Karise grinned, scooping her things up to shove them in her bag. Her little Honda Accord got a disdainful look from the parking attendant, but that amused Karise more than it offended her. She didn’t even care that she probably looked like a disheveled mess. Given the situation, some stranger’s opinion of her was fairly low on her priority list.
The room wasn’t overstated, but rather calming and inviting. The tub in the marble bathroom was practically calling her name. With her belly full from their late lunch, Karise wasn’t sure if a bath was a great idea. She might fall asleep rather than finish interviewing funeral homes. Sleep certainly sounded more appealing.
“I want to call Zoe to see how her day went. You should get a bath while I do.”
“I have so many calls to make,” Karise hesitated.
“The calls will wait. If you leave the list, I’ll even try to make a couple for you.”
“I will get a bath,” she relented. “But you don’t have to make any calls. You’ve already done so much.”
“Good.”
“Are you trying to tell me I stink?”
“I thought you’d never catch on.”
Karise swatted his arm before gathering her clothes and heading to the bathroom. She turned the water on, pouring scented bath oil in the warm stream coming from the faucet. Karise watched the water ripple and fill the tub without really seeing it.
Her mind was on Victoria McAlister. It’s funny; so many of her choices had been shaped by Victoria’s decisions, but it had been a long time since Karise had actually given her mother any true thought. When Karise did think of her, she thought of her as the carefree artist who’d hurt so many people all those years ago. She hadn’t considered what had come of Victoria since then. Karise was struggling to process that Victoria’s end had come as a homeless woman on the streets of San Francisco. Her mother had died cold and alone.
With a start, Karise realized she’d almost overfilled the tub. She let some of the water out before sliding in and leaning back and allowing the liquid to gently lap at her skin. She closed her eyes, relishing the happy warmth surrounding her.
The next thing she was aware of was a pair of large hands on her shoulders, pulling her out of her cozy cocoon. She tried to pull back, to sink deeper into it, but the hands only pulled harder. The warmth was gone now. She struggled through the haze, trying to make sense of it.
“Karise, wake up.” Worry laced Aidan’s voice.
Her eyes fluttered open. His pretty blue eyes hovered over her, the concern in them matching his voice. She grabbed hold of his arms, steadying herself as she looked around, still processing.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I must have fallen asleep.”
“You scared me half to death when you didn’t answer the door.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”
“Don’t apologize; I’m just glad you’re okay.” He pulled her into a hug, holding her as if he had no intention of ever letting her go.
“I’m getting you wet.”
“I don’t care.” Still, he let go of her. With one last look to reassure himself she was indeed alright, he left the room abruptly.
Karise twisted her mouth in thought, not sure if his sudden change in demeanor meant he was irritated with her for getting him wet or for falling asleep in the tub in the first place. “I’m sorry,” she called out as she flipped the drain on the tub.
She wrapped herself in a robe and rooted through her bag to find her brush before following him into the room. This time it was her turn to be concerned when she found him sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.
“Are you okay?” She placed a hand on his shoulder.
He jolted at the touch, looking up at her with an expression that was decidedly not fine. “I’m great.”
“Liar. Are you mad at me?”
“Why would I be mad at you?”
Karise opened her mouth to give him reasons he could be irritated but answered with a shrug instead.
“Karise, love, I’m mad at myself.”
“What on earth for?”
“Because I’m supposed to be here for moral support and I, well, all I could think about just now was pulling you on my lap and making love to you right there in the tub. Once I knew you were okay, I mean.”
“I was naked and wet in a bathtub.” Karise bit back the urge to laugh. “I’d be more offended if it hadn’t crossed your mind. It crossed mine.”
“Did it?” His face brightened.
“The only thing stopping me was not wanting to taint our first time together with the reason we’re here. And the water was cold.” She sat beside him on the bed, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. “You are such a beautiful man. Do you have any clue how badly I want you?”
Karise’s heart melted at the look he gave her. She realized in that moment that he didn’t know how amazing he was. She’d spent so much time wrapped up in her own feelings of inferiority she’d never considered what his wife leaving had done to him. She didn’t have words to express what he was, what he meant to her, so she did the only thing she could think of – she climbed on his lap, placed her hands on either side of his face, and kissed him.
He groaned, putting his hands on her hips so he could settle her more deeply on his lap. His actions changed the tenor of her intentions, whether that was his intent or not. The kiss deepened. Her hands moved to his shoulders as she sought to be ever closer to him. The circumstances of being there didn’t matter anymore. There were there, and that was all that did matter.
Of its own accord, her body began an age-old rhythm. Each breath, each undulation, drove her a little closer to the edge. Her hands clutched his shoulders tighter lest she fall off the precipice. His hands moved to her bare legs, which were wrapped around him. Back and forth they moved, coming closer to her center with each stroke.
She was desperate to get him out of his jeans. No sooner than she shifted positions to do just that, her phone rang. They both let out an expletive, though his was more colorful than hers.
“What time is it?” Karise panicked.
Aidan glanced at the clock and swore again. “Yeah, that’ll be your brother wondering where you are.”
