Bachelor Unforgiving (10 page)

When Kara stepped back, she knew they'd given a good show to anyone watching...and it seemed a number of people were. “We'll definitely talk later,” he said softly.

She deciphered the underlying message in his words. They would talk and she had a feeling it was a conversation she'd prefer not having with him.

* * *

Later that day Kara had finished a survey on a potential client when her cell phone rang. When she picked it up off her desk and saw it was Virgil, her breath caught in her throat. She had deliberately put off calling him, and Virgil, probably sensing as much, had decided to contact her instead.

She braced herself for the conversation they were about to have. “Yes, Virgil?”

“What are our plans for this weekend?”

Kara drew in a deep breath. She wondered if he remembered that was the question he would call and ask her every Friday when they were dating. During those days it was a foregone conclusion that their Saturdays and Sundays would be spent together. She wished she could go back in time and relive those days when the two of them had been so much in love and enjoyed being together.

“How does spending the day at Carowinds sound?” she asked him.

Of all things, she hadn't expected the sound of his rich chuckle. She was so surprised by it that she held her phone away from her a minute just to stare at it, to make sure the sound had actually come from her phone. She fought off getting all emotional because she hadn't thought she would ever hear the sound of laughter in his voice again.

“Why aren't I surprised?” he asked with deep amusement in his voice.

“I don't know. Why aren't you?” Even if he wasn't surprised by what she'd planned, she definitely was surprised by how well he was taking it.

“Well, for one thing, I know how much you enjoy amusement parks, particularly those scary rides.”

His words made her smile. “You enjoy them as much as I do.”

He chuckled again. “That is true.”

She leaned back in her chair and recalled how they both had a thrill for the wild side, especially those crazy roller coasters that could send your heart racing and your mind spinning. For them, the scarier the better. Carowinds, a four-hundred-acre amusement park that boasted over fifteen such rides, had been one of their favorite places to visit on the weekends. They'd found those heart-stopping rides the perfect way to relieve stress.

Thinking she owed him a reason for her choice, she said, “I figured since it's local, we'll be seen and that would be good.”

Virgil didn't say anything for a minute. Kara's words had reeled him back in and made him remember that the trip to Carowinds, like everything else they would be doing together, was to serve a purpose.

“You figured right. So what time do you want me to pick you up in the morning?”

“Um, what about ten?”

“That will work.” There was no reason not to end their conversation so he said, “I'll see you then. Goodbye.”

“Virgil, wait!”

“Yes?”

“About Marti...”

His jaw tightened. “What about her?”

He noticed the slight pause before she replied. “Thank you for handling things the way you did this morning, considering everything.”

Tossing the pen on his desk, while trying not to recall the pen had been part of a set she'd given him for his birthday, he said, “Your sister is your problem, Kara, not mine. This morning wasn't the first time I've seen Marti since finding out about her part in our breakup.”

“So you knew? Even before I told you six months ago?”

“Yes.”

“But how? I never told you how I'd come across the information.”

No, she hadn't told him, he thought, standing to stretch his tall frame. “You didn't have to tell me. I figured it out. I was never one of your sister's favorite people, although around you she pretended otherwise.”

“I never knew.”

He paused a minute before he continued. “Like I said, Kara, Marti is your problem. How you deal with your sister is your business. But just so you know, I can barely tolerate being around her. You might have apologized but she never has, which makes me believe she doesn't regret what she did.”

“She says the reason she did it was because she thought you would eventually hurt me.”

“I never gave her reason to think that, Kara. You and I had been happy together. For her to tell such a lie is unacceptable. Who would do what she did to their sister, no matter what they thought?”

Kara didn't answer his question and Virgil knew there was no logical way for her to do so anyway. “Look, I have a lot of work to do before I can leave here. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Kara.”

“All right.”

When he disconnected their call, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked over to the window. Bringing up the past with Kara would serve no purpose. She had always looked up to her sister and thought she could do no wrong. It must have been hard on her to find out that had been a lie, as well. But then why should he care?

Glancing at his watch, he got back to work. He still had a lot to do before he could go home, and he wanted to get to bed early. He'd need a good night's sleep to be ready for Carowinds in the morning. And for a day with Kara.

Chapter 11

V
irgil arrived at Kara's home at precisely ten o'clock on Saturday morning, punctual as usual. Glancing at herself in the mirror one final time, she was satisfied with the shorts set she'd purchased a few weeks ago and never worn. As she moved toward the door, she told herself it was just a coincidence it was purple, Virgil's favorite color on her.

The weather forecast indicated it would be a beautiful day with no chance of rain, perfect for the amusement park. But the closer she got to the door, the more nervous she felt. Truthfully it had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the man. She tried reminding herself this date was for business purposes only. Still, he was the man she had once loved, still loved, so being around him and keeping her emotions at bay wouldn't be easy. She had no other choice but to try.

When she opened the door, a bright ray of sunlight came through almost blinding her, but not before she got an eyeful of the man standing on her doorstep. He was wearing a pair of jeans that tapered down muscular thighs, and a Carolina Panthers T-shirt that covered broad shoulders and a masculine chest. She of all people knew how he liked spending time at the gym and she could definitely see it was time well spent. Every bit of Virgil Bougard looked sexy and could make any woman drool. Like she would be doing if she didn't get a grip.

