Home to Me (The Andrades, Book 2) (14 page)

He didn’t answer, and Rena couldn’t see if he nodded or not. She took a step out from behind the curtain only to hear the door behind it open and shut.

Nick was gone.

Rena was half tempted to chase after him, but that wasn’t part of their deal. She retook her seat and smoothed her dress down over her legs. The woman in the next area glared at her. Rena raised her hand to her hair and realized it was now hanging loose around her shoulders.

Rena smiled shamelessly at the disgruntled older woman.
Glare at me all you want, those passionate secret lovers down there would completely understand what I just did.

Nick had forever changed how Rena saw the opera. Suddenly the songs held more meaning, and the emotion, which formerly had seemed overdramatic, was now poignant. She understood the fear, the uncertainty, and the pleasure that could be found in giving in to a lust that could not be contained.

She stayed until the end, and for the first time cried at the sheer beauty of it.

***

After leaving the opera, Nick bypassed the bar and the VIP section of Skal. He found Serge in the club’s office and plopped onto the couch just inside the door. He knew he had a huge silly grin on his face but didn’t care.

Sex with Rena was better than any alcohol buzz. More addictive than any illegal substance. It made him feel—invincible.

“Well, you look pleased with yourself,” Serge said and left his desk to sit in a chair beside him. “Does that expression on your face come with a story?”

“No,” Nick said unapologetically. He propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of the him.

“Does she have a name?”

Nick shrugged. “Does it have to be about a woman?”

“No man looks that dopey happy for any other reason.”

Dopey happy. Well, that was as good a description as any. “Touché, but that’s all I’ll say. I actually care about this one.”

Serge propped his own feet up. “So you came here because you’re happy about something you can’t talk about?”

“Yes.” Nick’s smile widened.

“Is she married?”

“No.”

“Underage?”

“Hell no.”

“Actually a man, but you didn’t realize it until it was too late?” Nick laughed out loud, and Serge threw up his hands. “It happens more than you’d think,” he said, lightheartedly defending his suggestion. “But, hey, love is love. I don’t judge.”

“She’s not a man.” Nick relaxed deeper into the couch. “She’s more than I expected, that’s all.”

“Tell me you’re not talking about that sweet woman who came to see you here. That one I warned you to stay away from?”

Nick shrugged.

Serge slapped a hand on one of his thighs. “I knew you wouldn’t listen to me.”

Nick raised one eyebrow at Serge’s uncharacteristic display of emotion. “You’ve never cared who I’ve dated.”

Serge continued, “I’m trying to save you from making a mistake you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting. It never works out with men like us and women like that.”

Nick surged out of his seat. “I’m not doing this tonight. I
was
in a great mood.”

With a sad expression on his face, Serge stood slowly. “Wake up, Nick. You want the suburban dream—wife, house, kids—as much as a shark wants to bake on the beach. And that woman—”

“Rena.”

“Is the kind who won’t settle for less than a ring on her finger.”

“You don’t know her.”

“I know women.”

“Right. I’ve never seen you with the same one for more than a month.”

“Because I know myself, too. I tried to change for a woman once and ended up nearly destroying both of our lives. You’re heading down the same path.”

“I’m not you, Serge, and Rena knows the score. We’re having fun. No harm. No foul.”

“Hardheaded. Just like me.” Serge folded his arms on his chest and shook his head.

Nick sighed. Serge had been too good to him for too long for Nick to stay irritated with him. Unlike his family, Serge was uncomplicated. Nick didn’t second-guess his motives. If Serge was getting involved it meant he really was concerned. “How has business been?”

“Good. How about you? I heard you’re doing well at Cogent.”

Nick rolled back on his heels before answering. “It’s interesting. Gio is a powerhouse, and the company is ahead of the pack when it comes to finding new energy resources. I have a lot to learn, but it’s a challenge I’m enjoying.”

“So, you and your brother patched things up. That’s good.”

Nick grimaced. “Nothing has changed, but we have a truce for now. I’ve kept my visits with my mother brief. That helped immensely.”

“That’s what you came to talk about, isn’t it?”

Burying his hands in his pockets, Nick nodded. His questions weren’t about Rena—they were about how being with her affected everything else. “I thought I needed the truth to be happy, but maybe I don’t. I started working at Cogent to find answers, but I didn’t expect to enjoy being there. I look forward to going to work every day. Rena is part of the reason, but so is everything else about the job. Gio and I used to talk about running the company together one day. Do you think I’m nuts to believe that’s possible?”

“Ah, you’re asking the wrong man. I don’t talk to my family. I haven’t in twenty years.”

Nick rubbed his chin roughly.
That was my old solution.
With the security granted by the substantial trust fund his grandparents had left him, he’d never needed his brother’s approval. Walking away had always been easy. Too easy.

He was only now beginning to see what it had cost him.

Serge stood. “But you’re right—you’re not me, Nick. I don’t claim to understand why you want to be with people who drive you crazy, but you do. Just remember that seeking the truth about family is like looking at your ass when you’re over thirty. It always leaves you wishing you hadn’t.”

Nick covered both of his eyes with his hand and groaned. “That’s a vivid image I didn’t need.”

Serge chuckled. Nick joined him in a tension-relieving laugh. After a moment, Serge said, “Seriously, Nick, you came here for my opinion, so I’ll give it to you. End it now.”

“Working at Cogent?”

“And seeing your lady friend. Both situations have the potential of blowing up in your face.”

Nick had found his own answers merely by entertaining Serge’s response.

“It’s not that simple,” Nick responded. “I can’t walk away. No matter what the truth is. I see that now.” Then he walked away from Serge, heading out of the club. “And I won’t stay away from Rena.”

