Falling for Him 9: Karen and Robert, Book 1

by Jessica Gray

Someone knocked at the door and Trevor asked, “Anyone, coffee?” When Chuck and Robert both nodded, he shouted toward the door, “Come in. Please.” His secretary Erin appeared in the door with a tray in hand. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the room and Robert suddenly wasn’t that nervous anymore.

  “So, you have no idea of whether Marcela stayed in Las Vegas, or just happened to be there at the same time you were?” Chuck asked half an hour later.

  Robert sighed. “I know it makes me look like an idiot, but we didn’t spend that much time together. I know she was terrified of her uncle in Mexico.”

  “Do you happen to have a copy of the marriage license?” Trevor asked.

  Robert produced the original marriage license. “I have no reason to think the name she gave the preacher wasn’t correct. It wouldn’t have served her purpose to get a green card.”

  “That’s good. Really good,” Chuck murmured. “I’ll start in Las Vegas and go from there.”

  Trevor looked at Robert’s confused face and explained, “He’s going to run a law enforcement search on the West Coast to see if her name comes up.”

  “Yep. And driver’s license or vehicle registry search.” Chuck said, and Robert had the impression the two cousins had done this a few times already.

  The tension in his neck eased some more as Trevor explained the procedure. “Chuck doesn’t want to go the route of searching the INS records. If the immigration official she told you about flagged her name in the system, anyone searching her record in their database might cause red flags to go flying and we want to avoid that if at all possible.”

  Robert nodded and secretly thanked Lee for sending him into such competent hands. But then another thought raised his neck hair again and he asked, “Won’t a divorce decree do the same thing?”

  “Not if we handle it correctly,” Trevor said.

  Chuck stood and extended his hand. “Robert, it was nice to meet you. I’ll be in touch.”

  Robert stood as well and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “No thanks necessary. Save them for when I’ve found your wife.”

  After Chuck left, Robert asked Trevor, “Do you really think he can find her?”

  Trevor grinned. “Don’t worry about that part. He’s the best. If she’s living in the United States, Chuck will find her. Now, tell me why you’re dealing with this now.”

  “I’ve been dating and living with the woman of my dreams for the last few years. She found out about my marriage a while a go and was…well, furious doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

  Trevor apparently had seen enough things in his career, because he kept a straight face, for which Robert was grateful. He knew he was a lying idiot; he didn’t need anyone else to tell him.

  “I can only imagine. So you’re trying to gain her back with the divorce decree?” Trevor asked.

  “She’s the one who is demanding I get a divorce if I want to be with her. She gave me four weeks,” Robert threw out there, wondering if he should have told the cousin that as well.

  “Four weeks? The only place a divorce can happen that quickly is back in Las Vegas,” Trevor mused. He looked up and asked, “How much time do you have left?”

  “Just over three weeks,” Robert told him, worry in his voice.

  “Three weeks it is then. Don’t worry. Fly back to California, and I’ll call you just as soon as we have something.”

  Three days later Robert’s cell phone rang.

  “Robert. Chuck Armstrong here. I have good news for you.”

  Robert blinked for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts and calm his racing heart. “Chuck. Wow. That was fast. And I could really use some good news right about now.”

  The other man chuckled into the phone. “Well, it’s not the best news, from a legal sense anyway.”

  “I don’t follow you.” Robert turned his pen in his hand trying to make sense of Chuck’s word. The man had a rare type of humor.

  “Well, in your case, finding out your wife had died would be the best ending to this little situation. A copy of a death certificate and voila – marriage no longer is a factor.”

  “But you said it wasn’t the best news,” Robert reminded him.

  “No, but it’s close. I found her. Marcela Pilar Bonilla Mitchell is a registered nurse working at a hospital in Los Angeles.”

  “She’s in California?” The pen fell from his hand and with a clang onto the desk. “Are you sure it’s her?”

  “Positive. Trevor has all the details. See ya.”

  Robert had a thousand questions on his lips, but Chuck had already disconnected the line.

  Chapter 8

  “Hey, Karen,” Michelle called across the office.

  “Michelle, you’re looking all spiffy today. What’s the occasion?”

  “Today is my birthday and the girls and I are going out after work. You have to come with us.”

  “No,” Karen said; going out to the clubs and bars was the furthest thing from her mind. She’d been spending the entire week working until the wee hours of the night. At least while she translated the riveting thriller manuscript, she couldn’t think about Robert – or feel the debilitating pain in every cell of her body. She’d not heard from him, but what did she expect? She’d sent him away to come back only with his divorce papers in hand. Still, a nagging voice in her head insisted he should at least call or text about his progress.

  “Oh, come on. You haven’t been out with us in forever, and you need something to cheer you up. Grumpy grinch.”

  “I’m not a grinch…I’m…”

  “So you’re coming!” Michelle urged, and when Karen didn’t respond she made a pouty face. “You have to come. It’s my birthday!”

  “I don’t think I’d be fun…”

  “Oh, you’re just saying that. After a drink or two, you’ll forget whatever’s making you so sad.” When Karen gave her a shocked and confused look, Michelle waved her finger at her. “Don’t even try to deny it. Something has you looking all depressed and as if you’re about to cry. It’s not a good look on anyone, especially not on you.”

