His Substitute Wife... My Sister Book One Read online

  ‘Put on a dress, put on the stockings and sleep with my husband.’ Oh yeah, that sounded easy.

  “No!” Shaking her head erratically, she couldn’t believe Chyna’s insane thinking.

  “Charisse, this touching thing is all mental and we both know that. The effects of everything can be undone, if we take it slow.”

  “No!!! No! NO!”

  Chyna put her finger on her own lips and listened to see if anyone had been drawn by Charisse’s outburst. There were no extra steps heard and Charisse used this time to calm down.

  “You’re asking me to sleep with Parker,” Charisse hissed.

  “Out of necessity,” Chyna said anxiously. “He’ll go running back to her if I don’t do something. Do you want him to do that? You know you don’t want her to win. That’s why you’re going through this babymaking thing with me.”

  The guilt Chyna was dripping on Charisse was like a knife in her soul. Parker was a man and he could only take so much.

  “How many years has it been like this?” Charisse asked.

  “Five and it’s getting worse. In a couple of months, I won’t be able to bear it.” Chyna dropped to her knees in front of her sister. “Please, Charisse, I’ve been thinking about this long and hard. And like I said, it’s why I suggested how you would get pregnant when Dr. Redmond informed me that his sperm could only be used inside of the womb. It was a perfect solution.”

  “Not for me. Not with my condition.”

  “We’ll start off slow.”

  The room became quiet as Charisse’s mind went over to this morning and the urge to touch him and then this afternoon and then the tingling. It came now even though he wasn’t in the proximity but she could swear she smelled Almond Joy. Curiosity prompted her to ask, “How?”

  “Well, you asked about oral today. You’re curious; I could see it in your eyes.”

  Charisse couldn’t hide the blush because the truth was there. “How could we trick him, Chyna?”

  Her sister smiled wickedly. “Easily. He’s been falling asleep in the library all the time and I figured you could sneak in the dark, pretend to be me and use your mouth.”

  Charisse jumped to her feet and started biting her nails in worry. “He’ll know.”

  Chyna stood up. “The man’s so pent up with sex, he wouldn’t care and since you can’t talk, he won’t know the difference unless he starts to touch you.”

  “I’ll stop him.”

  “All you have to do is press down his arms a couple of times and he’ll get the message. Trust me.”

  “Why won’t I be able to talk to him? What if he asks me something? How can I disguise my voice, Chyna?”

  Her sister giggled and answered he questions all at once. “Your mouth will be full; he won’t ask anything and you won’t have to if you whisper.”

  "He'll hate us for deceiving him."

  "Okay, just try it once and if you don't like it, we'll think of another option together and if you want to do it more, we'll tell him the truth...eventually."

  It sounded like it made sense. It really did. You were going to have sex with him anyway, so what's the difference and you won't be doing it to take him away. Just to try it and you're attracted to him already so that won't be a problem. “I don’t know what to do," Charisse admitted.

  Grabbing her gently by her arm where the pajamas covered her skin, Chyna motioned for her to have a seat. “I’ll tell you.”

  Chyna sounded as if it would be easy, but Charisse could feel those tingles getting worse. She wasn’t sick. She knew that. This was something else and if she could just do this to help him out, maybe this would be a way of thanking him for helping her.

  Maybe.

  Chapter 17

  “If I don’t do something soon, I’ll lose him to her.”

  That was the last part of the conversation he had heard before he took the steps two at a time back to the library quietly. He was used to coming home late and not making a sound, but moving swiftly around without anyone hearing him just so he could catch Chyna doing something.

  He should be upset that Chyna had kept that abortion away from him. She had deliberately deceived him, but she had been right. It would have only surfaced anger he had put in the past that was even now coming into play with his thinking and his will to stay calm about everything.

  ‘You’re going to have to pretend you don’t know about your wife’s secret. You’re not going to let her know anything,’ he told himself.

