Chapter 9

“I think you’d better take a step back.” AJ said once they walked into the Hamptons mansion.

“Why?” Katherine asked confused.

“You’ll see in just a second.”

Katherine watched as AJ set the bags down on the floor. He took off his leather jacket and handed it to her. He stood with his legs apart and arms ready. And just as Katherine was about to ask him what he was doing, two bullets shot past her from around the corner and into AJ’s arms. Startled, it took Katherine a few minutes to realize one of those bullets was Lisette, the other one with a pixie hair cut had to be the youngest, Catalella. It was nice to see that Lisette wasn’t always as tough as she seemed, and that AJ had such a gentle side.

AJ set Lisette on her feet and held Catalella a little while longer. “Mi tesoro.” He whispered as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

“I miss you, big brother.” Catalella’s voice made her seem more like a little child than a married woman. She snuggled closer to AJ, wrapping her arms around his torso, like she never wanted to let go.

“I missed you too, peanut.” AJ looked over Catalella’s head at Katherine. Katherine smiled then looked away, hoping he hadn’t seen the emotion in her eyes. AJ seemed to prove to her every single day why he was the man for her. But Katherine was too stubborn or frightened to see it.

“What does ‘mi tesoro’ mean?” She asked once the girls had abandoned them.

“It means ‘my treasure’.” His smile wrapped around her, and Katherine wished one day AJ would have such a loving word reserved just for her.

She coughed the knots of emotion out of her throat and smiled. “How do you say my nagging roommate in Spanish?”

AJ turned toward her; looking her straight in the eyes his warmth filled her. With the back of his hand, he caressed her cheek. He smiled at her, a smile he always seemed to have reserved for her. Then he said. “Eres la razon de mi existencia.”

Katherine didn’t have time to ask for a translation. But the oh, so warm and tingly feeling inside told her AJ hadn’t said what she asked him to. She watched as he was swallowed into the embraces of his family. The sweet picture reminded her so much of her own family, without her father of course. But the need to know what he said superseded the nostalgic feeling she had. Katherine tried to piece together what he said, but she couldn’t remember. Otherwise, she would have asked Lisette for a translation.

“Why are you standing way over there?” AJ’s stepmother asked.

“Come over here, sweetheart. We don’t bite.” Adrian Senior’s booming voice matched his massive body. Now she knew where AJ got all his positive attributes from. Apart from the hint of silver in the old man’s jet-black hair, AJ looked just like his father, down to the well- kept goatee that bordered his mouth.

Katherine found herself the center of attention and it made her fidget. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when AJ took his place beside her and introduced her to the Ross clan.

“This is Lisette’s boyfriend, Reno.”

The night AJ kind of said he loves her. She remembered he had been out with Reno. Katherine just wanted to hug the man, right after questioning him about everything AJ had talked about that night. “The Reno who got you drunk and dropped you off at my doorstep.”

“Guilty,” he said grinning.

“What?” Rosalinda exclaimed.

“It was nothing, Mama,” AJ assured.

Katherine looked around the room and noticed the odd one out. The man was leaning against a far wall, swirling golden liquid and ice in his glass. He was out of place, and to her, it seemed as if he had wandered in off the street and into the house. But when Catalella went to his side, looping her arm into his, Katherine realized he was little Catalella’s husband. She also realized there was no love lost between him and the rest of the family. You only had to look at the clenched jaws of Reno and AJ to know. Even Lisette had the look of murder in her eyes.

“We should sit down for dinner.” Adrian Senior boomed, breaking the thick silence that had cloaked them.

“This is Michael Mathews, my husband,” Catalella introduced with a wavering smile.

“Hallo.”

Michael raised his glass to her and sent a wink her way. Katherine took a step back, confused. Was he hitting on her, in front of his wife? She wondered if anyone had seen that. She looked up at AJ and the throbbing vein in his jaw told her he had. Cautious, she took AJ’s hand and led him away from the man who seemed eager to part with his life. How the hell had that vile creature slipped past Adrian Senior and AJ?

Katherine sat across from AJ at the dinner table. Every few seconds she would sneak a peek at him. She loved, yes loved, the flex of his jaw, the way he laughed and how he every so often reached over to caress his little sister Catalella’s cheek. How she wished she was in Catalella’s place. But AJ had been showing her some attention. Under the table, his foot would rub against her leg. At first, she was startled and looked up in surprise, only to be met by a smile in AJ’s gleaming eyes.

