She answered her phone, then let him go. “Hello?”
“It’s Cassie.”
She sounded like death.
“Cassie? You okay?”
“I’m pretty sick today. I won’t be in.”
Kendra sighed. Guess this bundle of five-year-old energy would be her responsibility today. She couldn’t take him to the park, but he needed to run around. Damn. She couldn’t ask Sacha. He was going to work.
“Okay, Cassie. Feel better.”
She disconnected as Cliff walked past her. What had Sacha given him for breakfast? Sugar? She didn’t think so, but the boy had extra energy today. She wanted to put him on the treadmill in the gym to get out some of that energy.
He was going to be a handful today.
Sacha walked by, dressed for work. “You look harried already.”
“Cliff has a lot of energy today and the nanny has called in sick.”
“Wow. I don’t envy you today.”
Her phone rang again. “Hello?”
“Is this Kendra Elliott? This is Whispering Pines.”
Where her mother was. Sacha was by the front door, but she couldn’t let him leave. She grabbed his arm as he put his hand on the knob.
“This is Kendra.”
“Your mother had a very bad night last night. She’s very agitated. Did you have any way that you would calm her down?”
“Play music. She likes jazz.”
“Okay we’ll try that. If we can’t get her calmed down would it be possible for you to come visit?”
She bit her lip. She’d love to come visit. “Hold on.” She took the phone away from her face. “It’s Whispering Pines. They can’t calm down my mother. Is there any way I can visit?”
“I can have my driver come back and take you up there.”
“What do I do with Cliff?”
Sacha frowned. “I’ll stay home and take care of him then.”
“You okay with that?”
He put a hand on Kendra’s arm. “Yes. It’s fine. I’ll see if I can get work done. If not, he and I will have a guy’s day.”
“Thank you, Sacha.”
“Not a problem.”
He strode back to his bedroom. Kendra put the phone back to her ear. “I can be there in an hour.”
“We’ll try our best in the meantime.”
Kendra told Cliff where she was going. Sacha had already told his driver his destination for the day. Kendra was in the back seat winging her way out of the city a mere half an hour later. She arrive at Whispering Pines an hour after that. There’d been no calls in between, so she guessed they were doing okay with calming her mother down. The woman at the front desk directed her to where her mother was. Someone had wheeled her out to the garden. She seemed to be okay.
Kendra looked around for an aid or someone to tell her what was going on. Her mother didn’t look at her, but Kendra was used to that. She hadn’t been recognized in months. Broke her heart, but then she just got used to it.
A large woman in white came up to Kendra. “Hi, I’m Louise. I take care of Jamaica.”
“Nice to meet you. They called me and told me she was especially agitated today.
“She was, but it wasn’t that big a deal. I think she’s not feeling well. I’m guessing it might be a virus of some kind. Easy to catch in a place like this,” Louise said. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“Is she taking any medications?”
“No. She’s past that point.”
“Is she eating?”
“Not as much as we’d like, but we’ve been supplementing with milkshakes.”
“She doesn’t look like she’s lost any weight.”
“As far as I know, she hasn’t. I’ve been keeping an eye on that,” Louise said.
“I really appreciate all of your efforts. I can’t visit as much as I’d like. Long story, but I’m glad to hear she is in good hands,” Kendra said.
Of course she would be. Sacha would only pick the best.
“I only hope that I’ll be able to afford this place when my benefactor stops paying.”
Louise shrugged. “We have some charity cases here, but not many.”
“I’ll have to see what the cost is. She probably looks better than she has in years.”
Which made Kendra feel guilty. She probably should have put her mother in a facility a few months ago. She’d been selfish and feeling guilty. She’d never wanted to institutionalize her mother, but it had turned out to be the best think for her.
“Thank you for taking good care of her,” Kendra said.
“She’s really a joy. I love the stories she tells. She has quite the imagination.”
“My mother used to make up bedtime stories for me. I don’t have that creative a mind to do that.”
“What a lovely memory of her.”
Kendra tried to engage her mother, but she wasn’t talking today. So she kissed her goodbye then went to talk to the financial department. She wanted to know what this place cost. She didn’t want to have to move her mother.
“It’s paid?” she said.
The woman behind the desk clicked some keys. “Yes, we have an automatic payment for the rest of her life.”
Kendra gasped. Each time Sacha did something, he made it hard for her not to love him. But she couldn’t. They’d agreed that what they had would be no strings attached. No emotion, but he was a much nicer guy than she’d originally imagined. She thought about him the whole way home. She wondered what he was doing with Cliff today. She received a text as if he knew she’d been thinking about him.
“Going to ball game. Take your time coming home.”
How were they getting there? She tried to imagine Sacha on public transportation. That seemed funny. She had a thought. If her mother was okay and Cliff was busy with Sacha maybe she could do something for herself.
She’d found out that the driver’s name was Kent. They weren’t back in the city and she couldn’t imagine that she’d be in any danger out in the suburbs so she asked Kent to find her a nail salon. Today she’d do a very rare pampering. Toe nails. Fingernails. Who knew what else? She might run up her credit card, but she’d worry about that later.
