9781631052347OnCallKenyan (15 page)

He
smiled and she knew she had saved the situation. “Sure. I will make sure my
schedule is cleared for you.”

“Thanks.”
Katherine and AJ stared at each other for a while. Now what? Take a risk. The
command came to her mind before she had the chance to process it. Her body took
action, getting on her tip toes she kissed AJ’s cheek. She took a couple of
steps back, her gaze locked on his the whole time.

“Coming
through!”

Katherine
jumped away just in time as a gurney came rushing down the hallway. “I’ll see
you at home. And about that, I am looking for alternative accommodations.”

AJ
nodded and smiled at her the whole time, not saying a word.

* * *
*

Katherine
looked at her watch for the umpteenth time. She was expecting time to slow down
for her. Already her mother had called her three times to confirm the dinner
and to give her time checks. The last time she called, she made sure to point
out that she was late. Katherine looked up when she felt like her skin was
crawling. She looked around wondering what gave her that awkward feeling. When
she turned her head to the left she met half a dozen glares directed her way.
Katherine frowned at them, but they didn’t falter.

“Hey,
beautiful.”

Her
stomach did a flip when she heard the timbre of AJ’s voice vibrate through her.
“Hi…hi.” What the hell was wrong with her voice? “What’s wrong with them?”

“Well.”
AJ’s hands wrapped around her waist and he turned her body to face his.
Katherine watched, her hands held up as if in surrender. “Someone might have
told them, that the greatest stud in this hospital—”

“Just
this hospital?” she teased.

“Well
I’d like to say New York—”

“But
you haven’t bedded the whole of New York yet.” Katherine immediately regretted
what she said. Her eyes shifted to his chest, unwilling to see desire leave his
eyes to be replaced by anger. But AJ shocked her by nuzzling her neck. His hot
breath scorched her skin, as he planted kisses along her neck.

“I
don’t have to. I have the prettiest girl in New York in my arms.” AJ looked at
her and smiled. “Anyway, I was saying, they’ve found out that the greatest stud
in New York is taken. He has finally found the girl he is willing to be chained
to. They’re not very happy about it.”

“I bet
they aren’t.” She rose to her tip toes and kissed his. Speaking against his
lips she said. “You’re lucky I’m fond of you and that ego of yours.”

“Good
thing I have the skill to back it up.”

AJ
lifted her off her feet and was about to kiss her when her phone rang.
“Arrgggh! It’s my mother. I need to go.”

“Are
you getting a cab?”

“I
don’t have a car. You know that.”

AJ
reached into his pocket and retrieved the keys to his car. Katherine
immediately thought about what Reno said about AJ and his Range Rover. “Take
mine.”

“Are
you sure?”

“I
trust you.”

My God.
Katherine felt like her knees
would give and she would crumble to the floor. She didn’t think she would ever
hear those words. To Katherine, at the moment, those words meant more to her
than if he had told her he loved her. She took the keys and kissed him before
running out the hospital doors.

Chapter
Thirteen

I trust you,
Katherine smiled to herself
once more. She couldn’t ask for a better way to start her night. Inhaling
deeply she could still catch the scent of him. She could see his eyes, like
dark roses, seductive and laced with the forbidden. The gentle brush of his
lips was enthralling, lighting up nerves in every single part of her body, and
settling a pool of warmth in her belly. His breath warm when he whispered
against her ear and her lips, pressing against the pulse point in her throat.
And when she tasted him, he was too sweet to pull away from.

Her
arms went around her as she hugged herself, imagining that his freakishly large
arms were holding her one more time. A slow smile crept on her lips, and all
she could think about was getting back home to him. It didn’t matter that they
weren’t making love anymore; she just wanted to be held, to feel his strong
body against hers, his lips…

“Katherine?”
Her eyes snapped open and she met the curious gazes of her family. She could
feel a crimson blush warm her cheeks. “Would you please get out of whatever
fantasy you seem to have disappeared into and pay attention to the situation at
hand.” Trust Veronica Henry to turn a molehill into a mountain. “Your brother
wants to ship himself over to some God-forsaken country. Say something.”

“Look
at it this way, Kit, they too, think we are a God-forsaken country,” Katherine
said and was rewarded by a few strangled chuckles.

Her
father, sitting at the head of the table, cleared his throat killing the mood.
“Of course you would find this funny. Everything is a joke to you. You too
turned your back on your family business.”

Katherine
shot a look at Christian, who had always been Kit to her since the day they had
brought him and Christopher from the hospital. It had been just her and Duke
for three years. At that time, she and Duke had been close. He had taken care
of her, clothed her, bathed her, fed her and was the perfect big brother.

When
the twins were brought home, she understood she had to be just as responsible
for the two. She had always taken care of Kit while Duke took care of
Topher
. That way both babies got attention at the same
time. It had always been that way even as grownups.

Now she
looked into the blue-gray eyes of the little baby she used to bottle-feed. He
was a grown man who approached every decision carefully and thought and
rethought even a sandwich order. Christopher was the spur of the moment kind of
guy. He had enough adventure for both himself and his cautious twin brother.

Katherine
believed Christian had thought about his decision. He would be leaving
everything behind, even the big piece of his identity, Christopher. She didn’t
like the idea of them being separated, but they were men now. Men, who should
be able to make their own decisions and choices. The last thing she wanted for
them was to be turned into father’s puppets. She wasn’t going to let her father
take over their lives the same way he had Duke’s.

