by Dara Girard
She shook her head again, then looked up at the sky. “I just want to stand right here and finish this while the sun sets.”
“Okay.”
She ate a few more bites then took one piece, rubbed it against her lips, then she kissed him. “That was my special chocolate kiss. Did you like it?”
He licked his lips. “I thought it was delicious.”
“Would you like another one?”
“Yes, but only when we’re inside. Are you ready?”
She looked up at the building and took a deep breath. “I’m afraid of what I’ll remember. I’m afraid of thoughts running over and over in my mind and the words she said.”
“You don’t have to be afraid. I’m here with you and if you give me another chocolate kiss, I’ll make sure that the only thing you’re thinking about is me.”
“That’s a big promise.”
He smiled. “I like to deliver on my promises.” And moments later he did.
***
“Why aren’t you here?”
Carissa knew the call would come, so she’d been prepared for it. However, she’d expected the pleading tone of her mother, instead of her father’s demanding voice. “Is Lina okay?”
“If you were here you’d know.”
“Glenn’s there. You can depend on him. Despite what you think, he’s a good man.”
She heard something shatter in the background. She hurried to the kitchen and saw Kenric picking up pieces of broken glass.
“Use a broom or you’ll cut yourself,” she said, pointing to the closet.
“Sorry,” he said.
“Who’s there with you?” her father asked.
“None of your business.”
“Are you there with a man? Are you that shameless? You’d prefer to be with some man rather than at your sister-in-law’s side?”
“Yes, Dad. So what name are you going to call me that I haven’t heard before?”
He fell silent.
“How many pounds?” she couldn’t help asking.
“He hasn’t come yet. There were complications.”
“What kind of complications?”
“Women’s stuff. How the hell would I know?”
“Is mom there? Put her on the phone.”
“If you really want to know what’s going on, get your ass over here.”
He disconnected.
She swore. She wouldn’t put it past Lina to get sick just to spite her. She wanted her at the hospital one way or another. “I’m not going,” she said aloud. “There’s nothing I can do anyway.”
Kenric came into the room. “What’s going on?”
“My father said there’s been a complication, but he won’t tell me what. He’s as bad as she is.” She dialed her mother’s cell phone but she wouldn’t answer. She left a message for her brother, not expecting a reply. She paced then screamed in frustration. “I don’t want to care, but I do!”
“I’m sure if something was really bad, your mother would have called you.” He pulled her close and held her.
“You’re right. My father wants me to feel guilty for having my own life.” She took a deep breath. “Lina’s fine. The baby’s fine. Everything will be fine.”
An hour later she discovered she was right when her brother sent her a simple text: 9LBS. 8 OUNCES.
Chapter Nineteen
It was done. Over. Three months had flown by so fast. The slight chill of autumn was already starting to touch the leaves. Change was in the air. Carissa looked at Kenric as he held his final meeting with the department heads. The deal with Barra Industries was done and all the transitions had been made. His job was done and he was leaving. She couldn’t believe they’d managed to keep their affair secret this long and although he promised to continue their relationship, visiting her on weekends, she knew that things would never be what it was.
The henchman was going. Her first thought of him still made her smile. She’d never have envisioned what an essential part he’d be in her life. Not just as a lover, but also as a friend. He no longer joked about becoming husband number three and she missed that, but she knew that wasn’t logical. Their lives were too different and although she knew that’s what she wanted, she wouldn’t pressure him. She’d pressured Morris and had lost him, she didn’t want to do the same with Kenric.
The sound of applause woke her out of her thoughts. She joined in and plastered on a smile. As much as she’d prepared for this moment, she didn’t want him to go. She left the conference room and walked to the elevator in a bit of a daze. The conversation of others buzzing around her.
“Glad to see him go,” one said.
“Surprised we were still left in one piece,” another chimed in.
“Ms. York?”
Carissa spun around when Kenric called her name. In all the months at Simus Labs, he’d never called her out, specifically not in front of others. She approached him with caution. “Yes, Mr. Riverton?”
In one forward motion, she was in his arms and his mouth covered hers. Before she could respond to his passionate embrace, he released her. His face spread into a satisfied smile. “I had to get that out of my system.” He nodded to the shocked crowd then left.
Carissa raced to the stairs, not knowing exactly how to feel or respond, the voices of her colleagues drifting towards her.
“They were really having an affair?” one said.
“I knew it all along,” another chimed in.
“When did this happen?” a third asked.
“I bet it’s a prank,” a fourth added. “Where are the cameras?”
Carissa ran down the stairs then darted into her office and closed the door. She took a deep breath then pulled out her phone and called him. “What were you thinking?!”
“I wanted to leave in style,” Kenric said without a note of remorse.
“You’re going to have the rumor mill going for months.”
“It won’t be a rumor anymore. It’s the truth.”
“Kenric—”
“I’m sorry, you looked so beautiful today I couldn’t help myself.”
