by Linda Verji
I can’t lose her.
“Yeah, I’m good.” He turned away from Hanna, hoping to God that she wouldn’t walk over and out him to Tasha. She didn’t. By the time Kian and Tasha finished with Jim, Hanna was nowhere to be seen. However, Kian had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long till he saw her again.
CHAPTER 17
“I have Friday,” Chryssa piped up.
“Friday is mine,” Zain protested as her knife flew over the cabbage in quick chops. “You know Lucky is extra generous on Friday.”
Chryssa, who was busy preparing the fruit bowl, returned, “Lucky is extra generous every day.”
“Seriously ladies you don’t need to do this,” Tasha protested, trying to stop the haggling that was going on in the Ford kitchen. She added, “You’ve already done enough just by offering to get tested.”
“Shut up, Tasha. You ain’t in this conversation,” Chryssa retorted. Tasha would’ve laughed if they weren’t discussing her daughter.
“I’m serious. You don’t need to do this. I’ve got some money saved up and I can afford it,” Tasha insisted.
“Nobody cares. We’re still paying,” Chryssa said before pushing the bowl of fruit salad into Tasha’s hand. “Now take this out to the pool and let the grown ups talk.”
Zain was more circumspect. “Tasha, we don’t know how long Asia will have to be on dialysis. You need to let us help so you can save your money for something else. And do you know how hard it is to get money from Chryssa? You better take her money and run, cause the next time it happens will be when the Amish buy a TV.”
“Bitch, I know you didn’t,” Chryssa protested.
“Yes I did,” Zain retorted. “But I wouldn’t have if you just agreed to take Wednesdays.”
The two continued to argue it out. Tasha was touched by the kind of love that her friends were showing her. Whoever said it took times of trouble to show who your true friends were had been right. All of them had gone for tests two days ago. Unfortunately none of them was a match for Asia, but Tasha appreciated the thought. Considering that she’d only met them three years ago, this was overwhelming and she could feel the tears gather at the back of her eyes.
“If you cry, I’m gonna beat you up,” Zain said. Tasha hadn’t even noticed she was looking at her from her position at the table where she was preparing the coleslaw.
Tasha burst into laughter instead. “How are you going to beat me looking like a beach ball?”
“Ooooh Tasha, now you’ve woken the beast,” Zain huffed as she struggled to get to her feet then gave up and sat back down. “When I manage to get up, me and my babies will get you.”
“Babies?” both Tasha and Chryssa asked.
“Yup. Lucky and I are having twins,” she said. The kitchen was immediately filled with their excited squeals as they congratulated her. Zain had been trying for a baby for so long without success that to have twins was a gift.
“We’re out of coleslaw,” Qui, one of the guests, turned up with a bowl in her hand. Once the ladies were done with all the accompaniments, they carried them out to the pool.
The Fords had invited most of their close friends for Sunday lunch. Lucky had invited his – and once Polo’s – friend, Victor who’d turned up with Qui, his teenage brother Cato and Qui’s nephew Lincoln. Zain had invited her doctor friend, Eli. Chryssa had come with her brother, Michael. Add in Jaslene, the three Ford kids, Asia and Ash and it was full-house. Tasha felt embarrassed for even inviting Kian. It felt like she was taking advantage of her friends.
The guests dived into the food, an air of easy camaraderie surrounding them. Though Polo had been allowed to post bail, the judge had also slapped him with a restraining order. Admittedly Tasha was nervous that he hadn’t tried anything up to now. The Polo she knew wouldn’t be stopped even by a restraining order. However for now she was playing it by the ear and waiting to see his next move. Kian’s constant presence by her side was also a comfort. He made her feel like nothing could get past him.
Tasha had mixed feeling about how Kian was interacting well with her family of friends. On one hand she was glad because she wanted them to like him, but she was also nervous because introducing him to them was like announcing a relationship that was never going to happen.
“I know a place you might like,” Kian mentioned as they lay on two parallel pool-lounges after lunch. Tasha had just informed Kian that she was going apartment hunting the next day and as usual he’d invited himself.
“I hope it won’t break my bank.” She turned to her side to face him.
“It won’t,” he said meanwhile his eyes roved hungrily over her body. They settled on the tops of her breasts only slightly revealed by the strapless neck of her yellow sundress. Desire rushed through Tasha.
Respecting her wishes, Kian hadn’t tried to sleep with her but that didn’t mean that he’d stopped seducing her. He didn’t even have to do anything for sexual tension to wreak havoc on Tasha’s senses. He was seduction personified; gentle, masculine and handsome to boot.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she said through parched lips.
“Why?” he asked as if he didn’t already know.
“Friends don’t look at each other like that.”
“They don’t?” The question was rhetorical. Skimming her body one last time with his heated gaze he turned his face away from her with a deep sigh.
Was she leading him on? Maybe she needed to make their relationship clearer. Tasha opened her mouth to call Kian’s name but stopped when she saw Eli striding towards them. She sat up on her seat, as did Kian, her mouth widening in a smile. “Hi, Eli.”
“Hi,” The light-skin man greeted his substantive height casting a long shadow over Tasha’s seat. “Zain told me about your situation.”
