Chance Encounter (38 page)

“I hope you always believe that, sweetheart. But I know different.”

“I can understand why you would feel that way. You were treated horribly when you should’ve received compassion and help.”

“You think the shit people said about me was what turned me off to this life? It wasn’t. It was what I allowed it to do to me. If I hadn’t been so corruptible, I would’ve been the kind of father my little boy deserved.”

He held up his hand. “And before you try to defend me by saying Vanessa should’ve looked out for his well-being, let me just say that even though she should have, the responsibility was still mine. I was a bad husband and an even worse father. I got what I deserved.”

Kacie closed her eyes against the threatening tears. Brennan made it impossible to be angry with him. He beat himself up worse than anyone else could. But she could hurt for him. Hurt for the man who’d made mistakes and couldn’t take them back. Hurt for the man who would’ve made a wonderful father if circumstances had been different and he had been older, and wiser. Hurt for a man who had been unjustly judged and never fought to redeem himself because he didn’t care enough to try.

Yes, she hurt for him…and she hurt for them. Because, despite the fact that they were good together and she knew he cared deeply for her, it was clear he saw no future for them.

The ache in her chest was an agonizing pain, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Tears threatened to explode, pounding against her eyelids, and she fought them for all she was worth. She would not give into the pain right now. Not yet.

She went back into his arms, cherishing the last few moments she would have with hm. Part of her wanted to scream at the injustice of at last finding love only to have it denied her. But Kacie knew too much about loss not to appreciate what she had been given. Meeting this man, getting to know him, making love with him, had been a gift. He had saved her life, freed her sexually, and treated her as if she was something special.

She refused to sully those gifts with a temper tantrum or waste precious moments in tears. She would appreciate this time, and when he said good-bye, then and only then, would she allow the grief to take over.

But she had to make him understand. Had to make it clear how she felt. She raised her head and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. “I won’t try to convince you to stay, but I do think you’re wrong. You…we…can have everything if you just let us have it. We don’t have to live in the limelight. We can work all that out, make a private life for ourselves.”

The dubious expression on his face told her he didn’t believe it. Wasn’t buying it.

“Fine, I’ll drop it. But I want you to know that you’ll always be welcome in my home, and in my arms.”

“Kacie…don’t. I don’t deserve—”

“You deserve everything good and fine, Brennan Sinclair.” She pressed another kiss to his hard, unsmiling mouth but pulled away before she got carried away or became a sobbing, emotional mess. “While you pack and dress, I’ll make coffee.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can grab something when I get to the airport.”

She didn’t argue but got up and walked out of the room. Yes, it was cruel. She was completely nude, and though she felt she had plenty of flaws, she knew what her naked body did to Brennan. It turned him on, and she knew if she turned around, he’d be aroused.
 

So, yes, perhaps it was unfair of her, but since she didn’t cry, throw things, or have a temper tantrum, this was her way of protesting, of saying,
You could have this if only you were willing to fight for it
.

Sadly, she knew he wasn’t.

Brennan stood at the door. He didn’t want to go. Leaving her felt like he was leaving a body part behind. And in a way, he was, because she now possessed his heart, whether she realized it or not.

“Even though there’s no crazy woman after you, I want you to be careful, Kacie. Promise me.”

“Of course I will. I grew up in the city. And believe me, I learned my lesson with Harrington.”

“Will you be going on trips for the Montague job?”

“Not for a while. Most of the shoots will be in a studio.” She shrugged. “He said something about going to New England in September. But I should be in the city for most of the summer.”

He couldn’t tell her that he would come back and see her. He wouldn’t do that to her. Making promises he couldn’t keep was a thing of his past.

“If you need anything…” He had to leave it like that.
 

Something like compassion gleamed in her eyes, and she reached up and kissed him softly on the mouth. “Be safe, Brennan, and thank you for everything.”

It felt like a dismissal, like she wasn’t hurting nearly as much as he was. And, dammit, wasn’t that what he wanted? He didn’t want her hurt or sad. He wanted her to live a long, happy life.

Still, he couldn’t resist leaving an impression. Pulling her into his arms, he took advantage of the small gasp she released and covered her mouth in a soul-searing, body-melting, devouring kiss. His tongue plunged, retreated, and he ate at her lips, sucked hard, and plunged again. Over and over, until their bodies were plastered against each other, their hands touching, caressing, creating a need that would never be fulfilled.

Finally, he pulled away. They were both breathless, both aching. He stared at her for one more long second, and then he was gone.

Chapter Thirty-eight

“Arch your shoulder just a bit more.

“That’s right, love. Okay, just a little less smile. Give me a dreamy look… There you go. Tilt your head…not that far. Okay…okay that’s good. Keep moving like that.”

The camera clicked multiple times, and not for the first time Kacie was grateful for her training. Smiling when you wanted to cry wasn’t easy, but it was doable. Smiling as if you’re the happiest person on earth took work. Insinuating that Montague’s new Kacie Dane cosmetic line could change a life, or at least make your life happier, was her job. A tall order at any time, but when your heart was broken, it was almost impossible.
 

Yet she smiled, laughed, and joked as if life couldn’t be more perfect, when everything inside her felt as if it would disintegrate at any moment.

It had only been hours, yet she missed Brennan as if he’d been gone for weeks. Perhaps it was the dread of knowing that when she returned home, he wouldn’t be there. She would miss their morning coffee together—she wasn’t the most cheerful person in the morning, but Brennan had somehow always made her smile even when she was grumpy. They used to review her agenda while sipping that first cup, and she would always laugh at how he’d gripe about this event or that. She had liked his sense of humor, his realistic way of looking at life, and his kisses…oh, how she would miss his kisses.

