All the Wright Moves (12 page)

“Did the others leave?”

“Yep. But you should think of locking up. And getting Kat something to drink. She’ll be thirsty when she wakes. Bring me some iced tea while you’re at it,” Iona said.

She crossed her legs and smiled at him. Warwick stared at her. He stroked the side of Katiya’s face then stood before leaving the room.

Katiya listened as Iona spoke. She was surprised when the bed dipped as Warwick left.

“You can stop feigning sleep. He’s gone. Now explain this bullshit you told Lis to feed us.” Iona poked her shoulder.

“Don’t be a nag,” Katiya said tiredly.

“Then tell me what is wrong with your leg,” Iona said.

“I don’t know.” Katiya opened her eyes and looked at her friend.

Iona studied her. She slid down, her arms coming around her. Katiya gulped, not wanting to cry. One moment she’d been standing then the next an excruciating, crippling pain had gripped her leg. The tests Sarah had run wouldn’t be back for at least another week and a half. Sarah had done so many tests and had even taken a little piece of the scar tissue from her leg.

“What can I do?” Iona drew her attention.

“Don’t push about this. I want everyone to think it is just the plane ride and over-exertion.”

“Kat, wh—”

She cut her off. “Please Iona. I can’t say anything. Not yet. Just let it go.”

“I will for now. But you better explain soon,” Iona growled.

“I will,” Katiya promised.

They waited in silence. At the sound of steps, Katiya glanced at the door.

“How are you doing?” Warwick asked.

“I’m fine. Just need to know my limitations,” Katiya said.

Iona snorted.

She ignored the noise. Warwick put a glass of water on her bedside, holding the other one over her.

“Put it there. I’m too comfortable.” Iona gestured to the bedside table.

Katiya looked at her sharply. Iona winked. Warwick clomped around the bed to the other side. She heard the clink of the glass as he put it down. Then he came back into view.

“As you can see Katiya is fine. Now leave,” Warwick said.

“I’m not going anywhere except to sleep. It was a long flight,” Iona yawned.

“Then find your own bed. Katiya needs rest.” Warwick gritted his teeth.

“Then shut up so she sleep,” Iona said cheerfully.

“Help me move over, Warwick. You can lie next to me. Move over, Iona,” Katiya said.

Warwick frowned then helped shift her. Iona moved away from her back a little.

“Lay down.” Katiya patted next to her.

“She could just leave.” Warwick glared over at Iona.

“She’s not going anywhere. So you might as well lie down. I’m tired,” Katiya said.

Warwick lay down stiffly. Katiya snuggled against him. He put his arms around her.

“I don’t think I’m going to like Iona much,” he whispered.

“She grows on you.” Katiya patted his forearm.

“Like a friendly old puppy.” Iona laughed.

“Stop eavesdropping.” Katiya slapped back at her.

“I’m right next to you. I’d have to be deaf not to hear,” Iona said.

Warwick was silent for a moment. “What’s going on with your leg, Katiya?”

“Nothing,” she replied quickly.

Guilt at lying to him filled her. But it was for his own good. He didn’t need to worry about her. Warwick was stiff again. She stroked along his chest.

“I’m okay. I’ll get some rest then I’ll be fine,” Katiya said.

Warwick didn’t say anything but he relaxed. The sound of the door opening made her look up and smile.

“Kat. I came as soon as I heard… Well, hell, you must be better. Can I sleep with you too?” Mattson McKingley asked.

“I’m not sleeping with anyone else,” Warwick roared.

“Mattson is kidding, Warwick.” Katiya laughed.

“How’d he get in? I locked up,” Warwick grumbled.

“He probably picked the locks,” Katiya murmured sleepily.

“He broke into your house?” Warwick said.

“That’s Mattson. The spare room is made up, Mattson. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Why doesn’t he go home and take his sister with him?” Warwick griped.

“Because until I can speak with Katiya and know she is really okay I’m not going anywhere. I’ll see you in the morning, Kat,” Mattson said cheerfully.

The bedroom door slammed behind him.

“There is no doubt they are related,” Warwick said dryly.

“Yep. That’s my bro. Figured he would be by and I don’t like sharing a bed with him. He is a cover hog,” Iona said.

