Authors: Brenda Jackson
In his voice, she could hear the admiration he had for his brother and cousin. She then recalled the woman in his life at the time. “And I’m sure this Patrice was there for you during that time, right?”
“Yes, so it seemed. I took a semester off to help with things at home since I’m the third oldest in the family, although there’s only a month separating me from my cousin Zane.”
He took a sip of wine and then said, “Patrice came to visit me several times while I was out that semester, and she got to know my family. Everyone liked her…at least everyone but one. My cousin Bailey, who was the youngest of the Westmorelands, was barely seven, and she didn’t take a liking to Patrice for reasons we couldn’t understand.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, as if getting his thoughts together, then he continued, “I returned to school that January, arriving a couple of days earlier than planned. I went straight to Patrice’s apartment and…”
Kalina lifted a brow. “And what?”
“And I walked in on her in bed with one of her professors.”
Of all the things Kalina had assumed he would say, that definitely wasn’t one of them. She stared at him, and he stared back. She could see it, there, plain, right in his features—the strained look that came from remembered pain. He had been hurt deeply by the woman’s deception.
“What happened after that?” she asked, curious.
“I left and went to my own apartment, and she followed me there. She told me how sorry she was. She said that she felt she needed to be honest with me, as well as with herself, so she also admitted it hadn’t been the first time she’d done it with one of her professors, nor would it be the last. She said she needed her degree, wanted to graduate top of her class and saw nothing wrong with what she was doing. She said that if I loved her I would understand.”
Kalina’s mouth dropped.
The nerve of the hussy assuming something like that!
“And did you understand?”
“No.” He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Her actions not only hurt me, but they hurt my family. They had liked her and had become used to her being with me whenever I came home. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if Dillon’s and Ramsey’s girls hadn’t betrayed them around the same time. We didn’t set a good example for the others as far as knowing how to pick decent and honest women.”
He paused a moment and then said in a low, disappointed voice, “I vowed then never to get involved with a woman to the extent that I’d bring her home to my family. And I’ve kept that promise…until now.”
Kalina took a sip of her drink and held Micah’s gaze, not knowing what to say. Why was he breaking his vow now, for her? Did it matter that much to him that she got to know him better than she had in Sydney?
Granted, she realized he was right. Other than being familiar with how well he performed in bed, she didn’t know the simplest things about him, like his favorite color, his political affiliation or his religious beliefs. Those things might not be important for a short-term affair, but they were essential for a long-term relationship.
But then they’d never committed to a relationship. They had been merely enjoying each other’s company and companionship. She hadn’t expected “forever” and frankly hadn’t been looking for it, either. But that didn’t mean the thought hadn’t crossed her mind once or twice during their two-month affair.
And she was very much aware that the reason he wanted her to get to know him now still didn’t have anything to do with “forever.” He assumed if she got to know him then she would see that she’d been wrong to accuse him of manipulating her for her father.
The lump in her throat thickened. What if she was wrong about him and her father had lied? What if she had begun to mean something to Micah the way he claimed? She frowned, feeling a tension headache coming on when so many what-ifs flooded her brain. Her father had never lied to her before, but there was a first time for everything. Perhaps he hadn’t outright lied, but she knew how manipulative he could be where she was concerned.
“You don’t have to give me your answer tonight, Kal, but please think about it.”
She broke eye contact with him to study her wineglass for a moment, twirling the dark liquid around. Then she lifted her gaze to meet his again and said, “Okay, I will think about it.”
A smile touched his lips. “Good. That’s all I’m asking.” He then checked his watch. “Ready to leave?”
“Yes.”
Moments later, as they stood outside while a cab was hailed for them, she couldn’t help remembering everything Micah had told her. She couldn’t imagine any woman being unfaithful to him, and she could tell from the sound of his voice while he’d relayed the story that the pain had gone deep. That had been well over ten years ago. Was he one of those men, like her father, who could and would love only one woman?
She was aware of how her mother’s death had affected her father. Although she’d known him to have lady friends over the years, she also knew he hadn’t gotten serious about any of them. Her mother, he said, would always have his heart. Kalina couldn’t help wondering if this Patrice character still claimed Micah’s heart.
When they were settled in the cab, she glanced over at him and said, “I’m sorry.”
He lifted a brow. “For what?”
“Your loss. Your parents. Your uncle and aunt.” She wouldn’t apologize for Patrice because she didn’t see her being out of the picture as a loss. Whether he realized it or not, finding out how deceitful his girlfriend was had been a blessing.
His gaze held hers intensely, unflinchingly, when he said, “I didn’t share my history with you for your pity or sympathy.”
She nodded. “I know.” And she did know. He had taken the first steps in allowing her to get beyond that guard he’d put up. For some reason, she felt that he truly wanted her to get to know him. The real Micah Westmoreland. Was he truly any different from the one she already knew?
She had to decide just how much of him, if any, she wanted to get to know. He had invited her to spend time with him and his family in Denver, and she had to think hard if that was something she really wanted to do.
* * *
A few hours later, back in his room at the villa, Micah turned off the lamp beside his bed and stared up at the ceiling in darkness. He had enjoyed sharing dinner with Kalina, and doing so had brought back memories of the time they’d spent together in Sydney. Tonight, more than ever, he had been aware of her as a woman. A woman he wanted. A woman he desired. A woman he intended to have.
He’d never wanted to be attracted to Kalina, even in the beginning. Mainly because he’d known she would hold his interest too much and for way too long. But there hadn’t been any hope for him. The chemistry had been too strong. The desire too thick. He had been attracted to her in a way he had never been attracted to another woman.
