Undercover in the CEO's Bed(16)

But Holly had suggested it still rankled with Lex, that the real reason for the lack of trust between the cousins was because Kirk had stolen the woman Lex loved.

“I should ask Lex about it sometime.”

Holly sucked in her cheeks. “He’ll probably call me an interfering busybody but yeah, I think he should tell you. There shouldn’t be any secrets between you.” She raised her chin, still bold, before her gaze shifted and her expression brightened.

“Kirk! You’ve finally arrived.” Brushing past Jacinta, she ran toward the garden entrance.

The man who must be Kirk walked toward them. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with more than a passing resemblance to Lex, though his figure was distinctly leaner. His gaunt face lifted into a smile as Holly hurried up to him.

“Hello, Holly,” he said in a quiet voice. “Thought I’d find you out here.”

Jacinta stood still. So this was Kirk, Lex’s cousin. The man who had stolen and married Lex’s girlfriend.





Chapter Eight

“So you’re Jacinta.”

Aware of Kirk’s eyes assessing her, Jacinta shook his hand, hoping he hadn’t overheard any of the conversation between her and Holly.

“And you must be Kirk,” she said.

“Has Holly been talking about me? She’s a chatterbox, my sister.” He grinned as Holly aimed a punch at his arm. “Nana was looking for you, Holly. She needs some help with something. Do you mind?”

“Of course not. See you later.” She took off through the trees in the direction of the house.

Kirk turned back to Jacinta. “I hear this is your first visit to Mariposa. What do you think of the place?”

“It’s magnificent, the little I’ve seen of it.”

“My grandfather bought Mariposa for my grandmother when he made his first millions. Back then, it was falling to pieces, especially the gardens.” He gestured around him. “All this is thanks to my nana’s dedication.”

On the surface Kirk seemed normal enough, but she sensed turbulence beneath the politeness. He looked wired and weary at the same time. A muscle in the corner of his eye twitched every now and then, and his skin was stretched and pallid, with dark circles beneath his eyes, as if he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in years.

“Would you like me to show you around?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t want to bother you so soon after your trip.”

“It’s no problem.”

“But you look tired—” She broke off, aware she’d wandered into a minefield. Of course he looks tired. He lost his wife not long ago.

“You mean these big bags under my eyes? I think they’re permanent.”

“No, I didn’t mean to imply...”

He waved her off with a wry smile. “Only kidding. We Rochesters aren’t the easiest of people to meet, I’ll admit.”

“Knowing Lex, I guess I should have been forewarned.”

“Let me make it up to you by showing you around some of the gardens.”

“I’d like that.”

They made their way through the gardens, and as they rambled, Kirk told her more about the history of Mariposa. His conversation was cordial, but she felt him still sizing her up.

“How is Lex anyway?” Kirk suddenly said. “I see him around the office, but we don’t get much one-on-one time. Is he okay?”

She was instantly alert. From what she’d been told the two cousins were hardly best buddies, so why the sudden interest in Lex’s welfare?

“Why do you ask?” She feigned bewilderment. “Do you think he’s not okay?”

Kirk lifted one shoulder. “To be honest, he hasn’t looked too good the last couple of months. I haven’t been at the office a lot, but the few times I’ve seen him, he seemed to be under a lot of pressure.”

All her antennae trilled with rising suspicion. Was Kirk probing her for information he could use against Lex? She squinted more closely at him. He appeared genuine, but there was a lot she didn’t know about the relationship between him and Lex. A lot Lex had hidden from her, like what Kirk’s late wife had meant to him. Shouldn’t he have disclosed that information? She found her hands were curled into tight fists.

“Lex doesn’t talk about business much,” she said.

He gave a quick grunt. “Huh. You’re very loyal. Lex should count himself lucky to have you.”

“I don’t follow you.”

“Come on. You must know there’s a coolness between Lex and me. I wouldn’t call it frosty, but it’s definitely on the chilly side.”

