Re/Paired

by Michele Zurlo

  “Okay, but let me tell my mom first. Not today, though. I have to get her alone. If she’s on our side, then nobody else will have a choice but to be supportive.” Her mother would also be the easier sell. She already loved Keith and treated him like a son. However, if he broke her heart, as he was apt to do with women, her mother would never forgive him. “But Keith, if this doesn’t work out between us, and the reason won’t matter, nothing will ever be the same again.”

  Instead of answering, he kissed her. It was a sweet kiss, almost passionless except that it communicated a whole host of things he couldn’t seem to say out loud. This expression of love stole her breath. He’d stolen her heart years before, so that matter was already resolved.

  When it ended, he set her back on her feet and rested his forehead against hers. “So not working out is not an option. Got it.”

  * * * *

  The restaurant Aunt Cindy had chosen for brunch bustled with people. Not only was the food sinfully addictive, it was located near the busy downtown shopping district in Madison Heights.

  Keith had walked her inside, but he’d been too preoccupied with visually sweeping the area to do more than press a kiss to her cheek and admonish her to behave. Since he also kissed her mother’s cheek, the small act didn’t make a statement.

  Her mother had refrained from peppering her with questions until Keith left. Though he’d said he had errands to run, Katrina knew he hadn’t gone far.

  “I want to know everything, Katrina Marie. Malcolm said the first incident was last weekend. Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Worry lines creased her mother’s brow, adding ten years to her pretty face.

  Katrina hated that she’d caused her mother’s distress. Having Keith by her side yesterday had made the situation easier to bear. Last night, he’d purged the unpleasant events from her mind and done incredible things to her body that made sitting still in a chair today a little challenging.

  Before she could answer, Aunt Cindy intervened. “Donna, leave her alone. Malcolm already told you what’s going on. I’m sure Trina just wants to relax and not think about that horrible man.”

  “Yeah.” Layla’s blue eyes sparkled. “But now you have an excuse to buy all new underwear. And if Keith is your bodyguard today, you can drag him with you. I’d love to see him try to not have an expression while he’s watching you pick out sexy panties.” Then she inhaled sharply, and her sparkle turned a little wicked. “You’re not wearing anything under that dress, are you?”

  Katrina was sure her blush answered the question satisfactorily.

  Donna squeezed Katrina’s hand. “Baby, I’ll go shopping with you. That way Keith can keep his distance. Or I can bring your father. He’s used to watching us shop, and Keith can have the afternoon off.”

  Certain that nothing would induce Keith to leave her side today, Katrina shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s fine. I already told Keith what I have planned for today.”

  And he’d lifted his lips in that cocky grin, but he hadn’t promised to take her shopping. She was sure he had some plans of his own. She smiled and spent the next hour enjoying the company and the food.

  When they left the restaurant, Layla linked her arm through Katrina’s and rested her head on Trina’s shoulder. Though they’d always been close, Layla was physical with everybody. Katrina leaned her head against Layla’s, returning the gesture with equal affection.

  “I’m worried about you, Trina. This is some serious shit.”

  “I know.” She pushed away the feelings of violation and insecurity. She might be a target, but she refused to be a victim. “Malcolm and Keith put infrared cameras all around my condo. They’re watching everyone who comes and goes. And I haven’t been alone all weekend.”

  “You can come stay with me. Or I can come stay with you. It’s probably safer at your place now that the dynamic duo are playing spy games.”

  Enveloped in the love of family, Katrina felt safe and secure. She was lucky to have them. “I’ll keep that in mind for when Keith needs a day off. Right now, nothing’s going to make him leave my side.”

  Layla squeezed her arm tighter, but the line of conversation was forgotten as they both spotted Keith standing next to his SUV, waiting for her. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he exuded barely suppressed fury. The woman standing in front of him had to be a foot shorter. She had one hand on her hip, and the other poked dangerously close to his chest. Keith’s demeanor gave Katrina the chills.

  “Yikes,” Layla said, giving voice to Katrina’s reaction. “I’ve never seen him look so pissed off before. And cold. I can see how he makes the bad guys pee their pants with just a look. All this time, I thought he only stood there looking dangerous and handsome. But right now he’s deadly scary.”

  Hate. That was the emotion they were both having trouble identifying. They’d both seen him upset, annoyed, even mad. But in all the years Katrina had known him, she’d never seen him show pure, unadulterated hate for anyone or anything.

  Her heart went out to him, breaking a little. Hate was a strong emotion. In order for him to feel it, this woman must have meant a great deal to him at one point.

  With her back to them, Katrina couldn’t see her face or tell much about the woman. She wore cutoff jeans that were ripped up at the bottom and a yellow, short-sleeved shirt. Her blonde hair was clipped up in the back of her head. Though she wasn’t large, her flesh definitely strained against the confines of her clothes.

  “She looks trashy.” Layla whispered her unkind observation. Silently, Katrina agreed.

  “I think that’s his mother.”

  Katrina and Layla whirled around. They’d forgotten the presence of their moms. Donna had her eyes narrowed, and her gaze pointed at the woman standing in front of Keith. She nodded and added to her guess.

