Forever Distraction (Distraction #3) (12 page)

I pulled my robe tight around me
, attempting to create a shield as he trailed behind me all the way to the kitchen. I pivoted on my toes after I set the kettle on the burner, and he had his computer in front of him again, sitting at the table. It dawned on me for the first time that he really cared about me. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the counter, observing the widow’s peak of his black, thick, short hair until I heard the sound that my hot water was ready. I snagged two mugs from the cupboard and poured hot water in each. I plopped in the tea bags and made my way back over to my brother. I set it in front of him, and he peeked up at me with a grin. His eyes reached into mine and I felt something.

“
Do you know why I am supposed to marry Tommy?” I blurted out and Brian’s eyes widened, possibly just surprised to hear my voice. “It’s maddening.” I took a calming sip of my hot tea. “He doesn’t care if I don’t talk…come to think of it, nobody cares if I talk.” It was more of a mumble, and then I cleared my voice. “Why didn’t Grandfather tell me he was dying? Why did he leave
me
everything?” I knew I was rambling, and I knew by the shocked look in Brian’s eyes he was overwhelmed at my outburst of questions, but I continued, “I’m rich and powerful, but people treat me like a child, a spoiled little girl, and I’m sick of it”.

I
t had been close to four days without a word, and now my brain and my mouth were finally free. “I need to stop thinking, Brian; that’s all I do, think.” Brian was wide-eyed, and I knew he thought about things like I did. I knew he understood me. “I think I need to have sex.” He blinked, and the moment passed slowly as he continued to deliberately blink…and blink. “When’s the last time you had sex?” I asked, and his response was another blink, and then the shift of his eyes. “That’s the only time my mind is free.”

I closed my eyes thinking a
bout sex with Jason, how yummy he was; maybe I should call him, and maybe I could forgive what an asshole he was for one day just to have as much sex with him as possible. My eyes fluttered open and my older brother remained silent, only our eyes communicating. He was telling me to grow up; I was telling him he was bossy. I broke our eye contact and took another drink, Brian’s eyes burning straight through me. I cleared my throat and continued, “Why are you here?” I returned his intimidating stare, challenging him to answer.

“I told you
; you had a bad dream and called out to me.” He smoothed the napkin in front of him before he laced his hand around the mug slowly, cautiously, and that was when I knew he was lying. His actions were methodical, practiced, and deliberate, a Covington trait.

“No
, I mean why did you come
here
? Don’t you live an hour from here?”

H
e remained calm and cool, totally in control, but I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes and it gave him away. I was close to the truth, and he was nervous because of it. “I missed you.” He flashed me a devilish smile and I had to laugh. He was attempting to manipulate me with the words he thought I wanted to hear.

“
Bullshit.
Don’t forget I know you better than anyone else, and you’re lying. Don’t waste your time talking if you’re going to lie to me. I can turn it off just like you, big brother, so don’t fuck with me.” 

It was h
is turn to laugh; his body relaxed, and he looked at me with something different, something resembling respect. “You make pie now?”

What the hell?
“Don’t change the subject.”  Avoidance and diversion were other Covington skills.

“I am just pointing out people can change
. You make pies and I want to get to know my sister. I need to know her and protect her.” I studied his eyes for a long time, searching for something, but he was neutral and fully composed.

“R
ight,” I spoke, breaking the ominous silence. “Do you know why I am supposed to marry Tommy?”

“That’s your question
. Maybe you should ask if I think you
should
marry Thomas.” 

I didn’t want to know what he thought about that
. My eyes shifted around the room as silence engulfed us. “I’m going out.” I hopped up, loving the idea of freedom. I was disappointed with Brian’s lack of enthusiasm. It was frustrating no one thought I could take care of myself. “I’m going to grab Smith Two. I’ll catch up with you in the morning.”  I tossed him a waved over my shoulder while exiting the kitchen.

I
stopped in the hall to text Smith Two on the way to my bedroom. I was dressed and ready to go in fifteen minutes. I grabbed a tiny red dress from my closet, put on black heels, and threw my hair in a loose bun. I met him outside the door to my bedroom. He wore a suit and a thin black tie.

“Go change
; this is pleasure. You’re not on the clock.”  His eyes widened, his brow raised, and then a crease in his right cheek followed a half-smile. His gray eyes fell and skimmed my dress, but he remained motionless. “That’s okay,” I whispered as my hands found a path up the front of his white dress shirt covering his chest, slipping under his jacket at his thick shoulders and flicking it off. The jacket fell heavily with a loud thump to the ground. He must have had his pockets full of metal. He stood completely frozen, which made me smile.

My body was pressed against his
, and there was something so familiar about his strong, hard body, which made me feel alive. Maybe it was his heat or the constantly flexing muscles, but there was something I was at home with about the feel of his body. I removed his black tie next, tugging and pulling it slowly. His face was so close to mine I thought about what it would be like to kiss him. Smith Two had a military background, and his buzz cut and serious, hard face reminded me of someone ready for combat. I lifted the tie off his neck and over his head. His kind eyes found mine as I unbuttoned the first two buttons of his dress shirt.

“That
’s much better,” I breathed, giving him a very seductive smile as he licked his full lips. I handed him his tie and bent over to retrieve his weighted-down, fallen jacket. He turned and marched to the bedroom down the hall, placed the items inside the door, and then returned to my side. I watched his quiet movements. His body was full of power and confidence. I immediately felt heat spread everywhere throughout my body. I missed that feeling; I took a moment to soak up that intoxicating high.

He stopped just short of me and I
led us to the garage. My grandfather had a nice selection of vintage cars and it had been two weeks since I drove anything. I passed my brother on the way; he peered up and arched his black eyebrow at me.

“We
’ll be back. Don’t wait up.” I flashed him a full-knowing smile.

