by Kira Blakely
Mom moves behind him. “Charlie…”
Dad looks at me. “Jack’s dead. There’s nothing you can do about it. So just fucking move on, all right?”
For a moment, I don’t move. I can’t. I’m so shocked by my father’s behavior, I can barely breathe.
When the shock fades, the pain sets in. Then the anger.
“I don’t expect you to understand, Dad. After all, you’re not his little sister. Yes, he was your son, but he’s been long dead to you, hasn’t he? Ever since he decided to live his life as his own and not how you wanted him to.”
My mother comes over to me. “Sam…”
I shrug off her hand, my gaze, blurred with tears, still on my dad.
“It may just be a truck to you, but for me, it stands for so much, for everything he loved. And that can’t be measured in money. And you know what else can’t be measured in money, Dad? The love and respect of your daughter. And now, you’ve lost it, too.”
I turn on my heel, leaving. I ignore my Mom calling after me, knowing she wants to come after me but can’t because she has to stay by my father’s side. And I ignore the people in the café whose stares are stabbing my back like daggers.
I don’t care. I don’t care anymore.
Chapter 6
Captured
I only start caring again an hour later.
By then, it’s dark inside my apartment, the only illumination provided by the glow of the streetlamp slipping in through the cracks in the blinds.
I’m hungry.
And I’ve missed my date.
Nathan called me three times, but I didn’t answer any of them. He sent me a bunch of messages, too, mostly Where are you? and Are you okay? The last one was sent sixteen minutes ago.
He probably already gave up. Of course, he did.
I’ve lost my chance with him, just another item added to the list of things I’ve lost.
“Meow.” Siberia rubs my leg then looks up at me with glowing brown eyes.
Probably, she’s been watching me the whole time, waiting for the right chance to approach me.
I pet her. “Sorry for all the drama.”
I turn on the lights, head to the bathroom and look at the mirror.
Well, so much for getting all dolled up. Now, my hair’s a mess, my eyes red and swollen, my makeup ruined.
Nothing I can do about that or about my missed date. I can, however, do something about my grumbling stomach.
Besides, food always makes you feel better.
I fix myself up as best as I can, put a sweater over my black dress, which is stained with tears by now, then head out. Maybe I should have changed, but I’m too tired right now. I’ll do it later after I’ve had my meal and before another shower.
As I walk, my hands tucked into the pockets of my sweater, I think of Jack.
He was my older brother, my only brother. Older by four years.
He always wanted to be a vet. He loved animals and told me all about them while we were growing up.
My dad wanted him to stay on the farm, to look after our animals. But he didn’t want to. Jack volunteered to be part of a mission to take care of endangered animals in Africa. Five years ago, he died there of malaria. We got the news through the mail then his ashes were shipped to us like some parcel.
I never got to say goodbye.
I am deep in my thoughts, because I don’t notice a car approaching until it’s right beside me, the door opening to let out its six-foot tall passenger in a gray coat.
“Nathan?”
I must be dreaming. Am I?
He grasps my arm. “I was worried about you. You didn’t answer my calls or messages.”
It is him, and I suddenly feel like throwing myself into his arms. I manage to hold myself back, though.
“How did you find me?”
“I asked around, found out where you lived, so I was on my way there when I saw you walking…” He pauses, lifting my chin. “Is something wrong?”
I look into his eyes. “I just… I’m sorry. Something… just came up and I—”
“It’s okay.” He grabs my hand. “You can tell me all about it over dinner. We should still have our reservations. How does that sound?”
I nod. “It sounds perfect.”
***
“So, you were on your way to the gallery when you saw your parents here in town, and you found out they were selling your brother’s old pickup truck?” Nathan asks after I finish telling him the story.
“In a nutshell, that’s it.” I pop a morsel of grilled shrimp inside my mouth.
The food in the restaurant is exquisite just like the ambience, the music of violins in the air and the old-fashioned lanterns with warm white bulbs on the wall and every table.
“Wow.” He picks up his glass of wine. “That’s a cruel trick of fate.”
“I know, right? I mean, of all the places to find a buyer, they had to find one here in New York City. And I happen to stumble across the very café they’re making the sale in just as they’re doing it. What are the chances?”
His gaze hovers over me as he takes a sip. “Well, fate works in mysterious ways.”
Why do I feel like he’s talking about something else?
I have to agree, though, after what happened today — first, that squabble with my parents and then Nathan finding me.
I still can’t believe he found me. I guess he’s really interested in me. My heart does a somersault, warmth swelling in my chest and coating my cheeks. Consciously, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear as I reach for my own glass.
“I was just so upset. I couldn’t believe they’d do that. And they were even trying to do it behind my back.”
Thankfully, he’s gone back to eating. “If no one knows, no one can protest. It’s smart, actually.”
I’ve forgotten I’m talking to a businessman. For sure, he didn’t get this successful by playing nice.
“It hurts,” I tell him in a no-nonsense tone. “I feel so betrayed.”
