Coming Back To You

by Lynne, Donya

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. Well, your turn. Ask me again. Dare me this time.” Maybe if she took a dare, he would, too.

  He pressed his lips together then read, “Look around the room and find something to incorporate into our sex play.”

  Karma glanced at her dresser. She didn’t have a lot to choose from. Her fishing hat, some jewelry, a couple of scarves. Wait a minute. She hopped up, grabbed a green scarf, and held it out to him. “Want me to blindfold you?”

  “What? No.”

  Not willing to give up just yet, she waved the scarf in front of him as if tantalizing a thief with gold. “Do you want to blindfold me instead?” She mustered the most seductive voice she could under the less-than-sexy circumstances.

  “Karma, come on. This is silly.” He gestured toward the cards. “I don’t want to play games to sleep with you. This stuff doesn’t really turn you on, does it?”

  Feeling a bit foolish, she lowered the scarf and glanced at the cards. When she had played the game with Mark, she’d been so turned on the only way to turn back off was for him to give her at least two orgasms. But playing with Brad was about as stimulating as cleaning her nails. “No, I guess not.”

  “Come on. Let’s put these away.” He began collecting the cards. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow, so let’s just have normal sex and get to bed, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  He put the cards back inside their box, took the scarf out of her hands, stood, finished undressing, and then helped her out of her clothes.

  Feeling not the least bit desirable, she lay back on the bed, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and stared up at the ceiling as he took her missionary style. Again.

  The day Mark returned, she’d told Lisa that she didn’t need passion to be happy.

  She’d been wrong.

  Right now, the only thing she wanted was passion.

  Chapter 22

  Saturday morning, Karma dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen to prepare the truffles she wanted to give to Jade. Brad had left last night after they’d had sex, so she was on her own this morning. Thank God. After the lackluster events of the evening, she wasn’t sure she could face Brad right now.

  She pulled out the truffle recipe, gathered all the ingredients, and followed them to the letter. After combining the cream and chocolate, she set the bowl aside and got ready for her day at the zoo.

  As the minutes passed, she grew more and more tense. It felt like her body was performing a preflight check to prepare for her day with Jade. Muscles? Tight. Jaw? Clenched. Headache? In the queue. But if she was marrying Brad, she had to find a way to coexist with his daughter.

  She returned to the kitchen, formed the chocolate mixture into balls, prepped the chopped almonds, powdered sugar, and crushed peppermints while the truffles rested in the refrigerator, and then finished by rolling the chocolate balls in the crushed toppings.

  They looked good, but when she bit into one, the ganache was grainy, as if the chocolate hadn’t completely melted. This was the same problem she and Brad had encountered when they made truffles at Single Servings. What the heck was she doing wrong?

  But at least they tasted good. Everything else was forgivable as long as they were delicious. No way could Jade not like these delectable things.

  She carefully placed the truffles in a container and packed them in a cooler so they wouldn’t melt. A few minutes later, Brad announced himself with a quiet knock.

  Karma grabbed the cooler and joined him in the outer hall. Jade wasn’t with him, which meant she’d stayed in the car.

  “How’s her mood?” she asked.

  Brad’s expression said it all. Jade was particularly sour today. “The usual.”

  “I made truffles for her. Hopefully that will help.”

  Wishful thinking. The moment she and Brad walked out the door, the battle was on.

  “I asked you to please get in the back, Jade.” Brad pointed for Jade to get out of the front seat and into the back.

  Huffing dramatically as if he were asking her to do something as inane as cut grass with a pair of scissors, Jade threw the front passenger door open, glared at Karma, and got out. She was wearing black on black on black. Probably not the smartest wardrobe choice since it was unseasonably warm today. But Jade was in that phase. The one where she experimented with all manner of pseudo-Gothic dress in place of more practical jeans and a T-shirt.

  “Hi, Jade.” Karma gritted her teeth and forced a smile.

  “What happened to your eye?” Jade pointed. “Did someone beat you up?” Was that a smirk on her twelve-year-old mouth?

