CHAPTER TEN
Head swirling and lips tingling, Kane watched as the Camaro zipped out of the parking lot. Miss Congeniality did not even give him a second glance. “You can’t just kiss someone like that and not expect to see her again,” he mumbled as he hopped in his car. “Can you?”
He pulled down the visor. Damn. Kane immediately shook his head as his eyes scanned his reflection. Miss Congeniality got to him. The man staring back at him was flushed and flustered and Kane did not recognize him. Never once had he lost his cool in the presence of a woman, especially not after a kiss.
This was not just a kiss though it was much more. There was passion unadulterated and a yearning he had never felt awaken in him before. Disappointment washed over Kane as he shut the visor and stuck the key in the ignition. Why had her response to his question made him feel rejected?
“Why should I care if I never see this woman again?” He grumbled.
When his car roared to life, Kane peeled out of the parking lot. Pulling up to a red light, he closed his eyes and committed every lush curve of her toffee colored body to memory. He knew why he was frustrated. He had not had sex in damn near three months! That’s what it was. He knew that once he was able to get Miss Congeniality in his bed, things would be back to normal. He would be back to his old self again.
Yeah right believe that if you want to. Deep down there was something inside of him that could not stop the overwhelming need brewing within him each passing second. He could not believe it, but she had him contemplating taking a walk on the “dark” side again and possibly delving back into a relationship.
Kane jumped when the horn behind him blared. His eyes popped open, and he realized he was holding up traffic. He scoffed as his eyes met one of the disgruntled horn blowers behind him.
“Great. She has me thinking about relationships and settling down?” he mumbled in disbelief as he continued on and spent the next twenty minutes of his drive back to the office weighing the pros and cons of being involved in a committed relationship. Kane was no stranger to settling down. He had done it before, but after his recently failed situations involving Tinley and Ali he realized that the drama was not worth it.
“No.” Kane shook his head. He felt adamant about his decision as he pulled into his parking space. “There is no way I want that type of headache again.” He hit the power locks and schlepped inside the clinic.
“There you are.” Stephanie grinned as he approached her desk.
“You know it is not going to be the same without you. Who am I going to talk to?”
“You can talk to me now hun.” Stephanie flashed him a smile as he copped a squat on the edge of her desk. She nudged his knee. “Let’s start with where you ran off to.”
“Why does Brittany have to always be in my business?”
Stephanie suppressed a laugh. “We could barely get through the pre phone interviews without her asking if I knew where you were right?”
“Figures.”
“Well?” Stephanie prodded, “You cannot leave me hanging.”
“Okay.” Kane chuckled as he quickly filled Stephanie in on his encounter with Miss Congeniality from their first time meeting yesterday up until their lunch an hour ago.
“Wow, you do not play around when you see a woman you want to pursue. You still have game I see.”
“Here’s the thing Steph, I was not trying to play games with her.”
Stephanie folded her arms across her chest and examined her friend. “Wait a minute. What happened to the Kane that is all about work no play.”
“He still exists; it’s just she may have opened my eyes a bit to possibly exploring the possibilities of pursuing a relationship.”
“Oh really now?” She smirked.
He nodded. “She and I had a real conversation. I was not bored, or thinking about how soon I could get her in bed or her breasts, ass, or mouth. I wanted to listen to what she was saying. She was funny, engaging, and sweet. It felt like we had a lot of things in common and that I could open up to her.”
“You sound smitten.”
“I know, and that’s what’s driving me crazy. Situations like this don’t happen to me. I don’t mean to sound cocky but women normally chase me, and here I am driving back to the place I met her, practically stalking her.”
“Stop acting like it’s a bad thing.”
“I’m not it’s just I didn’t expect to feel what I feel for a woman I don’t know.”
“And what exactly are you feeling?”
“Like I want to be closer than close to her. I have to get to know her better, see where things go.”
“That’s why you have to ask her out again. Get the opportunity to get to know her. I mean it has been a while since the last time you went out on a real date.”
“True.”
“You deserve to be with a nice, sweet, woman. Someone who will challenge you and bring out the best in you.”
“Thanks Steph.”
Stephanie watched as her friend grew quiet and pensive. “What else is going on?”
“We kissed and now I am feeling things I have never felt before, it’s weird.”
Stephanie clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my goodness. Call that woman now and set up another date.”
“I wish I could,” he answered honestly.
“What happened?”
