Chapter 2 #2
Another kiss met my shoulder before my body instantly chilled from his absence. It wasn’t just the warmth of his body but also the warmth that his connection to my soul created. How the hell was I going to survive this man? How?
I sat on the island in the kitchen, scrolling through my notifications while Kincaid rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for something to prepare for breakfast. I offered to cook, but he insisted that he had it covered.
I was grateful because there wasn’t an inch of me that didn’t seem to ache with a reminder of the past twenty-four hours.
Catching sight of him out of the corner of my eye had my attention, leaving my phone seconds later.
I visually devoured his body, which was bare from the waist up.
It was impossible not to enjoy how his arms and back muscles flexed with the simplest motion.
His abs bubbled subtly under his beautiful brown skin, and that deep, defined V guided my line of sight to the weight that bounced about against the cotton sleep pants that sat low on his waist, hanging loosely over his long legs.
His appearance was sinful, and he knew it based on the arrogantly smug grin that seemed to linger each time he caught me enjoying the visual.
My body betrayed me like it always did by way of my stomach taking flight and my thighs clenching.
The act was yet another reminder of how much virility this man released between my thighs.
I flinched, and he eyed me suspiciously before his regard trailed down my body, pausing at my inner thighs.
They were already bruised from the pressure of his body being wedged between them.
I watched him inspecting me and noticed how his face softened with regret.
“I don’t break easily.” I tried my hand at humor, but his jaw tensed, and I could see the veins in his neck pulsing. “You cook?” I tried again. It took a minute before his posture relaxed, but he let go of the thoughts that seemed consuming him.
“Some, but I can’t promise I’m good at it.”
I grinned, shaking my head. “Maybe I should take over.”
He laughed in a way that was light but edgy.
“I won’t kill us.” I was grateful when his attention left me because it allowed me to clear another message from Joey.
I had already blocked him several times, but he would make a new account when I did and keep trying.
With the way my relationship was all over the place with Kincaid lately, the last thing I needed was another reason for him to fly off the handle, and I didn’t want to be the reason why Joey ended up on a missing person’s report.
Placing my phone facedown, I focused on Kincaid.
“I hope not. What are you making?”
“Eggs and toast. I don’t know if I can manage waffles.”
“I’ll survive.”
He moved through the process, and I watched.
We didn’t speak much other than me commenting on his remedial cooking skills while he playfully warned me to be grateful for his efforts.
When he finished, we both had a plate of cheese eggs and toast with butter and jelly.
Orange juice filled both our glasses while I added a cup of hot tea.
“So, how does this work?” I asked, filling my mouth with eggs. After I swallowed, I added, “This talking thing?”
“Ask what you want, and I’ll tell you what you need to know.”
“Of course.”
He delivered a visual warning, and I returned one. Kincaid exhaled a harsh breath, lowering his fork before he allowed both hands to rest outside of his plate. His knuckles cracked when his fingers curled into a fist.
“Ask.”
“Why don’t you and my father like each other?”
“His older brother and my father have a history. I’m unsure of all the details because it wasn’t necessary. I’ve always relied on my father’s leadership with whom I needed to trust.”
“So, you two are at odds because of issues that linger between them?”
“It’s not that simple, but at the root of it, yes.
Loyalty dictates the choices you make. His was to his family as mine was to my own.
That put us against each other in the past. There was already bad blood, but he pushed, and I pushed back.
It’s not anything I will ever go into detail with you about.
Just know that what he presents to you will never be the heart of who he really is.
I also realize that regardless of what I tell you about him, there will always be that question lingering in your mind about whether I’m trying to sway your opinion because of my feelings about him or if I’m simply attempting to protect you from a threat. ”
“A threat?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Make no mistake about it. DNA or not, he is a threat to your well-being. The reality of his intent might not surface immediately, but it’s inevitable. His objective is to do you harm or use you as a weapon against me. My position is to prevent that from happening.”
“So then, where does that leave me?”
“Untouched.”
Kincaid’s teeth raked across his bottom lip and with intense eyes, he stared across the table at me in a way that had me struggling to maintain their harshness.
“I’ve never had a family. I wanted it more than anything I can ever imagine in my life, and now, he’s right here at my fingertips, and you’re promising that we’ll never have a chance to get close.
How am I supposed to feel? What am I supposed to do?
” I was falling. My emotions rushed through me like a raging bull charging toward a red cape.
My breathing became labored while my body attempted to regulate the chaos swarming at the base of my emotions.
“You’re my wife, the mother of my child—two reasons why I will never apologize for my decisions about your safety. I can’t be moved on this, not right now. Until I have a guarantee that you come out of this with not so much as a harsh breath against your skin, then I do what I feel is best.”
I pushed my chair back and stood. He moved at the same time I did, closing the space between us, but he didn’t touch me with his hands—just his chest to mine.
“You’ve never had a family. I can’t begin to imagine what it means to be alone in the world, but I know with certainty what it feels like to have you in mine.
I’m your family, Nari. This is your family.
” His hand moved between us and pressed against my stomach.
Kincaid kissed my forehead before he stepped around me, leaving me with my thoughts.
How could something so simple feel like such a betrayal?
To have my father in my life, I had to be disloyal to my husband.
We were both dressed and out of the house a few hours later. I didn’t bother asking where we were going because things between us felt off and tense. It wasn’t until we reached his parents’ property that he finally spoke up.
“I have a few things I need to do. I figured you could use the company.”
“Or you could use the peace,” I shot back. Instead of responding, he got out, rounding the car to open my door, but I didn’t wait. I was out and moving to the front door before he reached me.
Kincaid was on my back, his chin resting on my head while he reached around me to enter the code to let us in. As soon as the keypad flashed green, his arm circled my waist, and his hand gently pressed my stomach. “Anger doesn’t bother me. I can handle your anger as long as I know you’re safe.”
He moved around me and stepped into his parents’ home without giving me a chance to respond.
His mother bent the corner with a huge smile until she picked up on our energy.
It was impossible not to feel the divide between us because when we were in accord, our connection was palpable to the point where it was all-consuming and suffocating.
She approached me first with a tight hug before she moved to her son. They were still healing, but she was better and rebuilding their bond. She smiled after he enclosed her in an embrace, which ended with a kiss on the cheek. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Oh, so you didn’t know you were babysitting me today?” I shot my husband a heated gaze, but he brushed it off.
“I have a few things to take care of, and I figured you two could use the time to catch up.”
“Absolutely. I’m sure we have plenty to discuss.” His mother had years of knowledge and experience from being a wife to a man who moved with hidden purposes and agendas. She wasn’t protecting his feelings. She was in favor of mine. The look she delivered was proof.
“I’ll be a few hours.” Kincaid hooked my chin, landing a kiss before he was out the door.
“You feel so distant. I’ve missed you.” She slipped an arm around my waist, briefly allowing her head to rest at my shoulder before we moved to the kitchen.
She made tea, and we talked about the baby and how I felt.
Her eyes were illuminated with the joy of being a grandparent.
Then sadness covered her mood like a dark cloud when she thought of experiencing her grandchild alone without her husband.
“I miss him so much.” She smiled as her eyes ghosted. “So much it hurts sometimes.”
“I can imagine.” It was odd, but I could be raging with anger, ready to slit my husband’s throat, but the thought of being without him would steady my hand so I wouldn’t actually consider lifting the knife.
I couldn’t fathom not having him, even when he pushed me to the point of having murderous thoughts.