Disclaimer: SM owns all the good Twilight stuff.

Ch14:Two Four Lettered Words

After Embry left, Leah showered and tossed on a sundress. While she was combing her damp hair, she heard the soft growl of a motor. The sound was closer than what was usually caused by the boats in the marina. She felt a soft thud, and the motor's hum abruptly ceased. Her stance was wary as she approached Embry's front door to check if it was locked.

Apparently Leah had visitors.

Before she even reached the door, however, she heard a brisk, youthful-sounding female voice speaking. The cry of a baby also reached her ears, reassuring her. Surely the person intent on blackmailing her with those photos wouldn't possess that light, energetic voice. They wouldn't have a baby with them. She heard Austin's calm, even reply and started to open the door. She hesitated.

It took her a moment to realize the source of her discomfort. She felt ashamed to look Austin in the eye now that her fury had dissipated and darkness no longer cloaked her. How humiliating: to know that complete strangers and casual acquaintances knew that she had hired a man to have sex with her.

The wave of mortification passed almost as quickly as it came. Anger replaced it, stirring her pride. She inhaled deeply and reached for the door.

"You need a new life preserver," Leah heard Austin say as he handed what looked like a bright yellow ball with pudgy arms and legs sticking out of it to the slim cinnamon colored woman who stood on the dock. "Claire isn't so little anymore. She's busting out of that thing."

"It's probably her stubbornness bursting out of it. She sees the water and wants to be in it. She takes after Embry: a little water baby. You should see her in the pool at our condo or out at Gran's—Oh, hello," the young woman said as she glanced around, a ribbon of shiny dark brown hair falling into her face. She pushed it back impatiently. When she smiled, Leah immediately knew who she was.

"Hi," Leah replied stepping closer. "I'm sorry, but Embry just left twenty minutes ago."

Austin opened his mouth to speak from where he still stood in the boat, but the young woman beat him to the punch. "I know. I just talked to him a few minutes ago, I actually came out here to meet you." She hitched the baby—who had hair as dark and sleek as her mother's—onto her left hip and stuck out her hand in a friendly fashion. Leah noticed the woman's eyes were like rich brown velvet as she unabashedly studied Leah with a lively curiosity. She wore a tiny ring on her small, perfect nose. Other than the diaper bag flung over her shoulder and the gold nose ring, she looked like a trim, well dressed suburbanite or a lawyer about to report for work. She wore a pair of camel brown pants, a white short sleeved button down cotton blouse and a pair of low heeled pumps. Her baby was indeed, nearly bursting out of a tiny bright yellow preserver.

"I'm Rebecca Ateara, Embry's cousin by marriage but everyone just calls me Becca. And this," she said as she bounced the baby on her hip, "is Claire."

Leah laughed when the infant turned on cue and regarded her with a somber expression that was adorably at odds with her round, chubby face, drool wet chin, and tear streaked cheeks. Hadn't Embry said that the upcoming luau was a celebration of his goddaughter's first birthday? Claire took after her godfather in another way besides being a water lover; her eyelashes were thick, lush and long. On Embry, they only seemed to magnify the singular, laser like intensity of his gaze, but on Claire, they looked feminine and dainty.

Leah instantly felt the power of the little girl's personality. This time, she gladly gave in to the inevitable power of charm that Embry's family seemed to possess.

"I'm Leah Clearwater. It's so nice to meet both of you." Leah brushed Claire's damp cheek with her fingertip, her smile widening when the caress earned her a dimpled grin. "Embry mentioned you Claire, but he didn't tell me how pretty his goddaughter was."

"I'm surprised," Rebecca said with a good natured roll of her eyes. "He brags about her to anyone who will listen. Look, I'm really sorry to inconvenience you this way, but Claire's hungry. A mother's body isn't her own. I'm trying to wean her from breast feeding but sometimes it's just easier to give in to her demanding ways. Would you mind?"

"Of course not," Leah said when Rebecca waved to the front door. She was a little flustered at the fact that Rebecca was treating her like it was her houseboat instead of Embry's. Surely Rebecca was a much more regular visitor in his home then Leah was.