She sighed. It was hard to be angry with him after a line like that. “You’re—”
“The man who’s in love with you, so treat me to lunch. I’ll meet you in the lobby at twelve-fifteen,” he said, then hung up.
In love with her? Did he really say he was in love with her? First he was kissing her in public and now this? Was this some sort of strange goodbye? His life wasn’t here. Did he expect her to move to be with him? Carissa was in the lobby at twelve-ten. She noticed the looks from other employees, but for once, didn’t care. Then she heard a squeal and inwardly groaned. She hadn’t thought about Ashley.
“Oh my God?” Ashley said. “Is it true? You’re with Riverton?”
“Yes.”
She squealed again.
Carissa delicately touched her ears. “Stop doing that.”
“You’ve got to give me the details. How did you do it? He’s scary as hell.”
“He’s not scary.”
“Maybe not to you.” She grinned. “You found his soft side huh? You sly dog.” She nudged her with her elbow. “Let me take you to lunch.”
“I already have an appointment.”
“With him? Oh yes, I see him coming this way. I’ll dash, but fill me in later.” She hurried off.
Carissa turned to Kenric. “I—” She started to say, but he kissed her instead.
“Stop that.”
“I can’t help myself. You don’t know how many times I dreamed of doing that in the conference room. Now everybody knows you’re mine.”
Carissa couldn’t help a smile. “Barra Industries next takeover?”
He shook his head. “No, this is purely Riverton interest.” He took her hand and walked to the front entrance of the building. “Let’s eat.”
After lunch they walked along the main road then he stopped in front of a shop and looked at the display window.
“What do you see
?” he asked.
“I see a store. Why? What do you see?”
“I see the reflection of a man standing next to the woman he wants to marry.”
Carissa turned to him stunned. “You’re not serious.”
“Do you think I’m the type of man to joke about these things?”
“But—”
His eyes clung to hers. “You don’t want to marry me?”
“No, that’s not it.”
An easy smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Then we’ll work out the rest. You’ve made me happier than you’ll ever know.”
“Kenric—”
“My parent’s party is in two weeks. We’ll keep our engagement between us for now. We’ll look at rings next week.”
“This is all happening so fast. Where will we live? What about your job? My job?”
“My job is a lot more flexible than yours and there are a number of options I’ve been considering. Also, I think I have an idea of where we could live that I want to show you.”
The next day Carissa found herself standing inside a house that left her breathless. She barely noticed the coffered ceiling, the French doors leading to a balcony or the six bedrooms. No, all she saw were the windows. Dozens of floor-to-ceiling picture windows that allowed light to flood in from all directions. She’d never lived in a house before and never thought her first one would offer her such a luxury.
“What do you think?” Kenric asked as they stood in the gourmet kitchen after touring the house. The real estate agent had discreetly left them alone.
Carissa stared at him, not knowing what to say. “I love it, but...” She glanced around the spacious kitchen and the adjacent breakfast room.
“But what?”
She hesitated, not wanting to disappoint him. She saw that he’d casually rested his hand on the countertop, but it was balled in a fist. She could see his knuckles were pale and she sensed how much he wanted to please her. She covered his hand with hers. “I do love it, but there’s just one thing that bothers me.”
“What?”
“How will we clean all the windows?”
She felt his fist relax under her hand and his face softened into a smile. “Darling, we’ll hire people for that. You won’t have to clean anything.”
“Oh,” Carissa said feeling a little foolish for her naiveté. She pushed away the feeling and hugged him. “Then it’s perfect.”
“Great,” he said wrapping his arms around her. “I’ll make the arrangement.” He drew away, keeping his arms around her waist, and looked down at her. “However, there are certain things I have to take care of first.”
“That sounds a bit ominous.”
She expected him to smile, but instead his expression grew serious. “Promise me that no matter what happens you’ll stay by my side and trust me.”
“Trust you? Why wouldn’t I trust you?”
He shrugged. “Life is full of surprises,” he said, but although his tone was light, his words left her with a heavy feeling.
***
“You wouldn’t believe what I saw your brother doing,” Jackie said coming out of the bathroom after finishing her shower.
Joshua lay on his bed and watched her pour lotion on her hand then lather her legs. “What?” he asked with little interest. He knew Kenric was back in town, but hadn’t spoken to him since that night they’d argued and knew it would be awhile before he could face him again.
“Looking at rings.”
He sat up. “What?”
“Yea, I know, isn’t it crazy? I was in the store. You know that jeweler—”
Joshua watched her mouth move, not caring where the jeweler was, wishing she’d get to the point.
“—and I overheard him saying he was bringing in his fiancée next week or something.”
Joshua gripped the bed sheets into his fists. He was marrying that bitch? Despite all they knew? Despite what he said? Was Kenric really that blind? Maybe Jackie got it wrong. She misunderstood. Kenric wouldn’t take a risk like that.
But three hours later, Joshua received a phone call that confirmed it.
