“If you do, then I’ll put you to work helping me unpack.”
He laughed. “You’re not afraid I might see all that girly stuff?”
“Nothing you haven’t seen before, although I have picked up some new things over the years.” She thought about the purple negligee she’d recently purchased.
“Like those thongs?”
She chuckled. “Yes, like those thongs. You like them, don’t you?”
He leaned against the kitchen counter while his gaze roamed all over her as if he had X-ray vision to see beyond her jeans and top. “Yes, I like them. Go on and sit down. Breakfast is almost ready.”
“You didn’t have to cook breakfast for me, you know,” she said, doing what he said by taking a seat at his table. The same one she had helped him pick out when he’d decided to replace his last one. She loved his kitchen since it had a good view of a golf course and lake. “And don’t you dare try to convince me it’s something you do all the time because I know you don’t,” she added.
“You’re right. But I knew how much you like grits, scrambled eggs and bacon and decided after all we did last night, you deserved energy food,” he said, bringing several platters over to the table.
“That was kind of you.”
He smiled when he joined her at the table. “It’s the least that I can do.” And he meant it. He’d been a greedy ass last night as far as her body was concerned, and although he’d made sure she got her pleasure, as well, he had kept her from getting a good night’s sleep.
“By the way, I noticed your phone ringing a couple times while I was shaving. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t wake you. I hope you didn’t miss an important call.”
The missed calls had been from Marti, and Kara decided mentioning her sister right now wasn’t a good idea. “No, it wasn’t important.”
She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was until she began eating. They shared conversation over breakfast and Kara was surprised how relaxed and unguarded Virgil appeared to be around her, and she was grateful for that.
After breakfast she helped him with the dishes and then they went upstairs to unpack her things. Of course they got waylaid several times, with several showers in between. What should have taken them less than an hour ended up taking them all afternoon.
She offered to cook dinner but he suggested they go out instead. They decided to go back to the Goldenrod. They both agreed the food had been delicious the last time they’d gone there. And just like before, they enjoyed their meal. After dinner he took her by her place to pick up a few items she had forgotten to pack.
Before returning to Virgil’s place they had dropped by his parents’ home to check on things while the older couple were in Houston. Virgil and Kara arrived back at his place, and no sooner had the door closed behind them than Virgil pulled her into his arms and kissed her with the passion of a man who enjoyed what he was doing. And she proved to him she appreciated all the attention. Later that night while he held her in his arms, a satisfied Kara thought the day had been simply wonderful and wished their remaining days together would be just as special.
She had only two weeks to completely tear down the wall Virgil had built around his heart.
Chapter 18
Xavier Kane leaned back in his chair and studied the man sitting across the table from him at the Racetrack Café. “You’ve certainly been in a good mood lately, V.”
Virgil glanced up from his plate. “Have I?”
“Yes.”
“Just your imagination.”
“Um, I don’t think so. Uriel mentioned it, as well. So did Winston. Although, he did say when he called last week you rushed him off the phone.”
“Like you, he’s imagining things,” Virgil said, taking a sip of his coffee. “And when is Bronson’s next race? I think I’m—”
“Don’t try changing the subject. I want to know why you’re in such a good mood. You have a tendency to be an ass at times, although you don’t curse as much as you used to. If I didn’t know better I’d think...”
Xavier didn’t finish what he was about to say. He merely stared at Virgil.
“You’d think what?”
“That you and Kara are back together—for real, and not for any pretense.”
Virgil pushed his plate aside and leaned back in his chair. “But I hope you do know better.”
Xavier chuckled. “Can’t say that I do. Couples are known to get back together. Farrah and I did. So did Uriel and Ellie. York and Darcy. Winston and Ainsley.”
“I’m happy for all of you but that has nothing to do with me.”
“I understand Kara has moved in with you.”
He didn’t have to wonder how Xavier knew that. Uriel had dropped by his place and Kara had been there. “Doesn’t mean anything. I’m sure the person who told you that she was there also mentioned it’s only temporary.”
“Yes, he did mention it, but...”
“But what?”
“Like I said, you’ve been in a good mood. Maybe Kara should become a permanent fixture at your place.”
“That won’t be happening. She has another week and then she’s out of there.”
“You sure?”
“Just as sure as I know my father’s name is Matthew and my mom’s name is Rhona.”
“I hope you aren’t making a big mistake.”
“I’m not. Now will you tell me when Bronson’s next race is?” He told himself he wasn’t changing the subject, that he just wanted to ensure he didn’t miss his friend’s car race.
An hour later while driving back to his office, Virgil thought about his conversation with Xavier. So what if he’d been in a good mood lately? Was that a crime? And although he wouldn’t admit it to Xavier or anyone else, Kara was responsible.
Virgil tightened his hands on the steering wheel. The last thing he needed was to fill his mind with foolish thoughts. He and Kara were having no more than an affair. He had affairs all the time so why should this one be any different? It was different because he was her client. He couldn’t lose sight of the fact that this was a job for her—a job that she was getting paid to do with the goal of improving his image. Not one to miss an opportunity, he’d simply capitalized on a good thing and he had no regrets about doing so.