“After our kiss, I asked her what her name was and she said our whole meeting and kissing should only be considered as a one-time thing and that we should live in the moment, no names just two strangers enjoying one another’s company.”
“Well dang, looks like someone finally met his match. You know she sounds just like you, right? You are notorious for saying those types of things to women all of the time,” she cracked.
“Now do you see why I hardly share anything with you?”
While Kane and Stephanie were in the middle of teasing, Brittany approached them with a folder tucked underneath her arm. “What are you two laughing about?”
He flashed Stephanie a face that told her not to say a word.
“You know Kane, just being himself,” Stephanie replied nonchalantly.
“Oh, so he is being his usual annoying self then,” Brittany cracked.
Kane faked a laugh.
Brittany elbowed her brother in the ribs. “Why did you get off the phone so fast with me? Then I text you, and you do not respond.”
“Oh man, would you look at all this email I need to read.” Stephanie sat down at her desk and focused on her computer screen.
Kane took her words as a cue to head back to his office. Brittany was right on his heels. “So, where did you go?”
“Out.”
“Out where?” She shut the door behind her.
“I went out to get some air, no big deal.”
As Brittany babbled on and on about how she couldn’t believe that her brother didn’t answer her text message, Kane’s thoughts immediately went back to the reason why. Miss Congeniality. He raised a hand up to touch his swollen lips. Her words about them kissing and meeting just being a one-time thing haunted him and kept floating through his mind. He could feel the tension mounting in his strong shoulders. Maybe she is right. What? Was I seriously expecting to start a relationship with a woman I shared one meal with? Get serious. So what, her lips were the sweetest I have ever tasted, and I have never experienced a kiss like this before in my life, or the fact that just looking at her makes me want to settle down. This is ridiculous! No relationships! I have a business to run! Rotating his neck slightly, he hoped the motion would alleviate the pressure building between his deltoids. It worked a bit, but not in the way he was expecting it to. It baffled him. How did this woman get under his skin so fast? True he had brushed many females off before and had been on the receiving end a time or two, but he had never felt the sting of rejection hit him with this magnitude. It actually made him feel dejected and unwanted.
“Did you hear me?”
No. Now go away. He want
ed to say, but didn’t. Eyes zeroing in on his sister, he was amazed at how much she looked like their mother with natural sun-kissed skin, wavy golden blonde hair, long lashes most women would die for, small button nose, sculpted cheekbones and those signature green eyes. Brittany was gorgeous and a bit annoying but gorgeous nonetheless.
“Kane?” she called out again, impatience infused in her tone.
“Not right now,” he responded through a clenched jaw.
“Don’t do that.” She huffed her cheeks reddened more as she toddled over to the comfy couch posted in his office. “I hate it when you blow me off.” She squatted slowly into the comfortable position as she reached for the candy dish of peanut M&Ms and rested them on her belly. “I am just curious about why you could not text me back.” She prodded ignoring his requests about her leaving him alone as she separated the brown and yellow candies from the rest of the colors.
He shrugged. He was grown and did what he wanted. He eyeballed his sister who was tossing him curious glances he had grown accustomed to over the years. They were the looks that more often than not got him spilling his guts fast. “Brit.”
“Yes?”
“I am not explaining myself to you. Now if you are asking out of concern because you were really concerned about me, that’s fine, but if you are trying to interrogate me, then I am going to have to ask you to leave.”
Her face burned. “I-I am sorry. I didn’t mean to come off sounding like mom.” She stuttered her mouth full of candy. “I just wanted to know if you went to go see Tinley.”
“I went for a drive.” He lied. Instantly, his thoughts went right back to a set of doe shaped eyes, pouty lips, crazy curly hair, and smooth skin. He shivered. Damn, she had really felt good in his arms. Her body smashed against his. Her delicious vanilla infused fragrance assaulted his nostrils. Her delicate hands and how they inched up his back. Her slender fingers and how wonderful they felt massaging the back of his head. Her lips crushed against his mouth with need, want, and desire. Kane’s manhood strained against his zipper.
“Hello? Earth to Kane, did you hear anything I said?”
His eyes zipped over to his sister. “No.”
“I was just saying how fake Tinley is and I am still wondering what you saw in her.”