He nods, his eyes shining with empathy. “I can imagine.”
“It’s no excuse for me to just leave you hanging, though. I’m really sorry.”
“Hey.” He puts down his utensils and reaches for my hand. “Don’t mention it.”
I nod, reluctantly pulling my hand away so I can continue eating. “I actually thought you’d gone and called up one of the women in your contacts.”
“There are no other women in my contacts.”
Really?
“Even if there were, none of them can hold a candle to you.”
My breath catches.
“I mean, none of them would have looked as good in a torn dress as you did.”
My eyebrows furrow.
“And none of them would still look as good with a bit of shrimp.” He wipes the corner of my mouth with his thumb then sucks on it.
I hold my breath. His gesture is simple and innocent, and yet it turns the warmth in my body into heat, my mind conjuring an image of him sucking on something else.
He smacks his lips. “That tastes good.”
I blush even more furiously.
“Also, no one looks as good with puffy eyes.”
I pout. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”
“It’s a compliment.”
“How would you feel if I said you still looked good with something stuck between your teeth?”
Nathan gives a puzzled look as he curls his lips. “Is something stuck between my teeth?”
I laugh as I grab my glass of wine. “I’m not telling.”
“Meanie.”
“I’m still not telling.”
“Though I’m glad to hear you laugh. Earlier, you looked… well, dejected.”
I set down my glass. “It hurt to find out they were getting rid of Jack’s truck.”
“You must have loved your brother so much.”
“Just as much as every little girl loves her big brother. Do you have a younger sister?”<
br />
“No. I was an only child.”
“If you had a younger sister, though, I bet you’d be spoiling her rotten by now. I bet she’d just say ‘please’ once and you’d do whatever she asked.”
He frowns. “Do I look like I can be easily made to do a girl’s bidding?”
“Not a girl. Your little sister.”
He shrugs. “Maybe she’d be the one at my beck and call instead.”
I can imagine that. A little girl running to fulfill her brother’s every whim, eager to please him.
“Then I’m glad I’m not your little sister.”
“So am I. If you were my little sister, I wouldn’t have been able to kiss you like I did last night. And the night before.”
The confession sends heat and electricity tingling through my veins, even more so when I see the look in his eyes.
Heat. Hunger. Desire.
It’s enough to make me shudder with excitement, enough to make me wet, but I get a hold of myself.
“Anyway, my older brother was the sweetest. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for me, from finishing my vegetables even though he hated them more than I did, to dressing up like a girl just so I could have another princess to play with. But my favorite part was when he’d tell me all about the different animals. He knew so much about them. Sometimes, he’d make up stories about them. Even when he went to Africa, he’d still write and tell me about the animals he’d see. He sent me pictures, too, which is what made me even more determined to become a wildlife photographer. I couldn’t wait to get his letters, and whenever I did, I’d light up like a kid on Christmas morning.”
“I’m jealous.”
I look down at my plate, finishing the last of my grilled shrimp. “You don’t have to be.”
“I can be crazy sometimes, wild even.” His eyes narrow. “Would you like to see how wild I can be?”
I pause with my fingers wrapped around my glass of wine. My heart seems to have stopped as well.
“I’m scaring you, aren’t I?” He gulps down the last of his wine. “Just forget about it.”
What? He isn’t serious?
I, too, finish my wine, letting the liquid wash down my mixed emotions — relief at the reprieve I’ve been given contrasting with annoyance and a bit of remorse at the withdrawn invitation.
“Are you done? If you want, we can stroll for a bit. They have lovely gardens here.”
“Sure.”
I get the feeling we both need some fresh, cool air.
***
“So, every time you cover a party, you imagine the guests are animals?” Nathan chuckles, walking slightly ahead of me with his hands in the pockets of his pants. “I’ve heard of some people pretending everyone in the conference room are potatoes so they don’t get so nervous giving their sales pitch, but a photographer imagining people as animals?”
“What?” I kick a fallen leaf aside. “It makes it more interesting.”
“Okay.” He turns around, walking backward. “So, what exactly is Helena Goodwin?”
I grin. “Do you want to guess?”
Nathan touches his chin. “A camel?”
“A camel?”
“Because she’s got fake eyelashes.”
“How would you know that?”
“Let’s just say female anatomy is one of my many areas of expertise.”
Okay. And why did I just get an image of him with a naked woman when he said that?
“Plus, she drinks a lot.”
“That she does,” I agree. “I think a camel describes her well, though I initially thought of her as a hyena.”
“A hyena. Why?”
“You know. She’s always looking for the weakest member of the herd, someone to pick on. Plus, she has a loud, annoying laugh.”
“Ah, yes. A camel and a hyena.”
I try to imagine the two animals combined but can’t, ending up laughing.
“What about me?” Nathan asks, facing forward again. “What animal do you think best describes me?”
I pause.
“Come on. You must have already thought of something.”
“Nothing particular, actually,” I tell him. “A lion. A wolf. A tiger. A bear.”