She texted Sacha back. “Taking a little time for myself. See you at home.”
“Good.”
***
Sacha tucked his phone away. He and Cliff had great seats for the Yankees’ game. The little boy currently had cotton candy in his hand. On his hand. On his shirt. In his hair. He also had a huge grin on his face. Which made Sacha grin back at him.
“You okay, buddy?”
“I’m great Mr. Kozlov.”
“Good.”
The Yankees were ahead. Not that Sacha followed baseball, but he’d called a friend for help and that friend had tickets for this afternoon’s game. They’d get to leave at a decent hour and not keep the kid up too late. He’d never realized that such a small child could eat so much. Sacha didn’t remember being five years old, but he can’t imagine he ate this much.
He’d never seen the boy so happy. He liked Cliff. A lot. Made him miss his child that he never knew. He hadn’t been able to get ahold of Jessica yet. Must be on vacation. He hoped soon. He didn’t like loose ends.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Cliff said.
Five-year-olds had big stomachs, but small bladders. They’d been to the snack bar as many times as they’d been to the bathroom.
“Okay sport. Let’s go.”
Thankfully their seats were at the end of the row. They didn’t have to bother anyone on their trips away from the seats. Cliff used the bathroom, but Sacha helped him wash his hands. He was extra sticky from the cotton candy.
“Can I have popcorn?”
“How about we slow down on the food? If I bring you back to your sister sick, she’ll have my head.”
“You afraid of Kendra?”
“When it comes to you? Yes.”
The game finished. Sacha had already broken down and bough
t him the popcorn. He ate most of it. Sacha munched on the rest as his backup driver drove them home. Not really Cliff’s home, but Sacha was getting used to them being around. Cliff was curled on the seat next to him, asleep. Guess it had been a big day for him. He hoped Kendra was enjoying herself. She deserved it. She hadn’t said anything about her mom so he assumed that she was okay also.
Cliff groaned, then sat up. “My stomach hurts.”
Oh crap. He’d fed the kid too much junk. “Are you going to throw up?”
“I don’t think so.”
The boy looked green. Thankfully they were within a block of the building.
“Can you walk?”
“Yeah.”
This way if he threw up, it would be on the sidewalk and not in the car. They climbed out of the vehicle in the middle of the block. Cliff held Sacha’s hand as they walked.
“Thanks for taking me to the game, Mr. Kozlov.”
“You’re welcome Cliff.”
“Could we bring Kendra next time?”
“We’ll see.”
They turned into his building. Cliff stopped all of a sudden. Then he vomited on the sidewalk.
“I’ll clean that up,” Hector, the night doorman said. “I have stuff for it.”
There wasn’t a bathroom in the lobby so Sacha hoped the boy made it to his place. The boy was breathing heavily like he was going to let loose again. He held out until they made it into Sacha’s penthouse. Then Cliff threw up by the front door. At least it wasn’t on the carpeting. Kendra appeared out of nowhere, scooping up Cliff and getting him to the closest bathroom. Sacha felt bad for the kid. He should have used more restraint with the boy, but he’d been having so much fun.
Sacha stood in the doorway as Cliff retched into the toilet. “I’m sorry,” Sacha said to Kendra.
“It’s okay, sweetie.”
Sweetie? Was she talking to him? She wiped Cliff’s face with a washcloth, then sat him on the floor. He didn’t look so green, just ashen.
“Is he going to be okay?” Sacha asked.
“Yes. He’ll be fine. No permanent damage.”
She finally looked at Sacha.
“I’m sorry Kendra. I got carried away.”
She waved a hand. “No worries.”
She wasn’t mad. Good.
“You ready for bed?”
Cliff nodded. They tucked him into his bed and he fell asleep. Kendra closed the door behind him.
“I really am sorry.”
Kendra smiled up at him. “It’s okay, Sacha. You didn’t do anything on purpose. I know how Cliff can get and he gives you those puppy dog eyes.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“No. He’ll be fine in the morning. I’m glad he got to go to a game.”
They stood there staring at each other. He wanted to say something. Wanted to tell her that he had feelings for her. Feelings he could not identify.
“Sacha?”
“Yes.”
“I know we have an agreement and all.”
“Nicely drafted by you.”
She was close to him. Her lips hovered near his. He could taste her almost.
“Yes, but I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Chapter6
What the hell had she been thinking? Why had she told Sacha that she was falling in love with him?
He stared at her as if she’d just cursed him out.
“I take that back,” she said.
He stepped away from her. “What the hell was that?”
His eyes were sharp. He was clearly angry, his fists bunched up at his sides.
“I got caught up in a moment. I’m sorry.”
He spun away from her. “This isn’t about love, Kendra.”
She stared at his back. If she could go back in time and never say those words, she would. She sacrificed almost anything to have not said those words. What was she thinking? This wasn’t about love. They were both adults and knew that. They were from two different worlds.
“I don’t love you, Sacha. I don’t even want to love you. It was wrong of me to say it. I’m sorry.”
