Page 36 of Relentless Pursuit

He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she meant. He closed her door without answering and made his way to the driver’s side. Maybe once he was out of Jack’s driveway, he could get a handle on what the hell was happening between them. Right now, he was too confused to think straight.

He backed out of the long, stone-paved path and onto the road. “What did you mean by your question?”

“I meant did you want to go to dinner with them, and if so, who did you want to go with?”

I take the woman I’m matched up with,” he said. “But in this particular circumstance, that woman doesn’t want her brother to know we’re together.”

“Did you want to tell Jack today?”

“I didn’t like lying.”

“Neither did I, but given that circumstance you just mentioned, I think it’s best if we wait. I don’t know how we’d explain us to him.”

He pulled the car to the side of the road, put it in park, and unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Why did we stop?” She looked around the sparse neighborhood. The development was new and most houses weren’t built yet. Jack and Caroline were one of the first to buy land and build.

“Because.” He twisted his fingers in her soft curls and guided her face to his, kissing her slow, making sure to commit every detail of their connection to memory. “I’ve been waiting to do that all afternoon. I’m not sure how I resisted the urge to do it sooner.”

“I wanted you to kiss me.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t keep my relationship a secret from anyone. I am who I am, and most of my friends know I don’t do serious. Even my mother has accepted it.”

She clasped her hands together, wringing her fingers. Why did he put her on edge?

“I realize things are a bit different, given my best friend is your brother. I agree that could become awkward for all of us because of what he knows about me and women. Hell, if I had a sister, I wouldn’t want her with someone like me.”

“You’re not as bad as you make yourself out to be.” She continued to fidget with her hands. “I had a really good time last night, and I’m not scarred for life after sleeping in your bed.”

“I like having you in my bed.” He placed his hand over hers, trying to calm her. “I hope you’ll come back next weekend.”

“I was hoping you would ask.”

“I have to fly to Dallas on Tuesday to meet with a potential witness, but I’ll be home by Friday. Plan to stay the weekend with me. I have some ideas.” He traced his finger across her lips. “Several ideas.”

She licked the tip of his finger and smiled.

It’s going to be a long week.

Chapter 10

Thursday evening, Kayla came home to find a package had been delivered to her door. She bent down and scooped it from the entryway of the brownstone she shared with three other residents. They each had a separate entrance to their own small apartment. It wasn’t as grand as Julian’s two-story penthouse, but it was her space, and she loved living in the city.

She dropped her work bag in the living room and set the package on the coffee table. She didn’t recognize the return address, but it appeared to be from a suite somewhere in Manhattan. Ripping off the brown packaging paper, she lifted the lid to a black, eloquent box. There was a note on top of some tissue paper.

Womenas incredible as you deserve special items. This is only the beginning.

Looking forward to this weekend.

Julian

Gently pulling backthe tissue paper, she revealed a black designer handbag. She ran her hand over the soft leather, admiring the shiny, gold emblem.Holy shit!She’d been eyeing several of these bags at a department store on Fifth Avenue, but they were far too expensive. How could he have known she would like something like this? It was too much. How could she accept such an elaborate gift from a man she was... What were they doing? Having sex. Was this some sort of payment? Was she his—

A quick knock at the door interrupted her negative thought process. She hopped up from the couch and peeked out the side panel window to find Connie standing in the doorway. Kayla opened the door, surprised to see her friend.

“Hey,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I need a favor.”

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