Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kain
When Eva’s door opened, I blinked at the sight of Stori.
“Well, don’t you look handsome in your tux?” She cast a glance over me.
“Thanks.” I offered her a hug. “How’s it going? What are you doing here?”
“Helping my best friend get ready for her date.”
“You know Eva?”
“Sure do.” Her eyes glinted with mischief. “I know all her secrets. You want deets? Then you’ve gotta pay up.” She wiggled her fingers.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. Don’t want to get into trouble with Eva on our date.”
“Smart man.” She jabbed a finger at my chest, looking up at me with a protective expression.
It fascinated me how Eva was interwoven into my life. She didn’t live far from me and was best friends with Hudson’s sister. If I followed the logic, we should’ve met sooner. But I won’t argue with the man upstairs. He obviously had some elaborate plan, and I trusted his judgment.
“Eva will be safe with me.”
“If something happens to her, you’ll answer to me, pal.” Beaming, Stori lifted a clenched fist.
“No need to worry,” I said. “Put away that fist of yours. It terrifies me.”
Grinning, she unclenched her fist.
Eva entered the hallway, and all the oxygen in my lungs fled instantly.
Everything around me faded, except the gorgeous woman standing before me.
She wore an elegant black dress that hugged her body, flowing down gracefully.
Her light brown hair, the gold earrings, and the pretty makeup gripped my attention. My heart hammered in my chest.
I swallowed. “You’re stunning.”
“Thanks. Stori let me borrow her dress.” Eva walked up to me. “You look great in a tux.”
“Let me see!” Grandpa Collins approached in his sweats and stood next to Stori, eyeing us. “Just perfect.”
Eva turned to her grandfather. “Will you be okay at home?”
“Of course.” He took her hand, patting it. “I have my MacGyver, and Emilio just invited me to bingo night at his apartment. Camila and Betsy are joining too.”
“All right. You’ve got a set of keys.” Eva’s face warmed. “If you need anything, just call me. Have fun.”
“I won’t need anything.” Grandpa Collins looked at Stori. “Want to watch an episode of MacGyver with me?”
“Why not?” Stori waved at us. “Have a great evening, guys.”
I clasped my hand over hers, and together we took the elevator down and walked out to my Maserati.
Once inside, she glanced around, running her fingers along the seat and dashboard. “How many cars do you have?”
“Four, for now.”
“For now? Why do you need so many?”
“I don’t need that many. I just like different cars for different things.” Reaching for her hand, I gave it a light squeeze, loving the way it felt in my grip. That sexy escapade we had at my gym was forever etched in my head, making me want a repeat soon.
I’d never wanted to hold a woman’s hand as much as hers. It was as though I feared someone would take her from me. This protective emotion was something I needed to unpack—but not tonight.
“You mean like women with their shoe and purse collections?” she asked.
“Exactly. This Maserati is for fancy outings with a beautiful woman,” I said, and immediately regretted it.
She flicked an inquisitive glance at me. “So you’ve driven a lot of women around.”
That tricky statement was covered with booby traps. I could almost hear the ticking of an invisible bomb getting ready to erupt.
To be safe, I said, “Not really. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date.”
“But you were with a woman at the Boston Harbor Hotel.”
She’d been paying attention, and joy warmed my chest.
“That’s Shonda, my regional manager. We were there on business. Besides, Shonda’s lover is Hilary.”
A quiet moment thrummed in the car before Eva asked, “Isn’t tonight a business outing too?”
“It’s networking. Senator Falcone is hosting a charity event to raise money for The Falcone Educational Foundation. They offer scholarships to low-income students with decent grades.” I lifted her hand to my lips. “More importantly, I get to spend it with you.”
“That’s a wonderful cause. Education is expensive. I only finished paying off my school loans two years ago.”
“I went to college later in life and was a recipient of that foundation’s scholarship. At that time, the senator had just entered the political arena.”
“Why did you start college so late?” She looked over at me. “Took a few years off to acclimate to life’s changes?”
If I told her the truth, she’d be too close to danger.
I didn’t want a hint of the darkness to touch her.
But if I didn’t tell her, she would never know the real me.
I’d never shared my past with a woman before, but I wasn’t sure if tonight was the time to tell her.
It might be too shocking, and the last thing I wanted was to scare her.
“That’s a story for another day, okay?” I asked.
She nodded.
I pulled into the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham. “Tonight, we enjoy the event and each other’s company.”
“Okay,” she said and never took her hand from my grip as we entered the hotel, making our way toward the banquet room.
The banquet room glittered with opulence.
Crystal chandeliers hung from a vaulted ceiling painted with delicate frescoes that scattered warm light across round tables covered in ivory linen and polished silver.
Each table was adorned with flickering candles and delicate arrangements of peonies.
Soft music drifted around the room as servers circled, refilling the guests’ flutes with champagne.