Katiya was actually relieved that Iona and Mattson were here. If it had been her brothers, they would have prodded more. At least Iona being here would make Mattson leave it alone for now. In the morning she would use their presence to distract Warwick from asking too many probing questions. It would give her time to garner her defences to keep the truth from him.

What is going on with my leg?
She prayed Sarah would be able to give her an answer, and soon. Katiya let sleep overtake her.

* * * *

“Are you ready to go home?”

“It’s not necessary for you to keep picking me up. I’m fine. The leg hasn’t given me problems.” Katiya turned towards Warwick.

Yet.
The thought faded as she spotted Warwick. She moaned. His pale grey with darker grey stripe suit fit him perfectly, showing all the wonderful lines of his sexy body.

“I know. I like coming to get you. So, you ready?” Warwick kissed her gently.

Katiya thoughts scattered as she leaned against his frame. Warwick ended the kiss. She tried to recall his question.

When it came to her she cleared her throat before answering, “Yes. Just let me get my bag.”

She pulled away and got her bag. Warwick took it from her and escorted her out. He patiently waited as she checked to make sure everyone had what they needed for the night. Assured they were set, she headed out with Warwick. He helped her in his truck then got in pulling out and into traffic. Katiya stared out the side window.

A month had passed since the incident with her leg. Since then, Warwick had insisted on driving her to and from work. Her guilt over lying and continuing to hide the truth had let her agree to him playing chauffeur. She still hadn’t heard anything conclusive from Sarah. The tissue from the leg was fine but the unexplained weakness and pain wasn’t going away. Sarah and Lansing were consulting together to figure it out. She’d been sneaking to Lansing for appointments. Keeping it from her family was a feat in itself. She’d hidden it from Warwick so far but it was getting harder.

Something at work had him distracted. He hadn’t shared what was going on. Most nights he went home with her, she took a shower while he cooked then they ate. After dinner he locked himself in her office, which she had told him he could use. Most of her incidences of pain and weakness happened later at night just before bed. Many nights she didn’t even know when he came to bed. She’d sleep ‘till morning unless he woke her, making fierce love to her.

Katiya, once she was sure Warwick was in the office, stood and gripped her leg, straightening then limping down the hall. She held the wall as her leg became weak. Barely making it to the bed, she cursed, lying down. She didn’t even think of taking the pain pills Lansing had prescribed. She didn’t want to get hooked on them. Katiya lay stiffly, willing the pain away.

She didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, but she awoke violently aroused.

Katiya moaned and shifted. She stiffened preparing for the pain in her leg. Thankfully, unlike usual, it didn’t come. He slid his hands along her body, setting off need deep within her.

“Katiya.” Warwick moaned.

She widened her legs. His fingers rubbed against her slit then he opened her and flicked a finger over her clit. She shivered at the sensation. Warwick played with her then plunged his fingers into her needy pussy. In and out he moved with his fingers. Katiya gripped his shoulders, moaning, rocking against them. He withdrew and his body blanketed her. In one movement of his hips, he filled her.

“Warwick.” Katiya slid her hands down and clenched her fingers on his ass.

She pulled him into her. Warwick stroked urgently, his harsh breaths feathering her face. Undulating her hips, she moaned as he took her, demanding all she had to give. Katiya’s pulse raced and her heart pounded in time with his taking.

“Come for me.” Warwick’s decadent whisper filled the air.

Katiya moaned and quivered as she came. Warwick followed her, grunting harshly. He rolled, taking her with him and holding her close. Katiya listened to his racing heart as sleep claimed her once again.

The ringing phone jerked her out of her sleep. Blearily, Katiya reached for it. Pushing her hair out of her face she said, “Hello.”

“Kat, sorry. I wanted to catch you before you went to work. I didn’t mean to wake you,” Sarah said.

Katiya sat up, glancing at the time. It was almost seven. She had overslept. She heard the shower running.

“Umm…that’s okay. I need to be up anyway.”

“Since I know you’ve been waiting to find out. I’m not going to beat around the bush. We’ve figured out what is wrong with your leg,” Sarah said.

Katiya heart raced and she tightened her fingers over the phone.