She angled her head to look up at him. He had an unreadable expression on his face so she had no idea what kind of mood he was in. “Good morning, Virgil.”

“Good morning. You ready?”

“Yes, I just have to lock up. You can come in.”

“I'd rather not. I can stay right here until you're done,” he said.

“Yes, but if anyone is watching they might find your actions odd.”

Virgil knew what she'd said was true. If anyone was watching, he figured they would expect them to greet with a kiss. He had no problem carrying that out, so he leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her lips. At her surprised expression he said, “Just in case someone is looking.” Then he walked past her to enter her home.

He came to a stop in her foyer and, since her home was an open concept plan, from where he stood he could see her huge living room, dining area and large eat-in kitchen. All the rooms had high ceilings, and wall-to-wall windows provided a brightness he'd always loved.

He wished he didn't remember all the times he'd spent here with her. How many times they'd shared wine and kisses while sitting at her breakfast bar or made love on her sofa or in front of her fireplace. Or how many times he'd stood here, in the same spot, just seconds before sweeping her up in his arms to carry her to the bedroom.

“I won't be but a minute,” she said, moving past him.

When she walked by, he couldn't help drawing her scent into his nostrils. She smelled good. She looked good, as well. He couldn't stop his gaze from roaming across her backside as she headed for the kitchen. She still had the best-looking ass of any woman he knew. And her legs—long and gorgeous—looked good in shorts.

When she'd opened the door, one of the first things he'd noticed was that she was wearing purple. She had to remember how much he enjoyed seeing her in that color. To him, it did something to her silver-gray eyes. It also did something to his libido like it was doing now.

“I'm all set.”

While he'd been buried in his thoughts, she had returned and was standing in front of him. Too damn close as far as he was concerned. For the past few days, he'd played around with her mouth, brushing his lips across it, and even getting a lick or two on occasion. But what he really wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her like they used to kiss. It would be the kind of kiss that would make her purr and make him moan deep in his throat.

The kind of kiss he needed right now but was fighting like hell to do without.

“Virgil?”

He'd gotten lost in his thoughts again. “Yes?”

“I said I'm ready to go.”

He drew in a deep breath. “Okay, let's not keep all those rides waiting.”

* * *

Kara would be the first to admit it was a fun day. It was as if she and Virgil had put the reason they were spending time together to the back of their minds. Like kids, they were excited to try a new ride, one scarier than all the others. It didn't matter that the lines had been long; they agreed the wait had been well worth it.

With the thrill of the rides also came complications. Packed tight into the compartment together, she tried not to notice how his thigh would rub against hers or how, on a few of the rides, she had to practically sit in his lap. And then there were the times he wrapped his arms around her, to make sure she was okay during the rides when she would scream her lungs out. At one point she recalled gripping his thigh when one of the rides seemed to nearly topple them over.

More than once she had glanced over at him to see him staring at her and wondered what he'd been thinking about. During one of those times their gazes had held and then he had leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. There hadn't been a reason for him to do so, but she had let him, a part of her even wishing it could have lasted longer.

At the end of each ride it seemed the sexual chemistry between them skyrocketed. She wasn't sure if it was because of the thrill left over from the rides or the sensuous energy they seemed to generate whenever they were together. And as if it was the most natural thing to do, they began walking around the amusement park holding hands.

They had just ridden their last ride of the day and were headed to the parking lot, and they were still holding hands. He only let go of her to help her into the car. A new car, she noted, since it still had that new car smell.

“Hungry?” he asked when he was seated beside her.

She couldn't help but grin. “I shouldn't be after all that junk food I ate. I hadn't realized just how much I missed eating a Carowinds hot dog.” She paused a minute. “Thanks for bringing me here today, Virgil.”

He chuckled. “Need I remind you it was your choice?”

She smiled. “No, but you didn't have to do it. In fact you really didn't have to suggest that we do anything this weekend.”

Kara was right, Virgil thought, he didn't have to. So why had he? He had convinced himself if they broke the ice with this weekend then spending time with her next weekend around his parents wouldn't be so awkward. Because he didn't want to explore any other reasons, he changed the subject. “How are things going at work?”

“Do you really want to know?”

When he stopped the car at a traffic light, he glanced over at her. “I always supported you and your work, Kara,” he said.

She nodded. “Yes, you did. And I appreciated it.”

When the traffic light changed, he resumed driving. It was on the tip of his tongue to say he didn't want her appreciation. He wanted her. There, he'd admitted it to himself because deep down he knew that he did. At some point his anger toward her had transformed into lust for her. When it came to Kara, over the years he had learned how to deal with his anger, but he wasn't sure how to handle this high degree of lust. Being around her today had reminded him of how things used to be. And in trying to put his animosity behind him and move on, he'd somehow rekindled his physical need for her. And it had gotten restored to a level he wasn't sure he could handle.