  “Michelle, I’m just...”

  “You don’t have to tell me, I just don’t like seeing you so unhappy. And tonight you’re going to have fun.”

  Not being unhappy? That sounded good to Karen, and suddenly she was giving real consideration to going out with the girls. “Well…”

  Michelle laughed and clapped her hands together, “Awesome. It’s a date then. We leave at 5 o’clock.”

  Karen waved her colleague off, wondering if she’d just made a huge mistake. Right now she didn’t feel anything like a woman ready to go out on the town and party it up.

  By 7 o’clock that night, she was working her way through her second Manhattan, and feeling much more relaxed, even lighthearted. The girls she worked with were always ready for some fun on a Friday night, none of them in serious relationships.

  She found herself smiling as her colleagues openly flirted and danced with every cute guy who walked through the doors. Karen stayed on the sidelines, nursing her cocktail and living vicariously through her friends.

  Just when she took another sip of her cocktail and contemplated the idea of venturing out to the dance floor herself, she glanced up and froze. How in the world? Robert was walking across the bar, his blue eyes intently fixed on her. His dark blond hair sported the slightly messed-up look she loved so much and her fingers itched to run through his hair.

  While she was frozen in place by her shock, she watched him walk towards her, one sexy stride after another, and by the time he’d reached her, her anger and hurt had faded away behind her lust. She’d been trying to tear him out of her heart and mind, but his sudden appearance nullified all her efforts.

  He sidled up to her, laying a big hand on her shoulder, and that single gesture stole her self-control. Her ability to think clearly was already clouded by the alcohol moving through her bloodstream, and it combined with the sexual
need his nearness created; she was incapable of pushing him away.

  “Karen?” Robert asked, searching her face for some indication of what she was thinking.

  I love him so much. Even though he lied to me. How dumb is that?

  “Karen, are you doing okay?” he asked again, while she simply sat there and stared up into his blue pools. With all the people milling around, the last thing she wanted was to create a scene. “Hi.”

  He gave her a sexy grin. “Hi. God, I’ve missed you. Every single minute. I’m so lost without you.”

  “Robert…” she murmured in protest.

  “No.” he shook his head at her. “Let me finish, please. I’m lost without you. Nothing in my life is worth losing you.”

  Karen heard his words and they sounded so good to her, she couldn’t even put up a protest. Instead, she found herself drawn to the sound of his soft and caring voice.

  Michelle returned from the dance floor and Robert kissed her cheeks. ”Happy birthday. How’s the party going?”

  “Thanks, Robert. Having lots of fun.” A cute guy approached Michelle and she quickly said, “Are you here to pick up Karen? See you guys around.” And without a further word she grabbed the hand of the cute guy and disappeared with him onto the dance floor.

  Karen stared after her until Robert’s sexy voice reached her ear. “Want me to drive you home?”

  “I…okay.” Karen was drunk, but not so drunk she didn’t understand what could happen if he were to drive her home. And suddenly she wanted nothing more than to spend time alone with him. She slid from the bar stool, teetering a bit as she gained her equilibrium.

  “How much did you have to drink?” he asked, steadying her with a hand at her elbow.

  “Enough,” she confirmed for him, gratefully hanging onto his forearm as he led her from the bar. He helped her into his car and then jogged around to the driver’s side.

  On the way back to Peter and Rachel’s place, they approached the turnoff for the home she’d shared with Robert. “Could we stop by your house to pick up some more of my belongings?” she asked, her head feeling decidedly fuzzy.

  “Sure,” he said with a smile. “You could have come over anytime and picked up more things.”

  “I hadn’t heard from you…” Karen fidgeted with her hands. Suddenly all she wanted was to leave the car and run away.

  “I thought it would be better to wait until I had some news to report.”

  “But you haven’t,” she stated in her slurred voice.

  “No, I haven’t. Michelle texted me earlier to invite me to her birthday party tonight. I’m glad I came. And found you.”

  Karen wasn’t quite sure what to say about that, but she was given a reprieve when he pulled into the garage and shut the car off. When she made to exit the car, he stopped her. “Karen, I really have missed you. I realized last week that I don’t want to live without you in my life.”

  She listened to him and then exited the vehicle. “I won’t be long.”

  Robert sighed, his frustration evident in the sound. Karen tried not to let it bother her and headed for their bedroom, while he disappeared into the kitchen. She pushed the door open – and saw the bed.

  A multitude of memories washed over her and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. She sat down, her hand gliding over the soft satin sheets, and she remembered how happy they’d been living here. The times he’d made sweet love to her on the very bed she was now sitting upon. The mornings they’d woken up in each other’s arms, warm and comfortable. The times he sneaked out of bed to make coffee and wake her with the smell of the hot brew. Tears fell freely as she cried for the lost happiness.

  She sobbed for the knowledge that the innocent love she and Robert had shared could never be brought back. She might be able to forgive him, but forget? The stab of his lie would always remain. The despair that accompanied her thought process was overwhelming, and she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing.

