Yes, I did know. In fact, her last husband had been several years older than Charles Winthrop. And if this husband was anything like the last one, then I was going to hop on the first flight to Dubai and tell my mother what she could do with her dirty older men!
But I didn’t bother to tell her any of that as we continued our trip. We kept up an easy flow of conversation, most of which was about school, my new stepbrothers, and the party Mindy was planning. My mother loved to throw a good party.
Finally, we arrived at the Winthrop estate, and I got my first real look at the place. The drive up to the house was two miles from the main road, and the house was as big as a hotel, all gray-stone and old-money elegance. It was so incredibly beautiful that I didn’t take in anything else at first. But after a few moments, I noticed the stables in the distance and the small man-made lake farther off.
The chauffeur pulled to a stop in front of the house and quickly opened my door. I offered him a small smile as I let him help me out. “Thank you.” He inclined his head but was otherwise stiffly formal.
My mother was already out on the other side and in the arms of her new husband. I took my time moving around the side of the car. When Mindy pulled back from Charles at last, they were both wearing dazed expressions, and I had to force myself not to make a gagging noise.
Charles turned his attention to me, giving me a once-over, but in more of a fatherly way, rather than the way Mindy’s last husband used to do. I let out a small, relieved sigh, thankful she hadn’t married another dirty old man.
“So, this is Kari!” Charles grinned and offered me his hand. He had big, long-fingered hands, I noticed as I put mine in his. “It is wonderful to finally meet my lovely stepdaughter.”
I smiled because it was hard not to smile at Charles. He might have been a shark in the business world, but he appeared to be quite charming and good-natured in private. “So you must be Charlie.”
His brow wrinkled for half a second before he threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Sunshine, no one has called me Charlie since I was in grammar school… But you… Yeah, I’ll let you.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Wouldn’t have mattered if you did or not.” I winked at him before following my mother up the steps and into the house while he and the driver worked on getting my many bags inside.
“I see it is going to be a fun-filled summer already,” he said with a chuckle.
“Fun’s my middle name, Charlie,” I called over my shoulder. “Didn’t my mother explain that?”
He was still chuckling as I stepped into the foyer and caught my breath. The place was just… Whoa! I took in the long, winding staircase that led up to the vast landing of the second floor, dark cherry wood gleaming. Black-and-white tile was under my feet and in a checkerboard pattern that I fell in love with immediately. The tiles led down a hallway that had several doors on either side.
I followed my mother, and we ended up in a huge entertainment room. A sixty-inch flat screen was hanging on the far wall, and several sofas and loves seats were placed before it, facing each other. A large coffee table sat between them. I dropped down onto a sofa opposite my mother and tossed my long, naturally blond hair over my shoulder.
“How about some refreshments, darling? Then I will show you up to your room.”
I nodded, feeling thirsty and tired and ready for bed. “Lemonade, please, Mother. If it isn’t too much trouble for anyone.”
“Of course. Anything that you want, my love.” She left me long enough to order refreshments, and I sat back, closing my eyes as I tried to enjoy the moment of peace.
“Well, I see the dreaded stepsister has arrived,” a deep, amused voice murmured near my ear, and I jerked.
I opened my eyes to find a tall, blond, devastatingly handsome man standing behind me. He was bent over so he could inspect me better from his angle. His blue eyes, like his father’s, were lit up with humor, and I knew instantly that I was going to like my new stepbrother.
Raising a blond brow at him, I slowly got to my feet. “Ah, I see the dreaded stepbrother has come to welcome me home.”
He bowed his handsome head. “At your service.”
“So… You must be…” I thought back, trying to remember the names my mother had told me. “Hunter?” I was rewarded with a grin and a nod. “It’s nice to meet you, Hunter.”
I offered him my hand, and he gave it a gentle squeeze before letting me go. He motioned for me to retake my seat and then dropped down beside me. “How was your flight? Did the staff treat you well? Any problems?”
I had flown home on one of Winthrop Industrial’s private jets. Having been the first time I had ever flown on a private aircraft, it had been pretty spectacular. “It was a bit lonely, but I enjoyed it. No problems at all.”
Mindy was followed into the entertainment room by a small but stout older woman who was carrying a tray with a pitcher of fresh lemonade, several glasses, and a small dish of cookies. I felt as if I was ten again as I quickly snatched a cookie before my mother could tell me no.
“Hello, Hunter,” my mother greeted her stepson with a warm smile. “How are you getting along with my girl?”
“She’s lovely.” Hunter took a glass of the lemonade when offered and took a few cookies for himself. “Just as you said she would be.”
The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. I found I really enjoyed Hunter’s company, and my stepfather was just as amusing as his youngest son. But I was exhausted after my flight and begged off dinner for an early night.
Upstairs, I discovered that my room was three times the size of my old dorm back in Paris. There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the room made up with my favorite comforter, and my favorite pillow was even resting on top, waiting for me. I took a quick shower and fell into bed, my eyes closing before my head even hit the pillow.