And tonight she had been a good listener. She had asked the questions he had expected her to ask and hadn’t asked ones that were irrelevant. The private room they’d been given had been perfect for such a conversation. But even the intense subject matter did nothing to lessen the heat that stirred in the air, or waylay the desire that simmered between them.
Very few people knew the real reason he and Patrice had ended things. He’d only told Dillon, Ramsey and Zane, the cousin he was closest to. Micah was certain the others probably assumed they knew the reason, but he knew their assumptions wouldn’t even come close.
Walking in and finding the woman he loved in bed with another man had been traumatic for him, especially given that he’d been going through a very distressing time in his life already. The sad thing was that there hadn’t been any remorse because Patrice had felt justified in doing what she’d done. She just hadn’t been able to comprehend that normal men and women didn’t share their partners.
He shifted in bed and thought about Kalina. He had enjoyed her company tonight and believed she’d enjoyed his. He’d even felt an emotional connection to her, something he hadn’t felt with a woman in years. He didn’t need to close his eyes to remember the stricken look on her face two years ago when she’d overheard words that had implicated him. And no matter how much he had proclaimed his innocence, she hadn’t believed him.
For two years, they had gone their separate ways. At first, he’d been so angry he hadn’t given a damn. But at night he would lie in bed awake. Wanting her and missing her. It was then that he’d realized just how much Kalina had worked her way into his bloodstream, how deeply she’d become embedded under his skin. He had traveled to several countries over the past two years. He had worked a ton of hours. But nothing had been able to eradicate Kalina from his mind.
Now she was back in his life, and he intended to use this opportunity to right a wrong. If only she would agree to go home to Denver with him. He wouldn’t question why it was so important to him for her to do so, but it was. And although he hadn’t told her, he wouldn’t accept no for an answer.
So what are you going to do if she turns you down, Westmoreland? Kidnap her?
Kidnapping Kalina didn’t sound like a bad idea, but he knew he wouldn’t operate on the wrong side of the law. He hoped that she gave his invitation some serious consideration so it didn’t come to that.
It had been hard being so close to her and having to keep his hands to himself when he’d wanted them all over her, touching her in places he’d been privy to before. But as he’d told her, it was important that they get to know each other, something they hadn’t taken the time to do in Sydney.
On the cab ride back, he’d even discovered she knew how to ride a horse and that her grandparents had been farmers in Alabama. Her grandparents had even raised, among other things, sheep. His cousin Ramsey, who was the sheep rancher in the Westmoreland family, would appreciate knowing that. And Micah couldn’t wait to show Kalina his ranch. He hoped she liked it as much as he did. And…
He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to slow down and put a lid on his excitement. He had to face the possibility that she would decide not to go to Denver. He refused to let that happen. The woman had no idea just how much he wanted her and he intended to do whatever he had to to have her.
If he had to turn up the heat to start breaking down her defenses then that’s what he would do.
Six
T
he next day, Kalina’s body tensed when she entered the lab and immediately remembered that she and Micah would be working alone together today. Theo was in another area analyzing the granules taken from the bodies of the five victims.
She eased the door closed behind her and stood leaning against it while she looked over at Micah. He was standing with his head tilted back as he studied the solution in the flask he was holding up to the light. She figured he wasn’t aware she had entered, which was just as well for the time being.
His request from last night was still on her mind, and even after a good night’s sleep, she hadn’t made a decision about what she would do. She had weighed the pros and cons of accompanying him to Denver, but even that hadn’t helped. It had been late when she had returned from dinner, but she’d tried reaching her father. The person she’d talked to at the Pentagon wouldn’t even tell her his whereabouts, saying that, at the moment, the general’s location was confidential. She had wanted to hear her father tell her again how Micah had played a role in keeping her out of China. A part of her resented the fact that Micah was back in her life, but another part of her felt she deserved to know the truth.
She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a slight damp in the air. Everyone had awakened to find it raining that morning. And although the showers only lasted for all of ten minutes, it had been enough to drench the mountainside pretty darn good.
Micah’s back was to her, and her gaze lowered to his backside, thinking it was one part of his body she’d always admired. He certainly had a nice-looking butt. She’d heard from Theo that Micah had gotten up before five this morning to go to the villa’s gym to work out. She would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, to watch him flex those masculine biceps of his.
Her thoughts drifted to the night before. On the cab ride back to the villa he’d told her more about his brothers and cousins. She wasn’t sure if he was feeding her curiosity or deliberately enticing her to want to meet them all for herself. And she would admit that she’d become intrigued. But was that enough to make her want to spend an entire month with him in Denver?
“Are you going to just stand there or get to work? There’s plenty of it to be done.”
She frowned, wondering if he had eyes in the back of his head, as he’d yet to turn around. “How did you know it was me?”
“Your scent gave you away, like it always does.”
Since she usually wore the same cologne every day, she would let that one slide. She moved away from the door at the same time as he turned around, and she really wished he hadn’t when he latched those dark, intense eyes onto her. Evidently, this was going to be one of her “drool over Micah” days. She’d had a number of them before. He was looking extremely handsome today. He probably looked the same yesterday, but today her hormones were out in full force, reminding her just how much of a woman she was and reminding her of all those sexual needs she had ignored for two years.
“Have most of the tissues been analyzed?” she asked, sliding onto her stool in front of a table that contained skin samples taken during autopsies of the five victims.
“No, I left that for you to do.”
“No problem.”
She glanced over at Micah, who was still studying the flask while jotting down notes. He was definitely engrossed in his work. Last night, he’d been engrossed in her. Was this the same man whose gaze had filled her with heated lust last night during the cab rides to the restaurant and back? The same man who’d sat across from her at dinner with a look that said he wanted to eat her alive? The same man whose flirtation and sexual innuendoes had stirred her with X-rated sensations? The same man who exuded a virility that said he was all man, totally and completely?