Lost and Found

by Tamara Larson

  Duncan, so used to being mistaken where this woman was concerned, had the urge to apologize profusely until he realized that she was clearly in the wrong for once. She had entered his apartment uninvited and unannounced. There was no way she could blame him for this. None too gently, he grabbed her by the arm and unceremoniously dragged her out of the bedroom and into the living room, shutting the bedroom door quietly behind them with a soft click.

  Duncan switched on a coffee table lamp and turned toward his wife. She was wearing a long, elegant black halter dress with spiky heals and thick ankle straps. There was an expensive looking matching handbag on the couch and a small Louis Vuitton suitcase by the door.

  He studied her for a moment. She was very thin and her usually fair skin was darkly tanned to the unnatural colour of mahogany. She looked ancient, nothing like the voluptuous girl he’d married. Instead of making her look glamorous, the rail thinness of her body gave her an unpleasant, crone-like appearance. He noticed how heavily made-up she was as Kerry glared at him through eyes so dark they looked almost as black as her clothing.

  Kerry yanked her arm out of his grasp. “Let go of me, you barbarian,” she hissed. “Not only do I come home to find some slut in my bed, but you attack me. No wonder I left.” She rubbed her arm and stared at him, waiting to see if he would confront her with the inaccuracies in her statement. He’d never been good at contradicting her.

  Duncan glared back at her. “Keep your voice down. That’s not your bed, by the way. It’s mine. And who’s in it has nothing to do with you.”

  “It does as long as we’re married, and just because I never came to this little hovel before, doesn’t make anything in it any less mine.” She held her arms up to indicate the apartment. “It’s all mine, including you.” She stepped closer and smiled up at him wickedly, idly running a sharp red fingernail down his bare chest.

  A long time ago, that playful, teasing tone would have inflamed him, but not anymore. Duncan stepped away from her questing fingers. She was repulsive to him now. Like a big, black spider full of bitter venom. It was so obvious that she had used him and he’d allowed her to do it. Never again. “You’re wrong,” he said steadily. “I’ll give you whatever you want. Just sign the papers and leave. Or better yet, just leave and I’ll have a copy sent to you wherever you are and you can fax it to my lawyer.” He picked up her bag from the couch and attempted to hand it to her.

  Kerry ignored the outstretched purse and frowned at him. “You seem awfully eager for me to go. And here I traveled all this way to see you. I had to wake up the superintendent to get in here so late and this is my welcome home. ‘Get out and sign the papers.’ Where are your manners? Your grandmother would be appalled.” She shook a chastising finger at him and he noticed the rings flashing on every finger. Diamonds, rubies, and stones of every imaginable hue graced her brown, talon-like hands. Obviously, her taste for the good life hadn’t ceased over the past three years.

  Duncan sighed and put his gun in the back of his jeans. “My manners don’t apply to people who barge in here in the middle of the night. What were you thinking anyway? You know I carry a gun. I could have hurt you, or worse.” He raked his hands through his hair at the prospect. No matter how awful Kerry was he had no desire to hurt her. He just wanted her gone, so he could pursue a normal life with Jessie without his venomous ex-wife hanging over him like an insistent rain cloud.

  Kerry pouted and approached him again, running her fingertips over the hair of his crossed forearms. “But you used to like it when I’d surprise you like this. Don’t you remember?” She purred, walking her fingers up his powerful bicep. “How we used to fight and then I’d sneak into your room at night and we’d make up? We’d make up several times a night if I recall,” she said with a throaty chuckle.

  Duncan stepped away from her and sat in the only chair in the room—a pale blue suede wingback. He thought he’d escaped her until she perched on the arm of the chair. He moved his arm to his lap and edged away from her. “That was a long time ago. And never here. This is my place. My sister is staying with me now, and I have someone new in my life.”

  “That chubby, red-headed whore?” She exclaimed, laughing. “She doesn’t look like much competition.” She flung back her sheet of dark hair back and leaned toward him. “Does she know you’re still married?” She asked craftily. Duncan hesitated too long and she laughed. “No, of course she doesn’t. Maybe I should go and tell her.” She stood up and began striding confidently toward the bedrooms.

