“Come to my mother’s house for dinner next Sunday, please?”
He wasn’t giving me answers, but I had no fight left in me. He’d loved most of it out the night before and managed to fuck away all but a few lingering doubts this morning.
I didn’t want to face his mother, but what could I do? “I’ll come to dinner.”
“And spend the weekend with me?”
“Yes, and spend the weekend with you.”
Killian let out a long breath. “I need to get home and grab my stuff for practice.”
“Okay.” I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice, but it didn’t fool him.
“May I spend the night tonight?”
“Yes.” I gave him a sweet smile.
I watched him dress. His kiss before he walked out the door was much too brief. Sexually frustrated, I lay in bed for another ten minutes before I went for my run. It was later than I liked and heat rolled off the cement, but I needed my running high.
Killian spent the night Thursday then picked me up on Friday. It was his bye week and he acted more relaxed than he had since the season started.
“I want to take you out to dinner.” His eyes traveled over my body like he hadn’t seen it in weeks instead of hours.
My inner thighs ached and I clenched them tightly, noticing Killian’s smile when I did it.
“Someday I’ll cook for you, but yes, I’d love to go out.”
We stopped at his house so he could change into something more formal and I could put on the other dress he bought me in Seattle. I looked in his closet and saw more than the dry-cleaned dress I already wore and the one I planned to wear tonight. All of them were there. Each dress I had tried on in Seattle.
“Killian.”
His arms closed around me, his lips feathering kisses across my neck. “I love you and that means I can buy you things. Wear the one with the high slit on the side.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you love me.”
“You cannot buy me things.”
He turned me and tipped my chin up. His sexy dimpled grin made me dizzy. “Can too.” The childish words were incredibly sexy with his deep voice. I fought my smile, but it escaped right before he kissed me.
I wore the indecent dress with the side slit and blushingly put up with Killian’s roving hands the entire night.
It was the best weekend Killian and I had spent together. He was loving, fun, and just about fucked my brains out. But that was all before we went to his mother’s.
She greeted us at the door of a beautiful house in a large, sprawling neighborhood in Glendale. Orange trees peppered her property and it seemed immensely cooler than the section of Phoenix where I lived. Not as much asphalt, I guessed.
This time she pulled me into her arms for a hug. “Thank you for forgiving my son. Maybe you should have held off another week. It would have served him right. Beat him over the head with a frying pan if he pulls his game-loss pouty behavior again.”
Killian kissed his mother’s cheek. “Thanks, Mom. I know I can always count on you.”
She laughed and I saw her “Killian” dimples again. Or, I guess, Killian’s were “Beth” dimples.
“Your brother knows you’re coming and he’s excited. Go visit while I talk to Rebecca.”
Killian looked over his shoulder as he walked from the room. “Remember…Amanda? Shoe size?”
I blushed.
Killian laughed and continued down the hallway. I’d forgotten about his brother. I had no idea how old he was, but I guessed still young enough to live at home.
“Come on, dear. Ignore my son. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m preparing dinner, if you don’t mind keeping me company.”
“Thank you, Mrs. MacGregor.”
“Beth.”
“Thank you, Beth.”
The kitchen was enormous and just as lovely as the rest of the house.
“Killian picked this house out for me because of the kitchen. I’m sure you know by now that he can’t boil water. Have you met, Marty?”
“No, he and I seem to miss each other.”
I blushed again. I’d almost said I was only at Killian’s on the weekends.
Beth didn’t seem to notice. “I stopped going to Killian’s games years ago. It was too hard to work out scheduling details when he played in college. Then after he went pro, too brutal. I can’t handle seeing someone cause my son pain. You know tennis would have been the perfect sport for him.”
I had to laugh.
“My son tells me you’re a runner.”
“Yes, ma’am. I run for the state team.”
“With a scholarship and everything.” She gave me a proud look that took me by surprise.
“Yes, I was lucky back in high school.”
“I know that’s a lie. Colleges don’t give scholarships because of luck.” She didn’t let me argue. “So do you plan on staying in the valley after college?”
“Yes, my parents live here, and my sister.”
“Oh, Killian didn’t mention you have a sister.”
I blushed again. Like I would explain how Killian and I met. Not! “Killian didn’t tell me about his brother either,” I said to change the subject.
The look on Beth’s face changed and a bit of anger flashed in her eyes. “I’m sorry…you need to meet Michael, he’ll be joining us for dinner. I’ll have a few words with my son on the phone this week and clear up his future problems in regards to the subject of Michael.”
I had no idea what I’d walked into, but it wasn’t good.
“Come on and I’ll make introductions. His nurse will be here this evening, but for now we’re on our own.”
I followed Beth as she walked with purposeful strides to the back of the house. I heard Killian’s voice as we drew closer to the door.
Using a tone I’d never heard before, he said calmly, “You’re going to love her, buddy. She’s tall and beautiful…”
Killian looked at Beth and me when we walked in. My eyes went to the wheelchair where Killian’s brother sat with a blanket on his lap. His small, thin hands curled unnaturally in front of him. His head was propped up by a brace at the top of the chair. His lips tilted downward. He watched Killian, but attempted to turn our way when Beth spoke. Killian stood, shifting the chair slightly.
