All's Fair in Love and Blood: A Romantic Comedy Novel

by Jennifer Peel

  “Your father will be happy to hear that.” She stood.

  “Do you really need to tell him that?” I was annoyed and admittedly embarrassed that Auggie thought Kane and I were sleeping together. Sure, Kane was probably a professional at it . . . I mean, not a paid professional because that would be illegal, but you know what I mean.

  Naomi thought for a moment. “You’re right; it’s none of your father’s business, though I’ve never heard him so worried about you. The fact that he called me says it all.”

  They hadn’t spoken in years. I think the last time they’d seen each other was at my high school graduation.

  “I don’t understand why he’s decided to take an interest in me all of a sudden.”

  She squeezed my hand. “Honey, can’t you see how afraid he is of losing you to another man?”

  “It’s been a few dates. I don’t think Kane is thinking long term.” Though that did sound amazing.

  “That may be, but your father knows eventually there will be a man who will think exactly that. Augustus, for all his failings, can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

  If only that were true. My eyes pricked with tears. “How can you defend him after the way he treated you?”

  “Same reason you’re interning for him and plan to specialize in the wrong field of pathology.”

  I wiped at a few tears that had escaped my eyes. “Why do we love him?”

  She wrapped her arms around me. “Because, honey, once in a while we get glimpses of who he really is, and it’s incredible.” She spoke so reverently.

  “Do you still have hope for the two of you?”

  She leaned away, her eyes wide. “I would be a fool to.”

  “Are you a fool?” I asked with a smile.

  “A big one.” She stood and straightened her lab coat. “Anyway, I won’t tell your father about your sex life. If he wants to know, he can ask you.”

  I appreciated that, even though there was nothing to tell. “Can I ask you something?” I squinted.

  “Anything.”

  “Okay, so this is kind of embarrassing, but I don’t know who else to talk to about these things.”

  Naomi gave me her full attention.

  I closed my eyes before I lost my nerve and blurted, “Do men really love to have their nipples kissed?”

  Naomi spat out a laugh.

  My eyes flew open, and she covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

  “I’m sorry, honey, you caught me off guard.”

  “It’s stupid; forget about it.”

  “You know my rule: all questions have merit.” She leaned against her desk and tilted her head. “Is that something Kane wants you to do?” She cringed a bit.

  “No.” I laughed. “I watched a YouTube video about how to kiss like a goddess, and the guy said it drove men wild.”

  Naomi pressed her lips together like she was holding back another laugh. She cleared her throat before she said, “Well, I suppose for some men that might be a turn-on, but the best advice I can give you is to kiss like Scarlett. You don’t need to be anyone you’re not. You do what makes you comfortable.”

  “That’s what Kane said.”

  “Sounds like a good man.”

  “He is.”

  “I’m happy for you, honey. Of course, I’m going to want to meet him.”

  “I want you to meet him too. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him.”

  “Don’t apologize. I can understand wanting to keep him to yourself. There is something about new love.”

  I rubbed my neck. “I’m not in l . . . love,” I stuttered.

  She grinned. “I should hope not, but don’t be afraid of it if it comes your way.”

  Kane and me in love? Sounded farfetched and scary to me.

  Sharing Secrets

  I kept glancing at the coffee table and smiling at the list we had made in between watching Confessions of a Forensic Pathologist on my laptop, with Kane working next to me on his. He had a big presentation at work on Monday, but he still wanted to hang out. It was our last weekend together before Auggie and Eva came home tomorrow night. I tried not to think about it. Instead, I focused on all the things Kane and I had planned for the summer, written out in permanent ink. Everything from the World of Coca-Cola to hiking Stone Mountain. It was going to be a great summer. It already had been more amazing than I could have ever imagined.