  Duncan propelled himself out of the chair and grabbed her by the arm again, attempting to pull her back. She laughed uproariously and allowed him to yank her back, using the momentum to end up in arms. Before he could push her away she’d slid her slim arms around his neck like tentacles.

  Jessie picked the exact wrong time to open one of the bedroom doors. She’d been sleeping soundly in Duncan’s huge bed when the sound of talking and then laughter had intruded on her erotic dreams. Cold without Duncan’s body to warm her, she’d wrapped herself in a sheet and looked out to investigate, expecting him to be chatting with Theresa.

  The woman in Duncan’s arms was clearly not Theresa. The couple was in profile to her and she could clearly see both of their expressions. The dark-haired woman was staring back at Jessie haughtily and pressing her model thin body against Duncan’s. He looked shocked and horrified as he attempted to disengage himself from her. “Jess, I know this looks bad, but it’s not what it looks like. Not even a little bit,” he said, holding his hand out toward her in supplication.

  Kerry rolled her eyes at Jessie and slapped Duncan familiarly on the chest as if to chide him gently. “Of course it’s what it looks like. Don’t lie to the girl. We were just having a little reunion. Married people do that,” Kerry said, licking her lips in anticipation of Jessie’s reaction.

  “Married?” Jessie said hoarsely, pressing one hand to her chest in disbelief. The thought had never occurred to her. Why would it? He didn’t wear a ring, and there wasn’t any sign of a woman living in the bedroom or the apartment. But then what did she really know about this man? Not much.

  She looked up at Duncan. “You’re married?” She couldn’t believe he’d lied to her like this. She’d woken up in his bed, knowing absolutely that she wanted to tell him she had real feelings for him. Now she just wanted to get away and forget she’d ever met him. She didn’t know him at all. The Duncan she thought she knew could never keep something so important from her. This Duncan was a cliché and a philanderer and she’d given him her virginity. Practically forced him to take her virginity. What a fool she was.

  Duncan watched the emotions play across her face. She was devastated. He’d hurt her terribly and he couldn’t stand it. He tried to reach out for her, to comfort her, but she shrank away from him like he was contaminated. “Jessie, please, I swear to you. I haven’t seen her in three years. I sent her a telegram the day I met you demanding that she sign the divorce papers. That’s why she’s here: to see what’s changed. Don’t let her get between us. You’re the one I want. You’re everything I want.”

  His dazzling blue eyes pleaded with her and Jessie wanted nothing more than to believe him, but it was too late. Jessie held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re married and you never told me. That’s all that matters.” She looked at Kerry’s wide grin and shook her head in disbelief. “God, I’ve been so stupid. I went to bed with a complete stranger.”

  Kerry clucked her tongue and made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound. “Don’t feel bad, darling,” she said, moving away from Duncan to pat Jessie’s upper arm condescendingly. Jessie pulled away and Kerry shrugged her shoulders. “After all, he’s a master. You don’t actually think this is the first time I’ve walked in on him and some pretty young thing, do you? Honestly, he can’t help it. It’s a sickness.”

  Jessie turned without another word and walked the few feet back to Duncan’s room with as much dignity as her improvised toga would allow. Glaring at Kerr
y, Duncan tried to follow Jessie’s retreating back, but the door slammed solidly in his face, followed by the click of the lock. He knocked, but there was no response.

  Kerry placed her hand on his back, but he shrugged it off him with a deadly look over his shoulder. “Get away from me,” he spat between clenched teeth.

  “There’s that temper I know and love,” Kerry teased, leaning against the wall. “But really, what were you thinking? Your paramour has lovely hair, but is a bit on the mousy side, don’t you think? You could do so much better.”

  Duncan turned to her and brought his face down to hers, his eyes as hard and cold as an icy blue arctic stream. “No, I couldn’t. Ever. And if you’ve ruined this, I will personally see that you never get another penny from me or my family.” He turned away from her and knocked again, just as Jessie opened the other door.

