Masks and Lies

by McKechnie, A C J

  As she responded just as fervently to him, Mitchell just concentrated on keeping himself in control. Which was a particularly lucky thing as the sound of a door opening reached his ears at almost the same time as a gruff voice coughed roughly, breaking into their solitude.

  “I see you made it then,” Howard Powers said loudly, and Mitchell slowly backed away from Kendra, letting her go reluctantly, before he gradually turned to face the older man.

  “Hey, Dad,” Kendra breathed, and Mitchell stopped himself from cringing when he noticed how breathless she was while speaking.

  “Kendra,” her dad said with a smile her way before turning to Mitchell and gruffly saying, “Astley.”

  “Howard,” he returned and was impressed that he didn’t sound as breathless as he felt.

  “Good journey?” he asked tightly, and Kendra nodded before making to move towards their luggage.

  “I’ve got it,” Mitchell said with a smile her way before bending down and picking up all the bags himself.

  “Thanks,” she said with a wide smile his way, and he found himself getting lost in her dazzling blue eyes.

  “Well,” her dad said, breaking into the moment again. “I guess I’ll show you to your rooms,” he added as he moved back to let them pass him into the house.

  Mitchell could feel the man’s gaze on him but tried to ignore it as he just followed in Kendra’s wake. He had a feeling a discussion would be happening between the pair of them during the visit, but for the moment it seemed that they were going with polite but distant with each other.

  “Am I in the same room?” Kendra asked her dad over her shoulder, and Mitchell glanced to the side to see the man nod at her.

  “I’ve put Astley down in –”

  “The furthest room from mine?” she teased with a smile, and Mitchell noticed the man narrow his eyes at his daughter. Apparently Kendra had gotten to know her father well enough to know how he’d behave with regards to her boyfriend.

  “You’re in the east wing with your mom, and Mitchell and I will be staying in the west. Made sense to us.”

  “Us?” Kendra asked.

  “Your mom’s desperate to spend this time with you,” her dad explained.

  “Alright. Well, I can show Mitchell the way, Dad, if you’ve got things to do,” she said, and Mitchell saw the man tense before shaking his head.

  “You don’t know where his room will be,” he said, and Kendra smiled before shaking her own head. “He can drop off your bags then I’ll take him down to where he’ll be staying,” he continued, and Mitchell smiled to himself at the man’s interference.

  Apparently Howard wouldn’t be letting them have any time together, and certainly not any that would have the pair of them in a bedroom together. Kendra had been perfectly right when she’d suggested that their encounter on the front steps would be as private as it would be getting for them on this trip.

  As Kendra and her dad kept up small talk with each other, Mitchell just continued to follow the pair up the large wide staircase and along the wide hallway. With his thoughts to himself for the moment he wondered if perhaps Howard also wanted to have the opportunity to speak to Mitchell without Kendra around.

  If so, he’d be more than happy to accommodate the man. The sooner they got this initial confrontation out of the way, the sooner they could get on with things. On Mitchell’s behalf, the sooner that happened, the sooner he’d be able to tell if he’d ever be welcomed by Kendra’s dad. For Howard, the sooner he’d see that Mitchell was serious about his daughter.

  It was a discussion that they needed to have and one that was incredibly important as well.

  “Just here, Mitchell,” Kendra said, and Mitchell smiled at her as he placed her luggage on the bed in the large bedroom that she’d made her way to.

  “We’ll let you catch up with your mother. Astley, I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

  “See you later,” Kendra said, and Mitchell reached for her to give her a quick kiss before following her dad out of the room.

  Making their way back down the hallway in silence, Mitchell could feel the tension between the pair of them but didn’t try to breach it at the moment. Once they were in a private room they could finally open up to each other, but not in the middle of the man’s house.

  “Here you are,” Howard said as he opened a door, and Mitchell looked inside the room to take in the luxury of it. “You look surprised,” the man commented, and Mitchell placed his bags on the floor before turning to the other man.

  “I suppose I thought that maybe you’d still be in the punishing sort of mood.”

  “You were expecting a cupboard with a cot bed?” he asked with a raised brow, and Mitchell shrugged.

  “I suppose I wouldn’t have put it past you,” he admitted. “There’s no denying how furious you were with me and my actions.”

  “No. There isn’t. But I’m not that petty and vindictive. You’re here as my guest, a guest that’s been invited at my daughter’s behest, and as such will be treated as one.”

  “Even if I’m not particularly welcome,” Mitchell surmised, and Howard stayed stony silent in the face of the accusation. “I’m not going anywhere, Howard,” Mitchell ventured. “You can keep us as far apart as possible while we’re here but as soon as we head home it won’t make a difference,” he pointed out.

  “I know. But I can at least enforce certain rules that you need to keep while under my roof,” Howard stated.

  “Will those rules still stand after we’re married?” Mitchell asked with a raised brow and noticed Howard tense before relaxing with effort.

  “As far as I was aware that wasn’t a possibility for the moment.”

  “Only because I wanted to speak to you first,” Mitchell confessed and noticed the slight rise in Howard’s eyebrows.

