A Stranger's Affection

by Charlene Namdhari

  He thought of waking Maria when Nishi cried out once more, “Please, don’t.”

  Unsure whether to enter on not, Colton raked a hand through his hair and glanced at Rex’s room door. His brother could sleep through a tornado.

  “Leave me alone. Get away from me.” Her arms thrashed wildly. She was crying.

  Afraid she might open the stitches on her head wound, Colton entered the room and stopped at the foot of the bed. His gaze landed on the broken glass and medication bottle on the floor. She’d probably knocked it off the nightstand.

  Shit. Colton didn’t do the comforting thing—the woman crying stuff. Hard and immune that’s how he preferred his fucks—he had no time for tears. But, staring down at the healing woman, her face scrunched in pain, something—he had no idea what—twisted his gut. Skirting the bed to the other side, he slid down next to her and gently pulled her into his arms. Immediately, the thrashing stopped as she turned and sought comfort against his chest. Her sobs became soft whimpers. Unsure if he should wake her, Colton inhaled sharply and rested his head on the pillow.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Colton jerked awake. His sleepy gaze met their guest’s blue eyes. Her thinned lips hinted at anger. Fuck. He’d fallen asleep.

  “I asked you a question?” She stood at the foot of the bed.

  He sat up and slid his legs off the mattress. “You had a nightmare.”

  “Is that what you’re calling it?” She uttered a mirthless laugh as her gaze flicked over his naked chest. “I don’t have nightmares.”

  Thank fuck he had the sense to wear sweatpants to bed last night. Colton stood. His body tensed as it suddenly dawned on him that the woman accused him of taking advantage of her. “Hate to break it to you, lady, but I like the women I fuck, willing, and able.” He stormed out of the room, not caring if he offended their patient. Of all the fucking nerve.

  WHEN NISHANI’S BODY finally decided it was ready to move about, she ventured out of her room. She cautiously explored the Black residence, hoping not to run into Colton Black. He might’ve saved her, but boy was he rude as hell. And arrogant asses annoyed the shit out of her.

  She peeked quickly into the other bedroom before making her way downstairs. While the house was impressive, it lacked a feminine touch. It would take a special kind of woman to partner with a man like Colton Black. She didn’t know him, and she was already passing judgment. Grinning, she strolled into the living room—the beautiful red and black décor, another indication of masculine preference. A large painting above the fireplace caught her attention. Three pairs of eyes, two grays belonging to a man and a child and the green gaze of a woman, stared back at her. Other than Colton, Rex and Maria, she hadn’t heard or seen any other family members.

  “Señorita? Are you okay?”

  Nishani turned and smiled as the housekeeper neared her. “I’m fine. Just thought it’s time to stretch my legs.”

  Maria beamed. “Call me if you need help, okay.” She turned to leave.

  “Maria?”

  “Yes?”

  “Who are these people?” Nishani pointed to the painting.

  Maria came to stand next to her. “Señor Colton’s mother, father, and sister.”

  Nishani stared at the picture and found it strange that the painting didn’t include the two sons. She put the girl around fifteen, if not younger. “Where are they?” She glanced at Maria. The look of sadness on the other woman’s face piqued Nishani’s curiosity.

  “They are no more.” Maria sighed.

  “No more? But, she’s just a child. Do you know what happened?”

  Maria stared at the painting. “Señor Rex told me they died in an accident when Alessia was thirteen.”

  Shit. Nishani suffered a twinge of guilt for prying. “Thirteen? God, that’s so young.”

  “Señor Colton doesn’t like to talk about it.”

  “I can understand.” Despite the undisguised arrogance, the air of mystery surrounding the Blacks would probably make for a good novel. While Nishani prided herself on maintaining privacy, she was suddenly intrigued to find out more.

  “Nice to see you moving around.” Nishani turned at the sound of Rex’s jovial voice. “What are you up to?”

  She smiled as Maria left the room. “I was just admiring this painting.”

  Rex slid his hands into his pockets and looked up at the framed artwork for a long moment, then sighed. “I wish I could’ve gotten to know them a little better.”

