Kestrel (Hart Briothers #3) (21 page)

“Come
on, angel, time to get you in bed.”

“Yeah,
I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Maybe,
but none of them ever stayed the night.”

A
beaming grin spreads across her face. “Really? You’re not just saying that, are
you?”

“Why
would I do that? I’ve never let a woman sleep in my bed. I would meet them at
her place or a hotel. Even though I slept with a lot of women, I had standards.
I was always protected and never did they come to my place.”

“Were
you safe? I mean I guess I should’ve asked this before we had sex, but condoms
aren’t one hundred percent failsafe.”

“I
know. And yeah, I would get tested every month when I was the most active.
You’re the first person I’ve been with since I went hiking. I was tested before
I left.”

Relief
washes over her like a spring rain as I watch the lines disappear from her
face.

I
tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Angel, I wouldn’t have slept with you
if I hadn’t been sure. I would never have dared to sully your purity with my
darkness.”

Her
lips briefly press mine, and then she says, “Take me to bed, Kestrel. I want to
wrap myself around you.”

Chapter
Sixteen

Carter

Complex.
That’s what Kestrel is. He is a man who is layered with an intricate mesh grid
and every time he tells me something, my mind reels with the information he
gives. That he has withstood so much in his twenty-nine years and isn’t a
broken, crumbling mess is beyond my comprehension. Yes, I have had my share of
woes. But if I were to stack mine next to his, I think his would be greater.
Though the loss of a child is a terrible thing, I was raised with the true love
of a family surrounding me. He never had that. And he also experienced
loss—the loss of his birth mother. Left to withstand torture and abuse at
such an early age, it’s a wonder he didn’t grow up to have a host of mental
disorders. Every time I peel back one layer of the mesh, I find something else
that breaks my heart. The urge to comfort him is so strong, but I don’t know
where to start.

He
is so off the mark about himself. He doesn’t see what others do. At the core of
all those layers is a man with a giant heart who wants to do the right thing
and is trying to make that happen. The strength of character he possesses is
phenomenal.

“What
are you thinking about? What has you so bothered that your brow is so creased?”
he asks.

“I’m
thinking about you.”

“Ah.
I see. I’m sure to crease anybody’s brow.”

“Yes,
you are. But not in the way you’re imagining.”

His
head tilts as he stares at me. Intensely. He’s analyzing me. I stand there and
don’t flinch. “What do you mean?” he finally asks.

“You
see yourself all wrong. You’re enigmatic, yes, but you’re so many things that
most people would kill to be. You walk into a room and the world stops
spinning.
Everyone
notices you. You
own
the room—you infuse
it. People want to be like you, Kestrel. You command, yet you do it in a
non-controlling way. It’s a talent most people don’t have. You’re a leader. You
don’t notice it because you’re working the crowd. But I noticed it. You don’t give
yourself credit for any of this.”

Total
silence greets me. He only keeps staring at me.

“I’m
not trying to flatter or bullshit you. And none of this has anything to do with
your looks. You have a keen wit and you’re sharply intelligent. And don’t try to
get out of those. I may be naive in many things, but I do recognize
intelligence in others. Question. How many languages do you speak, other than
Latin?”

The
slight widening of his lids lets me know I’ve hit a mark.

“Five.”

“Which
ones?”

“French,
Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, and English, of course.”

“Mandarin?”

“That
was Langston. He was certain the Chinese would become a major player in the
international economy so he demanded we learn Mandarin. He was right about it,
as he was about many business things.”

“Which
is why you have a ton of money.”

He
grabs my hands and says, “Carter, I can teach you.”

“Mandarin?”

He
laughs. “Not that.
How to make money.
With the money
you’re getting from both sales, let me show you how to invest and let it earn
for you. It was always a game for Kolson and me, and we got really good at it.
I’ll teach you the dos and the don’ts and set you up right.”

“Sure.
I’d like that.”

“With
that kind of start up money, you’ll never have to worry about it again. With
the four million from the house and the other three from the lot, you’ll be set
for life. I’m talking set as in you would never have to work a day in your life
again.”

