about you? I could care less about you."

"Yes you are worried. Rick is really angry because he loves me. He wants me to be happy. He is so upset that he’d do anything for me. Even go against you."

"This is what you wanted, isn’t it." Brooke’s eyes narrowed as she came face to face with Kimberly.

Kimberly fingered a strand of her hair. " I don’t know what you mean. I’m only doing what you did with Ridge, didn’t you try to turn him against his mother?" Rick and I haven’t even had sex yet, what do you think that he’d do for after he had a piece of me?" Kimberly smiled.

" You bitch. I’m not going to let you have son! You don’t care about him do you?"

"There isn’t anything that you can do. You really shouldn’t have fired me."

" I’m not sorry that I did."

"You Brooke, you will be. I’m not Macy, I’m not anything that you ever had to deal with before. I have Rick and Thorne on my side. They are so protective of my feeling and me. Besides you have your hands full with Bridget, she isn’t going to let you marry Thorne."

Kimberly touched her breast and looked at Brooke.

" You had better watch him with all the problems that you are going to have with your children, Thorne just might get tired. I mean the sex with you might good, but is it worth all of this."

Brooke grabbed Kimberly’s arm." Little girl, you have just made a BIG mistake. I see you for who you are and I will fight for my family. I’ll never let you be a part of it."

Kimberly pulled her hands back and rubbed the spot that Brooke had grabbed.

" We’ll see."

Kimberly strode away with a smile on her face.

Brooke was tired and worn out, she wasn’t ready to face the fight back in the resturant. She walked further into the garden away from all the noise where there was a quiet spot. Suddenly the air around her changed, the hairs on the back on her neck stood up. She looked all around her, the darkness looking for the cause of her uneasiness. The air around her changed, she could hear her heart beat, feel the blood in her veins. A figured stepped out from what looked to be nowhere.

" So, we meet again."

He walked toward her looking as sexy as he did that night in Pairs.

" It’s you."

Caspian reached out and touch her cheek, which was still wet; he caught the tear on his finger and tasted it. He leaned down and whispered above her ear. " It had always been me."

Against All Odds Chapter 35 (Interlude in the Garden)

Brooke could feel her body come alive, his breathe caused ripples to go through her body. She closed her eyes praying that this wasn’t some sort of reaction from drinking too much champagne. She opened them again and found him staring at her. He was better looking than she remembered. The dark black suit was highlighted with a blue shirt and sharp tie. His dark eyes marked her from the top of her head down to her red colored toes. Caspian thought that she was more than stunning, although her face was stained with her tear. The red dress was classic and beautiful on her. Thorne Forrester was a fool; he’d defend that young dark haired girl when he should have been with Brooke.

He stood in front of her watching her as if he were waiting for something

"What are you doing here? Brooke didn’t understand why her voice seemed so breathy.

He cupped her face. " You were crying."

"How did you come here? To L.A. to this restaurant."

He took her hand in his and studied her ring. " It is a beautiful ring. He is smart to try to claim you. But that doesn’t really matter." Caspian took Brooke’s hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. Fire raced throughout her body as his tongue scraped her knuckle. She tired to pull her hand back.

"Don’t"

His eyes never left hers. " Why not, it is a custom. If you’d like I’ll kiss both of her cheeks."

Brooke pulled her hand back and touched the spot where his lips and tongue had scraped her knuckle. " You never answered my question, why are you here?"

" I’m here on business. I decided to meet an old friend of the family and she recommended that we meet here."

"She?"

Caspian noted the change her face, she was jealous. No more jealous than he had been when he has watched her and Thorne kiss on the alcove of their private dinning room.

"Yes, she."

Brooke smoothed a trendical of her hair and placed it behind her ear. " Then I’d better let you get back to her. I’m quite sure that she’s waiting for you."

"She doesn’t matter."

"What does?"

"You. Why do you cry? He touched a track that a tear had made. " I felt you."

"What?"

"When I was walking, I felt you. I looked for you and you were kissing a blonde man, the man in your life. I was angered that he was touching you. I left Maria and came out here to think." His eyes bored into hers. " I called you too me."

Brooke broke their connection. " You did no such thing. Thorne, he and I well…. It doesn’t matter. You didn’t call me." Brooke moved away putting space between them.

Caspian smiled. " Yes I did. When you were upset, you could have taken any direction but you came here just like that night in Paris. The night in the restaurant, you were looking for me."

Brooke’s whole body stilled. " What? You weren’t there, I didn’t know you."

He came closer to her. " I felt you, just like you felt me." He kept coming closer. " That’s why you ran away in Paris, you ran from me."

" You’re crazy, I don’t even know your name."

Caspian stopped right in front of her. " Yes you do."

Brooke became angry, how dare this man tell her what she did know. He was so commanding and arrogant. " I don’t know your name. You never told it to me."

" Yes you know it. You know it deep inside, if you would listen, you’d hear my name. Tell me my name."

" I don’t know it! Leave me alone."

Caspian grabbed by her shoulders. " Tell me! You know it. Tell me what it is!"

" It’s Caspian," Her eyes dilated with shock. Caspian grabbed her and pulled Brooke into a passionate kiss. His mouth devoyered hers, their tongues met and tasted on another. Heavy breathes and gulps of airs were expelled. The kiss was intense, full of fire and passion. Brooke pulled away and e covered her mouth with her hands how in the hell did she know that. Was he the devil, the named popped into her head?

Caspian smiled and touched his lips. " I knew that you knew it. I’m Caspian Deangleo."

"How did I know that?" Fear was in Brooke’s eyes.

"Because you know me, deep down you know that I’d never hurt you. Just like I felt you, and you felt me."

This was too strange for Brooke she hadn’t expected this sort of thing. What was she doing standing in night in the garden with this man. She had been kissing him, what if Thorne had shown up, she would have ruined everything with him. " It doesn’t matter what you think that I felt. I don’t know you and I shouldn’t allow you to touch or kiss me. Whatever happened in Paris, it was forgotten."

"Why are you lying? You didn’t forget all about it, I know that I couldn’t. I wanted you so much that night. I haven’t wanted any woman like that since by wife. If I had been less of an honorable man, I would have taken you."

"I wouldn’t have let you."

He murmured something in Italian and then studied her again. " You would have, that is why you ran. You were scared of me."

" I wasn’t afraid of anything."

He rubbed her bottom lip with his finger, involuntarily her she left a quiver go through her body. He smiled. " You feel it don’t you. Your passion, your soul wants me." Brooke shook her head because she couldn’t say anything. " I paid to have a woman who looked like you. She didn’t satisfy me, I’ve haven’t had any other woman since her. I don’t any other woman, I want you."

"You can’t have me. I’m not yours."

His eyes told her another story. "Where is your man? Why isn’t he here protecting you? You are in pain, you were crying, doesn’t he care?"

"Caspian, of course Thorne cares about me. I’m the one who ran away from him. I was the one upset."

Caspian took her hand and pulled her to the marbled bench.

"Why were you running away from him?"

"It’s nothing I was just upset about something that he had done."

"What is it?"

"It doesn’t matter. He thought that he was helping." Brooke played with her ring.

" Does it have anything to do with the woman in the black dress?"

" Where you spying on me?"

" No, I saw her, she was very smug."

"Kimberly."

"Is she his lover?"

"What, why would you say that?"

He didn’t answer the question. "If you were mine, I’d never touch another woman."

Brooke smiled. Somehow she believed him. " Thorne isn’t interested in Kimberly. She is my son’s girlfriend and a little troublemaker. She makes me mad as hell, but I wasn’t truly upset because of her, she’s only part of it."

"What upset you Brooke?"

She stared at him. " You know my name? How?"

Caspian kissed her hand. " I’ll tell you about that after you tell me what is bothering me you."

Brooke needed someone to talk to, but she didn’t understand why she wanted to talk to him. " It’s my daughter, she’s mad at me."

"Why?"

"Because of my relationship with Thorne. Because I’m going to marry him. I love him, and he’s been trying so hard to be patient because of her. I thought that she had softened a bit but I didn’t expect her to be so upset."

"She doesn’t like him?"

" He’s her brother."

Brooke waited for the shocked expression that she thought that he’d wear.

" She doesn’t like her brother and mother together. I could see why might she might have a problem with that."

"She might be going to this art program in Paris. I was excited for her, now she thinks that I was only excited because I was trying to get rid of her. I’d never do that. She’s just upset."

"She knows that you love her."

"How do you know that?"

" How could she not see it, you smile, even when you cry about her? You are a good mother. If only my mother had been like you." He paused for a moment. She wondered, why kind of mother did he have. He was such a powerful man, she knew that instinctively. " Give her time, she knows the truth. But do not allow her to reduce you to tears, you are the parent and she is the child, she must respect you."

Brooke stood up and walked toward the Gazebo and Caspian followed her. " It’s not just Bridget but it’s Rick too, my son. He’s upset because I didn’t hire back his girlfriend. She worked at my company." Brooke stared at the restaurant. " There is something wrong with her, I can feel it. She blames for her sister’s death; to tell you the truth I can understand that. But now, it’s like she wants to create a rift between Rick and I in order to get back at me."

"You told your son how you feel about her?"

" I tired to, it’s hard on Rick. Kimberly wasn’t always like this, but ever since her sister died, she hates me." Brooke played with her ring again.

Caspian took both of her hands in his. "You feel sorry for her?"

" No, I don’t care about Kimberly, one time I did before she tried to hurt me."

Anger contorted Caspian’s face. His investigators never mentioned that Kimberly tried to hurt Brooke. He would never allow anything to happen to Brooke. "What did she do to you?"

"It really wasn’t anything, it just made me uncomfortable."

He grabbed her by her arms, studying her as if he’d know if she lied to him.

" Tell me, what did she do? Tell me now." There was a dangerous quiet tone to his voice.

Brooke paused, wondering if she should tell him, but she hadn’t talked to anyone about what Kimberly had done. She hadn’t wanted to admit it but in that moment, she had been scared. Macy had tried to kill her as well as Stephanie, it was a chilling thought." She smashed things in my office and shoved me through a window. The glass, if I hadn’t moved, would have hurt me."

"You could have died." Fear flowed through Caspian, what if she had died. He had found Brooke; he wouldn’t allow anything to harm her. Kimberly was not to be trusted. Although his investigators told him that she was the half sister of Thorne’s dead wife, he didn’t know about this matter. However he knew it now. He would never allow this girl to hurt Brooke. " What did Thorne say about this? Does he tell your Rick about this girl."

"Thorne trying to help Kimberly, he cares about her."

"What about you? Doesn’t he care about what this girl has done? This girl tried to hurt you, yet worries about her." Anger raged through Caspian’s body, Thorne worried about the girl and not Brooke. Thorne wasn’t a man; a man protected his woman, what was wrong with the men in Brooke’s life. They didn’t cherish her, they didn’t look out for her.

Brooke saw the anger on Caspian’s face; it marveled her that a man she didn’t know was upset about Kimberly.

" He is not worthy of you. Your Thorne is no man." Caspian rubbed his finger across her cheek. " You should be protected at all cost. Your son should never allow a woman to disrespect his mother, your lover should never be friends with a woman who would do any harm to you."

"Look Caspian, Thorne is so caring. He finds the good in everyone. That’s the thing about Thorne, he loves to help. That is one of the reasons that I love him. He is a good man. He just doesn’t see her for what she is."

" That isn’t an excuse. Why does he protect that girl, when he should be protecting you? Why does he help her? You should come first in his life, not some girl. I’ve seen her, she isn’t a young girl, and she is a woman. Tell me, is she sorry for what she has done to you?"

Brooke’s mind went back to her earlier argument with Kimberly. Anger covered her face.

" No, she plans on manipulating my son. She plans on using sex in enthraw him, she told me so. Rick and I have had our problems in the past when he was married to Amber, I tired to warn him but he didn’t listen. Kimberly is different to him; he doesn’t see her for what she is. But I see her for what she is and I will make sure that she never hurts my son."

Caspian had been quiet during Brooke’s tirade. He knew that Brooke was s formidable adversary and could probably handle the girl, but the fact that she tried to do bodily harm to Brooke was enough. He would have someone to watch over Brooke from now on and if that girl ever did anything as to threaten Brooke, he’d take care of Kimberly.

" She plans on using sex to get to your son. He is not used to having lovers?"

Brooke blushed. " He hasn’t had a great deal of experience with women. Rick was just a kid when he got involved with Amber and then he married her."

"His father did not teach him how to be a man? To know the difference from sexual pleasure and love as well as learn to give pleasure to a woman and not take. To think with his head in important matters and not with his appetites."

Brooke was quiet. Caspian was so different from any other man she had ever met, maybe that’s why he had captivated. " Rick has had a tough life, mostly because of me. I’ve had relationship problems with men and Eric…"

"Stop making excuses for these men in your life Brooke. You may have relationship problems but you were a mother to your children. You never allowed anything to happen to them or allowed anyone to hurt them because of your relationships. Rick’s father should have taught him how to be a man. How to respect his mother! How to be a man and defend his family as well as all things that will belong to him. He is the one that fault not you." Caspian came behind her, she could feel him, his breath caressing her neck. She could hear nothing, not the music around her, or the mingled sounds of people eating. All she could hear was her own breathing and his. A finger lightly touched her naked shoulder and ran its way up her neck, feeling her pulse, and then caressing the inner shell of her ear. His breath was hot and warm on her ear. The caress of his finger was playing trick on her mind as well as her senses, she closed her eyes wanting only to feel. " There is no fault with you. You are a tigress about children because you want only to protect them. Yet you are still beautiful and sensitive, that their unhappiness causes tears in your beautiful eyes. His cologne of filled her nostrils and she wanted him to touch her, deep down inside were no one could see her pain, he had seen it. His breath came closer and she felt his lips touch the side of her neck, his tongue traced a spot where her pulse beat, his finger moved down the soft material of her dress, it found a hard nipple and traced it. " Everything about you is perfect." He murmured against her neck. " They should be protecting you." His hands cupped her breast and she could feel his erection against her bottom. She couldn’t help but to lean backwards to feel him against her, he was hard and large. " You should be cherished and loved, you should be safe, and you should never feel pain." His words and hands captivated her, she needed this, to feel as if she was important, and she was totally aroused. He sunk his teeth in her neck and bit her as if he were marking her as his own; there was no pain, only pleasure as his tongue suckled where he had bit. His left hand moved down her body until is caressed the naked skin of her thigh. He inched his hand back up slowly bringing the material up as his hands moved, slowly he inched his fingers to the right until his fingers touched the satin feel of her panties. His other hand caressed her nipples as she leaned back against him, with her breathe labored with passion. Thoughts of Thorne, Kimberly and the children escaped her, only pleasure; infinite pleasure was on her mind. His fingers slid down the front of her panties and he found her nub. Caspian groaned, she was hot and wet for him; he wanted to be inside of her, to taste her to kill everyman who had touched her before him. Possession took control of him, he wanted to give her pleasure to erase the pain that her thoughtless family had inflicted upon her. He stroked her nub, touching and teasing it, rubbing her. His mouth suckled her neck as she rubbed her body against him; her bottom rubbed his hard throbbing erection.

" Ahhh, pleassseee" She moaned against him, her legs rubbed together as his fingers played with her, giving her pleasure.

His mouth moved toward her ear and his tongue caressed her lop. " Do you have any idea how much control I’m exerting? I have had so many erotic dreams about you. I fantasized about taking you in so many ways." His fingers felt her wetness her essence made him even harder. He was hurting badly, he wanted to strip her, bend her across the balanster, free himself and thrust inside her hot tight sheath. His fingers continued their assault. " I want so badly to free myself and be inside of you." Brooke arched against him; she was coming so close to exploding. " But I won’t, when I take you for the first time, it will be special, and so intense you will scream. I can’t let you scream here." He manipulated her and stroked her, his other hand pinched her nipple and at that moment when she was about to climax, he thrust a finger inside of her, he pulled her head back against his shoulder, caught her mouth with his own and caught her scream.

Brooke whole body was shaking, her legs buckled, but he steadied her, her body pulsated around his fingers. For what seemed liked hours, his mouth covered hers, his fingers stayed inside of her and his arms held her. Her body had collapsed against his and only his strength kept her upright. Finally when she stirred, he removed his finger from inside of her, he closed his eyes for a moment, needing to control is burgeoning erection, if he moved too fast, he was afraid that he might spew his seed right there. It was amazing; he was not a green boy of 14 when he had his first taste of a woman, yet his body was so close to rebelling against him.

Brooke moved away from Caspian, her hands were shaking, the pleasure has coursed through her body, and she had again lost her senses when it came to him. He could have taken her right here outside in the open air with people yards away. She looked down at her ring, hours ago she had been with Thorne and she had accepted his proposal. Hadn’t she learned anything from Venice? What if Thorne had come upon them? How could she explain herself, allowing a man he didn’t know, she didn’t really know to have his fingers inside of her, his tongue inside of her mouth. She turned to find Caspian, his eyes were closed but she noticed the ticking vein in his temple. He opened his eyes and stared at her, he then took his finger and put it in his mouth, his eyes never left hers as his mouth licked her essence off his fingers. It was totally appalling and erotic at the same time. Her mouth hung open in amazement. He came close to her and cupped her face. " You taste so sweet, I want more of you." He leaned his head forward.

She closed her eyes saying a small prayers hoping to stop him. She opened them back. "Don’t"

" Don’t what? Make you give into something that you want? I want you and you want me."

" I belong to Thorne, I’m wearing his ring."

"As I told you before, you don’t belong to him. He doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t protect you. "

"That’s not true, he loves me and I him. He gave up his family for me. No one has ever given up anything me."

" I’d give up everything for you." He then gave her a look so commanding; it touched her right down to the core of her soul. "I would kill for you, Brooke. Anyone who ever tried to hurt you. I’ve kill them with my bare hands."

Brooke gazed into his eyes; at that moment she knew that what he said was true. She backed away from him; he scared her. How could someone she didn’t’ t know feel so intensely for her. Just who was Caspian? Whoever he was, he was dangerous.

Against All Odds Interlude in the Garden {Caspian and Brooke talk about her children and her problems with Bridget. Caspian is angered that Rick doesn’t protect his mother. He is also infuriated by Thorne’s protective attitude toward Kimberly, who he found tried to hurt Brooke. Brooke and Caspian come close to making love. }

Against All Odd Part 36

" You mean it don’t you. You would really hurt someone wouldn’t you?"

Caspian touched Brooke’s face with infinite gentleness. " I would never allow anyone to harm you." Brooke caught Caspian’s hand in hers; she noted how large it was in her two hands. She glanced up and saw a small smile across his face. She let go of his hand immediately.

"Who are you Caspian? What kind of man are you?"

" I not that complicated. I only want the same thing that you want."

Brooke blushed. " I know that you think that I want this, but I don’t. I’m not the kind of woman to go out and fling with a man let alone a man that I don’t know. "

" You think that I don’t know that? Is that what you think that I want, a fling?" Caspian saw the uncertainly in Brooke’s eyes. He wanted to assure her that having a sexual fling with her wasn’t what he was after. " I don’t want a fling with you. I have had them in the past, but that not what I want from you." He leaned forward and inhaled her perfume. " I want so much more than a fling with you."