Katherine looked around the dining table and realized she had been missing more than the love of a man. She had been missing this—family sitting around the dinner table talking about things. No matter how mundane or silly it was, they would still share.

Sure, she had a close relationship with the twins, Christian and Christopher, but Duke seemed to have been engulfed in their father’s seriousness ever since they were children. There was no saving him. And Mr. and Mrs. Henry, they seemed stuck in the monotony of activities they called life.

She looked over at Rosalinda and Adrian Senior as she kissed his pasta-stained cheek. Even from a look that passed between them, a blind man could see the fire and passion which still burned between them. They were in love, the sort of love never ruined by social status or what was expected by the ‘upper crust’.

They were like teenagers, and they loved each other like teenagers. Sweet, innocent, curious and with a fire that would never burn out. That was what she wanted for her and AJ.

She gazed at him again, a smile tugging at her heart. She would have that with him. It didn’t matter how long she would have to wait for him to realize one woman was enough for him. She, Katherine Henry, was enough for him.

“Are you alright?”

Katherine blinked out of her fairytale haze at the sound of AJ’s voice. She smiled at him and nodded. She was perfect, how could she not be. “Lunch is delicious, Mrs. Ross.”

“Thank you, querida, I’m glad you were able to join us.”

Katherine gave Rosalinda a bashful smile. The woman was so warm. Something about her made you want to be wrapped in her arms like a snuggy and never come out from the embrace.

“She called you ‘sweetheart’,” AJ put in.

“Thank you.” Katherine said sincerely. The only time her mother called her sweetheart was if a request would follow. Rosalinda just offered the endearment because she could.

“What do you do…querida?” Michael asked, not giving the word the same warmth Rosalinda had.

“I’m practicing being a cardiac surgeon. AJ and I work together.”

“Oh? I thought he was in trauma,” Michael said in a nonchalant tone.

“I think that’s what he wants.” Katherine looked up at AJ seeking permission to go on. And when he nodded, she did. “Actually, Mr. Ross, your son is somewhat a super star down at the hospital. The department’s heads are always trying to seduce him into joining their department. But I think his heart is set on trauma.”

“How are the nurses down in trauma?” Michael asked with a smirk.

Katherine could feel AJ begin to push his chair back. She put her foot on his knee to stop him. And fortunately for her, he settled back down. “I don’t know. Maybe you should keep your attitude up and find out,” she mumbled it under her breath.

“What was that dear?” Rosalinda asked.

Katherine looked around the table and the humorous glances she got from everyone except Catalella and Michael, told her they had all heard her. Lisette especially seemed to like her remark. She coughed out a laugh and almost choked on her chicken.

“It went down the wrong hole,” Lisette said, trying her best not to laugh out loud. But her teary eyes were selling her out.

Katherine chanced a glance at AJ, half expecting him to be cross with her. But the approving wink she got made her relieved. “I said I don’t know why he just didn’t go to John Hopkins.”

“My fault. I begged him not to leave me,” Catalella piped in.

“Begged? Baby girl, you cried for a week when he discovered his acceptance letter,” Lisette piped in.

“What do you mean discovered?”

“Catalella had hidden it from me. She only gave me the letters from the New York area.” AJ winked at her. “But what she doesn’t know is—I would have never left her.”

“If we are done kissing the almighty AJ’s butt, I just wanted to say that I’ve passed the Bar,” Michael put it.

“That’s great!” Catalella was the only one to show genuine happiness.

Katherine got the feeling everyone else wanted to hog tie him and throw him off the Brooklyn Bridge.

* * * *

“Dude, it seems like you got it bad. ‘Eres la razon de mi existencia.’” Reno barked out a laugh. “I didn’t start telling Lisette she was the reason for my existence until we were three months into the relationship. How long have you been with her, a week?”

“Since when did you start speaking Spanish?”

“I had to learn. When your sister gets pissed, her mind flips on the Latina switch. Stop avoiding the question.”

“Two,” AJ said curtly. He didn’t like being laughed at. And if he had known people were paying attention to what he was saying, he wouldn’t have said it at all. “We aren’t together, together. We are still on the roommates with benefits stage.”

“When was the last time you two had sex?”

“With each other?”

“No, with Santa Claus, you dumb ass.”