  The knowledge that his wife wanted to actually “fight” for her marriage was rather pleasing and he felt guilty for the hard-on he’d been wielding that he knew had been inspired by Charisse’s earlier verbal foreplay. She had no idea what she was doing to him and still wasn’t attracted to Parker in any way shape or form even after Chyna relegated about his sizable member, which had been his ticket to a lot of ass back in the day once he got a woman to get that far.

  Clearly Charisse held no physical attraction to him and to even think she wanted sex was just ludicrous on his part.

  Calming himself, he sat down at his desk in the library and fiddled through the work as he waited for Chyna to come upstairs. Charisse walked past with her sister and continued up the stairs to her room, but Chyna stopped and came in the library when he called her name quietly.

  He’d been so intent on getting his mind off of the earlier hard-on that he had completed a lot of paperwork and was now just setting things up for tomorrow when he heard Chyna come in the front door.

  “What happened?” Parker questioned, forcing his face to a nonchalant expression, but internally he really could feel the uprising of anger for the truth Chyna had kept from him all these years and the pain she suffered without saying a word to him. He knew this was a stupid response, but he wanted to give no evidence that he’d heard her conversation with Charisse.

  Looking at her body now in a different light, he knew that her loss of weight probably hadn’t been to compete with Cheyenne; it was because she was sick and whatever was wrong with her was getting worse according to her words. He really wanted to pound on the desk and demand that she tell him the damn truth and all of the truth, but he didn’t. Just as it took a while for him to gain trust that his wife wasn’t still faithful to that weasel Pascal, he knew that it was going to take even more time for Chyna to realize he was going to be a dedicated man to this marriage and he really did actually care for her. He knew her past had a lot to do with her believing someone could really care for her but that was fine. Time would heal all wounds. He truly believed that.

  Chyna looked seriously stressed. “She’s suspicious, but adamant.”

  “What’s wrong with her seeing Charisse now? It is her sister. And now would be a good time to see Charisse before the pregnancy takes effect. By the way, how did the pregnancy test work out?”

  “It didn’t,” she said disappointedly. “I think she did it wrong.” Getting back to the subject, Chyna said, “Whether you believe me or not, Parker, Cheyenne has motives and she could give a fig’s ass about Charisse.” She paced. “There’s meaning behind her concerns. Has she tried to contact you or spoken to you about her concerns?” Chyna instantly stopped pacing to hear his answer to this question she pressed upon him.

  He lied. “I haven’t spoken to her in a long time, Chyna.”

  She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “And when you last spoke to her, did she speak about having a baby or finding a way to have a baby?”

  This he was honest about. “Never. I know she’s unable to produce children. You remember your lover was very vocal about that.”

  Chyna moved uncomfortably away. “And she never spoke of you leaving me to start a family ever, Parker?”

  “Positive,” he said adamantly. “She’s never said this but I tried to keep my desire to have children away from her. I felt that was private between a husband and wife.”

  Miserably she sat down in the chair in front of his desk. “Then it was me that really revealed our weakness,
but I can tell you Parker, her present concerns for Charisse have meaning. Maybe I shouldn’t have complained about you in front of her so much, but she was my sister and Joanie most likely told her even more stuff that I talked about. I’m sorry. Everything is my fault.”

  He was impressed by his wife’s newfound attitude. “I can’t let my wife take the blame for everything. I had a hand at this too. Now what can we do in order to fix this? To make sure Cheyenne doesn’t hurt our future.”

  “We might have to send Charisse away.”

  He became alarmed at the idea. “Where?”

  “A home. A nunnery,” she guessed off the top of her head.

  “Before or after she has the baby?”

  “It’s the only way, Parker. She can return when she’s had the baby.”

  “No!” he said adamantly. “I waited this long to experience this and I want the full nine months of benefits. I have a right.” Panic was beginning to set in and Parker knew he would have to put his foot down on this crazy idea Chyna was thinking about.

