Winning Wyatt (The Billionaire Brotherhood Book 1) (18 page)

“Not
here! Not to my house.” Kara’s head and heart whirled in opposite directions,
leaving her disoriented and dizzy from the contradictory emotions hammering
against her migraine. She cautioned herself to think logically before speaking
again.

“Not
unless I receive an invitation.” Wyatt eyed her flirtatiously.

Kara
ground her teeth. “You won’t.”

“Just
a leave?” Allie asked. “Not a permanent separation?”

“It
might turn into that.”

The
notion that he was as reticent about revealing personal information to his
family as he was with her penetrated the double filters of Kara’s shock and pounding
headache.

“What
do you plan to do?” Rosalie asked, clearly dubious.

“I’m
working on trading schedules with a friend at Columbia,” he explained. “He
wanted to spend the winter in California, and I said I’d be willing to relocate
to New York.”

“Cool,
Uncle Wyatt.” Xander had grown a foot since Kara had last seen him. She sensed
a genuine affection between him and Wyatt that had been missing before.
“Columbia’s one of the schools I want to apply to. Maybe you’ll still be
there.”

“You
will be attending Duke, young man. The sixth generation of Wyatts to do so,”
Rosalie stated firmly.

“Aw,
Grandmother. You know I don’t want to go there.”

Kara
hoped reality would soon reassert itself over the walking-nightmare quality
that had settled over the afternoon. She hoped she could keep herself from
throwing a fit of screaming hysterics before it happened. Her eyes sought out
Sean, playing with a little tool bench in the corner. She kept her gaze on her
child. “And no one at either university objects to the trade?”

Wyatt
shrugged. “It hasn’t quite been approved, but I’m being very persistent.”

“Well,
that proves he’s serious about being a father.” Xander’s grin was so much like
Sean’s and Wyatt’s that Kara felt shaken by it. “Uncle Wyatt hates cold
weather. He’s never spent a winter up north. And he always claimed he never
would.”

Kara
finally looking directly at Wyatt. “A good reason to reconsider.”

His
jaw firmed. “I’ll adjust.”

“No
doubt.” Kara had the sinking feeling of inevitability that defined her life of
late.

He
would adjust to anything he set his mind to, but would she?

Four
weeks later, Kara stood in the center of yet another trendy gallery and made
notes on an exhibit for her Sunday column. As she wrote, a dark presence
settled behind her and began nuzzling her neck.

The
man’s expensive aftershave identified him before she turned around. “Hello,
Dylan.”

“Mmmm.”
He nibbled her ear. “Want to go someplace where I can kiss you all over?”

“Sure.”
Nonchalantly, she placed her iPad in her purse and stepped away from him. “Will
it take long?”

“Hours.”
He wiggled his eyebrows in a leer.

“Oh,
rats.” She checked her watch and faked a crestfallen expression. “I only have
thirty minutes until I have to leave.”

“I’m
adaptable. I’ll hurry.” Dylan took her arm to lead her away. “We may have to
skip your elbows entirely.”

“That’s
unacceptable. Elbows are absolutely essential in a full-body seduction.” Her
feet remained rooted to the marble tile. “Maybe another time would be better.”

He
scowled with pretended dejection. “I won’t hold my breath.”

“Good
thinking.”

He
leaned in to nibble her ear again. “You know we’d be great together. I don’t
know why you want to avoid the inevitable.”

“Because
she has higher standards than the likes of you.” A large hand clamped around
Dylan’s shoulder.

Ah,
yes. Wyatt. He seemed to have joined them from out of nowhere. Her heart gave a
happy little lurch, even before she saw that he was accompanied by another guy
so gorgeous he overshadowed Wyatt. Now, there were three of them, for heaven’s
sake. If she didn’t stand out of the way, she’d be stampeded by women trying to
get to them. Like being out with three Magic Mike cast members.

The
last Kara had heard, Wyatt wasn’t supposed to get into town until tomorrow.
Before she questioned his sudden appearance, he rendered her speechless by
feathering his lips across hers.

“Hello,
love.” He draped an arm around her shoulders, nodding to her frowning
companion. “Hello, Dylan.”