“From what you’ve told Lasing and myself, you get this weakness and pain at night. With that and the last set of tests, it is not as you feared. The muscles are not deteriorating. They are basically locking up due to not enough exercise and too much sitting. The reason it is bothering you so much more now than before is, basically, that you need to increase the exercises you do for the leg. Lansing is setting up an appointment with a physical therapist for you. And before you protest about the time, the therapist will come to you at The Oasis to work with you. Lansing mentioned the man knew of The Oasis and said the facilities you have there are actually perfect for what you need.”

Katiya wasn’t sure if she heard her right. “My leg is fine.”

“Yes it is. Follow what the therapist says and the pain will get better and the weakness will dissipate. Lansing will go into more details about everything,” Sarah said.

“Thank you, Sarah,” Katiya said.

“No problem. Take care of your leg. I’ll speak with you soon. Bye.”

“Bye,” Katiya said and hung up.

“Who was that so early?” Warwick asked coming out from the bathroom.

Katiya stood and rushed to him. “My leg is fine. That was Sarah—Arissa’s friend from Minnesota. I was so worried when I was in pain, I went to see her. Then the incident at the auto show scared the heck out of me. She and Lansing have been trying to find out what was wrong. I thought it was my muscles deteriorating but come to find out, it is not. I’m fine. Oh, Warwick. I’m fine.” She hugged him.

“Good for you.” His voice was cold.

Katiya stepped back, frowning. He was fully dressed already for work. His face was aloof and eyes cold.

“Warwick—”

He cut her off. “You knew before your trip something was wrong. And when you came back and collapsed. Yet you said nothing to me.”

“I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want you all to worry,” she cried.

“No. You didn’t want your family to worry. Me, you wanted to keep out. I’ve been accepting the crumbs you’ve deemed to give me. Why won’t you let me in?” Warwick questioned in a clipped tone.

Katiya heart pounded. “I have—”

He interrupted again. “You have not. I’m not the Sharps, Katiya. Money and supposed social classes don’t concern me. I want you. Katiya, Want you to see me as just Warwick the man. Not Warwick, a man with money who could hurt you.”

“I haven’t been seeing you as that,” Katiya defended.

“You have. You’ve kept me at a distance. Hiding that you were worried about your legs clearly shows that,” he said.

“Like you share with me. You haven’t once told me what is bothering you about your business,” she lashed out.

“Have you asked?” he countered.

“No, bu—”

He overrode her words. “I asked you numerous times about your leg because I care to know. You never once asked about what was going on with me and my business. Never cared to know more than you deemed appropriate to the boundaries you set. Do you even care about me?”

“I do,” she whispered.

“You have a strange way of showing it, Katiya.” He closed his eyes then opened them.

She gasped at the pain in them.

“I’ve already barely made it through one loss of a woman I gave my whole heart to. I’m not willing to go through that again with someone who isn’t in it with me with their whole heart…their very souls. Can you give me that, Katiya?”

She opened her mouth then closed it. Warwick took a shallow breath then he slipped on what she thought of as ‘the cold stranger’. The businessman she had seen when she visited his office stared back at her dispassionately. He turned on his heel and left. Katiya stood rooted to where he had left her. The sound of the front door closing was very final. Her legs gave out. She rocked back and forth. Tears burned her eyes.

“I can’t be hurt like that again
.
If I give my heart to him he will rip out my soul. I can’t,” she rationalised.

She let the silence surround her.

“Why couldn’t you say the words to him? You lost him. He already has all that I am. Oh God, I’ve lost him. Oh God. Noooo…” Her voice echoed in the silent room.

Hugging herself, she lowered her head, weeping at her loss.

Chapter Seven

Warwick held the steering wheel in a death grip. Mechanically he drove home. Once there, he got out, moving stiffly to his front door and with a steady hand he opened it and stepped inside. Closing it with a thud he started to shake then dropped to his knees, shifting and pressing his back against the door. Resting his head against the wood, his eyes burned.

“Stupid, stupid. You let yourself care too much again.” He pounded his head back on the door in time with each word.

He braced his elbows on his raised knees and gripped his hair. His heart was ripped out again. He, better than most, knew one could survive without. It would not be living but he could survive. First he had to rebuild the walls around him. The ones that he had opened up to Katiya.