If Looks Could Kill

by Heather Graham

  Darryl Hart arrived among the later guests. Kyle was irritated to feel an instant hostility toward the man—especially since Darryl greeted him with a firm handshake and a sincere welcome, and seemed genuinely interested in his life.

  Madison greeted her ex-husband with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. Studying her, Kyle wondered curiously what could have come between the two of them. They seemed to be good friends. Still close. They seemed like a perfect couple. Darryl was a good-looking man, big, built—hell, he’d been a football hero through high school and college. Madison was vibrantly stunning. They’d been Ken and Barbie, homecoming king and queen. She was still quick to smile at whatever Darryl said to her. They both took the greatest pleasure in their daughter. He had a feeling that Darryl was still in love with his ex-wife. What were Madison’s feelings?

  What the hell had broken them up?

  Though he maintained his distance from Madison, he milled close enough to her to hear some of the things being said to her.

  “Madison, you need to let me paint you in that dress.”

  His own father.

  “Madison! Just for a weekend. Fly in, fly out, you on the white-sand beach of Cozumel!”

  A renowned, gay advertising executive.

  “Honey, I know you don’t like exploiting your name and family in any way, but if you’d pose for the poster for the art fest, I just know that it would do incredible things for business—and all the proceeds go to children’s charities!”

  An attractive silver-haired matron, obviously a patron of the arts.

  “Kyle!”

  He turned.

  His half brother, Rafe, handsome as a beach boy with his blond hair, silver eyes and perfect tan, was approaching him, a little brunette on his arm. “Kyle, meet Sheila Ormsby. Sheila is with—”

  “The Storm Fronts,” Kyle said, shaking the girl’s offered hand. She was cute, with dimples and a wide smile. She was probably in her late twenties, he thought. He’d seen her playing the keyboard last night, while Madison was singing.

  “I didn’t get a chance to meet you last night,” Sheila said, smiling broadly.

  The dimples were great. Deep and charming.

  “I hadn’t seen Madison in a very long time.”

  “So I understand. Rafe tells me that you’re kind of like the prodigal son returned.”

  Kyle arched a brow at his half brother. Rafe hunched his shoulders.

  Oddly enough, his family—and extended family—members, had been trying to introduce him to women all night. Being a widower seemed to bring out such conduct in others.

  “Well, Sheila, it’s a pleasure to get to meet you, and I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to say hello last night. How long have you playing?”

  “All my life,” Sheila said.

  Rafe grinned and walked off, leaving him to discuss music with Sheila. As they talked, his father returned, bringing the elegant silver-haired patron of the arts along with him—along with her daughter, a voluptuous girl with a headful of sleek, shiny black hair inherited from her Colombian father.

  Then Trent came up to him, beaming proudly, as if he’d created the pretty sandy-haired entertainment reporter on his arm specifically for Kyle.

  As they talked, Kyle noted Kaila checking her watch nervously, then excusing herself and heading for the house.

  Madison, apparently watching Kaila, as well, excused herself.

  Jassy did likewise.

  Curious, Kyle excused himself and walked to the self-service patio bar, then looked through the partially open glass doors into the living room. Kaila was on the phone, talking too quietly to be overheard. The other two hovering worriedly nearby.

  He slowly set ice in his glass, concerned. He wasn’t sure why. He’d been gone a long time, but it didn’t really change things. Once upon a time, before Lainie’s murder—or perhaps before Fallon’s death—they’d all been close. He cared deeply about them. All of them. Yet…

  Why the hell was he eavesdropping?

  He didn’t know.

  Yes, he did.

  He was worried. Worried about Madison. He wanted to keep his distance from her. She was trouble; she could slip right beneath his skin. She could slip into his damned mind, for Christ’s sake. He would be better off hundreds and hundreds of miles away from her….

  Not only was she trouble, but, damn, if she just didn’t seem to be Lainie reincarnated!

  All true.

  And all immaterial.

  He wanted her. Naked. Panting. Hot. He wanted to—

  Whoa. Not so graphic, he warned himself.

