Page 3 of River
“Not to me, you dimwit! To Kara!”
“Oh…” I look up at her. Take in the gorgeous, full-figured woman standing before me. The woman who’s been caring for my mom for all these months without me even knowing. The woman that’s gained my mom’s trust. Earned a place in her heart. The woman whose large, round breasts and luscious red lips are sending all the blood from my head to my cock and making it hard to even talk. “I’m sorry, Kara,” I mumble, hypnotized by her beauty, “I jumped to conclusions and acted like a jerk. Can you forgive me?”
3
Kara
I’ve barely finished makingLilly her breakfast, when River sneaks up behind me and asks if we can talk.
“I don’t think we have anything to say to each other.” I push past him so I can put the clean plates away.
I’ve had my fill of assholes in the last twenty-four hours. What with Wayland being sleazy as hell, and then River treating me like I’m a skank. It’s about all I can take. And I have to muster all my energy not to slap him in the face.
Yes, I accepted his apology yesterday. But that doesn’t mean I have to like the man.
Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t up half the night thinking about him.
Half the time I was imagining what it would have been like to slap him across the face. To throw his stupid apology right back at him and then tell him exactly what I thought of him. The other half of me was imagining what it would be like to have those huge, tough hands all over my body. To breathe in his musky scent as his lips caress my skin.
He may be an arrogant, self-righteous, douchebag. But that doesn’t mean he’s not hot as hell. And, I’m a woman. A woman who hasn’t had any action in a long, long time. Someone who’s been too busy with work and looking after their little brother to indulge in relationships.
“Please, Kara.” He pulls out a chair and grins modestly at me. “It will only take a couple of minutes, and I think you’re really going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“Fine!” I throw the dishcloth on the counter and take a seat in a different chair to the one he’s holding.
It’s kind of a power move. I fold my arms across my chest and glare at him. But the main reason I don’t want to sit in his stupid chair is because I’m worried I might accidentally rub up against his hand. I’m not sure I’d be able to control myself if that happened.
River takes the seat he was offering me and puts his arms on the table. He steeples his fingers and takes a deep breath.
“About yesterday,” he starts. “I know I’ve already apologized. But I feel like I need to say it twice.”
He lifts his eyes up and looks at me. My heart literally skips a beat. How the heck did this man get so handsome? And why is he having this effect on me? Doesn’t he know I have bigger things on my plate right now?
I never usually go for the big, rugged men. Not that I have much choice in the matter.
But, if asked what my type is, the person I describe would probably look nothing like River.
Yet, here I am, sitting across from him. Totally frigging smitten. Mesmerized by his size and his inherent power. By his muscles, rippling beneath his clothes, and the animal-like ferocity barely concealed behind his eyes.
“Yesterday was a tough day for me. I only found out my mom was sick two days ago. I rushed down here as soon as possible. Driving nearly eighteen hours. And then I saw her, and it broke my heart and I know this sounds like an excuse, but I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I was angry and I was upset and I took it out on you and that wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. And I regret my actions deeply.”
“Okay.” I clamp my hands under my armpits, resisting the urge to reach over and squeeze his hand. “I already told you I accept your apology, River. Can we just move on?”
“Yes,” he says, standing up and walking over to the window. He looks out at the garden with his back to me. “Move on. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.” He turns back around and perches his huge hip against the wall. “I think I’ve had an idea.” For a moment, he chews his bottom lip, looking down at me. I do everything I can not to stare at the huge lump in his jeans. It’s right at eye level, and it’s like he has a goddamn gallon bottle of coke just begging to be squeezed and rubbed and shoved between my legs. “What would you say if I asked you to look after my mom full time?”
“Full time?” I ask.
He’s caught me by complete surprise. It takes a minute for me to work out how I feel about the idea. My fingers tap against the table.
“You mean, like, live here?”
“Exactly.” He steps a little closer to me. I have to crane my neck to look him in the face. “There’s a spare bedroom upstairs. It used to be my brother’s room. But he’s in the army, overseas, so he won’t be needing it. We can clear all his stuff out and put it in the garage and you can stay there.”
“I don’t want any charity, River.” I stand up so I can be more on eye level with him. But even on my tiptoes, my eyes barely reach his shoulder. “If this is about finding some way to pay me extra money so I can pay back my loan, then I’m not interested. I got myself into this mess, and I’ll get myself out of it, too.”
“It’s not about that,” he says. “Well, not completely.
“I mean, you need the money, right? And I need someone to help me look after my mom. I was up half the night scared out of my mind. What if something happens and you’re not here? I don’t know what to do! If something bad happens to her and it’s my fault, I’ll never forgive myself.” He sits back down and runs his fingers through his hair. I find myself putting my hands on his shoulders and squeezing.