" What could you possibly want Caspian?" Brooke backed away from him; she had to for he was invading her thoughts. " There is nothing between us."

"Why do you lie to yourself and to me? I couldn’t forget you. Every since we met, I’ve thought about you countless time. Can you tell me that you haven’t thought about me?" Caspian moved in for the kill. He held his arms out the sides, holding on to the balancer on the gazebo, locking Brooke into his grasp. He leaned forward, he face coming only inches in front of hers. He whispered his words to her, playing on her emotional turmoil. " Tell me that you haven’t thought about me. Tell me that haven’t dreamed about me."

Brooke looked straight in his eyes. " I haven’t thought about you since Paris. I’ve been busy planning my wedding."

Caspian grasped Brooke’s chin and tilled it he could see clear into her beautiful eyes.

" Don’t do that. You can lie to whoever is out there; you can even lie to yourself if that makes you feel safe. But don’t ever lie to me. You won’t ever have to do that, not ever. You won’t have to hide your thoughts and your feeling, your plans, or even your misdeeds." He ran his hand on the sides of her hair. " No matter what you do, you’ll never have to lie about it, ever."

" It doesn’t matter if I lie to you or not. I don’t know you. You could be anyone or anything." Brooke brushed past him, angrily. She was upset, upset that he could see through her." You could be anyone, you obviously are used to wielding a lot of power. You could be a drug dealer or something worse. I’m a fool, I can’t believe that I’m standing here talking to you, allowing you to kiss me or touch me."

" I’m not a drug dealer, " He looked straight into her eyes. " I have never been one."

" You could be a serial killer or a rapist."

Caspian wasn’t put off, she should be wary of him, but soon that would end.

" I’m not a serial killer or a rapist." Anger filled his eyes; thoughts of Lark’s death filled his head. " I’d never hurt a woman. I think that any man who would do such a thing, to hurt a woman through his fist or through rape, should pay with his life."

Brooke heard the controlled anger in his voice as well as saw the clenching hand movements that he was making. He had said that he had a wife, had someone done something to hurt his wife. She didn’t mean to offend him.

Brooke came to him, she searched his eyes and she put her hands on his shoulders.

" I’m sorry Caspian. I never thought that you would hurt a woman. I just said that because …." The words caught in her throat as she looked in your eyes.

" You know me see I told you. I’d never hurt a woman or you." He leaned forward, a hair’s breath from her lips. He had to let her come to him. Brooke involuntarily touched his lips with her fingers. She removed her fingers and moved her face toward his. Their lips met, as intense as the kiss was before, this one was different. It was one of a slow burn. His lips were genteel as he met her sweet lips. She opened her mouth to receive his tongue, and tasted a mixture of coffee and herself. She widened her mouth and their tongues touched and then slowly caressed each other. The wanting feeling that her orgasism had sated, started again. His teeth caught her lower lip and suckled into his mouth. His hands cupped her butt and pulled her toward him. Once Brooke felt his erection against her stomach, she pulled away. She touched her lips and looked back at him. Why did he have this effect on her?

 

Bridget sat in the ladies room in Zenith; she didn’t notice the beautiful artwork or the comfort of the room because of the emotional turmoil that she was in. Tears rolled down cheeks, the pain of betrayal ached her heart. She hadn’t thought that it would come to this, that they would actually get married.

" I won’t let you do this mother. I won’t let you marry him, not now, not ever!"

" Bridget, you have to calm down."

Bridget looked up and found Rick in the reflection of the mirror.

" Go away Rick. You don’t belong in the ladies room."

" I had no choice but to come in. Bridget, you’ve been in here for 20 minutes. Don’t you think that it’s time that you come out?"

" Not as long as he is out there! How could they do this, how could she do this to me?"

"Budge, I’m sure that you knew that this was coming."

" I didn’t know that he was going to ask her to marry her this soon. I thought they would wait before they got married. I’d think that they would respect Macy more."

Rick saw the pain in his sister’s eyes, he didn’t know that she would be this upset, he figured that Thorne and his mother would be getting married soon.

Rick put his hand on his sister’s shoulder. " You have to know that his was their next step."

"There next step! I thought that he'd be happy ****ing her, but I guess that isn’t enough. He wants to be in her bed day and night. I can see them right now, in her bed. Living in OUR HOUSE! Acting like he can tell us what to do, like he belongs there." Bridget wiped the tears with the back of her hand, smearing her beautiful eye makeup. " He has to invade our family. He’s going to ruin everything."

" I don’t think that you are giving him a chance, you’ve always cared about Thorne. He has come to your plays at school, he’s helped you with your homework and he has always did nice things for you like buying your dress."

" I don’t care about what he had done in the past! I could care less about this damn dress." Bridget took hold of the butterfly on the side of her dress and ripped it off. She threw it across the restroom. " You like him because he’s helping you with Kimberly. Don’t kid yourself, no matter what he does; it doesn’t change anything for me. He’s my brother and I’ll never accept him. He isn’t my father and he certainly isn’t Ridge."

Rick held a disappointed look on his face, it seemed that Ridge was part of his sister’s problem with Thorne. He knew that Ridge was still a sore spot with Bridget, but he figured that she had let that go.

"Budge, I know that Thorne isn’t Ridge, but you can’t hold that against him. He is a good man, a lot better than Ridge. Ridge left our mother, he hurt her over and over again." Rick touched his sister on her tear stained cheek, he also hurt you."

Confusion and pain contorted her face. " He didn’t hurt me. He loved me."

" I know that he loved you, but he left you when he needed you. We tried, we all did, even dad. We tried to get him to stay but he didn’t. Bridget do you think that Thorne is going to do the same with us?"

Bridget walked over the faucet and looked at her beautiful yet sad face in the mirror.

" I’m not worried about Thorne, he ought to worry about me."

Rick wondered about Bridget’s comment. What did she mean that Thorne should worry about her?"

Keith walked the very beautiful Ms. Forrester toward the private dinning room. She looked elegant in her strapless creamed colored crystal dress. Her dark hair was pulled up in a beautiful bun. He wondered what in the people in that family ate; they all were gorgeous and good-looking. He certainly hoped that the commotion that the others were causing had ended. He had been in the hallway when the young girl in the purple dress had run out followed by Rick Forrester. The raised voices of the party made him very glad that they had a private dinning room. Poor Eve had looked upset ever since she had seen the party. She had tried to get Susan to exchange places, but the manager wouldn’t let her. The Forresters were pretty important people and he didn’t want them upset by changing waitress for no reason, especially since this was their first time at the restaurant.

" Right here, Mrs. Forrester."

Keith took Taylor to the private dinning room. Taylor was surprised to see Thorne sitting at the table looking visibly upset.

"Thorne?"

Thorne heard his named being called. He hoped it was Brooke, she had run out so upset with him. He glanced up and saw Taylor standing in the doorway and felt disappointment. He stood up and walked toward her. " Taylor, what are you doing here?"

" Ridge and I are out celebrating, we’ve had a great day." Taylor walked down the stairs to the table. She glanced at the five place settings with the uneaten food. " What is going on Thorne?"

Thorne groaned, the last thing that he needed was Taylor and Ridge poking their noses in his business. " I think that they must have made a mistake. They probably looked at the name Forrester and mistakenly thinking that you were part of our party." Thorne took Taylor by the arm and tried to guide her back to the stairs.

Thorne surprised Taylor; he was practically pushing her toward the stairs.

"Throne what’s going on? It looks like you were having a dinner, but where is everybody?"

Kimberly waltzed into to the room from the outside patio. " Thorne, I tried to find Brooke, but I couldn’t, do you want me to talk to Bridget?"

Taylor saw Kimberly’s dress and was shocked by the sensual picture that she made.

" Kimberly?"

Kimberly sauntered over toward Thorne and Taylor. Taylor noticed how close Kimberly stood next to Thorne, her eyes glued to his every movement.

" Hi Taylor, Thorne invited to our dinner."

"Taylor raised her eyebrow. " Your dinner?"

Kimberly smiled a sweet smile and put her arm around Thorne’s shoulder. " Yes, Thorne thought that it would be nice to have a family dinner."

Thorne moved away from Kimberly and looked outside the patio door again, hoping to see Brooke. " Look Taylor, you should be going. Ridge I’m sure is waiting for you."

"Thanks right Taylor, you should be going you don’t want to be here when the fireworks start again."

"Kimberly…" Taylor heard the warning tone in Thorne’s voice

Taylor walked over to Thorne. " Thorne is there something wrong?"

" No Taylor, everything is fine."

" How can you say that Thorne?" Kimberly went toward Taylor. " Everything is a mess. Bridget found out about Brooke and Thorne’s engagement and she went ballistic. Brooke got all upset because I came here with Rick. She took her anger out on Thorne." Kimberly motioned to toward the table. " As you can see, we didn’t eat, instead we argued."

Taylor was caught off guard. Brooke and Thorne were engaged and Bridget was upset. She had to help that poor girl. " Where is Brooke?"

Thorne ignored Taylor; he didn’t want her involved in all of this. Kimberly however didn’t mind giving her the information. " She’s out in the garden somewhere."

" Why isn’t she reassuring her daughter, obliviously Bridget is upset."

Kimberly shrugged her shoulders. " You know Brooke, she always have to come first, even before her children.

"That’s enough Kimberly!" Thorne snapped.

Thorne turned his heated gaze on Taylor. There was no way that he was going to let her come in and voice her judgments on Brooke.

" Like I said, this is none of your business. Brooke is upset too and she needs time to cool off. We have both tried to explain things to Bridget, but she won’t listen."

" Thorne, I think that you…"

"No one asked you what you think Taylor! You’ve done enough, remembered Venice. Well, I do! I don’t want your opinion about Brooke or Bridget. Go to dinner, this is none of your concern."

Thorne took Taylor by her arm in a rough fashion and walked her up the stairs out of the private dinning area.

" Thorne is you would slow down….."

Ridge walked into the hallway to find Thorne pushing on his wife’s arm.

" Just what in the hell do you think that you are doing?" Ridge grabbed Taylor away from Thorne. " Answer my question Thorne, what do you think that you are doing to my wife."

Thorne didn’t want to deal with Ridge or his righteous attitude. " I was helping your wife out of my private dinning room." He motioned to Taylor. " Since you found your wife, I think that you should take her to dinner as you planned."

At that moment, Bridget came storming into the hallway from the ladies room. She saw Ridge and took off toward him. " Ridge, thank god you are here!" She launched herself in his arms. Ridge had seen the tears in her eyes. Bridget closed her eyes against his shoulder. Ridge would make everything better; she knew it. Ridge rubbed her head.

" Sweetheart, what’s wrong."

"Everything Ridge, nothing will ever be the same again."

" What the hell is going on?"

Taylor gave Thorne and Bridget a sympathetic look. " I think that we should get out of the hallway and talk in the dinning room. We don’t want others to hear this conversation."

Ridge kissed Bridget. " Come on honey, we’ll talk in the dinning room."

" There isn’t anything for you to talk about, Bridget we can discuss this with our family."

Bridget looked up from Ridge and gave Thorne a look of contempt. " You’d like that wouldn’t you. You’d like everyone to think that I agree with what you are doing. I you aren’t ashamed of your relationship, then you don’t mind Ridge knowing the truth. After all he is my family."

Rick saw the possessive look that Ridge had. Things had only gone bad to worse. " I agree with Thorne, Ridge isn’t involved with this."

Taylor spoke again. " I think that we should take this out of the hallway and discuss this matter. "They all walked into the private dinning room. Ridge was surprised to see Kimberly, who looked as if she had been listening to the conversation in the hallway. He was shocked to see her dressed in a sexy manner. It was obvious to him that Kimberly was a woman and not a little girl. To turned his attention back to Bridget.

"Tell me what is going on here. Bridget, what has happened?"

" He’s going marry her, he is going to marry my mother."

Ridge looked at Thorne. " Is this true?"

" Yes it is Ridge. I’ve asked her to marry me and she accepted." " Bridget, I didn’t do this to hurt you. I love you and your mother. I want you us to be a family."

Thorne reached out toward Bridget but she held on to Ridge instead. " You are not going to be part of my family. I don’t want you!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "I will never accept you as my father! I don’t want you! If you marry I swear that I’ll leave! I’ll live with my father, but I’ll never stay in the same house with you."

Thorne was distressed, he didn’t want this to happen, and he only wanted to love Brooke.

" Bridget, you haven’t given me a real chance. I make your mother happy. If you would just try!"

"Try! Try! I’ll never ever accept you. Everyone knows what you are doing is wrong. You don’t even care about your wife. She hasn’t been dead a year but you are willing to marry my mother. Don’t you even care about what it looks like?" Bridge motioned toward Ridge. " Tell him, Ridge, tell him that this is wrong."

" Bridget, I don’t give a damn about what Ridge or Taylor have to say about this."

Taylor touched Thorne on the shoulder. " Thorne I think that you need to calm down and Bridget I think that you…"

"Shut up Taylor!" Both Bridget and Thorne yelled on unison."

Taylor threw her hands up and walked toward the table and sat down. Kimberly drank from the champagne flute loving every moment of this. She wondered what Ridge was going to do about this; this added a whole new element. He didn’t like Thorne and Brooke together either. She looked around the room and noticed that Rick was missing; she wondered where he was.

Rick watched Eve as she came out of a door leading from another private dinning room.

" Eve"

Eve glanced in the other direction. " Rick how is Bridget, is she okay?"

Rick couldn’t help but to smile, in all that mess, Eve was so calm and peaceful.

" No, she’s still upset."

"What happened Rick?"

"Thorne asked mom to marry him and Budge’s taking it hard."

" She didn’t expect this?"

Rick ran his hands through his hair. " No, for some reason she thought that they would have broken up by now."

Eve felt bad from Bridget; she seemed like a sweet girl. " She’s going through a rough time. It has to be hard for her to see her brother and her mother together. She wants her mother to put her first, before herself." Eve had a far away look on her face. " Sometimes all you want is for your parent to show you that you come first before any man, before anything. She’s young and she just doesn’t know that there are much worst things out there in the world. She doesn’t understand that no matter what, there are people who love her and who will help her get through this including you." Eve patted Rick’s hand.

It amazed Rick that although she was angry with him that she was still concerned about his sister.

" I’m sorry about Kimberly." Eve’s pupils dilated. " I’m sorry about the fact that you had to see us together. Eve had hoped that he had been sorry about something else. She gave Rick a sarcastic look.

"Don’t worry Rick, I’m sure that I would have run into you two somewhere else. You go to my school; sooner or later I would have seen her with you. She however didn’t have to rub it in."

"I’m sorry about that. She just upset about, you know, you and me."

" Is there a you and me?"

Rick thought about that night they had been together. It had been great; she has been so expressive in bed. He had many dreams about that night. It has been so nice to lie in bed with her sleeping next to him. She had been so beautiful that morning, but things couldn’t proceed. He had tried to blame that night on the drinks that he had that night at the party. But he had wanted her for a while. They would have been a them if things were different, if Kimberly hadn’t forgiven him. Kimberly had forgiven him and he owed it to her to make their relationship work. Eve had been wonderful and supportive. Rick had missed her so much.

"Answer me Rick, was there ever a you and me?"

Rick shuffled on his right and then his left foot. " I don’t know Eve." He touched a tentacle of her hair that had slipped out of her bun. " Who am I kidding", he whispered. He fingered the silky stands of her hair between his fingers. " There would have been a you and me if things had been different."

"Why can’t there be something now. You care about me and I care about you."

"You know why Eve, I can’t hurt Kimberly."

"Yet you can hurt me. It’s amazing how easy it is for people to throw me away." Eve turned away and started down the hallway, Rick followed her.

"Don’t go Eve."

"Why Rick? Why do you even care about what I do? You have that trampy princess in there. It’s amazing, she won’t sleep with you and I do. Yet she looks like a tramp but she calls me one."

"Kimberly didn’t mean anything…"

"Yes she did Rick. I’m sick of her and people like her. I’m sick of how some people have the easy life and yet get all the sympathy. You know what Rick? I didn’t have a mother and I never knew my father. She left me when her boyfriend didn’t want to deal with me. I went from foster home to foster home." Eve shuttered. " You don’t even want to know what happened to me during my time in the home let alone after I got out of it. Yet I’m not rude nor am I acting like some little vamp who acts as if the world or you owe her something."

" Eve.."

" No Rick, let me talk. I’ve lived through things you wouldn’t even imagine, but I still am here, on my own. I’m not asking you or anyone to take care of me or fight my battles. I don’t have time to worry about other people because I have to take care of myself. I take care of myself and you know what else, you should do the same. Mark my words; Kimberly will only end up hurting you. I know it and even your mother knows it. You won’t listen, not even to yourself. You are going to let her destroy you."

Eve walked away angrily while Rick stood there looking after her.

Brooke closed her eyes, inhaling the air, trying hard to calm down her breathing and her heart. " This isn’t helping anything. Yes, I’m attracted. You are a handsome and sensuous man. Any woman would be taken by you but that doesn’t change anything. I’m not available for anything, whether it’s a fling or not. I’m engaged to be married and I’ve only met you once."

"Does that really matter that we’ve only met once before? I know everything about you."

Brooke’s widened at Caspian’s statement. " How can you say that you don’t know…"

Caspian covered Brooke’s lips with his finger. " Shhh. I do know you. You are a caring beautiful woman as well as smart. You could have your pick of any man yet you are not satisfied in frivolous relationships or sexual encounters. You are looking for love. You are looking for that perfect feeling, that perfect relationship. Caspian watched Brooke as she studied him. She had no idea how much he wanted to hurt the people who caused her pain, especially those Forresters. They had made her life a living hell. Did she really think that marrying Thorne would make a difference; it would only make matters worse. In the end, Thorne would regret the rift that it caused his family if not Brooke would because of her own children with Eric Forrester.

" I have found what I’ve been looking for my whole life. I’ve found a man who loves me for what I am, he means everything to me."

"You keep no secrets from him? You are free enough to tell him your thoughts and feelings."

Brooke thought about her scheme to blackmail Stephanie, Taylor and Eric to get out of International Forrester stock. If she thought that she could pay for the stock and get it, she would. She made a decision not to tell him because he might be upset by her actions.

" I love Thorne. Nothing matters but that; we’ve been through so much. His family has done everything in their power to stop us from being together, but we are made it."

"Have you made it? Do you think that this issue with your daughter is truly over?"

"Bridget is upset, but we will work things out. I love her and once she sees how happy that Thorne makes me, it will make a difference."

" Do you really believe that?" He took her hand in his and traced her pulse beating on her writst. "Do you believe that you have made it through everything? I have a feeling that you have only just begun. I think that you know it deep down inside."

Brooke didn’t want to hear this. She loved Thorne and they would make it together. They would have a new life together, they’d have Forrester and they would have children. They had to make it; they had to.

"I have to go."

" I’m not saying this to upset you Brooke, I just want you to know that this isn’t over" He kissed her hand and fingered her ring. " Not until you have his ring on your finger."

