Double Take (8 page)

And after she hung up, a terrible thought occurred to her.

Lana had never said anything about Kait being in danger once they switched places. But now that she had taken her sister’s place, was she in danger? And if so, what kind?

Kait told herself not to panic. Corelli wanted his money, so he might frighten Lana, but he would not kill her, because a dead woman couldn’t pay up.

But he could hurt her, and badly, to encourage Lana to find the money.

Fear sickened Kait.

Still frightened and now angry at her sister, Kait pulled on a pair of indigo gym tights, a loose but short-waisted waffle-weave top in a lighter blue, and a pair of Trev Coleman’s thick wool winter socks. She uncorked the red wine she’d found in a wine rack in the dining room, located CNN, and leapt into bed with the carton of pizza. In the end, the living room hadn’t seemed like the sanctuary she needed, especially as it lacked a TV. There was a television in Trev’s study, but she didn’t dare dine there. She had also placed her cell phone by her thigh. She hadn’t planned to keep it on while in the house, not when she didn’t have any idea of when Trev would return home, but she was desperate to talk to Lana now and she would take her chances.

And that brought her right back to another subject. The one of cohabitation. The one of this particular master bed.

He had asked Lana for a divorce. Well, actually, he had told her that they were getting one. Surely he was not intending to share a bed now with his wife. Or was he?

In spite of the pizza and wine, Kait found it really hard to concentrate on anything other than Trev’s returning home and what might happen when he did.

Larry King was on; he was interviewing Mel Gibson. Kait could not focus on the interview, but after a half a bottle of wine—and having eaten two-thirds of the pizza—she was finally becoming relaxed. In fact, her lids were closing when Trev Coleman casually walked into the room.

She sat up like a shot, fully awake.

He blinked at her.

“What... what are you doing?” she managed, then realized that was a very stupid question. She clearly had her answer now.

“What am I doing? I forgot my toothbrush,” he said. His green eyes moved over every inch of her body, carefully and slowly. He was wearing a suit. He had dressed up for his dinner date with Alicia and her husband. Unfortunately, he looked like an ad for
GQ,
a very sexy ad. And there was an expression in his bedroom eyes that made Kait certain he’d had a few stiff drinks.

She swallowed. “Does this mean... you’re not sleeping here?” She intended to sound elated.

“It means I moved out the essentials, but forgot my toothbrush. I’m sleeping in the guest room downstairs. What are you doing?” His eyes had landed on her socks. No, on his socks.

“Eating, watching TV. Getting ready for bed.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “This is interesting.”

“It is?”

“Since when do you eat pizza? Since when do you eat in bed? Since when do you sleep in gym clothes? And my socks?”

Kait couldn’t manage sitting in the middle of his bed a moment longer, with him standing at its foot. She slid to her feet, crossed her arms. “I think I’m having a relapse. I don’t feel well; I think I have a low fever,” she lied.

“Really?” His brows were a few shades darker than his hair. They arced upward. “So you’re drinking red wine, which is dehydrating?”

“It’s been a hard day,” she cried.

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” His stare left her and moved to the bed. “Expecting a call?”

Her heart did stop, missing a series of beats. She followed his regard and it landed on her cell phone, lying there by the folded back quilt. “Uhh...”

His gaze slammed to her face. He seemed to flush then. “I don’t care,” he snapped, and he strode into the walk-in closet, tearing off his suit jacket.

Kait snatched up the phone and thought, he does care. He’s angry— he’s very, very angry with Lana.

He returned instantly, pulling off his tie. “I know what you are up to,” he said harshly.

She was alarmed. “You do?”

“Yes, I do! You’ve decided on a new act, because you think that wide, innocent baby blues and a lousy fashion sense and a sudden doting interest in my daughter will make me change my mind! Either that, or you are trying to keep me off balance,” he ground out.

She shivered. “I’m not trying to do any of those things,” she whispered. “I’m cold. You have nice socks.”

“Cut it out!” he shouted.

She was so taken aback by his yelling at her, that she was briefly at a loss for words. And he seemed as surprised by his own temper. They stared at each other, and Kait felt that her own eyes were as wide as his.

The cell phone rang.