  “Then go with her,” she suggested easily.

  “I can’t leave my business for that long. You know that. I have to stay here.”

  “Cheyenne’s going to ruin it, Parker. She’s not going to stop trying to see her as long as Charisse is here. Cheyenne even threatened to get a court supervised after she goes through therapy and sensitivity classes.”

  There was real fear in his wife’s eyes and he took her terror seriously. “What can we think of, Chyna?”

  She paced a few more times before that light bulb went off in her head. Parker’s gut clenched because his wife’s bright ideas always made it difficult for him.

  ***

  “We’ll fake sending her away. I could easily convince the nurse to fake something to help me out. She’s very upset at Cheyenne coming over.”

  “How are we going to fake it?”

  “Charisse can stay in the house the whole time. The house has all the amenities that she needs and we can store anything she might need. We’ll put Cheyenne off until Charisse gets four months or before she starts to show and easily pretend she became unstable and had to be re-institutionalized. I can arrange to make sure Dr. Redmond comes to check on her and the baby and since Charisse agreed upon the home birth, I’ll make arrangements here and at the cabin just in case, but I’ll return before that time so you don’t need to worry too much.”

  “Isn’t that too complex to lie and say we’re sending her back to the facility? Plus, it’ll give Cheyenne more incentive to try to get at Charisse or get her out of the facility that we both know she won’t be in? Why not a day spa getaway?” Parker suggested. “They’re more private about people who are there, have better security and we can give them any information we choose to release. With the nurse, good behavior or something can be used to send her away. Hell, if I have to I’ll pay for her nurse to accompany you.”

  “You’re alright with her being here with you alone?” she asked warily.

  “I’ll be fine,” he reassured her. “The real question is, do you trust me with your other sister?”

  Chyna smirked knowingly. “She’s not like Cheyenne. She’s nothing like us at all and she has no interest in taking you from me and she’s never had any interest in money or men.”

  Sourly, he said, “We can both agree Charisse is not like any woman, Chyna.” He was remembering that conversation again and the way Charisse sounded disgusted when Chyna spoke of him. “I have no desire to seduce your sisters ever again. You’re more than enough for me.”

  Getting up and turning away quickly, but he caught a glimpse of remorse in her face, she said, “Then I have no problem leaving her here with you as long as you’ll be attentive to her in her time of need, Parker. I know this business means a lot to you, but I hope the baby means more.”

  “It does,” he assured her.

  “Cheyenne could investigate this day spa and try to make sure that Charisse is there.” She began to pace again.

  “Then you can take Charisse’s place. You look like you really need the rest and maybe some good TLC. Get your health back in order and don’t worry about what’s going on at home. Sending Cheyenne on a wild goose chase will be good for Charisse’s safety and your health.”

  Chyna stopped her pacing and looked like she wanted to spill her beans, but didn’t. “Where can we look like we’re sending her?”

  “That Arizona spa you cried about wanting last Christmas that I couldn’t attend with you.”

  He never saw Chyna’s eyes get so wide before. Big brown saucers beamed over happiness to him and he fought the urge to laugh for making her this excited about something.

  “Really Parker?” She rushed to the desk. “I could stay there?! Yes! For five months and come back near her time. All the while making Cheyenne believe I was here.” Coming around the desk she hugged him gratefully. “It’s perfect, Parker.”

  He was even granted a kiss on his lips before she left the room mumbling about preparations.

  Sadly Parker noted that was the most touching Chyna had given him in over three years outside of the bedroom.

  His cell phone went off and he already knew whom it was. For the fifth time that day, he pushed the caller into his voicemail.

  Since he had last spoken to Cheyenne before he had gone to the doctor’s office, he had been avoiding her calls.

  They’d met at the hotel that was familiar to them. When he had arrived, she had already gotten the hotel room they used to use all the time and she flew in his arms as soon as he came in the door. Looking exactly like Chyna, dressed in the latest high priced fashion, even down to the thousand dollar clacking heels Charisse hated, he allowed her to kiss his face and lips, but he didn’t respond.

