Radiant Desire (A Handmaids Seduction, #1)

by Inara Scott

  “I know. What can you do? She held all the cards. Did you know he’s got a younger brother?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Yeah, they both went to live with their grandmother when they were really young. Not clear exactly why, but something happened to their mom. So whenever Garrett would act out, Grandma would threaten not to let him see his younger brother.”

  “I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Kaia said. She peered out the kitchen window, where Garrett relaxed against the side of the deck, holding a beer in one hand and laughing. “What a horrible woman.”

  She turned to Rachel, who had carefully stacked silverware and several jars of condiments on top of the plates and headed out the door. “Are you sure you should be telling me all this? Isn’t this private stuff?”

  Rachel pushed up her glasses with her shoulder. “It should be private, but the truth is, if you dig hard enough, you could probably find it online. Garrett’s whole life is like that. Private stuff that everyone knows.”

  “Rachel, why are you telling me this?”

  Rachel gave her a sad smile. “I just wanted to warn you. He’s not always the nicest guy in the world, but there’s a reason why. I’d love to see him happy, but it will take a special kind of woman to do it. Someone strong. Someone different. Maybe someone like you.”

  It occurred to Kaia for the first time that Rachel hadn’t needed much prodding or maneuvering when Kaia had suggested having dinner. She’d even come up with the idea of having it at her house, and inviting Garrett.

  Goosebumps pebbled Kaia’s skin. Rachel wanted her friends to fall in love. How could Kaia have missed that? She’d been so excited that her maneuver had worked that it never occurred to her that Rachel might be doing some maneuvering of her own. The question was, how could she use Rachel’s scheming to further her own goal?

  The thought both thrilled Kaia and made her sick with shame. She chuckled weakly to hide her discomfort. “Rachel, if I thought for a minute that you believed Garrett and I… well, I would have to die laughing.”

  Rachel lifted her nose in the air, but grinned in return. “Fine with me. Just don’t die until after the Peterson wedding, okay? You’ve got about fifty centerpieces to do.”

  §

  The rest of dinner passed mercifully quickly. Garrett was polite, but she caught a hint of cold mocking in his eyes when Rachel and Ted were looking the other way. Once, when her foot accidentally brushed against his under the table, he raised a sandy brow in arrogant question. She ignored him and tucked her legs underneath her, flinching every time they made contact. His coldness was almost as frightening as the thought of what she had to do next. She had to seduce him, make him want her, make him fall in love.

  But how?

  And could she hold back the next time? Could she keep from losing control all over again?

  As dinner came to a close, she thanked Rachel and Ted and said her good-byes. Ted offered her a ride home, but it was still early and she had no intention of letting him drop her off at Good Sam. She wasn’t ashamed of where she slept, she’d just changed so much since she’d met him. Dealing with the look of sympathy and concern that had flashed across Ted’s eyes when he first recognized her was hard enough. She didn’t need to see the pity that would follow if he knew she was staying at a shelter.

  She told them she was going to walk down to Biscayne Boulevard to do a little shopping, and that she’d take a cab from there back to her place. She had the feeling Rachel knew she was lying, but didn’t want to intervene. Rachel, at least, was tolerating her lie out of kindness.

  Garrett’s suspicious eyes followed her to the door. Kaia worked to maintain her smile as she told herself that she had nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to worry about. He wasn’t going to follow her and kick her out of Miami for taking the bus.

  She walked down to the bus stop in the bright sunlight and concentrated on not panicking.

  Breathe. In and out. Breathe.

  She’d seen a show on television in the mornings where an instructor in a lime-green leotard and striped leg warmers did yoga poses and told the audience to breathe. Oddly enough, Kaia found it soothing.

  Breathe.

  It would be okay. She had less than four weeks before the Black Ladies came for her. She just had to keep working.

