He muttered a curse under his breath, knowing he had to get control. Regardless of the picture they would be painting for others, there was no going back. He would tell himself that a million times a day if he had to.
* * *
Kara entered the Racetrack Café. Unlike the last time she’d met Virgil for dinner and he’d taken her to a place they’d never dined in before, this was the very place they used to hang out most of the time. She was immediately flooded with memories of how they would meet here after work before heading to her place or his.
Instead of calling, he had texted her instructions to meet here. At first she’d found it odd he would choose this place since it had such a history for them. Then again, she figured if he wanted to make it seem as if they were getting back together, this was the perfect place.
The first thing she noticed was that the café wasn’t crowded, which was unusual for a Thursday night.
She glanced around and saw him. When their gazes met, she suddenly felt a little breathless and forced her feet forward to where he was now standing. Unlike her, he’d taken the time to go home and change into jeans. Since she had a late business meeting, she was still wearing her two-piece suit and heels.
“Sorry, I’m late,” she said, trying to ignore the rapid beating of her heart. “Late meeting.”
“No problem,” he said, sitting back down after she slid into the booth across from him. “Glad you could make it. I saw you when you parked so I went ahead and ordered your Arnold Palmer.”
“Thanks.” She tried not to smile at the thought that he remembered her favorite drink. “You said we needed to meet to plan a strategy.” She could tell he’d showered because her nostrils picked up the clean scent of man as well as his familiar aftershave. It had always been her favorite.
“Yes, but that discussion can come later. I thought we’d eat first,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.
Kara tried to avoid looking at him by glancing around. “Not a lot of people here tonight.”
“There’s a big Panthers pep rally going on at the stadium. They’re gearing up for tomorrow’s preseason opener against the Eagles.”
“Oh.”
He chuckled. “You’re still not a football fan, I see.”
“No. Some things never change, I guess.” Their gazes connected and she couldn’t help but feel the chemistry. The same one they’d always shared. Despite how much he disliked her, that hadn’t changed, which was a good thing.
He finally broke eye contact with her when the waitress delivered their drinks. She quickly took a sip of hers and appreciated the feel of the cold liquid moving down her throat. She felt hot and needed to cool off. Sitting across from her was the one man who had the ability to make her burn, both inside and out.
“So how was your day, Kara?”
She glanced back over at him. “Do you really want to know or are you just being nice?”
Virgil held her gaze. “Both.” Bougard Enterprises was the only reason he was sitting across from her now and not at that pep rally like everyone else. But still the man in him appreciated a good-looking woman, which was why he’d felt a tightening in his gut when he’d seen her walk into the café. “So tell me, how was your day?”
He watched her shrug her shoulders before taking another sip of her drink. “It went rather well, actually. I was hired to do a series of leadership seminars at Lufton Financial Services. And I also found out that I’ve been nominated by our local league of women voters for Businesswoman of the Year.”
A smile automatically touched his lips. He was genuinely happy for her. “Congratulations for both achievements.”
“Thanks.”
“We need to celebrate this weekend.”
She lifted a brow. “We do?”
“Yes. It will be a good excuse for us to be seen together. I’ll make the arrangements.”
She reached out and the touch of her hands on his sent stirring sensations ricocheting all through him, sensations he was sure she felt, too. But she didn’t let go. “No, let me make the arrangements, Virgil.”
While gazing into her eyes, he thought like he always had that they were the most beautiful pair any woman could possess. Tonight he saw a determination in them that he hadn’t seen in a long time, if ever.
“All right. You make all the arrangements,” he said, giving in and not having a problem doing so. He liked the way her touch was making him feel, although he wished otherwise.
She smiled and released his hand, and damn if that smile didn’t make his gut tighten even more. “You won’t be disappointed,” she said.
* * *
A short while later Kara pushed her plate aside. Virgil had invited her here to discuss strategies but so far they hadn’t done that. Over dinner she’d asked questions about his family and when he’d told her his sister was pregnant, she couldn’t help but smile.
She’d met Leigh and liked her a lot. Right before she and Virgil had broken up Leigh and Chad had gotten engaged. Kara had been surprised to get an invitation to the wedding but because she’d known Virgil would not have wanted her there, she hadn’t attended. But she had sent a wedding gift. And now to hear that Leigh and Chad would be parents was wonderful news.
And when she’d asked, he’d told her about his father’s family, some of whom she’d gotten to know when she had attended one of the Bougard family reunions with him in Houston. Matthew had come from a large family that consisted of seven brothers and three sisters. Of all his siblings Matthew had been the only one who hadn’t attended college in Texas. Leaving home to attend Morehouse had been a big step and then settling down in Charlotte instead of returning to Houston after graduation had been another one. To compensate, he’d made certain both his son and daughter had been Texans by birth by making sure a pregnant Rhona had been in Houston when it was time for her to deliver.