“You would not believe it,” his mother said over the phone. “Your brother just asked for an extra table setting for his girlfriend. Girlfriend. He never brings anyone. He’s as much told us that he’s ready to settle down. Unlike some,” she said in a pointed voice, Joshua chose to ignore. “Do you know who she is?”
He gritted his teeth. His brother was taking it too far, but Joshua didn’t want to upset his mother with the truth. “Not really.”
“Annoying boy. He can be such a dark horse. He wouldn’t even tell me her last name. Just said her name was Ressa.”
“Carissa.”
“Yes, that’s it! Are you sure you’re not hiding something?”
“No. Sorry Mom, I’ve got to go.”
“Always on the run. I won’t bother you. I’ll see you at the party. But please bring someone who speaks English this time.” She hung up.
No, Kenric was not introducing Carissa to his parents. He was not going to let his brother make that woman part of his family. Since his brother wasn’t going to listen to him, he was going to have to try another tactic. He picked up the phone and dialed.
***
Carissa looked around the park wondering why Kenric’s brother wanted to meet her there. She knew he lived out of state, so found it odd that he wanted to talk to her in person. When she saw him, she smiled and waved. He didn’t smile back.
“I’ll make this quick,” he said walking up to her. “How much do you want?”
She blinked surprised by the anger in his tone. “What?”
“There’s no use playing games, I know how your family works. Just give me a figure.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pointed at her and flashed a triumphant grin. “Yes, that’s what I came down here to see. That innocent look. You’re good. Attractive enough, smart, but I still wanted to see how you’ve been able to wrap my brother around your finger. I see it now, but it won’t work with me. I know women and I know most have a hidden agenda, which is why I don’t tie myself down to one. You must already be planning the wedding. How much will it cost to cancel it and let my brother free?”
“I love your brother—”
“Really? You love him so much that you’re prepared to ruin his life? Most of the people will be hiding their laughter the moment they see you in a white dress walking down the aisle.”
Carissa winced, surprised by the cruelty of his words. She couldn’t understand why he was so angry. “He already knows I’ve been married before and I have no intention of wearing white.”
“Ahh…so you do plan to marry him.”
She didn’t want to get caught, since Kenric wanted their engagement kept a secret for a while. “We’ve talked about it, but nothing’s official yet.”
“You shouldn’t even be talking about something you don’t deserve.”
“I don’t need to hear this.”
She started to walk past him, he grabbed her arm. “You say you love my brother, but did you see his face when he had to bury our sister because of what your brother did?”
Carissa stared at him, not sure she’d heard him correctly. “My brother? What are you talking about?”
“You’re still going to pretend that you don’t know?” Joshua paused, then studied her face. “Or maybe you really don’t know. He was good. Perhaps he fooled you too. He certainly fooled us.”
“My brother is a good man and he’s never hurt anyone.”
“Of course, I’d expect that kind of loyalty from you. I’m loyal too. Admittedly to only a few things, but they mean a lot to me and one of them is my family. Most of all, my brother. You have no idea what he’s gone through. No idea how the sight of his tears at our sister’s gravesite are etched in my memory. In your eyes, your brother is probably a saint, so you won’t believe a word I have to say.”
“What did my brother do?
” she asked afraid to move.
He seemed surprised by the question and for a long moment just stared at her, as if he didn’t know what to do. “Ask Kenric,” he finally said. “And watch his face. If you truly love him, you’ll call me with a price and get out of our lives.”
Chapter Twenty
Kenric walked up to Carissa’s apartment whistling. He hadn’t felt this good in years. No merger, takeover or negotiation coup had ever made him feel this alive and triumphant. He’d convinced Carissa to share her life with him and he knew it would be one fun ride. He’d never loved Fridays as much as today. All week, he’d been looking forward to spending the weekend with Carissa and now he could. He stopped when he saw Malcolm sitting on the stairwell landing looking glum.
“What’s up? Had a bad day at school?”
Malcolm shook his head. “Miss Carissa came back looking upset. We were supposed to pick up some groceries to make brownies, but she cancelled.”
Kenric swore. Had Lina upset her again? He patted the boy on the shoulder. “Thanks for the warning. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she doesn’t make her double fudge brownies without you.”
He hurried up the rest of the stairs and knocked. When Carissa opened the door he knew something was seriously wrong.
“What did my brother do to your sister?” she asked.
He should have been expecting the question. He had been preparing for it, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret from her forever, but the moment happened sooner than he’d hoped.
He stepped inside and closed the door. “What do you know?”
“I don’t know anything, I just had a strange conversation with your brother in the park.”
Kenric paused. “He came down here to see you?”
“Yes.”
He was going to get Joshua back for that. “Sit down,” Kenric said, searching his mind for the best way to handle the situation.
“No, just tell me what happened.”
Kenric shoved his hands in his pockets. “It was a long time ago.”
“Did he assault her?”
“No. It happened nearly fifteen years ago and I spoke to him—”
Her eyes flashed. “You spoke to him and you didn’t tell me?”