“But
I want to work.”

He
grabs my hands and says, “That’s not the point. Work becomes your
hobby—your true love. It’s not a necessity anymore. Make sense? And that’s
when you really soar. And angel, you’re going to soar. I know you will.”

“So
will you, Kestrel.”

“I’ve
soared more since I’ve met you than I have in my entire life.” Then he kisses
me and I want to stay this way forever.

We
ultimately make it to bed, curled around each other, and I let out a tiny
giggle.

“What’s
so funny?”

“We
only talked and never really touched. Or had sex.”

“Mmm.
But we’re touching now. And I love to feel you all up against me.”

“Yes.”

His
fingers lace with mine and we fall asleep together.

***

The
next couple of weeks pass and Kestrel and I see each other for quick meals and
occasionally we spend the night together. He travels a lot, setting up business
deals, and I’m so excited about work, I find myself at the lab until nine or
ten at night. Thanksgiving looms ahead and StrongMeds takes over my life. But
my joy is so great because of what is happening with my research that I’m okay
with it. Winston Miles comes with two of the leading scientists, Drs. Ling and
Korchov, and we complete the final paperwork for filing the patents on the
processes I am using. Dr. Ling also agrees that we need to search for a way to
protect the engineered cell from lysis. That’s what I’m working on now, with
the assistance of another scientist from StrongMeds. It’s all I can think about
because we are so close to this amazing breakthrough.

The
closing on the house is next week and I have so much to do for the move.
Kestrel has assured me that I won’t have to be out by the specified date, but I
won’t do that to him. I have enlisted a moving company and they are coming on
Monday. I need a few days off to pack. It will be a distressing time for me and
I am dreading it more than I can say.

As
I prepare to leave work, John approaches me.

“Carter,
this is moving along so much faster than I thought it would.”

He
bounces up and down on his heels. He’s never been one to hide his excitement.

“I
know,” I sigh.

“What’s
wrong? This is the moment you’ve been dreaming of.”

“True,
but my house closing is on Wednesday and the movers are coming on Monday. Don’t
forget, I’ll be off Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.”

“Oh,
I’m sorry. I forgot all about it with everything going on here.”

“It’s
nothing. I just have a really full plate right now, trying to get it all done.”

“I
understand. Do you need my help?”

“Oh,
John, thank you, but no. I’m fine.”

“Okay,
then I guess I’ll see you next Monday with Thanksgiving being next week. Call
if you need anything. Good luck with everything and have a nice Thanksgiving.”

Fumbling
with my backpack, lab coat, and handbag, I scoot out the door. My arms feel
like they’re going to break by the time I get to the car. As I pull out of the
parking garage, my phone rings. It’s Kestrel.

“Hey
Doc.”

“Hey.”

“What’s
wrong?”

“Aw,
it’s nothing. Just overwhelmed with everything that’s happening.”

“You
sound exhausted.”

“You
might say that.”

“You
up for come company?”

I
hesitate. I’d love to see him, but right now, I’m not in a very emotionally
stable place.

“Since
you haven’t answered, I’m pretty sure that’s a no.”

“Maybe
it would be good for me to see you. I’m in such a weird place right now.”

“How
so?”

“The
move. I have so much to do.”

“Carter,
I already told you there isn’t a set date.”

“There
is for me. I have movers coming.”

“Shit.
Why the hell did you do that? You’ve been burning the candle at both ends as it
is.”

“Kestrel,
come over. I’d rather have this conversation in person than on the phone.”

“I’m
in the car now. I’m going to stop at home and change first. Is that okay?”

“That’s
fine. That’ll give me time to change too. See you in a little bit.”

It
isn’t long before he walks through the kitchen door. My head is in the
refrigerator and I look up as he walks in. When I get a look at him—wearing
dark jeans that ride low on his hips and a black sweater—all I want to do
is have him wrap me in his arms and carry me away to a place where I don’t have
to think about anything. He comes straight over to me, pulls me into his
embrace, and kisses me. When his lips touch mine and I inhale his scent, all my
worries evaporate, and he is the only thing on my mind. My hands find their way
under his sweater and his skin is smooth and warm. The firm muscles beneath my
hands contract with my touch. I follow the line of his spine until I reach the
blades of his shoulders and my desire for him becomes so urgent, I pull away
from his kiss and beg, “Make love to me. Now. I need you.”