"Are you coming in, Austin?" Rebecca asked as she hurried inside. "I'll be out in a few."

"Please do. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee," Leah encouraged Austin.

Austin and Leah were sipping their coffee in the kitchen and discussing the wildlife in the lagoon—both of them pointedly avoiding the topic of the tasteless news story about Embry and Leah—when Rebecca walked into the kitchen, carrying a much more satisfied looking Claire.

While Austin and Leah had been careful and tactful, Rebecca was refreshingly frank. "So, how are you holding up in regards to all this crap on the news?"

Leah paused in the process of pouring Rebecca a requested half cup of coffee. Her cheeks flooded with heat, but she handed Rebecca her cup calmly enough. "Pretty well, I guess."

"It's not like you have anything to compare your reaction to, right? Damn press. I swear, some of those media types would throw their own kids to the wolves if it meant a good story." Claire batted a chubby hand against her mother's scowl. Rebecca kissed her daughter's tiny palm, removed it from her mouth and continued. "I was sent here on a mission from Grandma Emma."

"Really?" Leah asked confused and a little amazed by Rebecca's proclamation.

"Yeah, she's running herself crazy preparing for the luau tonight."

Austin sighed. "The woman never stops."

"She says the same about you, Austin," Rebecca said wryly before she continued. "She hasn't even seen the story on the news. She refuses to watch it—out of protest I think."

"Stubborn," Austin pretended to cough.

"Yeah, well aren't we all? And you're the worst of the bunch, Claire," Rebecca said when Claire batted her chin in another bid for attention. She gave her daughter a smacking kiss on the cheek before she resumed. "After all these annoying phone calls from relatives complaining about Embry causing a scandal, Gran's refusing to answer the phone. I told her we could cancel Claire's party this evening, since some people might find awkward or unpleasant, but Gran said 'no black hearted criminal' was going to ruin her great-granddaughter's first birthday."

Leah smiled. Emma Call certainly sounded like a wonderful woman. No wonder Embry cherished her so much.

"She called me this morning and asked me to come out to the houseboat to personally invite you to the luau tonight." Said Rebecca.

"Considering the circumstances, maybe it wouldn't be a good idea," Leah replied cautiously.

"Gran told me to tell you she wouldn't take no for an answer. She thinks you and Embry should hold your heads high, or people are going to assume you have something to be ashamed of. Embry told me he already asked you to attend the luau, isn't that correct?"

"Uh… yes, but that was before—"

"It's all settled then." Rebecca interrupted. She beamed at Leah before she set her coffee cup on the counter. "Now, I hate to run, but my babysitter has to leave in an hour, and I still have to get to the drugstore to get some calamine lotion Collin's chicken pox. I expect to see you and Bry there tonight!"

A few seconds later, Leah closed the door after her visitors, Rebecca Ateara had blown into the houseboat like a gust of fresh air and left again just as abruptly. Leah found herself wondering how much of her visit had been urged by Emma Call and how much Embry himself had been responsible for.

The man paused in shock when he noticed Embry sitting on his front stoop.

Embry stood. "Emmett McCarty?"

The man glanced around nervously, as though he was hoping someone else would step forward and claim the name. "Yeah," he finally replied.

"I was wondering if I could have a word. Embry Call."

"I know who you are. I saw you win the Hawaiian surfing championship three years ago. Those Aussies thought they knew about big waves, but they learned different at Waimea that day, huh?"

Embry laughed. "You surf?"

"Yeah of course. Been attached to a board since I was five."

Embry kept up the banter for a minute or two until he thought Emmett was a little less tense about finding him waiting for him at his front door. Rosalie King's escort from last week was Caucasian, with short brown curly hair, and burly, muscular build. Emmett was a good inch taller than him—standing at what looked to be six-foot-five— but that didn't bother Embry much. Embry surmised that, given the neighborhood he lived in, the rips on Emmett's well work shorts came honestly and weren't part of his good looking beach bum image.

"So what are you doing here?" Emmett finally asked.

Embry glanced around, but the quiet, bungalow lined street with the poorly groomed yards was desolate. "I understand you work for my cousin, Sam Uley?"