I was woken in the middle of the night. A noise from the room beside mine maybe, but I couldn’t be sure. I opened my eyes and found it was half past two in the morning. Yawning, I rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep, but my stomach was rumbling. Knowing that until I got something to eat I would be unable to get back to sleep, I climbed out of the oversized bed and slipped a robe on over my naked body. Having spent the last six years in an all-girls’ boarding school, I had learned not to be modest about my body.
The house seemed quiet as I tiptoed my way downstairs and attempted to find the kitchen. After a few wrong turns, I finally found it. I put together a tomato sandwich with just a little mayo and salt and pepper. I found some carrot sticks in the fridge and added them to my plate, then poured myself half a glass of milk.
I ate in complete silence with only a single light on. When I was finished, I rinsed my plate and glass, but I left them in the sink when I realized the dishwasher was full of clean dishes. Stomach full, I sleepily made my way back up to my room. But the hall was dim, and I stopped outside of the two rooms at the end of the hall, unsure which belonged to me.
I opened the first door I came to and knew instantly I had chosen wrong. Standing by the bed was the most incredible looking man I had ever seen in my entire life. He was so well sculpted that the gods must have created him themselves. Even in the dim light of the bedside lamp I could see he was hard and tanned and… Whoa!
He stood well over six feet tall with wide shoulders that seemed as hard as stone, and my heart began to pound just looking at him. There was a light dusting of dark hair across his chest, but that didn’t disguise his thick pectorals. His abs were well defined, and as my gaze traveled lower over his towel-covered waist, I realize that, for the first time in my life, I wanted to know what was underneath.
Having been busy drying his hair with a second towel, he finally realized I was standing in the doorway. Hard, green eyes glared at me for a moment before a single brow lifted and one side of his sexy as sin mouth lifted in a half smile. “Lost?”
The deep timbre of his voice made my skin prickle with goose bumps. I bit my lip, not su
re if I could find my voice just then, so I shrugged. He let the towel in his hands drop to the carpet as he took his time crossing his room toward me. “Kari, is it?” My nipples hardened as he dragged out my name, making it sound sensually seductive as his long legs ate up the distance between us.
Mutely, I nodded, still not trusting my voice.
“You really are beautiful, I’ll give you that.” He stopped less than a foot in front of me. “But I think it is time you went back to bed.”
I swallowed hard, trying to get my wayward body back under some semblance of control. “Keith?”
He inclined his dark head. “At your service, little one. But not tonight. Go back to bed, Kari.”
“I guess I had better,” I muttered, knowing nothing good ever happened after two o’clock in the morning. “Goodnight.”
His brow rose sardonically again. “Goodnight, Kari.” But I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine as his voice caressed my name.
***
The next morning, I had breakfast out on the veranda overlooking the pool and the lake in the distance. Charles had already gone to work, but I’d spent a few minutes teasing him and making him laugh before he had to leave. I was still grinning several minutes later as I spread strawberry jam all over my croissant and took a large bite.
“Yuck!” Mindy made a disgusted face as she watched me gobble up my pastry. “Why must you inhale your food, Kari?”
“I’m hungry, Mother.” I reached for my coffee and sipped it as I basked in the morning heat and the dazzling view before me.
We sat in silence for a long while, Mindy busy going over her social datebook and me simply enjoying my surroundings, when a dark shadow interrupted my sun. I frowned up at the man standing over me and couldn’t help but blush as a vision of him in only a wet towel the night before flashed across my mind.
Once more, I was treated to that raised brow, and I couldn’t help but find it sexy. “Good morning, Kari,” he murmured as he took the seat beside me and reached for the coffee carafe.
“Just who I wanted to see!” Mindy exclaimed as she put away her things. “I take it since you haven’t already left for the office that you are not busy today?”
Keith shrugged. “There is nothing pressing I need to take care of.” His deep voice sounded bored as he added just a little cream to his coffee before loading it with sugar and a little honey. Someone sure had a sweet tooth.
“Wonderful. You can give Kari a tour of the house. I have a lunch appointment with the party planner, and Kari hates such things.” She rolled her eyes at me but smiled lovingly. “Keep her company for me, will you?”
When he hesitated, I glared at my mother. “He doesn’t have to babysit me, Mother. Just a reminder, but I’m a legal adult now. Besides, I was thinking of borrowing a car and going to visit friends. I haven’t seen Christian Marshall since Christmas, and he’s finally home from his latest trip to Japan.”
“Christian can wait until later in the week, surely?” Mindy frowned at me. “And there is no need to borrow a car when your father had his driver bring over your own.”
“Really?” I grinned. “Well then, I guess Daddy does have some finer qualities, after all, huh, Mother?” She rolled her eyes once more, knowing I thought the world of my father and there wasn’t a single word she could ever say to convince me otherwise. Not that she would, but it still irritated her because, of my two parents, I had always favored my father over her.
“Kari, I really would like for you to stay home today,” Mindy murmured as she stood. “I have plans for us, and when you go out with those friends of yours, I don’t see you for days.”
“I would be happy to show her around,” Keith finally spoke up, and I shot him a cool glare, wondering why he had been so hesitant to begin with. “And then we can take a swim.”
