“Jenna looks lovely today,” Andy acknowledged.
“Jenna looks lovely every day.” Ben’s answer was emphatic.
“You get no arguments from me.”
“It’s about time you found someone.”
Andy snorted. “I’ve had a few someone’s in my life and none of them come close to what you have with Jenna.”
“She is special, I grant you, but I can’t remember the last time you had a date.”
Andy shrugged. “You don’t know everything I do.”
“Hardly seems fair when you have a finger on the pulse of the rest of us.”
“Fair is not a word I use to describe what I do. It’s not fair that a man or a woman cheats on their spouse, or beats them. It’s not fair that a diplomat or the head of a peaceful organization can be killed while doing their job. And it’s certainly not fair that a person gets murdered for speaking out about injustice.”
Ben put his hands up in surrender. “Hold the phone. It was a slip of the tongue.”
“Sorry. I get carried away. I love my job, but sometimes it does get to me.”
“What? The immovable mountain has troubles?”
Andy laughed. He did what he did, because of those troubles. Compared to his earlier days and the army, life now was simple. Except for when it involved Caris.
Small and fair, she was like sunshine on a cloudy day, and he hated not seeing her. It was for the best. It had to be. If only this pain he experienced when she said goodbye so often, wouldn’t cripple him the way it did.
With the house in sight, Andy felt the rush of pleasure it always gave him. It was home, even though he had his own place closer to town. There was a bed here for him any time he wanted. A meal if he wanted it and someone to talk to, if he needed it.
His father had been a mean SOB. He’d regularly beaten his wife, and when they’d moved to San Francisco it had been Andy’s turn to endure the most of his foul temper, often for no reason. Then again, a man who drank like he did didn’t need one.
Andy sighed heavily. He’d have to tell Ben his plans so he’d have cover in case something happened at his security business. “I’m going home for a week or so.”
Ben turned to him. “Home? What do you mean? You are home.”
He seemed genuinely puzzled, which helped soothe Andy a little, since this trip was not anticipated with any pleasure.
Andy nodded. “Let me rephrase—I have to go to Texas.”
“What for?”
“Apparently, there are some things I have to clean up with regards to my mother’s estate.”
“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but she died years ago.”
“She did, but you know the law is an ass. She had some papers the lawyer recently came across when they were moving to new office spaces. Papers which were somehow misplaced.”
“Sounds damn unprofessional.”
Andy swung the limo into the long driveway and passed under the wrought iron artwork of two horses rearing, front hooves entwined, creating a magnificent arch. “Absolutely, but apparently the guy responsible had dementia and misfiled stuff for years. Anyway, I have to go sign for them. Everything’s running smoothly. I’ll touch base when I arrive.”
“Want me to come along?”
“Best I do this alone.”
“Sure.”
He’d known Ben would understand. There were some things a man simply had to do for himself. Emotions could scar men like them.
Andy pulled up beside the fountain and after helping the women out of the back, the men jostled one another, the mood festive as they moved up the wide stairs and into the large entrance way.
The place had been decorated to celebrate their new doctor. The family had really branched out lately with other businesses, causing quite an upheaval with roles and time devoted to its continued success. None of this touched or was allowed to interfere with Caris.
She’d known from a young age that medicine was what she wanted to pursue and hadn’t had the slightest doubt, as far as he knew, all this time.
Not only did her focus fascinate him, he also had a burning need to have her feel that way about him. Although he knew she wanted him, it wasn’t the same at all. He sighed. If only she wasn’t a Knight. He’d stay a few hours to be polite then he’d be on his way. Back to his apartment. Alone.
He shook himself. He wasn’t this pathetic. His life was how he’d made it and how he wanted it. His investigation business was surpassing all his expectations and there were female companions when he needed them. Some of them were even nice. It wasn’t their fault they weren’t Caris.
Chapter Three
The family, extended and otherwise, had descended on Knight Stables. The place was lit up like a Christmas tree inside, and both the parking lot and driveway were full.
Caris stood out in the patio area with her siblings. She was happy to be home with them but excitedly watching for a glimpse of Andy. She’d found him on the periphery of the group then he’d disappeared.
“You look lovely.” His voice was soft in her ear.
She breathed in the smell of him, a musky citrus, and almost sighed. “You gave me heart failure. Must you sneak up on people?” Attack was the best defense, or so Andy had once told her.
He shrugged. “It’s my job.”
“Not when you’re at home.”
“I don’t live here anymore.”
“I had noticed.” When she’d heard he’d moved out into his own place she’d been devastated and felt guilty. Had she forced him to do it?
“Had you?”
She swung to face him, forcing him to take a step back. “Do you have something you want to say to me, Andy?”
His face was a mask of innocence. Pretty hard to do when you looked like you could bend steel like Superman. Wait, he probably could—without the heat vision.
“Like what?”
“Like, what is going on in your king-sized brain? What are you thinking right now?”
He shrugged. “I was simply admiring your dress, and wondered if you might be a little cold. I could fetch you a wrap?”
