Keeping Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers Book 3)

by Kathryn L. James

  When the Jeep came to a stop underneath the house, he let out a sigh.

  “Stone and Avery are here.”

  I scanned the area with narrowed eyes. “Where?”

  “Next door. I thought maybe they might have left early this morning. He doesn’t usually stay during the week.”

  Chad killed the motor and removed the keys from the ignition in what seemed like out of agitation. I faced the dune watching the palm trees blowing in the salty breeze wondering if I should push the issues.

  “Does it bother you for them to be here, because I’m with you?”

  “It’s not you. It’s not good timing.”

  “You seemed fine out on the water,” I pushed.

  “Call me selfish, but I’m not ready to share my time with you.”

  I let out a small laugh. “Well, why don’t you go over and visit. Drop subtle hints we have a whole day and night planned that doesn’t include anyone but us two.”

  He pushed a few whipping strands of hair behind my ear. “I think I will.”

  “I was kidding. But really, why don’t you go visit for a while. I… need some time. I want to call Dad.”

  He paused taking me in as if he searched my soul. “I’m glad.”

  “It’s because of you. Being here with you has done something to me.” My lips curled into a smile.

  “I’ll be next door.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Once inside, I found my phone still on charge but powered off. As soon as the screen lit up, it chimed non-stop with message after message. Carli, Carli, another from Carli, my father’s name rolled up mixed in with Anita’s, Carli’s again and I rolled my eyes.

  Carli was going to be upset because I hadn’t called her, and I promised myself to at least send her a text.

  Plopping down on the sofa, I hesitated for a moment and then drew in a deep breath of courage before pressing his contact number.

  “Leah.” His voiced trembled, barely audible.

  Squeezing the device and closing my eyes, I finally managed to find my voice. “Dad.”

  “Are… you okay?”

  “Yes… you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Oh God, what if he’s had another heart attack? What if he’s not making progress?

  “Are you sick?”

  “With worry.”

  “I never meant to make you worry. I couldn’t stay. I had to get away and think.”

  “Is Mitchell with you?” There was a twinge of harshness in his tone.

  I wasn’t sure how to answer, so I changed the subject. “Is Anita there?”

  “No. She left a little while ago.”

  “I don’t understand how either of you could let me hurt all those years for a mother who never wanted me. You were never home, and the woman who loved me was right there and could have been my mom in every sense.”

  “I thought it was the right thing. I loved Sharon. I loved her and wanted the three of us to be the family we were supposed to be.”

  “And now? Do you still think it was the right decision?”

  “No. It was selfish and foolish of me to have thought that would happen. Leah, I’m begging for you to try and forgive me—the both of us. I don’t expect you can anytime soon but asking you to try. I’m praying there’s a chance we can build a relationship and have a future that means more than the past.”

  “I… love you. No matter what you’ve done, I love you. I’m no longer angry. I don’t even feel hurt. I’m not ready to see either of you, but I wanted to call and hear your voice.”

  The long pause was another story. It was painful. It was painful because of the hushed sob through the speaker. I knew he held his hand over the receiver to try and muffle it, but I heard it. Silent tears trickled down my cheeks and I followed his same tactics and covered the speaker. For long minutes we didn’t speak, and I wasn’t sure what else to say. I couldn’t promise when we would see each other, or even when we would talk again.

  “I love you too, kiddo. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m so damn sorry I stole the one thing that would have changed everything.”

  I ran my hand along the scar on my abdomen.

  Would it have changed the course of everything?

  Would I have been the rebel hellion?

  Maybe.

  Would I have had a happy family?

  Most likely.

  “And please call Anita. She’s not handling any of this worth a damn. She’s been in the ER twice for anxiety attacks and I’ve never known her to have an anxiety attack in all the years I’ve known her.”

  “I will. When the time is right, we should have dinner or… something.”

  “I want that more than anything in the world.”

  Silence filled the phone connection, but I heard the sniffling and I knew his cheeks were as streaked as my own.

  “Before you go, there is one more thing you should know. If there is anything, and I mean anything, going on between you and Mitchell. End it. End it now while you can. You don’t know him. He’s not what you think.”

  A wall of defenses came spiraling down between us and my blood went to a full boil in zero to two seconds flat. “You don’t have that right. I think it’s fair to say he could never hurt me in the way you did, so don’t try and be an almighty father figure now.”

  “He preys on women who are weak. Says all the right things, promises them they’re the only one. Convinces them not to see anyone else. Takes them on weekend trips, flies them in private helicopters, planes, sailing trips. But they’re always a kept secret, never seen together in the public unless it’s out of town where he won’t be recognized easily. Mitchell even has a lawyer who cleans up his trail with the media, paying an enormous amount of money to keep them quiet. There are contracts that back up what I’m saying. When he tires of the flavor of the month, he cuts the relationship off cold turkey. I can’t tell you how many times he bragged about his tactics. How he gets turned on by the game and it is a game to him. Any of this sound familiar, Leah? I know what I’m talking about.”

  Chapter 26

  “We’re not like that.” I bit out.