  She glanced at him, wanting him to share his family history. “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “I was a year old when my parents and sister died in an accident. She was Colton’s twin.”

  Now she understood Colton’s reluctance to talk about their deaths. Being one half of a twin herself, Nishani recognized the closeness twins shared, more so during the younger years. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Rex shifted his gaze and smiled. The sorrow in his eyes tugged at her heart—the strange feeling caught her entirely by surprise. Time to change the subject. “Would it be possible for you to take me out?”

  Rex turned, and together they slowly walked out. “Do you think that’s wise? You just woke from your coma.”

  Nishani nodded. “It’s been four days. I’m strong enough to walk now.” She resisted the urge to tell him that being cooped up was getting to her lest he thought her ungrateful for their hospitality.

  “Okay. Where do you want to go?”

  “Shopping for—”

  “She’s not going anywhere,” the cold command hauled her gaze upward. Colton descended the staircase leading down from the bedrooms.

  “Why not?” she asked, her voice just as aloof.

  “Because I said so.” His tone silky-smooth yet powerful enough to hint at a man accustomed to getting what he wanted. Without so much as a break in his stride, he crossed the foyer and let himself out the front door.

  Nishani’s blood boiled. It took sheer effort to avoid picking up the probably expensive vase on the occasional table next to her and flinging it at the front door. “Did that man study Asshole 101 and the entire freaking encyclopedia on how to be the cockiest son of a bitch to walk the planet?”

  Rex cracked up. “I’m sorry, Nishi,” he finally mumbled when his body stopped quaking.

  She tossed him an unfriendly glare and stomped up the stairs to her bedroom. Inside, she shut the door with enough force to rattle the glass on her nightstand. Saving her didn’t give Mr. Hotshot the right to dictate her movements. With a deep breath, Nishani moved to the window and stared out. She’d never faced this level of domination before. Notwithstanding the fact, she accused him of getting fresh with her, didn’t give him the right to be so damn infuriating. Maybe keeping her locked up was his way of getting back.

  Her gaze scanned the rolling lawns. She eyed the several guards patrolling the property and wondered what they kept out or better still were they there to keep her in—not like that would stop her from trying. If she succeeded, then what? She had no clue about her whereabouts or the identity of her assailants, no passport, and no money. Who would she call? Where would she go? Rex mentioned no one reported her as a missing person. If she weren’t in an accident, it meant her attackers were still out there. Frustrated, Nishani entered the bathroom. Right now, she was at the mercy of Colton Black. For how long—that, she would determine.

  Chapter Nine

  “WHAT DO YOU WANT TO watch?” Rex reached for the remote.

  “I’m tired of watching movies. That’s all I’ve done for the last freaking week and a half. I need to get out.” She pouted, hating Colton’s grim determination to keep her locked up. “Can’t you persuade your brother to let me go out with you.” Nishani glanced at Rex while her fingers worked at peeling an orange. The man still hadn’t changed his mind, and she was nowhere near to influencing his decision.

  Rex chuckled. “Look, it’s for your own good. I know my brother and when he gets something into his head—”

>   “You mean, like when he thinks he knows everything.” She stabbed an orange segment with a knife and popped it into her mouth.

  “Be careful. You don’t want to cut yourself and extend your incarceration.” Rex laughed.

  “Haha, very funny.” Nishani tossed the knife at him. With aimed precision, it landed between his feet and nailed to the floor. It stood upright.

  “What the fuck.” He jumped up.

  “Relax.” Nishani grinned. “I won’t hurt you, not intentionally, that is.”

  Rex scowled, reached down, and pulled out the knife. He dropped back into his seat. “You’re dangerous.”

  “I’ve been called worse.” She shrugged. “I’m grateful to Lacey, but I need clothes I can call mine, toiletries, Rex. Since I don’t have money, I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”

  His head swung her way. “Agreement?”

  “Yep, anything.”

  “I’d be careful about making offers like that, especially around here.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

  “I can take myself.” She threw a cushion at him. “So, do you have a girlfriend?”

