Mr. Imperfect(24)

       
           



       

"We had to open a second bottle," she confided. "To calm our nerves."

"Uh-huh," said Christian. A beaming William J. wrapped one arm around  Kezia, the other around his bride. He looked to be sharing reminiscences  in an overflow of tipsy affection. Suzie's expression grew pinched and  though Kezia maintained her composure, there was quiet desperation in  the way she scanned the crowd for an escape route. Her eyes met his and  shied away.

The last of Christian's resentment evaporated as his conscience kicked in. "Mrs. Rankin, will you excuse me, please?"

Summoning his most charming smile, he slid off the bar stool and  sauntered outside. He came within earshot in time to hear Suzie's  pained, "You can't have two loves of your life, Bill." She turned on  Kezia. "Speaking of which, where's yours?"

"Right here." Christian yanked Kezia out of William J.'s arm and into  his, to kiss her thoroughly enough to lay the bride's doubts to rest and  to punish Kezia for tormenting him at the same time. He forgot both  intentions the moment their lips touched.

She made a protesting sound against his mouth and Christian lifted a  hand to the nape of her neck and held her while he deepened the kiss,  hungry for more, demanding an acknowledgment that she felt the same  desire.

And for an instant he got it. Her surrender was sweet, a torture. With a  moan, she broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his pounding  heart, trying to shield her expression. Dazed, Christian lifted a  protective hand to her hair.

William J. was staring at him openmouthed. Christian thrust out a hand. "Congratulations."

William J. closed his mouth and took it. "Thanks." He had the grace to  look shamefaced. "It's good to see you're taking the relationship  seriously."

"We're deadly serious, aren't we, honey?" Christian felt Kezia take a  deep, shaky breath, then slip out of his grasp and turn with an  enigmatic smile that would make the Mona Lisa's transparent.

"Deadly," she agreed. Christian had never appreciated how well she could cloak her real feelings, and was intrigued.

"Wow." Suzie looked light-headed with relief. "How about a kiss like that for the bride?"

He obliged, lingering long enough to teach her new husband a lesson  about territorial incursions. The bride thanked him with a squeeze of  his forearm. The bridegroom pressed his new wife against his side so  tightly she squawked and then he said gruffly, "I hear you're gifting  Kezia the hotel."

"We're still in discussions," she answered before Christian could speak.

Astonished, he said, "Don't tell me you're backing out?"

Uncertainty quickened her reply. "No, but I thought you might have  reconsidered, given our earlier-" she glanced at the bridal couple  "-conversation in the car."

"I never renege on an offer. I might be disillusioned but I'm not  petty." It occurred to him that Kezia could have said nothing when he  was accepting the blame for ending their relationship. Instead she'd  told the truth even when she believed it might jeopardize the deal.

Christian suddenly felt nothing but petty. So she hadn't loved him  enough-at least she'd never pretended otherwise. It was time he grew up  and got over it.

More relations converged on the happy couple, separating him from Kezia.  Christian found himself hemmed in by well-wishers lining up to pepper  Suzie's cheeks with different shades of lipstick and started backing  himself the hell out of there.

Over a sea of shoulders, Suzie waved goodbye. "I think giving Kezia the  hotel is so romantic," she said. "You must really love her."

Christian came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the lawn and the crowd  swirled Suzie on, a meringue confection in the midst of color and  laughter. God, no! He wasn't that much of a fool. It was Kezia's hot  little body he craved. He caught sight of her standing under a magnolia  tree, chatting with a couple of teenagers.

The sun gilded her bare arms and the dark strands escaping her French  twist. When she smiled, tiny creases fanned out from the corners of her  eyes. He could see where the wrinkles would eventually form-around her  smile.

He could also see by the shadows in her eyes that she'd weathered loss  and disappointment, and by the tilt of her chin that she hadn't been  defeated by it.

For someone who considered his interest strictly physical he was finding  it impossible to look past her face. Telling himself that Suzie knew  squat-she'd married William J. Rankin the Third for God's sake-Christian  stalked back to the bar.                       
       
