by J. S. Scott
“Why?” Asha asked him, confused.
Kade shrugged. “Because it’s stuff you need and don’t appear to have.”
When she just continued to look at him dumbfounded, Kade started digging in the bags, dragging out items one by one. “You need a phone.” He handed her the latest model iPhone. “And a laptop.” He removed the computer from the box and set it on her lap. “You can’t run a business without the basics.” Tossing another bag to her, he said mischievously, “And a few other necessities. Not exactly seductive bedroom attire, but it’s an appropriate nightgown since you’re sick. And the jeans and shirts look like you.”
Asha looked up at Kade, so shocked that she could barely speak. “I can’t pay for these right now.”
“They’re a gift. I don’t expect you to pay for them,” he growled, affronted.
Pulling the nightgown from a bag—which also included new toiletries, jeans and shirts, new drawing pens and a drawing pad—she stroked the silky material. It was pretty and feminine, a beautiful pink that would cover her entire body modestly. Everything female inside her wanted to don the nightgown, feel the silk of the material caress her body and make her feel feminine. But she finally told Kade, “I can’t take these things. They must have cost a fortune.”
“I said it was a damn gift,” he said almost angrily. “And it didn’t cost a fortune. It’s just a few things you need.”
“I’ve never really had a gift,” she murmured softly, continuing to stroke over the soft material of the nightgown, unable to look at Kade because her eyes were filling with tears. “And I don’t even know you. I can’t accept this.”
“You will accept because you need them. And how is it possible that you never received a gift? Never?” Kade asked in a confused voice.
Asha shrugged, still not meeting his eyes. “I just never have.”
Kade moved closer, reaching out a large hand to gently tip her chin up. “Then let me explain the protocol. You thank me sweetly and accept what I give you so you don’t hurt my tender feelings.” Giving her a lopsided grin, he added, “A thank-you kiss or hug would be appropriate.”
Asha impatiently brushed away a tear that escaped from her eyes, staring at him in indecision. He’d helped her so much, possibly saved her life by getting her medical treatment. How could she take anything more from him? Conversely, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Although he’d mentioned it in a joking kind of way, rejecting gifts that he’d bought for her specifically might hurt him. He’d looked so excited when he’d given her these gifts. “I’ll pay you back,” she told him, deciding it was a good compromise. She did need the items, but he’d spent way more than she’d ever be able to afford. Obviously, he liked top-of-the-line products.
“Asha…you are not paying me back. A gift doesn’t require repayment. I wanted to pick these up for you. It’s no big deal to me. Understand?” he answered in a low, warning voice.
“It’s a lot of money. Can you afford it?” She blurted out her anxious thoughts aloud before she could censor them.
His gaze went from intense to amused. “I think I can swing it comfortably,” he answered, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice.
“Be serious,” she said anxiously. “I don’t want to hurt you financially. You’ve already done so much for me, paid my hospital bills—”
“I’m a billionaire. I’m half owner of Harrison Corporation. Plus, I was a professional football player for eight years and made millions from my contracts, which I invested well.”
Asha had already assumed that Kade wasn’t hurting for money…but his words shocked her. “Then why are you here? Why are you helping me?” Why would someone with that much money waste any time on her?
Kade lifted a brow, a gesture that looked both questioning and admonishing at the same time. “What? Just because I have money should mean I don’t do favors for friends or family? It means I should be a prick to a woman who’s sick?”
Well…she hadn’t meant that...not exactly. She let out a soft sigh and gave him an apologetic look. She was being judgmental because he was wealthy, and there was nothing she disliked more than making untrue assumptions. “I’m sorry. This whole thing just seems so unusual. I don’t know any rich people, but I’d think that they wouldn’t spend their time tracking down unimportant people they didn’t know.”
“You aren’t unimportant, and I was available since I’m not able to play football anymore. Max needed to spend time with my sister or he would have come himself. It’s personal to him. He wouldn’t have sent an employee to talk to you.”
Asha ran a hand over the laptop, admiring the shiny, new surface. How long had it been since she’d had anything brand new? She bought everything secondhand at bargain shops or thrift stores, conserving every penny. But his gifts touched her, and meant so much more than the money he’d spent. It was almost as if he was encouraging her art career by giving her the laptop, the phone, and drawing supplies. “Thank you,” she finally murmured. “This means more to me than you’ll ever know. But I am paying you back for my hospital bills and the medicine. I don’t care how rich you are,” she finished stubbornly.
“I won’t take it.” Kade crossed his arms and gave her an intimidating stare, a look that she was actually getting used to seeing. “You thanked me sweetly enough. I’m waiting for my kiss.” He turned his head, giving her his cheek playfully.
“I don’t want to infect you,” she answered hesitantly.
“You won’t. You’ve been on antibiotics long enough, and it isn’t as if we haven’t breathed the same air. We’ve slept in the same bed for days.” He leaned even closer, tapping his cheek with his finger expectantly.
