“You’re such a bastard,” I grumble. “Why didn’t you stop me? You must know by now that I’m incapable of doing it myself.”
He raises his brows and grins. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. That shit right there is solid gold. It’s as if you go into a trance or something. I’m just waiting for the day you get in the zone about my dick. Now that’s something I’d like to hear you go on and on about for an hour. I bet it will be epic. Make sure you throw in a lot of references to it sliding into your pussy while you’re at it. Then when I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to stick my dick in your mouth and blow my load down your throat. Think that’ll shut you up, baby?”
I walk past him and yawn dramatically. “Uh, maybe.” I take off running down the hall toward the bedroom when he lunges at me. A few minutes later, he lives up to his threat, and his hard cock is indeed sliding between my lips. If he thinks it’s some kind of punishment, though, he’s sadly mistaken. I enjoy every minute of it.
11
Aidan
I spent the day at the office starting the process of catching up on everything I missed in the past fourteen months. Lucian and Max had managed to close several deals I had in the works, and there were others in process I will be taking over. It’s more comforting than I could have imagined to fall back into the familiar routine. I’ve always loved my job and hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it. Plus being surrounded by those I think of as family helps me to cope another day without my mother. Even with Kara beside me, it’s especially hard to wake up in the mornings, thinking all is right with the world for those few precious moments before it slams into me with the force of a brick wall.
She’s really gone, and she’s never coming back.
It’s so fucking hard to believe. I still feel so much damned guilt over the time I wasted when I could have been spending time with her. At times, I rage against the cancer as if it’s a real person that I could hurt with my words and thoughts. The only thing I get out of it, though, is bitterness, and I know if I continue, it’ll overwhelm me.
Kara—sweet, beautiful, and slightly crazy Kara—has been a balm to my wounded spirit. She takes me away from the world and makes me forget everything except her. She sets my body on fire and fills me with laughter. She’s a big reason I’m coping as well as I am. I’m not even freaked out about the family dinner in a few hours. Actually, she’s more worked up about that than I am. I glance down at my watch and start packing away the papers from my desk. I have enough time to run by my dad’s before I’m due at her house.
Luc left earlier to accompany Lia and Lara to the doctor for the little one’s vaccinations. The poor bastard. I bet he’s an absolute wreck by now. Lia should have probably taken Sam or Cindy instead. Lia had brought Lara by when they met Luc earlier, and I’d played blocks with her on the floor. I couldn’t believe how much she’d grown. Of course, a year in kid time was almost a lifetime. It didn’t take more than a few minutes, though, until I was eating out of the palm of her little hand again. Hell, if she’d been able to ask, I would have signed over the deed to my house and car on the spot. I even had a few crazy thoughts about Kara pregnant with my child. That should have been enough to break me out in a cold sweat, but oddly enough, I kinda liked it. We haven’t used birth control the last few times we’ve had sex, but she told me in Charleston she was on the pill and had a recent STD check. I’d never trusted a woman’s word for that in the past, but I knew Kara wouldn’t lie about something like that.
I pull up at my dad’s about fifteen minutes later and park behind his old Jeep Cherokee. I’d offered to buy him a new one a few years ago, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He kept it in top running condition and said he didn’t need some “fancy new car.” I’m not going to lie; it’s hard for me to walk in my childhood home now. Actually, it’s almost suffocating, but I do it for him. How must he feel to live here after losing his wife? If he can handle it, surely I can for his sake. “Dad, it’s me,” I call out as I look around. The pictures of my mom gut me, and a part of me wants to pack them away where they won’t hurt me as much. But that’s not my decision, and would I be able to do it even if I did have the choice? Hell, it’s hard to see her, but may be harder not to.
He walks out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Hey, son. How was your first day back at work?” I study him closely and am relieved to see he appears okay. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but so far, everything is normal. I’d been worried that he would be upset that I hadn’t returned to the house after the funeral. I hope in some small way he understands why I couldn’t.
