Ingenue's Choice (14 page)

“So will you come with me Saturday?” he blurted out and wanted to cut out his tongue before he heard Keir laughing on the other end.

“I thought I just did.”

“You know what I mean, Keir.”

“I’ll come with you anywhere and anytime you want.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Keir chuckled. “I’m counting on it.”

106

Gracie C. McKeever

“So, Patryk tells us you paint. Might we have seen your work anywhere?”

Keir smiled at the way Agnes Andrews subtly poised her head so that her highborn nose tilted up in the air just enough to let Keir know that he was beneath her and her husband and was certainly not good enough for their baby boy.

“I don’t believe so. I haven’t had a showing in a few years.”

“Oh really? Why is that?”

“Mother.” Patryk cleared his throat and Keir didn’t think he had seen his lover more firm and sure than he was just then, which was a feat considering his mother, the dragon lady.

She, and her husband to a lesser degree, was so politely curt and unpleasant that it surprised Keir that Patryk had come from either of them. He wouldn’t have been surprised to discover the guy had been adopted except that he was the spitting image of his mother, right down to the long-lashed jade eyes.

“We’re not here to discuss Keir’s profession. We’re here for an afternoon of golf,” Patryk bit out.

How much more had he told his parents about Keir aside from the painting? He wanted to be clear on what riled them so much. Was it the fact that he was a “starving artist” or the fact that he was a “black starving artist”
and
so totally not in Patryk’s league.

“Keir doesn’t seem to mind discussing it. Do you, dear?”

“I don’t mind at all.”

Ingenue’s Choice

107

“I do,” Patryk said. “I refuse to discuss business on the course. I’m not Dad.”

“Perhaps if you were…” Mrs. Andrews cut Patryk a look of unmistakable disapproval.

Keir didn’t see where Patryk needed to change anything about himself except for his two totally intolerant parents who wanted to crush his beautiful spirit and suffocate his creativity.

Christ, if he’d had parents like them, Keir didn’t think he would have survived his teens without strangling someone or running away from home.

“We’re not here to discuss my supposed shortcomings either,” Patryk said, and Keir could tell how difficult it was for him to stand up to his mother and not meekly keep his mouth shut. Not to be arrogant, but he thought maybe his presence was behind some of his lover’s bravado.

He liked that Patryk had the balls to stand up to his mother, but he didn’t want to be the one to cause friction between Patryk and his parents, no matter how horrid the pair of them were. They were Patryk’s blood, and at the end of the day, when things were said and done between him and Keir, they would still be Patryk’s parents and he would regret letting Keir interfere with that relationship as flawed as it appeared or not.

Keir refused to instigate any sort of estrangement.

“We’re not here to criticize you, Pat. We’re just concerned about your…future.”

Was the man insinuating that Patryk was jeopardizing his future by being with Keir?

He clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth as Patryk’s mother stepped up to the tee and addressed the ball before taking a skilled swing.

She and her husband were beating Keir and Patryk handily on the course, but Patryk seemed determined to not let them get the best of him where his life and Keir were concerned.

“Like it or not, Dad, I’ve made a decision about my future and my career and they’re both with Keir.”

What the hell was Patryk talking about, his career? Did he mean what Keir thought he meant? Oh fuck…

108

Gracie C. McKeever

“Boy, don’t be so rash over a piece of…over a young man you’ve only just met.”

Mrs. Andrews came to the rescue after making her shot, went to Patryk’s side, and squeezed his shoulder as if to restrain or calm him down when it was Keir who needed the calming down. “Now, now, Geoffrey. There’s no need to be gauche.”

And what, act like the natives?

Come to that, had the old man been about to say a piece of…
ass?

Keir hadn’t thought the overbearing blue blood had it in him, but he guessed Patryk’s parents were bound to show their true colors sooner rather than later. They were far from liberals after all, and Keir was surprised they had tolerated his presence at their precious restricted club for as long as they had without venting even more.

He guessed they were
trying
to be civil for Patryk’s sake.

