Chapter 38

The Road to Staten Island

It’s a little past noon.  Kara begged Braylin to let her drive herself to work she’s driving his Grey Audi S8.  She pulls into the parking lot behind the restaurant noticing there isn’t anyone parked in customer parking.  One of the Hurst security details pulls into a customer parking space near her.  So much for coming to work alone.  They nod their heads letting her know that they are there to watch over her.  She walks over to them inviting them inside to have lunch. 

They take her up on her offer following her to the back entrance.  She expects to walk in to the hustle and bustle of a busy lunch hour but once inside there’s no one in the kitchen.  The stoves are cold and the counters are all cleaned.  Kara rushes through the kitchen bi-fold doors into the dining area to find Mica sitting at one of the customer tables on his cell phone.  Darla is standing nearby nibbling nervously on her finger. 

“What’s going on?”  Kara says rushing to the table they are gathered around. 

“Amelia Santino Monroe that’s what.”  Darla says rolling her eyes.  “You’re crazy ass mother shut us down.”  Darla angrily exclaims. Mica’s call has ended. 

“Where’s Casey.”  Kara looks around the room.  Casey walks in to the dining area from the front entrance. 

“Any luck?”  Darla ask him.  “No…I don’t know where he is.  He called me twice and I returned his call, it’s like we’re playing phone tag.  There was fear in his voice, I know I heard it.  I’m scared for him.  That crazy bitch has done this, what if she knows what he did.”  Casey runs his fingers through his hair in frustration.   

“What is going on….?”  Holding her hands open toward them Kara becomes more anxious her eyes search from one to the other. 

“I think you better sit down.”  Mica tells her.  Kara looks between the three of them in confusion. 

“Yeah sit….who are they….. you’re bodyguards?”  Darla acknowledges the men behind her. 

“Yeah….I told them I would give them lunch.  What….is happening?”  She ask again. 

“We’ve been shut down.  The injunction you’re mother threatened is real.  She had some attorney breeze in here early this morning.  He fired all of us and told us the place was unfit to operate.  He had some guy with him who said he was from the health department.  Between them they basically ran off the customers we had and shut the place down.  We sent the wait staff home until we can get this straightened out.”  Mica explains. 

“What….she did what….?  Why didn’t somebody call me?  I’ve been back from Vegas since early this morning.”  Kara responds. 

“Kara we tried calling you all morning, several times.  It just went to your voicemail.”  Mica replies. 

Kara closes her eyes with memories of her morning causing her to blush.  Her relationship with Braylin has become seamless, whenever they are together these last few days touching turns into grabbing, soft lips turn into passionate tongues battling for control of never ending kisses.  They burn like a match to a flame until they become one with the other.  The fiery passion between them is never extinguished it simmers like little embers waiting for the spark that rekindles their passion for one another.  She doesn’t recognize herself anymore her erotic thoughts of him consume her.  She has a hunger for the taste of Braylin Hurst that only grows when he teases her with his touch.   

She hasn’t put enough concentration on anything other than her relationship with Braylin these last few days.  Looking at the worried faces of the people she has known and worked with for years, people that have supported her and given up so much to help her get Santino’s successfully operational again after her father’s death she knows she has to fix this not only for herself but for them.  

Normally a cautious person she should have checked in on her own business more instead of trying to get laid.  Thinking about the things they did just before she came here has her feeling heat between her legs.   She needs to calm down her libido and think.    She’s on the pill but his amorous advances overwhelm her they admitted their feelings for one another just two days ago.  She tries to remember how many times they’ve actually consummated their union reveling in their hunger for one another the condoms he kept in his drawer by the nightstand are still there unused.  The ones she took to Vegas with her still sit in her purse. 

She doesn’t believe she’s pregnant but realizes she should have been more cautious adding it to the list of things they have to discuss when she goes home to him tonight.   Right now she has to take care of her business and the people whose livelihoods depend on it.  She thought all these years she alone was the heir to this place, is the will her father left her the only true will or is there possibly another out there that can be considered more valid. 

One of the guards gets her attention asking if they need to call Mr. Hurst.  They couldn’t help but hear the entire discussion about the restaurant being closed.  Kara holds them off for a bit.  She wants to try to resolve the situation by herself first. 