That would be like trying not to breathe.

Rena smiled and buried a tomato beneath a leaf of lettuce with a swipe of her fork, absently playing with her food. Even though she was having dinner with Kane and her parents, her mind was far away.

Would Nick call her that day?

What was he planning next?

Being with Nick was about more than the sex. She felt younger, sexier. There was a spring in her step that hadn’t been there for years, and keeping the reason for it a secret was killing her. She’d spent the morning smiling at strangers and boldly meeting the eyes of the owners of the coffee shop near her house. She could tell they knew what she and Nick had done on their premises. But rather than feeling embarrassed, Rena wanted to lean in and say, “You think that was shocking? You should see what we did at the opera.”

What had Nick said? “I’ll play by your rules if you play by mine.”

Oh, Nick, I like the way you play.

I like it a lot.

Her mother was retelling a week’s worth of charity-related stories. Her father was listening kindly, as if she hadn’t told him each story twice already. Kane was also dutifully attentive.

And I can’t wait to return to the city to see if there is a message waiting from Nick.

She playfully stabbed at the tomato. It sailed into the air and bounced off her mother’s shoulder. She knew she should apologize, but she was too busy reliving the feel of Nick’s hands, the heat of his lips on hers. Waiting to experience either again was sheer torture.

“Rena,” her mother said in gentle reprimand. When she didn’t instantly receive an apology, she studied her daughter more closely. “Would you like to talk about whatever is on your mind before I wear your entire salad?”

“What?” Rena said, still somewhat bemused by her thoughts as she laid her fork down beside her plate. “Oh, sorry. I guess I’m distracted today.”

“Out late last night?” her father asked, but his question held no bite. She’d never been a wild one so her parents didn’t worry.

“I went to the opera,” Rena said, a wide grin spreading across her face.

“I didn’t realize you liked it,” Kane said casually.

Rena bit her bottom lip. “I do now.”

Kane’s eyes narrowed at something in her expression.

Her mother leaned toward her and exclaimed, “You’re glowing. You met someone, didn’t you? What’s his name?”

Rena blushed. Her father sat back in his chair and beamed a smile at his wife. “I believe you’re right, Helen. But we shouldn’t pressure her. We kept our relationship a secret in the beginning and look how we turned out. Rena has impeccable taste. I’m sure we’ll love whomever she’s seeing.”

Helen took one of Rena’s hands in hers and said, “Just tell me, am I right? Are you seeing someone new?”

“Yes,” Rena admitted. At her mother’s exclamation of glee, Rena rushed to add, “But it’s not serious. We’ve only gone out a couple of times. I don’t want to say anything yet.”

Only Kane look displeased. “Is he someone we know?”

“Weren’t you listening, Kane? I don’t want to talk about him yet.”

Kane sat back, folded his arms across his chest, and said, “Will I want to wring his neck when I find out who he is?”

Helen laughed. “Thom,” she said, addressing her husband, “tell Kane to stop teasing his sister. Rena is old enough to date whoever she wants and to tell her brother to stuff it if he doesn’t like it.”

Rena’s father joined in the laughter. “Do you remember what Kane and Gio did to the first boy she brought home? How old were you, Rena?”

“Fourteen,” Rena said and rolled her eyes at the memory. “And they hung him over the porch railing by his ankles until he cried.”

Kane shrugged. “We wouldn’t have if he had taken our warning to be good to you seriously. He shouldn’t have smirked at us.”

Rena defended the young man whose name she had long since forgotten. Her mood was taking a spirally downward quickly. “He was probably nervous. The two of you were twice his size. Do you know how hard it was for me to get a date after that? No one wanted to come here.”

“If you’re waiting for me to feel badly about it, you’re out of luck. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if you brought him back.” Kane held her eyes and said, “I won’t apologize for protecting my sister.”

“I didn’t need your protection then, and I don’t want it now.” Rena pushed her plate back from her. “Can we talk about something else?”

Kane didn’t look happy about it, but he let the topic drop. Helen asked, “So, how is it at Cogent now that Nick is working there? That must have been a surprise for everyone.”

Kane growled. “Gio is making a huge mistake giving Nick the kind of access he has, but you know Gio—he sees what he wants to when it comes to Nick.”

Thom nodded sympathetically. “It’s best not to get involved, Kane. Let them figure this out on their own.”

“Figure what out? Nick is doing an excellent job,” Rena said, unable to stop herself.

“Of course he is,” Kane answered sarcastically. “Gio is spoon-feeding him success, hoping it’ll change him, but it won’t. Nick is there to start trouble. I hope Gio realizes that before Nick causes real damage.”

Rena tossed her napkin on the table and stood up. “I just lost my appetite. Excuse me.”

Kane pushed his chair back and also stood. “Where are you going, Rena?”

Their mother walked over and put a hand on Kane’s shoulder. “Let’s have a nice meal. Calm down, Kane. Rena, are you okay?”

Kane frowned at his mother. “I won’t calm down. Not while she’s making a huge mistake.”

“What are you talking about, Kane?” Helen asked softly.

“Don’t say it, Kane. Even if you disapprove, it’s my decision. Not yours,” Rena said angrily. “And I may not have been able to stop you when I was fourteen, but if you so much as lay a finger on the man I’m seeing, this will be the last Sunday dinner I share with you. I’m serious. Back off, Kane. This is important to me.”

Rena turned on her heel and walked away from the table. Behind her she heard her mother say, “Let her go, Kane. I’ll talk to her.”

Rena walked out of the dining room. She paused in the hall. Her emotions were all over the place. She was still feeling euphoric from the night before, but she was also furious with her brother. She regretted walking away from her parents, whom she knew would be worried.