AllsFair

by AlexandraOHurley

  Moving closer, she reached out to touch his face, and he turned his face in to kiss her palm. Gathering her into his lap, he kissed her gently, wrapping her within the warmth of his arms. She felt his cock stir to life under her and felt the sexual haze spiraling within her.

  “I don’t want you staying here tonight.”

  “Do you really think he would come in and hurt me?”

  “I have given a few of my friends on the force his info and my concerns. They are going to dig around a little and see what they come up with. Once I get word from them, I will answer that question, but until then, baby, I would feel much safer with you staying with me.”

  The pet name came up again, and she wondered if he realized he had used the endearment. What he said made sense on some weird plane of existence, and she felt safe when she was with him. “Okay, I will stay with you tonight, but I will not stay cocooned in your place forever. I have a life, a job, and a kitchen to get restored.”

  “Deal.”

  “Deal? That easy? I expected you to break out the caveman and argue with me.”

  “I am still being a caveman, but I am a flexible caveman, you will learn soon enough.”

  “Does this act work on all of the ladies?”

  A blush crept over his face, and he stiffened below her but didn’t utter a single word.

  “What? Have I struck a nerve?” Her eyebrow rose as she faced him, amused that she had found something that put him off center.

  Looking out the window, he swallowed hard, and the humor left her as she realized he was struggling with something.

  “Kendall, I haven’t been with a woman in about five years.”

  A knot formed in her chest at the look of pain she saw on his face, the emptiness of his eyes. “Why? Why has it been so long, Wynne?” She wasn’t completely sure if she had whispered the words or not.

  “My wife. She...uh…passed. There has been no one since.” He captured her eyes, looking deep within her, letting her know his need, his loneliness, his desire. “Until now.”

  “Did you love her?”

  “Very much.”

  “How did it happen?”

  “She was five months pregnant and coming from a yoga class downtown. On her way to her car, some psycho came by and grabbed her.” She felt the tensing he fought in his chest below her spread fingers as she fought her own tears. “We found her body several days later.”

  “What was her name?”

  “Catherine.”

  “What was she like?”

  “Beautiful, gracefully so. She walked into a room and lit it with her smile and her happiness. Very strong and independent. Quite like you. I didn’t like her going downtown alone in the evenings, but she said I was being silly and overprotective.”

  “And you think you didn’t protect her?”

  “I didn’t.” Wynne barely got the words out of his mouth. They seemed to stick in his throat as he uttered them. His gaze veered out to the street again, his eyes misting over, as if he didn’t really see anything at all. “If I had listened to my gut then, she and the baby might still be alive. Which is why I’m trusting my gut this time as well. Ronald is bad news, all the way around, and I won’t let him hurt you.”

  Kendall saw how important this was to him, and with the urgent feelings that were already developing for him, she decided not to fight against what she felt instinctively was right. She was not the type to jump into relationships, and she had not had a boyfriend in over three years herself, putting her career and her desire to establish a life for herself first.

  Not until she had met Wynne did she realize just how lonely she truly was. They were two of a kind, both lost and lonely, drifting through life, work being the only thing that rooted them. Instinctively, she knew she could be his anchor, and if she opened herself up to admitting she needed help, he could be hers.

  “Okay, Caveman, I hope you are ready for what you have asked for.”

  Chapter Ten

  Arms loaded with boxes of cookware and kitchen gadgets, Wynne handed the door keys to Kendall. “If I had known what you do for a living, I may have revisited this idea.”

  “Stop fussing. I have a deadline for this cookbook. I have several other recipes to tweak, evaluate, and photograph before the end of the week. You want me to be here, here is where I shall be.” Hefting her camera bag and lighting equipment through the door, she turned to help him with the cookware boxes before giving Tiberius a welcoming nuzzle and pet.

  “You are taking over my kitchen and have apparently stolen my dog’s affection.” Growling at Tiberius, the animal growled back at him before play nipping him on the ankle as he worked his way into the house. “Well, at least I will get fed.”

  “Who said I was feeding you?” Kendall added with a wink.

  Ignoring her comment, he shook his head. “So where have you been working while your kitchen was being remodeled?”

  “I was leasing a downtown restaurant during the day, while they were closed. I ended the lease when my kitchen was done, so I suppose that I can renegotiate the terms with the owner if my kitchen isn’t complete by the next book I have planned. But I appreciate the use of your kitchen for the week. I only have six more recipes to finish up with, and then it goes to layout and editing.”

  “Considering I don’t think I have actually cooked in this kitchen, unless you count making toast and frying the occasional egg or steak, it will be nice to see it getting used. Plus I better get to test the recipes.”

  “Of course, I was only joking.” Smiling to herself, she liked the thought of cooking for him. She had peeked at his kitchen the night before. It had a great layout and wasn’t exactly professional grade but would more than fit her needs to get the last of her work accomplished. That was, if she could focus with him around.

  He dropped the boxes on the counter before going back to the pickup to grab another. She pulled out the equipment she would need and tried to make sure she neatly arranged her tools to not completely overrun his kitchen. As he came in with the last box, she emptied it and began working on a shopping list for the ingredients she would need.

