“Get drunk, probably.” But Pierce walked to the vehicle and opened the back door for her, closing it once she was inside.
“Seems stupid to need a man to open the door for ya,” Jonas grumbled. But then he pressed his lips together when Pierce opened the driver’s door and slipped into the leather seat. Pierce glanced at his father, then back to Kaitlin when he heard her soft laughter.
“What did he say?”
Kaitlin shook her head. “Oh, he’s just impressed by strong, independent women. That’s all.”
Jonas stared straight ahead, not bothering to agree or disagree with Kaitlin. Pierce looked dubious, but she knew that he’d wait until they were alone to get a better accounting of what his father had said.
“Fine. Let’s get you back home.”
“Fine by me.”
Pierce put the car into drive and carefully pulled away from the hospital curb. It took them about thirty minutes to drive from the hospital to Jonas’ house. Kaitlin asked Pierce questions about the area, the resort, his business, and anything else she could think of. It wasn’t just about curiosity though. Kaitlin liked hearing his voice, listening to the rough timbre, and watching his eyes in the rear-view mirror.
When they finally pulled up outside of a beautiful mountain house, complete with huge windows that would take in the gorgeous view, Kaitlin sighed with appreciation.
“Like it?” Jonas grumbled. “You can’t have it!”
Kaitlin laughed. “Actually, I love it. This is a beautiful house you have, Jonas.”
Pierce came around to take her hand as she moved around the vehicle. “There’s no way Kaitlin would live in a house like this one, Dad. So stop grousing about money and go inside.”
“Why wouldn’t she live here?” he demanded, but he didn’t pause as he hurried inside, moving faster than a heart attack patient probably should.
“Because there are too many windows. Kaitlin would worry about people peering in through the windows. She prefers a bit more privacy.”
Jonas paused to frown over his shoulder, but didn’t respond.
Kaitlin moved inside and Pierce walked through the halls, turning on lights before checking the freezer. “You’re all stocked up, Dad. Evelyn said she’d dropped off food and your freezer is full. I’ve arranged for someone to come by to pick you up for your physical therapy appointments and regular checkups with the cardiologist.”’
“I ain’t going to them.”
“Fine,” Pierce replied, his eyes hard. Kaitlin noticed that his jaw clenched. Pierce was not ‘fine’ with his father’s response. “I’m going to check on a few things. I’ll be right back. Don’t be mean, or I’ll take your bourbon.”
Kaitlin snickered quietly, wondering why that threat kept the older man silent. She turned, her eyebrows lifted and she was about to ask, but Jonas interrupted.
“You’re not gonna hurt my boy!” he growled. “His momma abandoned him and I won’t let you do that to him either. So just get out and leave him alone!”
Kaitlin was taken aback. “Why would a mother abandon her child?” she asked, horrified at the thought.
“Because she was a no-good, gold digger, just like you are! She wanted my money, but I wouldn’t let her have it. So she up and left!”
Kaitlin glanced over her shoulder, wondering if that was true. Had Pierce been abandoned by his mother because of money? That seemed so…outrageous!
Turning back, she eyed the man carefully. “Did your ex-wife ask for your money?”
“Nah. She was too smart for that. But she was beautiful, just like you. I know women like you! And you’re not gonna hurt my son! So just get out of his life and move on, missy! He’s not a sucker like I was! He’s not gonna marry you and let you suck all of his money away!”
Kaitlin wanted to laugh, but the humor wouldn’t come. Was this man serious?
Before she could process anything else, Pierce stepped back into the room. “You’re all set, Dad. The guy I hired to pick you up for your doctor’s appointments has been instructed to call you before each appointment. If you don’t answer the phone, then he won’t come, but he’ll still be paid. So, you’ll be spending my money even if you don’t go.”
“That’s crazy! Cancel all of it and keep your damn money! I don’t need rides anywhere! I’m fine!”
