Читать книгу Bachelor Unforgiving - Brenda Jackson - Страница 13

Chapter 2

Virgil entered his home and tossed his jacket across a chair. At least his father’s visit hadn’t stopped him from sticking with his plan to leave work early. He needed to rest, relax and recover from too much partying this weekend at Tyson’s wedding. Now he had another reason for needing down time. Namely to get his mind prepared for tomorrow’s meeting with Kara.

She had done something no one had thought was possible, which was to literally bring him to his knees and show him there was a difference between love and lust. His womanizing ways had begun to morph into those of a man who wanted only one woman. Her. She had singlehandedly transformed his reckless heart into a thoughtful one.

That was then. This was now.

He was no longer a fool in love. And Kara was someone he could do without. He staunchly refused to give his heart to another woman, and he enjoyed his time as a single man who wore no female’s heart on his sleeve. He was a card-carrying member of the Guarded Hearts Club.

Over the years the club had seen its membership dwindle. Uriel had dropped out when he married Ellie. A year later Xavier had married Farrah, followed by York marrying Darcy and then Winston tying the knot with Ainsley. The last one had been a shocker because no one had been a stronger advocate of bachelorhood than Winston. Hell, Winston even held the office of club president for a number of years. That left only him and Zion as lone members. As the president, he felt it was time they recruited new members.

Although the club started out exclusively for him and his godbrothers, that didn’t mean it had to stay that way. There had to be other single men who felt the same way they did. Men who enjoyed the single life and intended to never marry. Mercury and Gannon Steele headed the list. It wouldn’t be hard to convince them that bachelors needed to stick together and they needed to join the exclusive club. He’d heard the frustration in their voices this weekend at Tyson’s wedding. Mercury and Gannon figured it would only be a matter of time before their mother eyed one of them as the next possible groom.

And then there was Xavier’s friend Kurt. He would be another good candidate. And wasn’t it just last week that Quade Westmoreland, who was an in-law of those Steeles, mention something about newfound bachelor cousins living somewhere in Alaska? A semblance of a smile touched Virgil’s face. There was hope after all.

A frown replaced the smile when his thoughts shifted to Whitney Hilton. She had definitely been a mistake and one he was still paying for. It wasn’t as if Whitney had been an underage teenager. Hell, the woman had been twenty-five. An adult. A consenting adult. Hilton was disillusioned if he thought his daughter had been a virgin that night. Nevertheless, for one night of lust, he would pay by having to put up with Kara. That was something he didn’t look forward to doing.

As he headed for the kitchen to grab a cold beer out of the refrigerator, he couldn’t help allowing his mind to recall a time when Kara’s presence was the only thing he’d wanted.

And it had started with their first dance...

* * *

“So, Kara, tell me about yourself.”

Virgil couldn’t help looking into her eyes when he’d made the request. She was simply beautiful. Striking. Stunning. And the dress she was wearing showed off her body right down to every curve. He wanted to get to know her but there were other things he wanted to do to her, as well. Taste her. Touch her. But for now, dancing with her had to suffice.

He had noticed her the moment he’d entered the ballroom and had known then she was someone he had to connect with. Each time their gazes had linked, he’d felt stirring emotions he had never felt before. There was no way he could have not sought her out. They had introduced themselves and now he wanted to know everything there was to know about her. Then maybe he could figure out why she was having such an effect on him. No woman had ever rattled his senses like she was doing.

“There’s not a whole lot to tell,” she said.

“I was born in San Francisco twenty-five years ago. My parents are still there, both alive and well, and I have a sister, who is older than me by three years. I got my degree in marketing from Duke and landed a job here in Charlotte right after college. Last year I opened my own PR firm.”

She felt good in his arms and he liked the way his arms fit around her waist. “Are you dating?”

“Sometimes.”

“Seeing anyone exclusively?”

“No.”

“Good.”

She raised a brow and he could only smile. And before she could ask he said, “The reason I think it’s good is because I want you for myself.”

She tilted her head to study him and even raised her chin showing a little irritation at his audacity. His intent was unmistakable. His smile deepened, clearly unmoved that what he’d said might have possibly annoyed her. He believed in being honest with women. Game playing wasn’t his style. “And what if I’m not interested, Virgil?”

“Then it would be my job to get you interested. But I think we can toss out that possibility. You’re just as interested in me as I am in you.”

He could tell her irritation increased. “What makes you think so?”

He shrugged. “A number of things, including body language. But primarily the way we’ve been flirting with each other most of night.”

“Is that what you think? That I’ve been flirting with you from across the room?”

“Haven’t you? But then I’ll admit unashamedly that I’ve been flirting with you, as well. Now I think we should move beyond flirting.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” He held her gaze while she stared at him. The sway of their bodies in tune with the music was a no-thought process, and it was a good thing since they were so focused on each other. He especially liked the feel of their bodies touching while they danced.

“And just where are we supposed to be moving to?” she asked. For her to have done so meant she was giving the idea some thought.

“I’m hoping I can entice you to leave here with me and...”

When he felt her tense, he said smoothly, “Go to an all-night café not far from here and share a cup of coffee with me. That way we can get to know each other even better.”