“You
know Dylan?” Kara used her elbow to wedge some space between them.

“I
didn’t know you knew one another,” Dylan said at the same time.

“I
don’t know her,” the third Chippendale dancer said. If he wore the requisite
Speedo, bowtie, and no shirt, he’d make a fortune in tips. He sure had the body
to enhance the costume. “I wouldn’t mind getting in on this thing you two have
going with this charming lady. Introduce me, buddy.”

“I’ll
only introduce you if you’ll behave.”

“I
don’t know how to do anything else,” Hunk Number Three said, giving Kara a
practiced once-over.

“Kara
Enderley, this is my best friend, Ryan Eastham. And yes, we know Dylan, too.
He’s been a thorn in our sides for years. We try to lose him, but he keeps
hanging around.” Wyatt pulled her firmly against his side.

Ryan
took her hand in his, stroking his fingertips over her palm. “Very nice to meet
you.”

“You
might recognize him if you’re into sports,” Dylan suggested. “He plays
professional football.”

She
crinkled her nose. “Not much of a fan.”

“I
could explain the finer points of the game to you.” His sensual fingertips
trailed up her forearm. “See if I could arouse your interest.”

She
shook her head, regretfully. He really was quite something. “Sorry, but no.”

“Back
off, Ryan. You two should know that Kara and I are very close, personal
friends.”

Ryan
watched them speculatively. “I don’t believe it.”

“Does
she know you’re an English professor? And that you go around quoting things? On
purpose!” Dylan punched Wyatt in the shoulder. “She has better taste than
that.”

“Oh,
believe it. We’ve even got matching tattoos to prove it.” Wyatt winked and
brushed his hand against her hip to indicate the location of the marking.

“You’ve
got a tattoo?” Dylan demanded. “Where?”

“What
is it, Kara?” Ryan became immediately intrigued. “Can I see?”

“Not
if you want to continue living.” Wyatt moved his mouth into a smile that didn’t
quite relay good humor.

“Seriously,
dude?” Ryan studied first Wyatt and then Kara. “You know what, Dylan? I think
he means it.”

With
her cheeks flushed over Wyatt’s possessiveness as well his comments, Kara set
her heel down sharply on his instep and once again tried to move away. Instead
of gaining her freedom, she only managed to change his expression from a smile
to a wince. His grip didn’t lessen.

“Well,
hell.” Dylan thunked his forehead with the heel of his hand. “No wonder I never
had any luck with her. Being with you must have turned her off men completely.
How long’s it been since your sorry experience with him, Kara?” He slid his
hand around her waist to draw her toward him, but Wyatt held on tight. “Maybe
it’s time you tried a more talented partner.”

“Not
long enough to make any of you look attractive.” Even though they were the
three most attractive men in the room. In the state. Maybe in the universe. She
gave one mighty push to escape Wyatt’s grasp. “If you’ll excuse me, boys, I
need to leave now.”

Wyatt
easily waylaid her. He twirled her back to his side and tried to dismiss Dylan
and Ryan with a casual nod. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Sure.”
Dylan looked curiously at Wyatt and Ryan, crossed his arms and made no move to
leave. “What are you two doing in town, by the way?”

“Ryan
was tired of Boston and I’m here to house-hunt,” Wyatt told him.

Kara
swallowed hard to hold back her objection to the announcement.

“You’re
moving east?” This again from Dylan. “That’s good news!”

“Didn’t
I tell you? I’m going to teach at Columbia this semester.” Wyatt turned his
attention toward Kara. “Any suggestions on where I should look?”

“I
have a few.” She smiled sweetly. “But you don’t want to hear them.”

 
“I think there’s a floor opening up in my
building,” Dylan suggested.

“Nah,
I was thinking of looking in Connecticut.”

Connecticut!
Kara’s heart sank. Her one hope about the relocation was that he would move to
Manhattan and get caught up in the urban lifestyle and social life to be found
there, making the rounds with world-class partier Dylan Bradford. Connecticut
would allow him easy access to Sean’s life—her life—and would put him
altogether too close for comfort.

“You’re
kidding.” Dylan didn’t bother concealing his surprise. “Connecticut’s pretty
domesticated for Wild Wyatt Maitland.”

