It's All Relative (6 page)

She shook her head resting against the pillow as he pulled away. “I’m fine, honey.” Then she lightly smacked his chest. “Why didn’t you call me the moment you got into town? I would have picked you up from the airport, made you a big meal, and then helped you put away all the boxes that are probably littering some tiny little apartment.”

He laughed as he studied the tiny woman; she looked so frail lying in that big bed, but she really wasn’t. “That’s why I didn’t call, Gran. I wanted to get settled myself.” His smile was warm and affectionate as he held her paper-thin hand. Although he wished they weren’t reuniting in a place like this, it was nice to see her face-to-face again.

His grandmother didn’t really look much like Kai, but that was to be expected. His mother was native Hawaiian, born and bred, and he’d inherited a lot of her exotic Polynesian looks. His skin was a deep golden brown, his features almost slightly Asian, with the exception that his eyes were a shade of bluish-green that he’d been told his entire life was remarkably beautiful. His eyes were the only thing that really set Kai apart from his mother. The woman before him now reminded Kai of his father—fair skin, dark eyes, and before it had turned silver with age, warm brown hair.

Patting his hand, his grandmother smiled. “Well, I’m glad you’re here now.”

Kai started to reply that he felt the same way when someone stepped through the open door. Hoping it was a doctor, so he could find out just how badly his grandmother was hurt, Kai automatically looked up. When his eyes locked onto the person standing there, shock froze him solid. He didn’t think anything could have surprised him more than seeing her striding into his grandmother’s hospital room.

Jessie
. What the hell was she doing here?

She looked more put together than when he’d last seen her, early this morning. Her dark curly hair, loose around her shoulders before, was now pulled back into a cute ponytail that exposed the curve of her neck. Her chest, emphasized earlier in that short, sexy dress, was now covered in a light gray sweater that clung to every curve. And low on her hips—hips that he’d been grasping in ecstasy just a handful of hours ago—was a pair of perfectly faded blue jeans. He held his breath as he took in the oddity of seeing her in the same room as his healing grandmother. Maybe she worked here? Although, she certainly wasn’t dressed like a nurse.

Jessie didn’t notice him at first; her gaze was only focused on the old woman lying on the bed. “They only had apple and orange juice, I couldn’t find any cranberry.” She stopped talking about the juices she was holding when she finally spotted Kai sitting on the bed. Her mouth dropped just as far open, and her dark eyes widened to an almost comical level. Kai wanted to talk to her, wanted to ask her what she was doing here, but found he couldn’t speak through his own shock.

As they wordlessly stared at each other, Kai’s grandmother broke the sudden silence. “Oh good, I’m glad you’re back, dear. Look who showed up!”

Jessie’s face clouded over with what looked like anger, and Kai found himself instinctually retreating from her glare. She stepped up to the edge of the bed. “Are you following me?” she asked, her voice both heated and concerned.

Her feisty reaction loosened the hold on Kai’s tongue. “Following you? You’re the one following me. How did you know I would be here?”

She blinked in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t know you would be here. And why the hell are you here?”

Kai’s grandmother spoke up, “Little Miss, you watch your mouth. That is no way to talk to people.” Her gray brows bunched as she looked between Kai and Jessie. “Have you two already met?” she asked.

Jessie’s face flushed as she set the juices on the nightstand. “No, not really.”

Kai scoffed at her comment, but didn’t elaborate on his objection after receiving a scathing glare from Jessie. Not really? What they’d done had kind of been a little more than the average getting to know you. However Jessie knew his grandmother, though, she obviously didn’t want to share intimate details of their night together with her, any more than he wanted to share those facts with her. There were just some things his grandmother didn’t need to know.

Gran grinned as she simultaneously squeezed his hand and patted Jessie’s arm. “Well, I’m glad you’re getting a chance to officially meet then. You two should get along pretty well, since you’re about the same age.”