“Michael, this is Rebecca, Killian’s friend.” Beth’s voice was soft.
Michael made a small, inarticulate noise and I could do nothing but smile. At the same time my heart broke. This was Killian’s brother and he’d never told me anything about him.
“I was just giving Michael the low down on my girlfriend and hadn’t gotten around to the good parts yet.”
“And you won’t, Killian Allan MacGregor,” Beth snapped, though she smiled at the same time.
“I wasn’t going into full detail. I wanted to tell him about her blue eyes, long legs, and grouchy behavior when she’s tired.”
Killian loved his brother. It was so obvious, but I couldn’t help feeling left out because he hadn’t said a word about Michael.
“I’ll finish cooking and leave you to become better acquainted.” Beth walked out.
“Sit here, Rebecca, and I’ll turn his chair so he can see us both.”
I sat on the bed, Killian turned the chair, and Michael became animated.
“He wants you to hold his hand.”
I leaned forward and put my fingers over Michael’s. They were cold, but he stopped fidgeting as soon as I touched him. His lips tilted just slightly into what had to be a grin.
“I told you you’d like her, buddy.”
“I like you, too, Michael.” How could anyone not?
“I need to catch him up on my games.”
Killian began a play-by-play of his last two games. The first was easy because he won, but I heard his voice tighten when he talked about his loss. The smile left Michael’s face and he seemed to understand Killian’s pain over losing.
“That son of a bitch sucker pun
ched me in the pileup, but Blitz took him down on the next play.”
Killian didn’t leave anything out. He told about his good plays and the interceptions.
“Next week, we’re out of town…”
Killian talked until his mother came in and told us dinner was ready. He pushed Michael’s chair to the empty spot at the table. Michael wasn’t fed; Beth explained he ate through a feeding tube.
“He likes to sit out here with us. He has two nurses that take revolving shifts, but Sundays they take off until the evening. It’s nice when football is in off-season because Killian eats here on Sundays and helps me out.”
Seeing Killian’s family was eye opening. No one mentioned his father, but seeing the three of them together, I felt the love they shared. My emotions were a jumbled mess by the time we said goodbye.
Killian MacGregor had some explaining to do.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The car remained deathly quiet on the trip back to Killian’s but he held my hand like he always did. We pulled into his driveway and he hit the button for the garage.
“You okay?”
I turned. “I’m not sure.”
“I’ll let you out and we can go inside and talk.”
We needed to talk. About many things. I’d spoken to Killian about my parents and sister. He listened, but had offered very little about his personal history. This was so wrong.
I followed him, my hand held tightly in his grip. He sat on the couch and brought me into his side.
“You’re angry that I didn’t tell you about Michael?” His voice was whisper soft.
I looked at the pain in Killian’s eyes. “I’m not angry, I’m hurt. Why didn’t you tell me? Did you think I’d react badly? Did you think I’d have a problem with your brother’s disability?” I couldn’t go on because anger was slipping into my voice.
“God, no,” Killian said while pulling me closer. “It’s difficult for me to talk about Michael. I knew you would care about him as much as I do.”
I felt tears behind my eyes.
“Then why?”
“Because it’s painful.”
He wasn’t saying more, so I needed to move this farther along. “How old is Michael?”
“Twenty-five. He was born on March sixteenth.”
Fuck. Killian’s birthday.
“He’s my twin brother.”
Michael had the body of a twelve year old. He couldn’t talk or move his arms more than a few inches. Shit, the first tear slipped down my face. Killian kissed it away.
“What happened?”
I watched Killian’s chest expand as he took in a large supply of air.
“Michael was the troublemaker of the two of us.” Killian’s dimples flashed. “I know that’s hard to believe, but even my mother will back my story. We vacationed at a cabin on the river when we were nine. My parents saved money for two years so we could have that one special week. There were rocky cliffs several hundred yards away that partially circled a swimming hole. A large sign with, “Danger, no jumping,” printed on it signaled the danger. My dad told us he would skin us alive if we jumped from those cliffs.”
Crap, my heart took a plunge because I knew what was coming.
“At around five on the first morning, Michael woke me up and dared me to jump off the cliffs with him. I usually got my ass tanned right along with him because I never refused a dare and he knew it. The sun was barely coming up and my parents were sleeping. I was scared. I remember looking at that sign and thinking we shouldn’t jump…but we did.”
Killian looked away from me and I squeezed his hand. When he glanced back, there was so much pain. I felt more tears slip down my face.
His voice was choked. “I came up and Michael didn’t. At first, I thought he was playing a practical joke, but then I knew something was terribly wrong. I started diving under and searching for him. I’d come up for air and scream for help then dive back under. The water was so dark, but finally I touched him and tried to pull upward. My lungs almost burst and I had to breathe. I let him go and went up for air, leaving him down there. I made it down to Michael again, and my dad was finally there helping to pull him up. He was completely blue when he came out of the water. My dad started CPR and my mother helped. I sat next to him, holding his lifeless hand, begging him to come back.”
