Forever My Love: A Contenporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 2)

by Gray, Jessica

  “Well, then…,” he paused and looked down at her swollen ankle. “Oops! I guess you get to stay in bed. I'll go reheat our dinner in the microwave and bring it back in here.”

  He didn’t wait for her response; he climbed from the bed, snagging his boxers on the way. He could feel her eyes eating up his naked body, but his need for food overruled his libido. For now.

  Ryan made short work of reheating the Thai curry, plating it from the cardboard containers onto plates. He sat the plates on a large serving tray he found above the refrigerator, and then poured two glasses of cold water. He'd thought about grabbing two beers, or even some of the white wine he’d found in the refrigerator, but quickly dismissed the thought when he remembered her pain medications. Grabbing napkins and forks, he headed back into the bedroom.

  Kendra was sitting in the bed, her injured ankle propped up on a folded over pillow. Jesus, she's beautiful. She looks like a goddess. She'd wrapped the sheet around her torso and tucked it into itself, securing it under her arms. He offered the plate to her and moaned in pleasure as she took her first bite. A very sexy moan. He'd always liked women who enjoyed to eat a good meal.

  “Good?” he asked, sitting down opposite her and digging into his own meal.

  Kendra nodded and smiled at him, taking another bite. “Wonderful!”

  They ate in silence, exchanging looks once in a while, but their hunger for food outweighed any need to discuss what had just occurred between them.

  When their plates were empty, he handed her a pain pill and then set the bottle on the bedside table for later use. He gathered up their plates and returned them to the kitchen, quickly washed and dried the dishes, stored the leftover food in the refrigerator, and then wiped down the counters. This wasn’t even his place, but this habit of keeping things organized and picked up wasn’t something he could just turn off.

  When he'd finished cleaning, a glance at the clock showed that it was still early. She’d looked so exhausted earlier. Before they'd shared the most mind-numbing sex ever. But now that she had food in her stomach, he doubted she’d be able to stay awake for long.

  He grabbed the ointment for her ankle, and then located the discarded ace bandage from the bathroom before returning to the bedroom.

  Ryan stopped at the doorway and watched her. A new sensation occupied his chest. Love. Care. Admiration. She'd slithered down in the bed, rearranging the sheets to their normal position, and seemed half asleep already.

  Quietly, he moved the covers off her hurt ankle, applied the ointment and then the bandage. Tucking her foot back under the covers, he asked, “Do you need anything else?”

  “No thanks. I’m good.”

  Ryan wanted to say more, wanted to tell her, how much their love-making had meant to him, how much he loved her, but she rolled her head to the side and closed her eyes. “Promise you’ll call me if you need anything?”

  “Yes, I promise.”

  Ryan reluctantly nodded his head. “I’ll be back in the morning with breakfast.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure I’ll be much better in the morning.”

  “You won’t be better in the morning. The doctor said you were to stay off that foot. That means, in bed, resting, not walking around your apartment trying to cook or whatever.”

  Kendra sighed and finally gave in, “Okay.”

  Ryan grinned at her and then suggested, “Why don’t I take your keys with me? That way I can get in without you having to get out of bed.”

  She looked reluctant at his suggestion, but didn't have the energy left to argue with him. “I guess that would be okay.”

  “Good. Now, I set your cellphone next to the bed, and your pain pills and a fresh glass of water. I’ll see you in the morning. Remember, the doctor ordered bed rest for you?”

  She sighed on a slow nod and let her eyes close once again. Ryan straightened up the floor between her bed and the doorway, and when he left her room a few minutes later, she was already fast asleep.

  He thought about her all the way home. His protective instincts were on high alert and he tried to process them as he finished the drive across town. Maybe it’s only because she’s so vulnerable right now? He'd spent the last ten years trying to forget her, and yet, the moment she was back, he'd fallen head over heels again. But is this true love? What is true love after all?

  When Ryan pulled his car into the parking spot, he was more confused than before. He’d never wanted anything serious. Non-committal relationships had been perfectly fine. So what was different now?

  Chapter 12

  Kendra woke up the next morning and rolled over to get out of bed, but the sharp stabbing pain in her ankle caused her to fall back to the mattress with a gasp. She lay there for several minutes, confused as to what had happened to her. As the fog of sleep cleared from her brain, she remembered everything from the day before.

  Roller blading. Sixty miles. Burning muscles. Fleeing dog. Waiting in the hospital emergency room. Ryan carrying her around.

  Just thinking about him brought a smile to her face. And the memories of making love with him brought heat to her body. But then she remembered how much he’d hurt her back in high school. It always comes back to that! The glow of their lovemaking faded from her mind. I don’t know if I can trust him. What if he treats me like he did back then. I can't handle that. My heart isn’t strong enough to go through that pain again!

  She made a decision, as she lay there in her bed. A decision that no matter how good things had been between them yesterday, it wasn't in her best interest to get too attached to him. That thought caused her to become a bit hysteric. How could I have let things go so far yesterday? What was I thinking? Yesterday had been nice, but… Blame it on the pain meds and being in shock!

  Yes! That’s the only reason yesterday happened. But then a new worry entered her thinking. What must he be thinking about me now?