He pried the candy dish from her unsuspecting hands, popped a couple of M&Ms in his mouth and wandered over to the window, his gaze lingering over the picturesque view. Copping a squat in his leather winged back chair he said, “I could ask you the same thing about previous relationships you have had. Besides, things were not always bad with Tinley. They went awry when she did not get what she wanted.”
A nurse at University Hospital referred Tinley to him after she suffered a bad sprain while jogging in the Metro Parks. He would never forget the moment she limped into the clinic. Tinley Malone had this diva aura about herself. She was striking with flawless creamy alabaster skin. Her face that day though was laced with impatience while she attempted to perfect her balancing act that consisted of her sliding her sunglasses through her long ginger colored hair while trying not to drop her crutches. She demanded to see Kane when she made it over to the front desk.
Amused Kane flashed her a killer smile and extended a hand. Accepting his outstretched palm, she seemed to relax as he gave her a tour of the facility. Following a few jokes and feeling Tinley had warmed up to him, she wanted to know if weekly appointments with him would be okay. The duo became fast friends. During that time Kane got to know Tinley. She was twenty-eight, single, no children, and did not want a relationship. Neither did he so their flirtatious banter suited him fine. The banter though lasted six months with Tinley asking him out. Weeks later, they decided to make their relationship official despite Brittany and his best friend Mark’s warnings. To Kane, Tinley possessed all the qualities he was looking for. She was understanding, supportive, easy to talk with, and she was not clingy. Kane felt as if he had hit the jackpot. They clicked on so many levels and had a lot in common the main thing being they were both young professionals with demanding careers.
Tinley started talking about marriage during the early stages of their relationship. Kane explained that he was not afraid of commitment, but he wanted to be sure she was the one he could not possibly see his life without. She seemed hell bent on making him “put a ring on it” because the majority of her sorority sisters were engaged at the time. She began obsessing about what price she deemed acceptable for him to shell out for her perfect beveled ring.
Marriage crossed Kane’s mind, but after hearing Tinley drone on and on about it and how much he should spend on a ring and all this other materialistic stuff he began having reservations. Shortly after their relationship became official, Tinley leased her apartment to a writer at the magazine and moved into his condo. Kane wanted marriage and commitment; however, he suggested they wait a year to reassess their business situations, finances and relationship. Her answer to waiting another ringless 365 days ended when she dragged him to her jeweler and showed him the engagement ring she wanted for her upcoming thirtieth birthday.
Kane heavily weighed his options. He loved Tinley, but he wasn’t in love with her. She was too demanding, controlling, and selfish. What he could not tolerate was how he sabotaged him by demanding they get engaged sooner rather than later. When her birthday arrived, Kane decided to take the day off. He paid a visit to her favorite jewelry store. As his eyes perused the rows of rings, he could not picture her wearing his ring. Her true colors were on display and he knew there was no way he could spend forever stomaching her.
Instead of the ring, he purchased her a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. When he arrived back at home, he slaved in front of a hot stove and prepared cherry glazed crown rack of lamb lying on a bed of couscous, asparagus spears and bananas foster for dessert. When Tinley arrived she was surprised to see the delicious meal set before her. Following the romantic candlelit dinner, he drew her into his arms, professed his love and presented her with the velvet box. He felt her resistance when he did not take a knee.
Displeasure flickered in her eyes when she cast them upon the earrings. Tinley snapped. She paced the condo. Face flushed eyes glowering she ranted that he led her on, and how he never loved her. She even accused him of cheating. He tried to rebut the claims but that only set her off. She trashed the condo. She broke dishes, tossed goblets at the wall. She snatched the paintings his mother made him from the walls and sliced them up. He quickly called the cops.
Twenty minutes later, two officers stood in the fray of broken glass, lamps an overturned sofa and a slashed leather love seat. They slapped cuffs on Tinley, and, as they dragged her out of the condo, she screamed about her plans to sue him for palimony. A few months later, he was served with the paperwork. Kane called his attorney and, a month later, a judge took a look at the documents and ruled they had no legal legs to stand on and dismissed the case.
“I don’t even want to think about what life would’ve been like for you had you married her,” Brittany exhaled.
“You say something?” He spun around glancing at her.
“I’m just happy you didn’t marry her. You deserve better.”
“I know.”
“But?” She struggled to get up from the couch. Instead of answering his sister, Kane sprinted from the window, extended a hand and gently guided her to her feet. They cracked up as she rose, lost her footing and slipped back onto the couch. “I so can’t wait until I’m able to see my feet again.” She chuckled breathlessly once he helped steady her belly first.