“Face
it, Dyl,” Ryan said. “His tastes and interests have changed.”

Eyeing
Kara, Dylan pieced the information together. “You live in Connecticut, don’t
you, Kara?”

“Yes,
but I guess there’s room for Wyatt to live there, too, if he wants.” She
shrugged her disinterest.

“What
he wants is pretty obvious,” Ryan said, with a wink. “I can’t believe you plan
on giving it to him.”

“The
only thing I plan on giving him is a hard time.”

All
three men laughed at her irritation.

“That’s
not too difficult,” Wyatt agreed. “Hard is one word that always comes up when I
think of you, Kara.”

If
their companion had been anyone but Dylan, Kara would have felt faint with
embarrassment. As matters stood, with Dylan’s two-track mind, she knew he would
think more of her for learning that she and Wyatt had shared intimate moments
in the past. Ryan seemed entertained by that fact, too.

Now,
maybe, Dylan would be less persistent in trying to get her into his bed. Or
more so. She didn’t know which way his interest would go. And, she didn’t care,
as long as she could leave them to their male posturing and go home. Alone.

Turning,
she ducked out from under Wyatt’s arm. She moved toward the cloakroom to
reclaim her coat, but he and his friends followed along.

“It
looks like we’re leaving now.” Wyatt handed his claim check to the attendant.

With
Kara’s hand reaching for the door, Wyatt pushed it open for her. Before they
stepped outside, he said to Dylan and Ryan, “Talk to you tomorrow.”

The
door swung shut behind them, but Dylan poked his head out. “Wyatt? If you stop to
get something to eat, don’t order anything with onions on it if you hope to get
laid later. That’s one thing she really hates.”

Kara
stalked off, setting a brisk pace to ward off the chilly night air. Wyatt moved
in step beside her.

“Where
are you going?” Despite her intention to ignore him, after half a block, she
couldn’t refrain from asking.

“I’m
walking you to your car.” He was certainly more subdued now than when Dylan and
Ryan had been present. “Or the subway or wherever you’re going. Which is it?”

“Car.
Garage. Two blocks over.” She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. “And
what is ‘Wild Wyatt Maitland’ doing in New York City tonight? I thought you
weren’t coming in until the morning.”

“I
got finished at school sooner than I expected and managed to arrange an earlier
flight. I stopped in to see Ryan in Boston, but he was already planning to come
here for the weekend. So here I am, too.”

“What?”
She gasped in pretended horror. “You weren’t slumming on public transportation,
were you?”

“No.
Ryan had chartered a plane.”

She
pulled her coat closer around her and picked up her pace. An uncomfortable
bitchiness crawled over her skin like the itch of a cheap wool sweater.
Everything from her immediate pleasure at first sight of him in the gallery, to
finding out he knew Dylan, to his leaving the museum with her, irritated her
beyond bearing.

“Are
you really looking for a house near me?” she asked as they waited at a corner
for traffic to clear. That was probably the thing that irritated her the most.

“Yes.”
He exhaled the single word in a frigid cloud. “My assistant set up appointments
for me to see some houses tomorrow.”

“Then
you are going to move here?”

“Try
to contain your excitement, but yes. It looks like it.” He hunched his
shoulders against the biting wind.

Buffeted
by a crowd of pedestrians, they walked in silence until Wyatt stepped between
her and a vagrant that stumbled into their path. “How’s Sean?”

“Excited.”
Her spirits lifted just at the mention of his name. “Last year he was too young
to understand about Christmas. He just liked the lights. But this year he’s
fascinated with Santa and the tree. We have this snow globe with a little
sparkling village inside that he’s really taken with. He carries it around all
the time, shakes it, and talks to the people.”

Delight
crinkled the corners of Wyatt’s eyes as she described it. “I’d like to see him
in the morning.”

As
usual, he didn’t ask, just made his preference known. She wanted to deny him,
but on what grounds? “I thought you were looking at houses.”

“The
first appointment’s at noon.”

“...Okay.”

Inside
the parking garage, at last, she pressed the button for the elevator.

