Authors: Opal Carew
He twirled around. “River, we almost—”
“
Almost
is the key word. But neither one of us would betray Kane. We’ve just proven that.” She gazed at him, willing him to understand. “If you leave now, things will just become awkward between us. You’ll start avoiding me.” The thought of losing him as an ally and confidant knotted her stomach. She’d feel even more alone than she did now. “I don’t want that to happen. I like to think you’re my friend, and I really need a friend right now. Especially one who understands the situation like you do.”
He raked his hand through his hair. “What do you want from me, River?”
“Just stay a little longer. We can watch a movie, or just talk. Anything. Just so we can prove to ourselves that what happened doesn’t have to be an issue.”
Uncertainty flickered across his hazel eyes, but he finally nodded.
“Okay. Let’s make it an adventure film,” he said.
* * *
Kane barely noticed the bright sunshine and happy twitter of the birds as he left the house on Sunday morning. All he could think about was how he’d blown it big time with River. She’d caught him kissing Francoise and, although Francoise had initiated it, he had to admit, at least to himself, that River was right. It would never have happened if there hadn’t been a part of him that wanted it to happen.
And why was that?
He sighed as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
He hated to admit that it was because he’d needed to feel wanted. Francoise’s desire for him might be shallow and lust-based, but at least she wanted him enough to go after him. River would never do that. If she wasn’t in this marriage he’d manipulated her into, she would happily continue her life without a second thought about him.
While he’d never been able to stop thinking of her.
He wanted her to want him so badly. And he wanted her to know how much he loved her. But he was afraid she would reject that love. He’d already felt her pulling back since he’d made that stupid comment about her hair.
By the time he parked his car in the underground garage and strode up the stairs to the lobby, suitcase in tow, he’d decided that he would do his best to work past that. That today, he would talk to her and find out how she really felt about him. Even if she didn’t love him, if he admitted his feelings, maybe they could work together to build a happy, loving relationship.
As he rode the elevator up to his apartment, he began to feel better about the situation. He just had to convince River to listen to him.
The elevator doors opened and he pushed off his shoes and strode to the living room. She might still be asleep and—
He stopped cold at the sight of River nestled in Will’s arms, her head resting against his chest, the two of them asleep on the couch. Kane’s jaw twitched as his gaze fell on Will’s hand, resting on her ribs right beneath her breast. As she breathed, her breast brushed against his thumb and finger. As if he’d been cupping it before they’d fallen asleep.
Anger blazed through him.
* * *
River started awake, feeling as if someone was watching her.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Kane demanded.
Then she realized the situation. Her gaze darted around to see Kane standing in the middle of the living room, fuming.
Will sat up and she drew away from him.
Damn. They’d fallen asleep during the movie. It had been a stupid idea to start watching one at three in the morning, especially since she’d already been exhausted by the stressful situation at the party.
She sighed. “Kane, nothing happened between Will and me.”
“Nothing?”
The memory of the kiss made her hesitate, and that was fatal.
“Fuck!” Kane’s hands clenched into fists and he paced the room. “Tell me.”
“It’s not her fault,” Will said. “It was just a kiss, and that was my fault.”
Kane stopped, but glared at her. “But just as you pointed out to me last night, a kiss takes two people.”
She stood up. “I’m not going to justify the kiss. I’m just going to point out that we both stopped it and will ensure it never happens again. Because we both care about you.”
“How very thoughtful of you both.”
She walked to him and rested her hand on his arm. “Kane, I’m telling you that I care about you—both of us do—and I want you to be happy. So I won’t do anything that would hurt you.”
He shook his head, his eyes telling her there was something she didn’t understand.
“Look, I’ve been thinking about it and…” She hesitated, aware of Will in the room. But she needed to make this clear to Kane now. “Well, in thinking about what would make you happy…”
The harshness in his indigo eyes softened and … she could almost see hope there.
“Yes?” he prompted.
“I think that if you want to, you should be with Francoise.”
Kane’s eyes widened. “
What?
”
“You said this marriage between us is a convenient arrangement more than anything, so you probably shouldn’t limit yourself to just being with me. I know that’s the traditional way of marriage, but I think you would be happier if you allowed yourself to be unconventional. Embrace what makes you happy.”
“So I would sleep with Francoise whenever I wanted to, and I presume other women, too?”
She nodded, though the thought of him with other women twisted her stomach into knots. She just had to be realistic about what this marriage really was.
“And you,” he said in a chillingly calm voice, “I presume you would be free to sleep with Will.”
Jealousy and anger flickered in his eyes like a blazing flame.
“No, I’m saying that
you
would be free to sleep with Will. Kane, I know the two of you were involved intimately. And I believe you’re in love. But I’m saying that whoever you want to sleep with, it’s okay with me. I don’t want you to be exclusive because you think it’s what I need.” She squeezed his arm. “I want you to be happy.”
* * *
What would make Kane happy was if River loved him. But he couldn’t say that. And clearly she didn’t. She was just in this marriage because of the business agreement, and she would be true to what she’d promised. He could tell she even cared for him. But love?
His heart compressed, and cracked around the edges. He couldn’t deal with any of this anymore.
He turned and strode to the bedroom. She didn’t follow, probably sensing he needed space to think. But he didn’t have any more thinking to do. He tossed some things in a suitcase, enough to get him through a week or so, then zipped it up and strode down the hall.
River’s gaze locked on the suitcase, then turned to him. “Kane, what’s happening?”
“I’ve decided it’s over. There’s no point continuing something that’s just not working.”
He continued walking to the elevator.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that this his marriage was a bad idea. So I’m ending it.”
Shock vaulted through River as she watched the elevator doors close.
Kane had actually left her.