He studied her for a long while then he finally spoke. " Nor is over between you and me. You feel something as I do. It’s something you don’t want to admit." He rubbed her lower lip. " You love your Thorne, but you won’t be able to forget me."

Brooke pulled back. She had too many thoughts going through her head. Dealing with Caspian and with all of the family issues was too much for her. She hadn’t forgotten about him, but her life was with Thorne. She wouldn’t allow Caspian to jeopardize her relationship, she had to leave.

" Goodbye Caspian"

Brooke backed walked away from him.

" It is not goodbye. It’s until we meet again, and we will Brooke." Brooke looked at his handsome face. It was best that she never meet him again. Her life was laid out for her, her life was with Thorne.

Brooke walked away, but she couldn’t help but to look back at him once again. "Caspian", she whispered, it would be best that they didn’t see each other again.

Brooke walked around the beautiful pool. She had to clear her mind and thoughts in order to go back to the dinning room. She walked toward the outside bar. The bartender saw her and smiled. " What can I get you?"

" I’ll have a white wine sprister."

He poured the drink for her and Brooke sat down at the bar.

"Night didn’t go as planned?"

Brooke turned and saw a beautiful brunette with blue eyes. " No, not exactly." Brooke knew that she should be having a happy having dinner with her family and then making love with Thorne. Instead she was sitting at a bar drinking, her daughter was upset, Kimberly was making moves toward her son and her mind was still reeling from an encounter with Caspian.

" It couldn’t have been as bad as my night." The woman lit a cigarette. " An old friend, well no, aquantic of mine came into town. I was so surprised to hear that he was here. He never comes to America. Anyway I called him and I thought that we would have dinner and recapture a few of our old moments." The sighed. " God, he is the sexiest man alive. He is so sensual and handsome and gorgeous. Even though I haven’t seen him in five years, I still remember how good it was. The sex was, 0hh-my god fantastic. I’ve never had a ****ing that that." The woman closed her eyes. " I still get chills when I think about it."

Brooke sipped her wine.

"Anyway we come here for dinner and all of a sudden he tells me to come here to get a drink. He just walks off, can you believe that. I’m stilling here and it’s been almost an hour. He just walks off. I mean Caspian is well worth the wait but I’m on my third drink and my editable panties might not be so edible for too long.

"Caspian?"

"Great name isn’t it, I’ve never met anyone with his name before. He is so mysterious, sexy and rich as hell. Most importantly, he isn’t married. Not that it really matters."

Brooke was curious. " You wouldn’t mind if he were married?"

"No, that’s not what I mean. Caspian isn’t the marrying type, but it doesn’t even matter. I defiantly want him to have his way with me."

Brooke drank another sip from her glass. Caspian wasn’t the marrying type. Was it because he had been so hurt about his wife? What happened to his wife? She must have been some woman; Caspian had obviously loved her deeply.

" I’m still here hoping that he’s going to come back." She took a sip of her drink. " I could have just about any man in L.A and I’m sitting here waiting for HIM." Maria smiled to herself. " But he is worth it.

Brooke felt a twinge of jealously. Would Caspian take Maria to his bed tonight? He had lied to her when he had said that he hadn’t had another woman since that woman he paid for. What kind of man paid for a woman? Why should she even care, she would never see him again.

" Tell him Ridge, tell him how you feel." Bridget turned her eyes back on Thorne. " Tell him how everyone feels."

Thorne pointed a finger at his brother. " Don’t you dare open your mouth? You aren’t my brother anymore remember!"

" I remember Thorne, but I think that you need to hear what I have to say."

" You think that I’m going to listen to you. You and your wife have some nerve, after all the things that you have done to try to undermine and destroy my relationship with Brooke. After that stunt that you pulled in Venice. You used and hurt Brooke. You had no real consideration about MY FEELINGS. I don’t give a damn what you say."

" Well little brother, I’m going to tell you what I think regardless of if you want to hear it or not!"

Bridget smiled; she couldn’t wait for Ridge to tell Thorne, what he thought.

" As far as you and Brooke together…. I wish you the luck. You make her happy Thorne and I only want you both to be happy."

Bridget’s mouth dropped open. " What did you say?" She whispered. " Tell me that you are lying, you can’t possible mean that."

Ridge gave Bridget a sympatric grin. " I do Bridget."

"You can’t mean that! You can’t want them together, not after what you did in Venice. You know that this relationship is doomed."

" Bridget, I was wrong to do what I did in Venice. I thought that I was helping my mother, instead I betrayed your mother. I treated a woman whom I once loved deeply and cared about, like she didn’t matter."

" No you didn’t, you tried to stop her because you loved her."

"Bridget, I do love your mother and I was wrong to hurt her in Venice. That’s what I did, Bridget, I hurt your mother. I destroyed our friendship. I also hurt my own brother."

"You did what you had too." Bridget couldn’t believe what Ridge was saying, he was wrong; he loved her mother she knew it.

" I did what was wrong. I didn’t want to see the truth." Ridge looked at Thorne how was shocked by his brother’s admission. " I didn’t want to see how happy my brother was making her. How calm and relaxed she was as well how happy he was with her. All I could see was that your mother was with my brother. I never gave them a real chance." He reached out toward Bridget who was shaking her head as if she wanted the words that he says to fall out of her head. He took her in his arms rubbing the sides of her shoulders.

"They deserve a chance Bridget a real chance. Thorne loves your mother and she loves them. I want you to give them a chance, give Thorne a chance."

Bridget tore away from Ridge. " How can you tell me to give him a chance? He’s trying to take your place. He wants to live in our house, the house you bought for us. He wants to take your place in my mother’s bed. Don’t you understand, she doesn’t love him, she love you, and I know it!"

Taylor stood up and went toward Bridget. " Sweetheart, is this what this is really about? You don’t want Thorne with your mother because of Ridge."

Ridge was shocked; he had no idea that Bridget still felt that way. He then remembered how she had acted when she found out about Venice. He had planned to help Bridget, but he had been so busy taking care of Morgan and her scheme’s.

" Bridget, is this about me?"

" I think it is Ridge", Thorne explained. " I think that Bridget has always hoped that you and Brooke would reunite. I think that she’s afraid that if I married her mother, you two could never get back together."

"Don’t try to speak for me Thorne. I don’t want you with my mother because you are my brother! It’s disgusting! You are sleeping with my mother. You wanting to be my stepfather."

Ridges took Bridget’s hand and lead her to on the chairs. " Bridget, we really need to talk. I love you as well as your mother. When I had to leave…" Ridge looked at Taylor for a moment and back toward Bridget. " When I had to leave, it was the hardest thing that I had to do. There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by when I don’t think about the pain that I caused not only your mother or your brother but also you. You were so young and you didn’t understand that I did what I had to do for my son. As much as I loved my family with Brooke, I had to think about my other family. I made a promise to you to always be there for you, but I didn’t keep my promise. It was hard to be around you, to see your face as well as the pain in your eyes. It would have done real damage to my marriage if I kept looking back at what I’d lost. I loved you; you were my little girl. But I knew that spending time with you would only hurt you more and your mother. I had to make a clean break Bridget. If I didn’t….." Ridge’s eyes began to water. This was bringing up memories that he had wanted to bury. Ridge closed his eyes for a moment.

"I had to let go Bridget. Did you think that letting you or your mother go was an easy thing for me to do. Do you think that it was easy for me to see you mother day in or day out. The day I asked her to sign those annulment papers was the hardiest thing that I had to do. To annual our marriage meant that it didn’t exist, when it did. I loved her and I had to let her go. Taylor’s heart constricted, she didn’t know that it had been so hard on Ridge.

Bridget wiped the tears in her own eyes. " Don’t you see you still love her? You didn’t want to leave her. I knew it!"

"Bridget you are listening, that was years ago. It was hard to give up your mother, but I did. She also realized that we weren’t meant to be together, that my life was with Taylor and our children. She moved on and she found love with my brother. I was selfish and wrong; I didn’t want her to be with him. I certainly didn’t want her to be happier with him than she was with me. She was and I didn’t want to see it. I tried hard to destroy what they had together, but they made it back to each other. I was wrong; I hurt my brother and my best friend. I don’t want you to make the same mistake that I did. I don’t want you to let your personal feelings stand in the way of your mother’s happiness. Your mother makes Thorne happy and he makes her happy. I was wrong, I want you to stand aside and give them a chance."

Thorne was surprised by Ridge, never had he ever thought that Ridge would say something like that. That Ridge would admit that he was wrong. Ridge went toward Thorne.

"I was wrong little brother. I was wrong about Venice. I was wrong to shut you out of my life brother. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done." Thorne smiled, for the first time Ridge had truly apologized for his actions in Venice.

"I think that we have a lot of talking to do brother."

" I do too."

Bridget, who watched the exchange of the two brothers, was seething with anger. How could Ridge betray her like this? How could Ridge say that his mother and Thorne belonged together?"

Taylor went toward Bridget. " I’m sorry that you are upset. Bridget, Ridge is right, it would have been hard for him to spend time with you after all that happened. Although I wasn’t the biggest supported of your mother and Thorne, I agree with Ridge. You have to give Thorne a real chance. Thorne makes your mother happy. Ridge and I are happy. You see that we could all be one happy family if you give it a chance."

Ridge went toward Taylor and put his arms around her. " She’s right Bridget, we could be a family if you’d give Thorne a chance with your mother. We can also spend some time together honey you, the kids and me. They really like you. You just have to understand that. "

Bridget said nothing; inside she was dying. Ridge didn’t want her; he didn’t her because of Taylor. If Taylor hadn’t been around things would be different. Now he accepted Thorne with her mother. She would never allow this to happen. She looked at Thorne, he actually looked happy, and he thought that he had won. He hadn’t won at all.

"I want to go home now." Bridget whispered to herself.

" Bridget, I can take you if you want."

" No Ridge, Rick will take me home."

Bridget turned toward her brother who had been standing in the doorway. " I’ll get our coats."

Thorne went toward Bridget. " Honey, I could take you home."

Bridget eyes were cold and full of hate toward Thorne. " You’ve done enough"

Bridget left. No one noticed Kimberly who silently followed her.

Ridge clapped his brother on the back. " Give her some time, she’ll come around, this is hard on her. I think that you ought to be looking for Brooke, is she still here?"

Thorne thought about Brooke and smiled. " Yes, I think that I need to look for my fiancé."

Kimberly quietly came behind Bridget. " You know what we have to do, don’t you."

Bridget looked back inside the private dinning room at Thorne. " Yes, can we do it tonight?"

Kimberly licked her lips. " Yes tonight it perfect."

"By tomorrow morning…"

Kimberly smiled. " By tomorrow morning, Thorne and your mother will be over. I’ll see it."

"No, we will see to it. Kimberly you and I will see that my mother and Thorne will never find happiness."

Against All Odds Part 37 {The Plan}

Thorne had looked all over for Brooke, in the disco, the dinning room and even the gardens; he couldn’t seem to find her. He had gone to the bar on the first floor and had already down three drinks and was nursing his fourth. He had been drinking hard liquor, something that he didn’t normally do. His head was hurting for this had become a very trying day. He had asked Brooke to marry him a couple of hours ago and now he couldn’t seem to find her anywhere. Rick took Bridget and Kimberly home. Ridge and Taylor had left to eat their own dinner or something. Thorne closed his eyes; the amber liquor burned as it made it’s way down his stomach. He was happy that Ridge had apologized for his behavior but he was still disappointed about how Bridget reacted. He also was hurting about Brooke, what she had said had hurt him. She thought that he had only asked him to marry him because of Kimberly. He would have never have asked her to marry for any other reasons than the reason of wanting to be with her for the rest of their lives. He loved her and only wanted to be with her.

"Thorne"

Throne looked up from his drink. He saw Kimberly standing beside him at the bar.

"What are you doing, I thought that Rick was taking you home."

Kimberly gave Thorne a pouty look. " Bridget was so upset, Rick thought that I would best if they went straight home."

Thorne nodded and downed his last drink. " How do you plan on getting home?"

"I was hoping that you’d take me. "Kimberly twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

" Please, I’m really tired, it’s been a long day."

Thorne nodded to the bartender who gave him another shot. He downed that drink too.

"Yup, it’s been a long day."

Kimberly touched the back of Thorne’s hand with hers. " She’s not coming back. Maybe I should drive you home."

"No Kimberly, I need to find her… to see if…" Against his own will tears formed in his eyes; he quickly blinked them away. " She was so upset about tonight, she thinks that I only asked her to marry me because of…."

"..because of me." I’m so sorry Thorne, I might not like Brooke too much, but you are hurting. For that I’m sorry.

Thorne rubbed his eyes, he was tired. All he wanted was to find Brooke and then fall asleep with her in his arms.

" Come on Thorne. You aren’t really in any condition to drive home. I’ll drive, okay."

Thorne looked up at Kimberly. " Thorne, she’ll calm down and I’m sure that by tomorrow that this will have blow over." Kimberly frowned. " I don’t think that I can say the same thing for Bridget however. I’m so sorry that she behaved in that manner. I’m sorry Thorne, but I saw this coming."

Thorne slammed his glass down on the counter. " I don’t want to talk about it, if you want a ride, come on."

Kimberly reached out and grabbed Thorne’s hand. " I’m sorry please don’t be mad at me. I can’t help but to feel like this was my fault."

Thorne closed his eyes. It wasn’t Kimberly’s fault that things had gone so badly. She was trying to help. " Kimberly, I don’t blame you for what happened. It wasn’t your fault that things turned out the way it did."

" I don’t know, Brooke hates me and that’s how the fighting started."

"Look," Thorne cupped Kimberly’s face between his hands. " She doesn’t…" He shook his head. " She doesn’t hate you, she’s just upset and needs time."

" I guess that you are right, maybe she would change her mind." Kimberly hugged Thorne and closed her eyes tightly.

Thorne eased himself out of her grasp. " I’ll get the car, okay."

Kimberly smiled. " Okay"

Kimberly watched Thorne leave. " Tonight Thorne, you will be mine."

Caspian stood in the corner of the bar. He had watched the exchange between Thorne and Kimberly. It was obvious that Kimberly wanted Thorne Forrester. She was a conniving girl, she dated one brother and used him against his mother, yet it was clear to him that she wanted Thorne Forrester. What did Thorne feel about this girl? Was she his lover? Caspian pulled out his cellular phone. " I want Brooke Logan watched at all times, she is to be protected at all cost. I also want someone watching a Kimberly Fairchild, I want to know what she is doing." Caspian hung up the phone. If Thorne was idiotic enough to sleep with that girl then he deserved to lose Brooke. Caspian took a picture of Brooke out of the pocket of his jacket. He touched the photo. He looked at his watch, it was well past 9. He needed to get back to Maria, he would have to make tonight up to her in some fashion. Maybe he’d throw some business her way, he knew that she’d be disappointed. Although she had aroused his lust, she wasn’t Brooke. The lust that he felt for her didn’t measure up. He wanted Brooke, plain and simple. He’d accept no substitute.

Kimberly smiled as she watched Thorne sitting on her sofa.

" Thorne I hope you don’t mind coming here, I just needed someone to talk to and Rick is probably still dealing with Bridget."

Thorne closed his eyes; his head was starting to pound. " I don’t mind Kimberly but I can’t promise you that I’m going to stay that late. Brooke might call."

" You couldn’t reach Brooke, could you?"

Thorne pinched the bridge of his nose. " I tried her cellular phone, but she isn’t answering." Thorne stood up; Kimberly noticed that his body wavered to the right. "Damn! I just wished that she would have listened into of running off like that." Thorne then grinned for a moment and laughed sarcastically to himself. " Who am I kidding, my running off caused part of our problems?"

Kimberly winced at his comment. Macy hadn’t been a problem but Brooke was and she was going to take care of her. " Your marriage to Macy, was it one of your problems."

Thorne grimaced, he had forgotten. He didn’t mean to bring up Macy with Kimberly. He sat back down on the sofa. " No Kimberly, my marriage to Macy wasn’t a problem, I was." Kimberly sat down next to Thorne with an adoring look on her face.

"How can you say that, you were a good husband to her? She loved you so much. " Kimberly touched Thorne’s hand. " She was so happy with you. You…"

"Kimberly, I think that you are romanticizing me and my marriage to Macy." Thorne gave Kimberly a weak smile. " I wasn’t a good husband to her sweetheart, you know that. I was wrong to marry her, she loved me but I wasn’t in love with her." A touch sadness entered Thorne’s face as well as his voice. " I’ll always regret how things ended." Kimberly’s eyes began to water, things would have been different, and it hadn’t been for Brooke. Thorne was such a sweet man.

"Things happened Thorne, we can’t look back."

Thorne patted Kimberly’s hand. " You’re right, looking back would only hurt both of us." Thorne looked at his watch. " I think that I’ll try Brooke again." Thorne made a call to Brooke’s cell phone. Kimberly smiled. Brooke wouldn’t be answering any phone calls that night. She had taken Brooke’s phone and removed the battery; it was sitting in her purse. Brooke wouldn’t be able to get any calls that night. Kimberly went into the kitchen and poured a glass of red wine and slipped a small white pill into the wine. She used her finger to stir the wine and then licked the residue off her finger. She went into the living room to find Thorne leaving a message to Brooke. He turned toward her and then hung up the phone.

"Did you reach her?"

" No, she isn’t answering her phone."

Kimberly brought the wine over to Thorne. " I’m sorry, I’m sure that she will answer sooner or later." She handed him the glass of wine.

" I hope so Kimberly." Thorne shook his head at the glass. " I think that those 4 drinks that I had at the bar was enough, remember, you had to drive me home."

" You can walk home and just leave your car here. Besides I’ve already poured the wine and the small glass of champagne that I had was more than enough. You need to relax and I totally tense too. I don’t want to be alone. Could you stay a little longer until Rick comes."

"Rick is coming here tonight?"

" He said that he might after he deals with Bridget." Kimberly smiled. " Come on Thorne, spend some time with me."

Thorne took the drink. What did it matter? He’d stay with Kimberly for a while then go home; hopefully Brooke will call him back. Thorne drank some of the wine and sat down.

" You don’t know how happy I am that you are staying a little while longer."

Thorne leaned back on the sofa. " No problem."

" I’m going to make a phone call." Kimberly got up and went to the other room.

"Hello. Get over here no, everything is all set."

Thorne glanced down at his glass, it was empty. How many glasses did he drink? He couldn’t seem to remember. Whatever the number, it was way too much. He was feeling the effects of it. He was hot all over and his head was really buzzing. He tried to stand up twice, but dizziness hit him. He sat back down and closed his eyes. It was so hot; he could feel his heart beating so hard in his chest. The room was so hot he was burning up and his chest began to heave. "Thorne, you should sit down." Kimberley rushed over and put her hands on her shoulders. "Thorne, don’t move. Sit down and rest." Kimberly’s face became three faces and her voice sounded funny. She touched in on her face and kissed him on his brow, or a least he think she did. Everything became a blur, her face floated and then it changed. Kimberly’s face became Brooke’s face. He shook is head, he closed his eyes tight, he opened them again, and Brooke’s face became Kimberly’s once again. Kimberly’s face began to spin round and round. Suddenly, all these images popped inside of his head at once. He and Brooke making love in Venice, in the bathtub, at the private dinning room. He was having sex with Brooke against the wall in Paris, then Brooke’s body and it became Kimberly’s. In the image, when it was Kimberly, he tried to pull out of her, she wouldn’t let me go and suddenly he came inside of her. " No!" The images danced inside of his head. Sweat beaded on his forehead and ran down his brow. He was hot so hot. Thorne tried to get up but he couldn’t, the images haunted him.

