Page 53 of Zane

"You know how stubborn and persistent I can be," she reminded him calmly.

Sighing, he polished off the toast and coffee and put away the tray.

"I was with Kara," he muttered, and lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "It's over."

"What?" She stared at him with a frown.

"You heard me." Lunging to his feet, he started pacing. He had downed four painkillers he had found inside the bathroom cabinet, and it was taking the edge off. "She wants nothing to do with me other than the physical." He whirled to face her. "That should have been fine by me, except it's not." He raked his fingers through his disheveled hair. "It's not."

She stared at him and felt the usual protectiveness rearing up.

"I see." She waited for him to say more.

With a sigh, he sat back down and stretched his feet out. "She changed her appearance," he murmured thoughtfully.

"How?"

He looked at her then and realized that he had not been fair to Kara. She had been sheltered all her life, and her parents had been very influential in her life. They had molded the child, and when that child became an adult, the mother had continued the job. She didn't stand a chance.

Her one act of defiance had not changed anything. Yes, she had gone ahead and bought new clothes and dumped the idiot of a fiancé. But one horrible word from her mother had set her right back where she started. And he had gone right ahead, expecting her to jump into the deep end by going out in public with him.

Leaning back, he closed his eyes in regret. "Bloody hell! I'm such an idiot."

"Normally I would have agreed with you." She studied his face. "Oh, good God! You're in love with her."

"Yeah. Head over heels and irrevocably in love with her. It's driving me out of my mind."

"Oh, darling!" She reached out a hand to touch his. "I'm so happy for you."

"Don't start popping the champagne yet," he muttered. "I still have obstacles to cross."

He told her about the mother's visit and the way she behaved.

"Oh, that poor girl! Can you imagine how humiliated she was? And after all that effort to get out from under her mother's thumb." Her expression turned fierce, sending amusement coursing through him. "You need to do something."

"Oh, I intend to." His expression was grim. "Starting with the mother and then probably working my way up to that asshole she was engaged to. Then I intend to stake my claim. No one is ever going to make her feel less than anymore."

Laughing in delight, Zoe leaned over to hug him. "There's the brother I know and love. Go get 'em, tiger."

*****

Unaware of what was in store for her, Kara dragged herself out of bed, where she had spent a sleepless night with the scent of him all around her, and spent the morning tidying up. Keeping her mind blank, she put on Chopin and let the soothing sounds seep into her as she went around straightening her room and changing sheets. It didn't make a bit of difference. She could still smell him.

Several times during the night, she had found herself reaching for him, only to find the space empty. He had left his clothing behind. Giving in to the yearning, she slept in his soiled T-shirt.

And she hated her mother for making her less than a woman, one who wasn't free to choose or free to love who she wanted. He had mentioned taking her out, and immediately she had heard her mother's voice inside her head.

"Are you out of your mind? He has tattoos. He runs around with gangsters. How can you think about shaming your father (God rest his soul!)? How can you even think about shaming us like that? He's not respectable enough and you know it."

But she knew different. She had seen a side of him that had melted her. He was caring and sweet and protective. Most men would have up and run away after that scene with her mother, but he had stayed and taken care of her. And she had been foolish enough to let him go.

She thought she had grown some confidence and was able to stand up to her mother, stand up for herself, but the bottom line was, she was still the same shriveled-up little girl who did as she was told.

Blinking back the tears, she decided that the best thing to do was to go to that little church she had discovered. She needed something to give her some peace. With that in mind, she finished up, took a shower, and selected a suitable outfit.

The clothes she had been so excited about no longer had any appeal to her. Snagging a simple black cashmere turtleneck dress, she proceeded to get ready.

*****