“Okay!” Tasha knew her tone sounded less than enthusiastic. This is why she didn’t like letting people into her problems – eventually someone told someone else.
“No, not like that!” Eli shifted on his feet uncomfortably. “She wanted to find out if I could help especially because my father owns the Stone Wellness Institution.”
Tasha had heard of the institution. It wasn’t really a hospital but offered a vast array of consultancy on various conditions. She hadn’t really thought of going to them because she already knew what was wrong with Asia but maybe she’d missed something. She sat up in her seat.
“My father recently started a program called Connect-A-Donor. People who need a kidney or any other living donations but don’t have matches within their family can trade with another family in the same position. For instance if we can find someone who matches Asia but isn’t a match for their own family member but you are, you could trade and then-”
Even before Eli had finished his speech, Tasha launched at him in a hug. “Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“Um…you’re welcome.” Eli patted her back awkwardly. It was obvious he was even worse with social niceties than she was. “I’m not promising anything but it’s worth a try.”
“Thanks, man.” Kian said as he thumped Eli’s shoulder.
“What’s going on here?” Chryssa said coming up behind Eli.
“Eli just offered his help in finding me a donor.” Tasha knew she was smiling like a woman on weed.
“Did he now?” Chryssa said before winding her arm though Eli’s. “Eli’s always been a generous man.” Eli’s eyes narrowed as if he was suspicious of the compliment, but he didn’t say anything. Chryssa continued, “Thank you for helping out with my n-”
Kian’s phone rang, interrupting her words. His brow furrowed as he took the phone out of his pocket, looked at the screen then answered, “Kian Harper.”
Tasha was close enough to him to hear the woman who responded, “Kiefer, can I see you?”
“Wrong number,” he snapped before ending the call and putting his phone back into his pocket. His hands tightened around Tasha waist. She could feel the tension strumming through his body as he held her but it
didn’t show in his face.
It made her wonder. Did he really not know that woman?
*
“Do you like it?” Kian’s breath whispered in Tasha ear as they strolled down the walkway.
She gasped, “It’s beautiful.”
She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around the beauty surrounding her. Kian had said he had something he wanted her to look at but she hadn’t expected this.
“What do you like most?”
“Everything.” Tasha breathed in awe.
The estate in it itself was large but its crowning jewel was the house that lay in the middle of the neatly manicured gardens. She’d never seen anything so beautiful and elegant. The mansion was only two-storey high, but the design was nothing short of amazing. It’d been divided into two white stone towers that overlooked each other through large glass windows and had wooden balconies on their top floors. Between them, there was a one storey extension that seemed to go on to the back.
“There’s a lot more to see but why don’t we see the inside of the house first.” Marion Green, the real estate agent, said as she led them up the stone stairs and to the dark wooden patio.
“Who was the previous owner?” Kian asked.
“An expatriate…” Marion smiled brightly. Tasha had to admit just the woman’s smiling sweet disposition would’ve made anyone want to buy from her. “…but he really put in a lot of work.”
Marion pushed open the large white double doors to lead them in.
“Wow.” Tasha stared at the interior in awe. It was hard not to be impressed when the inside was no less glamorous than the outside. The foyer wall was carved entirely of beige marble. A door cut into it to reveal the large living room beyond.
Marion said, “The ground floor is made up of the two living rooms, the kitchen and the family room. Underground we have the game rooms.”
It had underground rooms? Polo’s house was large but this one was just…on another scale all together. Everything about it was beautiful. It was everything a woman could wish for of her house and more, but there was no way Tasha would even consider it.
While Marion went ahead of them rambling on about the living room, Tasha turned to face Kian and whispered, “I can’t afford this.”
“Let her finish giving us the tour then we can talk about it.” He dipped his head down and pecked her on the lips, “Okay?”
“Okay.”
They followed Marion into the living room which was just as impressive. Sure, Tasha wasn’t going to buy this house but it wouldn’t hurt to look and drool. Kian hands brushed against hers as they walked stirring her senses but Tasha determinedly ignored them. Granted Kian was a supremely desirable man but thinking of him as anything other than her friend would only lead to heartbreak.
“Up here we have the eight bedrooms as well as a family movie room,” Marion explained. Each bedroom boasted its own color-scheme, walk-in closet and bathroom. Tasha could actually envision which of her children would take which room.
The ringing of Kian’s phone broke into her musings. He checked the caller ID, cut the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket. In the last few days this had been happening a lot. Each time Tasha asked he said that it was just a wrong number. How many wrong number calls could one person receive? It only made Tasha want to keep her cards even closer to her chest.
“As you can see, this room looks out to the swimming pool in the back,” Marion added as she pointed below the balcony’s railing. A ring of well manicured grass encircled the pool as its waters glimmered with midday’s rays. It was breathtaking! Marion turned to them with a wide smile. “So what do you think?”
“It’s really, really beautiful…” Tasha took a deep resigned breath as she gave the estate one last look over the balcony. “…but I won’t be taking it today.”
Marion’s face fell. “Oh!”