He
unbuttons the first two buttons of my blouse, but then rips the blouse open,
ruining it. Oddly enough, I don’t care. His hand reaches around my back and unhooks
my bra in a snap. Next go my jeans. He jerks them down my legs roughly, until
they hit my ankles. Then his mouth is on my aching nipple as he cups my ass
with both hands, lifting me. The countertop becomes my seat and I claw at his
sweater like a taloned creature, anxious for him to shed it. He releases my
nipple so he can give me what I want.

“Easy,
angel. I’m not going anywhere.” The sound of his husky voice makes me shiver in
anticipation.

When
he moves, I notice something glinting on his chest and I realize it’s a nipple
ring. My hand reaches out for it. As soon as I touch it, he lets out a gravelly
groan. The sound makes me want to put my mouth on it. When I lift my eyes, I
see him watching me.

“Can
I take it in my mouth?”

“Yeah,”
he rasps. His hands fist at his sides.

“Undo
your pants, Kestrel.”

He
does as I say. He is erect. Fully. My hand wraps around him as my mouth closes
over his ringed nipple. The growl he releases is low and long. And it nearly
makes me come. I spread my legs, take the crown of him, and rub it around my
clit. It’s then I have to release his nipple because I am so aroused, I’m
afraid I’ll bite him. Our eyes meet; I take his cock and place it at my
opening. With a tip of his hips, he pushes forward and grabs my calves, wrapping
them around his waist. He’s in deep now and I lean back on my elbows, watching
as he thrusts. In and out, in and out, until I feel I’m going to explode, he
continues, but then he massages my clit with the end of his thumb and I feel
the spasms rack my body, inside and out. He’s right there, climaxing with me.
And when his cock stops throbbing inside of me, he lays his head on my chest
and holds both of my hands, because I’ve collapsed and am now flat on my back.

“That
was really something, angel.” His breath blows softly against the skin of my
abdomen.

“It
was. Thank you.”

“Why
are you thanking me?”

“Because
I needed to destress and that worked.”

He
moves and I realize I’m very wet between my legs, much more so than usual. He
must realize it at the same time because he says, “Oh, fuck. Condom. I forgot
the condom!”

“Shit!
Shit! Shit!”

We
both pop up at the same time. I hop off the counter and jump up and down.

“What
are you doing?”

“Maybe
if I get it out, there will be less chance of me getting pregnant.”

His
arms move to my shoulders to get me to stop. “You’re a hell of a lot smarter
than that. You know that doesn’t work.”

“Oh,
God, what am I gonna do?”

“You’re
going to do nothing. Chances are you’re fine. When was your last period?”

I
have to think about it because I never keep track. Up until I started sleeping
with Kestrel, I never paid attention to it. There was no reason to. “Oh, shit.
A little over two weeks ago.
I’m smack dab in the middle of
my cycle.”

“That
still means nothing.”

“Oh,
yeah?” I point both thumbs at myself. “This is the girl who got pregnant the
first time she ever had sex.”

“Angel,
it’s water under the bridge now.”

Leaning
on the counter we just had sex on, I rest my head on my hands. What in the
world will I do if I’m pregnant? I don’t have a family this time. I’m alone
with no one to help me. Suddenly, I burst into tears.

“Don’t
cry. It’s okay.”

“No,
it’s not. What will I do? If I have a baby now, I’m all alone. I had my parents
the last time. Now it’s just me. It was so hard before. I just can’t do this.”

“Stop.
You don’t even know if you’re pregnant. Besides, do you think I’d let you do
this alone? I’m half of this equation, you know.”

“You’re
right. I’m jumping to conclusions. I guess I’m stressing,” I say, scrubbing my
face.

“Yeah.
To the extreme.
What about the morning after pill? Can
you call your doctor?”