Emmett shrugged. "Surfing doesn't pay the bills. I guess it's no secret I pick up some work from Sam sometimes. A guy's gotta make a buck somehow."

"And there are much less pleasant ways to make it, I guess."

"It's not what it's cracked up to be. Some of the ladies Sam sends my way are real bitches." Emmett scratched his jaw as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Guess there's a reason they have to pay for it," Embry said wryly. "That's got to be a… challenging aspect of your work."

Emmett laughed but his glance was wary.

"You did some work for Sam last week, right?"

Emmett's cautiousness segued to outright suspicion. Gone was the easygoing surfer dude. He inspected Embry through narrowed blue eyes. "What do you mean?"

"If you're like every other person on the island, you've likely seen the story the news is running about Leah Clearwater and I."

Emmett shifted on his feet. "I might have seen something about it, yeah. Thought it was a real joke—them suggesting you were a male escort."

"You know anything about who took those photographs of us or leaked them to the press?" Embry quirked a brow at Emmett questioningly.

Embry knew immediately he had misplayed his hand when he saw Emmett's offended expression. "What the hell? Why would you ask me if I know about that?"

Embry gave an easy grin to try to diffuse the situation as he answered. "I just thought you might, seeing how you work for Sam and all."

Emmett ran his fingers through his curly mess of hair in an agitated gesture. "Dude, are you accusing your own cousin of smearing your name? Are you accusing me?"

Embry caught the other man's gaze and held it. "Like I said, I thought you might have heard something… since you're on Sam's payroll. I wouldn't hold it against a guy for knowing something."

Emmett's mouth hung open.

Embry sensed his hesitancy, so he pushed. "You didn't ask me how I knew you worked for Sam."

"Sam wasn't the one to tell you?" Emmett grimaced.

"Nah, I got you name from Rosalie King." He and Rosalie had conversed about a lot of interesting topics in the middle of the night last night.

"Rosalie?"

"Yeah, she's a nice lady." Embry was glad he had had faith in Rosalie's inherent kindness and warmth when he saw Emmett's expression soften.

"Yeah, we had a good time together last week. She was one of the ones I would have spent time with, even if…" Emmett trailed off.

"She didn't pay you?" Embry finished for him.

"Yes, but hey….Rosalie thought I would know something about that news story about Leah Clearwater and you? Why would she say that?"

Embry shrugged, giving the other man the impression he was hazy on the details. "She wasn't accusing you of anything. It was just a hunch she had. Something about a phone call you got one night while you two were at the Green Turtle? She said she had a great time that night, by the way."

Embry waited, allowing Emmett to remember the good times he had spent with Rosalie.

"Are you sure you don't know anything about who might have taken those pictures, Emmett? I'll pay you for the information if that's what—"

Emmett made a slashing gesture with his hand. "I don't want your money man. I'm not that bad off."

Embry inhaled slowly and reached for his wallet. He glanced up when Emmett made an irritated sound. "I'm not going to offer you money. Not if you don't want it. I was just going to give you my card. Give me a call if you hear anything that might help me figure out who was responsible for this."

"I don't know anything," Emmett said gruffly, eyeing the offered piece of paper. Embry kept his hand extended anyway until Emmett finally took the card.

"Just in case," Embry said before he walked down the crumbling sidewalk.

Leah was nervous and not in her normal low grade anxiety disorder nervous sort of way. By six thirty that evening, she had told herself at least a hundred times that meeting Emma Call was not a big deal. Why should it be? She was just a nice elderly lady with a lot of character and charm. In truth, the picture everyone painted of Emma was delightful, so Leah couldn't understand why she was all aflutter.

She set down her hair brush, flinching at the clattering sound it made when it hit the granite countertop in Embry's spare bedroom. She emerged from the hallway at the same time Embry walked in the foyer.

"Hi," she greeted him breathlessly.

He glanced up from reading one of several envelopes he held in his hands. He studied her with frank appreciation before he tossed his mail on the kitchen island.

"Hi," he returned. "How come you're not dressed for the luau? Becca said she convinced you to come."

Leah arched her eyebrows. "Did you send her out her to talk me into going?"