  I kept sneaking peeks of Kane typing away. The evening sun filtered into the sunroom, illuminating him. He truly looked like a vision and added to the beauty of this space made of mostly windows with the prettiest view of our pool. It was a place often neglected in the house, given the outdated rattan furniture, but that was part of its charm. And it was a good spot to be alone when I needed to be. Tonight, though, I was grateful to share it with Kane, even if it was mostly in silence. In the silence there was peace.

  He caught me staring at him and leaned over for a quick kiss. “I’m almost done, I promise.”

  “Take all the time you need.”

  He tilted his head. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  He tugged on some of my curls. “This is why I like you so much. Most women I’ve dated would be throwing a fit by now.”

  “Maybe you should date different women,” I teased, sort of. I wanted to say, “Only date me.” With that said, I couldn’t understand why any woman would be upset. Kane didn’t have to make time for me tonight, but he had anyway. In fact, he always seemed to make time for me.

  “Scarlett, you are different in all the right ways.”

  “Are you saying I’m unusual?” I smiled.

  “Very.” He kissed me before turning back to his work.

  Feeling content, I focused back on Landon, the host of Confessions of a Forensic Pathologist. Landon was suddenly not as attractive to me anymore. Of course, I was still super into his show, he just didn’t seem to shine as bright compared to Kane. Still, he could suck me in with his brainpower. He was working on an unsolved case in Maryland. He was describing how the trail had gone cold, but he’d found two pieces of obscure nonhuman hair on the victim’s clothes that had been stored in evidence bags for two decades.

  I sat on the edge of my seat while they analyzed the hair and ran DNA tests. The hairs were from an otterhound, a rare breed of dog from England. The victim’s neighbor at the time happened to be from Great Britain and owned two otterhounds.

  “Genius,” I whispered. I literally got tingles when they were able to obtain a DNA sample from the old neighbor and compare it against the DNA found at the crime scene. It was a match. Tears filled my eyes when Landon was able to finally tell the victim’s family what had happened to their daughter and that her killer would be brought to justice.

  Kane set his laptop to the side and scooted closer to me. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Just happy.”

  “It must be some show.”

  I turned toward him. “It is. The power of science is a beautiful thing. Forensics is an unsung hero.”

  Kane gave me a thoughtful smile. “You know, you could be that superhero, if you wanted to.”

  Oh, I did. But . . . I couldn’t. I lowered my head and sighed.

  Kane gently tipped my chin up with his finger. “What’s holding you back?”

  “I told you already.”

  He swiped my bangs. “I think there’s more to the story. You’re hiding more secrets behind those gorgeous eyes of yours.”

  I went rigid, stunned that he could read me so well. How did he do that?

  “Tell me,” he whispered in my ear.

  A shiver ran deeply through me, and when I looked into his inviting eyes, I found words falling out of my mouth before I could stop them. “You’re right, it’s not only Auggie. I’ve never told anyone this, but my senior year in high school, I was on track to be the valedictorian.” I bit my lip, still ashamed. “The thought of having to give a speech with everyone lookin
g at me was too much. So . . . I . . . uh . . . purposely got a C in Latin.”

  Kane’s brows shot up.

  “I know,” I answered the shock on his face. “Auggie was disappointed.” Disappointed was an understatement. It was as if I had failed him. “He even went to the school and demanded to see every test and assignment I’d turned in, knowing there had to be some mistake. He was upset I hadn’t come to him and told him I was struggling. How could I when my struggle wasn’t with Latin but with myself?” my voice cracked.

  Kane cupped my cheek with his hand.

  I leaned into his hand and soaked in the comfort he was silently giving me. “So, you see, as much as I would love to do what Naomi and people like Landon Drummond do, I’m afraid of being in the spotlight or taking the stand in a court case. I don’t want people looking at me.”

  Kane leaned in and rested his forehead against mine. “Darlin’, I hate to tell you this, but it’s hard not to notice you. And it’s more than your physical beauty. I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ve never been so drawn to someone.”

  I leaned away, unable to believe him. “That can’t be true. I’ve seen the pictures of your girlfriends on Facebook.” More like supermodels.

