All I Need Is You (26 page)

ELI STOOD AT the mantel in the living room, staring into the flames dancing in the grate. When he’d done the upgrades to the house, he’d converted the fireplace to an automatic. All you had to do was flick a switch. Standing there, awash with anger and regret, he found that he missed the old way when you had to go out in the cold and chop wood. It would have given him something to do with his hands. And something to hit.
 

A door slammed in the hall and he looked up. A second later, another door closed. Then it was silent again. He hung his head. Kay was probably going to spend the rest of the day in her room, hiding from him. She probably didn’t feel safe being alone with him now.
 

He yanked his cell phone from his belt, desperate to do something useful. A few minutes later, Tank answered.
 

“Hey, boss.”

“Where are we with Banner? Have you found anything to connect Jeremy and Timothy Banner?”

“No. Although Jeremy claims he was always paid in cash, and I believe him. Everything he’s told us so far has been true, so I can’t think of any reason he would lie about that one detail. Banner was also telling the truth about his campaign platform. He’s already scheduled several interviews to talk about alternative family values and the need for diversity in the senate. So he wasn’t just blowing smoke to throw me off.”

Eli pinched his nose, massaging the tension between his eyes. “So your hunch was correct. It looks like Banner isn’t involved.”

 
A sound at the doorway drew his attention. Kay peered around the doorjamb.

“Tank, I have to go. Let me know as soon as you find something.”
 

“Wait, boss. Have you decided when we’re doing our test? You know, the bait and switch? Matt and I are both free starting tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow it is, then. In the morning.” He ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. “Hey. You can come in.”

She didn’t come any closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“You’re not.”

“I just wanted to apologize again.”

Eli took a step closer, hoping she wouldn’t run away. “I’m the one who should apologize. I never meant for this to happen.”

“It was my fault. I’m the one who invaded your privacy. At least I know what she was talking about now.”
 

“Who?”

“Carly,” she whispered.

Eli held in a curse.
Of course.
She’d been different yesterday, edgy and irritable. Why hadn’t he thought that Carly would say something? It honestly hadn’t occurred to him she’d be so reckless. There was nothing to indicate that Kay was anything other than a client. Carly was usually very discreet, which was part of why she was such a great assistant.
 

But she was also a woman used to getting her way.
 

“Look, I don’t know what Carly said to you, but I’m sure it was meant to scare you off.”

“She said that you’d get tired of my good-girl routine and come back to her. She said that if you hadn’t let me into your room, then I didn’t really know you. That only she could give you what you really need.”

“She’s wrong,” Eli said. “The reason I’m not with Carly is because she couldn’t give me what I need. Because what I need is you.”

Her face fell. “I’m not what you need. Clearly.”

“Please don’t say that.”

“I just need some time. To think about things. This is a little overwhelming.”

“I know. Take all the time you need. First, though, I need to tell you something. It’s about Timothy Banner.”
 

Kay nodded shakily. “What about him?”

“We just found out he’s running for office as the first openly gay conservative. We thought it was possible he might be behind all this since he’s running on a family-values platform. However, he’s obviously not courting the usual conservative votes. Tank talked to him and he seems to have no ill will toward you.”

“What? Tim is running for office? And he’s gay?” Kay temporarily seemed to forget her fear of Eli because she moved to the couch and sank down.
 

“So, you didn’t know?”

“No, I had no idea. About any of it. I guess that explains a lot.” She looked down at her hands.
 

Eli sighed. She looked so lost that he hated what he was about to do. So many people had already lied to her and here he was about to do the same thing. But now that their best lead had evaporated, their next best bet was Sasha. He needed to know if she could be trusted.
 

“I know things are a little strange right now, but we’re going home tomorrow. I need to meet with someone in that area, so you’ll get a chance to visit with your family. Matt will stay with you while you’re there.”

“When are we going?”

“Tomorrow. First thing in the morning.”

She didn’t answer, so he left her there sitting alone. She wasn’t ready to talk to him, and he was willing to give her space. The only thing he could do for her now was figure out this mystery. Once she was free, she could decide what she wanted to do with an open heart.
 

KAY WAITED UNTIL she heard the bedroom door close, then got up and went back to her room. Her head was spinning from all the impossible things she’d seen and heard that morning. Her ex-boyfriend and the father of her child was gay? Eli, her sweet, gentle warrior, had some kind of scary torture chamber hidden in his closet?

Everything she thought she knew was a lie. Either that or she’d just been walking around with blinders on. Neither option was all that comforting.
 

Despite the fact that it was only seven o’clock in the morning, she dialed Sasha’s number. Since they’d been in hiding, Eli had asked her to limit her phone calls. But she decided this counted as an emergency. Finding out that the man she was in love with had a closet full of whips and chains was worth bucking the rules to call her best friend.