“Can you answer it? I have to brush my hair and log in.”
“Seriously? You want me to meet your brother this way?”
“Please?”
“Damn it, woman.” Despite his protest, he scooped up her phone. “Hey, Devon. Karise is logging in now.”
Karise was actually frantically running a brush through her tangled hair before logging in. If she hadn’t been so mortified, she might have been amused by Aidan’s half of the conversation.
“This is Aidan… Sorry sir…It’s good to finally meet you, too… No, no, everything’s alright. Karise just lost track of time… She was getting a bath… Yes, she was alone; she fell asleep… No, no, she’s okay. I went in and woke her up once I realized it… Yes, I guess she was naked when I went in…okay, she was definitely naked when I went in…”
Karise rescued Aidan by grabbing the phone, “Stop harassing the poor man and join the hangout, Devon.”
“Oh thank God.” Aidan breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m going to get a shower. A very cold shower.”
Karise tried not to smile but she wasn’t exactly successful. Devon wasn’t even trying. When Karise settled in front of her laptop, it was to find her brother giggling like a loon and her sister watching them both with a bemused expression.
“I needed that.” Devon wiped his eyes.
“What? You needed to torture Aidan?”
“I needed a good laugh. Besides, as your big brother it’s my job to torture the men who come sniffing around you. Just ask Alex.”
“He was a beast to poor Daniel,” Alex confirmed.
“I’m sure Aidan will find that enormously comforting.”
Alex looked like she wanted to ask what was going on but said nothi
ng. Karise regretted not allowing Alex to be a sister for so many years. She didn’t know how to erase past choices but figured the surest way to mend things now was with simple friendliness. “Hi, Alex. It’s good to see you.”
A smile lit Alex’s face at Karise’s words. “Hi Karise! It’s really good to see you, too.”
CHAPTER TEN
FOR A GOOD TWO MINUTES after the hangout ended, Karise sat and stared at the screen, mulling over the conversation. It felt good to have decisions made about their mom’s arrangements. It felt even better to feel like she was part of a family. It had been a while since she’d had that – though it was admittedly her own doing.
She called the chosen funeral home before they closed, arranging for them to pick Victoria up the next day. Sometimes it was good to be a McAlister; she had the distinct impression they would have balked at the short notice otherwise. As it was, they emailed her a mountain of paperwork, which she promised to drop off first thing in the morning.
With that taken care of, Karise went in search of Aidan. Instead she found a note saying he was downstairs in the bar. She considered going to meet him but sent a text instead. The thought of putting on anything other than PJs was almost painful. She was too discombobulated to do much of anything at the moment. There were too many conflicting feelings warring within her. There was sadness, but it was not the kind of mourning the loss of a parent should illicit. That alone added to the jumbled mess swirling around inside.
She was curled up on the couch in her pajamas, toying with a strand of hair, when there was a tap at the door. Aidan let himself in, offering a bag of takeout to Karise as he entered the room. “I thought you might be ready for some food.”
“You’re too good to me.” She accepted the food with a small smile. Whatever he’d brought, it smelled heavenly.
“Not really.” He waved off the compliment. “It’s purely self-serving, I assure you.”
Karise eyed the angel hair pasta and roasted vegetables appreciatively. “How is bringing me dinner self-serving, exactly?”
“It’s all part of my grand master plan to bend you to my will.”
“Ah. I see.” She took a bite, savoring the burst of flavors. “Whatever your motive, I thank you. This is fantastic.”
“I thought you might be in the mood for something a little lighter since we had burgers for lunch. I brought us some dark chocolate cake back, too – just in case I was wrong.”
“You’re a wise man.”
“That might be the first time I’ve heard those words.” Aidan laughed before disappearing from view.
“I find that hard to believe,” Karise said in between bites.
“Just ask my father,” Aidan called from the other room. “He’ll clear you right up on the matter.”
“You don’t talk much about your parents.”
Aidan reemerged in a pair of pajama bottoms and a T-shirt that clung ever-so-slightly to his muscles. “That’s to preserve my self-esteem. Liam is the good son. I’m the troublemaker.”
Karise frowned, setting aside her dinner. “Have they met you?”
Aidan sat in a chair across from her. “I appreciate the sentiment, but they weren’t totally off base. I was a bit of a bastard in my younger days. Probably pretty close to what you thought of me when we first met.”
“It’s not nice to bring that up,” she reprimanded. “If we’re going to work, you have to promise not to remind me of the times I’ve been wrong. Anyone knows that’s the key to a good relationship.”
“Sounds perfectly reasonable,” he played along.
“It is,” she assured him. “So, if you were such a reprobate, what happened?”
“Zoe. From the moment I found out she was on the way, I knew I owed her better.”
“Better than what?”
“Better than my dad.” His voice was soft.
Karise let the words hang in the air for a moment, wondering if she should ask him to expound on that.
“He was at the pub more than he was home.” Aidan supplied an answer to the question she hadn’t worked up the nerve to voice.
“I’m sorry.” The words didn’t suffice, but Karise wasn’t sure what else to say.