Nodding, I say, “Not bad. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, but I’ll get there. How about you? How was yours?” Even though his company had told him to take all the time he needed, he’d returned to work today as well. I didn’t argue because I knew he needed the distraction like I did.
“Just the usual.” He shrugs. “Faye dropped by when I got home. She was at the funeral, but we didn’t get a chance to talk. She’s offered to help me out with anything that needs to be done. She’s one smart lady.”
Surprised, I ask, “Lucian’s Aunt Faye?”
Frowning, my dad says, “Well, of course. You know we’ve all been friends since you and Lucian met in school.”
Faye Quinn had been like a mother to me when we were growing up. I spent almost as much time at her house as I did my own. She’d hugged me at the funeral, but that’s about all I remember. The day was still a blur to me. I don’t think I will ever want to think about the day I buried my mother. Does anyone? After my initial shock, I feel grateful she’s stepped up to be there for my dad. I worry about him being alone so much, and hopefully, Faye will come around more now. “That’s good,” I say truthfully. “She’s one of the good ones.”
“Have you eaten yet?” he asks. “I was just about to heat something up for dinner.”
My face goes hot. “Er . . . actually, I’m having dinner with Kara and her parents.” I have no idea why that’s embarrassing. Possibly because it’s not the type of thing I’ve discussed with my dad since I was in high school.
He nods before taking a seat in his recliner. “That the girl you were with at the funeral?”
Shit, apparently all eyes were on Kara and me that day. Had anyone missed that? I perch on a nearby chair, clasping my hands loosely between my legs. “Yeah, her name is Kara Jacks. She’s actually Lia’s cousin. We met at Lia’s graduation and again in Charleston.”
His looks surprised when he asks, “And you’re already at the meeting the parents stage?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what we’re at. Her father called and invited me last night. I didn’t really think no was an option even though it freaked Kara out. It’s just dinner, though, right? I’m sure they’re nice people who simply want to know who their daughter is spending time with.”
A smile curves his lips. “I assume this girl isn’t some teenager so the fact they’re still that involved in her life says good things about them. You could use a woman like that. You need to branch out from these hourly girls.”
“Wh—what? Dad! I don’t do hookers. For God’s sake.” Shit, when did his opinion of me get so low?
He wrinkles his nose. “Hookers? What in Sam Hill are you talking about?”
“You said hourly,” I point out, now just as confused as he looks.
“I meant women you only want to spend a few hours with because you’ve got nothing in common. Where in the world did you come up with hookers?” Lifting a brow, he asks, “You don’t mess with those, do you? Asheville’s a big city now, and I’m sure there are plenty of those types of women around. Nothing good comes from that, son,” he adds sternly.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting the urge to laugh. “I’ll try to remember that, Dad.” I smirk. The clock on the wall indicates I have about twenty minutes until I’m due at Kara’s, so I get to my feet. “I need to hit the road before I’m late. Want to go out for dinner tomorrow night? You pi
ck the place.”
“Sounds good to me. Why don’t you bring your new girl along? I reckon it’s time that I formally meet her as well.”
“I’ll ask her,” I assure him. Shit. Shit. Does Dad feel hurt that I didn’t introduce Kara to Mom before she died? He doesn’t look hurt, but who can really tell when he’s probably just functioning at the moment. Should I have introduced Kara to Mom? Should I have told her about Kara? She wanted me to find true love, someone who would complete me. Shit. But I didn’t know if Kara would even allow me back into her life last week, and my heart had been breaking just thinking about Mom dying. I take a deep breath and try to stop my brain from spinning. “I’ll call you tomorrow, and we’ll finalize our plans. Let me know if you need anything before then, okay?” As I’m getting in my car, I grieve the apparent difference in my relationship with my father. How could it only be a few days since my mom has gone, yet I almost feel as though I’m the parent? But I also feel a closeness and kinship I haven’t felt in years. We’ve survived the death of the most important person in our lives. We aren’t strong enough yet to openly talk about her, but she’s there just the same. My life seems to be changing faster than I can adapt. At the end of the day, though, I have no choice but to keep moving and hope that I’ve had my share of tragedy for a while.
kara
“I still can’t believe you called Aidan without telling me,” I grumble to my father. I worked at Falco today attempting to fill in for Liza, and I’m exhausted. I’m also more than a little stressed over this unexpected dinner.