“You
know, Dylan had the right idea for once.” Wyatt hesitated, holding the elevator
door open.

“About
what?”

“Maybe
we should get a bite to eat.”

“Before
you get laid?” She sniffed. “No, thank you.”

He
stepped in beside her and let the doors slide close. “You sure? I’d probably
settle for just dinner if the other doesn’t sound appealing.”

“I
had soup with Sean.”

The
doors separated. Kara’s footsteps echoed on the concrete as she moved toward
her car and removed her keys from her purse. Stopping beside her Volvo, she
flicked the beeper to unlock the doors. Before she got in, he hooked her by the
elbow, pulling her around to face him.

“I
wonder.” With their faces inches apart, his breath warmed twin spots on her
cheeks. “How does Dylan know how you feel about onion-breath?”

“The
usual way.” A little part of her hoped, but doubted, that Wyatt would be the
tiniest bit jealous at the thought of her and Dylan together.

“This
way?” He leaned into her, covering her mouth with his.

Heedlessly,
she gave herself over to the moment. Sinking into the pleasure, drowning in
desire, and letting her heart overrule her head. As his hands began to seek
bare skin, the barriers of wool, cashmere and leather couldn’t be ignored. By
the time he managed to unbutton her coat, her hands and knees were shaking with
the cold—or so she told herself—and pushed him away.

“What
was that about?” With stiff fingers, she moved to refasten her buttons.

“Dylan
and Ryan are my best friends in the world. They’re more like brothers than
friends. But I could see they were interested in you. And before you start
getting any ideas about them, or anyone else, I’m staking my claim.” Using his
body, he pressed hers against the car.

“Claim?”
She brought her hands up between them, either to hold him off or for the
pleasure of touching him. Even she wasn’t sure which. “What claim?”

“I’m
calling dibs on your next affair.”

She
crossed her arms, certain this time that she intended to put some distance
between them. “I’m not having an affair.”

“You
may not think so, but I don’t think you’ll be able to help it.”

“What
on earth are you talking about?”

“It
was three years after your husband died that we first met. Now, it’s been
another three years, and we meet again. I figure I set the precedent. If you’re
going to have an affair every three years, it may as well be with me.”

“Hah!
For all you know, I’ve slept with every man in New York since the last time we
were together.”

“I
considered the possibility,” he admitted. “After I saw you with Dylan tonight,
I couldn’t think of anything else. But now I know the truth.” His fingers
caressed her cheek. “Tonight, you kissed me like you did at my cabin that very
first night. And that’s one kiss I’ll never forget.”

“Hey
there.” Wyatt’s cheerful tone on the phone played havoc with her mood on the
cold and overcast January day. “I take possession of my house today. When can
Sean come over to see his new room?”

“You
want Sean to come over?”

“You
can come, too.”

Nearly
hyperventilating, Kara couldn’t find the breath to respond. She laid her cell
down and pressed her forehead against the desktop. Taking several deep breaths,
she wished she had a paper bag handy.

“Kara?”
Concern laced through the single word. “You there? Are you all right?”

“Not
feeling very well.” Despising herself for letting fear rule her, she finally
managed to choke out a response. But the picture of Wyatt putting Sean in his
car and driving away with him made her feel ill. “Can you call me back later?”

After
her hands stopped shaking from the phone call, the doorbell rang with a special
delivery packet. Taking the bulky envelope from the messenger, her hands
started shaking again. She checked in on Sean and Angela, the Tagliatti helper
of the day, and returned to her office to open the sheaf of legal documents.

With
a feeling of dread, Kara looked over the papers from Wyatt’s lawyer and
considered her options. She’d have her own attorney look at them, of course,
but that would cause only a minor delay. Wyatt seemed intent on not backing
down.

Her
daily anxiety level had escalated dangerously since he’d reappeared in her
life. Yet there he was, interfering with her child, messing up her mind with
his declarations, igniting her desire with his kisses, and stirring up her
worst fears with his presence.

He’d
been correct at the parking garage in assuming that it had been three years
since she’d had sex. During that time, she’d been pregnant, then concentrated
her energy on her new baby, her house, and her career, while steadfastly
ignoring the urgings of her body. Dylan’s rather obvious passes
notwithstanding, she hadn’t received many other offers.