“Casey, were you trying to reach Zain this morning?”  She ask. 

“Yeah….he isn’t answering his phone.”  Casey nervously responds. 

“You really don’t think Amelia would do something to him do you….?”  Despite all that Amelia has done, Kara can’t bring herself to think Amelia would go so far as to harm someone.   

“Kara, he’s really afraid of her.  You haven’t seen some of the stuff he showed me.  I don’t mean to offend you but somebody has to say it Kara your mother is out of control.”  Casey explains. 

“Naw….uh huh….she’s batshit crazy that’s what she is?”  Darla exclaims then frowns when she sees Kara’s downtrodden face.  “Sorry Kara…but it’s true.  Why would she shut us down?  It just makes no sense.”  Darla fumes. 

“She did it to get at me.  She and her husband showed up in Vegas they tried to sabotage the Casino deal for Braylin and his family.  I’ve got to talk to her, she’s doing all of this because she wants something from me.”  Kara responds grabbing her phone to call her mother. 

When Braylin walks into his office, he’s surprised to find an anxious Aaron, Cameron is in a pensive mood and Lester seems just as absorbed in his thoughts standing at the window looking out it.  He’s not ready to share the news about him and Alexandra just yet.  He wants to be sure what happened between them last night wasn’t just about sex.  

It wasn’t easy leaving her bed this morning she was waiting for another attorney from the firm to stop by and pick her up.  They were meeting with a new client that owns a restaurant in Staten Island.  They were going to take the ferry.   Lester asked if he could meet her at the restaurant after her appointment with the client.  He will drive up, they can have an early dinner, he will drive her back to the city or they can spend the night in a hotel somewhere if she prefers. 

Alexandra refused him saying maybe they shouldn’t see each other for a while after what happened between them last night.  She needed time she felt.  Everything had happened so fast.  She didn’t want to be hurt again.  He asked her time for what?  Either she wanted to find out if their divorce was a mistake or not.  He got angry all over again at her rejecting him they argued about it, he let his hurt feeling show in the angry words he used toward her.  She was just as hurt telling him it was his fault that they were divorced she never wanted it, she wanted to work things out but he stubbornly refused. 

He told her he knows…..he asked her to give him a second chance.  He was calm and cajoling.  She was scared she told him, she didn’t want to have to run anymore.  He asked her again, just give him time, time with her to get to know her again, time to be with her.  To find out if what they felt for one another still exist.  She eventually agreed saying they owe each other that much.  He’s going to leave after a couple of meetings he has this afternoon, he assures her he will be there to pick her up.  He needs to find out more about what happened between her and Maxim Monroe. 

“Bout time you got here, I’ve got something I need to tell all of you about Logan Spector.  Seems you were right about him years ago Braylin when you asked him to leave our investment group.”  Aaron starts to say when Braylin spoils it for him announcing….. 

“He’s a gambler?”  Braylin responds walking behind his desk laying his briefcase on top of it. 

“How’d you know?”  Aaron seems disappointed that his surprise has been spoiled.  His brother’s and Lester fill him in on what he’s missed since he’s been gone to Paris.  Aaron patiently listens to everything they have to tell him he can attest that Logan lost his fortune gambling but he surprises them all when he tells them that Logan landed on his feet for a time.   

He married an extremely wealthy heiress while in London against her father’s wishes. The woman’s father did a background check on him discovering his gambling habit.  By the time the investigation was complete, he found out that his daughter had secretly married Logan and he had gone through most of her trust fund.  They are currently in the process of getting a divorce.  

Braylin is hanging on to Aaron’s every word about Logan and this heiress.  He can’t help but wonder if Logan has an ulterior motive in meeting up with Kara again now that he’s getting a divorce.  He also wonders if the money Logan is putting up to take over the Mid-town Manhattan project if they fail is from his divorcing wife’s trust fund.  He would have had to have a hefty bank account to approach the building commission in Vegas to apply for a license to build a casino too.   He seems to be going after all the same development projects the Hurst family get involved with.  There has to be a connection. 