  Rex flipped the channels on the remote. “No.”

  “Why not? You’re a gorgeous man.”

  He glanced at her, his smile wolfish. “Thanks. I don’t have time for girlfriends. Because I have a job that requires concentration.”

  “And your job doesn’t allow for a personal life.”

  “My job is my life.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like fun.” She grinned.

  He cocked a brow. “Fun?”

  “Yeah, you know. Doing things that make you feel good.”

  “I feel good doing my job.”

  “You feel good protecting Colton? God, you’ve got to loosen up. You sound so freaking boring for a what—fifty-year-old?” Nishani bit into another segment, then wiped her mouth and set the plate on the coffee table.

  Rex laughed. “That’s not my job. Colton doesn’t need protecting—”

  “Let me guess he’s quite capable of taking care of himself. He’s such a tough cookie and all that.”

  “See, you’re learning already.”

  She sulked. “Seriously. Your brother might be hot as hell, but he’s such a deadbeat. He makes all you guys dance to his tune. Only, he wouldn’t know dancing if it hit him in the face—”

  “Is that so?”

  Startled, Nishani shot up and whirled around. Colton stood at the door. One broad shoulder leaned against the frame, both hands in his pants pocket. He almost looked relaxed—almost. The man might be cold and unemotional, but she couldn’t deny his magnetism beautifully enhanced by the dark suit and white shirt.

  “How long has he been standing there?” She hissed through the side of her mouth and flicked Rex a threatening gaze.

  “Long enough,” Colton replied instead.

  Not one to shut up, Nishani uttered an impatient snort. “Well, whatever you heard is true.”

  “Thank you for the compliment, then.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. Okay, not what she expected to hear. “Can—”

  “Don’t bother. You’re still not going out.” He walked further into the room and dropped into a seat opposite his brother.

  “You’re an arrogant prick,” she blurted without thinking. Next to her, Rex sniggered.

  Colton’s icy gaze met hers. “And your point would be?”

  Nishani glowered at him. God, the man, was seriously frustrating. She suddenly felt like a naughty child about to receive a lecture from her dad. “Drop dead, would you?”

  He fished his mobile out of his pocket and crossed an ankle over the other knee. A couple of seconds passed as he merely gazed at her—the unnerving stare sent a warning tingle down her spine. Then, he dropped his gaze to his device and, in a nonchalant tone, replied, “As much as I’d like to make you happy, me dying is not on the agenda.” Without looking up, he added, “Although if you insist on someone dying, I can organize that seeing as you’re not happy with the arrangements, and we can’t let you go yet.”

  “What the actual fuck,” Nishani gasped.

  He glanced up, his gaze insensitive and impassive. Stony grays raked her body from head to toe with the ease of a man who honestly didn’t give a damn what she thought about him. Anger heated her body from the neck down. Her hand strangled the wrist of the other to keep from slapping that smug look off his face.

  His brow lifted, a slight curve at the corner of his lips hinted at disdain rather than amusement. Nishani’s struggle for self-control disintegrated. No one treated her this way and got away with it, least of all a jackass she didn’t know—a stranger—a Chris Pine wannabe. God, did she just acknowledge the man resembled a goddamn movie star? He didn’t deserve the compliment—a villain more likely—the one who always went after the heroine and failed. Only, the man sitting in front of her surrounded in an aura of dark mystery told her he’d get the heroine and whole damn cast with a flick of his finger.

  Fuming, Nishani turned and walked away, not before catching Rex’s apologetic smile. At least one brother was worth the hassle of sticking around. If there was something she excelled at, it was getting even—seduction or murder or both—she didn’t care as long as she got what she wanted.

  “WHY SO TOUGH ON HER?”

  Colton glanced up from his phone. “What gave you that idea?”

  “Cut the bull, Colt. You're an intimidating bastard as usual. That attitude works for the guys, but with a woman who’s a total stranger, opens the door for questions.”

  Colton grinned. His brother was no longer the year-old baby he’d raised for the last twenty-eight years.