  On part of her knew she wasn’t being reasonable, but a bigger part was afraid to face him again this morning. If she could have, she'd been hiding below the blanket until the day was over.

  Kendra had been dealing with self-esteem issues for such a long time, that worrying about what other people thought about her had become second nature. She’d been an outsider during high school. Never one of the popular girls, or even being accepted by the popular crowd.

  She’d been too tall. Too bony. Wore too many braces. Everything about her had screamed awkward during those teenage years. It had taken her many years to become comfortable with her height and learn to accept herself for who she was. I can’t jeopardize that self-confidence by getting mixed up with Ryan again. He has the power to shatter me.

  She was still lying in bed when the doorbell rang and she heard the sound of her keys in the door lock. Her heart betrayed her and started to beat faster in anticipation of seeing him. Ryan’s back! But then her logic took over and she reminded herself to be more reserved and protect her heart.

  “Kendra?” Ryan called as he entered her apartment.

  “Still in the bedroom.” She pushed herself to a sitting position and quickly tried to straighten her sleep tussled hair. She wished she’d had a chance to brush her teeth and wash her face before…Remember, you’re not interested in taking things further. There’s no reason to try and impress him.

  “Hey, you. Sleep well?” Ryan asked, coming to stand in the doorway to her room.

  Kendra’s resolve faded away at her first sight of him. God, he’s gorgeous. His hair was still damp from a recent shower, something she was in need of herself.

  “I did.”

  “How’s the ankle?” he asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

  Kendra sighed, “Sore. Uhm…since you’re here, mind helping me get to the bathroom?”

  Ryan stood up quickly, “Sure. Want me to carry you?”

  Kendra shook her head, “No. If I can just lean on you, I can make it. Somewhere around here I have a pair of crutches.”

  “Those wou
ld come in handy.” Ryan helped her stand up, and then he dipped his head and whispered next to her ear, “Although, I don’t mind carrying you around at all.”

  Kendra felt herself blushing, but there was no way to stop the telling action. When Ryan chuckled, she knew he was very aware of her embarrassment. Deciding to ignore him, nature made its presence known and reaching the bathroom became her first priority.

  “I’ll get breakfast started while you… do whatever it is you need to do.”

  “Thanks,” Kendra told him, hobbling inside the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. She quickly took care of her business, brushed her teeth and then took the world’s fastest shower.

  When she prepared to emerge from the bathroom ten minutes later, she felt much better. Except that she’d forgotten to take clean clothes into the bathroom with her and was now wrapped up in only a bath towel. She opened the bathroom door and then glanced down to see a pile of clothing lying there. A pair of gym shorts, a tank top, and underwear. She blushed as she thought about Ryan digging through her dresser drawers, selecting the sports bra and lace panties he’d chosen for her, but then her thankfulness at his forethought pushed those thoughts aside.

  She dressed and then used the wall for support as she painstakingly made her way to the kitchen. She’d foregone re-wrapping her ankle for the moment, the air upon her skin fresh and soothing.

  Ryan was just sliding two omelets onto plates as she came around the corner. Finishing his task, he joined her, letting her use his arm for support as she hobbled to the small kitchen table. “You should have hollered for me. You’re not supposed to be putting weight on that ankle. Remember?”

  “I remember, but honestly, the little bit of movement kind of feels good. It was getting really stiff.”

  They sat at the table and ate breakfast, sharing stories about their recent lives and she was amazed at how much they found to talk about. And how easy it was. Just as if they'd never been apart.

  After Ryan cleaned up the kitchen, he suggested they sit on the couch and find something on the TV to watch. He rewrapped her ankle, applying more ointment and it was all Kendra could do to ignore the way his fingertips on her skin made her feel.

  So far this morning, things had been more platonic than anything else – that is if you ignored the heated looks they were giving each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking. They found an all-day marathon of a popular comedy sitcom, and while they laughed and enjoyed the show, they talked about his jewelry, her job, and the various sports teams they liked this year.

  When they finally got around to talking about family, his took the spotlight. She remembered his brothers and sister from the teenage years, and while she was interested in hearing what had become of each one of them, it only served to remind her of their own past. A topic they had been studiously avoiding all day long.

  Not willing to completely ruin their camaraderie, she began to pull back from their conversation, even putting more physical distance between them by scooting to the far corner of the couch. She needed to guard her heart, and didn’t know of any other way to do it.

  She’d been hoping to keep her distance without alerting him to what she was doing, but he seemed to notice, because he too changed his behavior. Apparently both of them had their own fears.

  As the afternoon started to wind down, Ryan dug through her coat closet, coming up with the elusive crutches and helped adjust them to the correct height. Now that she was more mobile, there was no reason for him to stick around and he took the unspoken cue and gathered up his stuff in preparation for leaving. One part of her wanted him to leave, to keep her safe, but another part wanted to scream, Stay! Kiss me! Make love to me!

  But she didn't say those words. The unresolved issue of their past was hanging between them, like a dark cloud, but neither of them had the courage to bring the subject out into the open. They'd been successful in avoiding the topic all day long. And they’d been able to avoid discussing where they were to go from here.

