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

  Coming in the room, he noted how the pajamas covered her from neck to ankle and the thick house shoes gave him no comfort of even seeing her ankles. Why he was interested in seeing her skin was beyond him, but for some reason he wanted more knowledge of her body and why she chose to cover every inch of it all the damn time.

  “What are you hiding?” he questioned.

  She hesitated, but then pulled out the turkey baster. “It fell off the shelf Chyna put it on before I came in here,” she said quickly. “I picked it up and I was just returning it, but I got sidetracked.”

  “The window? Is looking out the window that important?”

  “It provides solace in some weird sort of way. I’m really not looking at anything, but when I was in the facility, it was a way to just leave me alone and go into whatever world I wanted to go into.”

  “Anything to get away from this reality,” he assumed.

  “Since I couldn’t get away the way I wanted to,” she added. Faking a yawn, she quickly put the baster back on the top shelf and covered it with the towel.

  As she reached up, her pajama shirt raised, while her pants moved down and he was treated to a view of the top of a very sumptuous derriere. He hadn’t seen a backside like that in a very long time.

  ‘Down boy!’ he ordered his manhood that came back to attention quickly.

  She came toward him to leave out the room because he was still standing by the doorway, but he moved in her way.

  Looking up at him, she wanted to confess instantly that yes she had been trying to smell that baster to see if it smelled like Almond Joy. Her crazy machinations were getting to her about Parker Mills and her curiosity about him was increasing by the second. Chyna’s proposal wasn’t helping either and Charisse knew this false sickness she was developing only when he was around could only be cured if she touched him.

  “How worried should I be about Cheyenne and any intentions she has toward breaking up Chyna and I?”

  Her answer came without hesitation. “Very worried. My father used to call Cheyenne his Chimera. You see one thing but there’s something more deadly and sinister under the surface.”

  “And you, Charisse?”

  “What about me?” she asked innocently.

  He moved closer to her just inches from her. “Should I be worried that you’re on Cheyenne’s side?”

  “I’m the least of your problems when it comes to all of us. I just want to be left alone.” Quickly moving around him, she hurried up the steps to her own room.

  Parker watched her until he couldn’t see her anymore, his mind deep in thought about his apprehensions now building about Cheyenne. Chyna was leery of Cheyenne and most of all Charisse was leery of her too, so Parker needed to find out more about Cheyenne.

  The only way to do this was to do something he refused to do in the beginning, which Jaelen had insisted he do when his suspicions about the family first surfaced.

  Digging down in his wallet, he pulled out the black card that he never touched since Jaelen first gave it to him. For some reason his hands felt cold, but even when Onyx Heart wasn’t around just the thought of needing her presence had this effect on people.

  Picking up the phone, he called the number on the card - the personal cell phone number of Onyx Heart. Few people had it, and even few wanted the pleasure of it. She was not a woman anyone wanted to have to personally deal with, but she knew things and she knew how to get information.

  Right now, he needed the best and that was Onyx Heart.

  ***

  Immediately upon awaking she felt different. There were goose bumps on her arm, but there wasn’t a chill in the air.

  Charisse pulled the covers up and looked down at her body. Her nipples were erect and defined against the thin nightgown she had changed into upon coming back to her room last night. But they weren’t just erect, but hardened to the core and when she just brushed her hands over one, she gasped because there was an intense sensation that propelled from her chest to even her fingers, yet there was no pain.

  Closing her eyes, waiting for the feeling to dissipate, she could only think of the conversation she had with her sister last night and then she thought of the pictures in the book, but instead of the white strapping man and the gaunt big breasted white woman, all she could see was the dark caramel skin, thick muscular build of Parker Mills holding her in a provocative position getting ready to thrust into her deeply.

  A throat cleared at the door and she gasped startled dropping the covers as she had been caught naked.

  “Good morning,” he said, keeping his voice low.

  “How long have you been there?” she inquired trying not to look embarrassed.

  “A couple of seconds.”

  “You have a quiet step.”

  “Want me to make clacking noises?”

  “Sarcasm so early in the morning should be illegal, Parker.” Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and put her feet on the floor making sure she hunched over just a little so her chest wouldn’t press up against her nightgown. “What do I owe the pleasure or do you often wake up your employees personally?”

  Parker chuckled. “No, Charisse.”

  “Why don’t you require Chyna to help you out until you get another assistant?”

  “Why would I ask my wife that?” he asked.

  “Because she is your wife,” Charisse said obviously. “She helps you spend the money, but she can’t help you make the money?”

  “I don’t want my wife doing anything she doesn’t want to do,” Parker explained. It wasn’t in his nature to force a woman to do anything they didn’t want to do and that’s how he had always been even before distrust came into their marriage.

  Charisse wanted to ask him what rock he had been hiding under again and how the hell did Chyna find that rock. “But as a wife, a woman should be loving and supportive to her husband’s needs and you need assistance.”

  He was impressed that she knew a little bit about being a good woman to a man. “Do you mind helping me?”