  She felt a warm body press against her back, and she smiled, immediately forgetting the list in her hand. His warm breath caressed her neck, and the spiraling heat began immediately in her core, touching her nipples and pussy, readying her for his touch.

  “I need to get to work. Will you be okay for a few hours?”

  “Absolutely. I am going to run to the grocery store and get working. You should have a delicious dinner awaiting you when you get back.” Smiling, she turned in his arms, seeking a kiss before he left.

  The cold stare she met unnerved her.

  “Promise me that you will be careful leaving the house. Call my cell when you get to the store and when you get back.”

  “I will be fine. Go to work.” She swatted his rump, trying to get him moving, and he hesitantly walked out of the kitchen. With the soft thud of the front door closing, she wondered if he was worried about her or the ghost of his wife.

  Hours later, and three recipes completed, Kendall adjusted the lighting and clicked the last of the pictures, hoping that the different atmosphere of Wynne’s kitchen would not give the photos a different look. She had a clear vision for this cookbook. Her last two had been award winning and had made her life comfortable after spending hard years on the line, cooking for the public and making the executive chefs and owners rich. She didn’t need fame and fortune, but she loved that she was making a career and a living out of doing what she was passionate about.

  Displaying the images on her laptop, she was relieved to see there was little to no difference in the setting that she could see. They would blend into the other pictures and not stand out at all. Breathing a sigh of relief, she heard the front door open. Sticking her head out of the kitchen, she smiled when she saw Wynne.

  * * * *

  Taking in a deep breath, the smells assailing him as he opened the front door froze him. Ca
therine had been a wonderful cook, and he had a wave of sorrow float through him for a moment. Something as simple as coming home for dinner was enough to remind him of what he missed, but it also reminded him of what he could have again, what could be with Kendall.

  Closing the door, he saw her peek out from the kitchen, and her smile took his breath away.

  “Ready for dinner? I have really outdone myself tonight.”

  “It smells wonderful, and at this point, anything that will warm me up is heaven sent.” Peeling off his heavy coat and slipping out of his snow-covered boots, he took another deep breath.

  “Well, sir, on the menu tonight is a hearty Tuscan stew, Rosa di Parma, which is pork tenderloin stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella along with a portabella risotto, and a Limoncello Zabaglione for dessert.”

  Walking into the kitchen, he noted his dog curled around her feet. “Traitor,” he whispered to Tiberius before he placed a soft kiss on Kendall’s cheek. “An Italian treat tonight, hmm?”

  “My grandmother’s recipes, tweaked and made current for today’s kitchen connoisseur, have made my last two cookbooks very popular. Why fix what isn’t broken? Go wash up, and I will get the table ready.”

  Walking upstairs, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. He changed his clothes, washed his hands and face, and then looked at his reflection in the mirror for the first time in ages. Appearance was not really one of his concerns, but he saw the hints of crow’s feet etching into the corners of each eye and winced. At thirty-seven, middle age was slowly creeping up to him, and as he rubbed his hands over his five o’clock shadow, he noticed once more the few gray hairs blended in with the dark-blond ones.

  He wondered what Kendall, with all her life and vitality, saw when she looked at him. Apparently she liked what she saw, if her heated responses were enough to give him any clues. Did she see him as the old man he saw in the mirror?

  A swirl of light caught his attention in the glass, and he turned, his chest constricting in pain at the hallucination he had to be witnessing. Tears stung the back of his eyes, and an ache in his soul made it impossible to breathe. She was as beautiful as the first time he saw her, now a ghostly apparition in flowing white robes, her belly still full and rounded.

  “Wynne, have you forgotten me?”

  A sob wracked through his body as he fought back the tears. “Never. But you left me.”

  “I thought you loved me. Forever.”

  Dropping to his knees, he looked up at the floating specter, sure he must be going mad. “I will always love you, but I am lonely, and she is the first one to make me feel anything since you left me.”

  The ghost floated closer to him, pressing a cold hand to the middle of his chest.

  “Catherine, I have mourned you for five years. You can’t expect me to be alone the rest of my life.”

  “You promised me forever.”

  Pain lanced through him, remembering the last moments he had spent with his wife. “I have never stopped loving you, nor will I. But there has to be room for one more in my heart.”

  Catherine’s fingers began to swirl in a motion that was all too familiar. She looked over her shoulder and disappeared into a cloud of smoke that moved from the room. Wynne stared at the mass until well after it left, trying to wrap his mind around the events that just occurred. Turning to look into the mirror, he wondered if his guilt alone had created the visions.

  * * * *

  Apollo entered Erebus’s chamber just as he was reappearing. “That was a low blow, to appear to the man as his dead wife.”

  “I am so glad that someone was able to witness that perfect performance. I had so hoped that Eros would catch it. So where is my son, anyway?”

  “He is busy. But I am sure he would have been as disgusted as I am that you would stoop to such levels.”

  “It had its desired effect. Quite creative, if I don’t say so myself.”