If
she wanted sexual release and, apparently, she did, Wyatt was the last person
she should consider. Been there, done that, had the baby to prove it, to rephrase
an expression. She wanted him. She had to admit that.

Alone
in her bed at night, she’d caught herself too many times thinking about him to
deny the attraction. But she didn’t want the complications he’d bring.

As
she had done so many times since that night in the parking garage, Kara pushed
aside the memory of his mouth and his body pressed against hers. She tried to
focus on her more immediate problems.

Damn,
she threw the papers aside. She hated to see his rights spelled out so clearly.
She didn’t know how she could make herself honor such an agreement.

 
“Kara?” After a tap on the door, a very
pregnant Josie Olivetti trundled into the room. “Angela said I’d find you up
here. Am I interrupting?”

“No,
no, it’s great to see you.” Kara hastily shoved the papers into a drawer—out of
sight, out of mind—before swiveling her chair around to face her building
contractor’s wife. With boys about the same age, they’d become fast friends
during the months of Kara’s remodeling project. “Come on in. Are you alone?”

Josie
looked at her curiously as she lowered her bulk into a hard-backed chair.
“Today’s my doctor’s appointment, remember? You said I could leave the boys
here so I can enjoy the special pleasures of a pelvic exam in private.”

“Oh,
sure.” Kara rubbed her hands over her face trying to energize her brain cells.
“No problem. Angela and I will both be here all afternoon.”

“No
shows to review?” Josie attempted to cross her legs, gave up, and crossed her
swollen ankles instead.

“No,
I don’t have anything scheduled until Tuesday.”

Josie
pointed to the wall calendar. “Today is Tuesday.”

“Oh,
no! What time is it?” She surged out of her chair, turning panicky eyes toward
the clock. “Two? Oh, well, that’s all right then.” She sank back into her seat.
“I don’t have to be in town until six. What time’s your appointment?”

“Two
forty-five.” Josie struggled to stand. “I can get one of the other Tagliattis
to watch the kids.”

“No
need for that.” Kara waved her back into her seat.“Angela’s here if I have to
leave before you get back.”

“But
Jonathon and David are such a handful these days. They’re heathens compared to
Sean.” Josie patted her belly. “I just hope this little girl is quiet and sweet
and has tea parties with dolls she doesn’t try to decapitate.”

“You
can only wish.” Kara chuckled at the thought of the rambunctious Olivetti
household harboring such a subdued creature. “Not much longer ‘till you find
out, anyway.”

“Two
more weeks.”

“Are
you feeling okay?”

“Except
for the bloating and the swelling and the indigestion, sure.” She rubbed her
hand across her tummy before asking casually, “I was going to ask you the same
thing.”

“Me?
Why would you think I’m not?”

“We-ell.”
Josie hesitated. “You looked a little pale when I came in.”

Kara
pushed her hair off her forehead. “I hate the snow. January is an awful month.
And February is even worse.” How long would the horrible memories haunt her?

“That’s
understandable, but is that what’s troubling you? I've heard rumors...”

Swiveling
back toward her desk, Kara became fascinated with realigning the office
supplies on her desk pad. Stapler, paper clips, tape—suddenly she needed all of
them to be just so. Josie remained silent throughout the realignment. Kara
turned to meet her worried gaze. “What have you heard?”

“Rumors
about a gorgeous man who claims to be Sean’s father. Apparently he looks a lot
like that photograph above our desk.” At Kara’s silence, her friend continued,
“Aren’t you pleased to have him here?”

Kara’s
hands floated up helplessly. “I’m having a little trouble adjusting.”

“Maria
said he seemed nice,” Josie ventured.

“Oh,
yes, he’s nice.” Kara blinked to erase the image of just how nice he could be.
“If he weren’t so nice, damn him, it wouldn’t be so difficult to tell him to
bug off.”

“Ah,
I see,” said the former psychologist.

“What?”
Kara had confided much to Josie in the last three years, but kept the identity
of Sean’s father from her and everyone else. Now, like so many other things,
the choice to keep her secrets had been taken from her.