  Or were we? Because it sure felt like dad had told the story of us.

  “Leah, he’s mastered this game. Tell me he hasn’t showered you with things to make you feel like you’re taken care of.”

  “Dad relax. It’s not like that. He’s been there for me since the first night you were in the hospital. As soon as he heard about you, he flew in from Denver and I’m glad because I was a mess. I didn’t know if you were going to live or not. Then when I found out about the lies, he was there for me again.”

  “Come home. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to be the father I should have been. I’ll spend every breath I take trying to make up for the lies.”

  “I’m not ready.” That was the first truthful thing I’d said. Looking through the glass, the waves lapped the shore as if promising to wash away the disappointment engulfing me. “But when I am, we’ll work on us. I promise.”

  Was Chad playing me?

  How could he be playing me when we were exactly what we agreed upon? Maybe I was the fool because I allowed myself to fall in love with a man who had never been anything other than truthful. Maybe I only imagined something more than sexual chemistry exploding between us.

  Walking into the guest bedroom, with the phone still glued to my ear, I peeked through the blinds. Chad appeared relaxed in a chair next to Stone drinking a beer.

  “I can’t change your mind?” he asked.

  “No.” I shook my head. “He may hurt me in the end, but I wouldn’t have missed the dance for anything.”

  He sighed in what sounded like defeat. Those words were the ammunition I needed to show how firmly I stood—how I felt. Dad loved the song “The Dance” by Garth Brooks, even had the lyrics hanging in his home office.

  “Will you call tomorrow?”

&nbs
p; “We’ll see. Look, I need to go… Take care of yourself.” I pressed end before he could say anything else. Everything was still too fresh between us for me to act like all was okay or even going to be okay.

  Blowing out a deep breath, I slid down like a limp dish cloth onto the edge of the guest bed. I needed Carli. I needed words of wisdom from my best friend.

  And she was going to lose her shit when I told her about me and Chad.

  Bolting off the bed, I took another peek through the white wooden slants in the blinds to make sure Chad still looked comfortable. He had his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles and tossed back a drink out of the brown bottle. On the third ring her voice sounded like the sweetest slice of pie.

  “Where in the hell are you?” Carli belted out.

  “Nice to hear your voice too.” I said softly, but my voice cracked.

  “Are you okay?”

  “No.”

  “What’s wrong, Leah? Is it your dad?”

  “No, well maybe, but no that’s not why I needed to hear your voice. I need you to tell me what to do.”

  I wanted to blurt out I’d fallen in love with a man who spelled high-probability disaster and if I’d fallen for him and if he didn’t feel the same, I was done. I was hopelessly in love with a man who made every cell in my body spin its own brand of happiness. When we were together it felt like my own heaven on earth—and I didn’t want it to end.

  “What’s going on Leah? Wherever you are, I’ll come.” She blurted out and I didn’t have to see her to know her green eyes were wide with worry.

  “I need to tell you a long story and I need your advice because I’m in over my head, Carli. I’m in the ocean dog-paddling and I feel as though I’m seconds from drowning.”

  “Are you in some sort of trouble?”

  “No. Well, sort of.”

  “Tell me where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

  Chad shifted his glance toward the decking of his house and although I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was looking for any sign of me.

  “Listen, I don’t know how long I can talk, so please listen and don’t interrupt.”

  I spilled everything.

  The sex.

  The amazing sex.

  And more tales of the insanely good sex.

  Him flying home, leaving a billion-dollar oil deal on the table when dad had the heart attack.

  Him arranging for me to stay in the penthouse and then staying with me.

  Him carrying me like a freakin’ caveman back to the room when I’d booked a standard room.

  The bombshell of Anita being my mother.

  Him taking control and rescuing me when I felt like I was in pieces and flying us to the Gulf Coast.

  More sex.

  Sailing.

  The dance on the pier.

  The sex.

  I’m yours and you’re mine conversation.

  The sex.

  And then the phone call a few minutes ago with dad.

  “I love him, Carli. I fucking fell in love with him.” My chest tightened and I started pacing in the bedroom. “What if he doesn’t love me? He told me from the get-go he didn’t do relationships. He’s warned me a number of times. And without a doubt, the scar he’ll leave me with will hurt me more than the one Preston left.”

  “First of all, when I see you, I’m going to kick your ass for not talking to me sooner—”

  “Can you wait for the third degree for when I get home? He’s going to be back any minute and I need your opinion. Based on what I’ve told you, what do you think I should do?”

  “I think you should stop and breathe. Listen to all the signs, listen to him, listen to your heart and not your brain, and not your dad. Does he feel genuine? Are there any and I mean the slightest signs or feelings he’s still in it just for the sex?”

  “No. It all feels real. It feels so real. He told me I was his and he was mine. And that we were so much more.”

  “Then give it a chance. The way I see it, men like him don’t drop everything for more than a day or two for a piece of ass. If he lights your heart on fire, then take the chance and pour gasoline.”

  “But what about what Dad said? What if this is what he does for women who he strings along for sex? I mean my dad has worked for him for several years. He knows him.”

