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

  “It was really no problem. My brother Leroy has some mental difficulties but I’ve learned he really is no different than I or Jaelen.”

  “It must be difficult to have someone like Jaelen around who’s so insensitive to your brother’s condition.”

  “Why?” Kimberly questioned. “Jaelen loves Leroy as if he were his own son. Jaelen’s a wonderful father figure and loves all my children even the two who aren’t his.”

  This didn’t’ sound like the man who Charisse just met. “Do you have another husband named Jaelen?”

  Kimberly laughed. “He gets that a lot. His bark is worse than his bite once you get to know him, trust me. Other people just think I’m crazy to marry a man like him.”

  “Are you crazy? And no I don’t want to get to know him,” Charisse blurted out.

  Kimberly laughed again.

  ***

  “The food is delicious,” Chyna complimented Kimberly.

  “Not because of you,” Jaelen sneered under his breath

  “I’ve used this caterer before,” Kimberly said, shooting her husband a cautious look.

  Jaelen cut Parker a glare. He was trying to be on his best behavior, but Parker knew the man wanted to say something more about Chyna not helping with the dinner at all.

  Parker knew Chyna was just trying to be nice even though she was just as jealous of Kimberly, but she knew Parker envied the couple.

  Parker had a good view of everyone because he sat at the head of the table, while Chyna sat at the far end. Jaelen sat to his left next to his wife and Charisse sat on the other side by herself.

  Rochelle had chosen not to dine with them even though Parker had invited her.

  “I hear you have your Associates,” Kimberly remarked to Charisse to make conversation. “Were you thinking about going back to school?”

  “No,” Charisse mumbled and stuffed food in her mouth to avoid explaining her answer.

  “Pregnancy usually spurs a woman to want to accomplish things. Don’t be surprised.”

  “Dearest, every pregnancy for a woman is different,” Jaelen remarked overly sweet to his wife.

  “I know this, sugar lumps,” she said just as sweetly knowing he was being sarcastic.

  Jaelen gave his wife a warning look, but Kimberly’s eyes twinkled not at all intimidated.

  Charisse watched them closely. Even though he seemed perturbed at his wife, he tenderly touched her hand.

  This seemed so out of ordinary for the hard cruel man, yet Charisse couldn’t stop looking at the touch and wondered what it felt like and if Parker could touch her hand like that.

  ‘Didn’t I tell you to stop that?!’ her brain screamed.

  “Any hopes for the sex?” Kimberly asked.

  “Sex with Parker?” Charisse blurted out in a panic. ‘Did they read my mind?’

  Everyone in the room looked startled at Charisse.

  “No, Charisse, Kimberly was speaking about the sex of the child. The gender,” her sister explained.

  Kimberly continued, “Of course, Parker we know you’d like a boy.”

  “Actually the sex of the child wouldn’t matter to me. I’m just proud that we’ve accomplished this and we owe Charisse a large debt of gratitude.” He winked over at her and she looked away quickly to her plate.

  “Speaking of debt,” Jaelen said. “How much are they paying you to do this, Charisse?”

  “Jaelen!” Kimberly cried exasperated. “That’s rude to ask and you know it.”

  “You can ask questions about the baby, but I can’t?”

  “Not those types.”

  “We’re not paying Charisse anything,” Parker defended.

  “She’s sacrificing her body and health out of the kindness of her heart?” Jaelen asked in disbelief.

  “What’s so hard to believe about that?” Chyna questioned. “She’s kind.”

  “Oh I know your greedy ass is not talking to me about kindness, Chyna,” Jaelen sneered.

  “That’s enough,” Parker exclaimed. “My wife or my sister-in-law will not be subject to your rudeness, Jaelen.”

  “I’ll answer the question,” Charisse said quietly.

  Parker and Chyna both looked worried, but she knew it was for different reasons.

  Putting her fork down, she said, “My sister expressed their desire to have a child and their lack to produce one. I felt since my failures in the past have accomplished nothing, maybe I could actually do something that would be positive in life.”

  “And then?” Jaelen asked.

  “And then what? What more is there?”

  “A lot more to live for, if that is your prerogative.”

  The room was quiet as she met the cold glaring eyes.

  “What are you insinuating?” Chyna asked nervously.

  Her sister’s question had been dumb to ask and Charisse wanted to say that to her sister, but she knew that would give this cruel man further logs for the fire he was trying to make. Jaelen could see something that obviously Parker couldn’t or had chosen not to see – evil.