“That night we met for drinks. Just before I met you at the bar.” But AJ wouldn’t call it sex, something happened between them that broke his soul, and every single defense he had put up against love. The way she surrendered to him, how she did everything he asked, trusting him to completion. It was staggering to him. Especially since it seemed like she was giving more than just her body and mind. She gave him her soul.

“So, what do you plan on doing? I can see you want something more.”

“I’m not going to rush her. I’m going to wait until she sees I’m the best thing for her. And that I need her so desperately,” he said in earnest.

AJ stepped out of the house through the glass sliding doors. He watched as Katherine took a walk down the beach with his sisters. They were laughing and playing. She seemed so right for him. She fit in perfectly with his family. AJ’s breath hitched in his throat when she pulled her long thick hair out of its hold, letting it blow in every direction with the ocean breeze.

“I’ll call Catalella and Lisette back in. You should go to her.”

“I should have known.” AJ’s head turned toward the direction of Michael’s voice. “Letting her meet Rosalinda and Senior before you charm her pants off is beneath you AJ. Or are the girls not coming as easily as they used to?”

AJ exhaled a labored breath. He wasn’t going to ruin this day for Katherine no matter what. “Let’s go, Reno.”

“What, you don’t want to share a moment with your brother?” Michael called after them as they walked away.

“One day I’m going to kick that guy’s ass,” Reno spat out.

“Get in line.”

AJ felt his heartbeat faster with each step he took toward Katherine. Soon his scowl disappeared, cleansed by the sound of her hearty laughter. Acting on impulse he charged at the girls, picking Katherine and Catalella in his arms and rushing with them toward the crashing waves. He looked over to his right and saw Reno holding Lisette upside down, dipping her curly black hair into the salty water.

AJ set them on their feet but began retreating as they rolled balls of sand to throw at him. He waited for Catalella to be distracted before he hoisted her up to his shoulders, and before they knew it, they were engaged in a battle of strength against Lisette and Reno. AJ had to set Catalella down when she got too dizzy. He didn’t know what she would say at first, or if she would refuse him, so AJ picked Katherine up without asking. And after a few tries, they were able to push Lisette and Reno into the water.

“I’m going to see if Michael wants to come and play,” Catalella announced and that pretty much killed the mood.

AJ smiled and nodded. He gave Catalella a kiss on the forehead before she ran in her husband’s direction. She had barely gotten to the porch when Michael scowled at her, turned around and disappeared into the house.

“One day I’m going to kick that guy’s ass,” Lisette announced.

“Get in line,” AJ and Reno hissed in unison.

* * * *

Katherine watched as Reno and Lisette walked in front of them, wrapped in each other’s arms. They were so close she wondered how they managed walking at all. She glanced up AJ and the distant look in his eyes told her he still worried about Catalella and her husband.

“You love your sisters, don’t you?”

“How could I not.” AJ glanced at her for a second then looked ahead. “They are everything to me. I’m sure your brothers feel the same way about you. Especially being the only girl.”

“They do. But I don’t think they are as passionate about it as you are.”

“Lisette is—.”

“—your everything.”

“And Catalella is—.”

“—your treasure.”

AJ laughed. The sound of it washing through her, wrapping its passion around her like a safety blanket. “You’d better hope you don’t get a jealous wife. She might need to be your treasure and your everything.”

“I’m glad you came today.”

“So am I.”

Katherine had to stop herself from purring in delight when AJ weaved his fingers into hers. She stopped, something within her frozen in place by his gentleness. AJ lifted her palm to his lips and kissed her. Katherine rose to her tip toes, wanting more. Her eyes closed as the sensations his lips were creating on her skin became overwhelming.

“My wife—Katherine, look at me.” She did and the passion staring back at her frightened her. “My wife will be my reason for existing.”

A chill ran down her body, but it wasn’t from the cold breeze blowing in from the water. But because of how he looked at her when he said, ‘my wife’. Maybe, just maybe there would be a future for her and this former playboy.

Katherine looked past AJ when she heard Reno giggle, and Lisette’s squeal. They were rolling around in the sand kissing each other. They rolled into the water, but never did they let go of each other. That was what she wanted with AJ.

“Reno! Let Lisette at least come up for air!” AJ called out with a grin on his lips. “You want to watch the stars with me? I don’t have a blanket, but you can lie on top of me if you want.”

“Mmmmh.” A sound was all Katherine could manage. She didn’t trust her voice to give away how she felt at that moment.