Because they love him.

This gave Keir pause.

He could not, would not be the one to come between Patryk and his parents. Keir had enough experience with taking a child away from his parents, and he didn’t want to cause anyone that sort of pain again.

“No, Mom. Let him be as gauche as he wants to be. I told you before that Keir and I are a couple and like it or not, I am quitting my job to become his agent.”

“What?” Keir gaped.

Geoffrey threw up his hands and turned to his wife. “I give up. Maybe you can talk some sense into the boy’s head, Agnes.”

Agnes caught Patryk by the biceps and shook him. “Don’t be a fool! You don’t know the first thing about representing an artist’s work. And besides that, how do you know he’s even talented enough.…” She turned to Keir briefly and bared her teeth in a facsimile of a smile. “No offense, Keir.”

“None taken.”

“I know all I need to know about being an agent and about Keir’s talent.

I’ve seen his work, and I’m honored that he trusts me enough to represent him.”

Ingenue’s Choice

109

“Oh, get your idealistic head out of the clouds, Patryk! You have much more to lose in the bargain than any washed up ‘artist.’ You’re the one throwing your career away, risking your future in finance for some silly pipe dream.”

Washed up? Who did she think—Okay, now Keir
was
taking it personally!

“Mother—”

Agnes shook her son again, so hard Keir heard Patryk’s teeth rattle. “Do you have any idea what kind of strings your father had to pull to get you into that position?”

“I don’t care.”

“That’s always been your problem, your illogical, blind passion and trust.

Take off the rose-colored glasses, and think about what you’re doing before he digs his claws any deeper into you and hurts you like that last excuse for a boyfriend did. And don’t think your father and I will stay around to pick up the pieces again when
this
relationship fails.” She glared at Keir over a shoulder, all pretenses at civility gone, before she turned back to Patryk. “And it
will
fail.”

Had she just put the whammy on his and Patryk’s relationship? As if they didn’t have enough baggage between them already?

“I’m going to leave now and let you think about everything your father and I have said. Don’t bother calling us until you’ve come to your senses.”

Patryk folded his arms across his chest. “Fine. I won’t.”

Oh shit, this was exactly what Keir had been afraid of.

Agnes stormed off muttering, “Stubborn, stubborn,
stupid
child,” in her wake.

Patryk turned and headed in the opposite direction.

Keir caught him around an arm and stopped Patryk in his tracks. “What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?”

Patryk looked at him. “About what?”

“You can’t just let them leave like this.”

“Why not? They’ve made their decision, and I’ve made mine.”

“I can’t let this happen again,” Keir murmured.

110

Gracie C. McKeever

“I’m not Elijah. I’m going into this with my eyes wide open.”

Keir released him to run a hand over his cornrows.
“Shit.”

“I thought we were decided, united in this. You said—”

“I didn’t know you were going to
quit your job!
”

Patryk frowned, for the first time since the day began seemed uncertain.

“What did you expect I would do? I need to devote my time and energy one-hundred-and-ten-percent to our venture. Your career deserves nothing less.”

“Oh fuck—”

“Don’t you see? It’s what I want.”

“But, Patryk, what about your parents?”

“They’re grown. They’ll get over it, just like I will.”

Keir gawked, not believing Patryk was being this cavalier about the fallout between him and his parents. Okay, so they weren’t candidates for Mommy and Daddy of the year, but still…

Patryk put a hand on Keir’s shoulder and gave him a devastating, optimistic smile. “It’s not your burden. If it wasn’t this, they’d have another reason to find fault with me. It’s been like that since I could walk and talk, if not before then.”

“And you’re okay with it?”

“No, I’m not okay with it. But what else can I do but accept it?”

Keir heard the tremor in Patryk’s voice, saw the tears he refused to shed.

He pulled Patryk into his arms and held tight.

Patryk returned Keir’s hug and nuzzled Keir’s neck.

It was all Keir could do not to get a boner right there on the green.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but they forced my hand!”