  “You’re asking for my permission? My blessing? I thought you said it wouldn’t matter what my opinion was.”

  “It won’t, but I’d like it nonetheless. I don’t want to come between you and Kendra. I want her to have the family she’s always craved. But I’m selfish enough to have her even if you and I never manage to get over our past.”

  “I’m not sure whether to respect you or hate you,” Howard said after studying Mitchell for a long while.

  “I’m not sure what to do to tip that scale in my favor,” Mitchell retorted. “But I’m hoping to do enough during my stay here to manage it anyway.”

  “While you’re working on that I only ask that you respect my rules, Astley.”

  “You might want to tell me what they are.”

  “If I catch you and my daughter together anywhere under my roof together the way that you were on my front step, then you’ll leave immediately,” Howard said with complete seriousness, and Mitchell stared at him in disbelief.

  “You’re serious,” he stated after searching the older man’s face.

  “I am.”

  “You must realize that that wasn’t exactly the first time we’ve kissed.”

  “I’m not an idiot,” Howard snapped, and Mitchell found himself surprised that the usual cool and calm man had managed to express so much anger in that one sentence. “Of course I know what goes on with the two of you, but just because it’s happened before doesn’t mean that it can happen under my roof. Do you understand?” he asked firmly.

  “Of course,” Mitchell agreed.

  “If I find out that anything more has happened between you two outside of my view, I want you to know that you’ll have me to deal with, Astley,” he said fiercely, and Mitchell bristled at the words.

  “I respect Kendra. Respect and love her. I wouldn’t dare do anything to make a mockery of that love. And I would never do anything to demean the love that we have for each other,” Mitchell averred and watched as Howard’s eyes flashed.

  “Just keep your hands off her while you’re here, Astley,” Howard repeated before turning and exiting the room.

  Mitchell just stared at the closed port
al and sighed. Looked as though Kendra wouldn’t be getting her perfect family after all.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Hey,” a voice said from the doorway, and Mitchell looked up in surprise to see Kendra standing there before she glanced around and then quietly shut the door of his room behind her. As she did so she bounded over to him and flung herself at him, catching Mitchell by surprise.

  “I’ve missed you,” she breathed before she kissed him deeply, and Mitchell abruptly stood up, pushing her away from him as he did so.

  “Kendra! What are you doing?!” he asked frantically and shot a look at the door. They’d been at Howard’s for four days now, the wedding was in two days’ time, and this was the first time the pair of them had been alone together since arriving.

  Mitchell had had plenty of time on his own alone, but Kendra had been so busy with wedding preparations with her mom that the only chance Mitchell got to see her was at dinner, or when they all had some sort of function to attend together.

  They didn’t even have any opportunities to drive there together either, Howard always had a limo ordered for the four of them to travel together in.

  When he’d agreed to Howard’s rules that first day he hadn’t realized how difficult it would be, but he wasn’t going to make a liar of himself. He’d promised Howard he’d behave under the man’s roof, and he would.

  He’d hoped at the time that he and Kendra could have some make-out sessions in their rental car, but the man had effectively derailed that idea. At least Mitchell had had enough time to go and get a ring, even if he hadn’t, and most likely wouldn’t, have a chance to give it to her until they returned to Granville.

  “What am I doing?” she asked in confusion before she smiled seductively at him, and Mitchell’s breath caught at the look in her eyes as she sashayed up to him. He’d seen that look before. The night of their big argument. But at the time the look had been coupled with hatred, this time it was coupled with love, and he felt his eyes widening, his breath becoming shallow, his mind wandering, and his resolve wavering.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” she whispered against his neck, and Mitchell clenched his jaw, hands, and teeth tightly together in an effort to resist the little temptress. “We’ve had no time together and I thought we could make the most of it right now,” she continued to whisper against his skin, and Mitchell groaned.

  “Kendra,” he groaned once more and felt his knees buckling as her hot little mouth traced a path along his neck and up towards his mouth. “Dammit, Kendra,” he said suddenly and gripped her upper arms firmly while he pushed her away from him.

  He could see the question in her eyes followed almost immediately by the hurt and insecurity, and he closed his own eyes to banish the vision, and the desire he had to remove the look by taking her up on her offer.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked quietly, and Mitchell opened his eyes when she backed up a step and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Dammit,” he mumbled and reached for her, but she stepped back again. “Kendra, come here,” he ordered and watched as she stood stationary, staring at him with so much confusion on her face.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as he gently reached for her and hugged her tenderly.

  “I promised your dad,” he finally said down onto her head with probably the most heartfelt sigh he’d ever exhaled.

  “You promised my dad what?” she asked with a furrowed brow as she looked up at him.

  “I promised him that we’d behave while we stayed here,” he said with a sigh before gently pushing her away again and out of his reach.

  “Behave how?”

  “Behave as in no touching, Kendra.”

  “What?” she asked in surprised confusion.

  “Your dad told me that I wasn’t allowed to touch you while we were under his roof,” Mitchell explained, and Kendra looked confused before huffing and moving forward. At her action he stepped back himself and saw her roll his eyes at the move.

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I’m respecting his rules.”

