“What’s the occasion?” she asked, glancing at the champagne bottle he placed on the kitchen counter. Virgil pulled her into his arms.
“As usual, York came through, this time with his report on Marv Hilton as well as on Whitney. I had a conversation with Marv and told him that unless he backed off, I would send copies of what I had to the media.”
“Did he agree to do it?”
“I left him no choice. He knew I meant business and he wants to keep his secrets secret.”
“Good for you.”
He sniffed the air. “Mmm, something smells good.”
Her smile brightened. “Chicken and dumplings. I know how much you like it.”
“Yes, and I like you better,” he said, leaning down for a kiss. The moment their mouths touched, she felt a rush of need travel up her spine. By the time he ended the kiss, she felt totally weak in the knees.
“I’m hungry, baby.”
Her heart began pounding at his use of the endearment. It had been years since he’d called her that. “For dinner?”
“No. For you.”
And then he swept her into his arms and carried her up to the bedroom.
* * *
“It’s a good thing dinner was finished cooking or it would have burned by now,” Kara said, sliding back into her dress.
Virgil lay there, sprawled naked on top of the covers as he watched her, feeling himself getting hard all over again. It had always been this way with her. It didn’t take much for him to want her. Desire her. Lov—
He shook his head, refusing to go there. Did he need to give himself another prep talk, the same one he’d been giving himself a lot lately? The one where he swore he’d never love her again?
“Virgil?”
He blinked. “Yes?”
“You were daydreaming.”
He nodded. “Yes, I guess I was. What did you say?”
A smile touched her lips. “I said don’t take too long coming down. I think we can both say we worked up an appetite.”
“Okay. I’ll be down in a minute.”
When she left he continued to lie there for a minute as he glanced around. He was just noticing the changes she’d made to his bedroom. Granted, he had moved her into his room but he hadn’t expected her to take it over. It wasn’t as if she was staying permanently. And where did that vase of flowers on his dresser come from? He doubted they were real but still, he never had flowers in his bedroom.
As he stood up to get dressed, a lot of crazy thoughts started flowing through his mind. What if Kara assumed she would be staying? But there was no way he could have given her that idea. Things were good between them and he enjoyed having her around, but he’d always known that in two weeks she would be gone. So had she.
Come to think of it, her two weeks were up in a few days. Then he realized something. She’d stopped giving him updates on the progress of her floors. Why?
Picking up his clothes off the floor, he went over to the closet to hang up his suit. The first thing he noticed was Kara’s clothes next to his. Had they always been there? If so, then why was he just noticing them? And why was he beginning to feel crowded as though she was invading his space?
He pulled a pair of jeans off a hanger and slid them on when he heard his phone ring. Moving to the nightstand, he picked it up, knowing the caller was Uriel. “Yes, U?”
“Hey, Ellie is getting the last-minute details for my birthday party together and I need to—”
“Hey, wait a minute. I thought it was supposed to be a surprise.”
Uriel laughed. “Man, you know it’s hard for anyone to surprise me, especially my wife. Anyway, she wanted to know if you were bringing a guest.”
Virgil frowned. “A guest? You know I always come alone. Why would you think I’d bring someone?”
“Well, you do have a houseguest.”
“Who will be gone by the time your party comes around, trust me.”
“Oh.”
Virgil knew the sound of that “oh” and what it meant. “All right, Uriel, get it out because I know there’s something you want to say.”
“I just thought things were going good between you and Kara.”
“They are, considering how I felt about her this time last year. I’ve moved her to my ‘friends’ category.”
“Can you do that?”
Virgil raised a brow. “Do what?”
“Just be friends with a woman you used to love?”
“I don’t see why not not. Like I’ve told you a number of times, I can’t love a person who doesn’t trust me.”
“And like I told you, you need to let it go.”
“I have.”
“Not if you’re still feeling that way. I hope you open your eyes before it’s too late.”
* * *
Kara was placing the last platter of food on the table when Virgil walked in. She smiled over at him. “You’re right on time.”
He sat down at the table and she immediately picked up on a change in his mood. Had something happened since she’d left him in the bedroom? He had arrived home in a festive mood and their lovemaking was, as usual, off the charts. Afterward, he had held her as he told her about his conversation with Marv Hilton.
She couldn’t help wondering if anything was wrong. So she asked him. “Virgil, is everything okay?”
For some reason she felt the smile he gave her didn’t quite reach his eyes when he said, “Yes, everything is fine.” Then he took a seat at the table and uncovered the platters. “Everything looks good and smells delicious. Let’s eat.”
Over dinner she told him how her day had gone and the new clients she’d taken on. She also mentioned the article about them that morning in Flo on the Ro. He brought up the charity 5k walk that he was participating in next weekend and she told him she would be participating in it, as well. She suggested they walk together, but when he didn’t agree right away she let it go.