Asha’s memory of the first several days of her illness was spotty, but relief flooded through her that she could finally touch him, and she sprang at him, throwing her arms around his neck and landing a loud, smacking kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Kade. I’m not sure how to repay you for helping me, but I’d like to try.” Where would she have been had it not been for Kade? He’d taken care of her when she was sick, sheltered her while she was recovering, and now he’d given her things that would help her get more business.
Kade wrapped his arms around her, surrounding her with his warmth. He smelled so good that Asha lingered longer than she really thought was needed for a thank-you hug. But she couldn’t help herself.
Kade drew her closer and pulled her effortlessly onto his lap, resting her head against his broad shoulder and answering huskily, “That was the best thank-you I’ve ever received. It’s all I need.”
Asha sighed happily and snuggled into his muscular body, so warm and comfortable that she never wanted to move. Eventually, she’d have to give up the sense of security she felt when she was close to him. She was alone, had always been alone. But for just a little while, she let herself relax and be comforted by a man she was slowly learning to trust.
Kade had had a reputation for being one of the calmest and most focused quarterbacks to play football. He’d rarely gotten rattled on the field. Winning had been his objective, and he’d never let his emotions get in the way of that goal.
But he wasn’t on a football field, and he was far from tranquil at that particular moment.
What woman Asha’s age had never received a gift?
Hell, he’d been a stupid jock, but even he had given his girlfriend great presents and remembered her birthday. He remembered special occasions for all of his friends and relatives.
She really has been alone. Really alone.
Kade held Asha even tighter, realizing she was falling asleep against his shoulder. She was still pretty sick, but she was improving. He hadn’t had any business to do in Nashville. He’d dashed out strictly to get her a few things she needed. Now, he was glad he had. Like it or not, Asha was going to learn to accept that she wasn’t alone anymore. She’d have Max and Maddie.
And she’ll have me.
The proprietary beast that kept rearing its head when it came to Asha was back. Admittedly, Kade wasn’t sure it ever really went away. It seemed to always be there hiding just beneath the surface, and it was clawing its way out easier and easier every day if there was any threat or slight to Asha.
Kade shifted her slender weight, tucking her sleeping form back into the bed, questions forming one right after the other in his mind.
Why had she always been alone?
What kind of a life had she lived?
Hadn’t anyone ever been there to take care of her?
He knew way too little about her, and it rankled. He wanted to know everything about her. She fascinated him in a way that he was pretty sure wasn’t exactly sane, and that was perhaps actually a little bit obsessive.
Asha tossed restlessly in the bed, as though haunted by dreams. Kade shucked his jeans and shirt and slipped into the bed beside her. She reached for him immediately, crawling all over him to absorb his warmth. Smiling ruefully, he had to admit that he was getting used to this specific brand of torture. He’d be disappointed now if she didn’t seek him out in her sleep.
Stroking her hair and rubbing his hand comfortingly down her back, he whispered, “I’ll find out what your troubles are and take care of them. You’ll never be alone again.”
Asha Paritala deserved much more than the deal that fate had obviously handed her. And Kade was determined to change that destiny for her, whether she wanted his help or not.
While Asha slept, Kade started making plans, arrangements that he was determined to put in motion the very next day.
And so…he did.
Two weeks later, Asha found herself standing in the middle of Kade’s enormous home, terrified to touch anything. The mansion was pristine but sterile: a house that felt nothing like a home. “You really want me to do your walls?” she asked distractedly, looking at the humungous living room and shaking her head. “What single guy has white walls and white carpet?” she added, realizing too late that maybe he wasn’t single. She had never asked, and the only thing he’d said about marriage was his joking comment about marrying a woman who liked his shirts. Even though she had spent the last few weeks with him recovering in Nashville, she knew very little about his personal life. Wanting to pay him back for everything he’d done for her, she had hesitantly agreed to his offer to decorate his walls. She owed him a debt greater than money, but she was determined to work off some of the hospital fees he’d paid for her.
Kade shrugged as he came up beside her. “I didn’t decorate it. It was done by a professional and I gave her permission to do whatever she wanted. I was on the road a lot.”
Asha desperately wanted to ask him why he hadn’t consulted his wife, girlfriend, or significant other, but she stayed mute. It was none of her business. She was here to work. Although, she really did hope he wasn’t married or involved. She’d started to have broken memories of the first few days of her recovery. And she was pretty sure she had woken up several times in the mornings, draped over Kade like he was her personal large pillow during the first few hazy days of her illness and several mornings after that. It was like she couldn’t stop herself or her subconscious mind when she was sleeping. She wanted to be near him, and she sought him out. He’d treated her kindly, but still, it was more intimacy than she would ever want to have with another woman’s man. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
Kade frowned. “I don’t really know. I haven’t spent much time here. I just know it needs some color or something.”
Asha rolled her eyes, wanting to laugh at Kade’s irritated look. She didn’t think he had a clue what he wanted. The house was beautiful, but it definitely didn’t reflect his personality. To her, Kade was light and color, a bright star in a dark night. He just didn’t realize it. He’d taken care of her for the last two weeks while she’d been recovering. He’d treated her like she was someone he cared about, which was a novelty for her, and he made her smile…a lot. After offering her—almost a complete stranger—work in his home, claiming he loved the photos of the walls she’d designed, he’d transported her in a private jet to Florida.