By late afternoon Braylin’s so concerned about Logan’s intensions he decides to go to the restaurant to see Kara incase Logan tries to contact her again.  He calls her but he’s unable to reach her leaving her a text message letting her know he’s going to stop by.  Aaron offers to drop him off. 

Zain comes rushing through the door of Santino’s calling Casey’s name.  Casey takes one look at his pale face hurrying over to him he slides his arm around his waist bringing him further inside to sit down. 

“She’s doing something illegal involving me in it I know it Casey.”  He rambles on to the amazement of the people around him.  Kara’s two body guards are outside making sure the building’s secure. 

“Who is making you do something Zain, Amelia?  What does she want you to do?”  Kara ask him.  Her calm questioning sobers him up.  He looks at her with widen eyes not sure if he should tell her everything. 

“I already did what she asked me to do….I tried to call you Casey but you didn’t answer.  It’s couldn’t wait I had to meet this guy and…..I don’t know if I should involve….”  He is cutoff by the sound of a door opening at the entrance, Darla leaves the room.  Zain worries that the man he just delivered Amelia’s envelope to has followed him, he stands up anticipating the intruder’s presence.  

“It’s alright Zain, Darla will check it out.  We’ve got Kara’s security detail here.  No one will come in here that’s not supposed to be here.”  Mica tries to comfort the younger man. 

Braylin and Aaron walk in startled to find no customers inside.  “Where are all the customers?”  Aaron exclaims.

Zain relaxes back down into the chair he has been provided his heart was beating so fast it now subsides.  Casey rubs his shoulder showing his open concern.  Zain flourishes in that look taking strength from it.  He thought he would never see or feel Casey’s touch ever again.  It’s ironic that a woman whose mission in life seems to be to destroy every man she can get her claws into is bringing two of them closer together in her own twisted way.  Casey is standing next to a seated Zain, he bends over kissing him on the forehead further comforting him.  “It’s alright, your safe here.”  He tells him. 

“Kara….Beauty and the Beast are here.”  Darla announces from the entrance at the front of the restaurant.  

“Braylin you should really feel insulted that she’s calling you a beast.”  Aaron mocks Darla. 

She shakes her head at him walking ahead of them.  Aaron walks in front of his brother watching the sway of Darla’s curvaceous hips.  The black simple work dress she’s wearing and sensible three inch shoe boots look sexy on her latte colored five-six frame.   

“Eyes off the ass playboy Hurst.  You can’t handle a caboose like this.”  Darla comments to a lust eyed ass fixated gazing Aaron. 

“Don’t be so quick to underestimate me cupcake you can rub on my cable cars as much as you like.  I’m sure you’ll want to get on at my station if you do.   I’ll drive my heated engine into that caboose of yours so hard it jumps the tracks.  We won’t be making any train stops but you’ll get off then beg for a return ticket to ride me again when I’m done.”  Aaron whispers in her ear catching up to her. 

Darla stops walking whipping around to find his sapphire blue eyes gazing with ardent desire into her own curious brown ones.  He smirks at her his left brow slightly raised in invitation.  Rising and falling on the heels of his shoes with his hands placed in the pants pockets of his neatly tailored grey with burgundy stripes tweed suit he waits for her sassy response. 

Her normal sassy and confident demeanor is a bit shaken by his obvious sexual innuendo.   Her eyes gaze immediately where he wants her to take them after he speaks.  She looks down between his legs seeing what he wants her to see. She likes teasing him feeling it’s harmless. He isn’t really attracted to women like her or did he admit that he is attracted just now?  

She admits she does feel attracted to him much more than she should.  She tries not to think about it too much.  All of these Hurst men seem to be full of the kind of sexuality that’s lethal to a woman, too dangerous for her heart.  She’s had her share of flings and one night stands.  Hooking up with Aaron Hurst is a dangerous proposition but every girl needs a little danger in her life to keep things interesting.  She has noticed that Kara can’t think straight half the time, her focus lately is always on what’s dangling between Braylin’s legs.  

The way Aaron’s looking at her now combined with the moisture that’s building between her own legs, they could definitely hurt each other if they were to disappear together for an hour, or an evening maybe, Hmm….yeah his sexy ass is definitely a weekend fuck.  Damn those ocean blue eyes of his draw her in every time she sees him she wants to sink herself into their depths and him…. 