For a brief moment things got quiet and when they began talking again, she couldn’t help noticing he only contributed to the conversation when asked, otherwise she did most of the talking. Till after dinner, when they were doing the dishes.
“You haven’t mentioned anything lately about how things are going with your floors. They should almost be finished, right?” he asked, handing her a plate he’d just rinsed off.
For some reason, she didn’t think he was asking her that for conversational purposes. She arranged the plate in the dishwasher and looked up at him. “I got a call from my contractor today, in fact. They finished early.”
“It’s all done?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “I don’t have a problem taking off Thursday to help you move back to your place.”
Kara’s breath caught in her chest. “You trying to get rid of me, Virgil?”
“No, just making sure we stick to our agreement that your stay here was only temporary.”
She drew in a deep breath. “But I thought...”
When she didn’t finish what she was saying, Virgil prompted her. “You thought what, Kara?”
Kara didn’t want to make a fool of herself, but she honestly thought they had been making strides in their relationship. They enjoyed being together. It was just like old times. “I thought,” she said slowly, wanting to choose her words carefully, “that we’d moved beyond all the animosity.”
“We have.”
“Then why can’t you...”
Again she wasn’t able to get the words out. But it seemed he had no problem filling in the blanks for her. “Fall in love with you again?”
He leaned back against the counter with his hands shoved into his pockets. The man she loved with all her heart. The man she’d been convinced loved her back—she’d thought that all it
would take was them spending quality time together to relive the memories. Had she been wrong?
“I told you, Kara. I could never love anyone who doesn’t trust me.”
Kara felt her heart breaking. He hadn’t moved on. He couldn’t move on. He didn’t love her anymore and probably never would again. “I see.”
“I hope you really do see it, Kara, because I don’t want to hurt you and I refuse to lead you on by making you think there could ever be something between us again.”
“But I don’t understand. The time we’ve been spending together, our lovemaking...”
He didn’t say anything, but in a way he didn’t have to. The answer was written all over his face. To him it had been nothing more than sex.
She knew at that moment she had to leave. She refused to break down in front of him. “I think it’s best if I go.”
“Go where?”
Anyplace but here, she thought, moving toward the stairs. “Home. Don’t worry about helping me move my stuff on Thursday. By the time you get home from work all traces of me will be gone.” And then she rushed up the stairs.
* * *
Virgil stood at the window in his office and looked out. It was hard to believe it was September already and Monday would be Labor Day. He looked forward to the long weekend. Doing what?
One thing he could do this weekend was to celebrate. That call he’d gotten an hour ago from the Nelson Group should have him on top of the world. The deal had been finalized.
He walked back to his desk and sat down as his thoughts shifted to Kara. Returning home was for the best for her. That’s what he wanted. She had started taking over the place and everybody knew he preferred his space. Women didn’t spend the night at his place and they sure didn’t stay for days, weeks. He’d made her an exception because of their past history but there had been no reason for her to stay any longer.
Then why was he feeling like crap?
He looked up at the knock on the door. “Come in.”
His father walked in, smiling. “I just heard the news.” He paused and studied his son. “For a man who just landed the company one of our biggest deals yet, you don’t seem happy. You should be celebrating. Go home and take Kara someplace nice. You deserve it.”
He met his father’s gaze. “Kara is no longer staying at my place.”
“Oh, where did she go?”
“Back home.”
His father frowned. “Why?”
Virgil leaned back in his chair. “Because that’s where she lives. She was only with me temporarily until her floors were done.”
“Yes, I know, but your mom and I had hoped...”
Virgil arched a brow. “Had hoped what?”
His father met his gaze directly. “That you would finally come to your senses.”
“Come to my senses about what?”
“About what Kara means to you.”
Virgil shook his head. Initially when he’d suspected his father’s motives for hiring Kara, he’d dismissed them. But now...
“Dad, can I ask you something? And I want a truthful answer.”
“What?”
“Did you have ulterior motives when you hired Kara to clean up my image?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother and I could see what you refused to see. You’re in love with the girl. And the only reason you returned to your womanizing ways was because that was your attempt to forget her. To prove to yourself you didn’t need her. That you didn’t love her.”
Virgil stared at his father. “How could you and Mom even think that?”
“Like I said, Virgil. We saw what you refused to. Besides, I know firsthand how a lie can tear two people apart. It happened that way with Maurice.”
“Who’s Maurice?”
“Maurice Grant. He’s a childhood friend of mine in Houston. He has a daughter named Gina and a son, Trevor. Trevor’s an ex-Marine.”
Virgil nodded. It had been years but he recalled Mr. Grant. He remembered that Mr. Grant would bring Gina and Trevor around whenever his family took vacations to Houston when Virgil was a kid. He also recalled that Trevor and Gina were a few years older than him and Leigh.