Confused, Kai looked over at Jessie and indicated his grandmother with a nod of his head. “How do you know her?” he asked. His eyes, locked on hers, gauged her reaction carefully.

Jessie stared into his eyes for a long moment, like she’d gotten lost in them. He shifted his head to return her attention to his question, and looking a little embarrassed, she shook her head and straightened to her full height; the movement subtly highlighted her chest, and Kai found himself a little lost too. He couldn’t help but remember his lips on that chest.

Her words, punctuated by the acerbic tone of her voice, returned his attention to her face. “Me? I’m sure I’ve known her a lot longer than you. How do
you
know her?”

Kai raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You’ve known her longer? I highly doubt that.”

Gran laughed, then patted them again. Smiling at Jessie, her eyes oddly warm and loving, his grandmother said, “Technically, he’s right, dear.”

They both looked over at her. The curiosity was nearly killing Kai at this point. Was she a family friend? Maybe that nosey neighbor’s granddaughter? Maybe she’d found his grandmother and had called the ambulance? His chest warmed at the thought of Jessie being his grandmother’s savior, and a smile graced his lips.

His grandmother shifted her eyes back to Kai. Nodding her head at Jessie, she warmly told him, “Jessica Marie was born two months after you, Kai.”

Kai felt his face draining of blood as he slowly turned to stare at Jessie.
Jessica Marie.
He knew that name. But that couldn’t seriously be the woman he was staring at. Jessie, the person he’d just had incredible sex with last night, could
not
be Jessica Marie. No, she had to be someone else, anyone else, other than… Kai’s stomach rose as he gaped at her. No, she couldn’t be…

Jessie stared back at him, frowning. She hadn’t made the connection yet, or else she wouldn’t still look confused. Kai put a firm hand on his stomach, suddenly afraid he has going to heave whatever alcohol was still in there. “Jessica Marie? Oh God,” he muttered. “Oh…God…”

He watched Jessie twist her face in irritation. She clearly didn’t like that he knew something she didn’t. But with what he knew, he was positive she would prefer ignorance. As his throat tightened and his stomach twisted, he knew that he would certainly prefer to go back to ten minutes ago, when his one-night stand had been a pleasant memory.

Not having heard his low mutters, his grandmother smiled brightly at Jessie, like nothing at all was wrong with this picture. “Jessica, my dear, this is the boy I told you was coming up, to live here with us in Denver.” She turned her bright smile to him. “And all the way from Hawaii too.”

Jessie still looked confused, like she had no idea what the old woman was talking about. She wouldn’t stay confused for very long. Feeling ill and still about to be sick, Kai lifted his eyes to hers, right as his grandmother finished with her introductions. “This is Kai Harper, dear…your cousin.”

J
essie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. She was positive that the instant she did, the very second she physically reacted, what she’d just heard would slam into her like a wrecking ball, knocking her to the ground. So long as she just stood still, she’d be fine…just fine.

Except everything wasn’t fine. She’d slept with…

Unwilling to let her thoughts complete that sentence, Jessie kept her gaze glued on Kai. He seemed ill, like he’d accepted the truth and it sickened him. Jessie couldn’t believe it. She refused to. Someone had made a mistake. A horrible, horrible mistake.

A machine humming in the room was the only sound, but even that was too much. Jessie shook her head, and the movement caused the floodgates of pain and remorse to begin to crack open. She took a step back, in retreat. “No, no that’s not possible.”

Jessie’s grandmother was clearly confused by her reaction, but Kai flinched as if her words had stung him.

“I know you haven’t seen him much…or maybe ever, but he
is
your cousin,” her grandmother stated. “My oldest son, Nate, is his father.” Hearing it said so plainly, so surely, sent a knot of disgust racing up Jessie’s throat. She clamped her hands over her mouth to hold it in.
No…

Jessie’s eyes watered as she looked from her grandmother to Kai. How could this have happened? Kai hung his head, like he was wondering the same thing. Jessie heard her grandmother ask her if she was feeling all right, and she violently shook her head. No, she wasn’t all right. She might never be all right again. She felt like she was going to be sick or start sobbing. Maybe both. But she couldn’t do it here; her grandmother wouldn’t understand…and she didn’t want her to. Ever.