There was a knock on the door, Thorne was so out of it that he didn’t even notice, and he couldn’t. Bridget walked through the door.

"How is it going?"

Kimberly nodded to Thorne who was lost in his delirium. " He is over there."

Bridget went to the sofa and was shocked to find that Thorne was drenched in sweat and his eyes were glazed over. He didn’t even seem close to be coherent.

"What in the hell did you do Kimberly?"

" What do you mean?"

Bridget took Kimberly’s hand and walked angrily toward the patio.

" I thought that you were going to put sleeping pills into his coffee to knock him out."

" I used something better."

"Damn it Kimberly! What did you use?"

" Why?"

"What did you put into his drink?"

Kimberly’s eyes narrowed. She flung her hair over her shoulder. " Just what are you getting at, I’d never do anything that you harm Thorne."

"You were supposed to knock him out so we could strip him naked and get that friend to get into bed."

"I’ve got that covered."

Bridget bit her lip in aggravation. " How are you going to do that, he’s stoned."

"He isn’t stoned, he’s relaxed.

" What did you give him!"

Kimberly sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. " I gave him Ecstasy."

"What! That’s that date rape drug. Why in the hell would you give him that?"

" I don’t think that I have to explain everything to you."

Bridget grabbed Kimberly by the arm. Kimberly pulled back and shoved Bridget. " Just try it, I’ve had all I could take from your mother tonight."

"You had better explaining or I’ll…’

"You’ll what? Tell mommy what we have planed. It a WE thing Bridget, this was part of your idea."

"MY IDEA was to get him interested with someone else. YOU were the one who said that you had a friend who was an actress who owed you a favor. YOU were the one who said that we’d just take some pictures of them and send them to one of those sleazy magazines. "

"Nothing has changed."

"Nothing had changed! You gave him a dose of a rape drug and mixed it with alcohol. He is awake and will remember us."

" He is barely coherent and won’t remember us as anything more than a dream. I only gave him a little dose of the drug. It will help, he’s eyes will be open for the photo and he won’t be able to explain his way about it." Kimberly wrapped her arm around Bridget.

"Think about it and how authentic it will look. Thorne’s hand on her breast and his eyes open. He will never be able to talk his way out of this with your mother." Kimberly turned and looked Bridget directly in the eye. " It will work, you’ll see."

Bridget pushed Kimberly’s arm off her shoulder. She glanced back at Thorne who didn’t seemed like he knew where he was. She didn’t like this. This plan of theirs had been risky before but now, Kimberly had given her brother a drug. She didn’t want him to be hurt.

Kimberly could read the indecision on Bridget’s face; she had to convince that girl. She couldn’t take the chance of her opening her big mouth. " Alright Bridget, if you don’t want to do this, we don’t have too. But just think about it, if we don’t stop them now, he will be your new stepfather. You saw the way that they were tonight, although they fought, you know that they are going to make up. How long do you think that they are going to wait to get married? Ridge had accepted them maybe your father will and then it will be all over. Thorne and Brooke forever." Bridget covered her face with her hands. This was so hard for her to do. Kimberly was right, if they didn’t stop them now, they would be married.

" So Bridget, what do you do? Do we stop or do we proceed?"

Bridget’s mind thought about how life would be if Thorne would to marry her mother.

" We proceed."

"Good."

They went back inside the house. Thorne was still on the sofa, reeling with the effects of Ecstasy. Bridget got a concerned look on her face. " Are you sure he is going to be all right", she whispered.

" Don’t worry, by tomorrow, he’ll be just fine."

Thorne opened his eyes; it was so hard to do so. He felt like someone was****ling him with thousands of tiny needles. Everything was changing; his sense of smell and touch seemed to intensify; yet his vision and hearing were impaired. He thought for a moment that he had seen Bridget, but why would he be seeing her. He couldn’t think, his eyes hurt and his heart was racing a mile a minute. " You need to rest, come and lay down in my bedroom." Thorne didn’t know who was talking, he closed his eyes….rest, that’s what he needed was some rest for his aching head and his feverish body. He wanted to strip and he wanted to make love to Brooke. Brooke was asking him to go to her bedroom, he couldn’t wait, and of course the voice belonged to Brooke. Thorne tried to stand and it seemed that someone was helping him and leading him to the bedroom.

Bridget and Kimberly lead Thorne to the bedroom. Bridget noticed how his eyes would open and close over and over again. Thorne had no idea where he was or what was going to happen to him. Bridget felt a moment of sadness, this would hurt her brother, there would be no way that her mother would want to be with him once she found out about Thorne’s "romp" with a younger woman. She hoped that Thorne would never suspect the set up. Kimberly pushed Thorne down on the bed, which the sheets had already been partially pulled down. Kimberly smiled as the drugged Thorne lay across her bed. "Let’s strip him now." Bridget hesitated. " What is going on now? You said that you were willing to do through with this, are you changing your mind again?" Bridget glared at Kimberly.

"No, I just feel sorry for him."

"Well you can feel sorry for him later, we have to get him ready before Honey comes over."

"I can’t believe that you have a friend named Honey."

Kimberly started to unbutton Thorne’s shirt. She open-ended the shirt slowly wanting to savor the feeling. She ran her fingers across his chest. Thorne felt fingers caressing chest and his nipples, he wanted more. He was tired, his eyes seemed so heavy and he could hardly move at all. All he could do was to feel, feel fingers run across his chest, he tried to open his eyes to look at Brooke but he couldn’t. "Brooke…." He was becoming aroused; he wanted to be close to her.

Bridget jumped up from the bed. " He thinks that you are my mother," she said in a fierce whisper. Kimberly pulled Thorne’s shirt from underneath him and threw it onto the ground. She didn’t take her eyes of Thorne. " That will only make it better, he thinks I’m your mother and he will think that same thing about Honey."

Kimberly started to unbutton Thorne’s pants. "Bridget, I’m going to need your help with his pants."

Bridget looked at crotch of Thorne’s pants; he really did think Kimberly was her mother. He was obviously aroused; she didn’t want to see her brother like that. " I think that maybe you should do it Kimberly. I’m going to go in the other room." Kimberly smiled as Bridget left the room.

"Whatever makes you feel better Bridget."

Kimberly slid her hands down the opening of Thorne’s dress pants. He was hard and aroused; she felt the strength and power that he wields. Throne’s head rolled to the side.

"Brooke….I want you ." His voice was a fierce whisper. Kimberly leaned forward and kissed him on his lips. He opened his mouth under hers, his tongue mated with hers. Thorne opened his eyes and smiled, although hazy, Brooke was so beautiful. " I don’t like fighting with you, I love you." Kimberly moved away from Thorne. " I am going to take your pants off right now." Kimberly took his pants off as well as his underwear. He lay against the cool sheets, naked aroused and delusional. He opened his eyes again. " I want you honey, can’t you see it." Kimberly took him in her hand; he was so hard and hot. She instantly became wet, she had to get rid of Bridget, and Thorne was ready for her. Kimberly smiled, the Ecstasy was working well. She had given him a dose in each of the two glasses of wine that he drunk. It should be more than enough to make him bed her, he wouldn’t be able to say no.

Kimberly left the room to find Bridget pacing in her living room. " Did you do it?"

Kimberly poured a glass of wine for herself. " You want some, we can toast to the demise of your mother and Thorne." Kimberly sipped the wine, she was happier than she had been in a long long time.

" He’s naked then?’

"As a baby."

"He’s really confused, he wouldn’t really sleep with Honey would he? He would think that she is my mom."

"Don’t worry, I’ll be here, you don’t have to worry about Honey, she’ll be safe."

Bridget was worried; she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Honey or Thorne. " It wouldn’t be right if they slept together, it only had to look like they did."

Bridget went to her backpack and took out her camera. " I guess as soon as she gets here then everything will be okay."

Kimberly sipped more of her wine. " As soon as Honey gets here."

Bridget looked at her watch impatiently it had been 20 minutes. " Are you sure she’s coming?"

" Yes, I called her before you came, she said that she was on her way.

" Bridget groaned. " I can’t stay that much later. I left my mother a note saying that I was staying at Amy’s because I was mad. I need to get over there, I need a cover."

Kimberly took the digital camera from Bridget. " Go on to Amy’s"

" I can’t leave you with Thorne like that."

"Yes you can, honey will be here soon. Just go, you need a cover."

Bridget didn’t know why she had a bad feeling in her stomach, leaving Thorne naked and vulnerable didn’t suit her. She had to get to Amy’s soon just in case her mother did call.

"Well, I guess that you are right." Bridget grasped Kimberly by the arm. " Promise me to call me on my cell as soon as things are finished."

"No problem."

Bridget walked reluctantly toward the door. She looked back once more.

" Go Bridget, everything will turn out fine."

Kimberly smiled when Bridget left and rubbed her hands together. She danced over to the door and locked it. She cut off the lights and went into her bedroom. Once she was inside, she lit candles in her room. Thorne was lying on the bed he was so still. She undid the clasp of her dress and it fell to the floor. She kicked off her shoes and undid the clasp in her hair. She stood at the end of the bed naked in the moonlight. She pulled back the sheets and crawled to him. He was so still; she used her index finger to trace his eyebrow. "Thorne sweetheart, it’s me." She kissed his brow and then moved down to nuzzle and trace the pulse in his neck; it was still beating quite hard. " Open yourself to me baby, make love to me." He weakly opened his eyes staring at her like she wasn’t really there…. " baby….something is wrong."

Kimberly kissed him, but his mouth hardly opened to receive her tongue. She moved her hand down to cover him, he was hard, but something was wrong. " Thorne sweetheart, are you okay?" Thorne said nothing. She sat up and then used her fingers to open his eye; his pupils were highly dilated. What was wrong with him, around 20 minutes ago, he would have made love to her. He was hard, but he didn’t seem like he could move or talk.

"Damn it!" Kimberly scooted off the bed.

"Thorne! Thorne, wake up!" She shook him over and over. He weakly moved. He lips barely moved when he whispered Brooke’s name.

"Oh, stop calling that bitch’s name!" Kimberly got of the bed and stomped on the floor. "Ohhhh! That bitch!" She threw a picture across the room and it hit the wall. She stormed into the bathroom and hit the sink. Her breast heaved up and down with frustration. She had slipped him another glass of wine, without the Ecstasy, but it seemed to make him go to sleep. He wasn’t in the condition to make love to her, she had planned everything and now he couldn’t do it. Bridget thought that she was setting Thorne up to be with Honey, but she had other plans and now it was ruined. Kimberly watched her reflection in the mirror then turned to the plastic cup that sat on the table on the little table in the bathroom. She studied it for a moment, although she had wanted desperately to make love to him, she had a phase two planned just in case things didn’t work out.

Thorne was in a world delirium and ecstasy. Brooke was making love to him with her mouth; it felt to good on him. She had stroked him with her hands; although he couldn’t see her he could feel her. She called out to him and told him that she loved him and wanted him. He had tried to put his arms around her but he couldn’t seem to make his body move. He could only lay down and feel the administrations of her mouth on him. She moved over him, tasted him, controlled him and milked him for his response. When he felt himself ready to explode, the mouth left him. He tried to hold off but he climaxed, his body responded on its own. He couldn’t lift his head off the pillow; all he could do was to lie there. Kimberly sat back watching Thorne; she had pleasured him with her mouth. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t been inside of her, she had plans Dreams invaded his thoughts, dreams of mindless sex with Brooke, thoughts of having her in every way. They make love in some fantasies, in others they f*cked. He was lost in his dreams, he was lost totally……………his life was about to change.

 

 

Thorne slowly opened his eyes; they hurt like hell, just like the rest of him did. His mouth had a funny taste to it and his head pounded.

"Damn, I knew better than to drink so much."

He sat up in the bed and shook his head. He looked at the clock on the night stand 1:45 am. Thorne sat there for a moment when he realized that he wasn’t home.

"Where in the hell am I?"

He stood up from the bed and found himself naked. He looked at the sheets, they were stained. " Dried blood." Panic like bile, crept into his stomach, eating away at him. He was in Macy’s old bedroom, it belonged to Kimberly.

"Oh God!" He covered his eyes and then uncovered them. On the floor was Kimberly’s dress and his clothes. What had he done, he closed his eyes and all he could remember was coming back here and having a drink. He had some wild dreams, dreams about sex with Brooke, but the dreams had changed, he had started having dreams about Kimberly.

Thorne heard the shower running in the bathroom. He needed to find out what had happened, why was he naked, why was the sheets stained with blood and what looked to be semen.

" Please God, please don’t let it be this, anything but this please." Tears started to form in eye, he wanted to throw up, and he couldn’t have done this to Brooke or himself. He stood, he was naked but he didn’t car, he wanted this to be a bad dream. Thorne walked over to the bathroom and found Kimberly pulling a robe over her wet naked body. She looked startled to see him, her face looked as if were stained with tears.

"Thorne!"

Thorne grabbed Kimberly by her arms. " Kimberly what happened tonight, tell me."

Tears were in her eyes. She turned away from him. " Thorne please….."

"Tell me damn it, tell me! Tell me that we didn’t have sex."

His heart was beating fast; she had to tell him it didn’t happened.

Slowly she turned her green eyes on him. " We didn’t make love…"

Relief swept through Thorne’s body. " Thank god…. I thought….."

" Thorne you don’t understand…something did happen…."

Panic came back and the fear.

" What happened?"

"Just go home Thorne."

" What happened between us? Why is there blood on your sheet, why am I naked. Damn it, tell me what happened tonight!"

Tears ran down Kimberly’s cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak and acted like nothing came out of it. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Tell me, what happened!"

" You raped me." It came out as a harsh whisper.

" What! What did you say?"

" Tonight, you raped me Thorne." Kimberly bent over with as sobs racked through her body.

"No! Oh God No!" Bile rose inside of Thorne’s mouth.

Against All Odds Part 38 {Nobody Sleeps}

" No, Oh God No!" Thorne stumbled backward almost falling down except the bathroom sink stopped him. He closed his eyes, pain pounded throughout his head, his veins rushed with blood and he covered his mouth as in effort to keep the bile from spilling out of his mouth. Rape, he had raped her? Kimberly? No, he couldn’t have done such a vile disgusting thing.

" Please tell me that isn’t true Kimberly, I couldn’t.. "

Kimberly was on the floor rocking herself. " You did, you forced me to have sex with you."

Thorne got down in his knees. He reached out to Kimberly and then pulled back as if his touch was something bad. He covered his face. He tried desperately to think about what had happened, but his mind wouldn’t work. He only had blinding flashes of images of sex, past images of he and Brooke. A newer image, through blurred can crashing, a bed, Kimberly naked under him, he thrusting inside of Brooke and then he inside of Kimberly. The last image caused him to run toward the toilet and throw up repeatedly. After her finished, Thorne wiped his hand with the back of his mouth. He grabbed a towel hanging near the counter and wrapped it around his naked body. He looked at Kimberly who was no longer rocking herself on the bathroom floor but was watching him with tears in her eyes.

"I forced you?"

Kimberly rubbed her red eyes with her hands and sighed with her body shaking. " You were so drunk." She sighed. " I wanted you to lay down…..you don’t remember?"

Thorne had a lost look upon his face. He wanted this to be a bad dream, he wanted to wake up next to Brooke. " I only remember coming here and then the rest is a blur."

Thorne observed how pale she was and that her hands were shaking. He took in two big breathes, how could he have done this to her, to himself and to Brooke. Thorne scooted a little closer toward Kimberly holding his hands out toward Kimberly. " Kimberly did I hurt you… oh god, I know that I did… I just wanted to find out if I …"

" No…. you….."

"Bruises, do you have any? I just…" Thorne closed his eyes, had he brutalized her?

"You didn’t brutalize me, you just where confused…." Tears ran down Kimberly’s cheeks. " You were in my bed, you thought that I was….. .you thought that I was Brooke."

Thorne closed his eyes and moved back against the wall. " Brooke…. I’d never hurt Brooke…..you…"

" You thought that I was her. You were asleep in my bedroom. I came to check on you and you were asleep. You opened your eyes and you called me Brooke, then you pulled in your arms. You kissed me and I was surprised at first, and I’ll admit I didn’t really pull away. I’d never been kissed by a real man and I was caught off guard. You were kissing me and I tried to let you know that I wasn’t Brooke, but you kept calling me her name." Kimberly played with her sash and then she looked at Thorne again. " You kept kissing me and my dress, well it wasn’t much and I wasn’t wearing any underwear. You.....you’re your hands all over me….the next thing I know is that you…..you were inside of me….you were cupping my breast. You were calling her name the entire time, you thought that I was her." She shook her head and her tears ran down her cheeks. She slowly stood up and walked toward him. Thorne was quiet; the horror of what he had done was killing him. " You didn’t know it was me, you thought that I was Brooke."

Thorne closed his eyes and tears streamed down his face. " What had I done to all of us."?

He didn’t see the small smile on Kimberly’s face.

 

Brooke finished studying the latest figures for the cost of the new add, this new campaign was going to cost some money, but it will be worth it at the end. They’d more than make double in the profit. She put the figures down and moved toward the sofa in her office to lie down. Why had she come to work, it was almost 2 am. She should be in bed getting some rest or making love to Thorne, instead she was working. Brooke sighed.

" You know why you are here Brooke." She tried to sleep but only tossed and turned. She couldn’t sleep when tonight had been such a disaster and things had gone so wrong. When she finally had gotten home from Zenith, she found a note from Bridget and Rick wasn’t in the guesthouse. She had tried calling both Thorne’s cell and home phones, but she only had gotten the answering service. She had left a message for Thorne and had hoped that at least he would have called. She had treated him badly by just leaving that mess. Brooke touched her ring, it was beautiful she couldn’t believe that he had saved it; it was obvious that he loved her. She hadn’t been wrong about Kimberly, but she had been wrong to tell Thorne that he only asked her to marry him because of Kimberly. A frowned marred her beautiful face the words that the girl had flung in her face that night had steeled her resolve. She had no choice but to get rid of that girl, she didn’t care about her son she didn’t seem to care about anything. Tomorrow she’d call on of her connections from New York and see if they’d offer her a job. Anything to get rid of her. Brooke had never thought that she would use a tactic that Stephanie had used but she realized that Kimberly’s interest wasn’t for her son, she had some ulterior motive and Brooke would never allow her to hurt her son. Power and money was something that she had and she would use it to help her son. Brooke knew that Kimberly had really changed; she was never like that before Macy’s accident. Brooke closed her eyes and slid the shoes off her feet. That accident sometimes caused her nightmares, no matter what she said, she knew the truth; Macy had tried to kill her.

