Can't Get Enough of You (18 page)

“We've only been involved a short time, but we're resourceful enough to come up with a way to do it all, though. Lenna might not realize it yet, but she needs help. I'm sure she'd do the same for me if the situation were reversed.” She covered a yawn. “Sorry.”

“It's Leah,” he reminded her, tugging her along with him. “Let's get some sleep.”

“I know it's Leah. I'm just exhausted.”

“I bet. You've been working nonstop for weeks, babe. First you worked to find your siblings, and then getting ready for Thanksgiving.” He urged her past the bed into the bathroom. “We'll sleep a lot better after a hot shower.”

Jenna was too tired to argue. The hot water left her feeling almost boneless. She let him take care of her. Luxuriating in the feel of his soapy hands gliding over her skin, she could only sigh when Scott dried her off and carried her to bed.

Cradled against his side, she pushed away fear that she was becoming too dependent on him and it was a mistake to let her guard down. When he left her—and she had no doubt that one day he would leave—she was going to once again be alone. She would be left with even more memories to mark their time together. Jenna sighed soberly. Letting him back into her life was a risk she'd been willing to take. Falling in love was not something she was willing to chance.

She couldn't forget the euphoria she'd felt when he'd asked her to be his wife all those years ago. Nor had she forgotten how much she'd yearned to have his babies. The dream might have died a slow, painful death, but for some strange reason the longing hadn't disappeared.

For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to have his child. Her heart filled at the giddy thought. All her life she had desperately longed for a family of her own. In a sense, she had that now that her siblings were back in her life. If only she could forget about the children she and Scott had talked about having during the happy times. It had been nothing more than a sweet fantasy. She'd never seriously considered raising a child alone. But she'd always hoped their baby would have every advantage, which, in her estimation, meant growing up in a loving home with two adoring parents.

Even now, as she recalled her dream of lifelong commitment, Jenna accepted that she wouldn't settle. She could never be happy with less, both for her own sake and her baby's. Too bad: she'd always been an all-or-nothing kind of girl.

So why, then, was she lying in the arms of the man she knew she couldn't trust with her heart and her future? It made no sense. Yet Jenna didn't have a sensible answer. When it came to Scott Hendricks, she was shamefully weak.

No, she hadn't completely lost her mind. But for now she wanted what she wanted . . . which happened to be Scott. When they were done, they'd go their separate ways. She might be a little worse for wear, but her spirit and her heart wouldn't be broken.

Eighteen

J
enna couldn't stop smiling as she hugged her twin sister. They were surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Detroit's Metropolitan Airport.

“I can't believe you're here,” she said, reluctantly letting her sister go.

“Believe it.” Leah laughed. “You are stuck with me for awhile. I gave up my apartment and job.”

“You're going to stay?” Jenna exclaimed, picking up her sister's heavy carry-on bag.

“For a few weeks. I don't remember much about Detroit. I'm willing to give it a shot. That's if you haven't changed your mind about putting me up?”

Jenna laughed as they walked toward the set of escalators that would take them to the luggage claim area. “I won't change my mind. It had to have been a difficult decision for you to give up your place and your job.”

Leah laughed. “Jobs like that aren't hard to get. As long as I stay in shape and keep my weight down, I shouldn't have problems getting another one. Besides, I was ready to move out the day John walked out on me. He picked out that place, not me. I was tired of struggling to pay that jacked-up rent. I can live without a pool and a gym. John wanted to impress all his friends. I was the one working long hours to keep us off the streets.” Leah swore, calling him a particularly foul name. “I don't even know what I saw in him!”

Jenna's face heated with embarrassment, aware of the way heads turned as they passed. They were both dressed casually in jeans and sweaters, but Leah's jeans were skintight and hugged her curves like a second skin, and her red V-neck pullover was low cut and clung to her full breasts. Jenna's jeans flattered her figure, and her lavender turtleneck just skimmed her curves and highlighted her creamy brown complexion.

There was no doubt that the two were identical twins, but there were differences. Jenna's lips were tinted in dark magenta, and her shoulder-length, wavy hair framed her face. Leah was heavily made up, her eyes outlined with thick black liner. She'd added fake lashes for drama, and her lips were painted a bright crimson and were shiny with gloss. Her straightened hair flowed to the middle of her back. Jenna's nails were polished with white French tips, and she wore two-inch heels. Leah's nails were long, painted a dark red, and she wore four-inch platform heels.