Kane beamed. Pregnancy looked good on his sister. After three miscarriages, Brittany had emotionally shut down. She and her husband Jeff agreed they were done trying to conceive until Brittany turned up pregnant.
“So,” she tucked a tendril behind her ear, “Gonna miss me when I’m gone?” She joined him over at his long glass table where a few resumes lay splayed out.
“Of course I am.”
“Now will
you tell me where you were?” she inquired gently.
Kane tossed his hands up in the air. “What does it matter?” he balled up a resume of someone he knew he wouldn’t consider hiring. He shot it and watched as the paper sailed through the air and right into the receptacle bin.
“It’s just not like you. You’ve never not answered any of my text messages.”
“I don’t always have to jump when you text me.”
“Ouch.” She feigned being hurt. “I know it’s none of my business but-”
“You’re right. It’s not.”
“I guess I just don’t understand the need for secrecy. I thought we shared everything. I bet if Steph asked you, you wouldn’t have a problem telling her anything.”
Kane stood and stretched the kinks he could feel trying to make a home in his back. He knew his sister was envious of the relationship he and Stephanie shared, but there was nothing he could do about it. She had betrayed his trust. One evening Kane had stormed out of his condo due to an argument he had with Tinley. Driving Kane found himself at his favorite bar when he bumped into his high school sweetheart, Samantha Reynolds. The two had hugged, talked, reminisced about their past over Long Islands and wine until the bar closed. Sam, not wanting their night to end, invited him over for a nightcap and they kissed. He apologized and reiterated that he was in a relationship gave her a hug and left. He arrived home to find a frantic Tinley who apologized for starting the argument.
He had shared with Brittany that he had seen Sam and that he had gone back to her place and that nothing happened. It was during a Labor Day gathering that Brittany overheard Kane and Tinley having an argument when she intervened by saying that Kane should meet Sam at her place again to try to get their relationship back on track. That revelation prodded questions from Tinley and another argument ensued. Brittany apologized and Kane forgave her but from that moment he vowed he would never share any more personal secrets with his sister again. Stephanie and his best friend, Mark, would always be the keeper of his personal secrets…that is until he met the love of his life.
As if reading his mind, Brittany retorted, “I know I messed up and I don’t know how many times I can say I’m sor-”
He held his hand up. “I told you I forgive you. I’ve moved past it, and don’t want to rehash it again.” He didn’t feel like drudging up the past. “We share a lot of things. Always have. Always will, but some things I’m allowed to keep to myself. You don’t share all of the details of your marriage with me, and I wouldn’t expect you too.”
“True.” Brittany nodded getting her brother’s point.
“Exactly.”
“But you would tell me if you really went to see Tinley though, right?”
He dragged a hand down his face. “Why does every conversation we seem to have always lead back to her?” He opened his palm and stretched his fingers on the edge of the table and stared into his sister’s eyes. “I’m over her and this whole ridiculous situation. I wish you would let it die too.”
Brittany examined her brother. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Why don’t you believe me when I tell you I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“I love you,” he said with conviction. “If something was wrong, I would tell you. In fact, you’d be the first to know it.” He wrapped his arms around his sister in a warm hug.
“I believe you.” Brittany locked eyes with her brother and realized that maybe she had been a tad bit overbearing, but she couldn’t help it. Kane was her baby brother. She was used to protecting him. “And you know what? I promise I’ll try to loosen my reigns, and when you feel like sharing your whereabouts with me, I’ll be waiting with open ears.”
“Deal.” Kane and Brittany sealed their deal with another hug. There was a knock at the door and Stephanie peeked her head in. “Are we ready to continue the search for my replacement?” With that, the trio spent the next hour and a half going through interview questions and resumes. The group all agreed if they stumbled upon resumes worth taking a second look at they would share it with one another.
An hour into their search, Stephanie locked eyes with Brittany, “Nicole Anderson so far is the only person I see as being qualified. What do you have?”
Brittany waved a few resumes in the air to get Kane’s attention. “Other than my two people, I don’t think there’s anyone else who qualified.”
“Don’t forget to call the prospective candidates in about an hour to set up interviews for tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
While Brittany and Stephanie huddled together discussing the potential candidates Kane’s phone rang. He moved from his seat over to the expansive mahogany desk and snatched the receiver. “This is Kane.”