  Kendra was relieved in a way that he was leaving. While she loved spending time with him, the memory of how bad his denial of the past had hurt, made her stick to her resolve.

  “Would you like to go to dinner?”

  Kendra wanted so badly to say “Yes” but she listened to her reason instead of her heart and shook her head, “No.” She could see the hurt in his eyes, and added, “Ryan, yesterday was a mistake. We shouldn’t see each other for a while.”

  Ryan’s eyes told her how badly her words were hurting him. She hated herself for doing it, but it was the best for both of them. There is no future between us. I'm just protecting both of us by ending things now before it gets messy. At least that’s what she tried to convince herself was true.

  Chapter 13

  Monday rolled around and with it, thoughts of work and the week ahead. Ryan had spent a restless night, reliving Kendra’s words from the afternoon before. Yesterday was a mistake. We shouldn’t see each other for a while.

  He couldn’t get those words off his mind. His emotions went on a roller coaster with him. He was angry. And hurt. Incredulous. But mixed in with those negative emotions was a positive one – love. I’m in love with her!

  Ryan debated with himself, whether she was worth the risk to put himself in danger of a broken heart for a second time. He'd been heartsick for months when she had left him, barely able to subsist. I don’t know if I could survive that kind of pain a second time. It would be better to keep your distance. You’ll forget her and move on, back to your non-committal relationships. He repeated the mantra several times, but in his heart, he knew it was all a pack of lies.

  Thinking relentlessly about Kendra reminded him of the reason that had brought her back into his life. The necklace. His client. The sooner he got her the information she needed, the sooner he could start trying to forget her. As if that was even possible!

  He pulled up the number of his client and made the call. This conversation should brighten up my Monday morning! Knowing Mr. Carolius, it was going to be anything but!

  “Mr. Carolius? Ryan Armstrong. How are you this morning, sir?”

  “Ryan? What are you calling me for?” questioned the older man who wasn't exactly known for his tact or politeness.

  “Well, I had an interesting visit from an appraiser over at Percy’s last week.”

  “Tell me you didn't give them my name,” came the sharp demand over the phone line.

  “Of course not. I believe in protecting the privacy of my clientele.”

  A sigh of relief came across the line and then the question, “What did this appraiser want?”

  “She recognized the necklace that was brought in to sale as one of my mine. The owner didn’t have any paperwork with it and she wanted me to verify its authenticity. I told her I would contact you, and that you'd make the decision as to how you wished to proceed.”

  “This is the ruby necklace, I presume?”

  “Yes. What would you like me to do? I’d be happy to provide you with the appraiser’s number directly. Her name is Kendra O’Neill and I know she’d be happy to discuss the piece with you.”

  “Damn it! I knew this was going to come back to bite me in the ass! That necklace was supposed to be the wife’s fortieth anniversary present.”

  “I remember you mentioning something about that,” Ryan commented.

  “Anyway, we started fighting and now we’re headed for divorce court. The wife found out about my little side dish and wasn’t happy at all. I stupidly gave the necklace to Daisy, but I should have known better. These little tarts don’t appreciate a good thing!”

  Ryan wisely held his tongue, interpreting what Mr. Carolius hadn’t said out loud. The older man liked the thrill of the chase, wowing some pretty young girl with all the finer things in life she’d never hoped to have. But soon enough, the chase was over and he moved on to the next pretty young thing. He dumped them like yesterday’s news, which rarely went without some kind of backlash.r />
  “The wife doesn’t know about the necklace, and frankly I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “But I thought she knew about it. We had to measure her neck…”

  “I told her I cancelled the order. She brought it up at our first meeting with the lawyers. Can you imagine that greedy woman wanted it included in the divorce settlement. She seemed to think it was still hers!”

  “Well, uhm…I’m sorry, I really don’t know what to say.”

  “Neither did I. She want 500 millions, all because of a little fun with some pretty girls. Any man needs to have a mistress or two, but the wife just wouldn't understand. Anyhow if that necklace goes to auction, she’ll recognize it. I’m sure she has her spies watching all the best houses for signs of it. We’ve already agreed on the divorce settlement, and I have no desire to go through the process again.”

  “So, what would you like me to do?” Ryan sighed. He hated infidelity. Not every man needs a mistress! His thoughts turned to his parents who'd been married for almost forty years and were still in love as if they had only just met. That was what marriage was supposed to be like!

  “That necklace can’t show up in an auction catalog, or on any magazine cover. At least not until the divorce is finalized.”

  Doing business with Mr. Carolius was one thing, but Ryan had no desire at all to get involved into his marital problems. “You know what? Let me give you Kendra O'Neill's office number. You can call her and make whatever arrangements you want. I'm sure you agree that it would be best if I stayed out of this entire situation.”

  “Fine. Give me the number.”

  He rattled off her office number and then prepared to disconnect the call, but Mr. Carolius wasn’t quite through. “Wait, I was planning on coming to see you anyway. I need another necklace. Nothing quite as extravagant as the last one, but something nice.”

  Ryan didn't want to work with that man ever again, and thought of a polite way out, “Mr. Carolius, do you think that’s wise right now? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until after your divorce is finalized?”