by Sandra Owens
After hesitating, he said, “Honestly, before meeting you, I didn’t want to feel better. It seemed like it would be a betrayal to my daughter if I ever let go of the pain that lived in my heart. That how deeply I hurt was proof of how much I loved and missed her.”
She rested her palm on his face. “Oh, Rand, that’s—”
“Not true. I know that now. And maybe it is time to talk to someone. We’ll discuss this some more, but right now you need to get some rest.”
“Yeah, I am tired. Tomorrow I need to start looking for a job since there’s no way I can go back to Summer Fashions.”
Rand wanted to tell her that she didn’t need the job, that he would take care of her. Since he doubted that would go over well, he kept that to himself. “Did you like working there?”
“Yeah, except for Sebastian. I doubt Mr. Summer will give me a good reference.”
“Yes, he will. Trust me on that.” He’d make sure of it.
“I hope so. I not only lost my job but my apartment, too. I feel like he stole everything from me.”
“Move in with me.” He held his breath, waiting for her answer.
“It’s too soon to take that step.”
“No, it isn’t. What I feel for you is real. If not for what happened, we wouldn’t be talking about this yet, but I don’t for a minute doubt that I want us to make a life together.”
“I could move in with one of my brothers.”
“Is that what you really want to do?” He wouldn’t be happy about that, but he’d support her if that was what she decided.
“Not really. I mean, I love them and their families, but they’re a little overbearing.”
He chuckled. “And overwhelming.”
“That, too. Are you sure you want me to live with you?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything, Sunshine. I love you.”
“And I love you, too. But let’s call it a trial period for a month. If it doesn’t feel like it’s working for either one of us, I’ll find another place.”
He’d make it work however he had to. “Now that we have that settled, we’re going to stop talking so you can go to sleep.” He put his hand on her face, spreading his fingers over her cheek. “But first, I need a kiss.” Ah, there was a smile.
“Do you now?”
“More than anything.” He brushed his lips across hers, then molded his mouth over hers. Being this close to her, having her body against his was killing him. He wanted her like crazy, but she needed to rest so she could heal. To keep her from feeling what she was doing to him, he shifted his lower body away from hers.
“Oscar,” she said when he let go of her mouth.
He blinked. “Ah, Oscar?”
“Yes, the bird. He’s a macaw, and he depends on me to feed him. I ran an ad in the paper but didn’t include his name. Five people called claiming him, but couldn’t tell me what he calls himself, so I guess he’s mine.”
The amount of relief that Oscar was a feathered male was ridiculous. Rand grinned. He was a goner, no doubt about it, and he was damn happy about it.
“Then we’ll just have to move him in with us.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s really okay with you?”
“If it means having you here, absolutely. Now go to sleep, my sunshine girl.”
Turned out that luring Oscar into a cage wasn’t all that easy, but after three days of hopping around the cage, his beady eyes on the food inside, he finally went in.
“Bad boy!” Oscar screamed when Kinsey closed the door behind him.
“It’s for your own good, Oscar.” Kinsey looked up at Rand. “He’s a little skinnier and more raggedy than he was the last time I saw him.”
Rand eyed the screeching bird. “Is he always going to be that loud?” He might have to turn his third bedroom into a soundproof bird sanctuary.
She squatted next to the cage. “I don’t think so. He just needs to settle down. We’ll buy him some toys and whatever else a bird needs to be happy.”
He laughed. “Of course we will.”
“You are going to be happier, Oscar. I promise.” She stuck a finger past the bars and scratched his neck.
“Well, I guess that’s it, we’re done here?” He glanced around. They’d already moved all the things she wanted to keep to his place, mostly her clothes and personal belongings. Her furniture she’d donated to a charity. All that had been left was Oscar, and they’d come each afternoon to her apartment, attempting to catch her bird.
“Yep.” She looked up at him, a soft smile on her face. “It’s a new day and a new life from here on out.”