  “Yeah. I met her once years ago. That woman is a piece of work. It’s a wonder he managed to escape and make something of himself.” Donna didn’t bother to hide her disdain or her disapproval.

  Instinctively Katrina knew Keith wouldn’t want her mother to witness this exchange. He had a lot of pride, and part of it was wrapped in his ability to keep his cool under any circumstance. Katrina hugged her mom and aunt.

  “I’ll see you guys later.”

  She tried to walk away, but her mother grabbed her arm. “Trina, leave him be. He won’t want to introduce you to that woman.”

  Strains of conversation replayed in her head. That woman had beaten him when he was a child. It didn’t matter how old he grew; he was still a defenseless little boy against that woman. “Mom, I can’t let him face her alone.”

  FROM THE PERIPHERY of his vision, he watched Mama L try to stop Kat from coming closer. He appreciated her effort. There was no way he wanted his precious Kat close to the monster in front of him.

  “Your sister has been calling you for months.”

  He was well aware of his sister’s attempts to contact him. Jules had read him the riot act, but then she’d become curiously silent on the matter. He figured Malcolm must have used his charm to get her to lay off. The messages hadn’t stopped coming, but now they were shuffled to the bottom of the stack.

  When he didn’t answer, his mother poked at the air in front of his chest, as if she knew the slightest physical contact would send him over the edge. “You’re her brother, and she needs you. For once, you could stop being such a selfish little bastard and be there for your sister.”

  Kat sidled up to him. She put her hand on his arm, her skin still cool from the air-conditioning in the restaurant. Though she said nothing, she freely lent him the strength of her presence. Suddenly it wasn’t such a struggle to keep a leash on his temper.

  “She’s in prison. Second-degree murder. I looked it up.”

  “It wasn’t her fault.” His mother waved her hand dismissively while glaring at Kat. “Tell your whore to get lost. This is family business.”

  Kat’s hand tightened on his arm, and she placed the other against his chest to
hold him back. While she couldn’t hope to have the physical strength to stop him, she provided a different kind of restraint.

  Though he should defend Kat, anything he said would only be breath wasted on this woman. He put some more ice in his glare. “You are not and have never been my family. Don’t contact me again. If you see me on the street, keep walking.”

  When doing surveillance, especially when he was with the target, both socially and emotionally, he had to go about his business as if he weren’t constantly scanning for the slightest clue that someone might be watching them. In keeping with that cover, he’d run a few errands and window-shopped while his girlfriend had brunch with her relatives.

  Dustin wasn’t finished working up a profile of who might stalk Kat, but Keith figured the person was most likely male and between the ages of twenty-five and forty. While he hadn’t been dismissing them, he also hadn’t looked too closely at the women. When this one had approached him, he’d stepped out of the way to let her pass.

  She’d come at him with a nasty comment. The years had not been kind to the bitch who brought him into this world. She looked tired and used, far older than her fifty-six years. Mama L had just turned sixty-seven, and she could pass for his mother’s daughter.

  Putting one arm protectively around Kat’s shoulders, he steered her away from the situation. He didn’t say a word as he opened the passenger door and saw her safely loaded into his car. She watched him thoughtfully, but she didn’t say anything until they were on the road.

  “So that was your mother.”

  He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t very well lie. “Yes.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Starr. Two r’s.”

  She nodded, but he had the sense it wasn’t any kind of acknowledgment. “What did she want?”

  He shook his head. It didn’t matter what she wanted. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”

  “You’re not even a little bit curious?”

  “My sister’s been calling. I looked her up in the system. She’s been part of it since she was fifteen. Of course, those records are sealed. She’s been in and out of jail for the past seven years. Three DUIs. Possession. Solicitation. Things like that.” He let out a mirthless chuckle. “She used to be so much better at eluding the law.”

  Kat made a knowing sound. “Starr thinks you might be able to pull some strings.”

  “Probably. I won’t, though. She gets what she deserves.” He didn’t bother to hide his bitterness. Of his two older sisters, one had ignored him, and one had taken pleasure in beating him up every single day. Some of his earliest memories were of searching for places to sleep where Savannah wouldn’t think to look. Even now he couldn’t stand to be touched while he was asleep.

  One glance at Kat softened him a bit. Her touch didn’t bring him the same sense of dread. She comforted him with her presence and brought peace with her embrace.

  Determined to change the subject, he smiled at her and reached into the backseat. “I got you something.” He fumbled around until he found the right bag, and then he deposited it on her lap.

  She gave him a glance ripe with cynical understanding that let him know he wasn’t off the hook, but that she’d let him wiggle away for now. Her expression morphed when she peered into the bag. “Ohhh. You bought me underwear.” She lifted out a pair of light blue lacy panties. “These are pretty. Way better than what I had before.”

  And they’d look incredible on her. He loved lighter, brighter colors that contrasted with her olive complexion.

  “Matching bras. Wow. They’re so soft and sexy. I didn’t know you liked lace this much.” She oohed and aahed some more as she went through his selections.

  Her approval pleased him inordinately. Before Kat, he hadn’t cared for lace on a woman. He’d preferred anything that came off easily. It hadn’t been about being sexy. It had been about convenience and control. Kat had asked him to leave that part of him behind. Shedding the false front felt good, like he could finally be himself. No way it could happen with anybody but Kat.