“Let’s not be too hasty,” Kian said. What was hasty about her refusing a house she couldn’t afford? He smiled at Marion, “Why don’t you leave us the key, then we’ll call you to talk about it.”
“Of course, Mr. Harper.” The smile was back in place as she handed him the keys. “Someone will come to pick them up at your office.”
As soon as they were alone, Kian leant against the balcony railing, his eyes raking the estate below. “So you like it?”
“Of course.” Tasha mimicked his position. “It’s beautiful.”
He was silent for a few seconds before he inched closer and turned to face her completely. Pressing his palm to her lower back, he asked, “What would you do if I told you it could be yours?”
Her thinking capacity temporarily closed office as her body reacted to his gentle touch. That one touch was enough to spark sexual tension in her. It took a while for his words to seep in. When they did, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”
He smiled. “If you like it, I can put the deposit down today for it and by the next week you and the kids could be living here.”
“Hold up!” She turned to face him fully. “Why would you be buying me a house?”
“Because you need somewhere to stay!” The only word missing from that statement was ‘duh!’ He said like it was the most reasonable conclusion when they both knew it wasn’t. It wasn’t Kian’s place to be buying her houses or anything for that matter. Also, Tasha wasn’t even looking to buy a house. She was looking for a rental with a fluid agreement where she could leave at the drop of a hat. He hadn’t even bothered to ask her what she wanted and instead was trying to make decisions for her. This felt eerily like a Polo moment.
“First of all, it’s my job to pay for a place for my family to stay in.” She pushed his hand from her waist. “And it certainly won’t be this place.”
Kian’s eyes flashed with irritation, but he didn’t say anything. Tasha filled the silence with, “So let’s just leave so I can look for an apartment that I can afford.”
She left him standing at the balcony and walked away. A few seconds later, his footsteps sounded behind her on the stairs. His voice echoed in the hollow hall. “Why’d you always have to do this?”
“Do what?” She turned to watch Kian proceed down the stairs. Even with tension and irritation in his every downward step, he still looked supremely male. The grey suit he had worn today was a perfect fit from the fabric of his pants that rippled with the movement of his thighs to the coat that clasped onto his muscular arms. The black collar of his shirt peeked just above it to add that last tinge of elegance.
There was frustration reflected in his eyes as he clarified, “Why do you always have to act as if I’m crossing some sort of boundary whenever I offer to pay for anything for you?”
“Because you are crossing a boundary.” Tasha folded her arms defiantly over her chest. “We are friends.” She emphasized for good measure, “Friends.”
“You know damn well we’re more than friends,” he insisted, anger pulsing in his voice. Instead of stopping at the lower step, he walked closer until they were practically toe to toe.
Instinctively Tasha took a step back and clasped her arms over herself protectively. A subconscious part of her knew that whenever a man this angry came close to a woman, it meant only one thing. She stiffened her shoulders and closed her eyes in preparation for the inevitable slap.
CHAPTER 18
“Tasha, Tasha.” Kian touched her arm to attract her attention. Despite her instinctive need to avoid watching the beating she knew was coming, Tasha pried her eyes open. When she did, it was to find him a distance away. She hadn’t even realized that in her instinctive recoil she’d taken several steps away from him. All the anger had died out of his gaze replaced by one of deep worry. His voice was beseeching as he said, “I would never hurt you.”
It took Tasha a while to answer. “I know.” The two words didn’t have as much conviction as they should’ve had.
“Never!” he emphasized. They stood apart for a while, watching each other as Tasha tried to clamp d
own on the fear that had risen in her. It was almost as if Kian knew that she needed time to process the situation because for a while he didn’t move closer – just waited her out.
When her pulse slowed down, he finally asked, “Can I come closer?”
Tasha nodded. Once he was close enough he wound his arms around her, holding her against his body as he whispered against her hair. “I’m sorry he hurt you.”
“It’s okay.” She relaxed in his hold accepting his comfort.
“It’s not okay.” He tilted her chin and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. He lifted his head then came back for another one; then another. Soon his mouth was beseeching hers for a deeper kiss.
She should’ve resisted, but she didn’t want to. Kian was right in saying that they were more than friends. Friends didn’t kiss the way they did. She’d consoled herself that they were only kisses and nothing more even though deep inside she knew they were much more. But she was helpless to stop him; she didn’t want to stop him. She wound her arms around his neck as their tongues and lips teased, absorbing the sweet taste of him.
Tasha’s body was primed for seduction and lit up with each kiss until it almost felt like she was burning up. Kian’s hands shifted restlessly on her back before they inevitably ended on her ass. He caressed her flesh, molding it with his large hands as he tagged closer to his body – so close she could feel his erection on her lower tummy.
Immediately she stopped the kiss and stepped away from him.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice still rough with unsatisfied desire.
“It’s my fault.” She tried to touch his arm but he backed away and turned his back on her.
“Just give me a minute.”
Tasha felt a stab of guilt as she watched him struggle to rein in his desire. It had to be hell on him. Would he assuage it with another woman once he left her – the woman who kept calling him? After all she was the one who’d told him that they were just friends. The thought was enough to cause an acute pang of jealousy in her.