“Shit
, Katarina…I liked it better when you weren’t talking.” His annoyance was obvious. I felt tension radiating off him when he stepped in stride with me.

“Well
,” my voice was snotty and laced with sarcasm, “I can make an exception and not talk to you, if that makes you happy.”

He
blew out an exhausted sigh. “Where’s Smith?” he questioned and I glanced at him, wanting to inform him I was not Smith’s keeper.

“It doesn’t matter. Smith
Two is going to go with me.”

“Crew
.” Brian and I halted and both glanced at Smith Two.

“Crew,” I repeated
, thinking,
Just like his haircut
. A huge smile followed and I fluttered my eyelashes. I could flirt. I was so lonely, and Crew looked like the man to cure that loneliness. My brother caught my open gawking.

“I’m coming
,” Brian spat out through clenched teeth, causing my head to snap toward him.

“No worries
, Brian, Crew will stay really close to me, you know…to keep me safe.” I tossed him a coy smile, hoping he would stifle the protective-big-brother thing.

Brian flashed me a warning look to tell me to tame the flirt
ation. “What is wrong with you?” he grumbled.

I grabbed the keys to the Shelby Cobra
first, but now I had to pick something that wasn’t a two-seater. I grabbed the ones to the Mustang GT500. I opened the garage and hurried over to it, excitement bubbling through me. All of these cars were mine—mine to choose from, mine to drive. The Mustang was one of my grandfather’s favorites, a 1967. I could hear him talking about it, but right now, all I remembered was how fast she was. I got in the driver’s seat and fired it up. The two men hopped in after. Brian sat next to me, and Crew was in the backseat.

I back
ed out slowly, ignoring my brother and his unhelpful comments about how I was going to hit something. Once I cleared the long driveway, I floored it. The car squealed in delight as the back-end fishtailed; the slight vibration that filled me as I stepped on the pedal was like a shot of caffeine. I felt excited and liberated, and the only thing that could make this moment better was if I was driving alone and completely naked. It was just after midnight, and no one else was on the road to get in the way of my joyride. My brother gave me directions to his favorite club. I followed his instructions, not really caring about the destination, but enjoying the journey.

I handed the keys off to the valet reluctantly. Both
of my passengers had the doors opened before I came to a complete stop, which had me laughing.
Scaredy cats.

“Brian,
” my eyes found his, “thanks for coming.” A slow smile stretched over his pretty-boy face. I slipped my arm through Crew’s and pulled him with me. Brian led us through the VIP line that gave us a direct link to the club without waiting. The club was booming even outside, our feet feeling the sound as we entered. It was dark, with flashing multicolored lights, and there were some dim lights over the bar areas that spread in an oval in the center of the large room.

“Crew
, do you know how to dance?” I coaxed. He glanced at Brian and it crushed me. “Oh
shit,
you’re gay.” I stopped dead in my tracks, reeling from my previous thoughts of wanting to kiss him, and from feeling his strong muscles under his jacket. That was definitely sexual harassment.

Crew
doubled back to me, giving me something that resembled a half-smile. “No, Ms. Covington, I am
not
gay.”

I only heard possibility and grinned at the challenge.
“Kat,” I offered, “if I call you Crew, you call me Kat.”  My brother huffed in my ear, signaling he was growing annoyed. Then, he grabbed my elbow and steered me through the crowded club to a table, acting like he was suddenly Brother of the Year and I was underage. “Sit,” he ordered.

Fuck him
!
“No.” I shoved him and defiantly pushed my way across the room, wiggling my way to the front of the bar. It took a moment to gather my angered emotions. The bartender winked at me, letting me know he was ready for my order. “Something with strawberries and alcohol,” I called to him over the loud music.

“I will have a beer,
whatever’s on tap,” Brian yelled from over my shoulder. He offered the man in the stool next to me money to ‘get lost’. Surprisingly, it worked, and Brian was once again in my space. “Kat,” he said and then paused, waiting for me to acknowledge him, “I’m not sure why you’re flirting with your bodyguard, but knock it
the fuck
off. You are better than this.” The bartender smiled at me, overhearing my brother’s words as he settled the drinks in front of us. It was my turn to wink, causing a winning grin on his end.

I finished my drink
, staring at Brian, studying him.
Did Brian really just cuss?
My brother had a little bad boy in him after all. I set the glass down and wiped my upper lip with the back of my hand, cleaning the remnants off, knowing that action would annoy him further. He liked the proper and the perfect, like my father did, nice and tidy with no ugly wrinkles, so the idea I had stickiness on the back of my perfectly smooth Covington skin was provoking him. I tapped my finger on my lip; his eyes were glued to the strawberry drink’s leftovers, and I wondered if I could make him curse again.

“I want another drink
,” I told him, and Brian flicked his wrist at the bartender, pointing to my drink, and seconds later, I had another one in front of me. I stirred it slowly, calculating my next move carefully. “How’s your sex life, Brian?” He set his drink down, and a slow smile spread over his face like I revealed a punchline to a joke. “Seriously, Bri, you’ve never felt like this before? I want to have sex—let me rephrase that, I am going to have sex tonight. So, unless you have a better choice, Crew…” I glanced around, finding the new object of my desire standing against the far wall directly behind me, “…is going to be the lucky guy.” I lifted my glass to him and winked. Crew held my eye contact and did an adorable chin lift.

Brian must have noticed the whole interaction
, because he grabbed my arm, jerking me from my thoughts. “
Fuck,
Kat, you need to knock it off. You’re all of a sudden acting like a Disney actress on crack.” I giggled; I had to. He cursed again! My proper brother cussed, and I loved him more because of it. My laughter was cut short when I saw my father. Brian must have followed my vision, because his eyes were glued to the booth containing my father and a pretty blonde.