  Fully dressed, she walked past him like he was invisible. He wanted to grab her and make her listen, but sensed that this was not the time to touch her. It was agony watching her stride past him to the front hall closet where she dug out her shoes. She pulled them on without looking in his direction once.

  “Jessie,” he said, brushing past Kerry. “Can we talk about this?”

  She looked up at him momentarily with dead doll eyes and reached for the doorknob. “No, we can’t,” she said shortly.

  He reached out to put his hand on her arm, but she backed away. “At least let me drive you home. It’s not safe out there. Diego is still around,” he said beseechingly.

  She opened the door and smiled up at him bitterly. “To be honest. Right now, I’d prefer to deal with him. At least he’s forthright about what he is. A psycho is better than a liar any day as far as I’m concerned.” She left with the echo of Kerry’s applause in her ears and Duncan’s shocked face swimming before her eyes.

  She managed to hold off on the flood of tears until she reached the elevator, but as soon as those heavy brown doors slid shut, she let loose and cried until they opened again on the lobby. She stepped out, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, vowing that she would never cry over him or anyone again. Her days of believing in fairy tales were over.

  Chapter 22

  Duncan leaned against the door and closed his eyes, fighting his impulse to follow Jessie to the elevator. He wanted to make her listen to him. All he’d have to do was hold her long enough to explain. But if he forced her to hear his side would she ever trust him again? Probably not. The bottom line was that he hadn’t told her about Kerry. Hadn’t even thought of it. His wife just hadn’t seemed a part of their world, no matter what the law said. Between looking for Theresa, Diego’s attack on Jessie and the store, and the demands of their hormones, the time had never been right, or at least that was what he’d told himself. She was right to be angry. He’d give her some time and hopefully, she’d realize that he hadn’t really meant to hide anything from her.

  Or had he? If he was really honest with himself, maybe he’d known Jessie would react like this and had avoided telling her the truth on purpose. Their connection was so new, so fragile, he’d been terrified that she would use any excuse to run back to her solitary life. He’d been right about that. Jessie had chosen to run away, rather than trusting him again. It wasn’t surprising that she’d been angry, but it still hurt to realize that she would believe the worst about him so easily.

  Why did she find it so difficult to believe in him? They hadn’t known each other for long, but he suspected there was more to it than that. After all, he’d known from the first moment he saw her that she was meant to be a part of his life, while she seemed to want nothing more than to limit their relationship to sex. He knew most guys would be thrilled about this arrangement, but he wasn’t. He wanted much more from her than a few hours or a few nights. He wanted it all. He’d thought he could use sex as a starting point, but his plan had backfired when Kerry had accused him of being some kind of sexual addict. Damn her. Now, Jessie thought he’d used her. Nothing could be further from the truth. He desired her, yes, but he also wanted her. Now he’d have to do the one thing that was hardest for him: be patient and wait for her to realize there was a lot more between them than chemistry.

  “Well, I thought she’d never leave. Honestly, some people are so rude. Imagine insulting you like that in our own home,” Kerry said, smiling widely at him over her shoulder as she walked to the couch. Duncan opened his eyes to slits and watched her sit down and cross her legs provocatively, showing a lot of long, lean thigh through the slit in her skirt. She patted the cushion next to her and beckoned him to her. “Why don’t you bring those tight buns over here, so we can get down to business.” She licked her cherry red lips coyly and ran the nails of one hand down the deep vee of her neckline.

  “You can’t be serious,” Duncan choked out, his eyes flashing in anger. “If you think I’m even remotely interested, you are even more messed up than even I ever suspected.” He remained leaning against the door but crossed his arms over his chest, feeling slightly exposed by his naked torso. The way she was looking at him was disturbing, like he was a Big Mac and she was Jenny Craig graduate looking to go on a bender.

  “Oh Duncan, do you actually think I’m here to seduce you?” Kerry laughed and fell back against the cushions in her mirth. “You are full of yourself, aren’t you? One little redhead falls for your meager charms and now you think you’re Don Juan? I hardly think so, darling. I meant what I said. I’m here to get down to business, though I do hate to disappoint you. Maybe we can celebrate if things go well.”