He shrugs as if to say he doesn’t understand what the big deal is. “I was planning to fire up the barbecue tonight anyway. Your mother has a hankering for a hot dog, and I wouldn’t mind a good burger. I figured we might as well kill two birds with one stone.”
“Can we refrain from using the word ‘kill’ where Aidan’s concerned?” I sigh. “He probably already thinks you and Uncle Lee are gangsters.”
Looking vastly amused, he says, “You know that’s absurd, honey. We retired from that years ago. I don’t even think your uncle actually kills people anymore.”
“Ha-ha.” My mom elbows him in the side as she hands him the plate of burgers and hot dogs to grill. “All we need is that busybody Mrs. Collins next door hearing you joke about that. She already crosses herself when she sees you outside.”
Clearing my throat, I put a hand out to stop my father before he moves away. “Please don’t mention anything around Aidan about my . . . cancer.”
He sets the plate he’s holding down and leans against the counter. “You haven’t told him?”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Kara,” my mother adds. “Why wouldn’t you want him to know?”
“He lost his mother to cancer just days ago. I didn’t really think it was the best time to blurt out, ‘Oh, what a coincidence. I’ve had cancer myself. It might even come back sometime. Fun, right?’”
“Kara,” my father snaps, “don’t even joke about that. I swear sometimes it’s as if you hope that happens.”
“Pete,” my mother gasps out. “That’s absurd. She’s just trying to inject some humor into the situation.”
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “I shouldn’t have said that. But you also need to understand that if I don’t have some kind of sense of humor about what happened to me, then I’ll crack from the pressure of worrying all the time.”
My father opens his arms and motions for me to come to him. He enfolds me in a hug. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I guess it’s still too fresh for your old man to deal with sometimes. And of course, we won’t say anything to Aidan. That’s your business to tell him when you want to. But if you like him, then don’t wait too long. He should know what a brave woman you are and what you’ve endured.”
We pull apart when the doorbell sounds. My father makes as if he’s going to run to answer it. We end up racing through the house, and I’m winded as I throw the door open to a startled Aidan. “Well, hello,” I purr, which actually comes out as more of a pant.
He steps forward and drops a kiss on my mouth. “Hey, princess. What were you up to before you answered the door?”
My father steps up behind me. “She was trying to keep me from getting here first. I have no idea why.” Aidan pulls me to his side so he can take my father’s extended hand. “It’s good to see you again, Aidan. I’m glad you could make it.”
“I appreciate the invitation, sir,” Aidan replies smoothly.
My father waves away the formal greeting. “Call me Pete. Come on in. I was just firing up the grill. How about we let the ladies handle the kitchen, and you and I man the backyard?” I give Aidan a grimace, but he just rubs my arm reassuringly as we follow my father through the house. “You remember my wife, Charlotte, don’t you? I think we all met briefly at Lia’s graduation.”
Aidan steps forward and drops a kiss onto my mother’s cheek. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. May I call you Charlotte?”
My mother is blushing like a schoolgirl as she fawns over him. “Well, of course, Aidan. Welcome to our home. It’s wonderful to see you again. Kara’s had so many nice things to say about you.”
I have? Boy, is she laying it on thick. We’ve barely discussed Aidan, but by the way she’s going on about it, he probably thinks I’ve been stalking him for years. Good grief. Luckily, my father drags him outside to say God knows what to him. This may be the last night I see him because he’s likely to run if he survives the evening. “What was all of that?” I ask my mother when the door closes behind them.
She gives me that innocent expression that none of us ever believe. “What? I was just trying to make him feel comfortable.” Lowering her voice, she whispers, “And if I can help you close the deal, then why not? Did you see how he was looking at you?”