  Kane chuckled. “Are you stalking me on Facebook?”

  My face burned. “Yes,” I admitted quietly.

  “Why didn’t you friend me?”

  I shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to.”

  He reached over to the side table and grabbed his phone, clicking on a few things with a wicked grin. “I believe you have a new friend request.”

  I nudged him with my arm. “I don’t really use Facebook much.”

  He nodded toward our list. “I have a feeling you’re about to be tagged in several posts.”

  I stared at him, wondering if this was a dream. I brushed my fingers against his stubbled cheek to make sure he was real.

  He caught my hand and held it between us. “Scarlett, promise me you won’t ever throw away your chance at being at the top again for fear you’ll be seen. You don’t have to struggle alone.”

  Without thinking, for once, or worrying I was doing the wrong thing, my lips fell on his. It was the only thing I could think to do to convey how much his presence and encouragement meant to me. Not to mention how his touch made me want to be seen, and not only by him.

  Kane didn’t hesitate to wrap me in his arms and press us closer together. My arms naturally wound around his neck. It was weird how it had become second nature to kiss Kane. I let instinct take over when Kane parted my lips and tasted me. When my hands wove through his hair, he groaned deeply and released my lips to trail kisses down my neck. He took his time brushing my skin with his lips and tongue. He had me shaking from the pleasure of it.

  “Scarlett,” he whispered between kisses, but then his lips suddenly departed from my neck.

  I leaned away and noticed his gaze was directed outside. I could see an idea forming in his head.

  “What would you think of taking this out to the pool?” He seemed hesitant to ask.

  I pulled away from him and blinked a million times. “You want to go swimming?”

  He gave me a devilish grin. “We could swim, too, while we’re in the water,” he teased.

  There was suddenly no air to breathe. All I could think about was being in the water with Kane and all the possibilities. But mainly, I was thinking that I would be in a swimming suit and unable to hide a thing from him.

  “Do you even have a suit?” I stuttered, half hoping he would say no but excited about the possibility of seeing him in swim trunks.

  “I always keep a pair in my gym bag in my car.”

  “Oh,” I squeaked.

  “If this makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to.”

  It did make me uncomfortable, though not because of him. It was always me. Always my insecurities. But how was I ever going to get over them unless I faced them? “You know I’m not a supermodel under my clothes, right?” I stalled some more while I contemplated my fate.

  “Scarlett,” he groaned, “you’re beautiful. Do you want to go swimming or not?”

  I did. I really, really, really wanted to.

  Kane dared me with his soulful chocolate, caramel eyes to metaphorically and physically jump in the water with him. Be brave, I begged myself.

  I exhaled loudly. “I’ll meet you in the pool.” Yikes.

  In Hot Water

  After some major hyperventilation, a quick shave of my legs and underarms, and staring at myself in the mirror in my one-piece black swimsuit that was supposed to flatten my middle—false advertising, by the way—I tiptoed out to the pool wearing a cover-up over the lying swimsuit. Yes, my thighs were clapping for me, but this was one time I could have done without their applause. Especially when I got a look at Kane, glorious Kane, in the pool. Oh. My. Heavens. I was in heaven. The water wasn’t the only thing rippling. His abs had ripples for days, and his tan, wet skin was like a beacon begging me to come into the water.

  Going in meant taking off the protective shield that was hiding all my imperfections. But it also meant being in Kane’s arms.

  Kane swam over to the edge closest to me and dared me with his smile to join him. When I didn’t heed his silent call, he motioned with his finger.

  Inch by inch, I moved forward through the warm evening air and across the brick paved path. The orange-and-pink sunset reflected in the water, lighting my way to Kane. When I finally made it to the pool, I sat on the edge and let only my feet and legs dangle in the water.

  Kane stood in front of me and rubbed his hands up my silky legs, leaving a trail of goose bumps. “You’ve come this far. Join me.”