“Come here.” He held out his arms. With happiness shining in her eyes, she walked into his embrace. “I love you, Sunshine, but I reserve judgment on loving that mangy thing you’re bringing with you.”
“He’ll win you over.” She chewed on her bottom lip as she glanced at Oscar, still expressing his displeasure at being caged. “I think.”
“Doesn’t matter as long as I have you.” He sealed that pledge with a kiss.
They’d made love last night for only the second time since meeting each other, and it had been intense and beautiful. He’d never expected to fall in love again, to even want to, and their romance had been unusual to say the least. In the back of his mind he worried they’d reached this point too fast. Not for him. He didn’t have any doubts about how he felt about her. He loved her with a fierceness that surprised him.
It was her he worried about. Had it happened too fast for her, and had the circumstances played too big of a role? He knew he made her feel protected, but when she felt safe again, would she realize that it wasn’t love she was experiencing? He’d ask her to marry him right now, this minute, if he was sure her love for him was real. That was how certain he was that she was the one.
“Ready to go?”
“I am.” He gave her one more quick kiss, then picked up the cage.
“Oscar’s a bad boy!”
Rand glanced at the bird. “He sure as hell is.”
“Hell,” Oscar squawked.
16
Kinsey lifted her face to the morning sun. “This is nice.” She lazily rolled her head toward Aiden. “I’ve missed you.” Since being drafted, his time seemed to be owned by the Dolphins.
They were stretched out on lounge chairs on the roof of Rand’s building. Surrounded by tall, lush potted plants, it was a garden paradise. A place she liked starting her day while she drank her morning coffee. Rand usually joined her before heading off to work, but he’d declined to come up with her today, saying she needed some alone time with her friend. She smiled, thinking it was a rare man who wouldn’t have a problem with his girl being close friends with a star football player and one as good-looking as Aiden. Her guy was amazing.
“Right back at you, kiddo.” She’d made mimosas for them, and he took a sip of his. “This is good, but only one for me. Got a long day of practice ahead.” He glanced over at her. “Every time I think of what that man did to you, I want to kill him.”
She rolled her eyes. “I never realized before how bloodthirsty men were. You’ll have to get in line behind Rand and my brothers.”
“Make sure they know to include me if they ever decide to teach him a lesson.” He shook his head. “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around you all of a sudden having brothers. Add to that they’re all FBI, and then add to that you’ve gone and fallen in love with an FBI agent”—he swept his arm out—“and let’s not forget a rich one with a roof garden on top of his penthouse apartment…” He started laughing. “You have to admit that’s all hard to take in.”
She snorted. “Tell me about it.”
“Are you happy, Kinsey?”
“Yeah, I am. More than I ever thought possible.”
“That’s all that counts then.”
Yes, it really was.
After Aiden left, she showered and dressed for the job interview scheduled for late morning. It was a second interview, and she was excite
d. Her position at Summer Fashions had been as a junior buyer, and this one was for a full-fledged buyer for Cheeky Chic, an upscale chain of women’s boutiques.
Her phone rang as she was drying her hair, and she frowned at seeing Corrie’s name on the screen. Kinsey wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to the woman who’d advised her that the way to handle Sebastian was to just ignore him. Still, she was curious, so she answered.
“Hello.”
“Kinsey, this is Corrie. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for what happened to you. I swear I had no idea Sebastian would do something like that.”
“Did you know about the others?” That was the one question she wanted an answer to. If Corrie had known, then she should have realized what Sebastian was capable of. And if she had known, Kinsey wasn’t sure she could forgive her saying Sebastian was harmless when she knew he wasn’t.
“No, not the details of what he did. Not until all this came out after he was arrested. I did know something happened with one of the women, but when she didn’t show up for work one day, Mr. Summer said that she’d made false accusations in an attempt to extort money. I wasn’t working there when the incidents before her happened.”