Were all the Rochesters this blunt with virtual strangers? Or was it because they saw her as Lex’s girlfriend? The thought of Lex made her frown. He was so damned guarded about his relatives, but if he’d told her why he didn’t get along with each of them, he might have spared her some embarrassment. In contrast to Lex’s tight-lipped silence, Kirk seemed too eager to spill the beans on him. That didn’t sit well with Jacinta.

Resting hands on hips, she fixed Kirk with a sharp stare. “Why are you telling me all this? Are you trying to stir up trouble between Lex and me?”

He blinked. “What?”

“I know you and Lex aren’t the best of friends, but Lex hasn’t given me the details. He hasn’t bad-mouthed you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I wasn’t trying to...” Kirk began before he heaved a sigh. “Okay, yes, you’re right, and I’m out of line. I’ll shut up. I don’t know what it is about Lex that brings out the worst in me.” He exhaled another breath. “And to think we used to be such close friends when we were boys.”

“You were?”

“Yeah. We’re the same age. We spent vacations together here at Mariposa, and we went to the same school. But as we became older, we drifted apart.” He lifted his shoulders. “I guess our personalities are just too different.”

And then there was Alison, his late wife and Lex’s ex-girlfriend. But she couldn’t ask about her.

She started walking toward the house. “Maybe you and Lex could still be friends.”

“Maybe.” Kirk sounded dubious. “But these days he doesn’t seem to trust me at all.”

What was new? When she and Lex had been a couple, he hadn’t trusted her enough to confide in her. He’d kept her apart from his family, kept himself apart too. And even now, in the depths of his crisis, he couldn’t bring himself to talk about the rifts separating him from his cousins and uncle. His patent lack of trust pierced her. Well, why would he trust her when he didn’t care for her?

They walked up a flight of stone stairs and reached a terrace that bordered the house. As they climbed the final stair, Jacinta’s heel caught on the stone riser. She stumbled forward, in danger of falling until Kirk steadied her.

“Thanks.” She smiled at him just as Lex emerged from the house. Kirk’s hand dropped away from her arm as Lex strode over, his shoulders straining against his shirt.

“Are you okay there?”

“Yes, fine.” She blinked at him, surprised by the stiffness in his expression. “Kirk here just saved me from an embarrassing face-plant.”

“Hey, Kirk.” Lex nodded at his cousin, his lips lifting into something that resembled a grimace more than a smile. “I see you’ve already met Jacinta.”

“That’s right. I showed her around the garden.”

Lex’s gaze flicked between his cousin and Jacinta. “Oh? I was going to take Jacinta on the tour.”

“It was no big deal.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t.” The top button of Lex’s shirt looked in danger of popping off. He drew her to him, draping his arm ostentatiously around her shoulders. It was a deliberate move for his cousin’s benefit, she was sure, the kind of Neanderthal tactic that usually didn’t impress her, but this time she didn’t know what to make of it.

She cleared her throat. “Do you think I could get a cold drink from somewhere? I’m parched.”

Lex pressed his weight into her. “Let’s go inside. There’s a cold buffet in the dining room.” Still holding her, he steered her into the house.

…

Lex stayed silent as they reached the dining room. There was no one else in there. A sideboard groaned with platters of cold meats and salad, while several small tables had been set up around the room, bistro style.

He shouldn’t have been so short with Kirk. But the sight of him holding Jacinta so closely had stirred up a powerful sensation in him, and he’d grabbed her almost instinctively. He still had his arm around her waist, was enjoying the feel of her body too much to let go, but she peeled herself free as soon as they stopped moving.

“Do you and your cousin always act like growling hyenas toward each other?” Jacinta asked.

Lex opened a refrigerator concealed behind the wall paneling and took out two bottles of iced tea. “I let him get to me. I shouldn’t have.” He handed her one of the bottles. “Do you want anything to eat? It’ll be a while before we have dinner.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“You obviously know the answer already, so why ask?” He picked up a plate, stabbed a piece of ham, and dropped it onto his plate.