  “No thanks,” Duncan said, his teeth clenched and his hands fisted tightly in an effort to stem his irritation. How did she do that? Make him feel like an idiot all the time? “Can we just cut to the chase here? I have to work tomorrow and you need to get back to your cauldron, I’m sure, so why don’t you just tell me why you’re here.” He pushed away from the door and reached into the foyer closet for something to cover up with. Gratefully, he zipped up a heather gray hooded sweatshirt and stepped into the living room, watching his wife expectantly.

  “Darling. Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to reconcile. I’ve missed you terribly these past three years. When I received your email it hit me. I want you back.” She looked up at him innocently, but couldn’t quite hide the mocking twist to her thin lips.

  Unmoved, Duncan stared at her. How had he ever thought he cared about this woman? She was a monster. Had she always been this way and he’d been too stupid to see it, or was her current scary personality a new development? Woodenly, he said, “No, you don’t. You’re not capable of missing anyone. Just cut the crap and give me the bottom line.”

  “Oh, all right. You’re no fun at all,” she said, throwing up her arms in frustration. She looked up at him coolly and folded her hands in her lap. “It’s very simple: if you want to get yourself unattached, then it’s going to cost you. A lot. You give me what I want and you’ll be free to pursue any mousy little slut with low self-esteem you want.”

  “Just name it. But why the charade? Why even attempt to convince me this was about anything between us?”

  Kerry shrugged and put her feet up on the table. “Curiosity, I guess. I wanted to see if I could get you back after everything that's happened between us. I knew there had to be a woman involved if you were finally putting the pressure on to sign the divorce papers. I wanted to see who you’d choose,” she said unapologetically.

  Duncan was having a difficult time holding onto his temper. He grabbed a cushion off the couch and hurled it at the wall. “God, you are so twisted,” he said angrily. “You came here just to cause trouble, didn’t you?”

  She watched him, amusement sparkling in her dark eyes. “No, that was just an added bonus. I came here to talk about a settlement.”

  “Why not just go through a lawyer?”

  “Now that wouldn’t be very entertaining, would it? This way I get to meet the competition and make you squirm a bit. All for the cost of one very expensive plane ticket. Money well-spent, I’d
say.”

  Duncan couldn’t take anymore. He gripped another pillow tightly in both hands, trying to control himself, despite his desire to shake the truth out of her, once and for all. His voice sharp and on edge, he asked her, “Why do you hate me? I gave you everything, and yet you spent the past ten years trying to make me miserable. Just tell me why.”

  “Oh God. This is getting boring. You take everything so seriously,” Kerry said wearily, rolling her eyes up to the ceiling. “You need to loosen up. You’ve always been such a tight ass, spouting on and on about what’s right and wrong. I don’t know how I lasted as long as I did,” she sneered.

  “Well, I’m sure the money helped,” he said bitterly.

  “You’re right. It did.” Her lips lifted in a parody of a smile that sent chills down Duncan’s spine. “Now just think how much it will take to console me through the break-up of our marriage. I’m sure the judge will be very interested in that romantic little bedroom scene I walked in on.” She winked suggestively and placed her arms behind her head.

  “You’d love to take this to court and play the wronged wife on the stand, wouldn’t you? But like I said, that won’t be necessary. I’ll pay you whatever you want. Just quit dicking around and tell me what you want. Whatever you say it’ll be worth it.” He didn’t say what he was thinking—to get rid of you—but the words were still there, practically audible, hanging in the air between them.

  Kerry wasn’t offended. She had nothing to lose at this point. “Hmmm…let me think. How much should I ask for?” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Seems to me the stock on Corinthian Condoms is way up. I’ll bet your grandmother is very pleased. How is the old girl, anyway?”

  “I have no idea. Just name it and get out,” Duncan said briskly and sat down on the arm of the couch furthest from her. She probably already had a figure in mind, but wanted to torture him a bit more. But she was wrong if she thought the money mattered to him. He really didn’t care how much it cost to buy him his freedom.