  She looked down at her tank top and skirt, the best she could afford from a secondhand shop, and sighed. She’d have to do better next time she saw him. She would have to find a way to make him look at her with the longing she’d seen at the Blue Hour. It wouldn’t be easy, but it had to be possible. It simply had to be.

  “Nice work, Faerie.”

  Kaia stared at the pavement, studiously ignoring the blur of movement she could see in the corner of her eye. “Leave me alone.”

  “No, seriously,” the imp said, zipping around her face. “Stellar performance. I think it was when you said you were married that you really got him. I was impressed.”

  She beat at the air in front of her, only stopping when it became clear she had no hope of landing a blow. “I’m not trying to impress you, maggot.”

  “I’ll have you know there’s nothing wrong with maggots. At least they grow into something with wings.” Snickering at his own joke, the imp flipped sideways in the air.

  Kaia groaned. “I talked to him, didn’t I? Isn’t that what you were bugging me about the last time? Not talking to him?”

  “Yes, but that’s before I saw how pissed off at you he was. Now I realize we’ve got a much bigger problem on our hands.”

  “We’ve got a bigger problem?”

  The imp rolled his guileless blue eyes. “Whatever. You’ve got a bigger problem. Tomorrow morning, Mr. Jameson is going to start checking out your story, Faerie. And what is he going to find? Nothing. No marriage license. No birth certificate. No record that Kaia Verde exists.”

  “I’ve got my driver’s license,” Kaia said, her stomach dropping at his blunt assessment.

  “That’s all you’ve got,” the imp replied. “You’ll have to find a way to keep him guessing. First off, don’t tell him where you were born. Birth certificates and marriage licenses are filed by state. If he wants to find yours, he’ll have to check all fifty.”

  “My driver’s license says Arkansas,” Kaia said. “I already showed it to Jenny and Rachel.”

  “Doesn’t matter. That’s where you lived, not where you were born.”

  “Oh.” She thought through other potential problems. “Rachel wanted my social security card. I told her I left it behind after Charlie died—”

  “Charlie?” the imp interrupted.

  “My dead husband.” Kaia motioned impatiently. “Can you try to keep up, please?”

  “Oh, right. Sorry, go ahead.”

  “Anyway, she said I need to get a new card so she can fill out some forms. She hasn’t mentioned it for a few days. I guess she thinks I’m working on it. Is that something Garrett’s going to want, too?”

  “He’ll want it. Whether he’ll be able to figure out that you don’t have it is another story.”

  “Damn.” Kaia twirled her hair into a loose knot on top of her head. She’d learned the trick from Rachel. She liked the way it felt, when her hair was off her neck and the air brushed the sweat away from her skin. She’d always left her hair down in the past. Men seemed to like it better that way, and her life before had been about attracting men. Now it was about surviving Florida’s oppressive humidity.

  “Things like social security numbers are supposed to be private, but our boy is rich enough to pay for the information he wants. The only question is how long it will take him.”

  Kaia swore she could feel the icy breath of the Black Ladies on the back of her neck. She braced herself and walked faster. “So what you’re saying is that I’m going to have to find a way to step it up. Not only do I have to get him to fall in love with me, I have to do it quickly.”

  The imp chuckled. “Think of it as a challenge, Faerie. You’re
up for a challenge, aren’t you?”

  §

  “Are you sure she’s okay?” Ted stood by the door, watching Kaia walk down the path and turn the corner of the driveway. “Why wouldn’t she let me give her a ride?”

  Rachel gave him a steady look, though her gaze flicked over to Garrett as she spoke. She wasn’t sure what to think about dinner. A layer of tension had hung over Kaia and Garrett that was difficult to read. On one hand, Rachel was thrilled by the obvious connection between them—something she’d never seen before between Garrett and one of her friends. On the other hand, the tension didn’t seem particularly warm and fuzzy. If anything, Garrett had looked angry. With Kaia. Which was not a good sign. “I don’t think she wants to have anyone see where she’s living.”