If he was telling the truth, he would also admit that the thought of her returning to her place in a week didn’t actually fill him with joy. He’d gotten used to waking up with her in his arms, her leg thrown over his or his over hers. Making love to her in the mornings and going to sleep after making love to her at night. Sharing breakfast and dinner with her. Being seen around town with her. It was beginning to feel just like old times—
He stopped himself right there. That was the one thing he couldn’t allow to happen. Those days were over and done with. He’d told Kara that, and as far as he was concerned she had no reason not to believe him.
But what if she thought he’d changed his mind? What if she’d gotten it in her head that they could be a couple again just because they were enjoying each other in and out of bed? He hoped she hadn’t, because she’d be in for a rude awakening if that was the case. As soon as her house was ready, she would be returning to it.
* * *
“You truly look happy, Kara.”
Kara glanced over at Marti. They were enjoying lunch at her sister’s condo. This was the first time she’d been here since finding out what Marti had done. She couldn’t help smiling over at her sister. “I am happy.”
“Because of Virgil?”
She held her sister’s gaze. “Yes, because of Virgil. I know you don’t like talking about what you did four years ago, Marti, but in order for our relationship to move forward, you truly need to regret what you did, and I don’t honestly think that you do.”
“I
apologized, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but was it sincere? I’m not sure it was.”
Marti looked down and didn’t say anything for a long time. Then she met Kara’s gaze and said softly, “I honestly thought Virgil would hurt you, Kara, and I couldn’t let him do that. I’ve been out there a lot longer than you have. I know the players, the heartbreakers, the men women trust only to find out how wrong they are, the men who don’t mean a woman any good. And I didn’t like the thought that one of those had targeted you.”
“But Virgil changed while we were together. Surely you could see that.”
“Yes, but still. I couldn’t risk my kid sister getting hurt by a man the way I was.”
Kara didn’t say anything as she saw the pain in Marti’s eyes, pain she was seeing for the first time, which meant her sister had done a good job of hiding it over the years. “Tell me about him,” she coaxed.
When Marti shook her head, Kara reached out and took her hand. “You have to tell me. Maybe telling me will not only cleanse yourself of him but also help me to understand.”
Marti didn’t say anything for a minute, as if she was debating whether to share her story. “His name was Malcolm Edwards,” she said finally. “He was already living in Sacramento when I moved there after college. I was twenty-four. Young. Naive. Too trusting. And my head was filled with romantic ideas of love and forever after. Why wouldn’t it be? Our parents loved each other and set a good example for us to follow. So naturally, I assumed that one day I would marry a man who loved me and I would have his children. I’d heard about Malcolm’s reputation with women, but when we were together he made me feel special. And I honestly thought he had fallen in love with me. Like you and Virgil, we dated for almost a year. Things were going great and I definitely wasn’t prepared for what he did.”
Kara’s heart pounded in her chest. “What did he do?”
Kara could see the pain in her sister’s eyes deepen. “One night he had four of his closest friends over to watch a football game. We hadn’t moved in together yet, but I figured it was only a matter of time since I was spending more time at his place than my own.”
After a momentary pause Marti continued. “I knew about the football game and since none of the guys brought their girlfriends, I figured I would hang out in the bedroom and study for my CPA exam.”
Kara watched her sister and knew she was fighting back tears. She wanted to reach out and take her hand, but she remained still, letting Marti set the pace.
“I honestly don’t know what happened. The only thing I remember was Malcolm coming into the bedroom and offering me a glass of wine. He said I was studying too much and it would relax me. I thanked him for being thoughtful and drank it. Everything else is kind of woozy after that. All I remember is waking up sometime during the night in bed with five men. And I could tell from the way my body felt that all five of them had taken turns with me.”
“They raped you?”
Marti wiped a tear from her eyes. “Yes. And just to make sure I knew what they had done, when they saw I was awake, they raped me again.”
She stared with teary eyes at Kara. “Malcolm watched while his friends gagged my mouth and tied up my hands and had their way with me before he took his turn. He said he and his best friends shared everything.”
Kara was indignant, angry beyond belief. “Did you call the police?”
“That’s what’s so sad. One of them was a cop. And he threatened to do all kinds of things if I reported them. All five of them said they would make my life a living hell if I told anyone.”
Kara got up and went to her sister and hugged her tight, fighting back her own tears. “Oh, Marti. I’m so sorry they did that to you. I am so sorry.”
Marti released a flood of tears while Kara held her. Kara wondered if this was the first time her sister had allowed herself to cry.
Moments later Marti said, “When they left that morning for breakfast and to play basketball, I cleaned myself up and left. I went back to my own apartment and packed. I flew home to San Francisco that night.”
“Did you tell the folks?”