  “I’ve missed you so much Parker,” she said in her sweetest voice.

  He couldn’t say the same. The only time he really thought about Cheyenne was when he had a desire for sex because his wife had suppressed her drive so much. Matter of fact, the only thing he really found appealing about sleeping with Cheyenne was that she looked like Chyna.

  From being around Charisse that short period of time, for some reason he found Cheyenne’s behavior to be false in nature and over exaggerated in innocence.

  He got to the matter at hand quickly not wanting to be in her company as much as he had in the past. “We really have to speak about us, Cheyenne.”

  “Us? There’s nothing to discuss, according to my sister. You know you really have her fooled.” She tightened her arms around his neck, but he moved her arms from around him and stepped away from her adjusting his suit so that it didn’t look messed up when he went over to the doctors. “Chyna and I have been speaking in detail about our future. And it doesn’t include you at all.”

  “And I hope that doesn’t mean it’s going to affect us, Parker,” she said disappointedly noticing his cold manner. “What happens between you and Chyna has nothing to do with us.”

  “It does, Cheyenne. We have to end this now and never see each other again.”

  “Parker,” she said impatiently. “I can understand when you come to me and tell me that we can’t have sex anymore, but are you trying to say we can’t be friends anymore?”

  “Yes,” he said when he was a couple of feet away. “I want to save my marriage in more ways than one.”

  “Please!” she hissed. “You told me yourself you don’t hold any loving emotions for your wife.”

  “And I never said I held any loving emotions for you either, Cheyenne. But the key word here is wife and I’m a man of my word. And if Chyna isn’t saying she wants a divorce, then I’m going to stick this out.”

  “Marriage means nothing to people this day and age, why are you trying to act like this is the 1800s Parker? Chyna wants to be with Pascal. She deliberately took him away from me and now you know she hides money from you, but you want to be with her.”

  Tightly, he said, “That was years ago, Cheyenne, and my wife and I are past that. You
need to get past it too. Plus, I don’t care about the money. It’s just fifty thousand dollars. I bring in that every couple of months now with all my business ventures. If she wants to keep it, then so be it. What’s mine belongs to my wife and I’m not going to cry or dwell in the past anymore.” He started to leave.

  Cheyenne came to him with a desperate look. “Please Parker. I love you. I need you. I can’t live without you!”

  He pried her fingers out of his lapel, which she gripped. “It’s over. Our affair and our friendship. I have to respect Chyna’s wishes from now on and I will. I will do whatever my wife wants me to do to make her happy.”

  “Parker! No! Please don’t leave. Parker! PARKER!”

  He shut the door and hurried to his car. She came out the room to follow him, but he had started the engine and drove off before hearing anything else she said.

  Ignoring her calls and the calls Joanie tried to make for her, was easy and she wouldn’t step foot near the house, he knew that. Getting to him behind Chyna’s back seemed to give her great pleasure and if Chyna knew she was still after him, it wouldn’t be as fun for Cheyenne.

  But Parker had been serious about his intentions to be true to his wife.

  Sitting back in his chair, he wondered how serious should he take Chyna’s apprehensions. From listening to Charisse, he remembered the warnings and little things she had dropped about how “vicious” Cheyenne could be.

  Yet, in all his dealings with Cheyenne, she had shown nothing but sweetness and kindness. Even when she had come to him and let him know that Chyna was sleeping with Pascal.

  Leaving out the library, he started toward the bedroom, but noticed the door to the guest room had been opened.

  “I thought you had gone to bed?” he said to Charisse who was standing by the window looking out at the night sky.

  She gasped and turned to him hiding something behind her back. “I had, but I couldn’t sleep and I came here to look out a different window. Rochelle left her television on in her room and it was ruining my concentration.”