Kinsey thought Corrie probably did know more than she was admitting to, and she hoped her former boss had learned a lesson. “All I have to say is that if another of your employees finds herself being sexually harassed, I hope you’ll do more than advise her to ignore it.”
There was a moment of silence, then, “I should have done more for you. I know it, and I’m truly sorry, Kinsey. Please believe that. The other thing I wanted to tell you is that I resigned. Not that you care or even should, but it was my own protest to what happened to you.”
“Hm, okay.” She really wasn’t sure what to say. Mr. Summer had thought very highly of his head buyer, and there was a bit of satisfaction in hearing that he’d lost his favorite employee because of what his son did.
“Before I left, I took a call from the HR director for Cheeky Chic, asking for a reference. I told him that you were one of the most talented buyers I’d ever worked with, and that if they didn’t hire you, they were stupid.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Kinsey, I wish you the best.” She disconnected.
Kinsey stared at her phone for a moment before setting it back on the counter, not sure how she felt about the call. If nothing else, it was a closure between her and Corrie. One thing she promised herself was that if she was ever in the position Corrie had been in, she wouldn’t turn a blind eye.
Rand stood at the bar of Aces & Eights, surveying the crowd. It was one of those nights. They’d broken up three fights already and had banned the Tricksters Motor Club for a month for bringing weapons into the bar.
“Not liking tonight much,” Spider said, coming to stand next to him.
“Tell me about it.” But it was Rand’s last night at Aces & Eights, so that was the good news.
Nate had found his replacement, who was here tonight getting the lay of the land. The dude… Rand gave a mental shake of his head. The man was biker bad boy right down to the chains hanging out of his pockets and the tattoo sleeves decorating both arms. No one would peg him as an undercover FBI agent. Josh was already enamored of the man and would be in good hands with his new dude friend.
Josh had finally gotten the Hot Shots to trust him, so that investigation was heating up. Rand was relieved that he wouldn’t be a part of it. He went to the office to box up the few personal belongings he had here. He wondered if he’d miss the bar. He thought about it for a moment. “Nah.” It was doubtful that anyone would even notice he was gone. Spider, maybe, but that was about it.
It was Friday night, and Monday he’d be back in the field where he belonged. A month had passed since Kinsey and her noisy bird had moved in, meaning their… not their, her trial period of living together was up. He had big plans for tomorrow night.
He texted Josh, letting him know that he was leaving, then picked up his one box and headed for the door. Before he got to it, Josh came barreling in.
“Dude, tell me you weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye.” He tackled Rand in a bear hug.
“Josh, I’m not disappearing from your life, you know.” He gave his fellow agent an awkward pat on the back. “You can let go of me now.”
“Gonna miss those sour looks on your ugly mug when the bikers come in the door.”
After extricating himself from Josh’s hold, he said, “Nah, you’ve got a new partner to break in. You won’t even think about me.”
A wide grin appeared on Josh’s face. “He is one cool dude.” He held out his arms. “I’m thinking I need some tattoos.”
“No, you don’t.” He squeezed Josh’s shoulder. “You watch your back when you’re at the bar, you hear?”
Surprisingly he did feel a trace of regret as he walked out of the door of Aces & Eights for the last time.
It was Saturday night, and Rand was taking Kinsey out to dinner on the pretense of celebrating her new position as the buyer at Cheeky Chic.
One of the many things they’d found they had in common was the love of trying new foods. She’d never eaten in an authentic French restaurant, so he was taking her to the best one Miami had to offer.
“Mr. Stevens, we have your table ready,” the maître d’ said at seeing him.
Rand saw the surprise on Kinsey’s face that Marc recognized him on sight, but he just smiled. “Thank you, Marc.” He slid his palm down to Kinsey’s lower back. “My lady is looking forward to enjoying Gregory’s selections.” Rand would almost consider marrying Gregory Pugin if they played on the same team. His food was that good.
Marc smiled at Kinsey. “You’re in for a treat, mademoiselle. Please follow me.”