  “I got hit with a softball.” Karma dabbed her fingertips on her tender cheek, just under her eye.

  “Cool.” Jade sighed and rolled her jaw over what had to be a whole pack of gum as she gave her a two-finger wave that looked more like a hostile peace sign. “We doing a picnic?” She addressed Brad but gestured toward the cooler.

  “No. Karma made something for you and she doesn’t want it to melt.”

  Rebellious teenaged eyes narrowed on the cooler as if Jade instinctively knew she was trying to induce a truce. Karma could almost hear the plan backfiring already. Maybe the truffles had been a bad idea.

  As soon as they were in the car, Jade opened the cooler, which Karma had set in the backseat.

  “What the hell is that?”

  Karma rubbed the tips of her fingers against her temple.

  Brad’s gaze shot to the rearview mirror. “What have I told you about the language, Jade?”

  A derisive snort came from the backseat.

  “They’re chocolate truffles,” Karma said, glancing over her shoulder as Jade pulled the container out of the cooler.

  “Truffles? That sounds like something pigs eat.”

  “Jade.” Brad’s tone held an unspoken warning.

  The beginning of a headache sprang to life behind Karma’s eyes. “That’s a different kind of truffle.”

  Jade tentatively picked out one of the treats coated in powdered sugar, spit her wad of gum into her other hand, and took a bite. A moment later, her face screwed up. “Ew, it feels like sand.”

  Karma faced front and pinched the bridge of her nose.

  Brad reached across the seat and laid his hand on her arm. “That’s enough, Jade. Karma worked very hard on those just for you. The least you could do is thank her.”

  “For what? They’re, like, yucky. And they taste funny. Not like real chocolate.”

  That would be the coffee she’d added. Big mistake. Twelve-year-old girls didn’t like coffee. Neither did Karma, but when she ate the truffles, she could barely taste it. Apparently, Jade’s taste buds were more attuned than hers.

  “Jade. Enough!” Brad squeezed Karma’s hand as tears stung her eyes.

  I will not cry. Sometimes Jade reminded her of her old childhood classmate and former coworker, Jolene. Jo had bullied her all through school, reducing her to tears more often than not. As an adult, Jo had channeled her bullying personality into walking all over Karma at work. At least until Mark came along. Mark had helped Karma find her voice and shut Jolene down once and for all. But how did you shut down a contemptuous, ungrateful twelve-year-old?

  Thirty awkwardly silent minutes later, except for the wet chomping noises of Jade chewing her gum with an open mouth, they arrived at the zoo. Karma’s headache had amplified, and the sun and heat didn’t help as the three made their way from exhibit to exhibit.

  If only Jade had brought a friend along, they could have gone off to do their thing to give Karma a break from all the mental hatred spewing her direction. As it was, Karma was stuck with the brooding preteen, and all the girl did was complain. One long, nonstop litany of complaints. It was too hot. She was too thirsty. The zoo was lame. It smelled like monkey poop. She wished she’d gone shopping with her friends. She had a bad taste in her mouth from the truffle. The exhibits stunk. The animals weren’t active enough. She had to pee. Her stomach hurt from
eating that nasty truffle.

  By the time they wound their way back to the exit a few hours later, Karma felt like she’d been through war. Her body ached, her head pounded, and emotional and nervous breakdowns sat just at the edge of her sanity.

  And she and Brad still hadn’t told Jade they were engaged, which had been the whole point of today’s trip.

  When Karma had begun to think Brad was going to back down yet again and not tell her, he cleared his throat. “So, Jade, Karma and I have something we need to tell you.” He squeezed her hand.

  This was it. Get ready for the damn to break loose. If Karma had thought the past few hours had been hell, the next sixty seconds were going to be like a star exploding.

  Jade’s suddenly wary gaze shifted back and forth between them. “What?”

  Brad hesitated, met Karma’s gaze with a glint of worry mixed with a dash of hope, then looked back at his daughter. “I’ve asked Karma to marry me, and she’s said yes.”

  Silence. The kind you hear in a vacuum or a soundproof room. But the stream of insults and accusations Jade threw from her glare was deafening.