"Macy, I’m sorry how things turned out for you. I never wanted you to die." Brooke shook her head; there were no use thinking about things that she couldn’t change. She was however sorry that things turned out that way. She never discussed the nightmares with Thorne, he had been through enough.

Brooke sighed, her body was tired but her mind couldn’t rest. She glanced at her purse; she sat up and opened it. She took the card out; she had found it on the coffee table at her house. She reread the letter again, and touched his initials on he card.

"Caspian…."

She had stayed as long as she could listen to Maria, but she couldn’t stand it. The woman was beautiful, what man would turn her down? Maria had wanted Caspian. Brooke new first hand new is sensual appeal, on two separate occasions; he created such intense feelings in her body and in her mind. The way he looked at her, it was as if he knew her or he had always known her. It was unnerving, she thought that had she felt that way about Ridge, but it wasn’t the same. Being the same room or presence of him was something that she couldn’t describe. His hands, his hands, even the way that he spoke generated a heat within her. She couldn’t understand it or even explain it. He obviously had the same effect on Maria. Did he say the same things to Maria as he did with her?

Was this some sort of game that be played with her, with all women. She didn’t know anything about him. All she knew was that he was sensual and powerful; he also seemed like a man who took what he wanted. The question was, what did he really want? And why did he seem so interested in her?

Brooke closed her eyes and ran her finger through her hair.

"Brooke stop thinking about him." She shook her head and left the sofa. She tried calling Thorne’s cell phone again. She received the voice mail again. "Damn it Thorne, where are you?" She went back to the sofa and looked at the card again. " I need you, Thorne she whispered. She sighed and closed her eyes. She would lie down for a few minutes and then go to Thorne’s hopefully he would be home soon. She needed to get back to him, to go where she belonged. Caspian was wrong, things would work out. Bridget would come around, they’d move to Paris and everything would be perfect.

Trudie dipped the edge of her warm bread into the Shrimp Alfredo. She closed her eyes as she munched on the hot bread in the fabulous sauce, it was so delicious. " Eve, I love it when you bring food home." Trudie opened her eyes and watched as Eve played her food with her fork. Trudie frowned and dropped her bread. " Okay, let’s here it."

Eve looked up from her food. "What?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing"

Trudie sighed. " Look you’ve been moping since you got home two hours ago and considering that it’s 2 something in the morning, just tell me what happened. What happened, did Mitch make a pass at you." Trudie smiled. " I’d love to do him."

Eve laughed, Trudie was only kidding. Mitch thought that he was god’s gift to women, he hit on most of the women at the restaurant. Eve didn’t worry about him, she knew his type was all talk and he was harmless. " No, it wasn’t Mitch."

"Well spill it. You’ve brought me some good food and I’ve got to lost five pounds by next week, so you know what than means….."

" Nothing but steamed broccoli and twizzlers." Eve knew about True’s eating habits and the way that she sometimes had to loss weight fast. Eve never wanted to become a model, it was too much work. Trudie ate more of her meal, waiting for Eve to tell her what had been bothering her. It must be something big; Eve didn’t allow many people to see what things upset her.

"I saw him today."

Trudie swallowed some of her bottled water. " Who?"

"Him…"

Trudie’s eyes widen. " Him, your mystery guy? The one with the wife."

"He doesn’t have a wife, he has a girlfriend.

" That’s right, he had a wife. Look Eve, for a guy to have all of those problems. A wife, a kid, a kid that isn’t his and a girlfriend who is a vamp. So, what happened?"

"His family was having some family dinner at the restaurant. I saw his mother…" Eve pushed her food away and took out the Ben and Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. She put the ice cream in a bowl. Trudie gave her a wanting look, she couldn’t have the ice cream and the and the pasta. Eve mouthed the word sorry. " Anyway I saw his mother, she really is a knockout. She had on this beautiful red dress, she was there with her fiancé."

"Did she know about you and her son?"

" No. She doesn’t even know about me. Bridget does, his sister, she’s a sweet kid. All the arguing really upset her."

"Arguing, what upset them, there wasn’t enough ice in their champagne?"

"No, Rick’s sister is upset because his mother is going to marry his half brother."

Trudie thought about Eve’s comment. Rick, Bridget, his mother was marrying his half brother. Realization struck her. A marriage, a kid, an ex-wife and a girlfriend. " Eve, are you telling me that your mystery guy is Rick Forrester?"

Sadness covered Eve’s face. " Yes"

Trudie got up and sat next to Eve. " My god you really are in trouble. Don’t you know how powerful those people are? They can make you and break you from what I hear."

" Yeah"

" Oh god Eve. I’ve wanted you to fall in love one day, to feel happiness that you haven’t ever had. But Rick Forrester? From what I hear, he is head over heals in love with that girlfriend of his." Trudie covered Eve’s hand with hers. " What happened, besides the arguing?’

"He was there with Kimberly. You should have seen her, she had on this totally skimpy dress, and she looked like a tramp." Eve glanced up. " Sorry Trudie." Eve had seen some of the things that Trudie had to wear or not to wear in one of her photo shoots.

"Don’t feel bad Eve, I love wearing sexy clothes. So she was there?"

Eve swallowed more ice cream. " Yeah and she was such a bitch. Dropping her fork, saying that Rick doesn’t like dirty thing. She was so nasty. She couldn’t help hanging all over him. It amazes me that she could act like that when I heard her with her friends, she is in love with that older guy she doesn’t even want Rick."

"Well, you can bet your last Forrester dollar that she isn’t going to drop old Rikki boy."

" So what are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do?’

"You can stop being a doormat Eve. You are resourceful, you and I know it. Are you scared of her?"

"Hell no. After all I’ve been through I’m not scared of her."

"Then do something about Miss. Princess. Stop playing fair. She doesn’t love Rick and you too Eve. Go after him, find out who she wants and expose her for the little tramp that she is. Then do what you are good at…love him."?

For the first time Eve’s eye betrayed the fear that she had. " It’s not her I’m afraid of. It’s the Forresters…" Eve pushed her bowl away. " They are powerful and they don’t like anything that is different for them. Kimberly is what they want for Rick, beautiful with all the right "family ties". You know about my past, do you even think that they’d even allow me to talk to Rick if they had know what I’d done in the past, what I’d been…"

Trudie shook her head. " Don’t get into that, you did what you had too. Listen I don’t care about your past and Rick, if he really cared about you, he won’t care either."

" Yeah, I’m sure he’d love to introduce me to his family. He doesn’t even want to do that now and all he thinks that I am just a student do you think that he’d be willing to have me around if he knew the truth."

" You are a student and a hard worker. He hasn’t had to live through what you have lived through, he’s had a pretty easily life compared to you. Eve that isn’t what matters, your past is your past. If you really want him then I say go for it. Give Princess Kimberly a run for her money. I know that I’d love to do that, I’d love to knock her down a peg or two."

 

Rick gave Little Eric another bottle on milk. He rubbed his head and kissed him on top of the head. "Amber, I’m really glad that you called me. I don’t care what time of the day it is if you need me then you do."

Amber passed him Little Eric’s toy tiger. " Rick, I’m glad that I could get you. I should have know that you would be able to get the medicine that he had when he had a I’d figure that you’d be at Kimberly’s spending the night or something."

Rick didn’t say anything. " No, not after tonight."

"Tonight, did something happen?"

Rick paused. Amber screwed up her face. " If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have too."

" No Amber it’s not that. We’ve come a long way, although I’m not happy about what has happened between us, I’ve accepted this. Plus how can be mad at you when you let me see Little Eric."

Amber smiled. Rick loved Eric and she would never take him away from him. If only CJ had felt this way.

" Where is CJ, its well past two, I’d thought that he’d be here."

Amber shrugged her shoulders, but she hadn’t been too comfortable about thinking about CJ. He had left around 10 saying that he had to check the books for the shop, but Amber knew better. CJ was feeling restless. He had been every since he had see that girl. Amber had noticed that he seemed to be staying later and later at the coffee shop in hopes that he’d see her again. Amber didn’t like that girl, she wasn’t CJ’s type besides couldn’t CJ see what was right in front of his eyes, her.

"Amber, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine. Is everything alright with CJ?"

"Sure everything’s fine, its just he’s been busy lately."

"The coffee shop?"

" Yeah. He’s also thinking about going back to college. If he’s going to run Spectra’s he is going to need it. Plus I think that he needs something else to get his mind off of Becky."

Rick shifted little Eric in his arms. " I guess it hard on him, is he doing okay."

"Rick why don’t you ask him?"

" I can’t do that… he’s the one mad at me."

Amber put down Eric’s toy. " I think that it is time that you two got over this argument about your mother."

"My mother isn’t an issue with me. I supported her; she wasn’t having an affair with Thorne. He was in love with her before he married Macy. It was a terrible accident, it shouldn’t have happened. It isn’t my fault what happened, happened."

" It’s a sore spot for him, he was really upset, Macy and Becky’s death happened at the same time. Now, he is starting to think clearly he does miss you Rick."

" He does…"

Amber smiled. " Yes he does. I don’t know what happened earlier today but he came home and he started to look at old photos of you and he together." Amber touched Rick.

"Give it some time, I think that if both you and he try, you two can come to some sort of agreement."

" Maybe.."

" So why are you so dressed up, you and Kimberly have a romantic dinner or something?"

" No it was a family dinner."

"It didn’t go well."

"No. My mom she fired Kimberly."

Amber burst out laughing. " I can’t believe it, your mother? The one who made my life hell and threw Kimberly in my face every chance she got. What did she do, use too much lipstick."

Rick frowned. " Stop laughing. My mother is upset about something that Kimberly did when she was grieving. My mother fired her and now she won’t hire her back."

" Sooo, little my Princess in on the receiving end of Brooke’s wrath. What I wouldn’t give to see your mother chew out little miss Princess."

"Damn it Amber, if you are going to talk that way about Kimberly, I’m going to leave."

"Rick, don’t get upset. I was only kidding." Amber took Eric and put him to bed.

"So, your mother is upset with Kimberly, I’m sure that she is going to get over it."

Rick shook his head. " I’m not sure, they way that she treats her isn’t that great. I thought that I could change my mother’s mind."

" If your mother hates her, you can forget it. Brooke doesn’t change her mind about anybody."

" Well she had better changer her mind about Kimberly or I will."

"What can you do about it, she owns that company."

"My mother had 51% of the company’s stock, but as a part of my trust for my birthday she’s going to give me some of that stock. All I have to do is vote for Kimberly to be rehired and I’m sure that everyone will agree with me."

" You are going to go against your mother. She’s not going to like that." Amber knew first hand how much Brooke loved Rick. She didn’t feel sorry for Kimberly at all, she had tried and had done her best to ruin her marriage. This whole scenario was interesting. Rick would become powerful with that Forrester stock and Brooke would lose some of her power.

"You do know that going against your mother in a business matter is something that she isn’t going to expect."

Rick faced turned to granite. " I asked her to change her mind, but she wouldn’t. I love Kimberly and she will get job back."

Caspian finished his last set of stretches using Tai-Chi , he looked at the mirrored wall, which reflected his naked body in the moonlight. He relaxed his breathing and felt the calmness of the air around him. His mind was relaxed as well, something that he needed after tonight’s dinner. She affected him in a way that only Lark had done, his hunger to take her even against her mind’s will was strong. He knew that he could have her if her pressured her, took her thoughts away from Thorne. She had been so lovely and so responsive toward him, yet in the end she wanted to go back to Thorne. Thorne who had left with that young girl, that young girl who wanted him. There was no way that Thorne couldn’t see it, they way that she touched him and looked at him. Thorne Forrester was a foolish man; he had a gem like Brooke yet he wanted that young girl. Although Kimberly was a beautiful woman, she was nothing compared to Brooke who was a real woman. Brooke was real enough for him to turn Maria down. She had been upset but it didn’t matter, he hadn’t wanted her, he wanted Brooke.

His personal phone rang. He put on a robe.

"Caspian"

" Mr. Deangleo, I wanted you to know that I’ve already started my surveillance on Miss. Fairchild.

"Where is she now?"

"She’s at home."

"Do you want me to put on the works, shall I have video surveillance also?"

Caspian thought for a moment. Maybe the video would give Brooke some information that she could use to get the girl out of her life. I could also capture the true essence of Kimberly’s relationship with Thorne."

" Yes."

" Is she alone at the house?"

" No sir. But something happened."

"Does it involve Ms. Forrester?"

"No, but I think that you might find it interesting. Thorne Forrester is at her home and he hadn’t left yet."

" He hasn’t left." Caspian nodded his head. He was correct Thorne was having an affair with the girl. It was a stupid move and he planned on taking advantage of it."

"Sir, what do you want me to do?"

" Continue to watch her."

" She had another visitor besides Thorne, it was a girl. They had an argument outside the back you might be interested in what they said."

" Come by here tomorrow. Give me all the details. I want to know everything about this girl and her relationship with Thorne."

Caspian hung up the phone. He opened up his briefcase and took the file on Brooke. He studied a picture that he found of Brooke and Thorne. " It’s all over Thorne Forrester. Your affair with this girl is going to hurt Brooke and I’ll never allow anyone to hurt her."

He wanted her, plain and simple. He wanted to know everything about her, meet her children, to see her at work. He wanted to see her smile, she her eyes when she came, see her face early in the morning. He wanted to know her past and to be her future. She had been looking for property in Paris; he wanted to know why. If she moved, things would be easier; she’d be closer to him. If he took her, his life would change as well as hers. He knew this, but it didn’t matter. He already knew that he couldn’t go back to the way he was living before he met her. He decided to make another call.

"Where is she?"

"Caspian, she is at Forrester Creations, she’s been there the last two hours."

" She is safe?"

" Yes, and all the video surveillance have been set up in her office. The team has already moved and placed the cameras in all of the Forrester’s offices. We didn’t put them in Morgan Dewitt, KC Hunter or Scott Grainger. It was done like you asked."

" There wasn’t any problems, was there?"

" No, it was a piece of cake. There security is pretty basic, they need to have a better security team."

" Is the feed already set up?"

"Yes, we have it transmitted to your personal system."

"Thank you. Make sure that she gets home safely."

" Sir"

"Yes?"

"What about her home, do you want it bugged? Isabelle had it bugged for a while but later had them removed. Do you want them to be replanted?"

Caspian thought for a moment, he really would like some sort of surveillance in her home, but she needed privacy. He would give her that; he would leave her home alone.

" Leave her home alone."

Caspian hung up the phone and turned on the flat screen TV. The feed worked perfectly, Brooke was asleep in her office. He pushed the zoom button and zoomed toward her face. He studied her for a while she wasn’t sleeping well, mumbling words, moving her head back and forth slowly. She mumbled Thorne’s name then she did something that made him smile.

She mumbled his.

Thorne stared at the bed; the proof was there for him and the whole world to see. Blood stained the sheets as well as the residue of his semen. What had he done? He saw the dress, her dress on the floor. He had torn it off her body just as he tore inside of her body, her virginal body. He sat on the bed and touched the dried blood. He closed his eyes. " What have I done Brooke?"

"Thorne?"

He didn’t look up, he couldn’t, couldn’t see the pain in her eyes. He had caused this pain; her took her in a forceful manner. He had betrayed everyone that he loved in this act.

" I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you."

He heard her breathing. He couldn’t look at anything but the bed.

" I know you are. You are a good man and I don’t hate you."

"What?" Thorne looked at her in wonder. How could she not blame him, he had been trying to replay everything in his mind. He needed to find out why he did this terrible thing.

" How can you not hate me, after what I’ve done? I took you, I hurt you."

" You didn’t know it was me. You thought that I was Brooke. I tried to tell you, but it was like you didn’t see me."

"You didn’t try to fight me?"

"I tried to push you off of me, but you were so strong. You kept telling how much you love me and that you were sorry about Bridget. You said that once you were inside of me it would be alright." Kimberly wiped the tears that streamed down her cheeks. " You were touching me and then….you pushed inside of me. You said that I was so tight and then you were thrusting inside of me…"

"Stop!" Thorne jumped from the bed and closed his eyes tight. In his mind he could see everything that she said in him. How had this happened? He had been drinking but something like this had never happened before, how could he capable of violence against her, against Brooke. If it had been Brooke under him and she told him to stop, wouldn’t he have stopped? Thorne didn’t know anything anymore, he didn’t know himself.

" We…. I had unprotected sex with you?

Kimberly’s tear filled eyes widened.

" Oh god, Thorne. I’m not on any type of protection…what if I’m pregnant?"

Pain hit Thorne again. " No!" He went to cup her face, but stopped in his tracks. He looked at his hands, how could he touch her. Her words echoed in his head. "You aren’t do you here me! You aren’t pregnant do you here me?"

" What if…."

"You aren’t …. Don’t, you aren’t pregnant." He took her by the shoulders. " What I did….I can never forgive myself for what happened.

"Thorne, you have to promise me something?"

"What?" What could she want from him after what he had done?

" Promise me that you will never tell anyone about what happened tonight." She looked desperately into his eyes. " Promise me that you will never tell anyone what happened."

CJ threw the pizza box inside the trash and watched as Bridget finished her root beer float.

" Thanks CJ. I guess I was kind of hungry."

" No problem kid. Are you going to tell me what is bothering you?"

"Nothing"

"Come on."

" It’s something that I did."

"What did you do? You couldn’t do anything wrong. Do you want to tell me what is wrong."

Bridget thought about Thorne and how she was setting him up, but when she thought about her mother and Thorne she knew that she did the right thing.

"No, I did what I had to do. I’m just feeling bad, I’ll feel better in the morning."

CJ was worried when Bridget had wandered in the shop; she seemed unsure and upset. He wondered what could be bothering her.

"Does it have anything to do with your mother and Thorne?"

Bridget looked sheepishly at CJ.

"I thought so."

" I didn’t want to bother you, I know that you are pretty upset with my mom."

CJ frowned he didn’t want to talk about Brooke.

" Don’t worry CJ, I don’t like it either. My mother and Thorne should never be together."

" Well nothing will get in their way now. If Macy couldn’t then stop them nothing could. Come on, there is an apartment above the shop, you can sleep there."

" CJ, I don’t know…"

"Look, it’s too late for you to drive, go upstairs pull out the bed and get some rest."

CJ showed Bridget the apartment and pulled out the bed. He noticed that she seemed preoccupied.

" Are you okay?"

"Have you ever did something that you knew had to be done, but you weren’t sure that it was the right thing."

" Yeah, I have." CJ was really worried, he had never seen her like this. " Bridget are you sure that you are okay?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks. " I just don’t know anymore"

CJ hugged Bridget while she cried. What in the hell had happened?

 

 

Thorne walked into his house not bothering to close the door. His world had changed; nothing was ever going to be the same. Thorne sat down on his sofa and held his head in his hands. What was he going to do? How could he ever look at himself again? He was a rapist; he had forced himself on poor Kimberly. Kimberly, she didn’t want to tell anyone, she wanted to forget what happened, to act like it didn’t happen. He didn’t know what to do. He closed his eyes and opened them again. He saw the blinking light on his machine. He played it.