  Karen dropped her head to her hands and sobbed openly. Why? Why did this have to happen?

  Chapter 9

  Robert waited in the kitchen. He pretended to be busy organizing things, but in fact he pricked up his ears to listen to what was going on in the bedroom. He couldn’t hear anything and imagined how she pulled out one piece of clothing after another to fling it into the big suitcase, and with every item his heart broke a little bit more.

  The minutes ticked by on the wall clock. Three minutes. Seven minutes. Twelve minutes.

  How long did she need to pack her things? His mental anguish got the better of him and he stepped into the living room. He froze at the next sound. God, she’s crying. Unsure what to do, he waited for a few moments, but the crying only became louder.

  To hell with giving her space! He strode toward the bedroom and pushed the door open to see her bawling as she sat on their bed. With one big step Robert closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in his warmth as she shivered and her cries intensified. “Karen, babe, shush. Don’t cry.”

  She only cried harder and buried her face in his chest, wetting his shirt with her tears. He didn’t mind, and ran his hands up and down her back in a soothing gesture that soon became more intense.

  The sexual chemistry between them had been powerful in the beginning of their relationship, but as time passed they’d settled for comfort in place of white-hot passion. Now he was surprised at the force of the desire hitting him. Karen seemed to experience the same emotions, because she soon stopped crying and responded to his touch, arching into him and pressing her breasts against his hard chest as she squirmed to get closer to him.

  Out of sheer habit, he kissed her temple before letting his lips wander across her cheek to find her lips. This proved to be the point of no return. The very moment she opened her lips for him, the floodgates broke and his lust burst out with a force that had long been buried under the routine of living together.

  Karen frantically pressed her soft curves against his body, interlocking her hands behind his neck to crush his lips into hers. She opened her mouth for him to take full possession. And he did like it was their first time – exploring every corner of her mouth, gliding his tongue over her teeth and savoring in the sweet taste of her mouth.

  She pulled him against her with all her strength, his lips already swollen from the harsh treatment and his groin throbbing with need. All the agony of the past weeks surfaced and transformed into white-hot passion. He needed to have her, to possess her, to claim her as his, to show her how much he still loved her and to convince her to come back to him.

  Robert swallowed the sexy moans that escaped her throat and used his strong hands to bracket her hips and slide her around so she was straddling him. She came willingly against him, pressing her pelvis against his own in a move that only enhanced his desire.

  Their fight was forgotten; what was left was their passion for each other. Robert was in heaven, pushing away all rational thoughts, wanting to enjoy the moment and the feeling to have her back in his arms again, the unprecedented heat. He pulled her even closer to him, grinding his hardness against her core.

  Her lips were still crushing themselves against his, until they both had to come up for breath. She looked so beautiful with her rosy red cheeks and the flushed red lips. When she licked the wetness from them with her tongue, he couldn’t resist a groan from deep within his soul.

  His hands slid up her ribcage, and palmed her breasts for a short moment before he deliberately unbuttoned her lightweight green blouse until Karen was fully exposed to him. He took his time to admire her slim waist and her plump breasts covered only by the transparent lace of her green bra. He sensed her body tightening under his scrutiny and could see her nipples hardening even through the lacy material.

  In a slow yet intense movement he placed kisses down the side of her neck to her collarbone and at the same time he slipped her blouse down her shoulders and grazed the sensitive skin on her arms until goose
bumps appeared and she was writhing in his arms.

  “I have missed you so much, babe,” he murmured against her soft skin. Until now he hadn’t acknowledged the full amount of his desolation. But with her in his arms again, it became apparent, because he felt like he was finally complete again.

  He opened the clasp of her bra and let it follow the way of her blouse, her luscious breasts springing free. With his strong hands he kneaded them and then pressed them together to take both of her already taut nipples into his mouth. When he sucked and licked them, Karen moaned, “Oh god, Robert, that is so good.”

  His mouth was too occupied to respond, but he intensified the teasing and torturing of her nipples, now releasing one of them and dedicating his entire attention to the other one. He slightly bit down on it, which earned him a cry of pleasure.

  He felt like his groin was exploding, and couldn’t remember being this aroused in a long time. When had they stopped being passionate about each other? When had their sex become boring routine?

  But now wasn’t the time to be bothered by reflection. Instead he released her other nipple from his mouth, which earned him a protest. He chuckled and took off his shirt. But just as he wanted to kiss his way down her stomach, she took things in her hands and pushed him onto his back. She captured his hips between her knees and kneeled over him, her plump breasts swaying freely as she leaned forward and started to lick and bite her way down his stomach to the waistband of his pants.

  His erection was throbbing painfully against the confinement of his pants, and a surge of relief rushed across his body when she opened the zipper to release his hard length. It sprang free, and Karen pushed his jeans and boxers off, leaving them lying on a pile next to the bed before she took him into her hands, kneading and pressing so hard he was positive he’d die of pleasure. Then she took his balls into one hand while she continued to stroke his length with the other one.

  Moments later a powerful burst of shivers spread across his entire body when she took him into her mouth. “Karen. Babe. I have missed you so much.”