Jenna encouraged her sister, “You're better off without John. You'll see once you're settled. You've got time to relax and get your bearings before you decide what you want to do next.”

Once they'd collected four large cases, Jenna paid a porter to carry them outside.

“Leah, you wait here while I go get the car. It won't take long.”

“What happened to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Rich? And the limousine service? You didn't break it off with him, did you?” Leah quizzed.

“His name is Scott. And he's got a class. Besides, I wanted to pick you up myself. Be right back.” Jenna hurried away.

It was early evening by the time Jenna got Leah home and settled into the largest guest bedroom. Looking at the piles of clothes spread out on the bed and armchair, Jenna asked, “Are you sure you don't need my help?”

“We've done enough for now. It will keep. I'm thirsty. Let's get something to drink,” Leah urged.

Jenna led the way into the kitchen and asked, “What would you like? Fruit juice? A soft drink?”

“Got any beer?”

Jenna blinked in surprise. “Of course. I keep a few bottles in the refrigerator for Scott.” Grabbing a bottle of the imported beer and a can of Vernors, she opened a cabinet and brought down glasses. “Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”

“No glass,” Leah said, reaching for the bottle. “Mm, the good stuff.” She pointed to the label. “Got any snacks?”

Jenna smiled, opening a bag of potato chips and dumping them in a large bowl. She also opened a can of salted mixed nuts and poured them into a small bowl before collecting napkins.

“You have a gorgeous home. What I don't get is why you live here and not with Scott?”

In the living room the twins sat side by side on the sofa, food on the coffee table. Leah had turned on the flat-screen television beside the fireplace.

“Well?” Leah prompted.

Amused, Jenna asked, “What makes you think we don't live together?”

“Look around. No men's coats in the hall closet. No men's gear in the bathroom. Nothing's out of place. Nothing related to sports, specifically basketball. I've seen nothing that could possibly belong to a man, except for a few bottles of beer,” Leah remarked as she tipped her drink for a swallow.

Jenna munched on a chip. “I'm proud that I can take care of myself. I've been on my own since I was eighteen. There was only one time in my life when I lived with a man, and I was a kid, in love for the first time. I take pride in having put myself through college and paying my own rent all these years. With the help of scholarships, grant money, and part-time jobs until grad school, I can honestly say I did it on my own. This house might be modest, but it's all mine.”

Leah ignored the comment. “Tell me about Scott.”

Trying not to let it show that her feelings were hurt, Jenna asked, “What about him?”

“He's your man. So why do you live like everybody else when you could be living the life? From what I saw, the man's loaded, for God's sake!”

Jenna scolded, “Don't take the Lord's name in vain.”

Leah rolled her eyes, helping herself to more chips. “Are you going to answer my question, Jenna Marie Gaines?”

“I thought it was obvious, Lenna Marie Gaines.”

“Not to me.”

“I wasn't raised to expect someone else to do what I can do for myself,” Jenna explained. She'd worked her butt off to make a good life for herself. Why couldn't her sister appreciate that?

“Neither was I, but that didn't mean I bought into that sh—”

“Leah! Please watch your mouth!”

“Okay! Okay! You are too much. A real lady. Can we get back to you and Scott? Why did you go after Mr. NBA if you didn't want the entire package? You could have settled for any old dude working on the assembly line.”

“It was never about money with Scott. I fell in love with a poor nineteen-year-old college student who just happened to play basketball. Neither one of us had any money. We used to pool our money just to go out for a movie and hamburgers. We'd lived together less than a year when he quit school and decided to play basketball. He went his way, and I went mine.”

“You broke up just when the brother was about to make some cash?”

“Yes. Scott made money. Lots of it, but that had nothing to do with me.” Jenna went on to explain her decision to pursue her goals and how they'd met again on campus.

“So you two were apart all those years. And only recently got back together,” Leah said, incredulous. “I still don't get it. Tell me why you have not moved into his big old mansion? I bet it's gorgeous.”

“He knows better than to ask.” Jenna was too embarrassed to admit she hadn't even seen his home. She had no idea how big it was. When they'd slept together, it had always been at her place. For all she knew, he could be living in a cave in the heart of the city.

“Stupid, if you ask me. What's the point of having all that money if you can't take advantage of it?”

“That's where you and I are different, little sis. I'm really not interested in what Scott owns. It's the man I'm attracted to.” Determined to change the subject, Jenna said, “Detroit has a lot to offer. Once you have settled in, I'd like to show you the city and where I work. I'd also like you to meet my foster sisters. We grew up together. Do you remember me telling you about them?”