Kait realized she held it and she was aghast. Stupidly, she looked at it. It continued to ring.

“You have a call,” Trev said softly, dangerously. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”

She failed to breathe. “It’s not important,” she began.

“Answer it,” he snapped.

Kait obeyed, stiff with fear—it was the worst possible timing for Lana to call. “Hello?” she said carefully.

“Lana, it’s John. We missed you at dinner so I thought I’d call and see if you are okay.”

For one moment, she couldn’t understand who was on the other end of the line. She met Trev’s cold, relentless gaze. As she did so, the comprehension clicked—it was John Davison, Alicia’s husband.

“I don’t accept solicitations at this number,” Kait said. She hung up—and powered off.

Trev stared, his face so hard it was in danger of cracking. Kait stared back, not daring to even breathe. She reminded herself that he couldn’t know that she had been desperately awaiting a call from his real wife, and that she, Kait, was an impostor.

“You are one bad trip,” he said. “And the sooner this is over, the better.” He turned.

Kait thought about her sister and her niece. She ran after him and gripped his arm. It was like grasping steel. “Please give me another chance,” she cried. “Please don’t do this, not to us, and not to Marni!”

“There is no us,” he said. And his gaze slid over her in a frankly sexual and appraising way. “But you could try to persuade me to change my mind with that hot little body of yours.”

She leapt away from him as if burned, but his sensual tone and what he clearly wanted from her tightened her body in a way she had forgotten about. “No,” she whispered, licking her lips. “Because marriage is a sacred union—”

He actually laughed. “You don’t give a shit about marriage and you never have. But we both know you love sex.” His eyes gleamed.

She could imagine him coming down on top of her on the bed, his mouth moving over hers. She had to think straight! “Because...because I’m the mother of our child and because I love her,” she said hoarsely, refusing to back down, refusing to be derailed. “I know I’ve been lacking as a mother, but no more. I’m turning over a new leaf. Trevor, I swear. And I intend to prove it.”

His eyes widened, and they were hard. “Damn it. You never call me Trevor. What the
hell
is going on?”

She flinched. She had better not make any more mistakes, or he was going to know that she was not Lana. She wet her lips again. His eyes followed the motion of her tongue. She backed up. “And maybe we can still find the love we once had.”

“The love we once had?”
He was incredulous. “We never had love. Or rather, you never did. What we had was something completely different, and you know it.” He was furious now. His eyes moved to her breasts, which were bare beneath the waffle weave and perfectly molded by the soft, giving fabric.

She couldn’t breathe. She wanted to protest, but without enough oxygen, she didn’t try.

He finally lifted his glittering eyes. “I am not going to change my mind,” he said flatly.

It was very hard to think. How could a man’s mere but charismatic presence, his heated eyes, arouse her body so much? When he did not belong to her, when they were in the midst of a battle? But he was staring at her mouth. “Never,” she whispered, “say never.”

His jaw flexed. “You know,” he said slowly, taking a step forward, “that getup is a helluva lot sexier than those expensive teddies and nightgowns you wear.”

He was still moving forward. She was frozen—because comprehension was crashing over her like a waterfall—and so was disbelief. “It...is?”

He paused before her. “Yeah. It is.” He lifted his hand and through the waffle weave, he touched her very erect nipple with his thumb.

Kait cried out.

Trev seized her, crushing her body against his, his mouth going to her neck, where he used his lips, his tongue and his teeth. His body was all muscle, and he was very aroused. Kait’s entire body turned into mush, while her brain became frantic.
This could not be happening
....

Suddenly he pushed up her top and latched on to her nipple, sucking it hard.

Oh, my God. It was happening
....Her brain started to shut down.

Electric desire coursed over her, through her, pooling in her loins.

He palmed her crotch. She wasn’t wearing anything beneath the tights, and she could practically feel his skin. His hand was large, hard, warm, and very, very possessive. He began to rub her rhythmically and she arched forward, for more, more, more, throbbing desperately, frantically, beneath his searching fingertips.

His mouth and tongue stopped their dangerous, wonderful torture. “You’re already ready for me?” he gasped.

Kait met his eyes and saw surprise. And in that single moment, sanity returned. She thought,
He is Lana’s husband!