Would he let it go? She’d seen the fear in his eyes. He’d looked like an animal caught in the middle of the road in the headlights of an oncoming car. She’d suspected that he didn’t often get mad or often lose his composure. Today she’d made him do that. Damn. How was she going to fix this?
“I’ll move out.”
He put up a hand. “That isn’t the answer.”
“Then I’ll move back to the other bedroom,” she said.
“That would be best for tonight.” He strode to the door. “I’m going out.”
Kendra stood there, wondering what the hell she was going to do. She couldn’t stay here, but she’d be dead meat if she were anywhere else. She had to stay for Cliff’s sake. She took a shower in the bathroom off of her bedroom, and then slid into the bed. It was cold and empty and she had no idea how she was going to make this right. Damn. She was a lawyer. She should know the power of words.
She called Tembi. Sacha had said not to, but she needed to talk to someone.
“Hey, Kendra. I thought you weren’t allowed to call me.”
“I had to talk to someone.”
“Is your mom okay?”
“Yes, in fact she seems to be thriving in her new environment.”
“What’s on your mind?” Tembi asked.
How did she explain it all? Would it make sense to her friend? So she began at the beginning and told Tembi all of it: the crimes, being in danger and her contract with Sacha.
Tembi let out a low whistle. “You go big or go home, Kendra.”
“Yeah, I know. I should be better at this stuff but I’m not truly a trial lawyer. I’m better at the written word.”
“He left?”
“Yes, he’s been gone an hour.”
“I’d sleep on it then set it to right in the morning. You’re both going to be tired and not at your best. You can reset it all in the morning.”
Her advice sounded spot on, but part of Kendra just wanted to solve the problem. Get them back on an even keel. “You’re probably right.”
“I’m right, honey. I know men. Lord knows I’ve had few of them in my life.”
Kendra laughed. Tembi told stories of a man in every airport. Not literally in the airport, but in almost every city she flew to. That would be too complicated for Kendra. She couldn’t seem to keep things right with one man. And that didn’t involve love. Only sex and it was already complicated. Her life had never been simple, but this was beyond crazy. She was on the run and in need of protection and the man who was willing to it wanted a simple physical relationship.
“I don’t know why I said it.”
“You must have felt something akin to love. You were probably just grateful to him. You see him as a hero in some ways.”
“That’s not like me.”
“It’s also not usual circumstance for you to have help with Cliff or in any aspect of your life. That’s all that happened. You’ve been alone and independent for so long that you appreciate whatever he is doing for you.”
That sounded right. “Should I tell him that?”
“Yes. Maybe he needs to know a little more of your history to understand where you are coming from. He’s rich. They forget what the common people have to deal with.”
Kendra laughed. “You’re far from common.”
“But you aren’t. You’ve had a rough life and this man is now helping you and you appreciate it. That’s all that you wanted to tell him. You just said it wrong.”
That made sense. “Thanks, Tembi. I’m so glad I called you.”
“How’s that little boy?”
“Cliff is wonderful. He and Sacha have bonded which scares me a little. It’s going to be traumatic when we leave here.”
“Maybe Sacha will want to stay in Cliff’s life. If he liked the kid that much, who knows?”
Kendra thought that Cliff would like that. “We’ll see
. I have to get past this hurdle first. We’ll talk about the future when I know I have one again.”
“Keep your head up, girl. You’ll get past this too.”
“Thanks Tembi.”
Kendra hung up. She put the phone down on the nightstand. She thought she heard Sacha back in the apartment, but chose to follow Tembi’s advice and talk to him in the morning. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, not being able to focus on reading. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she hoped that she hadn’t messed this up beyond belief. What would she do if she and Cliff had to leave here? She had no resources to protect them.
Before she could turn off the light and try to sleep, she heard a soft knocking on the door. Thinking it was Cliff, she said, “Come in.”
Instead of a little boy, Sacha looked into the room. “Can I come in?”
It was his house. “Of course.”
***
Kendra looked ragged. Her eyes were red as if she’d been crying. She was on the bed, under the covers, looking rumpled and sexy too.
Down boy.
She sat up when he came in. “Hi.”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “I may have overreacted.”
“No, you didn’t Sacha. We made a deal and I still don’t know why I said it. I’m not interested in loving anyone. I’m not interested in being in love. I just, uh, I don’t know.”
He smiled. “It’s okay. I believe you, but I think maybe we need to put a clause in our agreement about emotions. I wouldn’t want either of us to get tangled up in them and ruin a good thing.”
She nodded. “I agree.”
“I also want to put this out there for discussion,” he said.
He was a little unsure and that wasn’t like him.
“Go ahead.”
“Whenever this whole thing blows over and you can get back to your life, I’d like to keep our arrangement going. I recognize this is for purely selfish reasons.”
“Oh?”
“I have a few social engagements coming up and if I arrive with a date I won’t get harassed by my family about not having a woman. Since my brother Viktor has gotten married and they are expecting, my mother has turned her matchmaking skills to me. I have no desire to get married.”
Her Russian Billionaires - The Complete Billionaire Romance Collection Page 26