“It’s too early,” Sasha’s voice sounded like she was hungover. Her friend could be something of a party girl, so Kay figured it was a distinct possibility.

“Wake up, Sasha. I need your help.”

“Wait, what? What do you need?”
 

“I need an intervention. Or a rescue.”

Sasha sounded slightly more alert when she asked, “Aren’t you with Eli? You’re already being rescued.”

“Well, I need a rescue from my rescue,” Kay snapped. “I need something.”

“Okay, what has got you so worked up? The last time we talked, you were floating on a cloud of orgasmic bliss. What did he do?”

Kay sank down on the mattress and buried her face in her hands. “It wasn’t what he did. It was what I found. In his closet.”

“Oh boy. That’s the kind of sentence that never ends well. What did you find? Naked photos of his last girlfriend?”

“Uh, no.”

“Naked photos of his last five hundred girlfriends?”

“Sasha, seriously?”

“Hey, it happens. He’s got the body for it. If it’s not other women, then what could be so bad? I hope you’re not freaking out because the dude has a porn stash or something. Every guy has one whether he admits it or not. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Does every guy have a closet full of whips, vibrators, and scary-looking metal torture things?” Kay whispered.

“Whoa? Are you serious? Girl, you have all the luck. It’s always those quiet, intense types that turn out to be undercover freaks.”

“Sasha! This is not helping. I have no idea what to do.”

“Baby girl, you don’t need to do anything except
enjoy
. A man who actually knows enough about sex toys to use them properly is a rare thing. My ex acted like my vibrator was an insult to his masculinity or something.”

Kay flopped on her back and stared at the ceiling miserably.

Sasha cleared her throat. “Okay, look. I know this is scary and new to you. You haven’t been with many guys. But do you really think Eli would hurt you?”

“I didn’t say that. But what if he wants to hit me with one of those things?”

“Uh-uh. Just answer the question. Has he ever done anything to you against your will or ever tried to push you into something that made you uncomfortable?”

Kay fidgeted. “No, of course not. He was trying to talk me out of liking him.”

“That’s because that man cares about you. I’m a little jealous to be honest. The way he looks at you… I get a proximity hot flash every time I see it.”

“What do I do, Sasha? I need you to tell me what I should do.”

“I can’t do that. All I can say is that good men are rare. I certainly haven’t met any lately. Even if it’s kind of scary that he’s into some freaky stuff, which I need to point out is not a bad thing, he’s a good guy who cares about you. Don’t you think he should at least be given the opportunity to explain what you saw?”

Kay thought back to him standing next to his closet, jeans low on his hips. He was perfect naked. Like a marble statue come to life. It was already intimidating to take her clothes off in front of him, but now she had to worry about all the other stuff he might want to do. Stuff she wasn’t sure she could handle.
 

How could she ever compete with someone like Carly? She wasn’t even sure what half that stuff was used for and was more than a little freaked out by the items she had recognized.
 

“You’re right. I’m going to try to talk to him about it. Although the thought is already embarrassing. Maybe I’ll cook up some chili and then if the conversation is too embarrassing, I can claim I have heartburn and leave the table.”

“Chili?”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to snow later today. So I figured I’d make chili or maybe some kind of stew.”

“Hmm, girl that is not sex food. That’s a little gassy, isn’t it?”

Kay giggled. “That’s why I love you. Always practical.”

“I know. I miss you, Kay. We’ve never gone this long without seeing each other.”

“I miss you, too. But I’m coming back home tomorrow morning. Eli just told me. So meet me at my parents’ house for lunch. I can’t wait to see you and catch up. I feel like I’ve been hidden away in a cave for the past few weeks.”

“Yes, but you’re in the cave with a sexy guy. So get off the phone with me and go talk to him. The sooner you talk, the sooner you two can make up and then he can show you some of his freaky stuff. And if you don’t want him, send him my way.”

“Sasha!”

“Just kidding. Or not. Bye!”

Kay hung up, still chuckling. She glanced at the time. Maybe if she started now she could come up with something suitably sexy for a romantic dinner. Sasha was right. They needed to talk, and she was ready to hear what he had to say with an open mind.

KAY DIDN’T HAVE long to obsess over things. A few minutes later Hope woke up, so she spent the rest of the morning entertaining the baby. When Eli emerged from his room around lunchtime, she was too embarrassed to look at him or even try to engage him in conversation. He’d looked at her cautiously and then gone into the dining room with his laptop. She could hear him clicking away, typing on the keyboard.

She chewed on her thumbnail and then scowled at the ragged edge. That was a habit she’d broken back in high school. But she was completely nervous, and there was no point pretending otherwise. Despite Sasha’s early-morning pep talk, she still hadn’t come up with a way to approach Eli about what she’d seen. Sasha seemed to think she should play it cool and act like a closet full of sex toys wasn’t at all intimidating.