  “Do you think he would blow a billion-dollar oil deal for sex? Hell, he could buy sex, and no one would ever know. He’s left his high-rise office at Mitchell Oil without batting an eye. A million fans are watching his team to see if they make it to the World Series play-offs. And he doesn’t plan to return to any of that shit until you say you’re ready to go home. No doubt Harry knows what kind of lifestyle he’s led, and he doesn’t want to see you get burned, but I’d be willing to bet he’s never put his life on hold for any other woman’s ta-dun-ta-dun. And if I’m wrong, before you come home either you cut off his balls or I will.”

  I let out a giggle and walked back to the blinds. Chad began trekking down the stairs waving his hand over his shoulder at his brother.

  “Shit! I gotta go. He’s coming home. I promise to call you tomorrow and I’m sorry I took off and made you worry.”

  “Love you, Leah. But yeah, you’re gonna have to find a way to make-up for this shit. I’ll let you know what it’ll take to forgive you.”

  Carli being typical Carli drew a soft laugh out of me and it felt like a ton of bricks had lifted off my chest because Chad did light my heart on fire, and he was a chance worth taking.

  Chapter 27

  After talking to Carli, I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face because she was right. I knew she was so right. Chad hadn’t whisked me away on lavish trips. I knew my father had witnessed him impressing women for a weekend firsthand. But Chad had dropped his whole fucking world… for me.

  As soon as the door swung open, on autopilot I dashed across the room and barreled into Chad’s strong arms. Breathlessly, I wrapped mine around his neck holding on tightly letting his strong embrace silence all the echoes of my Dad’s protective advice.

  “I finally feel like everything’s going to turn out okay in the end.” I smiled into his chest feeling like we had purpose—like we were the real fucking deal. Nothing my dad had said no longer mattered.

  Peace enveloped me.

  Because of Chad.

  “I’m assuming it went well?”

  “We’re headed in the right direction. I still need time to get my shit together because I don’t know how to feel, but...I don’t hate him.”

  “I’m glad you made the call.”

  “Me too.”

  “What about Anita? Did you talk with her?”

  “No. I will… maybe tomorrow.”

  He kissed the top of my head and grazed the sides of my face with his hands, tilting my head up to meet his soft gaze. For a long moment he stared deeply at me like he wanted to say something else but there was only silence.

  “Let’s go take a shower and spend the rest of the afternoon in bed.” His fingers ran down the length of a strand of my hair.

  “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

  In a flash, he had me over his shoulder hauling me up the stairs. “Shower it is, then I’m going to make you rake your nails down my back while you scream my name over and over. Then if you have enough energy left, we’ll go down to the beach and have a picnic while the tide is rolling out.”

  As soon as we were in the bedroom, he set me on my feet and in a blink his hands were sliding into my hair. Our lips planted together, he took what he wanted while giving me what I needed. We melded together and when his tongue dipped into my mouth I moaned and gripped his tousled hair in my fingers.

  I turned into a puddled mess, forgetting the world, and drowning in him. His hardness pressed into me letting me know how much he wanted me.

  “Fuck. I want you so much it hurts.” He ran his mouth down the side of my neck t
o my chest. “You make me crazy wanting you.”

  “I’m yours.” I reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head.

  He took a step back, separating us only by a thread. “Undress yourself. I want to watch you uncover what I’m about to own.”

  Oh my God.

  He held his blazing gaze on me, no longer in my reach but holding me in place with the way he watched my every move. The tank top slipped with ease over my head and my shorts pooled at my ankles as I stepped out of them.

  Chad roamed his eyes down my body and slowly licked his lips. “You are mine. Beautiful as fucking sin and all mine.”

  Blood rushed through my veins as I slipped the straps of my bra off my shoulders, unfastened the clasp letting it fall to the pile of clothes. My nipples hardened and begged to be touched, licked, and sucked and his burning gaze only intensified the need.

  He took a sauntering step closer and I held out my hands to stop him.

  “No. You wanted me to undress. You wanted to watch me take off everything.” I pushed the lace down my hips, down my thighs in slow motion. “Sit on the edge of the bed and watch everything that’s in store for you.”

  Where the fuck was this confidence coming from?

  I’d never been in control, the dark desire in his eyes gave me all the confidence I needed. It was me who owned him in this moment.

  He sank down on the edge of the bed, unbuttoning his pants sliding his clothes down his legs and kicking them across the room. I bit back a chuckle because I knew he thought I was about to climb on top of him and ride him to pleasure—and he was mistaken.

  I stepped backward instead of forward and he frowned, but as soon as my back hit the wall, I silenced him when I reached for my nipples and tugged on each. Another blast of lust flashed in his gaze.

  Slowly, I trailed one of my hands down my stomach while I spread my feet on the rug and let my fingers dip lower and lower. When I heard his growl, I opened my heavy half-lidden eyes and pushed two of my fingers deep into my soaked channel.

  “Fuck!” Chad hissed, his own hand starting to stroke himself and it only pleased me more.