“You know, it’s okay. It’s not like he beat us, and he kept a roof over our heads, but he wasn’t the kind of father I wanted to be. Liam, he really stepped up and filled in that role. Me, I took his absence as a free pass to do whatever the hell I wanted.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s a good person.” He paused, perhaps thinking about his answer. “We weren’t close. She worked a lot. She’s a professor; for as long as I can remember, she has lived and breathed that job.”
It occurred to Karise that there was more than one way a parent could abandon a child. In that moment, she felt silly for allowing her mother’s choices to dictate so much of her life. She rose from her spot on the couch, curling up on Aidan’s lap and resting her head on his shoulder.
“You are such a treasure; just hearing your name makes my heart smile. Whoever you’ve been, I’m thankful for who you are. I’m sorry your family hasn’t taken the time to get to know that man.” Karise knew the instant she’d stopped avoiding Aidan, she’d begun falling for him. Now, snuggled up in the cocoon of his arms, she couldn’t remember why she’d even tried to fight it.
He didn’t respond at first, other than to squeeze her a little tighter. “They’re the ones missing out; they don’t get the joy of having Zoe in their lives.”
Karise wasn’t sure how long she was content to feel the steady rise and fall of each breath, to soak in everything about his nearness. He was the one who eventually broke the silence.
“You never told me about your talk with Devon and Alex.”
Karise straightened, an impish smile playing on her lips. “That’s right. We spent the first 10 minutes or so talking about you. Devon’s pretty eager to meet you.”
“That’s not even funny.”
“From where I’m sitting it’s hilarious,” she countered.
“You have a mean streak.”
“I try to keep it well hidden.”
His response was to tickle her side, which sent her shooting off his lap.
“That’s uncalled for.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re really ticklish, aren’t you?”
“Not at all,” she lied.
“I’m going to call that bluff.” Just like that, he was off the chair in pursuit. She evaded him for a good two laps around the room, only to be caught when she misjudged his arm length as they darted around the corner of the bed. They tumbled onto the mattress, her teary-eyed and breathless from laughter, him with the very devil shining in his eyes.
He took pity on her when she threatened to wet herself if he didn’t stop. His hands stilled on her waist, and he leaned down to kiss her neck. “That spot, that spot right there, stares at me all day every day, begging to be kissed.”
Karise was pretty sure she was going to melt right into the bed. Before she could respond, he was gone, only to return a moment later with their chocolate cake and a bottle of wine.
“I still want to hear about the call.”
She had a pretty good idea what he was actually doing – respecting her wish to wait. And as much as the thought of not waiting appealed to her at the moment, she knew it was the right thing to do. Obviously avoiding Aidan altogether hadn’t worked out so well for her, but there was no reason they couldn’t take it nice and slow.
She sat up, pulling her legs under her and watching him set out their dessert. “Let me see…we really did spend some time catching up. It was nice. It felt like a normal family. I did ask Devon about calling his friend; he said he’d do that tonight.”
“You asked him right on the heels of that stunning first encounter?”
“It was the perfect time. Devon was giggling too hard to say no.” Karise chuckled at the memory.
“Do men giggle?”
“Fine, Devon was laughing
in a manly way.”
“I know I should thank you, but I’m still a little mortified.”
“Hopefully that passes soon, because they’re coming to California.”
“Devon?”
“And Alex. They want me to have Victoria cremated. In a few weeks, they’ll come so the three of us can spread her ashes together.”
“When was the last time all three of you were in the same place?”
Karise paused in thought, taking the time to savor a bite of cake. “I’m not sure we’ve ever been in the same place.”
“Wait, have you even met Alex before?”
“Not in person. She called a couple of times years ago. I’m sorry to say I wasn’t very nice to her, so she stopped trying.”
“Why weren’t you nice to her?” Aidan snagged a bite of chocolate for himself.
“I told myself I didn’t want to serve as their reminder that their mom abandoned them. I think the truth has more to do with me not wanting to be reminded who Victoria was, who I was.”
Aidan set down his fork and quietly regarded her for a moment. “Do you know what I thought the first moment I saw you?”
Karise shook her head slowly.
“You were with that ridiculous amadan…”
Karise interrupted him there, “No, I told you that you had to quit calling him that or you had to tell me what it meant.”
“Fine, you were with that fool and he was ignoring you. Even from across the room I could see he treated you like an accessory. He didn’t even notice when you slipped away. And I thought to myself that you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. If I had a woman like you, she would be the center of my life, not just an accessory.”
“Oh.” Karise had been on the verge of interrupting Aidan again to chastise him for calling William names. Now she was glad she hadn’t.
“Whatever your origins, the woman you’ve become matters very much to me and to everyone else in your life. I, for one, am completely and totally crazy about you.”
“I’m crazy about you, too. It scares me how much,” she admitted.
He rewarded her with a lopsided grin. “Come on, get up for a second.”
She complied, watching him curiously as he set the food next to the untouched bottle of wine. He pulled back the covers and climbed in bed, holding the covers up so she could join him.
Waiting for You Page 11