  Jaelen didn’t take his eyes from Charisse. “I’m insinuating the obvious to a person like you, Charisse.”

  There were two roads she could take with this conversation, but she chose the road she knew Parker would have the most concern about. “You’re insinuating I’m going to hurt the baby because of my past?”

  “Would you hurt the baby?”

  “No,” she answered without hesitation.

  “And afterwards?”

  ‘Damn you! Why don’t you just quit while you’re ahead?!’ her mind screamed. “There we are again, Jaelen,” she said with a cool expression. “This is the second time you’ve asked me about the future.”

  “Shouldn’t I? Doesn’t Parker have a right to know what deal you’ve made?”

  “Deal?” Chyna asked almost on the brink of hysterics. “What kind of deal do you think I made with her?”

  “By giving her what she wants,” Jaelen said obviously to Chyna, but he never took those cinnamon brown eyes off of Charisse.

  Again the room grew quiet, while Charisse and Parker play the staring game. Parker was all too familiar with Jaelen’s way of getting the truth out of people. He’d seen it over decades and knew Jaelen’s ways. With dread, Parker watched as Charisse’s eyes lowered first and Chyna immediately became defensive.

  “Just what are you implying? I would never want my sister to hurt herself.”

  Kimberly stood up abruptly. “I think we should leave.”

  “He has a right to know, Kimberly,” Jaelen said.

  “You have no right to imply something like that,” Chyna stormed overly dramatic.

  “Enough Jaelen,” Parker said wanting to bring everything to a stop that his friend was trying to start. Deep down, he knew Jaelen meant well, but he was so worried over Charisse’s emotional state that he had to stop Jaelen.

  “Look at him, Charisse!” Jaelen demanded smashing his fist on the table. “And say I’m wrong. Say it!”

  Parker couldn’t speak as Charisse started to look his way, but then jumped out of her seat and ran from the room.

  “You’ve upset her,” Chyna accused.

  “Guilt does that. Not me,” Jaelen casually refuted.

  Parker cut Jaelen a look before getting up. “Stay!” he ordered Chyna who had started out the room.

  His tone of voice was like an arm halting her step instantly.

  Parker found Charisse on the second floor in the guestroom staring out the window, but he knew she wasn’t interesting in staring at the blacks on the house next door or their side yard. Tonight she had worn another unattractive cotton long sleeve ankle length dress. The peach was really not her color, but he knew she wasn’t into fashion or even care that a man was looking at her. At least she wore stockings, but her feet were covered with flats. To his height, she was still short and he could just imagine pressing her against the nearest wall, cupping her ass and impaling her delicious thick …

&nb
sp; ‘Stop it! This is more serious than your sexual need, Parker. This is Charisse and you still need to maintain friendship with her to get her to open up more to you about the past. Think of the baby and forget about yourself.’

  “Why’d you come in here?” he questioned.

  “That’s a stupid question,” she snapped. “That’s not why you followed me, Parker. You came up here to find out the truth, because you know I’m an awful liar.”

  He liked how direct she said his name. She didn’t whine it or make it seem as if it were disgusting and she made an effort at making the hard “P” sound.

  “I guess because I don’t want to know the truth. I just need to know you won’t hurt the baby.”

  “You already know this.” She turned around to him and met his eyes bravely. “You know it because of how I reacted this morning. I touched you and you know that’s not even like me.”

  He touched his lapel fondly as if her hands were still on him.

  ‘Do not look into that gesture as something he liked!’ she ordered herself.

  Almost in a whisper, he said, “You’re right, but I guess I just had to hear it from your lips.”

  “Why?”

  “You have nice lips?” his tone was filled with sarcasm and humor, but the look in his eyes was serious.

  Why did she feel that if he was closer, he wouldn’t have stopped himself from caressing her face and why did she want him to do that. She squeezed her arms around her waist to force herself to stay exactly where she was.

  “I’m a man not a mind reader, Charisse, nor do I look at things like women would. I need to hear things in order to be absolutely sure.” His hard stance could only show a man of conflict deep in his soul.

  For some reason she wanted to sooth that soul, but she didn’t. Charisse turned away and looked back out the window at nothing. “I would never hurt the baby. I would never do anything to hurt this pregnancy or use this pregnancy to hurt my sister and you.”

  The last he needed to hear the most. Parker didn’t blind himself to the deceptive game these sisters played with each other. But he tried to make his life as easy as possible and remove himself as a pawn. Now he was going to have a child - a child who could be used by them.