  “I have never liked you, Erebus, but after that event, I can barely stomach to look at you.”

  Erebus stepped up to his dais in the cold stone cavern. Seating himself in the darkened space, he adjusted his linen toga to cover his lanky legs. “Ohh, Apollo, you know I live and breathe to please you. Whatever shall I do now?”

  “Sarcasm is not necessary. The truth is.”

  “I have told you the truth.”

  “You said that Hades asked you to put out a fire and ensure she was in the house alone. You have gone above and beyond to wreck this one. Why?”

  “She is not alone. I put out the fire, but the second half of my duty has not been completed. But after tonight, the seeds of doubt and darkness are in his mind, and it will destroy the feelings he has for the woman. He will cast her out soon enough.”

  “Duty? To Hades? That is your excuse for this? Come on, I am not that stupid.”

  “Hades will not leave me alone until I complete our bargain. It is done now, and I can walk away from this.”

  Apollo looked at Erebus, knowing there was more to the story but also seeing the brick wall he faced. “Fine, Erebus, perhaps you have won this battle, but there are more to come.”

  * * * *

  “Did I hear voices up there?” Kendall whipped her head to the stairs as she heard Wynne descending, trying to wrangle in a barking Tiberius, who had gone crazy once again, growling at the stairs. The dog had even attempted to jump the gate Wynne used to keep the animal on the lower level. Tiberius was finally calming down as Wynne returned. She smiled but with her eyes creased in concern once she saw the paleness of his face.

  “Um…I was on the phone.”

  “Bad news?” He didn’t look good at all.

  “You could, ah, say that.” He looked everywhere around the room but at her.

  “Ready for dinner?” Her concern didn’t leave her face.

  “Ready as I can be.” Sitting down at the table she had set for him, she sidled up behind his chair and rested her hand on his shoulder. Immediately, he tensed as if he could not bear her touch. Slipping her hand away, she tried to brush off her feeling and wandered into the kitchen to grab the soup tureen.

  Walking back into the dining room, the icy chill she felt made her suddenly lose her appetite. She poured a little stew into each bowl on the table. She sat, staring at the food. Looking up, she saw Wynne did the same.

  “You gave me such grief over getting a chance to taste my food, and now you don’t even try it.”

  Shaking his head, he looked up at her, catching her gaze for a brief moment. He looked positively green. “I’m not feeling well. Perhaps I need to go to bed. You can use the guest room beside mine when you are ready.”

  Lifting from the table, he stood and moved the gate on the stairs and let Tiberius bound up along with him.

  Looking at the elegant table, the flickering candles, and smelling the wonderful, warm scents drifting through the room, Kendall thought to herself that this was definitely not the way she envisioned tonight going. She took two mouthfuls of stew before she realized she really had no appetite and cleared the bowls from the table.

  An hour later, the kitchen was cleaned. With the busywork completed, it allowed her mind to rethink the earlier events in the dining room. The thought of lying in a lonely bed right beside his bedroom after the cold response she had just gotten from him made her want to cry. She had been so sure that there was something between them, but perhaps it was truly the stress and shock of the fire and a reaction to him being the hero alpha male.

  Gathering her bag from beside the door, she knew a hotel offered more warmth than this house did tonight. She would come back tomorrow to gather her kitchen items. Looking around wistfully, her eyes teared up, and anger surged in her breast. She had opened herself up to this man, giving him the opportunity to get past her walls. She had already imagined what could have been and inwardly berated herself for letting it go too far, too fast. She was thankful that it had not gone so far as to be past the point of no return.

  She chuckled before closin
g the door behind her.

  It was already too far.

  * * * *

  Wynne lay in bed for an hour, not able to sleep. He hated how he had reacted to Kendall, and it broke his heart at how horrible she must feel right now. Tossing off the covers, he went to the bedroom door, pausing as Tiberius bellowed a wistful bark before jumping down from the bed and padding to the door.

  “I’m gonna make it right boy. You just wait here.”

  Wynne stepped out into the hallway and knocked on the guest-bedroom door. When no one answered, he opened it just a crack, peering in to the darkness. He couldn’t see a thing, so he widened the door and saw an empty bed.

  Rushing down the stairs, he walked from room to empty room, his chest aching as he realized he had pushed her away, and with Ronald on the make as well. What if the creep got to her, and he would have no way to find her. No way to save her. He couldn’t lose another.

  “She left to stay at the Barrister Arms, Room 312. You know, that little Victorian hotel by the park where we loved to take Tiberius. Tiberius was such a cute puppy. How he loved to catch that Frisbee.”

  Wynne whirled around to see Catherine floating in his kitchen. “Not again. I must be going nuts. Catherine, why are you haunting me? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?”

  Drifting closer, she smiled. “I know you love me and always will. Which is why I am here. To tell you where you can find her.”

  “Earlier this evening you were angry I was with her. Now you want to help? I don’t understand. Any of this.”

  “There are forces at work that are trying to ruin love. That first ghost you saw was not me, and had it not been for that, I would not be here now.