“Yes, what about Mr. Grant?”
“Maurice and his wife, Stella, broke up over some woman’s lie and they were apart for nearly twenty years. They were able to put the past behind them a few years ago and move on. But all those wasted years. To see Maurice and Stella together now, you wouldn’t think they’d spent any time apart.”
Virgil shook his head. He was getting sick and tired of people thinking he should be in love with Kara. Didn’t they understand how he felt? “And your point, Dad?”
His father stared hard at him. “My point, Virgil Matthew Bougard, is that I don’t want it to take twenty years for you to realize that Kara Goshay is the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” With that, he turned and walked out.
* * *
Kara left work and walked quickly to her car. Not because she was in hurry to get home but mainly because she wasn’t sure she would be able to hold it together much longer. It had been a struggle remaining at work with a broken heart.
She had been so certain of her abilities, so hyped in the belief that Virgil still loved her. That all she had to do was spend time with him to rekindle what used to be. But in less than ten minutes he had squashed that notion and destroyed all her hope.
But there was one thing about Kara Goshay that couldn’t be destroyed. Her ability to survive. She had survived four years ago when she’d thought Virgil had betrayed her and her world had come to an end. It hadn’t and she’d moved on. And although she was hurting inside, she was determined to survive once more.
She knew she had to spend time with him since he was still her client. Although Marv Hilton was off his back, the business agreement between her and Virgil was for them to pretend an affair for six months. Now she knew where she stood and where she would never stand again. Namely by his side.
She had gotten into her car and buckled up her seat belt when her cell phone rang. She figured it was probably Marti, but she didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, not even her sister. Since Marti shared her story with Kara, she had tried to talk Marti into getting counseling. Her sister had waved off the notion, saying it was too late, but Kara didn’t agree. She felt there were issues Marti still needed to resolve so that one day she could enjoy a loving relationship with a man.
Kara figured she was a good one to talk when she didn’t have that kind of relationship for herself. What was more pathetic than being in love with a man who didn’t love you back? A man who couldn’t forgive and let go? A man who refused to love her even though she believed that he could if he just allowed himself to do so. But he wouldn’t and he had proven that. So now she had to move on. She’d done it before and would do it again.
She felt bad about not taking Marti’s call. She hadn’t spoken to her sister in a couple of days, but Kara had texted her, claiming she was extremely busy working on an important job-related project. She didn’t want Marti to think something was wrong. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to know about her current situation with Virgil. Marti would blame herself for everything, and she needed to move on, as well.
Marti had shared with her that she had sought Virgil out and apologized. For her sister to do what she did and face Virgil was a start. It didn’t surprise Kara that he hadn’t been receptive. She knew all too well that he was not a forgiving man.
Like she’d told Virgil two days ago, today all her stuff would be gone when he came home. It hadn’t taken more than three hours that morning for her to pack up, load the car and make two trips to her place. She hadn’t realized how much extra stuff she’d purchased, assuming she was there to stay.
And when she had walked out the door of his house, she hadn’t looked back. Nor had she looked around to see if Flo’s posse was about. At the moment she truly didn’t care.
* * *
Virgil entered his home and immediately felt a sense of loss when he glanced around. True to her word, Kara had made sure any traces of her were gone. It was as if she’d never been there. The pillows she had put on his living room sofa, the green plants she’d placed by his fireplace and that rug that had been on the floor near the breakfast bar were no longer there.
Needing a beer, he headed for the refrigerator and paused when he saw she’d left his extra key on the breakfast bar. His gut clenched. Why did he suddenly feel so lonely? It wasn’t as if he’d never been alone before. For him, that was the name of the game. The only reason he could think of for his melancholy mood was that, during the days she’d been there, Kara had made her presence known, not just in his kitchen, but in every single room in his house.
It had become a common thing to come home and find her here in his kitchen, standing by the stove in her bare feet, smiling when she saw him, and then crossing the room to give him a big hug. Why had that hug been so easy to get used to? Why did he feel the need for one now?
Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a beer, popped the tab and took a swig, needing it. Lowering the can from his lips, he thought about other times, not only in this kitchen, but throughout his house...both recent and when they’d been together years before. He doubted there was any room where they hadn’t made love. Hell, he even remembered them making out in several of the closets, so overcome with desire for each other that they couldn’t even get dressed without more heated kisses.
He couldn’t help smiling at those memories. Then another memory suddenly flared in his mind. The one of how she’d looked when she’d realized he was ready for her to leave and go back to her place. He felt a tightening in his gut. He had hurt her and he’d known at that moment she’d been hoping things would turn out differently between them.
Bachelor Unforgiving Page 17