  “What does that mean?” Ted asked.

  “She’s a private person, and her living situation is… well… difficult.”

  Garrett narrowed his brows. “How much do you really know about her, Rachel? I must admit, I’m concerned about her working for you. She doesn’t strike me as the most trustworthy sort. Besides, if she’s so private, how do you know where she’s staying?”

  “Because I had to call the shelter to talk to her caseworker when she didn’t have a social security number or an address for me to fill in the I-9 forms,” Rachel said meaningfully. She didn’t want to share Kaia’s secrets, but she didn’t like the implication in Garrett’s words, either.

  Garrett drew back. “The shelter?”

  “What shelter?” Ted added.

  “I’d rather not say. Don’t expect me to be too hard on her, Garrett. Let’s just say I had a conversation with someone, and I have a pretty good idea that she’s been through a lot. We’ll need to get the paperwork together eventually, but for now, I’m just glad she’s off the street.”

  “Off the streets?” Ted’s soft brown eyes clouded. “I don’t understand. She looked pretty well off when we met her before.”

  “You’ll have to talk to her about what happened between now and then,” Rachel said. “All I care about is that she’s doing a great job. She’s a hard worker, she knows plants like you can’t imagine, and she has a real knack for working with flowers. If it weren’t for her, this would have been a horrible week for me. Kaia’s been a godsend. So don’t you start telling me about her not being trustwor—”

  She started to shake her finger at Garrett, but he had already jumped out of his seat. Rachel watched, amazed, as Garrett gathered his keys and wallet and headed to the door.

  “Thanks for dinner,” he said. “Sorry to eat and run, but I just remembered something I need to do.”

  “No problem,” Rachel said. “Thanks for bringing the wine.”

  Garrett’s sleek black car roared out of the driveway a few seconds later, and tore down the street with a screech of tires.

  Ted shook his head. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen him do that before.”

  “You think he’s concerned about Kaia?” Hope surged through Rachel.

  “Where else he would be going on a Friday night? You know, there definitely seemed to be something going on with him at dinner, but I thought he was just pissed at you for trying to play matchmaker again.” Ted sank down into the sofa. “You really have to stop doing that.”

  “I want to see him happy,” Rachel said loftily.

  “Because you’re such an expert in relationships?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Are we getting married or not, Rachel?”

  Her heart dropped at the heaviness in his voice. She headed for the kitchen and started filling the sink. “Don’t rush me, Ted. I’m just enjoying where we’re at right now. Can’t you enjoy it, too?”

  He gathered empty wine glasses and set them on the counter. “No, I can’t. I want to get married.”

  “Well I… I… ” She trailed off, not knowing what to say, and grabbed the wine glasses, plunging them in the steaming water and scrubbing them furiously.

  “You what? Do you or don’t you?” he asked. “I’m trying to be patient, Rachel, I really am. But it’s been weeks. I thought when you said you needed some time, you meant a few days.”

  “I needed a little space. Things have been so busy lately, and I haven’t been able to think straight.”

  Ted walked to her and put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her toward him. “That’s nonsense and you know it. I love you. I think you love me. We should be getting married, Rachel, not putting our lives on hold.”

  Ted’s hands on her shoulders were heavy, pressing her closer to him, and his soft, sad eyes tugged at her, pulling her in like a hypnotist. She blinked furiously, trying to break the spell. “Of course I love you,” she whispered. “That has nothing to do with it.”

  He leaned forward and caught her mouth in a gentle kiss. Rachel had never experienced a kiss like that before she’d met Ted. His kisses were seductive even while they surrounded her with love and caring. She’d never felt so cherished or needed before she’d met Ted.

  How long would it last? How long could that kind of love survive the kind of woman she’d someday become?

  Rachel pushed him away, breaking the kiss with a muffled cry. “Please don’t. Please let me go.”

