Chapter 13

I trust you, Katherine smiled to herself once more. She couldn’t ask for a better way to start her night. Inhaling deeply, she could still catch the scent of him. She could see his eyes, like dark roses, seductive and laced with the forbidden. The gentle brush of his lips was enthralling, lighting up nerves in every single part of her body, and settling a pool of warmth in her belly. His breath warm when he whispered against her ear and her lips, pressing against the pulse point in her throat. And when she tasted him, he was too sweet to pull away from.

Her arms went around her as she hugged herself, imagining that his freakishly large arms were holding her one more time. A slow smile crept on her lips, and all she could think about was getting back home to him. It didn’t matter that they weren’t making love anymore; she just wanted to be held, to feel his strong body against hers, his lips…

“Katherine?” Her eyes snapped open, and she met the curious gazes of her family. She could feel a crimson blush warm her cheeks. “Would you please get out of whatever fantasy you seem to have disappeared into and pay attention to the situation at hand.” Trust Caroline Henry to turn a molehill into a mountain. “Your brother wants to ship himself over to some God-forsaken country. Say something.”

“Look at it this way, Kit, they too, think we are a God-forsaken country,” Katherine said and was rewarded by a few strangled chuckles.

Her father, sitting at the head of the table, cleared his throat killing the mood. “Of course, you would find this funny. Everything is a joke to you. You too turned your back on your family business.”

Katherine shot a look at Christian, who had always been Kit to her since the day they had brought him and Christopher from the hospital. It had been just her and Duke for three years. At that time, she and Duke had been close. He had taken care of her, clothed her, bathed her, fed her and was the perfect big brother.

When the twins were brought home, she understood she had to be just as responsible for the two. She had always taken care of Kit while Duke took care of Topher. That way both babies got attention at the same time. It had always been that way even as grownups.

Now she looked into the blue-gray eyes of the little baby she used to bottle-feed. He was a grown man who approached every decision carefully and thought and rethought even a sandwich order. Christopher was the spur of the moment kind of guy. He had enough adventure for both himself and his cautious twin brother.

Katherine believed Christian had thought about his decision. He would be leaving everything behind, even the big piece of his identity, Christopher. She didn’t like the idea of them being separated, but they were men now. Men, who should be able to make their own decisions and choices. The last thing she wanted for them was to be turned into father’s puppets. She wasn’t going to let her father take over their lives the same way he had Duke’s.

“I believe Kit has thought about it. He’s old enough to make his own choices, we should trust him.” Katherine looked at Duke.

“I think Christopher and I can handle the family business. Let Christian do what he wants, father.” Duke’s deep baritone had become so unfamiliar to her that she sat back marveling at its timbre.

“Yes father, let him do what he wants. Soon enough he will realize he can’t live without me and come back.” Christopher’s ego spoke up.

“Hardly,” Christian scoffed. “Father, I don’t really need your permission. I am an adult. This is what I want to do. I want to serve my country.”

“This is entirely your fault, Katherine,” Harry barked.

“How so?”

“Don’t talk back to your father,” Caroline reprimanded.

“I am just defending myself, mother. Father cannot be judge, jury and executor of this family anymore.” Katherine for the first time in her life felt brave. She knew that soon she would have to defend her relationship with AJ against her parents. She thought it would be better to start now.

“You are not one to talk about what is right and wrong, Katherine. Your brother tells us you are living with a man.” The judgment in Caroline’s voice rang true.

“Kit!”

“Sorry.”

“Yes, I live with a man…” Katherine’s courage seemed to flee her body. “…who also happens to be my boyfriend.” She heard the clangs of several forks as they hit their plates. “He is a brilliant surgeon.”

“If he was that brilliant, he would have gone to a more prestigious hospital,” Harry cut in.

Katherine scoffed. In other words, her father was saying that she, too, wasn’t smart enough to get into a better teaching hospital. Of course, she wasn’t surprised at how he downplayed how hard she had worked to get into Lenox Hill. Sure, her first options had been John Hopkins and George Washington Hospitals. But she had applied late, as wrangling her future out of her father’s hands had put her back. But she was proud of where she was now. It was the best hospital in New York.

“Actually, he stayed in New York for his family.”

“At least he knows the value of family.”

“His sister had leukemia. He did not stay behind to run the family business. His sisters are doing that. His father let him follow his heart professionally,” Katherine said.

“His father must be an idiot.”

“His reputation in Wall Street begs to differ. He seems to have accumulated a huge fortune and, most important, a solid business and legal standing.”

“Who exactly is this man?”

Katherine watched as both Duke and her father leaned in. She couldn’t say for sure what her elder brother was thinking or what his interest was, but she could smell the greed oozing out of her father’s pores. The old man was thinking mergers of empires and family social standing. Already Harry was thinking of marrying his daughter away to an unnamed man for the better of his business. She personally wouldn’t mind, but she didn’t figure Adrian Ross Senior was one to merge anything with her father.

“Adrian Ross Junior. His father is Senior.”

Katherine sat in shock as Harry forced his chair back and stormed off in a fit of rage. She looked around the table in confusion. “Was it something I said?”

“I think you should get back home, kitty kat.” Duke spared her a smile before taking off after their father.

“Mother?”

Caroline stood up, a scowl claiming her porcelain face.

“What the hell?”

“You sure know how to clear a room, sis.” Christopher laughed.

Katherine rose to her feet and gave her brothers a hug goodbye. “Kit, always do what is best for you. You are going to be okay. Call me if you need anything.”

When Katherine stepped out into the cold New York air, she felt relieved. She was getting away from her father and going home to AJ.

* * * *

“Dad, do you know a Harold Henry?” AJ asked at the dining table that weekend. Katherine told him about the bizarre reaction her father had to his name. And since he hadn’t met the man, he knew it had something to do with business.

“Yes.” Senior cleared his throat and gave his mother an uncomfortable look. Something more was going on. “We did business together a while ago. We had a falling out. It’s no big deal.”

“Why do you ask, mijo?” his mother asked.

“He happens to be Katherine’s father.” AJ watched in silent confusion at the somber way his father nodded his head, and the glances his parents kept giving each other.

“Do you love her?” It was an odd question especially from his father. He expected his mother to ask that.

“Yes…Yes, I love her,” AJ answered. He was sure about that, but his certainty of their future together was getting less plausible with every frown on his father’s face. “Am I going to have a problem with her father?”

“If you both love each other, it doesn’t matter,” Senior answered, the frown deepening. “Look at Lisette and Reno. They made it.”

“Michael and I,” Catalella piped in, but he was definitely not going to follow their example. AJ was determined to make a love match. He wasn’t interested in being comfortable. He wanted to combust with the passion and love he would feel for his wife. So far, his and Katherine’s relationship had all the ingredients for a love match. The fights and challenges included. He wanted a marriage, not a farce.

“Are you going to tell me how bad this situation is between you and Harold?” If he was going to be fighting for his relationship, he needed to know his odds.

“Is Katherine independent or does she do what her father asks her to?”

“She rebels actually,” AJ chuckled. Her rebellion is what brought her to his home in the first place.

“Then you might just have a chance.”