  “We’re getting married,” Brad said with finality.

  “No.” Jade turned and stormed through the parking lot.

  Karma and Brad practically had to jog to keep up, which made Jade trot away even faster. She was practically running.

  “Jade! Stop. Get back here.” Brad let go of Karma’s hand and ran after his daughter.

  Jade finally stopped then spun and pointed blazing, tear-filled eyes her direction. “I hate you! You’re not good enough for my dad! And I hope your eye hurts! I hope it hurts like hell and falls out!”

  Karma gasped and covered her bruised eye with her hand.

  A couple of rows away, a family of four stopped and stared. All Karma could do was shake her head and look away. This hadn’t gone well. Worse than Karma thought it would.

  Brad corralled Jade and knelt in front of her. He spoke in hushed but heated whispers, gripping Jade by the biceps. Whatever he said met with a lot of frowning, glares, and tears.

  “She’s young enough to be my sister!” Jade screamed. “I hate her! I hate her! She’s nothing but a SLUT! A nasty, skanky slut!”

  Karma’s mouth fell open. Oh, hell no. She would not stand here and take this shit, even if Jade was only twelve. And if Brad didn’t put a lid on that kind of talk, like instantly, let World War III begin.

  “Stop it, Jade. Just stop it.” Brad sounded like he was at the end of his rope.

  “No! I hate her! You can’t marry her! No!” Despite her tough exterior, Jade broke down in brutal sobs. “She’s only using you!” She slapped her hands over her face and bawled.

  Brad pulled Jade into a hug, leaving Karma standing like an abandoned dog beside the car. Really? He’d let his daughter call her a skanky slut and throw insult after insult at her, and now he rewards her with a hug?

  “Ssshh, honey,” Brad said, smoothing his hand down Jade’s long black hair. “How about we go home and order a pizza, just the two of us? You and me, just like we used to.”

  And the rewards for bad behavior continued. It was like Karma wasn’t even there. Brad was all about Jade. Poor Jade. His poor little spoiled brat of a daughter. She threw a temper tantrum and instead of making a statement by not giving in, Brad had just enabled her to throw even more tantrums in the future.

  Jade sniffled and nodded as she wiped her palms over her cheeks. “Okay.”

  Awareness slammed into Karma so hard, she almost gasped. This was what she had to look forward to with Brad. A life of second place. Brad would always put his daughter first. Always. He would always bend when Jade cried…always give in and push Karma aside to tend to Jade, regardless of how badly Karma needed his emotional support.

  What Jade needed was for Brad to show her that she couldn’t twist him around her little finger and control him. That he had a life of his own and adult needs that were just as important as hers. Instead, he caved. He fucking gave in.

  Karma turned away, feeling like a fifth wheel. This is what she had signed on for when she put Brad’s engagement ring on her finger. This was the choice she had made. She’d thought Brad could provide the security and commitment she wanted, but now she felt brutalized, which was about as far from secure and safe as she could get. Was this the kind of commitment she wanted? One where she never took a priority in Brad’s life? Where she would always stand in line behind his daughter? She deserved to be number one in her husband’s life. Maybe not all the time, but at least part of the time. With Jade, it was clear Karma would never be number one.

  Brad managed to get Jade into the car, and the three drove back to Karma’s apartment in silence. Brad grabbed her cooler from the backseat and walked her up to the outer door.

  “Here, maybe you should take these. I think they’ll just upset her.” He handed the cooler to Karma.

  “Sure. Because we wouldn’t want to upset Jade, now would we?” She gave him a hardened glare.

  His eyebrows crinkled into a frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” She looked away, too frustrated to look him in the eye.

  “Karma? Why are you mad?”

  “Because every time she gets just a little pissed off, you drop everything—especially me—to bend to her beck and call. I wanted to spend time with you tonight. Me. Your fiancée.” She slapped her palm on her chest. “But no, Jade’s angry that we’re getting married, so off you run, leaving me alone.” She flapped her arm toward the car. “Again.”