And at that precise moment, his gaze darkened and he cursed. He pushed her away just as she leapt back from him. Grimly, his face still strained with lust, he stared at her as if she were the devil.

It took another moment for her brain to work the way that it should. “You had better go.” She was trembling, and foolishly, she wanted to cry.

His eyes narrowed with suspicion and hostility. “You’ve got me going good with your little act—the big eyes, the cute haircut, the mommy routine. Guess you win this round.”

“No,” Kait whispered in anguish. “I’m not playing a game....” But she was, and it was a terrible game, a game of lies and the betrayal of all trust.

He suddenly seized her arm and shook her. “Like hell you’re not!” He was furious now, but whether with her and her “act” or himself, she did not know. “You know what? Bottom line is I’m a man. And we’re still married. It’s been a long time since we slept together, baby. And right now, I can’t think of a better good-bye.”

It had been a long time since he’d slept with Lana.
“How long?” she demanded breathlessly, having to know.

“What?” He was incredulous.

She had to know.
“Refresh my memory, please!”

“The night of the May Day Ball,” he said. “You don’t remember the way we fucked each other’s brains out in Sara Lee’s bed?”

She folded her arms tightly across her aching breasts. “I remember. I wanted to see if you remembered.” It had been almost six months since he had slept with Lana.

Disgust covered his face. “Bullshit. You didn’t remember because there have been a dozen guys since.” He shook his head, appearing explosive. “You’re right. This was one bad idea.” He turned abruptly.

“Wait!”

He halted, not facing her, his shoulders stiff.

Her cry had been an impulsive one. What was she doing? She had to let him leave. Otherwise, they’d be making love on the floor. She closed her eyes, still consumed with wanting him, but now, completely sane and knowing that she shouldn’t and that she couldn’t allow anything else to happen. “I’m sorry,” she finally said.

He walked out.

Her night had been a sleepless one. Mostly because of Trev Coleman, but also because someone had followed her to the pizzeria last night, and all night Kait had tossed and turned, worrying over what might happen next—with Corelli, with Lana, with Trev Coleman. But she was up at half past six, sipping black coffee, and rousing Marni at seven. Marni smiled sleepily at her, then sat up like a shot. “Mommy!” she cried.

“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” Kait said, tousling the child’s dark, curly hair. She had gleaned the fact that Marni had a schedule and Elizabeth kept her to it. She was up at seven and being driven off to school at eight.

Marni was wide-eyed and beaming. “But what are you doing here, Mommy?”

“Helping you get ready for school,” she said, giving her an impulsive hug.

There was a harrumph from the door. Kait knew the sound had been emitted by a disapproving Elizabeth, so she smiled very brightly and faced her. “Good morning.” Her tone was as radiant.

Elizabeth stared, her expression rather unpleasant. “Am I to understand that you will bathe and dress her today?”

Still smiling, but aware now that the older woman had dropped any façade of liking Lana at all, she said, “Yes,” with an elevated set to her chin.

Elizabeth turned and walked out.

“Let’s go,” Kait said cheerfully.

Marni leapt from the bed, babbling a mile a minute.

Kait and Marni were devouring plates of pancakes. Or rather, Kait was devouring hers, as if she had not eaten most of a pizza the night before. Marni was talking about her best friend, Susie, Susie’s dogs, and the fact that apparently she had been promised a corgi puppy by Trev. Jim’s dog was about to become a father.

A back door slammed. Kait didn’t have to be told who was coming into the house, she simply knew. Pancakes turned to balls of glue in her throat. She froze over her plate.

A hot memory of the night before rushed over her. Trev Coleman strode into the kitchen and she simply had to look up. He was in his faded jeans, a beige wool sweater, and a royal blue zip-up shell. He was in his paddock boots, so he had clearly come from the stables, and he was sexier than any man had any right to be.

She tried not to choke as his gaze slammed into her, even as she felt herself flush brilliantly.

His eyes as they met hers were cold. Then he smiled and bent over Marni, his expression changing, becoming impossibly soft and warm and tender. Kait’s heart leapt as she watched him brush his mouth just barely over her niece’s hair. “How’s my best girl in the world?” he asked.