He shook his head. "Didn't Becca tell you Gran asked her to do it?"

"Yup." Leah replied popping the 'p'.

He gave her a slow grin and approached, encircling her hips with his hands. He lowered his head, brushed her back with his nose, and trailed his lips along her neck. "Ummm, you smell fantastic. So you still think I put Becca up to coming out here, even though she told you Gran asked her to do it?"

"Did you talk her into it?" Leah asked. Most of her attention was on the sensation of his mouth on her skin.

"Maybe a little." He admitted honestly. "All the Call's know Becca is irresistible."

Leah chuckled. "And when you pair her up with Clairebear—"

Embry lifted his head. Leah saw his white teeth in the dim interior of the houseboat. "They're unstoppable. So does that mean you're coming to the luau?"

Leah wanted to laugh at his persistancy but didn't, "I was getting ready when you came in."

"So what's wrong? How come you're not dressed?" he asked, stroking her robe covered shoulders and staring at his hand on her body in a manner that distracted Leah.

"I… I didn't know what to wear."

He ducked his head and nuzzled her neck with his nose. Leah shivered when he scraped his front teeth lightly against her skin. He spoke between nibbles. "Anything. It's an… outdoor party… for a one year old. It's hardly…formal. Besides whatever you wear...will be gorgeous." He pressed their bodies together more tightly. Leah sighed, her head falling back when she felt his hardness and heat. He sensed her surrender and began to kiss her more persistently.

She made a sound of disappointment when he lifted his head abruptly.

"What's wrong?" she rasped.

"Nothing's wrong with you babe. You are absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, this is going to have to wait. When I have you again I want to take my time with you." He said gruffly as he nudged her middle with his erection. "I need to speak with one of Emma's brothers, and he tends to come to luaus right on time and leave right after the food in his stomach settles."

Leah shivered again in his arms as she laughed. "I'll get dressed then."

"Okay." he inhaled her scent yet again..

She tried to pull back, but Embry's hold on her remained firm. He ran his hands over her hips and ass. "Are you naked under here?"

She nodded. His penis throbbed next to her belly. She stifled a moan when his hand strayed under the hem of her robe and caressed her bare thigh and ass.

He uttered a soft curse. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm still gathering information about this news leak, I would be buried in you within a minute."

"I would have to shower again. Oh… Embry." She exclaimed when he wedged his hand between her thighs and touched her slit with a fingertip.

He groaned and released her abruptly. "Considering how wet you are, you might have to shower again whether I make love to you or not."

Leah swallowed letting his words sink in, he just said 'love', not 'fuck'. Two, four-lettered words that meant two completely different things. That would be something that would be running through her mind all night, a distraction from what she still wasn't prepared to face: Embry's family.

She tightened the belt on her robe, trying to ignore the heat flash that surged in her body. "Did you find out anything this afternoon?"

"Not a damn thing, which makes it even more important for me not to miss Uncle Billy tonight. He's the biggest gossip on the island, knows everything. Unfortunately, he goes to bed by eight o' clock." Embry snickered at that.

"I'll hurry then." Leah assured him as she started to walk away.

"Oh and Leah?" his deep voice spoke as she reached the open door to the guest bedroom. Leah turned to meet his intense lust filled gaze. "Once we find out everything and I prove to you that I am completely innocent… you will be mine…"

Leah's heart hammered in her ears at his words but she just gave him a smirk and shook her head walking into the room. Her nervousness came back while she slipped into a tangerine colored dress that set off her tan to good effect. She wished Embry and her could just spend the evening here on the boat alone together. She wanted to know exactly how he felt, and if it matched all the confusing, bumbling and exciting emotions that were thrumming through her.

How much fun could it be, knowing that almost everyone at the party was speculating on why she needed to pay for sex…or how she had gone about entangling the favored Call son in her trap?

So there is about a good 5 or so more chapters left of this story before I start focusing on the other stories I've been neglecting.

Looking forward to you guys reviews and thoughts

Will brighten my day a bit, seeing as I'll be out with my family to talk and listen to other families that lost someone they loved also in the 9/11 attack.

xoxo