Sitting here with him, chatting amiably, she couldn’t help remembering the last time they’d dined together. She’d mentioned the possibility of them becoming friends and he’d flat out rejected the idea. She hoped he’d change his stance on that since they’d be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks. But she had to be realistic and remember Virgil was merely playing a role, one he intended to play to the hilt to benefit his company.
When their dishes had been cleared away, Virgil asked, “Have you noticed a couple of people looking over here at us?”
His question made her discreetly scan the café. It wasn’t as empty as it had been, which meant the pep rally had ended. Virgil was right. Several people were openly staring at them, and Kara wondered if it had anything to do with the article appearing in this morning’s newspaper. Thanks to Flo on the Ro, they were now the couple to watch.
“Give me your hands.”
She looked back at Virgil. Not understanding his request, she complied anyway. He took her hands and entwined their fingers. She raised her brow while keeping her gaze trained on his face, trying to ignore the warmth of his fingers interwoven with hers. She was sure every cell in her body was heating up.
“Now we’re giving them something to look at,” he said in a deep husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.
“Are we?”
A smile touched the corners of his lips. “If you don’t believe me just watch.” And he then leaned and kissed their joined hands.
Kara couldn’t stop the tremble that immediately coursed through her. She licked her lips when a familiar sensation stirred in the lower part of her body. “Do you think this is necessary?” she asked, letting out a slow, controlled breath.
“Don’t you?” he asked softly. “Tell me what you think since you came up with the action plan. Was this not what you had in mind for the woman I was to date exclusively? Were we not supposed to give people the impression that we’re all into each other?”
/> “Yes, but I wasn’t supposed to be that woman, Virgil.”
“But unfortunately, Kara, you are now that woman. Now lean toward me a bit. Don’t ask why, just do it.”
Drawing in a deep breath, and with their hands interlinked and heat spreading up her thighs, she leaned in closer. And that’s when he leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers. She figured the kiss was meant to be quick, however, instead of either of them leaning back, their lips remained mere inches from each other. The most logical thing was to kiss again. So they did. This one lasted longer than the last, and when he swept his tongue across her lips, she felt fire curling in her stomach.
When their lips parted he tilted his head and looked at her and said in a deep throaty voice, “I think that will do for now.”
“Will it?” she asked in a breathless whisper.
“Yes,” he said, slowly releasing her hands. “Now it’s time to leave.”
“But I thought we were here to plan our strategy.”
A smile touched the corners of his lips. “We just did. Come on and let me walk you to your car.”
Chapter 10
The next morning Virgil gazed out his bedroom window and thought back on last night at the café with Kara. For the umpteenth time he tried convincing himself that kissing her had served a purpose. They’d had an audience so it had been the perfect time to put on a show.
But did he have to kiss her a second time and taste her with his tongue?
There was no doubt in his mind that he had felt something in those kisses, something he hadn’t counted on. It was not intended to mean anything. He’d been merely acting out a part and nothing else. However, the moment his mouth had touched hers, emotions he hadn’t expected had flooded him. Those emotions should have been buried long ago, never to resurface again.
Some emotions were to be expected, he told himself. After all, regardless of the reason they’d broken up, Kara had been the one and only woman he’d ever loved. Not feeling something would have been impossible.
He had walked her to her car and, when he’d opened the door and she’d slid her body onto the leather seat, exposing a luscious thigh in the process, a pang of desire had shot through him. He’d been tempted to act on it so he’d given in to temptation and placed a kiss on the side of her throat. He’d gone even further and used his tongue to cop a taste when he licked her skin there.
Kara’s sharp intake of breath had let him know she’d felt it. There had been no logical reason for his tongue to come into contact with her skin, and now he was paying for his actions. He was convinced the taste of her had somehow saturated his insides. After she’d driven off, he had quickly walked to his car, gotten inside and driven home totally aroused. He still was.
He didn’t want to be sexually attracted to Kara. It had taken only a kiss to show that she could still get under his skin. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the taste of her had him thinking of nothing else but tasting her again. And why on earth had he suggested they spend the weekend together? What had he been thinking?
The cell phone on his nightstand rang but he didn’t have to answer it to know who was calling. It was Uriel. Uriel and his wife, Ellie, were spending the summer on Cavanaugh Lake, which was located a few miles from Gatlinburg.
Crossing the room, he picked up the phone. “Yes, U?”
“I came into town yesterday to attend the pep rally. Afterward a group of us went to the Racetrack Café and I heard you’d been there earlier with Kara. I also heard the two of you were all lovey-dovey.” There was a brief pause before Uriel asked, “So, what’s going on, V? Are you and Kara getting back together?”
“Not in a million years,” Virgil replied in a gruff voice.
“In that case you have some explaining to do.”
Virgil rolled his eyes. “Do I?”
“What do you think?”