  “His rules suck,” she pouted, and he could only nod and shrug at that. “So you’re seriously not going to –”

  “Even lay one finger on you,” he said despondently and saw Kendra trying to hide her smile at his forlorn expression.

  “No matter what I do?” she asked mischievously, and he shook his head at her.

  “Oh no. Don’t you dare try to tempt me. I’m not that strong, or that honorable, of a man,” he replied seriously and watched as her smile broadened. “Kendra,” he warned as she made to move forward and he found himself backing up some more before she giggled.

  “Look at you,” she laughed, “you’re literally running away from me.”

  “Because your damn touch is too potent,” he explained as he moved to the other side of his bed, and Kendra laughed again.

  As they continued their cat and mouse game, Kendra continued to laugh heartily, and Mitchell found himself becoming just as amused at the strange turn of events.

  “If Walter could see you now, he’d be voicing those doubts of his again about your masculinity,” Kendra teased, and Mitchell smiled widely at her.

  “You tell anyone about this and I can guarantee that I’ll make you pay, Kendra Wilcox.”

  “Oh? And how would you go about doing that then?” she inquired as she tried to duck around the small chaise lounge he was hiding behind.

  “By not letting you see that pretty little ring I’ve got stashed away,” he said and watched as she stopped abruptly in place.

  “What?” she gasped out, and Mitchell froze himself as she stared at him wide-eyed. “A ring?” she asked, and Mitchell just remained staring at her. “Mitchell? Did you buy me a ring? An engagement ring?” she asked, and he swallowed as he tried to read her expression.

  “I didn’t really plan to tell you quite like this,” he confessed, and she continued to stare at him with wide eyes.

  “How … bloody hell,” she breathed before shaking her head and looking at him again. “How did you plan on telling me?” she asked, and he quirked his mouth at that.

  “Well, I was going to plan a romantic evening, an intimate meal, then I thought I’d most likely find the perfect moment and get down on one knee before showing you what I’d bought. And of course I’d have said something along the lines of, ‘Kendra Wilcox, I love you so much. I’m utterly in love with you and can’t even imagine my life without you in it. In fact, all I ever imagine for the future is centered on you and me together. So I was hoping that you’d agree to marry me and become my wife.’ Or words to that effect,” he said with a shrug and watched as tears washed over her eyes.

  “Kind of ruined that now, haven’t I?” he said and cringed. He really hadn’t meant to mention the ring, but hadn’t been able to think of any other sort of revenge to take on her.

  “No,” she said with a shake of her head, and he felt his heart beating madly. No? As in no, she wouldn’t marry him?

  She must have seen the doubt and disappointment in his eyes because she quickly spoke up.

  “No, you didn’t ruin it,” she clarified, and he smiled in relief at her words. “You didn’t ruin anything at all,” she said more softly and made to move forward towards him. At the movement he stepped back and he saw her eyes fill with frustration. “Seriously?” she asked incredulously, and he swallowed hard before nodding at her.

  Huffing with annoyance, she put her hands on her hips, looked around herself, then quickly looked back at him with a light of victory in her eyes.

  “Get that pretty little ring,” she ordered, and he looked at her in confusion. “Go on,” she urged, and Mitchell found himself so intrigued by the light in her eyes that he did as requested, reaching into his bag to pull out the small box there.

  “Come on,” she ordered as she turned and headed towards the door to his room, and Mitchell followed after her uncertainly. “But hurry up,” she said as she dashed off ahead of him, and h
e rushed to catch up with her.

  “Kendra, where are we –”

  “Come on,” she just repeated as she sprinted down the stairs and bolted through the front door.

  When they got outside, Mitchell watched as she made a beeline straight for the rental car that they’d hired, indicating that he should unlock it for her.

  Opening one of the rear doors, she slid inside, and Mitchell got in the other side to accompany her.

  “We are no longer under my father’s roof, so how about we try this again,” she suggested, and Mitchell smiled widely at her before nodding, taking the box out of his pocket, and turning towards her.

  “Kendra Wilcox,” he started and watched as she smiled at him as well. “I love you. So much. I am completely and utterly in love with you. I can’t even imagine my life without you in it. In fact,” he said and saw her smile widely at him as she took in his repeated words, “every future that I do imagine has you at the center of it.”

  “That’s different,” she said quietly, and he smiled at her.

  “I didn’t exactly have it written down on a card, Kendra,” he replied playfully.

  “You said the future is centered on you and me together,” she inputted, and he smiled before trying again.

  “Every future that I do imagine is centered on you and me together,” he said then looked at her in question. “Better?” he asked with a raised brow, and she nodded at him excitedly. “So, I was really, really hoping that you’d do me the greatest of honors –”

  “That’s new too,” she whispered quietly, and he shot her a look. “I’ll be quiet now,” she assured, and he rolled his eyes at her.

  “I was hoping that you’d do me a very great honor, agree to marry me, and become my wife,” he finally finished before opening up the ring box and holding it out for her to see. Without removing her blue gaze from his, without even taking in the ring that he’d spent hours choosing, she stared straight at him and gave her soft and heartfelt answer.