  The pictures in his mind were graphic as all hell.

  He started, dropping an ice cube heavily into his glass as Kaila hung up the phone with such angry force that the slam could be heard on the patio.

  As she hung up, the other two looked away uncomfortably. Madison cleared her throat, staring at Jassy in perplexity, then looking back to Kaila.

  “Kaila,” she said quietly, “you can’t get so angry every time Dan can’t make something. He’s an attorney—”

  “Yeah, and attorneys don’t have lives?” Kaila asked acidly.

  “Kaila,” Madison said patiently, “Dan’s a good guy. He worked his butt off to get through school, and he works diligently now. He knows that you come from money, and he wants to provide for you. He’s very honorable about never wanting to borrow money from Dad, or touch your trust fund, or—”

  “Oh, he’s just a fucking saint!” Kaila lashed back.

  Madison tried again. “Kaila—”

  “Hey, come on, now, watch the language!” Jassy said, trying a teasing approach.

  “Kaila, seriously, come on now—” Madison tried.

  “Oh, yeah, right! Marriage is so sacred! This from the woman who divorced Mr. All-American!”

  “Yes, and divorce isn’t pleasant! But you and Dan love one another—”

  “Oh, shut up, Madison! You don’t know anything. Madison, Madison! Everything is Madison! Madison would look so lovely in a poster for the art fest, Madison, can’t you please fly to Cozumel just for a day, darling? Madison, you look so much like your mother! Well, damn it! Madison, I look just like you, and still I’m just Kaila, with three little kids, PTA meetings, McDonald’s lunches, a regular baby factory. Naturally I nursed my children. A rich kid like me with nothing to do but raise my beautiful children and be Dan’s wife. While you—you’re the god-damned, all-glorious Madison!”

  Kyle couldn’t help watching Madison’s reaction. Part of her must have wanted to tell her younger sister to go straight to hell. But he watched her gain control before she spoke; it was obvious she loved Kaila, and she seemed to realize that her sister was only lashing out in pain.

  “Kaila, what the hell is wrong?” Madison asked her softly.

  “Nothing. Nothing!” Kaila snapped. But her huge blue eyes were becoming liquid with tears.

  “Kaila—”

  Kaila went dashing off down the hall toward her bedroom. Madison started after her.

  “Leave her for a few minutes,” Jassy said.

  “Jassy, something is really wrong, for Kaila to be acting like that!”

  “And you should talk to her. Just give her a few minutes first.”

  “All right.”

  Madison turned around, heading out to the patio. Kyle sheepishly realized that he had been a miserably intrusive eavesdropper, and he moved away from the bar.

  Luckily the art patron’s daughter with the great head of black hair was nearby. He quickly engaged her in conversation. Madison walked by, to all outward appearances composed, except that she didn’t even seem to notice him.

  Maybe she didn’t.

  He wondered if he should go talk to Kaila himself. He couldn’t. His stomach was clenching. He couldn’t help watching Madison. He wondered, if he could just fuck her once, would the feeling of obsession go away?

  Madison couldn’t wait too long; she was too anxious. She slipped back into the house and hurried d
own the hallway. She paused at the door to Carrie Anne’s room and heard Martique, her father’s amazingly patient Haitian housekeeper, reading to the kids in her beautiful singsong voice.

  She hurried on to Kaila’s door. She knocked softly, but didn’t wait to be bidden to enter. She went on in, treading softly.

  “Kaila?”

  Her sister was stretched out on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She stopped crying, but her cheeks were damp with tears. “Oh, Kaila!” Madison said softly, and hurried across the room. Kaila half rose, ready to meet Madison’s hug.

  “Oh, Madison, I’m so sorry! It’s just that he never shows up, and I never really know where he is, and I just keep thinking that there’s more going on! I know he’s sleeping with someone else. God! If I just had the balls to have an affair myself!”

  “Kaila! That wouldn’t help anything.”

  “Yeah, it might. It might make me feel wanted. Special.”

  “Kaila, I know that Dan loves you.”