“Right. We’re going. I checked and you have half a bottle of bourbon left. I’m not restocking your liquor cabinet. Evelyn has instructions not to bring you any alcohol either. Bobby, the guy I hired to take you to your appointments can also bring you to AA meetings to help you with your alcoholism, but…”
“I’m not a drunk!” he roared.
“Right,” Pierce answered flatly. “Let’s go, Kaitlin.”
Kaitlin moved alongside Pierce, still reeling from this latest information. Pierce, abandoned by his mother and left alone with an angry, bitter father who believes that all women are gold diggers. A man who thinks that his son would be better off alone than to trust a woman.
Pierce held open the door to the SUV, but Kaitlin didn’t get in. She stood there, staring up at Pierce. “Your mother left your father because he wouldn’t give her enough money?”
That jaw locked again and his eyes turned cold. For a long moment, she wondered if he was going to respond. Finally, he shrugged one of his shoulders. “I have no idea why my mother left him. I was too small to remember her. I think I was only five years old when she just…wasn’t home anymore.”
Kaitlin stared up at him, unaware of her mouth falling open in horror. “Your father told me that you’d be better off alone. He’s afraid that I will steal your money.”
Pierce laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “My father is a resentful, bitter, pathetic alcoholic. As far as I can tell, my father lost his money because he fell into a deep depression after my mother left us. He started drinking and, by the time I left for college, he was barely even going to work. By the time I made my first million and set him up in this house, he’d completely abandoned any sort of productive life, preferring to live off my money. So if anyone is stealing my money, it’s him. He’s just too ornery to acknowledge that he lives a wretched, pointless existence.”
Kaitlin could hear the anger and bitterness in his voice, and couldn’t stop from responding to it. Without thinking, she moved closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her head on his chest. For a long moment, he didn’t respond. He stood there, silent and stiff, but Kaitlin didn’t relent. She only hugged him more tightly.
And then she felt it. Slowly, as if he didn’t want to respond to her affection, but couldn’t stop himself either, his arms closed around her. She felt his cheek come to rest against the top of her head and Kaitlin sighed with the anger and hurt that this man had been dealing with for most of his life.
“I’m sorry that your mother left you,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “And I’m sorry that your father has been so bitter about it for so long.”
“I’m fine,” he replied. But she didn’t believe him. Instead, she tightened her arms around his waist, hugging him harder still. How could he be fine? What human being could be ‘fine’ knowing that a parent had abandoned them? No wonder he couldn’t tell her that he loved her! Growing up in this kind of a household, love would be considered a four letter word!
“Ready to head to the stone house?” he asked as he pulled away, but his hands lingered on her hips.
She looked up at him, aware that she was fighting tears but unable to hide it. “I think so,” she replied.
No, she wasn’t ready to take pictures of a scary house. She wanted to talk to him, figure out what he’d gone through, and try to help him understand that…well, she wasn’t sure what.
The drive to the haunted house took only about five minutes since it was so close to Jonas’ house, just around the corner from his paved driveway and down a barely-there gravel road.
As soon as the vehicle rounded the corner, she could see why some thought this house could be haun
ted. The roof was gone, the main supports tangled with vines. The walls were made of stone, of course, with four windows, two on each side of the main doorway. There was also a stone threshold, but the rest of the house had been taken over by nature. There was even a tree growing from the center of the house, the canopy acting as a sort of roof for whatever lived inside of that house.
“This is great!” she exclaimed, pulling her phone from her purse.
“Glad it works for you,” he teased, leaning against the hood of the SUV as he watched her walk around the stone structure.
Normally, Kaitlin would be completely immersed in taking pictures, working feverishly to figure out the details of her book plot. But after spending time with Jonas, and getting a deeper understanding of Pierce, she couldn’t really concentrate. So instead, she snapped pictures and focused on trying to get a feel for the house.
Fifteen minutes later, she was at the back of the house, out of Pierce’s line of sight and she just stopped. She muddled through everything she’d learned, trying to make excuses. But in the end, she realized one thing.
Pierce loved her, but didn’t realize it.