  The short drive ended as he pulled into his garage and shifted into park. “You’re a beautiful woman. You should have beautiful things.”

  She leaped from her seat and landed straddling his lap. He was less surprised this time, but he was pleased at her excitement. He grinned and pulled the key from the ignition, fully intending to luxuriate in whatever way she wanted to thank him.

  She cupped his face between her hands and held it steady. He threw his keys in the console and settled his grip on her hips. She wasn’t wearing panties under that sundress. It would be an easy matter to unzip his pants and slip his cock into her velvety warmth.

  But she didn’t lean in for a kiss. A close look at her expression made him groan. His effort to redirect her attention really hadn’t been successful.

  “You’re a beautiful man. Inside and out. Nobody can take that away from you.”

  He closed his eyes, a feeble attempt at escape. He wanted to be the man she saw when she looked at him, but he wasn’t. The run-in with his mother had underscored the facts. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. A part of him would always be an addict. He could pretend to be the perfect man for Kat, and he would keep her close until she discovered that he had some serious shortcomings she couldn’t fix. And then it would all go to hell. She would move on, and he wouldn’t bother fighting the demons of addiction anymore.

  “I know it’s not easy to face the woman who was supposed to love and protect you, but who hurt you instead. No mother who loves her children could ever beat them. I’m proud of you, Keith. You didn’t let her destroy your life.”

  What the hell had Malcolm told her? His eyes flew open, and he pinched his brows together. “What are you talking about? My mother didn’t beat me.”

  Now her brows drew together, matching his. “But you said she beat you every day.”

  He shook his head. “She got drunk and passed out every day. So did my dad. My sister beat me. She’s eight years older. I didn’t stand a chance. I was half-starved most of the time, scrawny as all hell. I didn’t know what it was like to eat regular meals until I joined the military. My mother didn’t lift a finger to stop the beatings, and my father thought it was funny. He’d sit there with a forty in his hand and laugh his ass off. He only got mad if I bled too much.”

  Color left her face, turning her skin a startling shade of gray. He’d never talked about his past to her in anything but general terms. She knew his parents were alcoholics and that he’d had to fend for himself, but he’d sheltered her from the true horror of it. He had no idea why he told her those things now.

  It was his turn to grip her face. “Breathe, Kat. Inhale. Exhale. Slow breaths, honey.”

  Huge tears brightened her dark eyes, and his gut clenched at her raw pain. She held in her tears, not wanting to upset him further.

  “It’s in the past, Kitty Kat. Savannah went to jail when she was seventeen, and by the time she got out, I was big enough to fight back. The house was peaceful without her. My parents and my other sister, Leanna, were lazy drunks. It got really quiet once everyone passed out.” He didn’t add that he’d joined them too many nights to count.

  He didn’t actually recall signing the papers to join the Marines, and as a teen, he’d learned to function drunk well enough to hide his problem from almost everyone.

  She seemed to pull herself together. The wet sheen disappeared from her eyes, and she gave him a sad smile. “My heart breaks for that little boy, but I have no sympathy for the man.”

  Now it was his turn at confusion. While he hadn’t wanted sympathy, he’d still thought she would give some. “None?”

  “None. You’re a wonderful man. I meant what I said. Maybe your parents didn’t beat you, but they abused you just the same. Neglect is the most insidious form of child abuse there is. And you not only survived, but you’ve managed to thrive. You have a great career, the respect and admiration of pretty much everyone you m
eet, and an awesome girlfriend. Really, you’ve done pretty well.”

  He slid his hands under the hem of her dress and caressed her thighs, pushing the fabric up as he went. “I’m so glad you’re here to count my blessings.”

  Truly, he was. He tended to spend time wallowing in the negative. Kat was a bright ray of sunshine on her cloudiest day. He needed her to save him from the darkness. He massaged his way to the apex of her thighs.

  With her dress out of the way, he could see the deep rose of her pussy. It was barely damp, but after the topic they’d spent time discussing, he hadn’t expected otherwise.

  “I stopped by your house and picked up your briefcase and some clothes for work. I didn’t get my full weekend with you, so you’ll be staying the night.” He didn’t think twice about his high-handedness in making this decision for her, but for the first time it occurred to him that he’d always done things like this to Kat and she’d never once protested.

  She’d been his submissive all along.

  “Take the bag upstairs. Choose one lingerie combination. When you come down, I expect you to be wearing that and nothing else.”

  With a pleased smile lighting her eyes, she darted forward and kissed his cheek. “Yes, Keith.”

  She’d replaced his title with his name, but she infused it with the same respect and reverence, so there wasn’t a real distinction. As he watched her disappear through the door to the house, he wondered if she truly objected to the title or if she’d refused to use it in order to protest his treatment of her their first night together. Now that he was behaving toward her with the same consideration he’d always shown, she seemed much happier with the way things were going between them.

  For years he’d fantasized about being able to hang out with her, talk to her about anything and everything, and then tell her to get naked. In a way, she’d insisted on making his dream a reality. He owed her a reward.