Maybe she should just stay away whenever he comes for a visit but right now she can’t look away from him. 

“Anytime you ready for a ride on my train lemon pie, you let me know?”  His sexy deep voice keeps her hanging onto his every word. 

“First you call me cupcake and now I’m a lemon pie.  Do I make you think of food Mr. Hurst?”  She cockily responds. 

“Not exactly I am ravenous but it’s not food I’m starving for.”  His hands are on her hips caressing moving her dress higher up her legs.  Darla closes her eyes fully comprehending his offer she’s surprises herself in how much she wants to take him up on it.  

Braylin can’t help but hear their sex laden conversation.  He sees the chemistry between them notices the location of Aaron’s hands.   

Aaron uses any excuse to visit Santino’s.  Braylin doesn’t understand why Aaron doesn’t ask Darla out on a date.  He doesn’t hide that he wants her but he’s never seen his brother so excited to be around a woman before.  He’s heard the sexual banter between them before but it seems to be ratcheting up.  They have forgotten he’s in the room with them and they’re touching one another.  Her hands are on his forearms but she’s definitely not pushing him away.   They really need to do something about their attraction for one another before they kill each other when it finally does happen.  

 His own manhood is like radar searching for his own homing signal.  He nudges past a flirting Aaron saying as he goes.  “You two really need to do something about what’s obvious between you.”  

As soon as Braylin reaches the dining room his instincts tell him something is seriously wrong.  Kara doesn’t meet his gaze directly there’s only a quick glance then she looks away going through the bi-fold doors into the kitchen. 

Braylin acknowledges everyone in the dining room.  Seeing an upset Zain he ask him what’s going on.  Zain repeats what he just told Kara about Amelia forcing him to make a drop off payout to someone in the middle of the day.  He doesn’t know who the drop off is for or what it’s about. 

By the time Braylin goes through the bi-fold doors into the kitchen Kara is on the phone to her attorney.  He walks up to her turning her around looking into her eyes.  She finishes her call hanging up the phone.   

“What’s wrong?”  He says, looking delicious in his Tom Ford deep rich brown window pane suit. 

Her gaze focuses on his pocket square, the one she picked out for him this morning when they got dressed.  “Nothing…..everything.  I’m trying to find out what my mother is up to.  I keep calling her but it just keeps going to her voicemail.  The injunction she filed shut down the restaurant.  I’m trying to get us opened back up.” 

“Mm hmm….stop calling her.  We’ll take care of this together, you’ll be opened back up for business by tomorrow.   Now tell me what’s wrong between us?”  His seductive grey-blue eyes bore into hers. 

“It’s not something I think we should talk about here.  I’m….we….”  Kara sighs. 

“We what….?”    He says, there’s a look of desire in his eyes his leopard approach backs her against the cold refrigerator her body doesn’t register it’s coolness she’s on fire for his touch.  The heat pooling between her legs is like a volcano whenever he is near.  Her desire for him bubbles under the surface waiting for that spark that will cause the eruption she feels whenever he’s inside her.  She’s come to seek it, to crave it.  She is trying not to initiate it but it doesn’t stop him from seducing it out of her. 

He clasp his fingers with hers holding her hands open he spreads her arms out against the back of the cool metal surface.  The small space between them disappears his manhood is pressed against her mound eagerly requesting a taste of her.  He bends his head kissing the space between her neck and collarbone.  Kara shivers chewing her lower lip and feeling anticipation of what normally follows but knows she needs to stop him. 

“Braylin, there are people just on the other side.  Someone might walk in here.”  Her eyes are closed over his shoulder.  He releases her taking a step back.  She looks into his confused but still wanting eyes knowing she needs to explain herself. 

“I’m sorry, I sometimes don’t know where to touch you because I want all of you.  He moves away from her leaning against the island in the kitchen.  Kara relaxes moving away from the refrigerator to stand a distance in front of him. 

“I know.”  She reaches her hand out to caress his face then draws it back with a heavy sigh.  “I want you just as much.  Do you think that’s what we really are to each other?  Maybe we’re moving too fast, we want each other