“Hi handsome, I was hoping you were in your office,” purred a breathy feminine voice.
Kane clenched the phone and hung his head. Ali Clarke.
Brittany noticed her brother’s actions. “Who is it?” she whispered loudly as Stephanie tossed a nosy glance at him.
“Hello Ali.” His voice was professional, business like.
“When is she going to get a clue?” Brittany hissed. “Let me talk to her.” She headed over to him.
Kane maneuvered his body so that she couldn’t reach the phone.
“Hi love,” she cooed, “I was wondering if you were free.”
“Not at the moment. Brittany, Stephanie, and I were in the middle of meeting.”
“Meeting?” He could hear her flipping through her calendar. “Brittany didn’t inform me we had a meeting scheduled with you,” she announced, her voice crisp and tight.
“It’s not a PR meeting-”
Brittany rolled her eyes. “She needs to grow up.”
Kane gave his sister the eye that meant for her to pipe down. “We had family business to discuss.”
“Okay.” Ali’s voice sounded unconvinced.
“Would I lie to you?” he added a hint of huskiness to his voice. “You know I would never not include you in anything pertaining to the clinic right?”
Brittany and Stephanie pretended to make themselves gag.
“You’re right.” Her tone softened. “It’s just I don’t want to be left out of anything when it comes to you.”
He clenched the receiver. This woman was tap dancing on his already thin patience. “How could I do that to you?”
“You’d better not do that to me.”
“Never,” Kane responded while trying to shoo his sister from eavesdropping in on the call.
“Oh, before I forget, don’t forget about the M.S. benefit tonight.” Damn. Kane cradled the phone between his neck and shoulder blade while flipping through his calendar. There it was scrawled in red ink. M.S. benefit…try to get out of it before you have to escort her! “Yes I remember.” He retorted through a clenched jaw.
“Think you’ll be able to pick me up? Remember my Beamer is still being serviced, and it won’t be ready,” she replied in a sing-song voice. “I’m going to need you tonight, Kane.”
He gulped. There was something about the way she said you and tonight that didn’t sit right with him.
Brittany frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re going to pick her up.”
“Big mistake,” Stephanie chimed in.
“I’m going to have to meet you there. I have clients all afternoon into the early evening, so I’m coming from the clinic since it is closer to the hotel.”
“Well, handsome, I’m going to be looking for you to take me home, and that is one obligation I’m expecting you to fulfill.” Ali’s voice held a sexual lilt and before he could respond she hung up.
“Hello?” Kane said to the receiver in disbelief. She had it in her mind that she was going to be able to get a second chance with him. Kane had been there, done that a couple of years ago. They had gone out a few times, and he had to say he enjoyed her, she was bubbly, and fun but a tad shallow and super high maintenance.
The straw that
broke the camel’s back was that she had slept with his good friend, Brent, while he and Colin had gone away to Boston on a business trip. When word got back to him, he axed all lines of communication with her, and she’d been trying to get back in his good graces since. Yes. She was everything a man wanted in a woman on the outside. She was striking, with a succulent body, perfect full silicon filled breasts, tiny waist, silky blond hair, plump lips, caramel colored eyes.
Whenever they were out, people often stopped them and complimented them on being a good looking couple, and she would eat it up telling him that would be great together. However, t Kane had never felt that “my search for her is over” feeling in his gut when he looked at her. She wasn’t the woman for him. Yes, they had a good time and mind-blowing sex, but he craved more.
She had grown up in Orange, and her fake persona left much to be desired. She was an opportunist and loved hanging onto the coattails of others. One thing he couldn’t take away from her was that she was damn good at her job. That was one of the reasons they hired her (that and the fact that her aunt Winifred was their mother’s best friend).
“We need to start calling to set up these interviews for tomorrow,” Stephanie’s voice shredded his thoughts. “Because you all know I am leaving tomorrow.”
“That’s right.” Kane watched as Stephanie and Brittany started towards the door. “Let me know what time the potentials are going to start coming in.” He wanted to head to the break room and get a cup of tea.
“You need to start getting ready for your four thirty.” Stephanie sidled up next to him.
Brittany paused causing Kane and Stephanie to pause, as well. “Be careful tonight. Lord only knows what tricks Ali has up her sleeve.”
“Let me worry about her,” Kane said as they all parted ways down the hall, although part of him definitely heeded serious caution to his sister’s warning.