A Private Affair (16 page)

She doesn’t have to find out yet and her brother hasn’t said anything.

You know he will and what will you do when he tells her who gave him the scar that nearly killed him?

Kenric put the face towel back. Letting her go was the wisest choice, a noble one. It would be best for both of them. He opened the door, feeling drained and defeated, suddenly he felt her arms around him as she hugged him close. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

At first he didn’t move, too stunned to respond. She’d been waiting there for him? He gathered her close, knowing he wasn’t going to be wise and he didn’t care about being noble. He had her and he wasn’t going to let her go.

Joshua hated having surprise visitors, especially at night. Especially this late at night. He glanced at the clock and said a few choice words. He made sure to juggle his women so that they never ran into each other and he’d trained each one not to appear on his doorstep unannounced. So he was very annoyed when his doorbell rang close to eleven o’clock. He glanced at the beautiful woman by his side, who looked as annoyed as he felt. “Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of whoever it is.”

“You’d better make it quick,” she purred, rubbing her foot down his leg.

He grabbed his robe and winked. “You won’t even know I’m gone.” He rushed to the door then swore when he saw his brother, but all words of anger died on his lips when he saw his face.

Fear gripped his heart. “What happened?”

Kenric avoided his gaze. When he spoke his voice was barely a whisper. “I met him again.”

He didn’t need to elaborate. They both knew who ‘he’ was. They’d never dignify him with a name. The fact that he was human was bad enough. “Are you sure it was him?”

He nodded.

“Josh?” a female voice called from the hallway.

“Not now,” he said.

Kenric stiffened. “Damn, I’m sorry. I should have realized you’d have company.” He forced a smile. “A single man has rules, right?”

Joshua didn’t care about getting laid right now, all he cared about was the look on his brother’s face. “She can keep.” He turned to her. “I’ve got some business, keep yourself occupied.”

She made a face then returned to the bedroom.

Kenric ran a tired hand down his face. “I’ve been avoiding Carissa for two days, but I shouldn’t have come here.”

“I’m glad you did,” Joshua said leading his brother over to a seat. He poured a drink then handed him the glass. Kenric absently took it, but didn’t raise it to his lips.

Joshua took a long swallow then sat in front of him, feeling both frightened and angry. One moment feeling like a kid again; the next, like a man who wanted revenge. “When did you see him? Where? How?”

“Just recently.” Kenric laughed without humor. “I actually had dinner with him and his wife.”

“The bastard’s married?”

“Expecting a kid too.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I wish I were.” Kenric looked down at the glass then mumbled, “He’s Carissa’s brother.”

Joshua leaned in closer, sure he’d misunderstood. “What? It sounded like you said he’s Carissa’s brother.”

Kenric nodded. “Yes, that’s what I said.

He swore.

Kenric nodded again. “Exactly.”

Joshua slapped his leg. “I knew it! The moment she nearly broke my wrist I should have known Miss Crazy was bad news.”

“She’s not crazy,” Kenric said in a quiet voice.

Joshua decided now wasn’t the time to tease him. “So how are you going to dump her? Do you need me to give you some tips?”

Kenric set the glass aside. “I’m not going to dump her.”

“You may not want to,” Joshua said, choosing his words carefully. “But you have to. You can’t see her again. It will hurt less if you make it clean and quick. You kick her sweet ass to the curb and find something sweeter to warm your bed. Kenric?” he said when his brother remained silent and kept his gaze focused on the ground.

“I heard you,” he said in a too soft tone.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re listening. I don’t care how you feel about her right now. It will pass. You can’t be connected with a guy like that.”

He closed his eyes. “I know.”

“So stop things now.”

He rested his head back. “I can’t.”

“Of course you can,” Joshua said hating the look of defeat on his brother’s face. “You had your little fun with her now leave. It’s not like she can track you down. Even if she did, she has no claim on you.”

“I know.” He shook his head. “But I can’t.”

“Kenric, she’s nobody.”

Kenric’s gaze sharpened as did his tone. “She’s somebody to me.”

“I don’t know what her hold is over you, but she’ll ruin your life. That’s your problem. You get serious too fast. You’ll be bringing in a whole lot of heartache that isn’t worth it.”

“She’s not part of what happened.”

“How do you know? You said she’s his older sister right? You think she’s completely ignorant of his past? Do you think she didn’t know what he was up to?”

“No, she didn’t know her ex was dealing drugs either.”

Joshua’s voice cracked in surprise. “She has an ex who’s a dealer?”

“Was.”

“Is he dead?”

“He’s in jail.”

Joshua stared at his brother stunned. “And you believe her? Are you really that naïve? Is her flesh so sweet that you’ve lost your mind? I mean, the way you’re defending her you’d think you were ready to marry her.”

When his brother didn’t reply, he swore fiercely and stood. “You can sleep with her all you want, but you can’t do that.”

Kenric lifted his drink and took a long swallow then said, “Why not?”

“Do you really want to tie your life to a woman like that?”

He set the glass down and kept his gaze lowered.

“Because the moment you put a ring on her finger,” Joshua continued. “You lose me as a brother.”

Kenric met his gaze. “Is that a threat?”

Joshua stared back. “It’s a promise.”