  He threw down his hands. “Fine. You call me when you’ve made your decision, Rachel,” he said, a finality in his voice she’d never heard before. “I’m not going to wait forever. I love you and I want this to work, but even I have my limits.”

  She watched him as he walked out the door. “I know,” she said quietly. “I know.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Garrett pulled out of the driveway with a screech of tires. He didn’t see Kaia, but in the time he’d been talking with Ted and Rachel, she could have gone several blocks in any direction. Rachel’s words buzzed around in his brain. Shelter… on the streets… what she’s been through…

  Was she serious? Was Kaia really in such a desperate position?

  Abruptly, he slowed the car. It wouldn’t do him any good to catch up with her now. He’d have to follow her and see where she went. That was the only way to know if she’d been lying to Rachel like she’d lied to him.

  He drove slowly in the direction of the nearest bus stop. If she were truly in desperate financial straits, she’d be headed for a bus. Sure enough, halfway down the street he saw her, long hair now piled on top of her head in a kind of rough bun. Loose tendrils fell down around the nape of her neck. The warm red light of the setting sun turned her skin an even brighter golden color than she’d been that night at the club.

  Her back was to him, and he couldn’t help but notice that her shoulder blades stood out in sharp relief beneath the thin cotton of her tank top. She’d lost weight since that night. That, at least, explained some of the change in her appearance.

  She got to the corner and sat down on the bench beside the sign for the bus. He pulled the car into a spot across the street, halfway down the block.

  Lord, she was beautiful. Even though she was too thin and wore cheap, ill-fitting clothing, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her all throughout dinner, and even now, all he could do was imagine that night and think about how extraordinary her eyes were and how full her lips.

  The bus arrived a few minutes later. Garrett followed it, and the next bus that she transferred to. By the time she got off the second bus, the sun had set, leaving the streetlights to illuminate the dirty street.

  She only walked four blocks from there, but they were the longest four blocks of his life. He hadn’t spent much time in this section of Miami—he had no reason to come here. Just a night or two before, he had heard about a gang-related shooting a few blocks away, and the boarded-up houses on either side of the street seemed to hold the ominous promise of drugs and violence.

  At least it was still early and cars were driving by somewhat regularly. A few older women passed Kaia on the street carrying grocery bags. Then a man with a lo
ng beard and a backpack approached, his gait unsteady. Garrett almost drove his car into the vagrant when he started to raise his hand in Kaia’s direction. But he only waved.

  She waved back as if she knew him, and the sick feeling in Garrett’s stomach intensified.

  He stopped the car and got out to follow her on foot. If something did happen, he didn’t want to be stuck behind a locked door while she was attacked. A block later she reached her destination. A brightly lit sign on the corner proudly announced “Good Samaritan Mission,” with a caption below that read, “All are welcome in these walls.”

  Was it possible that she had been telling the truth? As Kaia started to walk around the outside of the building, Garrett’s body took over for his stunned brain.

  Not a shelter. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—let her stay at a shelter.

  Barely realizing what he was doing, Garrett began to run, his heart beating in his ears. He grabbed her arm as she spun around to look behind her. “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded. “Why are you here?”

  She froze with panic until she recognized his face. “What the hell am I doing? What the hell are you doing?”

  She tried to shake free her arm but he maintained his hold.

  “I’m trying to figure out what you’re trying to prove.” He gazed up at the entrance to the four-story building, where a security guard stood idly smoking and paying little attention to the drama playing out twenty feet away.

  The scene was too familiar. Even as he fought to keep them in check, memories began to assault him. Memories of noises, of Max crying, of people yelling. Of his mother, looking desperate, trying to hide her own tears as she rocked Max against her chest.

  He could not let her stay here.

  “Did you know I was following you? Is that why you’re here? Is this some kind of weird game you’re playing to impress me?”

  Kaia’s mouth dropped open. “Are you insane?”

  “Of course not, I was just—” A hint of embarrassment entered his voice as his vision cleared. He had to get himself under control.