  “You just want that to be the truth! And you don’t understand! Everyone loves you. Everyone! You’re beautiful. You’re perfect. People fawn over you all the time.”

  “Kaila!”

  “It’s true.”

  Madison shook her head, a crooked half smile on her lips. “You picked the wrong girl to blow up at, if you’re talking about relationships. Don’t you dare tell a soul, but the closest thing I’ve had to a sexual relationship lately is a really hot, steamy romance novel one of Dad’s friends gave me a while back.”

  Kaila straightened. “You’re kidding!”

  Madison shook her head.

  Kaila was still stunned. “You meet so many people. Guys are always after you—”

  “Joey’s one of the best guys I know, but I’m crazy about his wife and kids. I’d never consider fooling around with him, and he’s never made a play for me. Of the men who have seemed interested…” She paused. “Well, there are just so many diseases out there. Marriage does have its benefits, you know. In my whole life, Darryl was my one big romantic relationship.”

  “Oh, my God! How do you survive?” Kaila whispered in horror.

  Madison laughed. “People do. Sex isn’t everything.”

  “It’s a hell of a lot. I mean, I may not like it all the time, the way…I mean, with…I don’t know what I mean.”

  Madison smiled again, hugging her sister. “I know what you mean. I still remember my marriage, you know. Sometimes you’re in the mood, and sometimes you’re not, and sometimes you oblige because you know your partner will just be pissy all day if you don’t!”

  Kaila laughed. “Yeah, kind of…” She frowned. “And then I feel badly sometimes because…”

  “Because?”

  Kaila shrugged. “There’s nothing really wrong with Dan. I mean, he’s…”

  “Good in bed, functions like a pro, all parts in working order!” came a cheerful voice from the doorway, and Jassy stepped into the room.

  “Jassy, you can be incredibly clinical!” Madison told her, grinning to take the sting out of her words.

  “Clinical?” Jassy protested.

  “And the both of you are just woefully nosy and personal!” Kaila told them accusingly.

  “That’s what sisters are for,” Jassy assured her, and glanced over at Madison. “No sex life—at all?” she inquired incredulously.

  Madison groaned. “We can’t all be having secret affairs.”

  “Who’s having a secret affair?” Kaila demanded.

  “Jassy,” Madison informed her.

  “You weren’t supposed to say anything!” Jassy gasped.

  “Oh, God, I’m sorry,” Madison said guiltily.

  “It’s all right, because you’ve told Kaila. But Kaila, if I told you who the guy is, it wouldn’t be a great secret affair anymore.”

  “Did she tell you?” Kaila demanded of Madison.

  Madison shook her head, then frowned, looking past Jassy to the door to Kaila’s room.

  Jassy hadn’t closed it all the way. Now Madison thought she saw it move, thought she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind Jassy in the hallway.

  “What’s the matter?” Kaila asked.

  Madison shook her head, wondering why she was suddenly certain that someone had been listening to their conversation.

  Furtively.

  “Nothing,” Madison said, but she was still frowning. She rose and walked to the door, swinging it open.

  The hallway was empty. She had to be imagining things.

  “Madison?” Jassy said worriedly.

  Madison shook her head. “It’s nothing, honest.”

  But it was something. A strange feeling she couldn’t quite shake.

  “Let’s go back to the party,” Kaila said, smoothing her hair. “I’ve got a great sitter in my dad’s own house, and here I am, sitting in this room and feeling sorry for myself when I have a chance to talk and party with adults and flirt a bit.”

  “That’s the spirit, kid,” Jassy assured her.

  “Yep. Let’s go on back out,” Madison said.

  In seconds they were headed back to the party.

  “Madison!” Sheila said cheerfully, calling to her and waving her highball glass in the air. Scotch. Straight Dewar’s. Sheila had once told her that Dewar’s was the drink of choice—never mix it with soda, soda was what caused hangovers. Sheila could drink Dewar’s all night and not look a tad the worse for wear. Madison envied her that ability.

  Sheila weaved her way through the crowd until she reached Madison. “Great party—it was really nice of your dad to think of inviting all us Storm Fronts.”