  I tucked some tendrils of loose hair behind my ear and closed my eyes before taking off my glasses and painstakingly removing the cover-up. Once it was off, I held it to me like a lifeline.

  Kane grabbed it and tossed it to the side before pulling me into the water with him, obviously done waiting for me to get my act together. I didn’t feel the cool water; I was only aware of Kane’s body pressed against mine. I wasn’t sure what to do with my hands, though they were itching to touch his chest. Stupidly, I giggled when my eyes zeroed in on his nipples. That dumb video played in my head.

  “You find me funny,” he teased.

  I looked up and caught his intense gaze. “No,” I breathed out. “I find you to be serious, and that scares me.”

  “I’m very serious about you, Scarlett. Here’s a little secret—that scares me too.”

  “I scare you?”

  “Very much.” He nuzzled my ear. “By the way, you’re gorgeous.”

  I braved resting my hands on his taut, smooth chest. It was magical. He was magical. I prayed he didn’t disappear.

  “Now, where were we?” He let down my hair before backing me up against the edge of the pool.

  My hands slid up his chest. I was pleased to see his skin rise. I’d always enjoyed using the pool, but this went way beyond any pleasure I’d ever gotten from swimming—the one sport I was decent at, only because I’d fallen into the pool when I was three, and, according to Naomi, my father had jumped in to save me in his business suit. From that day forward, I was in swimming lessons for years and years and I was never allowed to swim alone, not even in high school.

  Kane was by far the best swimming companion I’d ever had.

  Kane wasted no time finding my lips with his. Wet from the water, his lips glided easily across mine. When he parted my lips, I could taste the salt from the water mixed with cinnamon. His hands found my hair, where they got all tangled up as our tongues danced together. His kisses made me feel so flushed, I felt like we were in a hot tub. Minute upon minute upon minute, he consumed my lips and captured my soul.

  Like always, he abruptly stopped and pushed himself away from me. We both had to catch our breath.

  “Maybe we should do a few laps,” he suggested.

  This time I knew it wasn’t because he didn’t want
to be with me—it was because he wanted me. It was a lovely feeling to be wanted and to want. More than that, I appreciated him not pushing me to go further than I was comfortable with right now. Yet he didn’t treat me like a child; he saw me as a woman, and for once so did I.

  “Should we race?” I teased. I was a decent swimmer at best, but it seemed like something a couple would do together. Not that we were a couple. We didn’t have a title. Which was fine. Though I admit I did hope we would become Facebook official or something.

  He chuckled. “I don’t want to humiliate you.”

  “It sounds like you’re afraid.”

  “Darlin’, those are fighting words.”

  “Okay. Ready, set, go,” I rushed to say and dove into the water, trying to catch him off guard. When I came up for a breath, he was right by my side, laughing and trying to pull me back. “You’re a little cheater.”

  I was only trying to take all the help I could get. I knew Kane would be able to outswim me. He was quite the specimen and obviously worked out, by the state of his lean, toned body.

  We only made it to the other side of the pool before I found myself back in Kane’s arms, laughing.

  He brushed back my hair and looked me over as if he were amazed. “I’m definitely the winner.”

  I knew he wasn’t speaking of our pseudo-race. I felt his words in my very being, making me feel as if I were the victor.

  “Every winner deserves a prize.” I found myself flirting. I deserved a high five for that line. Good job, Scarlett.

  “Mmm. I like the way you think.” He leaned in, his lips hovering so closely, teasing me with beautiful anticipation before they landed on mine.

  This time, it was me who pressed my body against his and let my hands take their liberties. Of course, just as I was getting comfortable, we had unexpected company, breaking Kane and me apart.

  Auggie cleared his throat so loudly, I thought he might have coughed up a lung.

  I whipped my head in his direction. Kane took my hand under the water, as if he knew I would need to be steadied.

  “Auggie,” I said, out of breath. “What are you doing home already?”