           



       





CHAPTER ELEVEN




KEZIA WATCHED HIM go, a scowl on his face. And they call women moody and  unpredictable. She knew her confession had made Christian loathe her  all over again-the punishing kiss had proved that-yet he still seemed  prepared to give her the hotel. And she no longer believed it was some  sort of revenge.

That was his real gift to her. Her dignity.

He hadn't chosen to know why she'd stayed and she was very glad of that  because it meant she could return a gift of equal value. Blissful  ignorance.

"Get over here!" Marion called across the garden, and thrust a glass of  champagne at Kezia when she joined her. "I hear you've accepted the  hotel, that's fantastic."

So Christian wasn't wasting any time making it impossible for her to  change her mind. Well, two could play at that game. "Yes." She chinked  glasses. "And he's agreed to accept repayments. They'll be modest, but  it's something."

"I know," said Marion. "He told me."

Kezia stared. "He did?"

"He said he doesn't need the money so he wants it put into a community fund with me as treasurer."

"He did?" Kezia knew she looked as stupid as she sounded, but Marion didn't notice.

"Apparently all recipients are to be decided by-" her fingers drew  speech marks in the air "-Kezia's bleeding heart." She turned and beamed  toward the bar, gesturing for Christian to join them, and Kezia  realized he'd been watching her reaction from the shadowy interior.

Dumbstruck would about cover it, quickly followed by a rush of love she  was afraid she couldn't hide. She fumbled for her sunglasses and jammed  them on. Christian stepped reluctantly into the sunlight, pausing to put  on his own.

"Why, Christian Kelly-" Kezia kept her tone light "-are you warming to your old hometown?"

"No," he said bluntly, "I'm trying to stop it from falling down around  my investment. But I'd appreciate it if you made the first project a  tree house for John Jason."

Marion hooted and spilled champagne on Christian's jacket as she threw  her arms around him. Christian said in a bored voice, "Let's not make a  big deal about this, shall we?"

"I propose a toast." Kezia's voice was husky as she raised her glass. "To Waterview's reluctant philanthropist."

"Don't malign me." She could see nothing behind the sunglasses. "You're the only bleeding heart in this town."

"Then let's drink to that," suggested Marion.

Kezia raised her glass. "To my bleeding heart."



IT WAS JOHN JASON WHO STOPPED Christian drinking a fourth Scotch,  tugging on Christian's jacket and asking politely if Christian wouldn't  mind ordering him and his two friends some Cokes, seeing how it was a  special occasion and seeing how he couldn't see over the top of the bar  to ask.

"Can't you climb on the stool?" inquired Christian. He wasn't in the mood for cute.

John Jason informed him that he was too shy. "I don't get out much," he  confided in a tone exactly like his mother's, and Christian weakened.

"Three Cokes, please, bartender." While they waited, he held his glass  on his lap, strangely reluctant to take a sip in front of a child, and  eyed the satin vest and bow tie. "So where's the Batman outfit tonight?"

John Jason scowled. "Mummy wouldn't let me wear it." He lifted his nose  in the air and sniffed. "That stuff smells like what my daddy used to  drink."

Christian sat transfixed. I'd watch that if I was you. "Mine, too." Slowly he put the full glass back on the bar.

People were being ushered to tables, and Kezia approached, looking as wary as he felt.

Glancing at John Jason noisily sucking Coke through a straw, he couldn't  regret the impulse to start a community fund. Waterview needed the  money; he didn't. Sentimentality had nothing to do with it. Very clearly  he remembered Joe Bryant's face, raw with emotion, and was inexplicably  angry. Neither, damn it, did guilt.

"Hi, John Jason, you look smart." Kezia playfully tweaked the child's  bow tie. "Your mom wants you back at the table for dinner, honey. I'll  help you carry those glasses." She glanced at Christian with the bright  impersonal smile he hated. "We're at table ten. I'll meet you there."