She looked down at herself. The neckline was a bit lower than she normally wore but hardly risqué. The hem was well above her knees, but decent enough. After wearing scrubs or lab coats for the last six years she was enjoying the freedom to wear what she wanted. “Stop acting like a father. It’s the middle of summer. I certainly don’t need more clothing.”
“Ouch! I’m not that old. Still, if you want everyone looking at those, then who am I to cover them up?”
His eyes were on her chest. She should have been embarrassed. So should he. Instead, she took a deep breath which pushed her breasts out even further, as they strained against the low V-neck of the silky fabric. He knew exactly who he was, and it wasn’t a family member.
“It’s a classic cut, and perfectly respectable.”
“If you say so.”
His voice had a huskiness to it, which in turn made her squeeze her thighs together. Banter she could handle, it was the looks he was firing her way which were causing the heat inside her. She licked her dry lips. “I guess you’re entitled to your opinion.”
He took her arm firmly and led her away from the group. Since people were starting to pay attention to the interchange, Caris was more than willing. That’s the only reason, she told herself.
“Living away from home seems to have made you ornery,” he said, as they stood on the edge of the tiered lawn.
There were fewer lights here, making it more intimate in the semi-darkness. “No, it didn’t. If I am a little ornery it would be from you pushing all my buttons. That you continue to do it is no surprise, but I’d like to hear your reasons for it.”
He still held her arm, and he pulled her a little closer. She stood on tiptoe, so she could witness up close the war going on behind those steely gray eyes, although she was nowhere near tall enough to be at eye level.
“You know the ‘why’. It’s there every time
we talk. Every time I see you, and you feel it too,” he growled.
She gasped. It was such an admission; one she’d been hoping for all these years. Her body took over, and she pressed her chest against him, enjoying the slight groan he emitted. “In which case, maybe we should simply get it out of our systems.”
“What?”
She’d shocked him. Not an easy thing to do. A prickle had gone around her body and settled with a quiver in places that ached for him. They hadn’t so much as kissed, yet it didn’t stop her wanting him. Needing him. If she was going to move to another city, she mightn’t have the chance to be with him the way she’d dreamed of. “Let’s go find a room.”
“Now? Here?” His voice was heavy with anguish.
She felt the hardness of him against her stomach, and she had the urge to wrap her legs around his waist.
“Caris? Is that you, dear?”
Her mother had uncanny timing. She stood on the edge of the path with soft light behind her as she peered into the semi-darkness. She had a man beside her and there was no escape for Caris.
Andy had reacted by practically throwing her away from him and she barely managed to hide her frustration and irritation at the interruption.
“Yes, Mom. Do you need me?”
“Would you come say hi to James McIvor?”
“Coming.” Caris had no choice but to go with her, leaving Andy with a pained look on his handsome face. Good. Let him suffer the way she suffered.
Back on the path, she could see that James McIvor was a distinguished middle-aged man, with a couple of gray streaks on either side of his head. He had a great smile and shook her hand in a firm but gentle grip.
“Hello, Caris. Your mother’s told me so much about you. Congratulations on your appointment. Please excuse me for gate-crashing your party.”
She smiled at his charm. “The more, the merrier.”
“James is in San Francisco to apply for a job with the company.”
Her mother said this with a strange excitement, and Caris wondered if the extra work that had been heaped onto her lately was taking its toll. “Yes, I recognized the name. We heard you were available and Mom wanted to see you as soon as possible. Welcome.”
“Thank you. I was headed back to New York and diverted here when I got the call. Unfortunately, we had a bad line, and I thought the interview was eight tonight, not tomorrow morning. Time zones are a killer and this is a bad time for interviewing.”
“I think meeting people outside of the office can be a good thing.” Her mother seemed to be sticking up for the man when no one had mentioned an issue other than James.
He laughed. “When there’s this much champagne flowing, I can only hope you’re right.”
Her mother laughed too, in an oddly girlish way, and Caris was taken aback. With her twin brothers pulling away from the main business, the company needed someone to pick up the slack. She’d read his file and those of the other potential candidates Andy had narrowed the choice down to.
James was the most qualified and Andy hadn’t unearthed any glaring issues with regards to his career or personal life, but her mother had never been even slightly flirty with any other member of staff. Her eyes were bright, her voice a little husky. What the heck was going on?
“I guess we’ll find out, and we’ll still have the interview tomorrow, Mom?”
Her mother waved a manicured hand in the air. “Of course, but I’m sure it’s merely a formality.”
“Oh, so you’ve met the other board members, Mr. McIvor?” Caris felt like she’d missed something, but she didn’t attend all the board meetings.
“Not yet. So far I haven’t dealt with anyone else, and apart from your mom, I’ve only seen you since I arrived. And, please, call me James.”
“Then allow me to introduce you to them, James.” Caris was about to take him when her mother stepped in front of them.
“No. I mean, I’ll show James around and introduce him. You get back to your friends, darling. I’d hate for you to miss any of the fun.”
Watching her mom walk away, Caris suddenly realized that her mother had dyed her hair. The gray was gone. It was almost as blonde as hers and Sarah’s. What the heck?