  “No, I don’t mind, Parker. I’m just voicing my evil opinion about how my sister should be more supportive instead of just spending your money.”

  “And how would you spend my money if you were my wife, Charisse?” Parker inquired.

  This question caught her off guard. “It’s not my money to spend and I don’t deal with fantasy, Parker.”

  He liked knowing she thought being his wife was just some type of fantasy. “Humor me,” he said dryly. “If you could have any amount of money you wanted, what would you like to do to make you happy? What would you like to do?”

  No one had ever asked her that before and she wasn’t sure how to answer. “I don’t know if there’s anything money could buy to make me happy, Parker.”

  “There’s nothing you’d like to do, but just never thought you could? Do you have a hobby?”

  She raised her wrist with sarcasm. “Yeah, I have a hobby. It’s just not good for my health.”

  “You’re being funny,” he said. “Think of something. Would you like to go somewhere?”

  Pressured, she threw out anything. “I’ve never been in a movie theatre.”

  “Really?” He’d expected her to call out something like a trip around the world.

  “Yes, but my mother was never a fan of crowds and then the fear of someone sitting close or just being in a public place prevented me from going.”

  “So you’ve never been on dates?” he questioned.

  “Oh yeah, that’s funny.”

  “I’m serious, Charisse. No man has ever expressed interest in you, ever?”

  “I guess killing myself is a turn off.” Again her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  Parker returned to why he was there. “Chyna had some planning to do and asked me to bring this to you.” He handed her a folded towel.

  “You want me to wash up?” she guessed. “I smell that bad?”

  He was trying to be as serious as possible, but Charisse wa
s doing her best to push him. “Open the washcloth.”

  Inside was a pregnancy test and she stood up to go to the bathroom.

  Offhandedly, he explained, “Chyna said the last one didn’t go too well, but now that I think about it, maybe I should see for myself.”

  “She said it was broke or something and threw everything in the guest bathroom garbage. Go see for yourself.”

  He went down there to retrieve the old box out of the bathroom using some paper towel and reading the directions as he returned to Charisse’s room before checking the stick that had been jammed inside.

  Soon as he left, she went to the dresser to throw on some clothes feeling completely naked in front of him and by the time he returned she was just finishing up the buttons on her long sleeve dress that went all the way down to her ankles. Underneath she would just put on some pants and socks since Rochelle had not left out any nylons for her. “Rochelle isn’t here?” Charisse asked feeling all of a sudden a bit uncomfortable at the possibility that they were alone once he returned.

  He was still reading the directions and had not noticed she had put her clothes on. “Rochelle went with Chyna this morning to a meeting.” Parker finally looked up from his reading to feel disappointment that he couldn’t see more of her in her nightgown. “Does Rochelle usually stick around and wait on you hand and foot or should you just join me for breakfast downstairs?”

  She went in the bathroom, while he stayed at the bedroom doorway. “It’s up to you,” she said. To hide the sound of her relieving her bladder, Charisse had turned on the faucet.

  “Charisse,” he called.

  When she got up from the toilet and straightened her clothes, she felt a hot flash. “I-I’m fine,” she said thinking he was just concerned as she turned off the water after washing her hands and throwing some water over her face to push away the heat she suddenly felt.

  Looking down at her arms, the goose bumps were still there and her body seemed lighter all of a sudden. She gripped the sink. How could his proximity affect her so much right now?

  ‘Because this has nothing to do with him, girl! You’re really sick today!’

  That was impossible. She was healthy as a horse and she knew it. She controlled when something was wrong with her body! She made things bad for herself. It just didn’t happen for no reason at all!

  “Charisse,” he called again.

  “Where did they go?” she asked to keep him for worrying too much. Pressing her hands to her chest, she could feel the hardened tips of her nipples.

  Was she really sick?

  Charisse never remembered being direly sick a day in her life, except for the pain she caused, but now it was as if her body decided to have a mind of its own and getting back at her for the pain she had caused it.

  He answered, “Some trip Chyna’s planning.” Feeling upset over the results he read on the stick and the fact that she wasn’t responding back as quickly as he was used to, he decided to make conversation about certain thoughts he’d had last night.

  “I’ve been thinking about yesterday, Charisse. About when you came down in the basement.”

  “W-What about it?” she asked faintly.

  She hadn’t come out of the bathroom and he stayed at his post at the bedroom doorway. “You were about to touch me,” he said.

  It was quiet and he was dying to know what she was thinking.

  Charisse’s throat seemed to lock up and her whole body felt on fire!

  This wasn’t a daymare!

  Suddenly, the room began to spin and she tried to grip the towel bar to stay on her feet. For some reason, she didn’t want to fall, but she could not find anything else to hold herself up on that was stronger.

  Parker was on edge dying to know her answer. Moving to the doorway of the bathroom warily, he saw her leaning over the sink and relaxed a little.

  “I want to know why you were going to touch me.“

  Charisse turned to him and he saw the trance look in her eyes familiar to him from yesterday, but there was something wrong. Her skin was flushed and she was perspiring.