She stood there trembling, frozen while she tried to decide whether to race after him or not. To run down the stairs and catch up with him in the parking garage.
But what would she say?
She turned to Will, searching for reassurance in his eyes.
“Do you think he’ll change his mind?” she asked, but the doubtful expression on Will’s face did not give her hope.
About an hour later, she received an e-mail from Kane. Very businesslike, clarifying that it was just the marriage that he was ending. They were still partners in the business and she was in control of it. He acknowledged that she’d done her best to make the marriage work and it was he who was ending it so conceded the controlling interest of the company to her.
He also generously gave her the penthouse, which he owned, and even put in a provision that he would pay the taxes and other expenses so she could afford to stay there. In fact, she had no doubt he would offer her a generous divorce settlement.
Not that she cared about any of that. What she wanted was Kane.
Everything about the e-mail tore her heart to shreds. He was loving and generous and really cared about her, but he was ending the marriage. Maybe he didn’t love her, but she loved him and she just couldn’t let him go.
Will had stayed with her to help her through this. He sat beside her on the couch. He had read the e-mail along with her.
She turned to him and crumpled into his arms. He held her tight, comforting her with gentle strokes down her back.
“I just … Oh, God, Will, I don’t want to lose him.”
“Why, River? You have your life back, and your company. Have you considered that this could be the best thing that could happen to you?”
She drew back and stared at him, shaking her head. “
He’s
the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him.”
A broad smile crossed Will’s lips. “Finally. I was beginning to think you’d
never
admit it. So now the question is … are you willing to tell him that?”
* * *
It had been three days and River still didn’t know where Kane was. He’d responded to Will’s e-mails about business matters, but ignored everything else. River didn’t try e-mailing him, knowing he probably wouldn’t respond anyway.
And she wasn’t going to tell him she loved him in an e-mail.
Her cell rang and she picked it up from the coffee table.
Oh, please, let it be Kane.
“Hello?”
“I know where he is.” It was Will. “Meet me in the lobby.”
River raced to the bathroom and washed her face with cool water, hoping her red, puffy eyes wouldn’t be too noticeable, and then she headed for the elevator. Will was waiting for her.
He drove her to a posh hotel downtown and pulled into the entrance. As the doorman opened her door, Will handed her a key card.
“He’s in room eighteen sixteen. That’ll get you in.”
Will had told her he’d used his technical skills to track Kane down using the GPS in his phone, and hacked into the hotel’s computer to confirm he was registered. She certainly had no doubt that Will would be able to program a key card for her.
“I’ll be nearby. If you need me, just text.”
She nodded, then went into the hotel and crossed the lobby to the elevators. Within moments, she was standing outside room 1816 staring at the door.
Should she knock or just walk in? She was his wife, so there should be no problem with her just going inside … except that he was here because he didn’t want to see her.
She sucked in a breath and knocked. Will had confirmed that Kane was in the room now. At least, his phone was.
She waited, but he didn’t answer. She knocked again.
Had he glanced out the peephole and decided to ignore her?
Finally, she pushed the key card into the slot and opened the door. She stepped inside the huge suite. Sunlight shone in the large windows, glistening on the glossy wooden furniture. The place was bright and cheery, flower arrangements filling the room with a lovely fragrance.
But she didn’t feel cheery. Her stomach quaked as she glanced around, not seeing Kane anywhere.
He must be in the bedroom.
She walked toward the door, which was open, but didn’t see him as she approached.
“River?”
She spun around to see Kane, his broad chest naked and water droplets running down his shoulders from his damp hair. All he wore was a towel.
“What are you doing here?”
“I had to find you,” she said. “I need to talk to you.”
He frowned and walked across the room to the bar, then poured himself a drink from a crystal decanter.
“I came here because I didn’t want to talk. As I said, the marriage failed. Let’s just leave it at that.” He tossed back the drink and walked toward the bedroom.
He closed the door behind him, and her chest tightened, but she hesitated only a second before hurrying to the door. She pushed it open. Her breath caught at the sight of him, totally naked, the damp towel flung over a chair.
“I told you it’s over, River. Just accept that and move on.”
“But I don’t want to move on.” She stepped toward him, intensely aware of his nudity. His broad, muscular body. His big cock hanging down. She wanted to strip down and convince him of how much he wanted her. To show him how good they were together.
But that was sex. What she really wanted to tell him was something much deeper and more lasting.
“What do you want, River? An open marriage where we both have sex with other people? Even if you don’t take other lovers … that isn’t what I want. I want a marriage where we’re committed to each other. Where we’ll do anything to make it work.”
“That’s what I was trying to do.”
Sadness glazed his eyes. “I know, baby. You were doing the best you could in a bad situation. I don’t blame you for it not working. It was just never meant to be.”
She stepped toward him. “Kane, please. Can we try a little harder?”
He started to shake his head but she grabbed his hand.
“Please, I…” She drew in a shaky breath. “I’ll do anything. Because…” She stared at him, trying to keep the tears from flowing. “I’m in love with you.”
At the shocked expression on his face, she rushed ahead. “I know you don’t feel the same way, and maybe by telling you I’ve ruined everything. But I want you to understand that that’s why I’ll do anything to make this marriage work. And to make you happy. Even stay on the sidelines while you—”
His lips captured her, cutting off her words.
His tongue delved deep, forcing her mouth wide. He invaded her. Claimed her. And she melted against him.
Was he doing this to shut her up, and then he’d scoot her out the door? Or as a kindness so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself and beg him to take her back?
His arms tightened around her and she felt his cock swelling between them. She couldn’t help herself. She wrapped her hand around it and stroked. He murmured his approval, but didn’t stop kissing her. Then she felt herself tipped back on the bed. His tongue still mastered her as his big, naked body covered her.