Chapter 11 #2
"That's a misconception that has been fed over the years.
The guys I hang out with are more or less people who want to belong somewhere, to be accepted and not judged because of who they are.
The bar offers that kind of retreat." His eyes glinted in amusement.
"They're tough and usually appear macho, but they have services on Sundays and collect donations to give to the homeless and the very poor in the community. "
She blinked at him, lowering her cup slowly. "Did you say services as in church?"
He grinned at her shocked expression. "They're not sitting there plotting mayhem and murder, Kara, or planning how to knock off the nearest liquor store. Most of them have jobs and careers."
"Oh, I didn't mean- I just thought-" She huffed out a breath. "You must think I'm a snob."
"Are you?" He was delighted to watch the play of expressions on her lovely face as she tried to figure that one out.
"I naturally assumed I wasn't." Her brow pleated in a frown. "I know my mother absolutely is, and I-" She bit her lip as she considered. "I just might be."
Reaching over, he placed his hand over hers and had her staring at him.
"Snobs usually don't worry and wonder if they are. So, I think you can relax on that front." Lifting her hand, he kissed the knuckles, charming her. "Now finish eating. I want to take you back to bed."
*****
Kara considered it to be a sybaritic pleasure to spend the night in bed with a man as well as tumbling back in bed right after breakfast. She did not recognize herself, and it was wonderful. Later on, she would lay down the rules. But for now, she was enjoying just being with him.
"What are you thinking?" he murmured in that deep, hypnotic voice of his.
She was sprawled on his chest, one thigh thrown over both of his. He was warm and comfortable and disturbing at the same time. His body was lean without an ounce of extra flesh, the muscles well defined.
"That I don't usually spend my Saturday mornings like this."
His fingers were laced through hers, and the feel of her curves pressed against him was doing maddening things to his control. "How do you usually spend it?"
Lifting her head, she propped her chin on her folded free hand and wrinkled her nose.
"You don't want to know."
"I do, actually. Tell me."
"Well, I make a list."
He stared at her with a frown. "A list?"
She shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious.
"I do better with one. So, on Fridays before I leave work, I write down what needs to be done.
I have someone who comes in three times a week to do the heavy lifting, dusting and laundry and general tidying up.
But I prefer to shop for groceries myself. So, I make a list."
She looked away from his piercing tawny gaze.
"William and my mother would factor on that list. There's always some ministry going on at the church, and I'm required to be there.
Soup kitchen, counseling sessions, free advice for members, that sort of thing.
And William would send me a message from the week before to say whether or not we would be dining. "
"I see."
She finally swung her gaze back to meet his and saw the steady look in his eyes.
"I take it the guy wasn't spontaneous?"
She laughed, the sound brittle. "Not at all. He made lists too."
"Hmm." He trailed a finger over the tip of her nose slowly. "Sounds boring as hell."
She blew out a breath. "So was I, to be fair."
"You?" He shook his head, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "I find that very hard to believe." He laughed when she poked him in the ribs.
"I was suffocating. Slowly dying and didn't even know it," she told him soberly. "That's why I had to make a change."
He trailed a finger over one smooth cheek. "I like both sides of you. Are there more?"
She smiled, the tension dissipating as he had hoped. "You'll just have to wait and see."
"All right. In the meantime..." Hauling her up, he settled her firmly on top of him, eyes going dark as she sheathed him. "I think we've talked enough."
"I agree," she told him huskily.
*****
Her pleasure ended abruptly in the afternoon. The rain had ceased, leaving the foliage green and dripping moisture. She insisted on making them lunch, and he went ahead and ordered supper from a Chinese restaurant.
They were in the middle of having the meal at the dining table tucked beneath the window in the kitchen when she saw the headlights piercing through the gloom.
Thinking it was William, she started up, sitting back down when she recognized the vehicle.
Her mother! The woman had been calling since yesterday, and Kara had chosen not to answer.
Oh God! She should have known Katherine Saunders would take it upon herself to come and find out why she was being ignored.