Virgil drew in a deep breath. He didn’t want his godbrothers getting the wrong idea about him and Kara. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
“No.”
“Good. Join me, I’ll explain everything.”
“Okay. Where?”
“Meet me at the Racetrack Café in a half hour.”
* * *
Kara stretched her body, not ready to get out of bed just yet. She glanced over at the clock and thought since she didn’t have any appointments this morning there was no rush to get to the office. She would just lie here a minute longer and bask in her memories from yesterday.
He had kissed her. She would admit by Virgil Bougard’s standards both kisses had been rather chaste. She knew from past experiences that Virgil had the ability to plow you with a kiss that could make your head swoon for days. But the lasting effect had been just as powerful. Then when he’d walked her to her car, he had licked her throat. The feel of his tongue on her skin had stirred something deep within her.
And then he’d suggested they spend some time together this weekend, to be seen in public as a couple. She would plan the activity and she already had an idea what she wanted them to do. They would—
Her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts and quickening her pulse. Virgil had her number. Was he calling her?
Reaching for the phone, she glanced at caller ID and felt her heart sink. It was Marti. It had been months since the two of them had communicated and she couldn’t help wondering what her sister wanted. She sat up in bed and clicked on the phone. “Yes, Marti?”
“Is the article I read in yesterday’s newspaper true?” Marti asked excitedly. “Are you and Virgil really back together?”
Kara frowned. Why would Marti sound happy for them after all she’d done? “And what if we are?”
“Then I’m happy for you. I know you don’t believe me but I truly am. I was wrong about Virgil, and in trying to protect you, I went too far. I know you hate me and—”
“I don’t hate you but you had no right to do what you did and then to brag about it to the person you were talking to on the phone. You know the pain I went through when I thought Virgil was unfaithful. You let me go through that. You even had the gall to give me your shoulder to cry on when you deliberately lied about him.”
“I thought I was protecting you, Kara. Why can’t you believe that? Why can’t you forgive and forget so we can move on?”
Kara drew in a deep breath. Hadn’t she wondered the same thing about Virgil when he hadn’t accepted her apology? But there was one difference. “Because I don’t believe you regret what you did. Don’t forget I overheard that conversation you had with that person on the phone. You were bragging and boasting about how you screwed up my relationship with Virgil. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the reason you did it was because you wanted him for yourself.”
“That’s not true! I told you why I did it. I didn’t believe he really loved you and thought he would eventually hurt you. You’re my baby sister and I didn’t want you to go through the pain that...”
When Marti didn’t finish what she was about to say, Kara asked, “What? What were you going to say, Marti?”
“Nothing,” Marti said, much too quickly to suit Kara. “I was wrong about him and I’m sorry. But it’s not about us anymore, Kara. It’s about Mom and Dad.”
Kara frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“They’re on bad terms because of us. It’s all my fault that there’s a rift between me and you, and I hate that Mom and Dad are involved. Please let’s meet this morning for breakfast. We need to at least talk, Kara.”
Kara didn’t say anything for a minute. She hated how the disjunction between her and Marti was affecting her parents. Maybe she should take Virgil’s lead and forgive but not forget. She doubted she could ever trust her sister again.
“I need to shower and get dressed. It will take an hour.”
“Great
!”
Kara tried not to notice the excitement in Marti’s voice. “You decide where.”
“You know I’m going to say Racetrack Café. Their waffles are to die for.”
She shook her head. Unknowingly Marti had selected the place where she’d dined just last night with Virgil. How could she sit there this morning and not be swamped by memories of his kisses?
* * *
“So there you have it, U. The only reason I’m coming within ten feet of Kara is for business.”
Uriel Lassiter lifted a brow. “You sure about that? From what I heard, your mouth was playing around hers pretty damn good.”
Virgil frowned. “That kiss was just for show.”
“Whatever you say,” Uriel said in a tone suggesting he didn’t believe him. “Did you finally come around to accepting Kara’s apology?”
“I told her I would forgive her but I wouldn’t forget.”
“People make mistakes. Even you, V.”
Virgil’s frown deepened. “You’re right. My biggest mistake was ever falling in love with her.”
Uriel shook his head. “I’d be wasting my time if I told you to let it go. I’ve suggested it before and you haven’t. You recall how for all those years I avoided Ellie.”
Yes, Virgil remembered. Ellie had played a teenage prank on Uriel that had taken him nearly ten years to forget. Eventually he had and the two were now married.
“I told you that I accepted her apology.”
“But you’re still holding a grudge.”
“I am not holding a grudge. Doing so would require too much time and effort, and I don’t intend to give Kara any more of either than I have to.”
Uriel took a sip of his coffee. “I’m surprised Kara agreed to go along with pretending to be in an exclusive affair with you.”
Virgil shrugged. “She wasn’t happy about it. But Kara is getting paid to improve my image, no matter what it takes for her to do so.”
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