Darn it, she should have realized that six months ago! All the signs were there! From the first moment they’d seen each other, their eyes locked and…she just knew. He was the guy. The One. From that moment on, they’d spent as much time together as their schedules would allow. Every moment he wasn’t working or her not writing, they were together. Talking, laughing, eating meals, and…okay, the sex had been incredible too!
He’d try to buy her things, but she’d refused. Jewelry? Where would she wear it? Expensive clothes? Again, she worked from home. She didn’t need fancy clothes when a sweatshirt and leggings were more comfortable. She had her own house, paid cash for her car, and didn’t have many expenses.
So, he didn’t know how to handle her! Kaitlin wasn’t what Pierce expected, so he didn’t know what he was feeling! He’d never known true love before. He’d never known the security of coming home and finding someone who loved him being there with a smile and a hug! He’d never had that kind of security, so how could he ever relax enough to enjoy the feeling of knowing someone’s love?
“Kaitlin? Are you okay?” he asked, stepping around the corner of the stone house.
Was she okay? Not really! Her heart pounded and she wanted…she wanted to love him. She wanted to give him everything he’d missed as a child. She wanted to love him as a man. A man who is worthy of love, of laughter, and a lifetime of happiness!
She wanted to tell him so, but the words caught in her throat. So instead of telling him, she went up on tiptoes, and kissed him lightly. “I love you,” she whispered.
Instead of responding, Pierce lowered his head and kissed her back. Gently at first, tentatively. Exploring. When he lifted his mouth, those chocolate eyes staring down at her, he shook his head slightly. “What is love?” he asked softly.
Kaitlin opened her mouth to respond, but he simply kissed her again, deeper this time, overwhelming her with the passion that they’d both tamped down over the past six months. Lifting her up, he tilted her head so that he could deepen the kiss, waiting for her to tell him to stop, that she didn’t want this.
But Kaitlin didn’t tell him to stop. In fact, just the opposite. Her hands slid up against his chest, her fingers wove into his hair. It was almost as if…as if she really meant it.
Impossible. Love was a fiction that people created in their minds.
But this…lust, this desire. Passion. Whatever one wanted to call it. This was real.
He lifted her flimsy dress up and pulled her legs higher. She knew what he wanted and wrapped her legs around his waist. But even this, it wasn’t enough. With a groan, he shifted, his hands smoothing down her back, cradling her bottom so that he could tip her hips more perfectly against him.
Clothing should be banned where Kaitlin was concerned! With a flick of his wrist, he tore her panties away, tossing them onto the ground. This was Kaitlin! Damn he’d missed her so much!
“Now!” she cried out, grinding against him.
“Kaitlin, we can’t…!”
“Oh, please!” she sobbed. “It’s been so long and I’ve missed you so much!”
That was all the convincing he needed and he grabbed a condom out of his back pocket, releasing his erection and rolling the condom down. “You’re so gorgeous like this, honey,” he told her, holding her perched against the low, stone window. Her fingers tightened around his neck, her mouth falling open as he slowly, inch by inch, entered her body. She was so hot, so wet and ready for him, he could barely hold back from slamming into her. But this was Kaitlin and he wouldn’t hurt her! Not for anything!
“Hurry!” she gasped, wiggling her hips and he couldn’t hold back. Still trying to be gentle, he pressed into her deeper, groaning when she took all of him into her body.
Slowly, he moved in and out of her tight sheath, tilting her hips to give her more pleasure. Over and over, he pressed into her, taking both of them higher. Closer. A crow cawed in the distance, but at the same time, Kaitlin cried out as her body throbbed with her release.
Barely a fraction of a second later, he felt his own body tighten and then…he was falling over that blissful cliff as well, holding her tight as their bodies throbbed in the shade of the trees and the crumbling stone house.
When he could breathe again, he lifted his head and looked down into her beautiful eyes, noting the smile and the relaxed shoulders.
“I love you,” she repeated.
Pierce stared at her, stunned by how her words made him feel. He wanted to scream. Howl at something.