“Yeah, yeah. The very successful Laura and Sherri Ann. I can hardly wait. So, what do you do for fun in this city? I'm talking about clubs and casinos. Where do you and Scott go when you go out?”

“Scott and I spend time with family and friends. And we're both busy with our careers. I'm a real homebody, but don't worry. We'll take you wherever you want to go. Plus, we're not far from Windsor, Canada.”

“Do you and Scott plan to get married?” Leah quizzed.

“Why are you so interested in my relationship with Scott?”

“Just wondering how serious you are about him.”

“Why?”

Leah shrugged. “Who knows? When you get tired of him, you can pass him along to me. You know what they say about twins.”

“What?”

“Why, they share everything, including men,” Leah joked.

“What?” Jenna said in disbelief.

“It was a joke!”

Jenna wasn't amused, but she dismissed it. “I'm surprised that you're even thinking about men, especially after what you've been through.”

“What does that mean . . . ‘been through'? John was a real jerk, but he didn't beat me or anything drastic like that. I'm not stupid. I wouldn't put up with that. One of the girls at the club was always coming in with a fresh set of bruises. We all tried to talk some sense into her, but she wouldn't listen.”

“Well, I'm glad to hear you didn't have to deal with that. No, I meant I thought you would be turned off men for awhile. John disrespected you and took advantage of you. That hurt.”

“That's what life's about. Do unto others before they can do it to you. This girl likes men. And I plan to take after my big sis. Find a man with a fat wallet.” Leah giggled. “Be right back.” She went into the kitchen.

Jenna laughed, shaking her head. Life was full of surprises. She was thrilled to have her twin with her, even if they didn't exactly agree on everything.

When Leah returned with another bottle of beer, Jenna teased, “You and Laura are going to get along just fine. She's always saying the right man is a rich man.”

Laughing, Leah said, “I like her already. She and I are going to have to get Scott to introduce us to some of his professional ball-playing friends. I bet you can talk him into throwing a party. Invite some of his wealthy friends. The only females invited will be me and you, and Laura and Sherri Ann. It sounds like a plan to me.”

Jenna was laughing so hard that she nearly fell off the sofa.

“I'm serious!”

That sent Jenna into another bout of giggles.

“Do you remember when we dared Lincoln to eat that bug and he did it?” Leah responded, giggling herself. “We told Mama, and she nearly turned him upside down trying to shake it out of him.” Leah was laughing so hard that she was holding her side.

“Oh, I remember! We ended up spending most of the night in the emergency room because she didn't believe him when he said he didn't really eat it. And I wasn't the one who dared him. That was your doing, little sis.”

“So it was. But I didn't think he'd really do it,” Leah confessed.

“Neither did I.”

“You haven't changed. Look at this place, beautifully decorated. You always kept your dolls looking like new. They always had hair, clothes, and the shoes, while mine were naked and bald in no time. I hated that about you.”

“I know, you used to complain about it,” Jenna said.

“How'd you do it? We were little kids.”

“I don't know. I just tried to take care of my things. I even tried to take care of you and even Lincoln when Mama wasn't around. He was older, but I was always such a little mother hen.”

Leah nodded. “I remember. I was so scared. I hated it when she left us alone in the house, especially at night,” Leah admitted.

“Me, too. Especially after Daddy left.”

“Do you remember him?” Leah asked.

“I didn't think so, until I saw Lincoln. He looks like Daddy,” Jenna said sadly. “We were so young when he left.”

“I remember her crying all the time. She was always so sad,” Leah said.

Jenna said, “It had to have been hard on her with three little kids to take care of on her own.”

Leah scowled. “She had no business going off and leaving us alone to fend for ourselves.”

“You still blame her for not coming back?” Jenna asked.

“I do. What about you? Don't you blame her for leaving us the way she did? If she'd have just stayed, we wouldn't have been separated. We would have grown up together.”

Jenna was surprised by the level of resentment in her twin's voice. “I try not to blame her. What good can it do? I only end up feeling guilty and sad when I do.” She put her arm around her twin's shoulder. They sat with their heads touching, like they did when they were little. “I honestly think she did her best. It just wasn't enough to keep us together.”

“I suppose she was no worse than the Bennetts. They never kept their promises. They said they'd take care of me, but they never loved me. Do you think Lincoln blames Mama?”

“I honestly don't know, Leah. But for his sake, I hope not,” Jenna said sadly.