***

He’d been acting strange the last several days. At first she’d thought he was coming down with something, then he’d told her he was busy and she hadn’t seen him for two days, except for brief sightings at work. Then yesterday he knocked on her front door holding a beautiful set of diamond earrings, said he missed her and then made love to her as if he’d been away for years. She couldn’t complain, but she didn’t understand him. For a moment she’d been worried that Lina’s fiasco had made him change his mind about her, or maybe teasing him about becoming her third husband was no longer funny. But now he seemed more resolved than ever to be a couple, even talking about their future together.

Carissa looked over at Kenric as he slept. Aside from his odd behavior, he also had a very strange habit of sleeping
underneath
the pillow.

“How come every time I wake up I find your head under the pillow?” she asked the next morning as they prepared to eat breakfast. She grinned. “Do I snore or something?”

Kenric poured orange juice into two glasses, a soft smile touching his lips.

Carissa stared at him horrified. “I do not snore!”

He put the carton of orange juice away and carried the glasses to the table. “Yes, you do.”

“No one has ever told me I snore.”

“They were being polite,” he said taking a seat. “This looks great,” he said looking at the fresh fruit and pancakes.

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t spend the night anymore, if sleeping over is so awful for you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of a solution. I’m getting earplugs.”

She sat down and grabbed the plate of pancakes before he could reach them. “I don’t snore so loud that you need—”

He reached for his phone. “Do you want proof?”

Carissa blinked and set the plate down. “You recorded me?”

“I thought you looked cute. You only do it when you’re lying on your back.”

“I sleep on my side.”

“You start on your side, but usually end up on your back and then it’s…” He held his head back and made loud snoring sounds.

Carissa folded her arms. “I do not sound like that.”

Kenric laughed and grabbed his phone. “I’m being nice. Do you really want to see?”

She jumped up and snatched it from him. “No, and isn’t that invasion of privacy?”

“I’m not posting it on the web, I just wanted evidence.”

She set the phone down. “I think you’re making it up to annoy me.” She narrowed her eyes and pointed at him. “Maybe you put your head under the pillow because you’re afraid of the dark and you don’t want to admit it.”

He nodded looking serious. “I am afraid of the dark, especially when it sounds like I’m sleeping next to a giant grizzly bear.”

“A statement like that and you’ll get your home cooked meals privileges revoked.”

Kenric rested his chin in his hand, closed his eyes and made more snoring sounds.

“I mean it,” Carissa said embarrassed, but unable to stop a laugh at his ridiculous impression.

His snoring impression grew louder.

She crunched up a napkin and threw it at him. “You’re an idiot.”

He laughed and picked up his fork. “Okay, I’ll stop teasing you. You’re right. You don’t snore—”

“I knew it.”

“That loud,” he finished, then winked at her.

***

The following day Carissa went to the convenience store to find snoring remedies and was in the health aisle looking at breathing strips when she saw Lina. She ducked, hoping she didn’t see her. She wasn’t in the mood to talk.

Lina came around the corner. “I thought I saw you. What are you doing?” She looked at the box in Carissa’s hand. “Someone having snoring problems?”

Carissa straightened. “No, I was just looking for a friend.”

“You know I heard of one anti-snoring remedy that costs nothing.”

“What?” Carissa asked more curious than she wanted to be.

“Lose weight.”

Oh how I hate you sometimes.
“I see.”

“It’s true. It’s scientifically proven. It’s something your friend may want to think about.”

“Hmmm.”

“Or just get rid of the man who’s complaining about it. I know Morris didn’t try to make you change.”

“I told you this is—”

“Come on, we’re family and we both know this is for you. It’s always a bad sign when a man makes you feel bad about yourself.”

Carissa motioned her closer. “Okay, spill it. What do you have against Kenric?”

“I didn’t say—” She stopped when Carissa fixed her with a hard stare. “I just don’t think he’s a good match for you. He doesn’t fit in with us the way Morris did. Even your brother doesn’t really like him, although he won’t admit it. He usually gets on with just about everyone.” She patted her stomach. “And the thought of a my little boy calling a man like Kenric ‘Uncle’ just sends shivers through me.”

“You haven’t said anything that makes sense. I’m sorry you don’t like him,” Carissa said not meaning a word of it. “Because
I
do and that’s not going to change.”

She went to the cashier and bought the breathing strips feeling both annoyed and hurt. She didn’t care what Lina thought of Kenric, but she was surprised that her brother had felt the same. She thought again about his strange response to meeting Kenric for the first time. What had that been about? Part of her wanted to ask him, but the other half didn’t want to know the answer. Had she made another mistake that they saw and she didn’t? She was a grown woman, she didn’t need their approval and she wasn’t going back to Morris just because they liked him better. But would their disapproval eventually drive Kenric away?

“He’s got her buying breathing strips,” Lina told Glenn the moment he came through the front door after work.

“What?”

“Breathing strips. You know that thing to put over your nose to stop you from snoring,” she said demonstrating the application. “That man she’s seeing is forcing her to buy some.”

“So what?”

“He’s trying to change her. Morris never had her doing that.”

“Lina,” he said in a tired voice. “Leave it alone.”

“I know you don’t like him either, so stop defending him. Every time I mention his name you stiffen. You want to get rid of him as much as I do.”

More,
he wanted to say, but didn’t. Riverton had rattled him, especially two days ago when he’d shown up at his office. He had been on lunch break, standing outside, enjoying one of the cigarettes he’d told his wife he’d stopped smoking when Riverton came up behind him.

“You didn’t think I remembered you, did you?” he’d said.

Glenn didn’t turn. He took a long drag on the cigarette, letting the sensation burn his lungs, trying to assess his next move. “My sister doesn’t know.”