Putting my hands on my hips, I hiss, “Yeah, like he wanted to be anywhere but here.” I give her a thumbs up. “If you wanted to get rid of him, then good job.”
My father opens the door, ending our conversation. “Hey, how about bringing some beer out when you come?”
“I’ll get them, Daddy,” I offer, taking the opportunity to rescue Aidan. I’m not sure what I expected, but when I walk out to the back patio, he and my father are laughing it up like best friends.
I hand my father a beer and then give one to Aidan. “Thanks, babe,” he says easily as he throws an arm over my shoulders and pulls me to his side. Okay, PDA is obviously not a problem for him. Instead of stabbing Aidan with a sharp object for touching his daughter, my father just beams his approval. I swear I’d almost think he was high or something. Since when has he let anyone off this easily?
I’m actually nice and relaxed by the time we sit down to eat. Therefore, I almost choke on my hamburger when my mother asks, “Have you ever been married, Aidan?”
His beer bottle freezes halfway to his mouth as he looks at her warily. Apparently, I’m not the only one who’d let down their guard a bit too much. “Er . . . no, I haven’t.”
She nods thoughtfully before adding, “Have you ever been close? Maybe lived with someone or had a child with them?”
Holy shit, what is she doing? “Mom, I don’t think—”
Aidan puts a hand on my leg under the table, halting my protests. “No, I don’t have children, nor have I ever lived with a woman. I lost someone last year from my past who I cared about a great deal, but we were never romantically involved.”
My mother reaches across the table and puts her hand over his. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”
“It’s fine, Charlotte,” he says graciously. I resist the urge to kick my mother’s foot under the table. Aidan takes us all by surprise when he adds, “Kara’s actually the first woman I’ve been involved with in a long time. I’m looking forward to seeing where our relationship goes.”
What the hell? Can he see me melting into a puddle at his feet? My mother looks as if she’s just been handed her Christmas present early, and
even my father appears unusually pleased. Then I realize they’ve all turned to look at me as if awaiting my reaction. Shit, what do I say? Finally, I settle for a, “Me too.” I throw in a bright smile when they don’t look away, and that seems to do it. Aidan squeezes my knee, and I put my hand on top of his.
“We were so very sorry to hear about your mother passing away,” my mother says. I know she feels as if she must make some mention of it, but couldn’t she have waited until later?
Aidan clears his throat, and I know he’s struggling. “Thank you. It’s been a tough time for my father and me, but we’re making it.”
“Oh, honey.” My mother is all but gushing now. “You’ve got a family right here whenever you need us. Right, Pete?”
My father nods as he chews his burger. When he’s swallowed his bite, he says, “Absolutely. Welcome to the family, son.”
And there we are, folks. The stalker and her insane family. I’ve known Aidan all of one minute, and we’ve spent most of that time fucking each other’s brains out. My family is rolling out the welcome mat very prematurely. He must think we’re crazy. Maybe this is some kind of reverse psychology on their part. Instead of trying to intimidate him, they’re going the opposite way in an attempt to get rid of him. Thankfully, the rest of the meal is uneventful, and I manage to drag Aidan out of the house before my mother starts discussing sex and his net worth. “I’m so sorry about that.” I cringe as we’re standing next to his car.
He chuckles as he pulls me close. “It was fine, princess. I enjoyed myself.” I give him a skeptical look, but he doesn’t take his statement back. “Want to ride with me to the apartment? I can drop you off in the morning on my way to the office.”
I want to say yes so badly, but I feel as if I need this one night of space to work through what’s happening between us. We’ve been attached at the hip for the last few days, and truthfully, I’m not used to that type of closeness with a man. “I need to stay home tonight. I haven’t unpacked my things from the beach, and I’m pretty much out of clothes.” He looks so disappointed that I almost take it back, but instead of arguing, he kisses me gently on the lips, and then on the forehead.