Even if he had stayed, he wouldn’t have been around much. She knew from talking to Skylar that an LCR operative was on call twenty-four/seven. And an operation could take days, weeks, or even months to complete and close. But at least she’d have known that he would eventually come home to her. Now, he wouldn’t come back at all.

“That’s a wrap, love. Great job.”

Kacie smiled her appreciation for the photographer, who was both a professional and not a jerk. He was a Montague exclusive, and she would be working with him on all the photo shoots. She’d worked with enough unkind and downright cruel photographers to appreciate the ones who not only enjoyed their craft but also made the shoot pleasant for the models.

Even though it had been a short gig, just so the photographer and advertisers could consult on their vision for the campaign, Kacie realized she was beyond exhausted. She’d gotten almost no sleep last night because both she and Brennan had been insatiable. And this morning she’d gotten her heart broken. That was enough to tire out any girl.

A nice cup of hot tea for the blues, a couple of ibuprofen for her pounding head, and a long, hot bath for her tense muscles were all in her immediate future. After that, she would have to wing it. An hour-long crying jag sounded tempting, but since she had another shoot tomorrow, she couldn’t indulge.

Settling back into a taxi, Kacie closed her eyes and wondered what Brennan was doing at this very moment. Was he on another case already? He had told her about his training, and Noah wouldn’t have hired him if he wasn’t an expert in his field, but she couldn’t help but worry.

“We’re here, miss.”

The taxi driver’s voice jerked her awake. She hadn’t fallen asleep in a taxi in years. The idea that she might actually be able to sleep tonight perked her up. She paid the driver and stepped out onto the street.

“Kacie, where’s Brennan Sinclair? Did you two break up already?”

Carlton Lorrance stood in front of her. The mean gleam in his eyes made her think of a rabid wolf looking viciously at his next meal and not giving a damn who he had to tear apart to fill his belly.

He had disappeared from the scene for the past couple of weeks, and Kacie hadn’t spared a moment thinking about him. Too bad he hadn’t stayed gone.
 

Not wanting to waste a single moment of breath speaking to the jerk, Kacie turned her head and ran toward her building. The flash of a camera bulb told her he’d brought a photographer, so any lies he told would be accompanied by photographs.
 

Refusing to even look their way, Kacie dashed into her building. The second she entered, Vincent, the security man on duty tonight, stepped in front of Lorrance and barked, “Get out before I phone the police.”

“I’ve got rights.”

“Not in this building you don’t. Now get.”

Flashing a grateful smile and wink to Vincent, Kacie made rapid strides to the elevator. She needed to remember to give him an extra tip for his help.

Finally making it to her front door, Kacie went inside. Quickly dealing with the security panel on the wall, she then leaned back against the closed door, and breathed her first easy breath of the day.
 

It hit her once more how very lonely the apartment felt. After living in each other’s pockets for so long, not having Brennan beside her felt as though she had a limb missing.

Refusing to fall into that deep abyss of self-pity and loneliness that called out to her, Kacie set about doing what she’d promised herself. She first went to the kitchen and poured water into a kettle for her tea. While she waited for the water to boil, she went to the half bath off the hallway and downed a couple of painkillers.
 

The shrill cry of the tea kettle brought her back to the kitchen. With quick efficiency, she made a large mug of tea and then headed upstairs to her bedroom. Feeling quite proud of herself—after all, she’d already accomplished two of her three agenda items—she opened her bedroom door and flicked on the light.
 

The tea dropped from her hand, and Kacie barely registered the sting of hot liquid as it splattered over her legs and feet.

Breath rasped from her lungs, and her entire world expanded and then shrank into a dark hole of horror. Her walls were once again covered in photographs of William Harrington raping her. Who…what…?

A noise sounded behind her. Whipping around, almost stumbling, she faced her nightmare, her horror…her very own boogeyman.
 

William Harrington III had risen from the grave.

“Hello, my jewel. At last we’re together again.”

An electrifying pain clenched her muscles in a hideous mass of agony. With a small cry, Kacie tumbled into a dark, evil whirlpool of horror.

The Gulfstream G650 leveled out at 35,000 feet. The instant the pilot announced it was safe to move around, Brennan heard the other LCR operatives unbuckle their seat belts, talking and laughing.
 

He hadn’t lifted his head since he’d sat down. Lying before him was the entire file on Kacie’s case, from beginning to end, including all the background information on every person they’d investigated. Though Brennan knew the facts backward and forward, something kept niggling at his brain. Something wasn’t right, but for the life of him, he couldn’t pin it down.

“You going to join us, Sinclair?” McCall called out.

Lifting his head, he saw that everyone had gathered around the small conference table in the middle of the jet. Hoping whatever was bothering him would come to him soon, Brennan went to join his new co-workers.

He dropped into an empty seat and half-grinned at a comeback Sabrina Fox gave her partner, Aidan Thorne. He’d met the two only an hour or so ago and could already tell they were the type of partners who not only respected one another, but liked each other as well.

Tall, with long auburn hair, sparkling green eyes, and a surprisingly wicked sense of humor, Sabrina Fox made him think of the Raquel Welch poster from the old movie
One Million Years B.C
. She was both beautiful and powerful looking.

Her partner, Aidan, with his golden-blond looks and toothpaste-ad smile, had the kind of model handsomeness that would be more at home in Hollywood or on a magazine cover. Earlier, Sabrina had referred to him as LCR’s Adonis. The vulgar comeback Thorne had given her had only made her laugh louder.

The dynamics of the two LCR partnerships he’d seen so far were interesting and seemed polar opposites. Whereas Fox and Thorne ribbed and snarked at each other like they were siblings, or best friends, Riley Ingram and Justin Kelly barely spoke to one another. Yet, other than a couple of disagreements, they had seemingly worked well together in New York.