Page 19 of Queen of Diamonds
“First, I owe you an apology, Kinsey.”
No kidding.
“I should have believed you. There are reasons for why I reacted the way I did, which you’ll understand after you meet your brothers.”
What was he saying?
“I do know them, but they’d never once mentioned that they had a sister.”
“They don’t know.” He knew them? Why had he claimed not to?
“Actually, turns out they did, and they’ve been looking for you.”
It was a good thing she was sitting down since she was pretty sure her heart stopped beating.
“Are you okay?” he asked when she put her hand on her chest.
“I don’t think so. Did you tell them about me?” At his nod she said, “I told you I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet them.”
“They’re good men, Kinsey. I promise. I know you have questions, and everything will be explained. After they tell you who they are, I hope you’ll understand why I doubted you. Then I’m hoping you’ll forgive me.” He stared at his shoes for a moment, then lifted his eyes to hers. “You’re the first woman I’ve been with since my life fell apart, and you made me feel alive again. I don’t know how things will change for you after you meet your brothers or if it’s a good idea for us to see each other, but I’d like to if I haven’t screwed things up with you.”
She’d like that, too, but she wasn’t ready to trust him again, so she decided not to commit to anything until she understood why he’d as much as called her a liar. “I guess now that they know about me, I don’t have a choice in meeting them.” Rand had also taken that away from her. Why hadn’t he told her first before going to her brothers?
“No, you don’t. If I don’t bring you to them, they’ll show up on your doorstep.” He glanced around her small living room. “They have a strong presence. It might be better to meet them at a neutral location, someplace where you have more space if you decide you need it.”
“Let me think about it. Maybe sometime next week.” Or next year.
He smiled as he shook his head. “Tonight. They won’t wait.”
“It’s too fast.” What did a week or two matter to them? They’d gone this long without her in their life.
“I think my place would be good, and anytime you’re ready to leave, I’ll bring you home.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You have about an hour before you have three men with strong personalities on your doorstep.”
“Fine. Give me a minute, and then we can get this over with.”
“I’ll wait outside.” He took his phone out, and she assumed he was going to call one of her brothers.
She went into her bedroom and retrieved her mother’s letter. She paused at the door and pressed her forehead against the frame. Between her feelings for Rand and knowing she was on the way to meet her brothers, she was a hot mess of nerves.
“Mom, look what you’ve started. I hope you know what you were doing.”
Kinsey watchedRand slip a key card into a slot and then punch the button for the top floor. She was beginning to suspect that her image of a biker bar owner’s one- or two-bedroom bachelor pad had missed the mark. A paycheck-to-paycheck man did not live in a luxurious complex right on Key Biscayne. The lobby alone would be a dream to live in with its gleaming black marble floors, white leather chairs and couches, and flower arrangements that must have cost six months of her salary.
When the elevator stopped, they stepped into a foyer with the same black marble floor as in the lobby. There were only two doors, and he put his hand on her back, leading her to the one on the right. Lord, he had half of the entire top floor?
He punched a series of numbers on a keypad, then opened the door. She stepped inside and barely managed to stifle a gasp. One wall was all glass with a view of the bay that had to be magnificent in the daytime. The floor was a beautiful dark wood, the cathedral ceiling soared up, and the walls were painted a soft dove gray. His furniture looked brand-new. The dark gray sofa was massive, but then so was the room. He’d added colors—blues and purples—in the paintings and knickknacks. She smothered a giggle. Calling the pieces scattered around the room knickknacks was insulting them.
She stole a glance at him to see him watching her as if waiting for her reaction, and she got the sense that he was nervous. Why? It was a beautiful home, so was he wanting her to be impressed? She was. He obviously had money. His car was a late model Mercedes, his clothes were expensive, and his home had to have cost a fortune. But he’d never bragged about any of that, which made her think he was afraid she’d like him for his money. A lot of women would. Personally she’d be more comfortable in that bachelor pad that she’d imagined him living in.
“Nice place,” she said, making sure she didn’t sound like she was gushing. She dropped her purse on the coffee table and then walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The view was definitely impressive, one she’d love to see in the daytime. It was pretty now, too. There was a marina below, and some of the boats bobbing in the water had lights on.
He came up beside her, close enough to catch his scent, and she had the urge to nestle her face against his neck and breathe him in. Her brain said to step away, but her body disagreed. She made the mistake of looking up, into his eyes. Something passed between them, something that had her catching her breath. A smiled played on his lips that sent her pulse to racing. She forced herself to put distance between them before she tackled him to the floor and had her way with him.
“When are they supposed to be here? My brothers.” The word still felt strange on her tongue.