Instead, he kissed her again. Gently. Reverently.
Chapter 6
Pierce glanced at the entrance to the dining room for about the tenth time, then down at his watch restlessly. Where the hell was she? Kaitlin had said she needed to shower and change clothes. But he knew her. He knew exactly how long it took for her to shower. She wasn’t the kind who took seemingly endless showers. She was fast and furious in the shower…unless he was with her.
His body reacted to the memories of their showers together. Why hadn’t he suggested that she come with him to his suite? It was larger and more luxurious than any of the other suites in the hotel. Inside that suite was a massive shower that he’d personally designed. Growing up, he’d had a small shower and, ever since he’d earned enough money, Pierce refused to get into small showers. He was a big man and trying to turn around in a small space with his shoulders was irritating.
So, why hadn’t he suggested it?
His cell phone rang and he glanced down at the number. Grinning, he answered the call. “Declan! What’s going on?” he greeted his friend, who had custom built the entire computer system for each of his resorts, including this one.
For a long moment, he listened to Declan’s request, stunned and then…he threw back his head, laughing. “You want that snuggler’s time all to yourself?” he asked, clarifying his friend’s words. When Declan responded, Pierce laughed again. “Yeah. Fine. I’ll have Marjorie arrange it,” he assured him. They exchanged a few more friendly insults, and hung up. Quickly, he texted instructions to his assistant, then looked up, wondering again where Kaitlin was.
And yeah, he was still been reeling from her declaration this afternoon. After leaving the stone house and hearing those words…the declaration that he’d never thought to hear again…he’d been trying to come to terms with what he needed.
Kaitlin. Yeah, he needed her in his life. For the past six months, he’d tried to live without her, to reconcile his feelings and reject anything that had to do with her because…hell, because he didn’t want to be in love. He didn’t want to end up like his father, bitter and resentful, drinking his life away. No, that was a downward spiral.
But Kaitlin was different. Or was she? He couldn’t remember his mother very well. Why hadn’t he looked for her over the years?
That thought startled him enough that h
e stopped searching for Kaitlin. Looking down, he stared at his hands as he wondered where his mother was, if she was still alive. And most importantly, why had she left?
Had she really been a money-hungry woman, married to Jonas simply for his wealth? Thinking back, Pierce could only remember sensations, blurry images. Her voice. The smell of her perfume when she bent over his bed to kiss him goodnight. Her soft, blond hair teasing his cheek when she hugged him and her soft arms holding him on her lap as she read him a story.
Why hadn’t he thought about those memories before now?
Probably, because from the moment his mother had disappeared from his life, Jonas had ranted about what a miserable person she was, how she’d betrayed him.
As a man, Pierce wondered if that was true. Or if there was another half of the story. In his experience, there were always two sides, two perceptions.
Again, the question reverberated around his brain; why hadn’t he looked for her before now? Why hadn’t he searched her out, discovered her side of the events?
“Mr. Rossen!” a bubbly, blond woman exclaimed, pulling his mind away from his startling revelations. The woman was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her. “I’m Jenni!” she explained and Pierce realized why she was familiar. This was one of the scheduling staff members, the team that greeted the incoming guests and got them signed up for their classes during the week. She was a good employee, from what he remembered from her performance reviews.
“Good afternoon, Jenni,” he replied coolly, not wanting to encourage her. He hated employees who sucked up, preferring that they make a positive impression on the guests. That was the only way to get ahead, in his opinion.
“What are you doing sitting here all alone?” she teased, adding in a touch of a baby voice. Pierce refrained from rolling his eyes. Barely.
“I’m sure there are guests who might need extra attention, Jenni,” he commented, hoping she’d get the message and go off to do her job.
“You’re right!” she gasped. “And you’re just the man that I am going to give extra attention to!” and with those words, she linked her arm through his and did that breast brushing thing against his upper arm while beaming up at him with obvious invitation.
Loving Pierce (Heart & Soul Series Book 4) Page 4