Like he could read her mind, Kai stood and said, “We need to speak outside for a moment, Grandma. We’ll be back in a minute, okay?” He smiled, but like Jessie, he looked ill. The words he’d just said echoed in Jessie’s head as she watched him lean down and place a kiss on the old woman’s cheek.
Grandma
.
She’s his grandma. She’s
my
grandma.

As horror filled her to the breaking point, Jessie began murmuring, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…” She was about to lose it, about to have a complete and total meltdown in front of her grandmother. Who would then ask why, and wouldn’t let go until she knew the truth. Oh God…

Kai grabbed her elbow, told her, “Not here,” then pulled her out the open door. Sadly, his touch sent a flicker of excitement through her, until she remembered why it shouldn’t. With a wave of nausea, she shoved the feeling aside. Once they were a ways down the hall, out of their grandmother’s earshot, Kai released her arm. Jessie immediately hunched over. Resting her hands on her thighs, she inhaled and exhaled deep breaths through her nose. She was going to be sick, her stomach was going to come right up her throat and spill onto the floor. She’d just had the most amazing sex she’d ever experienced…with her cousin—her incredibly hot cousin, who was staring down the hallway of the hospital, looking just as sick as she.

Thinking back over her reaction to the news in her grandmother’s room, Jessie couldn’t help but wonder if the older woman suspected something. How could Jessie ever explain the truth to her if she did somehow find out? God, she couldn’t even explain it to herself.

Looking up at Kai, she managed to squeak out, “We’re …related?”

Kai’s face contorted in an expression of disgust and confusion that Jessie understood all too well. “It would seem so…” His hand clamped over his stomach and Jessie was certain he felt the same illness she did. How could they not have known they were related? True, she’d never met Kai before, but she’d seen pictures and she’d heard of him often enough. Grandma had several children, and each one of them had had numerous children. Except for Uncle Nate. He and his wife had struggled to conceive, and had only had one child before their marriage ended. Kai.

As Jessie straightened, her fingers clutched the light fabric of her sweater. She watched Kai’s eyes flash down her body, then immediately dart away; his face paled. Crossing her arms, Jessie tried to hide as much of her curves as she could. While she’d enjoyed his attention before, she definitely didn’t want him looking at her that way now. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how she wanted him to look at her. Putting the cousin aspect aside for the moment…as difficult as that was…Jessie hadn’t been expecting to see him today. Really, she’d thought she’d probably never see him again. She’d accidentally run out of there without giving him her number.

When Jessie had been dragged away from his place this morning, it had been frustrating; she’d wanted to stay longer. But she knew Harmony was just concerned for her safety. And Harmony would have called her father, too, if she’d felt the need. Jessie hadn’t wanted that sort of trouble on her hands, so she’d grudgingly left his side.

Once home with her friends, she’d successfully avoided any of their questions by faking that she’d passed out. She’d even slept on the couch to sell her act. Jessie just hadn’t wanted to talk about him yet. And truthfully, she hadn’t had a whole lot to say. He’d been amazing, and their connection had been intense, but she hadn’t known anything about him; she hadn’t even remembered his name, a fact that still embarrassed her. But Jessie had never been that drunk before, and she hoped she was never that drunk again.

After her thunderous hangover had subsided, Jessie had gone out to visit her grandma, the same as she did most Saturday mornings. When she’d arrived, she’d been greeted by a swarm of rescue vehicles and chaos. Grams had fallen while getting the mail, and her kind neighbor had called in help for her. Jessie had kicked herself the entire drive out to the hospital that she hadn’t been there. If she hadn’t been so slow that morning, she wouldn’t have been an hour late, and her grams wouldn’t have gotten hurt.