The trip to Florida had been her first time flying, an adventure she’d never forget. But it had also made her realize how large the gulf was between her and Kade, how different their circumstances. The house he lived in just made the distance even wider. Telling her that he was rich was one thing, but seeing it once they had left his hotel was completely overwhelming.
“Can you show me the other rooms?” she requested.
Kade dragged her from room to room, giving her a workout just from traipsing through his huge home. The rest of the house was pretty much the same, black and white, with no color and nothing that personally reflected the Kade she was beginning to like more and more. She couldn’t say she really understood him. He was quirky and smart, and handsome as sin, but he rarely talked much about himself. Really, he didn’t talk about much except his football career. Asha was beginning to believe Kade really did think that the only thing he could do was play football. And it had been his entire life. But he was so much stronger, so much more special than he thought. She admired the strength it had taken for him to stop escaping into pain drugs and face reality. Many men in his place wouldn’t have had the strength or inclination to do it.
They stopped when they finally reached the kitchen. Kade reached into the refrigerator and handed her a bottled water and grabbed a beer for himself. He did it casually, as though it was nothing that he remembered her drink of preference when he hardly knew her. Kade did that a lot, and it always astonished her. He remembered those little things about her.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked, his voice a little uncertain.
Asha watched as he tipped his head back slightly and swallowed a swig of the beer, watching the corded muscles in his neck flex as he swallowed.
I think a man should never look as sexy and hot as you do when you’re just standing there drinking a beer.
“It doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you think,” she answered with a slight cough, opening her bottle of water and gulping it to try to cool herself down. Kade Harrison made her edgy in a way that was uncomfortable. And it wasn’t his fault. He was just too sinfully handsome and his consideration was so unusual for her that she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. He was kind when he really didn’t need to be and had nothing to gain from being nice. He asked her opinion a lot. And he talked to her instead of at her. Oh, he was bossy…but only when he was worried or concerned. Kade Harrison was so different from any man she’d ever known that she still was looking for his motivations. But it seemed as if he had none. He was just being…Kade.
“You’re still sick. You’re coughing again,” he answered huskily, his large hand reaching out to touch her face.
“I’m fine,” she argued, knowing her feverishness had nothing to do with her previous illness and everything to do with him.
“I’m pushing you. I’m sorry. We can talk about the house later,” he said contritely.
Asha backed away, his touch disconcerting. While she was sick, she’d savored every contact. But it was different now that she was well and healthy, and when he touched her, it made her yearn for much more than a comforting contact. Now that she was well, she knew how very dangerous those longings could be. “I want to get to work. I have to find a place to stay and we should work out exactly how long this will take, how many walls you’d like done,” she answered in what she hoped was a professional voice, trying to control her rioting emotions.
“All of them,” Kade answered, setting his beer on the kitchen table and folding his arms in front of him. “It will be a long project, and you’re staying here with me. God knows I have plenty of room.”
“No one else lives here?” she asked casually, although her heart was pounding and she held her breath wh
ile she waited for his answer.
“No. Just me. It’s always just been me.” He pulled out a chair and motioned her to sit. “You need to take it easy. Sit and tell me what your thoughts are on what I should do with the house if you’re that determined to discuss it. I want your opinion.”
Asha sat, staring up at Kade as he towered over her. He wanted her opinion? Why? She’d expected him to just tell her what to do and she’d do it. “The house needs to be a reflection of you. Whatever makes you feel at home.”
Heaving a masculine sigh, Kade sat in the chair across from her. “I don’t really know. I’ve spent most of my life wrapped up in my football career. I traveled, stayed in a lot of hotel rooms. I don’t know shit about what makes a home. I lived and breathed football.”
She released her pent-up breath before asking, “And what do you live for now that your football career is over?” With Asha knowing next to nothing about football, Kade had needed to explain exactly how the game was played while she was recovering, and what his role had been as a quarterback for the Florida Cougars. Obviously, he was a well-known athlete, and probably most people would have recognized him. But she wasn’t most people, and she’d lived in a very small world up until two years ago. She could feel his sense of loss, the longing in his voice whenever he talked about his team. It made her have the crazy compulsion to hug him close and tell him that he was so much more than just a game.
His blue eyes pierced her with a confused stare. Asha could feel Kade’s despair as he answered, “My friends. My brother and sister. I’ve learned that there are very few things that are constant in life. I was cocky, a star quarterback who had everything, and then had it ripped away in a matter of moments. I don’t count on much of anything anymore.” Looking away as though he’d said too much, Kade took another slug of his beer.
Asha felt a shiver run down her spine, all too aware of just how fleeting and rare happiness could be. She’d lived most of her life doing what she thought were her duties, her obligations as an Indian woman. Conflicted, she’d spiraled downward as the burdens began to chafe, wondering who she really was and what she was meant to do with her life. “Sometimes even the things you think are constant really aren’t,” she murmured thoughtfully.