What he should do here and now was tell her that hiring her had been a mistake and there was no way they could continue to work together even if it meant improving his image. His father would just have to deal with that decision. But to be honest, he doubted that even he could deal with that decision. Mainly because just hanging around Kara for the past few days had accomplished the one thing he hadn't wanted to have happen. It had overwhelmed not only his common sense but also his self-control. If he licked her one more time he was liable to detonate.

“Virgil?”

He glanced over at her. “Yes?”

“If you're hungry, instead of stopping somewhere, I could make a pot of chili.”

Now she wasn't playing fair. No matter what time of year it was—fall, winter, spring or summer—he loved her chili. His grandmother in Houston had shared the family recipe with her when Kara had gone with him to one of his family reunions. He didn't know how she'd done it, but hers was just as good as the chili Hattie Lee Bougard was known to make.

“I would hate for you to go to the trouble,” he said, while inwardly hoping she didn't mind. He hadn't been to Houston in a year and missed his grandmother's home-cooked meals. His mother could cook, but when she'd gone back to college to get her master's and then her PhD, his father had taken over cooking duties. Although the meals had been all right, they hadn't been anything like his mom's. And now his parents enjoyed dining out, so there was no hope of ever getting invited over for dinner.

“No problem at all,” she said. “In fact I've got all the ingredients I need. Won't take but a minute to prepare it.”

When he came to another traffic light he glanced over at her. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

He continued looking at her. When he held her gaze a little longer than he knew he should have, he broke eye contact but figured it had been too late. In that space of time, something intensely sexual had passed between them. He was certain that she was aware of it as much as he was. In the year they'd dated, he'd discovered that Kara was a very passionate woman. On top of that, she was as sensual as she was passionate.

And he was well aware that Kara knew just how much he enjoyed sex. More specifically, sex with her. Eventually he had stopped thinking about it as just sex and that's when he'd known he had fallen in love with her. But those days were over and anything they did now would be nothing more to him than sex. And he didn't even want that with her. Engaging in any kind of physical relationship with her was too risky for his peace of mind.

He quickly glanced back over at her and wished he could focus on something else. Why did he find her so captivating? So damn appealing? He wished like hell he didn't remember how good she looked naked. Drawing in a deep breath, he forced his gaze back on the road. He decided to get on the interstate to avoid the traffic lights so he wouldn't be tempted to seek her out.

A short while later she said his name. “Virgil?”

He glanced over at her. “Yes?”

“You okay?”

He drew his brows together. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“You just passed my exit.”

He glanced at the interstate markers and saw that he had. “Sorry about that. My mind was occupied. I'll turn around at the next exit.”

Virgil knew that he needed to concentrate on what he was doing and where he was going and not the woman sitting beside him. It was easier said than done.

* * *

Kara didn't have to wonder where Virgil's mind had been. She knew him and knew the look she saw in his eyes each and every time he had looked at her today. He wanted her. That was obvious, just like it was probably as obvious that she wanted him. But she knew him well enough to know he would fight the desire for her tooth and nail. In his mind he didn't love her anymore, which meant that he didn't want to share any kind of relationship with her ever again, sexual or otherwise. It was too bad his body wasn't getting the message.

During the year they'd dated she'd learned a lot about men in general and about Virgil specifically. When he loved he loved hard. When he hated he hated just as hard. Over the past four years she figured he had convinced himself he detested her with every bone in his body. Yet over the past few days he was beginning to discover that although the love might be dead, the lust was not only alive and well but had taken on a life of its own. And she figured that was the crux of his problem. It was a problem that he would have to figure out how to deal with on his own.

Kara had figured out hers. She still loved him and would always love him. It would be up to him to decide whether he was dead set against letting her have a place in his life and heart again. She was determined not to make that decision easy for him—this bachelor who was so unforgiving.

He had exited the interstate and was easing his car to a stop at a traffic light. She kept her gaze focused ahead, knowing as soon as he brought the car to a stop he would be looking over at her. Let him look, she thought. Hopefully he liked what he saw.

She could feel the heat of his gaze move up and down her body, lingering on her bare legs before slowly moving up past her hips and waist toward her breasts. He wasn't blind, so she was certain he was fully aware that her nipples had hardened and were pressing against her shirt. It was her guess he was thinking of just what he would like to do with those nipples. Oh, how she used to love the feel of him sucking on them.

She had timed it perfectly to when his scanning eyes would move upward from her body to reach her face. That's when she turned her head and their gazes met. She felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach when she read desire in the depths of his eyes. The penetrating stare was having a hypnotic effect on her, and unlike him, she wasn't trying to fight it. In fact, she was embracing it, just like she intended to embrace him when and if he ever made a move.

The driver of the car behind them blasted his horn, letting them know the light had changed and they were holding up traffic.

Without saying anything Virgil broke eye contact with Kara to concentrate on his driving again. He found it hard to believe time hadn't eradicated the urgency he was feeling for her, a sexual hunger so deep he could feel it in his bones. Even more so in his groin. Evidently, even after all this time, she was either not out of his system like he'd thought or she'd miraculously managed to wiggle her way back in. His mind went into a tailspin because that was the last thing he wanted to happen.