  “Dad’s a pretty good guy most of the time,” Madison assured her.

  “You know, your brothers are all cute, but this newest one…wow.”

  “Kyle Montgomery?”

  “Is he really your brother?”

  “His father was married to my mother.”

  “Oh, my God, that’s right, I forgot all the scandal when she died—Oh, there’s my foot in my mouth again. Sorry, Madison.”

  “It’s all right. I just come from one of those families that’s prone to scandal,” Madison said dryly.

  Sheila smiled, her dimples deep, her eyes bright. “Makes life interesting. I wouldn’t mind being surrounded by gorgeous males all the time. You do have the life. Your ex looks like Mr. Universe, Trent is incredibly handsome—”

  “Trent is my biological half brother, my dad’s own son,” Madison reminded her.

  “Okay, so avoid incest at all costs. But Rafe—what a cutie. So studious and handsome—just like Clark Kent. And now this new one…umm. Actually, I guess it’s a good thing he’s not your biological brother. The way he looks at you. And the way you look at him.”

  “I don’t look at him! In fact, we had something of an argument several years ago.”

  “Umm. So it would be okay if…”

  “If what?”

  “If I made a play for him.”

  “I—Of course,” Madison said quickly. What the hell difference did it make who made a play for him? He’d been surrounded by every female in the place all night.

  “You don’t sound sure,” Sheila observed, smiling. Madison sighed. Sheila wasn’t exactly a wild woman. They’d been in the band together for a long time, and they’d certainly become good friends. They were complete opposites, Sheila so petite, Madison so tall. Sheila was, if anything, a connoisseur of men. She didn’t want to go through the dinner-and-flowers routine of casual dating; she studied her possible partners, and it was instantly all or nothing. She was careful and discreet and, Madison was certain, responsible and careful. But if she wanted a man…

  “Sheila, don’t be absurd. Make a play for whoever you want. Do I look like I’d ever want to get involved with…with…my own…my own…”

  “Stepbrother?” Sheila suggested.

  “Umm…”

  Sheila studied her for a long moment, and her smile deepened. “Honey, you’re right. You don’t look lik
e you want to get involved with Kyle.”

  “Right.”

  “You just look like you want to fuck him. But that’s okay. I’ll take what you’re saying at face value. But then again…anytime you want to stop me, just say so.”

  Smiling sweetly, she walked over to the group surrounding Kyle.

  Madison wanted to smack her.

  In a mature, dignified manner.

  The party was winding down.

  And Dan wasn’t coming.

  Okay, so he was an attorney. That didn’t mean a man had to work every Saturday. He was always gone. And she was always home. He was always dressed up in a suit and tie. And she was always in jeans or shorts and T-shirts stained with the latest foods—baby applesauce, chocolate fudge, grape drink—or spit-up or diarrhea. She loved her kids. God forgive her, she really loved her kids.

  But she was just so…

  Restless.

  Hurt. Worried.

  She was twenty-five years old, and most of the time it seemed that her life was over. That she would never be young again. It was different for Dan. He went out; he worked. His job was important. She was supposed to understand. Anytime she was on the phone, he was free to interrupt her with a crying baby.

  Anytime he was on the phone, she was supposed to make sure that you could hear a pin drop throughout the house.

  Yet tonight…

  He was here.

  And at last he approached her, as she had known he would. Casually. But so nicely.

  “You okay?”

  She felt a strange sense of excitement just at the husky warmth of his words. “Fine.”

  He hunched down next to her where she sat, dangling her bare feet in the pool. Her heeled sandals and piña colada were at her side.

  “You look gorgeous.”

  “Thanks.” She looked at him. “You’re not bad yourself.”

  He smiled back. “God, Kaila…Dan has everything I want. Everything in the world, and he doesn’t even know it. Great kids. And a beautiful wife. If you were mine, I wouldn’t leave you alone for a minute.”

  “That’s sweet of you to say.”

  “You should give me a chance.”

  “What?”

  “Trial run.”

  She stared at him, feeling a flush spread through her. She was tempted. God, he was good-looking.