Marti shook her head. “No. Can you imagine what Dad would have done had he known? I couldn’t risk it. Mom suspected something when she saw bruises on my arms and thighs. She’d walked into my room when I was getting dressed after my shower. She’d assumed I was out by the pool with Dad and was putting more towels in my bathroom. She asked me about the bruises and I told her that I had taken a fall. But I don’t think she believed me.”
“So you let those guys get away with what they did to you?” Kara asked with indignation in her voice.
“Yes, because of their threats. But you know what they say about payback being a bitch. Well, I became that bitch, Kara. A few years later, all five of them eventually married, had good careers and were highly respected in the community. However, being the evil men that they were, I believed if they did it once they would do it again. So I hired a private detective to dig up what he could on them. He discovered they were involved in child pornography—they used the children of immigrants. Once we had enough evidence, we sent what we’d gathered to the state attorney’s office. The five of them were arrested and convicted. And as far as I know, they’re still serving time.”
Kara didn’t say anything as she thought about what her sister had just told her. The thought of Malcolm Edwards, the man her sister loved and thought loved her, actually raping her with his friends made her sick to her stomach. “Did they ever find out you were connected with their arrests?”
“Yes, I paid a visit to each of them individually in jail and told them they had me to thank for their current situation. It made me feel good to look into their eyes and let them know they hadn’t gotten away with what they did to me. I also told them that, since they shared everything, I hoped they enjoyed sharing jail time.”
Kara nodded. In a way justice had been served, but at what cost? She’d often wondered why Marti could be so cold and heartless at times when it came to men. Now she knew. But there was still one question she hadn’t answered. “Why did you think Virgil would be anything like Malcolm?”
“Because he was so close to his godbrothers. They’re thick as thieves, just like Malcolm and his friends were. I didn’t trust them.”
Kara frowned. “But you dated Xavier for almost a month.”
“It was just sex. Good sex but just sex. In the end I tested him. I lied and told him I wanted marriage and that’s all it took for him to drop me like a hot potato. None of those godbrothers were marriage material. I didn’t think Virgil was, either. I thought he was just feeding you lies.”
“Four of them are married now, Marti. Including Xavier. So there is hope. I want to believe Virgil and I would have eventually gotten married. I loved him and I believe in my heart he loved me. I think you misjudged Virgil as well as his godbrothers. They are nothing like Malcolm and his friends.”
Kara went back to her seat and looked over at her sister. “I regret what those guys did to you and I hope they rot in jail. But what you did to me and Virgil was wrong. You apologized to me but not to Virgil. I think you owe him an apology, as well.”
* * *
The buzzer on Virgil’s desk sounded. “Yes, Pam?”
“There’s someone here to see you. A Marti Goshay.”
Virgil leaned back in his chair, wondering what the hell Marti Goshay could want with him. She was the last person he wanted to see or talk to. But if she was up to something, he needed to know what. “Send her in.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the door opened and Marti walked in, he arched a brow. She was known to make a grand entrance whenever she walked into any room. But the woman who walked into his office looked...defeated. He tossed that opinion of her aside and asked, “What do you want, Marti?”
She looked everywhere o
ther than at him. Another first. Marti was known to look any man straight in the eye and state what she wanted or didn’t want. She glanced back at him. “I came to apologize for lying to Kara about you.”
Her apology surprised him because he didn’t think she would ever make one. Not that it mattered one way or the other now. Besides, he figured she was only apologizing to get back in Kara’s good graces. “Fine. You’ve apologized. If there’s nothing else then you can leave.”
Marti turned to leave but then she turned back around. “I know I’m not one of your favorite people, Virgil. But I hope for Kara’s sake the two of us can get along. What I did was wrong. I truly didn’t think you loved Kara. I made a mistake. She loves you and I now know that you love her, as well. She’s happy and I’m glad the two of you are back together.” And then she walked out the door.
Virgil didn’t say anything for a long while. Marti was wrong if she thought he loved Kara, but then, like everyone else who read Flo on the Ro, she assumed they’d gotten back together. That’s all it was, he told himself. The gossip column made her think they were in love.
Pushing Marti’s visit to the back of his mind, Virgil got back to work. He picked up the file York had overnighted to him. He was elated that he had enough goods on both Whitney and Marv Hilton. First of all, there was no way Marv could have thought Whitney was a virgin when there had been a porn video of her floating around—one that Hilton had dropped a lot of money to keep out of circulation. And Marv Hilton wasn’t so clean himself. He had an expensive mistress he was trying to keep happy, not to mention his involvement in a couple of shady deals.
What the Hiltons did in their spare time was their business, but when they tried to ruin his reputation based on lies, then it became his. Leaning back in the chair he picked up the phone on his desk. “Pam, get Marv Hilton on the line.”
Chapter 19
A smiling Virgil walked into his home later that afternoon with a bottle of champagne in his hand. Kara, who’d arrived a few minutes before, was in the kitchen. She was going to surprise him with another one of her dishes that she knew he liked—chicken and dumplings. It was another recipe his grandmother had shared with her.
Bachelor Unforgiving Page 16