And here she was, with a man who had obviously spent the night.
She was wearing a slinky wine-red robe with nothing under it, and her hair was mussed.
Zane had on his T-shirt and jeans, clothing that had been carelessly dragged on after they had spent the time making love by the light of the fire in the living room, just minutes before the food arrived.
She smelled of sex, and a quick glimpse in the mirror in the hallway showed a woman well and thoroughly loved.
"Who is it?" Putting away his chopsticks, he stared at her with a frown as he picked up the anxiety on her face.
"My mother. Just-" Taking a deep breath, she rose shakily and gestured him back down. "Please. I'll deal with her and hopefully send her on her way."
"Kara-"
"No." She shook her head hastily.
He could see the nerves crawling all over her. From the little she had told him during their conversations, he knew her mother was a piece of work.
"Please excuse me." She hurried from the room, leaving him staring after her.
Pushing to his feet, he went to the doorway where he could see what was going on and heard her unlock the door to let the woman in.
Katherine Saunders had passed on her exceptional good looks to her only child, he mused.
But Kara was more beautiful and softer around the edges.
The woman walking in looked rigid and had a pinched look around her eyes and lips.
Disapproval was stamped on her face as soon as she took a look at her daughter.
"Well?" Her cultured tone was strident. "Are we going to have this discussion on the threshold?"
"Now is not a good time-"
"If you had answered your phone, I wouldn't have to tear myself away from the ministers' retreat to come traipsing over here." Katherine simply brushed past her. "So, William was right. What on earth have you done to your hair?"
Leaning against the doorjamb, Zane crossed his arms over his chest and felt the anger shimmering inside him. He would allow her to handle this, but he was on high alert.
"It's my hair, and William had no right-" Kara's voice petered off when she noticed Zane standing in full view. Before she could say anything, Katherine also noticed him and went as still as stone.
He figured the woman wouldn't have seen his motorcycle because it was parked inside the garage.
"Who's this?" Katherine's voice could have sliced through glass. She already recognized him, of course, but wanted confirmation. From what she could see of his disheveled appearance and her daughter's outfit, she could put two and two together and come up with the correct answer.
"This is Zane Stanhope. Zane, this is-"
"You left William to shack up with- with-" She gestured with one hand, her eyes widening as she took in his neck tattoo. "Oh, my dear God!" Pressing a hand to her chest, she leaned on the wall. "Have you completely lost your mind?"
She whirled around to face her daughter. "Is this the way I brought you up? You're having sexual relations with this man? Kara, how could you disappoint me this way? Where did you meet him? How could you-"
"Mrs. Saunders." Zane was straining for patience and striving desperately to keep his anger at bay. He could see what her words were doing to Kara, and he wanted to lash out.
"We haven't been formally introduced." He held out a hand as he approached and tried for a polite smile. "I am Zane Stanhope, and your daughter and I met when her vehicle broke down a few weeks ago."
The hand he extended was ignored, and so was the attempt at civility.
"I would like you to leave right now," Katherine said. "I need to talk to my daughter in private."
"That's up to her." His tawny eyes had turned molten, and he was having a tough time playing nice. The woman was obnoxious and cruel.
"This is my house." Kara felt as if she was existing in a nightmare. The humiliation was so debilitating that she just wanted to curl up into a ball and never get back up. "What I do here is my concern. I'm going to ask you to leave."
For a minute, Katherine stared at her daughter and then at the man who stood there looking at her as if he wanted a piece of her flesh.
"I will never forgive you for this. You broke poor William's heart and threw him over for a man who rides motorcycles and hangs out with gangsters.
Yes-" She turned to look at Zane, her expression scornful.
"I know all about you, Mr. Stanhope. You run around with all sorts of women and have never done a day's work in your life. "
"Lady, you don't know me."
Drawing herself up to her full height, she stared down her nose. "You're welcome to her." Wheeling around, she headed for the door and looked back at her daughter. "When he tosses you over for women of his ilk, you'd better not come running to me."
With that, she marched out and slammed the door behind her.