  “You’re being unreasonable. She’s my daughter.”

  “Yes, and she needs to know that you have a life to live, too. She needs to learn how to respect that. And me. She needs to learn how to respect me. She called me a slut today, Brad. A skanky slut. She said some really hurtful, insulting things. And you did nothing to stand up for me. Instead, you walked away from me and coddled her. And when you walk away from me and give in to her tantrums, you’re teaching her that it’s okay to disrespect me. That my feelings don’t matter.”

  “I don’t see it that way.”

  “Really? You don’t? She cries and throws a fit and you give in. Every damn time, Brad. You’re empowering her to behave like a spoiled brat every time she doesn’t like something or doesn’t get her way, because every time she throws a fit, you give her what she wants. Maybe I need to throw a fit so I can get what I want once in a while.”

  Brad huffed and thrust his hands onto his hips. “Look, we need to talk about this later. You’re obviously too upset to discuss this rationally right now.”

  Damn straight, she was upset. She’d held her tongue far too long as it was.

  “Just go. Your daughter needs you, and I need to figure out an alternate plan for dinner since I thought I was eating with you tonight. But seeing that I’m not welcome around your daughter…” Karma threw him a pointed glare then yanked open the door and stormed inside.

  Maybe she was being irrational and maybe she wasn’t. Right now, she didn’t care. She had a blinding headache, she was hungry, and she’d just spent the entire day with the human version of fingernails on a chalkboard. Even grownups had their limits, and Karma had reached hers.

  She unlocked the door of her apartment, stepped inside, slammed the door, then just stood there, glaring out her window as she watched Brad back his Camry out of its parking space and drive away.

  Damn him! And damn his entitled, spoiled daughter!

  She spun around, marched back out, locked up behind her, and stormed down the stairs to the exit, not realizing she was still carrying her cooler until she got to her car. Climbing behind the wheel, she set the cooler in the passenger seat then pulled out. If she was going to eat alone tonight, she was going to do it at her favorite restaurant, Greek Tony’s.

  Chapter 23

  The newspaper lay on the left side of the table, the half-eaten meatball sub Mark had ordered for dinner clutched in his right hand. After viewing houses thi
s morning, he’d spent the afternoon at the office organizing his space, hanging pictures, and going through reports before calling it a day and stopping by Greek Tony’s for dinner. There was a lot of catching up to do at work, but things were coming back quickly from when he’d worked at Solar a year ago.

  Well, most things were. Karma was still holding him at arm’s length.

  He glanced up as the chimes on the door jangled.

  Speak of the devil.

  Mark set down his sandwich and watched Karma beeline for the counter. She didn’t notice him sitting in the corner, but then she appeared distracted and frazzled—maybe even upset—her hair pulled into a haphazard ponytail, her face drawn and pale.

  “Hey, Andrew,” she said in a tired voice to the kid behind the counter.

  “Hey, Karma. Whoa! What happened to your eye?”

  She halfheartedly lifted her hand toward her face. “I got hit with a softball…and my fiancé’s daughter hopes my eyeball falls out.” The last she said with an edge of sarcasm.

  Andrew’s eyebrows shot into his forehead. “Ooookaaaay. That’s not right.”

  “Tell me about it.” Karma leaned on the counter as if she could barely hold herself up.

  What the hell had happened to her today?

  “So, the usual?” Andrew said.

  “Yes, please.”

  “You look exhausted. Long day?”

  Karma brushed a wayward strand of hair off her face. “The longest. Besides wishing me to lose an eye, my fiancé’s daughter is a damn diva.”

  Mark tried not to listen, but couldn’t help himself. The dining room was small and relatively empty. There were only two other occupied tables. He was actually surprised she hadn’t seen him, but he was sitting at the corner table, tucked away from the main part of the room.

  “Uh-oh. A diva, huh?” Andrew said.

  “God, yes.” Karma handed over her credit card. “We spent the day at the zoo, and all she did was complain, and when Brad and I told her we’re engaged, she flipped out. Right in the middle of the parking lot. People stopped and stared.”