Chapter 11 #2
But instead, he was here at his apartment with her. Something that should not have started. He was seeing Kathy Crenshaw, both of them sneaking out to be with each other. The sex was the best he'd ever had, but still, this was completely unrealistic and the sensible thing was to put an end to it.
"I agree," Kathy purred, wishing he would come back to bed. "We're going to end up killing each other."
He swung around to face her and realized it was a mistake.
The woman was outrageously beautiful and undeniably sexy.
Her lustrous blonde hair was artlessly tumbled around her naked shoulders, jade green eyes slumberous from the hectic bout of sex they had participated in.
He felt the familiar clutch of his heart.
He had felt it since the party and should have ignored it.
Instead, he had foolishly approached her and now, here they were.
"Doesn't it bother you?" he asked harshly. "This sneaking around? Not to mention the fact that your brother is sleeping with my sister." His eyes darkened. "The same man who broke her heart and left her with just a note."
Agitation was evident in the restless movements of his hands as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had been avoiding Kady. Over the past week, she had been calling him to have lunch, and he was using work as an excuse.
He could not very well tell her that during his limited free time, he was busy screwing her lover's sister. As if things weren't already complicated enough!
"We could go public, go out to a nice restaurant..." Her voice tailed off at the incredulous look on his handsome face. "Or not."
"Let's not get this twisted." He paced away from the bed, willing the desire to dwindle. "This is just sex. Agreed?"
Forcing the breezy smile, she managed to hide the hurt at his careless words.
It had started out like that for her and had been amusing at first. Having sex with Kady's brother had seemed like an ironic twist of fate.
The man was handsome and charming, as well as irreverent.
He had not seemed to be bothered by her immense wealth.
But the first time they made love, she realized to her dismay that it was different, and the more time they spent together, the harder it was to acknowledge that this was not just a fling. She was falling in love with him.
He was different from the men she was accustomed to going out with.
Kyle Klein was not intimidated by her position in society; in fact, he did not give a damn.
The man was supremely confident in who he was.
He was also highly intelligent and a superb doctor, one who really cared for his patients.
She would listen to him take calls while he was off the clock and would check in every now and then.
She could open up to him about her life, or aspects of it, and found it easy to have a conversation with him.
She had been married twice and had become jaded. Those two times had been out of sheer desperation and defiance, and she had vowed never to jump into anything like that, ever again.
"Right," she agreed carelessly. "So, how about another for the road?"
"No." As much as he was tempted, he knew he had to stop.
"I have to run to the hospital and try and get some sleep.
" His eyes roamed over her delectable curves, and he had to tamp down the urge to haul her into his arms. "And you have a guard waiting for you.
" His expression turned curious. "What the hell do you need a bodyguard for anyway? "
He had asked her that before and she had brushed him off, giving him some evasive response.
"In case you haven't noticed, this body happens to be worth guarding."
Giving in to the temptation, he approached the bed and sat on the edge.
Lifting a hand, he trailed his fingers down the side of her neck.
"You'll have no arguments from me." Leaning forward, he kissed her lips, easing back when she would have prolonged the kiss.
"No." He shook his head with a laugh. "You'd tempt the devil himself.
But I'm resisting. Get your fine ass up and get dressed. You also have a gallery to run."
***
"So, you're alive."
"Jesus! Jesus Christ!" Kyle practically leaped from the sofa where he had crashed as soon as he came home. He had been so deep in slumber, he had not heard the alarm or even when the door opened. "Are you trying to give me a bloody heart attack? What the devil are you doing here?"
"I'm here bearing Chinese and to see my brother who I haven't laid eyes on in more than a week." Ignoring his glare, she placed the bag on the center table and left the room.
Sitting up, Kyle rubbed his hands over his face and had time to wonder if he had removed all evidence of the woman who had been there just this morning. Before he could reflect on that, Kady came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"You look like hell," she told him as she poured the wine.
"It's called being a doctor and working almost twenty-four hours." He took the wine and gulped half of it down.
"I called several times." Taking the single sofa, she sat and kicked off her shoes.
"I left you a message." The aroma of Kung Pao chicken had him salivating. Reaching for the bag, he took the cartons out. "Share?"
"Of course. There's sweet and sour chicken as well. You haven't told me what you think."
"About what?"
"I'm sleeping with Landry."
"That's your business." Ignoring the guilt twisting him up inside, he handed her the meal.
Her tapered brows lifted. "That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"That I'm making a mistake."
"You already know that." When she did not respond, he put his carton down with a sigh. "Look, the guy broke your heart and left you once. Who's to say he won't do it again? And another thing, has he told you why he left?"
"No." She picked up the chopsticks and dug into the meal. "He claims he cannot tell me right now." His snort had her head lifting.
"What?"
"That's pretty lame and damned mysterious."
"I don't know what to do." That was why she was here before going to his place.
She had been going there for more than a week, spending enough time to warrant getting her own drawer and her cosmetics on the other side of the vast bathroom counter.
They were practically living together. Once or twice, he had suggested they go out, but she had refused. She was not ready for that yet.
"So, instead, you're practically living with the guy." Kyle felt the guilt spreading. Who the hell was he to talk or judge when he was sleeping with the man's sister, although what they did when they were together could not be qualified as sleep.
"I can't seem to help myself," she admitted with a shake of her head.
I can relate, Kyle mused sardonically. The more he thought about ending things with Kathy, the more tangled up he felt. It was coming to the point where he had no idea what the hell he was doing.
"You're in love with him."
She slanted him a look, surprised to see the lack of derision on his face. "You're not upset."
He shrugged, feeling like the biggest hypocrite. "I just don't want to see you hurt." His appetite, which had been monstrous at the beginning of the meal, was fading.
"I'm a mess," she admitted with a shaky laugh. "And you're the only one I can talk to about this."
"Until Lori comes back," he said with a smile. "When's that?"
"I have no idea. She extended her trip again." Picking up her glass, she took a sip. "I cannot tell mother."
He nodded in complete understanding. "She would have a meltdown." Reaching over, he took her hand in his. "I want to wish you all the best, but from past experience, I'm cautious."
"Me too," she said soberly.
***
"You're quiet." He had come up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. He liked having her in his space.
Coming home and waiting for her had become his favorite pastime.
He knew that it was a temporary arrangement and that they could not go on like this, but for now, he didn't want to think about it. "What's troubling you?"
She was standing and gazing out the window at the full moon bathing everything in silver. It was hard to believe that it was almost December. "It's so beautiful and serene here. The view is spectacular. I can clearly see the park from here."
"I like the view myself." Brushing back her hair, he pleasured himself by trailing kisses at the side of her neck. "There's nothing troubling about the view." He turned her to face him. "Won't you tell me what's the matter?"
She had told herself that she could continue like this. She was with him and that was what mattered, wasn't it?
"What's going to happen to us?"
He had made love to her as soon as she stepped through the doorway and they had ended up inside the bedroom where he had started all over again.
"I'm not letting you go."
"You were the one who left Landry."
His eyes darkened with sorrow. "I'm not leaving again. Nothing will ever make me leave you."
"But still you cannot tell me why you did."
His hands moved from her shoulders to cup her cheeks. "I will, I promise that we will have full transparency, hopefully very soon. I'm just asking you to trust me for a little while longer."
Her eyes searched his face and what she saw there had her sighing and melting against him. "A little bit longer."