" Thorne, it’s me. I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry about tonight. I know that I was upset with you about Kimberly. I’m over it know. I’ve had time to think and I know that you only asked me to marry you because you love me. I love you Thorne and I know that we will work everything out. I plan to talk to Bridget as soon as she gets home, it’s time that she face reality. We will be together. I love you so much Thorne. I don’t know what I’d do without you. When you get home, please call me."

Thorne listened to the message again with a heavy heart. He had ruined them all. Tonight he had betrayed Brooke and Kimberly. He could never let Brooke know the truth, but how could he live like this. He was a rapist, he didn’t deserve to be happy and he certainly didn’t deserve Brooke.

"God, what in the hell have I done!"

Anger began to build up in Thorne. Rage built inside of him. He had ruined everything; he had ruined all of their lives. He threw a lamp and then a picture that was on the wall. He loved Brooke and he betrayed her. He cared about Kimberly, he had betrayed her too. Tears filled his eyes and streamed down his cheek. He fell to his knees and cried.

" Brooke I’m so sorry." He didn’t notice that picture of Brooke and him had fallen and broken.

Kimberly brushed her hair and smiled at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Everything had gone perfectly, Thorne didn’t remember what had happened tonight. He thought that he had raped her, he was a mess and he was hers. His guilt would eat him out; he wouldn’t be able to be with Brooke. He would grow closer and closer to her. She looked at the plastic cup with the plastic lid sitting on the table. She taped it.

"Thorne you will be mine forever, nothing will stop me now."

Caspian watched her breast raise and fall with the intake of her air. He watched the pulse beat in her throat. He studied it, the rhythm, he wanted to trace it with his tongue. He wanted his breathe to match hers, he wanted her heartbeat to match his. He reached out to finger the pulse. She turned toward him and mumbled in her sleep.

" Caspian…."

He leaned forward, his mouth inches away from hers. " Yes, sweetheart, it’s me. Sleep"

She sighed, almost as if his words gave her a security that she needed. Her sleep began to settle and he seemed to relax.

He watched her sleep. He had taken a chance coming here to her office, but it was worth it. He wouldn’t bother her, he’d only look after her. He only wanted to be near her.

Against All Odds Part 39 ( New Day, New Plans)

Brooke finished fastening her earring. She had awoken an hour ago when Megan walked into her office. Brooke hadn’t planned on spending the night at the office; she must have been tired because that was exactly what she did. She must have been really tired because she didn’t remember getting a blanket to cover her. Brooke had smelled distinctive male cologne on the blanket; it was Caspian’s scent. Brooke thought her imagination was getting to her, he couldn’t have been here, and it was impossible. Since she knew that she had a great deal of work to do, instead of going home, she showered at the office and changed her clothes into a red business suit with a scandals neckline. She called home to see if Bridget was there but she didn’t answer. She also left a message on Rick’s voice mail, she didn’t want to ague today, after all it was his birthday. Brooke picked up the phone to make another important call. She allowed the phone to ring when she got the voicemail, she left another message.

"Thorne, it’s Brooke. Honey when you get a chance, please call me. I hope you aren’t angry with me, I was wrong to walk away from you last night. I love you so much, please call me."

Thorne sat on the floor; he had listened to the message as she left it. She had called an hour ago, but he hadn’t answered the phone just like he hadn’t answered it now. How could he talk to her, hear her voice and her apology after what he had done last night. He couldn’t face her and wasn’t sure how he’d act around her. He sighed, he couldn’t go near her, he couldn’t think of anything but what happened. He hadn’t sleep all night all. How could he sleep after had he had done. The evidence was on Kimberly’s bed sheets and in his mixed up memories. He had sex with Kimberly. He used her body against her will, he had taken her precious virginity a gift he had no right to, he had broken his commitment to Brooke, he had made himself a rapist. Thorne stood up and walked toward the mirror in his living room. The room itself was a mess, the coffee table was turned over, plants with spilled dirt lay across the as well as photos broken. He had ruined his living room in a rage last night when he thought about the damage that he had done to everyone that he loved and cared about. He looked into the mirror, his reflection was weary, his hair was scattered about his head, his eyes red and worried, his clothes wrinkled. He wasn’t concerned about his tattered appearance, he was looking at himself, and he was looking at a rapist.

Kimberly had a wonderful morning and everything had gone her way. She had gotten rid of the sheets putting them in the trash. If for some strange reason last night had ever been investigated, she didn’t any evidence of two different semen samples to be shown in her sheets. She had thought about going to Thorne’s but it was too early to go to him. She’d give him time; this had to be hard on him.

" I know that you are going through hell sweetheart, but it will all be worth it when we are finally together." Kimberly thought about her life with Thorne, how he was so caring and loving. He belonged wit her and he would never leave her.

A young black nurse in a white uniform approached her.

" Ms. Fairchild, the doctor will see you now."

" Thank you." Kimberly followed the nurse carrying a brown paper bag.

Dirk, slipped into the house without being noticed, the locks were so easily opened. He would had normally be offended with this type of job, but Savage had called him and told him that Deangleo considered this a matter of importance. He picked up a sweater that was thrown across the sofa, and smiled. She was a kid, no older than 19 or 20, why she was important didn’t make sense. She didn’t even live in Europe or close to it, but that really didn’t matter, he was told to bug the place, add video surveillance and get out. He looked at the picture of the girl and a red head. She was a pretty girl and if she was anything like that sexy slinky dress she had on she was a hot little piece in bed. She obviously had something going with the guy next store; boy was he lucky. He loved to do her; he liked them young and hot. She was definitely that. He went to the light fixture in the living room and started to work.

Bridget rolled over to her side slowly opening her eyes. She lay there for a moment; CJ was asleep on the reclining chair next to the bed. He had what looked to be Becky’s picture in his hands. Bridget felt sadness engulf her, she had been so wrapped up in her own problems and her feelings about her mother, and she hadn’t even had the time to visit CJ. Last night, he had been there for her, she had gone to Amy’s house, but she couldn’t just sit there and watch TV or talk about boyfriends. She needed a friend and she somehow ended up at the coffee shop, CJ was there and sensed something was wrong and had been there for her. Bridget vowed that she never forget how he helped her, she would try to help him. Bridget crawled off the bed and touched CJ on his shoulder. She shook him.

"CJ"

CJ opened his eyes and blinked twice. Bridget was standing before him wearing nothing but one of his black button up shirts. Her hair was sprawled over her shoulder and her face was flushed. CJ really noticed how beautiful Bridget had become; she was growing up. She would break a lot of hearts one day, hell even now; she probably could break some hearts.

"Hey, what time was it?" CJ got up and looked at the clock, it stated 9:00 am. " Damn, didn’t know that it was this late! Amber must be worrying out of her head." CJ picked up the phone and called Amber. He didn’t get an answer.

" I hope that I haven’t ruined anything, not like I care about what Amber thinks.’

"Hey, be fair she had made some mistakes."

"So has Rick."

CJ gave Bridget a unreadable look.

" If you aren’t mad at me, why are you mad at my brother?"

"You didn’t know about your mother’s affair with Thorne."

" I know and believe me, I wish that they weren’t together." Bridget saw the flash of anger on CJ’s face. " I agree with you, what they did was wrong, but my brother isn’t to blame. Has he ever blamed you for what your mother did to my family, is it fair to do that with him. Is it fair to blame him for my mother’s affair? What if he blamed you for being Amber’s friend after what she did?"

"It’s not the same."

" Of course, it is."

CJ threw a towel toward at Bridget. " I don’t want to talk about it right now. You can take a shower and we can have breakfast." CJ turned to leave the apartment then paused.

" You might want to call your mother, I know that she does worry about you."

Bridget sighed; CJ was just as stubborn as her brother. They needed to make up. CJ was right however; she needed to call her mother and Kimberly. Bridget called Kimberly first and got the answering machine.

" Kimberly, this is Bridget. I want to see you today before the party for rick. I need to talk about last night, what happened? Did Honey get there? I need to you contact me, it’s important." Bridget needed to know that had happened last night. The pictures needed to be developed and then sent to the magazine. She had been feeling guilty about Thorne taking the drug and she even felt a little guilty about setting him up, but she had no choice.

Bridget went down into the coffee shop; she had to but the same dress back on. She found CJ at the corner table, he had coffee and muffins set on the table. CJ handed her the menu.

" I didn’t know what you wanted."

Bridget ordered a bacon, egg and tomato breakfast wrap with sour cream and salsa. Bridget took a sip of her hot coffee.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks CJ."

"No problem."

Bridget looked at her watch, she had time to run home and change, then she planned on going to Kimberly’s, she had to find out what happened.

CJ rubbed the bridge of his nose.

" I finally found where Amber went too, the baby had an ear infection, and they are going to the doctor."

"That poor baby, is he going to be okay?"

" Yeah, Rick stopped by to see how he was doing."

" See I told you, he loves that baby and he also cares about you."

" Not now Bridget.."

"Okay?"

The waitress brought their food. CJ and Bridget started eating their food. Bridget loved the hot salsa on the eggs it was really great. Scott came into the coffee shop, he told him mother that he would meet her there for a quick bite before he went to work. He sat down at a table when he noticed Bridget. She was sitting at the table with CJ and she was wearing the dress that he had designed. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, Thorne had come to him early yesterday, he had the cutters to make the dress, and it was a special treat for Bridget. From what he saw, the butterfly was still missing, even though the dress was a bit wrinkled it was beautiful. If she was still wearing the dress today that meant that she had never been home. Where had see been? He saw CJ reach across the table to touch her hand. Jealously burned through him. What was going on between CJ and Bridget?

"What’s eating you?" Scott looked up to see his mother standing over him.

Ridge couldn’t seem to find any of his designs, where were they? He looked in the company safe but they weren’t there. Megan came to the office. " Where the hell are my designs!" Megan stopped in her tracks. " I’m sorry Ridge, but when you didn’t come into the office yesterday or even call, Brooke told KC and Scott to do the alterations."

"What! KC? Why in the hell would Brooke do something like that?"

" I did that Ridge because you didn’t bother to call anyone to tell them that you weren’t coming in. You have seemed to forget that we have a showing in less than a week. Since you decided to grace us with your presence, I’ll let the models know that you can come back to work." Brooke gave Ridge a stack of papers. " You might want to thank KC and Scott, without them we would be behind. Morgan didn’t come into work either, although I’m sure that the fact that she’d pregnant is a better reason than any reason you had. So before you have to bad attitude, you had better be grateful that we have some like KC to help us. She covered your ass with the help of Scott."

Megan left Brooke and Ridge; she didn’t want to be there for the fireworks.

" Logan.."

" Didn’t I tell you not to call me that Ridge? Please, don’t do that."

"You are still mad at me?"

Brooke gave Ridge an incredulous look. " What do you think happened to change my mind? I hadn’t spoken to you since before I left for Paris, nothing has changed."

" I just thought after last night, maybe you might have forgiven me little bit." Ridge took the papers out of Brooke’s hand. " Logan, I meant everything that I said yesterday to Bridget."

Brooke had a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about Ridge, when did you speak to Bridget."

"Last night at the restaurant. Taylor and I ran into Thorne, Bridget Rick and Kimberly."

"You did.."

"So what did you and your brilliant wife have to say about the newest drama in my life?" Brooke gave Ridge and annoyed look. " I can only guess that what physiological problem I have now. Tell me, did Taylor go running home her medical books to find something else wrong with me and my parenting." Brooke threw her pencil down. " I know, I’ve heard it all. I’m a bad mother. I’m mean to Bridget, I’m mean to Rick and I only care about myself and what I WANT"

Brooke went to the door and opened it; Ridge came behind her and slammed the door. He took her by the arms and whirled her around toward him.

"Get your hands off of me!"

" I will do no such thing." Ridge pushed Brooke into a chair. " Now that you have finished your childish tirade, I have something to say. And you damn well are going to listen to it." Brooke crossed her arms and gave Ridge a nasty stare.

Rick stood in Jonathan’s office reading the papers in front of him. "Jonathan so are you are saying is that once my mother gives me the stock as part of my birthday gift, I have full voting rights like everyone else.

"Just like everyone else Rick, you will have the right to vote in any major decision about Forrester. You mother obviously felt that by age 20 you’d mature enough to make some decisions. I would caution you however that you are still young Rick. I’d wait for at least six months before I made any major decisions.

Rick leaned back in his chair while his brow wrinkled.

" Why do you say that?"

"Rick, you are young. Whether or not you know it, you are still young. Yes, you have been working at Forrester to get the ends and outs of the business but you are still quiet young." Jonathan got up from the desk and sat down next to Rick.

"Son you need some guidance. You are going to be a very wealthy man with this money; you will also be in a position that you are in control of many people lives. It’s not a game Rick. You need to be coached and guided."

"You think so?"

"Yes I do and who better than your father."

" My father?" Rick hadn’t much to do with his father since he learned about what he had done to his mother and Thorne. Jonathon saw the look of distain on Rick’s face. He wasn’t sure that happened between Rick and Eric, but Eric had mentioned that things weren’t going well. Jonathon knew that Eric had better to patch things up with Rick soon. At the end of today, Rick would be in the position to make powerful decisions regarding the future of the company.

" Jonathan, I don’t think that you know it, but my father and I have had some problems. We aren’t speaking too much of late."

"Rick, I’m not sure what’s going on between you two, but your father created this business. He and Stephanie worked hard to build it from the ground up. I’m not saying that your mother hasn’t done a good job as CEO, she has. The company had made a great deal of money under her control, but I think that Eric is the person that you should have a mentor or Stephanie."

Rick knew that Jonathan was saying this because he was loyal to Eric and Stephanie. Rick was upset with this mother, but that didn’t mean that he planned to use his stock to hurt her. He would use the stock to get Kimberly her job back. He knew that his mother would be upset, but she would get over it.

 

" I’m here and you have five minutes to say whatever you plan on saying. I have some work to do today, if you don’t mind."

"Logan.."

Brooke started to rise out of her seat." Don’t start with that Logan crap or I’m leaving."

" Okay Brooke." Brooke sat back down. " Obviously, you didn’t speak to Thorne or to Bridget last night. I know about your problems with Bridget, she came to me last night about your marriage to Thorne."

"She did.. why…"

" Taylor and I were having dinner at Zenith. They sent Taylor to your private dinning room by an accident. We came right in the middle of that fiasco; Bridget came to me and was upset. I tried to calm her down, but she wanted to me to explain to Thorne why you two shouldn’t get married. She wanted to know what I thought about the marriage. "

" I can imagine what you told her."

Ridge leaned against the desk, in front of Brooke. " No, you can’t imagine Logan…" Ridge frowned. " Brooke, I told her that she needed to accept your marriage to Thorne."

Brooke mouth dropped open with surprise and then her face became a mask. " Really, what type of trick is this now?"

Ridge and sighed and looked deeply into her eyes. " This isn’t a trick, I’d never do that again." Regret covered his face. " What I did in Venice, I’m truly sorry for. I hurt you…"

"You hurt your brother."

" …I hurt my brother. Don’t you know that I’m sorry about what I’ve done to him?" His eyes caught hers. " To you… " He tried to reach out but she pulled her hands away. "I’m so sorry Logan, by doing what I did to you and Venice. That’s what I told Bridget last night."

" You told her about Venice?"

"No, I didn’t tell her about that, although she does know."

"She does?"

"Yes she does Logan, but that isn’t what I’m talking about. I told Bridget that I was wrong about you and Thorne. I told her that she should you give you and he a chance… the chance that I never gave you." Brooke said nothing, she just watched Ridge in disbelief. " I never gave you a chance, but I didn’t want to see the truth."

"What truth Ridge."

Ridge studies Brooke and swallowed, this was hard for him, admitting to his old best friend, lover and wife that he had been secretly jealous of her happiness without him.

" The truth that I couldn’t stand for you to find happiness with Thorne. To tell you the truth … I never wanted you to find happiness…not the type of happiness that you found with my brother." Brooke opened her mouth to speak but Ridge held up his hand to stop her. " Let me finish." Ridge stood and put some distance between he and her. " You didn’t see yourself with him. You were so happy, your face was full of joy and you never looked at me the same way."

Brooke stood closing the distance between them. " You….Ridge you were happy, why should you have cared about the way that I looked at you?"

Ridge couldn’t help himself, he touched her face gently. " I’ve always cared, although I haven’t always seemed like I did. For years it was you and I together in one manner or another. I have never regretted our time together… I loved you very much." His finger traced the line of her face. " A part of me will always belong to you…what we had was special." Ridge closed his eyes. " Leaving you was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do. I found happiness with you and the children, but Taylor and Thomas…. they needed me."

" Ridge I understand that.."

"Did you think that it was easy for me? Leaving you, leaving the children? It wasn’t easy at all, but it had to be done. I don’t regret anything Logan, in my life three incredible women have loved me and I have loved them." Ridge smiled thinking about his memories. " Caroline in her gentleness was full of love and beauty. She had such grace, such style and class and I loved her. Taylor was like an angel in heaven; her kind heart, her nature so willing to help others, she is a wonderful mother and wife…never could a man ask for more in a partner." Ridge took Brooke’s face in his hands. " Then there was you….you were nothing like anything I’d ever met. Such fire and passion, I thought that I’d never stop burning for you. You were nothing but heat, emotion and full of love. You loved me with so much fever and innocence mixed together. With you I created something that I have never seen. You had so much devotion totally for me over many years." Brooke felt her heart constrict. " Connor, dad, James… you gave them up for me. They loved you…but I was always most important. I felt like a god, that you were my own made only for my pleasure. Although I had Taylor and god know that I love her, it made me secretly glad that you held back for me. Even though I let you go, I didn’t really. Although I never allowed myself to look back in fear of feeling the pain of what I did, then you were with Thorne and that feeling of a god was gone. You were so happy with him and you didn’t want me anymore. Even in Venice, when I said all those things that you wanted to hear, you didn’t tired to send me back to Taylor. I played on you until you almost gave in. Even when I kissed you, you told me no. I pushed you and pushed and for that moment…"

" I gave in." Tears formed in Brooke’s eyes.

" You didn’t really give in. When I got you onto that bed, I was wrong. I hurt you and in that moment I broke our trust and our bond. Secretly, I wanted to ruin what you and Thorne had, to destroy it. I used mother’s stroke as excuse to destroy your relationship. I didn’t want you to be with him, my brother. I didn’t want to see you happy with him. See his light out your life they way that I couldn’t do. You had fulfillment and you were happy. I was so wrong to try to ruin it for you. I told this to Bridget, I told her that she let go of her hate and really look out for your happiness. I told her that Thorne loved you. He accepted you for what you are and truly wanted you. He made you happy and I want to give you my blessing."

Brooke couldn’t believe what Ridge was saying. He had changed his mind and was giving her his blessing. She shouldn’t care about what he thought, but it did warm her heart to know that he was giving his blessing. Ridge watched as a small beautiful smiled formed across her face. "Do you really mean it? You meant what you said about Thorne and I."

" Yes Logan, I meant it. You were my best friend and I’ve missed you."