“I
believe Kit has thought about it. He’s old enough to make his own choices, we
should trust him.” Katherine looked at Duke. He seemed to have tuned out of the
conversation. His proper, chosen, mannequin wife was staring at her acrylic
nails. She bet the biggest decision Yvette had ever made was whether pink
looked good with her olive island features. She didn’t look like someone who
knew how to make an honest living. To her knowledge money was plastic and
appeared in Duke’s wallet and disappeared in a retail store.

“I
think Christopher and I can handle the family business. Let Christian do what
he wants, father.” Duke’s deep baritone had become so unfamiliar to her that
she sat back marveling at its timbre.

“Yes
father, let him do what he wants. Soon enough he will realize he can’t live
without me and come back.” Christopher’s ego spoke up.

“Hardly.”
Christian scoffed. “Father, I don’t really need your permission. I am an adult.
This is what I want to do. I want to serve my country.”

“This
is entirely your fault, Katherine.” Harry barked.

“How
so?”

“Don’t
talk back to your father.” Victoria reprimanded.

“I am
just defending myself, mother. Father cannot be judge, jury and executor of
this family anymore.” Katherine for the first time in her life felt brave. She
knew that soon she would have to defend her relationship with AJ against her
parents. She thought it would be better to start now.

“You
are not one to talk about what is right and wrong, Katherine. Your brother
tells us you are living with a man.” The judgment in Victoria’s voice rang
true.

“Kit!”

“Sorry.”

“Yes, I
live with a man…” Katherine’s courage seemed to flee her body. “…who also
happens to be my boyfriend.” She heard the clangs of several forks as they hit
their plates. “He is a brilliant surgeon.”

“If he
was that brilliant he would have gone to a more prestigious hospital,” Harry
cut in.

Katherine
scoffed. In other words her father was saying that she, too, wasn’t smart
enough to get into a better teaching hospital. Of course, she wasn’t surprised
at how he downplayed how hard she had worked to get into Lenox Hill. Sure, her
first options had been John Hopkins and George Washington Hospitals. But she
had applied late, as wrangling her future out of her father’s hands had put her
back. But she was proud of where she was now. It was the best hospital in New
York.

“Actually
he stayed in New York for his family.”

“At
least he knows the value of family.”

“His
sister had leukemia. He did not stay behind to run the family business. His
sisters are doing that. His father let him follow his heart professionally,”
Katherine said.

“His
father must be an idiot.”

“His
reputation in Wall Street begs to differ. He seems to have accumulated a huge
fortune and, most important, a solid business and legal standing.”

“Who
exactly is this man?”

Katherine
watched as both Duke and her father leaned in. She couldn’t say for sure what
her elder brother was thinking or what his interest was, but she could smell
the greed oozing out of her father’s pores. The old man was thinking mergers of
empires and family social standing. Already Harry was thinking of marrying his
daughter away to an unnamed man for the better of his business. She personally
wouldn’t mind, but she didn’t figure Adrian Ross Senior was one to merge
anything with her father.

“Adrian
Ross Junior. His father is Senior, unlike you and your first born son, they
share a name.”

Katherine
sat in shock as Harry forced his chair back and stormed off in a fit of rage.
She looked around the table in confusion. “Was it something I said?”

“I think
you should get back home, kitty
kat
.” Duke spared her
a smile before taking off after their father.

“Mother?”

Victoria
stood up, a scowl claiming her porcelain face.

“What
the hell?”

“You
sure know how to clear a room, sis.” Christopher laughed.

Katherine
rose to her feet and gave her brothers a hug goodbye. She stood back as Yvette
graced her with three air kisses. She didn’t know how she was expected to
react. “Kit, always do what is best for you. You are going to be okay. Call me
if you need anything.”

When
Katherine stepped out into the cold New York air, she felt relieved. She was
getting away from her father and going home to AJ.

* * *
*

“Dad,
do you know a Harold Henry?” AJ asked at the dining table that weekend.
Katherine told him about the bizarre reaction her father had to his name. And
since he hadn’t met the man he knew it had something to do with business.

“Yes.”
Senior cleared his throat and gave his mother an uncomfortable look. Something
more was going on. “We did business together a while ago. We had a falling out.
It’s no big deal.”

“Why do
you ask,
mijo
?” his mother asked.

“He
happens to be Katherine’s father.” AJ watched in silent confusion at the somber
way his father nodded his head, and the glances his parents kept giving each
other.

“Do you
love her?” It was an odd question especially from his father. He expected his
mother to ask that.

“Yes…Yes,
I love her,” AJ answered. He was sure about that, but his certainty of their
future together was getting less plausible with every frown on his father’s
face. “Am I going to have a problem with her father?”

“If you
both love each other, it doesn’t matter,” Senior answered, the frown deepening.
“Look at Lisette and Reno. They made it.”

“Michael
and I.” Catalella piped in, but he was definitely not going to follow their
example. AJ was determined to make a love match. He wasn’t interested in being
comfortable. He wanted to combust with the passion and love he would feel for
his wife. So far, his and Katherine’s relationship had all the ingredients for
a love match. The fights and challenges included. He wanted a marriage, not a
farce.

“Are
you going to tell me how bad this situation is between you and Harold?” If he
was going to be fighting for his relationship, he needed to know his odds.

“Is
Katherine independent or does she do what her father asks her to.”

“She
rebels actually.” AJ chuckled. Her rebellion is what brought her to his home in
the first place.

“Then
you might just have a chance.”