Keir pulled away to look at him, saw the unshed tears brimming and smiled at the wounded brave man who had his heart.

Shit, had this day just turned into one big clusterfuck!

Pooling his resolve, Keir released Patryk and pushed him away. He was about to do the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life. “This can’t happen.”

Ingenue’s Choice

111

Patryk frowned, looking so innocent in his confusion Keir’s heart constricted. “What do you mean? What can’t happen?”

“I’m not going to let you give up your life for me.”

“What give up? I’m
getting
a life. I feel more alive now than I’ve ever felt in my life. Being with you, working with you is what I want to do.”

“I hate to agree with your father, but you’ve only just met me, Patryk. It’s too soon to be making life-changing decisions like this.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying that.”

“Believe it.” Keir took a couple of steps back, putting as much distance as he could between Patryk without leaving, garnering his determination. “Now, you need to go after your parents, do whatever you have to and make up.”

“Is that an order? Because I have to tell you if it is, I’m not going to obey it.” Patryk closed the space between them, tilting up his head to pierce Keir with those big green eyes. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Even if I do reconcile with my parents and don’t represent you, it doesn’t mean I’m going back to my job.”

Keir gritted his teeth. “Patryk…”

“Please don’t ask me to leave.”

“I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. You
have
to leave. We can’t be together.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I don’t want you.”

“Keir, you don’t mean that.”

He closed his eyes against the look on Patryk’s face. There was so much sincerity and hopefulness there, putting all his delicate eggs in one basket…with Keir.

Hadn’t anyone taught him the first rule of self-preservation? Trust no one.

Not even the man who loved you with all his heart?

Damn it, Patryk was making this more difficult than it had to be! But how could Keir expect anything less? From the beginning, he had known what he was getting into, had seen the gung-ho passion beneath the shyness, the passion simmering and just waiting for the right outlet, the right cause célèbre.

112

Gracie C. McKeever

“I need you to leave, Patryk. If you don’t, then I will.”

“Keir…”

He didn’t know who it hurt more when he jerked away from Patryk’s touch and stepped back glaring, but if the betrayed look on Patryk’s face was any indication, then the man was hurting pretty badly.

Do it. Just move in for the kill and end it.
“I don’t know how much more clearly I can say this. I’m dead serious, and this isn’t a joke. I. Don’t. Want. You.”

Keir gave Patryk his hardest, coldest look, doing everything in his power not to run to the man and assure Patryk he hadn’t meant
any
of what he had just said, and that they could make things work. But he couldn’t turn back. Weakening now would just defeat the purpose.

I’m doing the right thing. I know I am.

But when he looked at the devastated expression in Patryk’s jade eyes, Keir had his doubts. He reached for him and froze when Patryk jerked away from him.

“No. You’ve made your point loud and clear. You don’t want me.”

“Patryk…”

“I’ll leave you alone now.”

Keir watched Patryk shore up his defenses, an aloof façade falling into place as Patryk squared his shoulders and tilted up his chin as if offering it for an uppercut.

In that brief moment, Patryk resembled his mother more than ever, so proud and coolly untouchable. He resembled her so much he had completely moved away from the kind and sensitive young man Keir had met at
Zara’s
.

With his chest tightening at the notion that he had destroyed yet another lover, Keir watched Patryk turn on his heels and leave.

Ingenue’s Choice

113

Zara had caught glimpses of Patryk’s relationship with his parents, gleaned the sort of people they were from Patryk’s memories and thoughts, but nothing in her wildest imagination could have prepared her for the real thing up close and personal.

They were absolutely horrid people, and she applauded both Keir and Patryk for their restraint in not resorting to physical violence, especially in the case of Geoffrey Andrews.

God, she felt as if she were moving backward in her assignment. Days of watching the pair move forward, breaking down the emotional barriers between them, and gaining each other’s trust, and one afternoon of golfing with Patryk’s parents had catapulted her, and Patryk and Keir, back to square one.

What was she supposed to do now, short of brute force, to bring Keir and Patryk back together?