"What about your brother? You hurt him. You decided that he wasn’t your brother."

"I talked to Thorne last night. I’m sorry about what I did. I want Thorne back in my life, I miss him as well as I miss you." Brooke stood there for a moment, taking everything in that Ridge had said.

"What about Taylor? How does she feel?" Her eyes narrowed at the mention of his wife.

" I know that you were very upset with her."

" I trusted her, I made my peace with her and she betrayed me."

" I know Logan, she didn’t want to do it, but dad and I convinced her…"

" Please Ridge, don’t start with the perfect wife routine. I trusted her and I got burned, I’m not sure if I’ll ever trust her again."

Ridge was silent for a moment. He couldn’t mend Brooke’s relationship with Taylor but in time maybe they could come to some sort of agreement. " I just wanted you to know about things Brooke. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry and that I’m hoping that one day you can forgive me for what I did to you. I going to spend some time with Bridget, I think that she is so close to the situation that she won’t allow herself to see thing clearly."

" You really want to help her, don’t you?"

Ridge gave Brooke a sad look. " It is the least that I can do Logan. I hurt her as much as I hurt you. I want her to accept this; I think that Thorne and you will make a happy home for all of you. She hadn’t had much of a family life, has she?"

Brooke thought about her daughter and the way she had to grow up. She had placed so much of her dreams on a family with Ridge, she had made a mistake. Maybe if she hadn’t done so, Bridget would be more accepting of her and Thorne. Ridge did have a special relationship with her in the past.

Lauren finished eating her blueberry muffin. Scott hadn’t paid much attention to her during their breakfast; he had spent all morning looking over her shoulder.

" Are you going to tell me what has been eating you?"

Scott glanced at the bill and took money out to pay for it. "What are you talking about?"

" The last two days, you’ve been really quiet. What is bothering you?"

Nothing"

"Don’t anything me, honey I’m worried ever since you came home the other night, you’ve been acting strange. What happened between you and that model?"

Scott made a face at the mention of Kimberly. " I don’t want to talk about her."

"What happened? Did Rick find out between you two?"

"No, Rick didn’t find out." Scott sighed. " I made a mistake mom. Kimberly isn’t the woman that I thought she was. She has some real issues."

" What issues?"

"She and I … we had sex. She was a virgin."

" A virgin. Scott…."

" I made a mistake, mom. Don’t worry I don’t plane to make that mistake again." Scott knew that he could tell his mother just about anything. "She really didn’t want me anyway. Sleeping with me was some sort of sick way of getting rid of her virginity."

Lauren was confused by Scott’s confession. "Why would she been trying to get rid of her virginity?"

"I don’t want to talk about it. She had real problems and I don’t want to be near her. Besides, she didn’t mean anything to me it wasn’t like she was…."

"Like the girl you’ve been staring the last half of an hour."

" I don’t know what you are talking about?"

"You’ve been partially breaking your neck to look over my shoulder looking at Bridger Forrester. Scott she’s a very beautiful girl, but she is way too young for you. Plus sleeping with her brother’s girlfriend isn’t a way to get close to her." Lauren patted her son’s hand. " She’s too young for you and true innocent, unlike that Kimberly."

"Mom, Bridget and I are only friends. Leave it alone mother, just leave it alone."

Lauren sipped her hot coffee. She’d let her son do what he thought was best. She hoped that she was wrong about Bridget; she was far too young for Scott. She was a bit worried; she had never seen Scott look at any woman the way he looked at Bridget. She was however grateful that he had cut off Kimberly. Her instincts told her that girl was trouble; she was glad that she didn’t have to deal with her.

Scott hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of Bridget all through breakfast. He had been wondering what she and CJ had been speaking about? He watched her all through his meal and couldn’t help but to watch her as she left the coffee house.

Scott stood up to pay the bill and wandered over toward CJ.

" Hey CJ"

" Scott, how are you doing?"

" Fine, mom and I ate some breakfast here. It was great."

" I’m glad that you mother is in town. My mom has been really sad since Macy’s death. It’s good that she had someone to talk to."

" Yeah, I’m hoping that mom will stay around for a while, but you can never tell with her."

Scott glanced at the door. " So, I saw you with Bridget earlier, I didn’t know that you two were so close."

"I grew up with Bridget, she’s really a great girl."

" Yeah, she is."

" Do you two have breakfast often?"

CJ gave Scott a strange look, he liked Scott he was a good guy but the way he said breakfast had another meaning to it."

" What do are you trying to say?"

" I’m not saying nothing, but I do know that Bridget wore that dress yesterday and now she’s still wearing it again this morning."

CJ was angry, he didn’t like what Scott was suggesting. He knew that Bridget was a beautiful girl, but he was only interested in helping her. CJ moved closer to Scott giving him a menacing look. " I don’t like what you are suggesting. It’s however none of your business. Bridget needed a friend and I was there for her. Why are you so interested in what Bridget does?"

Scott felt like a fool, he had angered CJ for no real reason.

" Sorry CJ, I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wanted to know if she was alright. Bridget is a nice girl."

" Yeah she is."

" Look man, I’m sorry. I better get going to work." Scott moved turned away from CJ.

CJ caught Scott by the shoulder. " She was upset about something…if you are a friend of hers, maybe you can find out what is bothering her."

 

Caspian gotten up from his chair; it took a minute for the anger to etch away from his face. He didn’t like the way that Ridge Forrester had grabbed Brooke. He had listened and watched intensely to the conversation displayed on the video. Ridge Forrester had no right to put his hands on Brooke. The only thing that saved Ridge was that he took his hands off of her. He had read about their relationship and how bad Ridge had treated Brooke. They had been married and he left her alone and humiliated her when he went on with Taylor Hayes. Brooke and Ridge’s torrid relationship, it had ended so badly, yet Brooke had survived. Caspian didn’t like the way that Ridge wanted to get back into Brooke’s life. He had no right; he had betrayed Brooke and he had no right to her friendship or anything else. He would use Brooke’s daughter to get close to her. Why was Ridge doing this, didn’t he have a wife and children of his own? Caspian would stop that, he’d allow Thorne and Brooke’s relationship to self-destruct on its own, but he wouldn’t allow that bastard, Ridge, to get close to Brooke. He knew this man; he knew that he would try to play on her emotions when Thorne and Brooke broke up. He didn’t believe that Ridge gave a damn about his brother or what Brooke felt. Ridge was a truly selfish man and he would never allow him to come close to Brooke.

 

Kimberly grimaced as she came through the door of her apartment. The procedure had hurt a bit and she needed to lie down. She dropped her purse on the sofa and pushed the button on her answering machine. She hoped that Thorne would give her a call. Disappointment etched on her face, he hadn’t called her.

"Well, if you won’t come to me, I’ll have to come to you, but not right now. I need to lay down." Kimberly went to her bedroom and slowly undressed. She was extremely tired. She had been up all night, with all of the excitement; she couldn’t sleep. With the early doctor’s appointment she had decided not to go to sleep. Tonight was Rick’s party and she had to make an appearance to make sure that everything ran smoothly. She wondered if Thorne would go to the party. He would be eaten up with guilt and soon he would end his relationship with Brooke. If he didn’t do it, then she would do it. Kimberly touched her stomach. She would end everything.

Ridge looked at Brooke with pledging eyes. "Please let me help you and Bridget." He touched her softly on her face. "I owe you that much, I want to help you." Brooke wondered if she could trust Ridge. He had hurt her so much in the past.

" I don’t know, how can I trust you?"

"Because I want what is best for you? Because I love you. The hardest thing that I did was letting you go. The pain that I’ve caused you over the years…" Ridge moved closer toward Brooke "…let me try to make up for that. I want you back, I want my best friend back." Brooke saw the pain in his eyes, maybe he was telling the truth. " Please Logan, for Bridget, for me…. for us. Let me help her."

Brooke knew that trusting Ridge could be a mistake, but she had missed him as well as Thorne. Thorne had lost so much by loving her, if he had a chance to have a relationship with his brother again, he didn’t want to mess things up. Brooke sighed and then softly smiled.

" Okay… If you want to help me then I will allow it. Don’t let me down Ridge, I’m trusting you."

" So were are friends again?"

"I must be crazy." She smiled. " I’ve always been your friend." Tears formed in her eyes. " From the beginning it’s always been you and me. As friends, lovers, spouses and back to friends. I’ve missed you… I was so hurt by what you did…."

Ridge smoothed the tears that ran down the cheek. He was smiling, he couldn’t help it, and he was going to get his best friend back.

"I’m so sorry, I’ll never hurt you again.. I promise."

He caressed her face and smoothed her hair. He couldn’t help himself he leaned down to try to kiss her on softly on the lips. She stopped him, placing her fingers on his lips.

"Don’t, I think was what got us in trouble before."

Ridge grinned. " Logan, I just wanted to give you a kiss of friendship. Will you settle a kiss on the head?"

" Yes "

Ridge tightened his hold on Brooke and gently kissed her on her head.

Brooke sighed and wrapped her arms around him for a hug, she had missed him.

Ridge cupped her to him and smiled. It looked like things were going to work out for him and Logan as well as him and Taylor.

Taylor opened up the door to her husband’s office and was surprised to find Brooke in Ridge’s arms.

" Excuse me, but what is going on here?"

Brooke jumped back away from Ridge and looked into Taylor’s curious eyes."

CJ finished counting the receipts for last night. Since he had dealt with Bridget all night, he didn’t get them finished. He was going to put them in the safe and go home to change his clothes. He had tried calling Amber again, but she didn’t answer the phone.

"Hey CJ"

CJ looked up and saw Rebecca smiling at him.

"Hey Becca"

"I need to ask you a favor.."

CJ sighed. " Don’t tell me, you need another advance."

The cute redhead gave him a look of regret.

" I’m sorry, my bone head of a roommate ran off again."

"Where did she go this time?"

" I don’t know. All I know is that she said that she had this really great job, taking some pictures with some guy. Apparently it fell through so she went out of town on some skiing trip."

"How did she afford that?"

"Apparently the person who wanted her to take the pictures paid her half the money anyway. Instead of paying the rent she goes off with this guy."

CJ felt bad for Becca, she worked hard but had an airhead of a roommate. "I’ll give you the advance."

Rebecca hugged CJ. " Thank you, you are such a sweetie." CJ eased out of her grasp.

" No problem." He looked at Becca. " You might want to get a new roommate."

"Are you looking for a new place?"

"You know that I’m living with Amber and the baby."

" Yeah but I’ve seen the place you live in. CJ you make more than enough to move into my building. There is an empty apartment and the place is really nice. You might like it. The neighbors are mainly college kids, my two neighbors are cool. Nice looking girls."

CJ gave it a thought. " I’ll talk to you about it later."

CJ walked away. Becca smiled, CJ was a sweetheart, and she had felt so bad when he lost his wife. CJ was right, when Honey got back she had to have a talk with her.

Brooke picked up the stack of papers. " Taylor, I guess that I had better get going." Brooke didn’t even feel bad about how she left Ridge with Taylor. Ridge would smooth things over with his wife on his own. It wouldn’t hurt Taylor to feel a little apprehension; after all she had forgiven Ridge for the sake of their old relationship, Bridget and Thorne. As far as she was concerned, Taylor was no friend of hers.

Ridge looked at his wife’s face. "Doc, it isn’t what you think…"

Taylor looked at the opened door that Brooke left. She then smiled at her husband. " It is so good to see that you too are finagling working thing out." Ridge was shocked; Taylor wasn’t upset to see Brooke in his arms. Taylor read the surprise on her husband’s face and smiled.

"Sweetheart, don’t you know how much I love you. I also know how much you’ve missed Brooke as a friend. I know that you care about her." Taylor gathered her husband in her arms. " I’m so glad that she had finally given you the forgiveness that you need." Ridge was amazed by his wife’s loving nature. He had almost blown it with her but just like with Brooke, he had a second chance.

Caspian turned off the video. Brooke had forgiven that bastard Ridge for his betrayal; she was so sweet and kind. Caspian however wouldn’t allow their renewed friendship last. Brooke was to quick to forgive after that man had hurt her so much.

"Caspian, I have the information that you requested."

"Where did she spend her morning?"

"She went to see a doctor…Dr. Palmer"

"Why?"

The man placed the information on the desk. " It’s going to be an interesting read. This girl is certainly up to something."

Caspian said nothing.

Against All Odds {Present/Past/Future}

Caspian had to went over the financial of Fenmore’s Department Stores. Based on the given information, the stores did very well; they had top of the line clothes and the very rich clients shopped at their stores. Lauren Fenmore had done an excellent job of running her father’s empire. She was a smart and savvy woman who recently was looking for a backer in a new conceptual idea of a special boutique. The boutique would specialize in certain elite clients who wanted an entire wardrobe done. The boutique would only take on a few clients at a time and give personalized attention to completing a whole seasonal wardrobe. She had been looking for money not wanting to place of her eggs in one basket. She had considered looking toward Victor Newman for support but that meant that he might not want Jabot’s fragrances sold in her store and she didn’t want to alienate the Newmans or the Abbots. Caspian had made the decision that it was a solid business deal and he would love to use this new concept within the three private resorts that he owned. The fact that Lauren wanted her new exclusive boutiques in L.A, Paris, London, New York and Brazil only worked in her favor. Caspian had an idea that would allow Lauren to have her special boutiques while creating a need for using only Forrester designers. He would be tied to the Forresters and also to Brooke in business.

" Reading Finical Reports or thinking about Brooke Forrester?"

Caspian smiled. Isabelle was on speakerphone yet she instantly knew what her brother was doing.

" I was thinking about this possible deal with Lauren Fenmore."

" You are using this possible deal as a way to get closer to Ms. Forrester." Isabelle smirked on the other end of the phone. " I know you brother and I’m surprised that it has taken you this long to find a way to get into bed with her--- in business of course." Isabelle leaned back in her chair, they fact that her brother was getting involved with a business deal that could include Brooke Forrester meant that his feeling for her were becoming serious. Not like she didn’t know that, he was in L.A under the guise of the Montez Project, something that he had never gotten involved with before.

"So have you seen her?"

Caspian laughed. " Don’t tell me that you haven’t tried to have me followed, Bella, I’m so disappointed."

" I don’t have to resort to having you followed, I know why you are in L.A and who you planned on seeing. How did things go with her?"

Caspian couldn’t help but to feel light hearted. " She is still with Thorne Forrester, she plans on marrying him."

"Are you going to allow her to marry him?"

" He’s seeing someone else. It will only be time before she finds out the truth. I wish that I could spare her the pain, but it is something that she will have to go through. He isn’t good enough for her."

Isabelle knew her brother, setting Thorne up in order to destroy Brooke and Thorne’s relationship would be nothing at all compared to the things that they had done in the past.

" Did you set him up?"

Caspian had been waiting for that question. His sister looked at the world in manner of set ups, pay offs and espionage. He was sorry that he had raised her that particular world, but she had to be ready for just about anything.

" No, I didn’t set him up. Thorne has done this on his own."

Isabelle almost felt sorry for Thorne Forrester. Going up against her brother was no contest; he would lose.

"So how is Pierce?"

"Who?"

Caspian shook his head. She liked to pretend that things didn’t matter but he had seen her with Pierce or better yet her state of undress with Pierce. It wasn’t that she had slept with him. He knew that she had lots of lovers, but it was the fact that she had slept with Pierce at the office. It was also the look she had on her face when she squared off with him. She’d never admit it but Caspian suspected that she cared about the man. The thought about her caring about a man made him happy, he wanted her to find love if she could.

" Pierce Peterson. The man who was in your office in a state of undress."

" He is just one of my many lovers."

"Bella, why are you playing these games with me? He obviously means something to you."

" He means nothing. We meet each other a couple of years ago, we both were on the same committee. We were just getting to know one another."

" There is more to it than that. I wish that you’d admit that you like that man."

His sister’s voice was calm as usual. " I’ll admit to no such thing. I have some business to attend to."

Caspian didn’t want to upset his sister; he just wanted her to be able to feel something. If she cared about this man then he’d never interfere. He wanted Bella to be happy."

"Bella, I’m not trying.."

"Yes you are. Like I said brother, I have some business to attend to, when are you coming back home?"

Caspian thought about Brooke. He had allotted a few days in his schedule for this trip; Bella could run things while he was gone. He was surprised that she asked him when he was coming back. Was there somewhere she wanted to go or more importantly someone she wanted to go with.

" I’ll probably be back in a couple of days."

"Fine"

"Bella.."

"What?"

" I love you little sister."

Isabelle smile softly without her own accord. She knew that he was the only person in the world that did. It warmed her, although she didn’t like to admit it sometimes she needed those words from him.

For a while she said nothing and Caspian waited, with Bella he tired to be patient.

"I love you too, brother." Isabelle hung up the phone. She walked over toward the window looking at the beautiful sky. Soon it would be dark; maybe she would take a ride on of her beautiful stallions. She loved horses; it was one thing that she and Lark had in common, besides the love for her brother. That love hadn’t been enough. Lark had been all wrong for Caspian but by the time that she realized it, it was too late. Isabelle remembered the last time she saw Lark alive like it had been yesterday.

{Fade into memory}

Isabelle had come to Caspian and Lark’s home in the middle of day after she had a visit from her mother. Olivia had mistakenly let it slip that Lark needed to feel save and needed to be away from this lifestyle. Isabelle had headed straight to the estate and found her packing.

Isabelle walked quietly into the room as if she had been stalking her prey. "What do you think that you are doing?"

Lark gasped and turned around. Fear was eating at her; it was hard enough for her to do this, to leave the man she loved. She couldn’t live like this anymore, like a caged bird, waiting for the day that he would die or she would die. Living with a man who had hurt her family. " I’m leaving"

Isabelle closed the suitcase that Lark had been packing. " You know that I can’t let you do that." Isabelle voice was so calm that it frightened Lark.

Tears started to form in Lark’s eyes; she needed freedom to get away from this world. She loved Caspian yet it wasn’t enough, once she found out the truth about her parents she knew that it was because of them. Tony had told her, had shown her the information. She had to get away from her husband…the murder. " Please… Bella. You know that I can’t live like this." Lark’s hands began to shake and the tears streaked down her cheeks.

"You don’t have a choice, you married my brother and he loves you." Isabelle gave Lark a sad smile, in her heart she felt sorry for Lark. She knew that she really didn’t belong in their world, but she couldn’t change the past. " We tried this before, it didn’t work. I allowed you to go and took the brunt of my brother’s anger. He was so hurt."

" You should have let me go."

Isabelle was losing her patience. She had felt that maybe it was best for Lark to leave; she had set it up so it looked like Lark had died. Her brother had known it was a lie and demanded to know where his missing wife was. Isabelle convinced Lark to come back and things had gone well in the marriage until 5 months before. Caspian had tried to spend more time with Lark and lessen his protective nature. Maybe if he had continued his watch over her he would see the changes that occurred in his wife. Suddenly, Lark had become unhappy and wanted to leave especially once she had found out that she was carrying Caspian’s child.

"You decided to come back."