Senator Falcone’s supporters and representatives from public colleges filled the room. These colleges offered free tuition through the scholarship program that had helped so many people earn a degree.
I disliked politics, and I didn’t trust politicians. They were all players in a chess game that benefited very few. Most of the time, discussions explored the various ways to increase their personal wealth while holding public office.
Senator Falcone differed in that he showed his concern for the people he served. But the vision of his deceased niece flashed before my eyes. Why didn’t he show the same concern for his relatives?
My father popped into my head. After what he’d done to my mother, I didn’t give a damn about him. It was hard to judge someone while standing on the outside. No one could understand the pain and rage that had consumed me.
Perhaps I had a soft spot for Senator Falcone because I attended college for free because of his program.
“What school did you attend?” Eva asked. “What did you study?”
“Framingham State. Business. How about you?” I grabbed a champagne flute for Eva and one for myself.
“Thanks.” She took the flute and sipped. “I went to Babson College for business. But I took floral design during the summer. The business degree helped me land jobs easily, but the flower design was my real muse.”
“Kain, how are you?” Scott Minnows shook my hand with a firm grip.
He was the CEO of Alpine Banks. In his mid-fifties, he was already on his third divorce. He turned to Eva and smiled. “Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
“This is Eva.” I slipped a hand around her waist, making sure he knew she was mine. “Eva, meet Scott.”
Eva met about twenty people before we made it to the appetizer table.
“I didn’t realize you were so popular.” Eva chose a bacon-wrapped scallop and popped it into her mouth. “This is so good.”
My eyes stayed on her lips and watched her pink tongue lick off the residue.
She held a scallop in her fingers and brought it to my mouth. I opened to accept it and managed to lick her finger too. My gaze remained on hers as sexual tension pulsed between us.
Thoughts about our relationship had hounded me since I got a taste of her at my gym.
“I need to know something.”
“What is it?” She licked her fingers, and my dick twitched.
“Let’s date,” I said. “Be my girlfriend.”
Her eyes brightened as a faint flush tinged her cheeks. “That’s not a question.”
“Do you want to be mine?” I wasn’t good at these things.
“Are you sure you want to date me? You don’t really know me that well.”
I brushed my knuckles along her cheek. “We can get to know each other as a couple.”
She got on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear, her warm breath taunting my dick. “You’re not engaged or married, are you?”
“No, why?”
Her eyes softened. “I don’t date men who are attached to someone else.”
“I don’t date women who are with someone else either. Are you?”
Her expression turned serious. “No.”
“Then we’re perfect for each other.” I grinned. “Your grandfather likes me.”
“Not sure why. I’m still trying to understand it.” She laughed. “Did you bribe him or something? I’ve never seen him so open to a stranger before.”
“He likes my tattoos.”
She laughed again. “I’m not sure about that.”
“He has one too. On his ass.”
“What? How do you know?”
“He told me.”
She angled her head, considering me with those gorgeous brown eyes that looked like gems. “Something’s going on with you and my grandfather. Tell me now.”
I caught the side of her face. “I’ll tell you if you agree to be my girlfriend.” Then I kissed her slowly, loving her soft lips against mine and savoring the taste of bacon and scallops. Our tongues twirled, and I wanted to take her into an empty room and have my way with her.
She drew back, breathless. “Okay.”
A single word from her energized me, making my body quiver with excitement. Eva was the catalyst that caused this internal earthquake, shifting my landscape completely.
I kissed her hard and deep and didn’t care who was watching.
She broke free and placed a hand on my chest, looking embarrassed. “We’re at a function. You’re supposed to be proper. Networking, remember?”
She didn’t need to know if I had another reason to be at this event. I didn’t want her to have nightmares like I did. One of us could carry that weight. What would it be like to have her sleep next to me? Would the nightmares disappear?
We enjoyed more appetizers and watched people mingle. Senator Falcone was scheduled to give his speech before dinner. I recognized a few entrepreneurs chatting in a group of men. They saw me and waved. I returned the favor.
“Kain. So good to see you.” Senator Falcone stepped up to us with his wife, Miranda, by his side.
Standing tall and sharp, he had a head full of silver hair, which stood out from the dark tux. Miranda wore a red gown with her silver hair twisted low at the back. In her early sixties, she still looked young and fit.
“Anything to support you and Miranda.” I offered her a hug. “Please meet my girlfriend, Eva.”
“So you’re the lucky gal who’s captured his heart.” Senator Falcone took Eva’s hand in his. “He’s a lucky man.”
“The most eligible bachelor has been taken by a beautiful woman.” Miranda opened her arms to Eva.
“Nice to meet you both.” Eva smiled. “Kain told me so much about your terrific foundation.”
“Thank you. It’s our job to help wherever we can,” Senator Falcone said. “Do you mind if I steal him for a few minutes?”
“Come with me.” Miranda placed a hand on Eva’s arm. “I’ll introduce you to some friends.”
“I’ll be back.” I kissed Eva’s forehead.