A sob escaped my lips.
“Shh, baby, don’t cry.” Killian pulled me in even closer and rocked me in his arms. “It happened a long time ago. My mother and I survived. My father left a year later. He couldn’t take the pain of seeing Michael every day. He never blamed me, but I know he blamed himself. Michael was on life support for months. My father wanted the machines turned off, but my mom refused.”
There were so many things going through my head.
Killian holding my hand and his subconscious desire to touch.
A nine-year-old child faced with death or letting go of his brother.
Killian’s childish insecurities and even his anger.
It all made sense now, and, god, I loved him.
We stayed locked together until we changed our position and settled full length on the couch. Killian spoke about his brother before the accident. One scrape after another—two boys completely inseparable. He made me laugh in between more tears. Killian’s mother was simply amazing.
“I had to support them. I needed to play professionally so Michael and my mom would always be cared for. I had to complete each pass, make every touchdown, and win games. There was no other option.”
This was such a different picture than what I woke up with this morning.
“Has Michael ever gone to any of your games?”
“I’ve never tried. He doesn’t do well in crowds. But, god, does he get excited watching football on television. I had the skybox seats put in my contract in case he could come someday. I’m just afraid of what would happen, and I couldn’t ask my mom to bring him. She worries about me too much and doesn’t enjoy watching. Most of my teammates have met Michael at one time or another. I don’t keep him a secret, but they’re guys and don’t ask the hard questions. I needed to tell you everything.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
“It’s also the reason it took a month to contact you after we met. Michael was in the hospital because of a respiratory infection.”
Things. It wasn’t another woman; it was Michael.
Killian kissed the top of my head. “I’m worn out. Let’s go to bed.”
He made love to me. If I thought Thursday night was mind-blowing, I was wrong.
Tonight, Killian MacGregor rocked my universe.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The following weekend, Killian refused to take no for an answer, so I flew into Texas for his game. By now, I had several number twenty jerseys in home and away shades. I followed what happened on the field like a pro, but still had trouble watching Killian get tackled or sacked, as the case was in the second quarter. Killian got up instantly then threw a touchdown on the next play. Scorpions won thirty-two to fourteen.
The following week was a home game. Malory and I opted to sit down with the other wives and girlfriends. This allowed us to be obnoxiously loud and I discovered what a great cheerleader Malory actually was. I found myself watching our antics a time or two on the big screen and wondered if Killian saw us, too. The Scorpions won seven six, but Killian didn’t play well. I could see the fury rolling off him in waves by the end of the game and realized I needed to stay at my apartment that night.
He pulled me close in the locker room and we walked to his car. It surprised me when he drove to his house.
“I don’t mind going home, Killian,” I said when I figured out where we headed.
“You’re coming home with me.”
“It’s probably not a good idea.” I kept my voice even.
He didn’t say anything until we walked in his front door. “I’m grabbing a beer and heading to the pool. Join me if you want.”
Hmm, let’s
see. Go study for a coming test or spend an hour with a silent jackass. I chose studying. I actually made it thirty minutes before I couldn’t take it. I needed to know that he was okay.
Grabbing a beer, I headed outside. Killian’s powerful arms ate up the pool, lap after lap. I still wore my clothes, so I just dipped my feet in the water and watched. I had no idea how much time passed, but eventually Killian swam toward me and came up between my legs, dripping water.
“Hi,” I said shyly.
He didn’t answer, and before I knew what happened, I was submerged in the pool gasping for air when my head came out of the water.
“You dirty rat bastard,” I yelled.
“I love you.” His cold lips settled against mine.
The kiss went on and on. He removed my pants, which wasn’t easy because they were wet, and slipped his cock between my thighs and straight to where I needed it most. I wrapped my ankles around his waist, sinking my fingers tightly into his hair. This sex was somewhere between fucking and making love. I didn’t care which; I was just glad he responded.
After our breathing settled, Killian pulled me to the steps, arranging me between his legs. I leaned back into the warmth of his chest. It wasn’t cold, but a gentle wind blew across my wet body causing goose bumps on my arms. Killian wrapped himself around me and took away the chill.
“I sucked today.”
I wasn’t sure how to answer his statement. This was unchartered territory for me, so I just cuddled closer and squeezed his arms.
“Nothing fucking went right. I just wasn’t on my game. I didn’t feel it.”
I leaned away, turning slightly, and kissed his stubbled jaw.
“We have one of our best chances to get into the Super Bowl this year and we need me at my best.”
There was no way I was reminding him that the Scorpions won. I just continued kissing his chin and jaw, the side of his neck, his shoulder.
A small tug on my hair stopped me.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Of course I am.” I went back to kissing and nibbling.
“You.” He tugged my hair again. “Are not listening.”
“You didn’t feel it. Go on. I swear I heard every word.”
His chest rumbled against me and he laughed.
“I love you,” he said.
“You said that already.”