“Let me guess. A lion because I’m a womanizer.”
“No.”
He ignores me. “A wolf because I’m somewhat of a loner. I don’t really socialize, especially with other men. A tiger because I always wear sleek suits. Either that or because I have pointy fangs.”
He shows them.
“I never even noticed until now.”
“And a bear because I’m scary when I lack sleep?”
I chuckle. “I swear I didn’t know that.”
“Why then?” He stops to lean against the trunk of the nearest tree.
“Not telling.” I walk past him.
“Is that so? Well, if I was going to describe you as an animal, I’d say you’re a—giraffe.”
A giraffe? “Because I have long legs?”
“Because you stand out even when you don’t want to.”
I stop walking then turn around slowly. “I actually thought of myself as a squirrel.”
“Because you like nuts?”
I’m about to say yes, but I realize there’s a different gleam in his eyes.
“Because I keep forgetting where I put things,” I answer.
“I thought it’s because you scurry off at the slightest sign of danger.”
“I don’t,” I argue.
“So, you’re saying you’re not going to scurry off now?”
He backs me up against the tree, his arm above me.
I swallow. “Am I in danger?”
His blue eyes narrow, clouded over with lust. “Yes.”
Once more, I can feel the desire rolling off him in waves, waking mine. It’s stirring the flames inside me, bringing the heat out to my skin and my breasts.
Shit.
“Well?”
What am I afraid of? Of being hurt? Of falling short of his expectations? Or is it the consequences? The possibility that he might discard me afterward? That other people might find out and change their opinion of me?
“If you’re going to run, you better run now.”
I don’t answer. I’m cornered prey, and everything is at a standstill. One move could change everything.
How should I move? Flee? Fight? Or stay and allow myself to be captured?
He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “But if you don’t, I promise I’ll be gentle.”
And I know he can be gentle.
Oh, to hell with the consequences.
I surrender, closing my eyes. The moment I do, his mouth claims mine, robbing me of breath.
Damn.
He’s sucking whatever resistance is left inside me, filling me with desire as he pushes me harder against the tree, the bark rubbing against my clothes and my heels sinking into the moss. His lips crash down on mine over and over, his tongue exploring my mouth as he places his hand on my arm, stroking.
I can feel fire in my veins all the way down to my toes but especially in my full breasts that are threatening to burst out of my clothes and between my legs, where something else threatens to explode.
And the quivering bulge that presses against my leg lets me know that the sensation isn’t mine alone.
Suddenly, he pulls away, and as our gazes meet, I can see the lust in my eyes reflected in his, his pupils dilated under half-closed eyelids.
He grabs my hand. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Chapter 7
Claimed
We get to his apartment in record time.
At least, I think it’s his apartment. He hasn’t told me. Actually, he hasn’t spoken much and neither have I. I’m too nervous to speak. I haven’t had sex in a while, after all, and I’ve only experienced it twice before. What if I’m not good enough? What if I mess up?
My excitement is stronger than my fear, though, and my heart races as I run across th
e lobby of the building with him, rushing toward the elevator.
The doors close and all heaven breaks loose.
He kisses me fiercely as he wraps his arms around me, pushing me against the wall as I lose my balance. Just like that, my nerves and fears disappear. I’m not afraid of being in an elevator; the amazing feel of his mouth on mine drowns every other sensation.
When the doors open again, we stumble out. Lips locked and arms around each other, we manage to get to his apartment. Somehow, he finds his keys and opens the door, closing it once we’re on the other side by pushing me against it, his hands on the hem of my sweater.
He pulls it over my head then kisses me again as he works on the buttons of my dress. I gasp as his hand brushes against my breast.
When he’s popped the last button, I slide off the sleeves, letting my dress droop to my waist. He’s unfastening my bra now, my breasts bouncing free, nipples growing stiff as they come in contact with the cool air.
I toss aside my bra and step out of my dress, pausing when I realize he’s staring at me through half-lidded eyes. Staring at my breasts, to be precise.
I make a half-hearted attempt to cover them with my arms but he grabs my wrist and pulls them away. His gaze lingers on my breasts for a few moments more before drifting down past the curve of my belly to the only piece of clothing I have left on.
That small piece of cotton that’s now soaking wet.
“Are you just going to stare at me all evening?”
He grins. “I’m just savoring my meal before I dig in.”
“Well, this meal will get cold if you keep it waiting too long.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure I can warm it right back up.”
He carries me to the bed in his strong arms, setting me down on it.
For a moment, his gaze holds mine then he descends on me like a bird of prey. He bites the lobe of my ear lightly then pecks my neck. I moan. He kisses the valley between my breasts then my breasts, first showering them with reverent kisses and then sucking on them, taking my pebbly nipples between his lips. I shudder.
He moves lower and just in anticipation of his wicked mouth, my sex tingles beneath the drenched cotton, weeping even more when he plants a kiss right on top of it. That’s all he does there, though, moving on to giving me tickling kisses along the insides of my thighs all the way to my ankles.