  Not understanding what was happening to her, she gripped Parker’s shirt in a desperate attempt to hold on to something stronger.

  “Charisse,” he asked concerned, looking around to see if she had used something to hurt herself or if there was something she had taken to hurt herself. When he saw nothing and couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her, he grabbed her arms, forgetting her phobia and shook her. “What did you do?”

  She couldn’t stand anymore and fighting consciousness had taken too much strength.

  ‘Now that he was here, it would be all right. Parker would-‘

  She wasn’t sure what Parker would do, but she hoped he could get her to the hospital before she died.

  ***

  No beeping noise that she usually recognized upon waking up in the hospital was heard this time.

  But she was positive she was in a hospital before she even opened her eyes. The familiar scent of purity was around her.

  And the bed. Soft with cold metal around it. The first thing she did before opening her eyes was move her hands. They weren’t strapped down this time.

  Then she smelled him. Almond Joy. He was right by her bedside.

  “You’re playing possum again, Charisse?” he asked in relieved amusement.

  Opening her eyes and finding him to the right of her, she quickly sat up, but that made her head swirl.

  “Hold on, lady, and take it slow,” he ordered. “You’re not going anywhere. Your doctor’s here.”

  Panic set in. They were going to send her back!

  “I didn’t take anything. I didn’t hurt myself, Parker.” Her breathing became erratic as she desperately tried to think of something more to say to convince him of the truth. “I didn’t try to kill myself!”

  Calmly, he assured her, “I know.”

  “Don’t let them take me. Please!” she begged.

  “They won’t. Your doctor is here to assure everyone that you didn’t.”

  Just the idea of being in a hospital bed made her uncomfortable. They were in the emergency room with the curtains closed around them to give them some privacy.

  He was still half dressed and part of his nice shirt was torn by the breast pocket. Yet, even in the disarray he looked handsome and she couldn’t bear to look at him, terrified that she’d get sick again.

  “You’re going to have to stay away from me, Parker.”

  “Why?” he asked. “Did I hurt you?”

  “I think that’s the point. You haven’t. You’ve been too nice and I think it’s making me sick.”

  Parker couldn’t help but chuckle. “Niceness makes you sick?”

  Not liking that he found that funny, she asked, “Did I do that to your expensive shirt?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t realize it until I arrived here with you. It’s nothing. I’ve got a million more. Your condition was more important.”

  Feeling flushed by his concern, she forced herself to try to get out of bed. Her legs felt shaky, but by holding on to the bed she was able to get the blood circulating.

  “My condition?” she questioned.

  “Yes. It’s why you fainted.”

  “Fainted? I’ve never fainted in my whole life, Parker Mills.”

  “Your doctor did note that, which is why he was confused until I showed him this.” He pulled the pregnancy stick out of his pocket and handed it to her, showing a plus sign.

  Chapter 18

  “I’m pregnant?!”

  The gorgeous smile showing all his teeth that always made her stomach flutter graced his face making his eyes dance. For just a short moment, she drunk in the fine-looking features of a man who could make her feel so wonderful and upset at the same time.

  Again she fought the urge to touch him and mold her body against his by tightening up her fist and digging it into her stomach.

  “Dr. Redmond validated everything and said it must have occurred on
the first try when I explained to him what we had been doing.”

  “But we did the test yesterday and it didn’t work.”

  “I’m not fighting the results, Charisse. Maybe the stick had some delayed reading and needed the night to kick in. I’m very happy.”

  It was a shock to her system, but at the same time she also felt very foolish. “I fainted because I’m pregnant?”

  “That would seem so,” he agreed.

  Sinking on the bed in disappointment, she said, “I feel like a weak silly girl.”

  “Weak?” he asked incredulously, sitting near her. “Charisse you’re one of the strongest women I know. And trust me I don’t give a lot of women that credit. Millions of people are terrified of dying and you’ve faced it three times!” He sounded genuinely amazed. “Your doctor explained that you were so used to controlling everything that happened, you were probably overwhelmed by your body doing something else out of your control.”

  She still felt foolish.

  Chyna suddenly jerked the curtains away abruptly and Charisse stood up as if she’d be caught doing something wrong as Chyna approached her.

  Before Charisse could say something, Chyna hauled off and backhanded her across the face.

  ***

  “You promised to wait!” Chyna screamed angrily as Charisse had stumbled to the bed taken aback by her older sister’s reaction.

  Parker jumped in front of his wife before she could hit Charisse again, which she had been about to do. “Stop it!” he ordered, struggling with her to keep her away from her sister.

  “No, I won’t!” Chyna snarled. “She’s a selfish spoiled evil brat!”

  “She’s pregnant!” Parker exclaimed.

  Chyna instantly calmed down and looked baffled as if Parker had spoken in another language.

  He let her go and retrieved the stick Charisse had set down on the bed. Giving it to his wife, he said, “Dr. Redmond confirmed it with blood tests.”

  Chyna looked down at the stick in surprise before looking back at Charisse who was just getting back up to her feet refusing help from Parker, who now moved closer to her.