Hate filled the gaze of Lark. She threw a shirt at Isabelle, which Isabelle calmly caught and placed on the bed. Lark approached Isabelle showing more gumption that she had ever shown. " YOU convinced me that things would be different."

Isabelle gave Lark a cold hard look. " I told you what you wanted to hear. My brother tried to make you happy, he tried to change his ways for you." Isabelle circled Lark like a vulture circling its prey. " He tired, but it wasn’t good for you was it? He changed his ways because of you, he tired to hard to make you happy."

" It wasn’t enough….."

"Why not? He tried."

"He lied!" Lark went back to the suitcase packing it.

" He didn’t lie to you."

Lark looked up at Isabelle. " Yes he did. He is a monster, a horrible monster. I won’t let you and your horrible ways effect MY BABY."

Isabelle grabbed Lark and pulled her toward her. Lark tired to get Isabelle off of her and pushed at her hands, but it didn’t make it difference. Isabelle had a hold on her. Isabelle leaned forward, her face directly in front of Lark. " It is HIS baby too. You can’t take his son away… I’d never let you do that to him." For the first time in her life Lark was scared she heard that Isabelle was dangerous but she hadn’t really seen her in action. "You are going to stay with my brother and make him happy. He loves you and needs you."

Lark pulled hard and lessened the grip that Isabelle had on her hand. " He should have thought about that before he did what he did to MY PARENTS."

Isabelle’s eyes narrowed. "What do you think that he did to your parents?"

Lark wanted to throw up. The man that she loved, the man that she gave her heart too. She might have been able to get past their problems. She hadn’t known about what his business had really involved. She hadn’t realized the extend of his world and how it would permently effect her life."

"I’m asking you, what do you think that he has done to your parents."

Hate filled Lark’s tear filled eyes. " You know what he did… you know it."

" I’m tired of all the games Lark, tell me what you think you know."

Lark’s voice became a whisper. "He killed them.. He killed my parents."

Isabelle looked at Lark in disbelief. Where in the world did she get an idea like that? Lark’s parents had died in a botched robbery right before they were going back to _____. Lark had no one after her parents had died. She had already started to see Caspian and soon they were married.

" I don’t know where you got that information. Don’t you know your own husband, he would never hurt your parents."

" You would lie for him Isabelle. You’d do anything for him. I’ve see information that beg to differ. He MURDERED THEM or MAYBE YOU DID!"

Lark didn’t see it because Isabelle moved so fast. Isabelle gripped by the throat and slammed her up against the wall. " Watch what you say. I didn’t do it and neither did my brother." Isabelle increased the pressure and then let go. Lark rubbed the spot where Isabelle’s hand had been. " I covered with you. Your affair with Tony is something that only I covered up because my brother would have killed him and you know it. If he didn’t love you so much and if I didn’t think that your death wouldn’t hurt him I would have gotten rid of you myself. When you slept with another man the value you had with me ended."

Lark felt as if she would throw up. " It only happened once, he was so nice and caring. I wanted to get back at Caspian…"

"He never cheated on you…" Isabelle had kept this secret from Caspian it had cost her. She had pay off Dirk; she had been lucky if it had been Savage looking after Lark, she couldn’t pay him off. " I don’t want to hear about your sordid affair. I don’t ever want to talk about it. If you only knew how much I wanted to have Tony hurt but I couldn’t because that meant that Caspian would have figured things out. I kept your secret and Tony know better to keep his mouth shut or he’ll end up somewhere he doesn’t want to be."

Lark had made such a mistake with Tony. She had been feeling so lonely and had met at the library when she was researching her book. He had been a writer too and he had listened to her and seemed so safe and not intense like her husband. Tony had been caring toward her and her friend she hadn’t meant for things to go as far as they did between them. One night after a nasty fight with Caspian, she had found out that he had that he had bought the publishing company that worked with her. Lark felt that he had only bought the company in order to secure her book, she didn’t like him pulling his strings, and she wanted to do things on her own. The argument escalated and she had flung up his business and his dark ways. She had been so upset when she had left she just wanted something normal, she met Toney and she had slept with him. She had been wrong and regretted it once it happened. Later she found out that Tony was involved with Caspian’s "business" and that this was a ploy to get over on Caspian. Lark had been so scared when she had found out the truth about Tony she had been so upset. Tony had apologized and told her that at first he first befriended her as a way to get back at Caspian but now he cared about her. He then told her the truth about her parents; he wanted her to know the man she was married to. He told her that although he didn’t have the power that Caspian had he did have connections and money. He wanted her to leave Caspian and be with him. She couldn’t do that, she couldn’t make the same mistake twice, and both men were liars. It really didn’t matter because her heart belonged to Caspian and she didn’t believe Tony’s lies. When she found out that she was pregnant she thought she could make it work. Tony kept hounding her and finally he had shown her the proof of Caspian’s vile deed. She knew that she had to leave her husband, she never allow him to touch their child with his evil.

"Don’t bring that up. I made a mistake."

"A mistake that I covered for."

"You aren’t going to ever let me forget it are you?" Lark thought about the life that was living inside of her, the life that she created with the man who for such a long time was her whole world. Their marriage at first had been a really happy one. Caspian had loved her like no man ever could. Things changed once she realized the business that he was involved, when she realized he had her watched and knew almost every move that she made. He said that he was protecting her, but he was controlling her. She couldn’t live like that and once she had found out the truth about her parents… she couldn’t try to work things out not even for her child. Before she could have worked things out because she knew that she would never love another the way she loved him. He had been so gentle with her, so loving, but it didn’t matter, she had to leave him and his world behind. " It doesn’t matter, I’m leaving him. If you love him, really love him… you’ll help him get through this. Isabelle you love him, just like I had but I can’t live like this know what he did."

Isabelle’s face softened, she had to get through to Lark. "He didn’t kill your parents and neither did I. I’m telling you the truth."

Lark wasn’t going to be fooled by Isabelle; she would say anything to get what she wanted.

" I don’t believe you." Lark took the suitcase and headed for the door. " I’m leaving and there is nothing that you can do about it."

Isabelle had started toward Lark but the door opened and Caspian strode in.

"What in the world is going on?" Caspian saw the suitcase in Lark’s hand.

He gently took Lark’s hand in his. "Where are you going?"

Lark took her hand out of Caspian’s. "I’m leaving you."

Caspian looked at his sister and motioned for her to leave. Isabelle had left confident that her brother could work things out. Isabelle had felt a moment of sadness; Lark had it wrong. Caspian wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt Lark’s family; even Isabelle wouldn’t do such a thing as to hurt her parents just to have Lark in Caspian’s life. Lark’s family had died in that robbery and she figured that Tony had feed Lark those lies. Tony had wanted to destroy Lark and Caspian’s relationship and he had almost succeeded.

{Fade to the future}

Isabelle shook her head with regret. Who could have guessed that night would end in so much pain? Who would have guessed that her brother would never be the same? He loved Lark and when she died a piece of him had died with her. Caspian became even more quiet and deadlier on the outside. He had done something that surprised her and the family----he turned legit. He turned over all of his holdings and only dealt with the businesses that were legitimate. During that time, he had bought different companies, owned two major resorts and owned three major magazines. He had made a lot of money but they still needed protection from their enemy so he had to stay in touch with their mafia ties.

The phone rang and she picked it up.

" Isabelle, I need to talk with you."

"Vicki, is there a problem?"

"No, but there is something that I thought that you might want to see."

 

 

 

Ridge heard music playing down the hall, he wanted a chance to say thanks to KC for all the good work that she did while she was gone. Even Eric begrudgingly said that her work that she and Scott had done on the dresses were up to the Forrester style. Ridge moved toward the office and opened the door. KC was sitting at her drawing board working intently on a design. Music was blaring but it didn’t seem to bother her, she was in her own world. He understood that feeling; he too often got caught up in the magic of his designs.

" Hey"

KC looked up. She was surprised to see Ridge; she figured that he had a great deal of work to do. She had offered her additional support to Eric to help them with fitting the other dresses; he had turned her down. She didn’t let it bother her; she went back to work. Brooke had said that she wanted her and Scott to work on getting out at least one to two more designs. KC wondered why she needed those designs so fast, after all the showing was less than a week away and Brooke had another showing planned a in a few months for the WOW collection.

"Hi Ridge, is there anything that I could do for you."

Ridge was caught off guard. KC had some interesting photos on the wall. He couldn’t help but to notice one particular photo of a man lying nude on a hammock. He was a tad bit uncomfortable.

" You like that photo. Chad was a real sweetie." KC looked at Ridge. " So are you here to ream me out about your designs?"

"What?"

KC continued to work on her sketch while she talked to Ridge. " I figured that you father’s wonderful treatment of him this morning was something, then your mother called me…. the tramp that the tramp hired this morning. So I figured that you would want to take up where they left off. " Okay, let me have it, but be warned, I give as good as I get. I don’t cater to anyone and that includes you."

Ridge gave the pretty designer a smirk she had spunk. He moved over toward her and looked over her shoulder at the lightweight tope leather top and matching skirt. The lines of the designed in a jagged manner and the skirt rode so low on the public bone. It would be scandalous and erotic on any woman.

" It’s a fabulous design."

" Yeah, Scott did a great job."

Ridge was surprised, Scott had been doing a good job, but he had never done anything like this. " This is his?" Ridge picked up the design and looked at the front and the back view of it. "Wow, this is really something different."

KC laughed. " This was something that he had been working on, he was a little afraid to show it to you all because it isn’t exactly "Forrester", however I believe that it is definably something that can be used in the WOW collection. KC pointed to the design. " Before, it was a one piece, I just suggested that he cut the middle out of it and show a little stomach. I also was smoothing out some of his edges on this design because Eric needed him.

I am working on this sketch." KC showed Ridge another sketch of a two-piece bathing suit that she had started. Ridge was astonished how incredibly beautiful and simple the white sequence bathing suit was.

"This isn’t something that you’d wear in the water."

" Of course not, when a woman wears a suit like this she isn’t interested in getting wet, at least by water anyway."

Ridge had to hand it to her; she was good. "So after the showing it looks like we will be working together."

" Yes, is that going to be a problem?"

" No…Look KC I know that you didn’t get the warmest welcome."

" No, really… I thought that the warmth radiated throughout the room."

" I’m sorry about that. My family was upset, but not at you, they were really mad at Brooke. They just took their anger out on you."

" Look Ridge, you don’t have to butter things up for me. Do you think that this is the first place that I’ve worked for and people treated me bad? I don’t care what you think about me. I work hard and my designs will be on that run way. Forrester is a big fashion house and I want the recognition that goes with it. You don’t have to like me…..but you will respect me and my work because you don’t have any other choice."

" Is that so?"

KC had a determined look in her eye. " Yes, that is so."

" Well, you said a lot little lady. Now, if you’d let me say what I had to say." Ridge smiled. " I wanted to say thank you. I saw the work that you did on my designs and they are wonderful. I wasn’t here and you stepped right in and took care of the situation. As far as working with you, I’d love you. You’re talented and I’d consider it an honor to work with a designer of your ability."

KC couldn’t believe that this was the same man who had been less than thrilled to work with her a couple of days before. If Ridge Forrester came around then maybe the rest of them would, but that didn’t matter. " I’d consider it an honor to work with you." KC shook Ridge’s hand.

Connor opened the door to the office and found Ridge and KC discussing a design.

" Hi"

Both looked up. A frown spread on Ridge’s face. " Davis.. Brooke isn’t here."

Connor knew that Ridge hadn’t changed with his arrogance. " I’m not here to see Brooke, I’m here to see KC."

" You are?" KC wondered what Connor wanted with her.

" I have a matter to discuss with you Ms. Hunter."

"Ridge, I think that you had better get going, after all this is attorney client business."

Connor closed the door behind Ridge as he left.

KC moved away from the drawing table. " Mr. Davis, what is it you have to discuss with me."

"This" Connor grabbed KC and kissed her. KC relaxed her body and moved toward the kiss. She opened her mouth to receive his tongue. He stroked her lips with his tongue and then moved into the soft crevice of her mouth. She tasted so sweet; he could taste a mixture of mint and chocolate on her tongue. She felt so good in his arms, her body so soft and ripe. He suckled her tongue inside of his mouth and cupped her bottom bringing it up against him. KC pulled away and slowly smiled.

"Mr. Davis… I do think that sort of behavior is improper between client and attorney."

Connor grinned and pulled her back into his arms. " I’m not interested in what anyone thinks is proper… I want to be with you." He lowered his head and caught her up into his arms for another passionate kiss.

Morgan rubbed her burgeoning belly and smiled. "Soon we will have everything that we need. And soon we can get the hell out of this place." There was knock on her door.

"Come in."

Two models came in wearing dresses that needed to be fitted "Are you ready Morgan"

Morgan looked at the signed papers on the desk. Her lawyer had called her early that day. The transfer was made and she was the newest owner of 5% of Forrester Stock. After the showing, she would ask Brooke to let her move to Paris. She didn’t want to have her son born anywhere near these Forrester. The sooner she left town, the better.

" I’m ready ladies."

" I can’t believe this. Are you sure?"

"Yes Brooke, it seems that her agent it out of town and he can’t be found anywhere. We tried using the address on the portfolio but it seems that she moved. We are going to have to wait for her agent to come back."

Brook sighed; this was a perfect end to a perfect day. The only thing that seemed to go right was her conversation with Brooke. She had tried calling Thorne, but he wasn’t answering his phone, she had to find him.

"Brooke?"

"HMMMM?" Brooke looked up to find Giovanni studding her in a funny manner.

" Well, what do you want me to do?"

" If we can’t find her, we will have to pick someone else. It really is too bad, I think that Trudie is perfect."

" I don’t understand this. KC and Scott just started working on the line. Ridge is busy with the showing. Why are you looking for a special model for a line we aren’t showing?"

" Because I have an idea for the showing. It is imperative that we have the right model for this campaign."

" Why don’t we use Kimberly?"

Brooke’s phone rang, "Kimberly is fired, besides even if she were here she doesn’t have the look that I’m looking for. Trudie does." Brooke picked up the phone and started talking. Giovanni was confused, Kimberly was fired? That was impossible, he had taken some photos of her last week and saw her two days ago for her fitting with Eric. Brooke must have been mistaken.

Bridget ran into the kitchen to get her car keys, she receives a phone call from the Montez Project, and they wanted to meet with her mother tomorrow. She had to tell her mom, she figured that it would be best to talk to her in person about that matter. She also wanted to stop by Kimberly’s, she had been calling and calling but she didn’t receive any answer.

"Damnit Kimberly, I need to know what happened last night."

Bridget opened the door to find Taylor standing there. Taylor smiled. " Bridget, I’m so glad that you are home, I wanted to talk to you."

" Well I don’t have anything to say to you so if you would just move then I’ll be on my way."

Taylor walked into the house and dropped her purse on the sofa. " I’m sorry honey, but this important, and we need to talk."

Bridget rolled her eyes. What in the hell would Taylor want to talk to her about? Bridget crossed her arms and gave Taylor a sarcastic look. " Make it fast, I’ve got somewhere to go."

Taylor noted by the teen’s body language that she didn’t want to talk to her, but that didn’t matter, based on last night’s display she needed someone to talk to. " I wanted to talk about last night."

"What about it?"

"Bridget you were very upset."

" How observant of you? I guess that it attest to that brilliant doctor’s degree you have. Where did you get it? Captain Kangaroo?"

Taylor shook off Bridget’s remark; the teen was just upset. " Bridget, I know that you were really upset about your mother’s relationship with Thorne."

"My mother is f*cking my brother. He wants to marry her and move in here. Now why would I be upset?"

" Bridget, I think that is only a surface problem. I know that seeing you mother with Thorne is upsetting you. I’d admit that it isn’t a normal and you might have some serious issues with that." Taylor reaches out toward Bridget. Bridget backed up and frowned. There was no way in hell that she’d let that woman touch her. " Bridget you really are upset because of your feelings for Ridge. You still want Ridge and your mother to get back together."

" You don’t know anything about what I feel."

"That’s not true, I can a great deal about you."

Bridget began to laugh. " You care about me? You cared so much about me that you did everything in power to destroy my family. You couldn’t wait to tell Ridge about Thomas. When I was young, I blamed my mother but I know who I really should have blamed, YOU!"

"That’s not fair."

" Please don’t start with the fair business. You weren’t fair when you married him two days after he annulled his marriage to my mother. You made sure that he didn’t have any chance to change his mind. You are damn right when you said that I have issues. I have a major issue with you."

"Bridget please…"

"Please what? Please be nice to me, after all I’m such a saint! That**** might work with others, but it doesn’t work with me. What is this some brownie points that you want to make with Ridge? Oh Ridge, I tried to help poor misunderstood Bridget." Bridget mocked her.

Taylor started to become angry. She was trying to help and Bridget was being as stubborn as her hardheaded mother. " You are growing up and you should realize that you can’t get everything that you want. You can’t go around acting like a brat because you didn’t get your way."

Bridget thought about the videotape that she had upstairs in her room. " Don’t worry I’m not going to be acting like a brat as you put it anymore."

" Bridget… I didn’t mean…"

" I know what you meant. Come on Taylor! No one is around tell me what you really think about me. I’m a brat am I a bitch too?"

Taylor knew that this was getting out of hand, Bridget didn’t understand. " No.. I’m sorry." Taylor sighed. ‘ I just want to help you. I want you to let go of this fantasy family that you’ve created in your mind. Your mother and Ridge aren’t ever going to get back together."

" Really?"

"You know it’s the truth."

" I know that he did everything that he could to break them up in Venice. They were on that bed, who knows what could have happened."

" Nothing happened."

" Yeah, I’m quite sure that’s what Ridge told you. Ridge says all sorts of things doesn’t he? You know I used to hear them in bed when he lived here." Bridget closed in for the kill. " He used to make her scream and the moans he made.. My god, it was something else. It would embarrass me a little." Bridget smiled as she watched Taylor’s face turn pale. " They way that they kissed, touched and looked at each other. It would sometimes heat up the entire room. Tell me is he like that it you? Do you make him moan?"

" How dare you! My god, you are just like your mother! I’m trying to help you and you make everything about sex. My relationship and sex life with Ridge is none of your business."

" Hit a nerve didn’t I?"

" You aren’t ready to listen. I don’t know why I bother." Taylor picked up her purse and headed for the door. " I thought that I could help you, Ridge loves you. I care about you Bridget, but you aren’t ready to listen. You are only going to hurt yourself living in this dream world. Ridge loves me and our CHILDREN! We have a happy live together and nothing is going to change that. When you are ready to accept the truth, give me a call and I’ll help you."

" I didn’t ask for your help! Go home Taylor, go home to your little pawns. Without them Ridge would have been here where he belongs."

Taylor opened the door. " Ridge is where he belongs, with his children." Taylor left slamming the door behind her.

Bridget thought for a moment. " I’m so glad that you feel that way Taylor. If you think that family and children are important than you won’t mind sharing him with Morgan. After a baby needs his father, isn’t that the line you told him to make him leave my mother." Bridget thought about the tape, after tonight Taylor’s fantasy world would be over and Bridget would have her final revenge.

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