  “Having a woman other than Maria around is cool. I like Nishi. She’s like the sister I would’ve had.” Rex’s declaration unsettled Colton. “Why don’t you like talking about Alessia and our parents?” Rex stared at the painting above the fireplace.

  Colton studied the representation of his family for a moment remembering the day he’d requested a friend to have it painted. The artist had done an excellent job of depicting his parents and sister in a portrait from the only picture Colton grabbed before he had to leave his home. How did he explain to his brother that two fuckers broke into their home, killed his parents and his sister? That they’d tied him and his father down with their eyes taped open to watch while the bastards raped his sister and mother then slit their throats? That Rex had howled in his crib for an hour until he drifted off to sleep from exhaustion?

  Colton’s gut twisted at the recollection. Somehow like a godsend, DeLuca had come to Colton’s rescue. The drug lord arrived just after the bastards stabbed his father in the heart and about to do the same to him. DeLuca had put a gun in Colton’s hand and coaxed him into killing the two fuckers. Murder at thirteen was no kid’s desire, yet knowing why he’d done it, gave him an undeniable satisfaction.

  When DeLuca whisked Colton and Rex away to live with him, Colton thought life would return to normal. Only, the older man pulled him into his world of crime, changing Colton’s future forever. Yet, he made sure Rex wasn’t involved. He’d kept these secrets from Rex for his brother’s entire life since the truth would hurt him far more than the lie about the accident.

  “Colt?” Rex’s yell forced Colton out of his horrific memories. “Christ, bro? You’re white as a sheet. What’s up?”

  Colton shook his head. “Sometimes, the dead are best left to silence, Rex.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He stood. “Don’t get too close to our guest. She’s a stranger and will be on her way soon enough—”

  “What the hell, Colt?”

  Colton stared at his brother, trying to tone down his firmness. “This conversation is over, Rex. Someday you’ll understand my reasons. Until then, do as I say.” He held up his hand as Rex opened his mouth to say something. “I’ve always had your best interests at heart, right?” he said, and Rex nodded. “Take her shopping tomorrow with you and Brody. Wha
tever she needs, get it but watch her like a hawk. I leave tomorrow evening for Moscow, and I’ll be out for the next four days. Keep our guest comfortable, but don’t—I’m serious about this, Rex. Don’t take her anywhere, especially not to Tony’s party.” Colton walked out before his brother could question him further. He had every intention of telling Rex the truth when the time was right.

  Chapter Ten

  “SHIT, NISHI, YOU’RE going to get me into trouble.” Rex raked both his hands through his hair and looked at Nishani.

  She stood at his bedroom door, her stance firm. “Dammit, Rex grow some balls, would you. It’s just a damn party, what could go wrong?” Rex was on his way to a cocktail function when Nishani cornered him.

  “You don’t know my brother. He’ll kill me.”

  “That makes two of us.” She glared at him. “I’m not as innocent as I look, trust me. You’ve got two choices. Take me to that damn party, or I swear when you return, I won’t be here. I’m tired of sitting in this big-ass mansion, doing nothing. It’s been close to three weeks since I woke from the coma. I need some entertainment other than the television, or I’ll find a way to get out. Anyway, what’s the big deal, Colton’s traveling, right?”

  “Yeah, he’s in Moscow. What if someone mentions you...” he trailed off and paced the room.

  Although she was grateful to Colton for finally allowing her to go shopping for clothes and personal items as well as paying for everything, including a trip to the hair salon, she wanted out of her prison. If nothing else, just to have some fun.

  Several seconds later, Rex stopped and looked at her. “Fuck it, let’s go.”

  Nishani smiled. “Great. Give me a sec to change.”

  “Fine. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  Fifteen minutes later, fresh in a pair of black leather pants and a black blouse with bells sleeves, Nishani followed Rex out toward the SUV parked in front. In the vehicle, she added a hint of mascara and a rosy lip gloss. She gave her features a quick once over in the mirror. Most of the injuries had healed except for the scar on her forehead. That was still pink. She hid it behind her hair. Done, she shut the compact mirror and tossed it into the small handbag she’d brought along then turned to find Rex watching her.