She’d always been proud of the fact that her mother looked a lot younger than her fifty-odd years, but how had she not noticed the fitted dress emphasizing her tiny waist. The deep red showed off the ever-present tan acquired from spending any spare time with her beloved horses. Even her shoes were so much higher than she usually wore.
She was also wearing a lot more makeup. Her lashes had certainly seen a few coats of mascara; her lips a shade of red she’d avoided before. And, she’d been doing a head tilting and nodding thing, as if everything James said might be gold.
Now that she was aware of these things, it was as if a neon sign had gone on over her mother’s head. She knew there had been numerous phone calls and emails between the two because this was one position her mother wouldn’t entrust to anyone else. That fact hadn’t gone down so well with Sarah, who was head of the PR and HR departments.
Another thought occurred to her. Were they also meeting face-to-face without the family’s knowledge? They certainly looked very comfortable together.
Caris looked about her. Did her siblings know? She doubted it. They were enjoying the party and if Ben had an inkling he wouldn’t have kept the news to himself. He’d be in the midst of a meltdown, not casually talking to a group of their relations.
Mom was Mom. She wasn’t supposed to be anything other than CEO of Knight Industries, co-manager of Knight Stables with Matthew, and their mother, which was one hell of a workload for one person. Girlfriend or lover wouldn’t fit in at all.
Did Andy know?
Caris found him back on the patio. Several female cousins surrounded him like a wagon train, and they were hanging on his every word. He’d adopted the Andy pose. Leaning against a pole, his Stetson pulled low, he clearly had a captivated audience.
“Caris!”
She turned, annoyed at the new interruption, but this was one of her own making. The class of her fellow residents had arrived, and Kane was leading them her way. She glanced back at Andy, who may or may not be looking at her. It was hard to tell, even with a myriad of lights, and he did have all that estrogen wanting a piece of him.
Jealousy was a hard pill, but she found a small smile. “Kane, glad you could make it.” She turned to the rest of the group. “There’s dancing in the gazebo if you want to join me?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” He grinned, and followed her to where the music was belting out some eighties music, courtesy of her request.
The others looked about them in wonder as she ordered them drinks from the waiter. She sometimes forgot that other people weren’t used to this, but tonight she wasn’t about to make excuses for being born a Knight. Caris took a large gulp of the cold beer, then found an empty bar table on the edge of a makeshift dance floor to put her glass. “Come on you lot. Let’s dance.”
Cheering, the group took to the floor, but Kane singled her out. He was one of those men who had to touch and apparently when dancing, even more so. It might be nice in certain circumstances with the right man. All she’d really wanted tonight was to celebrate the end of her training, and she’d rather be doing it with Andy.
Her studies hadn’t been a walk in the park, but neither had they been as onerous as others might experience. Somehow, she’d been born with a photographic memory. It had meant that she’d come to the attention of teachers and professors alike. They’d taken her under their wing and she’d been privileged to work with many top doctors and surgeons. It had also meant a fair bit of professional jealousy.
Every milestone had contributed to the pressure of maintaining her credibility, of not achieving because her family was well known, or that they had money while doing a small amount of work for Knight Industries.
All the family served on the board, and while she didn’t attend too many
meetings in person, there were mandatory video calls to catch her up. It had worked so far, but Caris knew she would have to walk away from the family business very soon. She had a career to forge and she was looking forward to it.
Even so, a certain amount of guilt was always with her. Guilt at not doing her share while she received all the benefits of being a Knight. Guilt at seeing her peers struggle with financing their careers. Guilt at wanting Andy, when she knew her family would be shocked.
She shook her head. Thinking about her first world problems wouldn’t change anything tonight. Closing her eyes, she let the music wash over her.
Chapter Four
Andy felt anger bubble as he watched Caris dancing with the groper. His hands clenched. In that moment, he knew he was capable of doing the doctor bodily harm.
“Want to dance, Andy?”
The leggy brunette who ran a hand up his arm was a distant cousin of the Knights, and rather attractive. He’d find her advances tempting if it wasn’t for the diminutive blonde commanding the dance floor.
She’d shaken off Kane and was dancing, eyes closed, far too sexily for his liking. The smooth looking dude who obviously had a thing for Caris, was looking a little put out as he tried to insinuate himself into her rhythm. Andy almost laughed at his pathetic attempts. Almost.
Caris had never been needy. Never had. Even with four older siblings, she’d fought all their mollycoddling until every single one of them had backed off. Ben hadn’t been easy, but eventually, he too capitulated. This gave Andy the ability to quietly take over protecting her, without ever having to say a word about it. It was a double-edged sword because it meant she was constantly on his mind, but he had to keep her safe because he couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her.
He took the hand of the woman whose name he couldn’t remember, and who was waiting impatiently for an answer. “Why not.”
She turned out to be the female version of the groper. Although her hands were not in the slightest way discrete, which was incredibly embarrassing in front of the family. It wasn’t as if they were in a crowded pub full of strangers, or that he was too drunk to care.
Resident Billionaire (Billionaire Knights Book 5) Page 2