Mindy beamed at him. “Thank you, Keith.” She dropped a kiss on his cheek and then one on top of my head. “Have fun, darlings.” She called over her shoulder as she went into the house.
When she was out of sight, I turned the full force of my glare on him. “Don’t feel like you have to stay. I don’t need nor do I want a nanny.”
He returned my glare, making his green eyes turn as hard as the emeralds they resembled. “If you’re spending time with Christian Marshall, then I say you do. The man has a reputation of gobbling up and spitting out little girls like you.” He took a large swallow of his coffee.
Stupidly, I was mesmerized as I watched his throat move up and down. After a long moment, I shook my head to clear it of the desire-filled fog I suddenly found myself in. “Christian is a good friend of mine. He would never even think of me in that way.” Bianca, on the other hand… Well, that was another story. Bianca and Christian had a complicated relationship, and I was stuck right in the middle of it.
Keith gave me a thorough tour of the house, which took a little over an hour. I was still angry with him, so I didn’t attempt to make small talk. Which he seemed more than happy about. The tension rolling off him was thick, and I couldn’t help but blush every time I looked directly at him.
By late morning, I was lying on my stomach on a lounger, soaking up the rays of the sun and enjoying the heat easing all my stiff muscles into a mass of goo. Beside me, Keith sat with his lounger in the upright position, reading some files for work. From time to time, I opened my eyes behind my Prada sunglasses and found him frowning at me instead of the papers in his hands.
Each time I’d found him staring over at me, my skin heated more and more, and it had nothing to do with the high summer temperatures. I was thankful that I was lying on my stomach because my nipples, under the thin material of my bikini top, easily would have given away how much he affected my body.
I couldn’t help wondering why he was staring at me with that frown on his handsome face. Was it possible that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him?
But I quickly dismissed that idea. My instant attraction to my sexy stepbrother was most definitely one-sided. He was ten years older than me and treated me more like a child than a woman.
“You know, you will never get any work done if you keep glaring at me like that,” I muttered.
“I’m not glaring at you. And if this work could hold my attention better than the sight of you in those tiny little scraps of cloth, then I wouldn’t have a problem.” He closed the file and dropped it beside his chair. “Ready for a swim, or are you going to sleep the day away and burn to a crisp?”
I yawned. “I don’t like to get my back wet.”
“Your back?” he repeated, a smirk on his face.
“Yes, my back. I don’t even like to turn my back to the spray in the shower.” He grinned at my oddness, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Then put on some more sunscreen so you don’t burn.”
“I can’t.” I yawned again. “My muscles aren’t cooperating. Jet lag is sitting in.” It always hit me hard, and the sun wasn’t helping as it tried to lure me into a deep sleep.
I heard him shifting, and when I opened my eyes, it was to find he had stood and was now bending so he could sit on the edge of my lounger, sunscreen in hand. The lotion was cool compared to the warmth of my back, but his hands quickly warmed it as he massaged it into my skin. I couldn’t help the goose bumps that popped up, and as he rubbed more, it felt so good that it was nearly painful.
When he finished with my back, which had been thoroughly coated in the high-quality product, he moved to my arms and then down my legs. By the time he was done, I was completely awake, and my breathing was more than a little ragged.
He stood quickly, and without looking at me, jumped headfirst into the cool, clear water of the swimming pool. He stayed under for nearly a minute, and I was just starting to worry that maybe he had hit his head when he stood up effortlessly in the middle of the pool. I watched in fascination as he swam to the shallow end with long strokes before climbing the stairs to get out.
The water glistened off his hard bod
y, matting his chest hair and making my fingers itch to comb through it. With each step he took, my breath caught more and more, but he didn’t even look in my direction as he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before using another to dry his dripping body.
“Want some lunch?” he asked in a tone that was arctic compared to how insanely hot my body was right then.
“N-No, thank you.” I was starving, but not for food.
two
It was raining, which seemed fitting. The sky was just as unhappy and filled with tears as I was. I wiped away an errant tear with the back of my hand and stared into the warmth of the fire. Hunter sat beside me, seeming just as lost as I was, while Keith stood by the window looking weary and pale. I wanted to go to him, hold him close and give him the strength he had so freely given me the last few days, but I knew he would only push me away.
It had been a long week. Thanksgiving was only a few days away, but this year it would go uncelebrated in this house. There was just too much pain.
My mother was gone. The woman who had given me life had her own ripped away all too soon. My stepfather, whom I had come to love over the last two years, was gone too. And I…
I was lost.
Bianca and I had been in London for a nice weekend away from the stress of our upcoming finals when Hunter called to tell me one of Winthrop Industrial’s small planes went down with our parents inside. A small plane with only Mindy and Charles aboard on their way to Atlanta for few days to themselves before Charles was to leave for a week in Germany on business.
I had rushed home as soon as I could get a flight out, but by the time I’d gotten home, there was nothing I could do. Charles, who had barely been holding on just hours before, was gone before I could say goodbye. My mother hadn’t even lasted that long.
Our Broken Love Page 2