She relaxed and he was grateful for that. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the impression all he wanted was to take her to the nearest hotel or back to her place or his. Doing any of the three would definitely work for him since he wanted her just that much. However, he had a feeling she was not a one-night-stand kind of woman, even though he had no problem being a one-night-stand kind of man when it suited him. He had a feeling he would have to work his way into her bed. He didn’t mind that and figured she would be worth it in the end.

“I’ll think about it...the part about the all-night café. But you haven’t told me anything about yourself.”

A smile touched his lips. He had no problem doing that. “I’m thirty and the oldest of two. I have a sister who is four years younger. She’s single but dates her high school sweetheart. I figure they’ll get married one of these days. I work at Bougard Enterprises, a financial corporation founded by my father years ago. He’s brilliant when it comes to finance and I’m learning all that I can from him. He’s been hinting at retiring in a few years.”

“And when he does, that means more work for you, right?”

“Yes, but I love what I do. I guess it’s in my blood.”

Much too soon the music came to an end. Without questioning why such a thing mattered to him, he kept a firm grip on her arm. Instead of leading her back to where she’d been standing before the dance, he led her toward the patio. “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s appreciate it, all right?”

“Okay.”

He couldn’t help but smile as he led her through the huge French doors and outside. For some reason he felt tonight would be his lucky night.

* * *

Virgil took a huge swig of his beer, bringing his thoughts back to the present. Had it been his lucky night? It depended on how he looked at it. Yes, they’d left the party early to share cups of coffee at that café, and, yes, from that night and for a full year after that, they’d dated exclusively. He chuckled, thinking she hadn’t been as easy as he thought to get into bed. She had made him earn that right and he’d felt it had been worth it. She had been worth it. And he had fallen hopelessly in love. Their time together had been happy times...till they were tinged with heartache when she’d accused him of being involved with another woman.

When he saw her tomorrow he would be as professional as he could, no matter how much he would hate every minute of doing so. He didn’t want to give anyone, especially his father, the impression that he felt anything for her anymore.

He finished off the rest of his beer and was about to change into more comfortable clothing when his mobile phone went off. He recognized the ringtone. Each of his godbrothers had their own specific ring. “What’s up, W? Calling all the way from Australia is probably costing you a pretty penny, isn’t it?”

Over the years he and his godbrothers had shortened their names for each other to just the first letter. Winston, a marine biologist, and his wife, Ainsley, were currently living in Australia near the Great Barrier Reef on some project dealing with sea turtles.

“Just giving all of you a heads-up that I’ll be home next month.”

Virgil chuckled. “You were home six months ago. Getting homesick?”

Winston returned his chuckle. “No. Ainsley and I love it here. Six months ago we were home for her parents’ wedding anniversary. This time it’s for Uriel. Have you forgotten his birthday is next month? I talked to Ellie and she’s throwing a party at the lake and would like all of us there.” He paused a moment and then asked, “How are things going with you, V?”

He knew why Winston was asking. When he was home back in February, Virgil and his godbrothers had been together at the charity ball when Virgil had seen Kara. They knew what Kara had once meant to him and were glad she’d finally found out the truth about her sister. They’d also thought it had taken a lot of guts for her to apologize, considering how he’d been staring her down all night. And last but not least, they all thought he should have accepted the apology she offered. They felt he should be able to forgive Kara even if he didn’t want to have anything to do with her ever again.

Virgil didn’t see it that way. He saw no reason to release her from the guilt of accusing him of something he hadn’t done. “Things are okay,” he finally said. “Tyson’s wedding went off without a hitch. In fact, he had that same lovesick look that you did at your wedding.”

“It’s the ‘I’m in love’ look, Virgil. I recall you once wore it yourself.”

“That was when I didn’t know any better. It was before I talked you guys into forming the club. The one you, York, Xavier and Uriel defected from.”

“Only to pursue happier days.”

“If you say so,” Virgil said, shaking his head.

“Have you seen Kara since that night, V?”

Virgil frowned. “Why would I see her after that night?”

“Um, maybe you’ve had a change of heart. Called her. Asked her out for old times’ sake.”

“Don’t hold your breath. But I will be seeing her tomorrow. Not my choice, believe me.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

He then told Winston about his father’s plan to improve his image.

“Well, I hope you don’t plan to be an obnoxious ass when you see her. She did apologize. And can you imagine having a sister like Marti?”

Most of his godbrothers knew Marti because she’d dated Xavier. According to Xavier, three weeks was all he could take of Marti Goshay, who thought a lot of herself. Even Virgil would admit it was hard to believe Marti and Kara were siblings. They were as different as night and day.

“Can you imagine how Kara must feel knowing her sister lied? If you can’t trust your sibling, then who can you trust?”

Virgil decided not to answer that. In fact he really didn’t want to discuss the Goshay sisters any longer. He deliberately got Winston to talk about something else—namely his work. Winston loved what he did for a living and went on to tell Virgil how his research on the turtles was coming.

When Winston began getting too scientific, Virgil decided it was time to end their conversation. “We’ll get together when you arrive in town, W.”

“You bet. Take care.”

“You, too.”

“And remember to be nice tomorrow, V.”

“I’ll try. Can’t make any promises.”

Virgil clicked off the phone. Dread filled him as he thought about tomorrow. Just like he told Winston, as far as being nice to Kara went, all he could do was try.