They were led to the table that Rand had requested, one set in the back, giving him and Kinsey privacy. “Will you be ordering from the menu or the chef’s selections tonight, Mr. Stevens?” Marc asked after they were seated.
“Are you good with the six-course chef’s selection?” he asked Kinsey. “That will give you a little taste of everything. Or you can order from the menu.”
She turned those sexy-as-hell smoky eyes on him. “I’m at your mercy tonight. You promised to teach me new things.”
Rand’s brain short-circuited, getting stuck on all the ways he could answer those two sentences.
“You will enjoy the chef’s creations then,” Marc said to Kinsey before turning to Rand. “It is good to see you out again, Mr. Stevens, especially with such a beautiful lady. Do you wish to choose the wine or go with the chef’s wine pairings?”
“Ah, right, the wine.” He gave himself a mental shake, glad that the tablecloth hid him below the belt. “Kinsey? Marceau’s has an extensive wine collection, and Marc will bring you the wine menu if you wish. However, I recommend you allow the chef to choose the wine to go with each of your selections.”
“That would be fun.”
“The wine pairings for the lady, and I’ll have a club soda on ice with a lime.”
Marc nodded. “Your waiter tonight is Brandon. I’ll give him your selections.”
After Marc left, Rand glanced around, then turned his gaze on Kinsey. “You know what I don’t see?”
“What’s that?”
“I can’t find another woman here tonight as beautiful as you. Don’t be obvious, but see the man two tables to my right?” At her nod, he said, “He’s sneaking peeks at you. He wishes he were me.”
She lowered her lashes as she smiled, and that shy smile touched something deep inside Rand. Before her, he’d been used to women who knew they were gorgeous, whose smiles were artificial, and who accepted compliments as their due. Kinsey was real, nothing practiced about her, and her honesty shone in her eyes. She owned his heart. He slipped his hand into his suit coat and fingered the two items in it. They felt warm on his skin, as if confirming what he planned for tonight was right.
; “I love you, my sunshine girl,” he said, getting her eyes back on him. “Yesterday our trial date of living together was up, and you’re still here. Are you going to stay? Just so you know, your answer determines whether I ever breathe again.”
She slid her hand across the table, palm up. “Take my hand.”
He placed his over hers, and as always happened when he touched her, he felt something powerful pass between them.
When their fingers were linked, she said, “It amazes me how easily I do breathe when you’re near. You’re my rock, my soul mate, and damn awesome in bed. I’m staying.”
He choked on a laugh. “I never know whether to laugh or cry around you, Kins. Promise you’ll always keep me on my toes.”
“My life’s mission. How fast can we eat?”
“There you go, leaving me in the dust. Why?”
“I’m feeling awfully needy.” She winked. “You know, the kind that requires special attention from her man.”
Leave it to her to mess with his mind. He had plans for tonight. On the other hand, he could eat pretty damn fast if she was waiting at the finish line.
Before he could answer, Brandon arrived, setting a plate between them. “For your first course, the chef has selected LeCaviar D’Oscietra. Quail eggs with oscietra caviar, cauliflower puree, and baby gem lettuce. Bon appetite.”
Rand put one of the items from his pocket in the hand Brandon held below the table. He’d arranged this, and as much as he wanted to scoop Kinsey up and carry her home so he could give her that special attention, he was determined that the night would proceed as planned.
The sommelier arrived right behind with Kinsey’s first course wine pairing. “For the lady, an Erpacrife Nebbiolo, the perfect complement to the salty flavor of the sea.”
“It’s too bad you don’t drink,” Kinsey said after tasting the wine. “This is superb.”
“Take another sip.” After she did, he leaned across the table. “Come here.” When her face was inches from his, he kissed her. Once his mouth was on hers, he had to remind himself they were surrounded by other diners. He sat back, very much liking how her eyes had turned darker with nothing more than the brush of their lips against each other.