  Parker hoped he could prevent that. Moving away from the door he went down to the first floor where Kimberly and Jaelen were in the foyer, getting ready to leave.

  Immediately, Kimberly apologized to Parker.

  “Please Kim,” Parker excused her. “Your husband is the one that needs to apologize but I’d sooner get Jesus to come back before I hear a sorry from Jaelen Gates.”

  “You damn right,” Jaelen growled.

  “Can I have a moment alone with him though?” Parker asked nicely to Kimberly.

  She kissed his cheek and whispered a goodnight before going to their car to wait for her husband to come out.

  Soon as they were alone, Jaelen sneered, “I don’t apologize– “

  Parker hauled off and punched Jaelen in the gut.

  Chapter 20

  “Fuck!” Jaelen growled recovering from the steel lumps Parker called fists.

  Even though Parker was shorter than Jaelen’s over six-foot stance, back in the day, Parker could take a man down with his powerful body strength used like an expert pugilist. Albeit older now, Parker still had a lot of his strength and with no sex, the punches were not just out of annoyance at Jaelen’s insensitive words, but a sexual frustration as well. “I forgot how damn heavy handed you are.”

  “You don’t have to apologize, Jaelen. I could give a rat’s ass about how you feel.”

  “You needed to hear that, Parker. You can’t go through life pretending you’re living in a fairy tale.”

  “I know it’s not a fairy tale, Jaelen, but I don’t need your cruel ass reminding me how miserable I should be.” Parker cursed viciously, but more at himself than Jaelen.

  Jaelen finally was able to stand straight. “You don’t need them Parker. You’re not that man in that picture anymore. You’ve matured and it wasn’t because of your wife. You made changes in your life and if no one can see who you really are, fuck them.”

  “Of course you’re going to say that to me. You saw me, but no one else could – especially women. All they could see was a pimple faced bucktooth blind man. So now I have a beautiful wife and no she’ll probably never look at me like I see Kimberly looking at you, but in nine months I’m going to hold a little person in my arms. Someone who will have my blood running through them, but most importantly, someone who will look at me with that unconditional love that I need. I want to feel that, Jae. I need to feel that.”

  “You can leave all this behind. It’ll only cause you more heartache and pain. You have your wealth and assets. You’ve got enough money– “

  Parker bellowed, “And it means nothing if I have no one to share it with!”

  They glared at each other fiercely for a moment and for a first in a long time, Jaelen conceded and walked out the house.

  This really wasn’t a small victory for Parker, but more or less a line had been drawn and it was the only way to shut Jaelen up about certain things. Otherwise the friend would continuously harp on things without any regard to who heard him.

  If Parker had allowed Jaelen to continue it would not have played out very well in the end for anyone in that room.

  And he wasn’t sure Charisse was strong enough for that.

  Entering the dining room, he was mildly shocked Chyna had done just what he’d ordered and stayed. She was still sitting at the table looking a bit dazed and confused.

  The last time she had that expression on her face was when she was lost for words on how to explain her extra sexual activities he had clearly caught her doing.

  Parker braced himself ready to take control of the whole situation.

  As soon as she noticed him at the door, she arose and began to speak, “Parker– “

  Quickly, he cut her off, and spoke instead, “Chyna there’s nothing to explain. Charisse said enough to me. Now I’m not going to say Jaelen was right or wrong, but neither are you. And we can’t stand here and say our world is perfect. We’ve hurt each other, cheated on each other and lied to ourselves and each other. But I made a promise to you and I take my vows very serious. And as to your reasons why you stay, I don’t even want to know, but I want a child out of all of this. I want someone I can raise and love and care for that connects my wife and I together. I’ve wanted this for so long, I don’t know how I could have ever lived before the moment Dr. Redmond told me that Charisse was pregnant.” He paused to relish in that moment all over again in his heart. “But I won’t sacrifice my happiness to assist someone else’s demented goals. I couldn’t live with myself to know I’m a part of something like that.”

  Chyna was wringing her napkin in her lap and when he spoke no more she took a deep breath. “You’re right Parker and that’s why I need your help.”

  ***

  Charisse laid in the darkness too worried to sleep. Along with knowing she was pregnant, tomorrow she would start working again for Parker.

  It had been years since she worked and knowing tomorrow she was going to have a job made her actually plan to do her hair and put out clothes to wear.

  ‘Planning means you’re expecting,’ her mind said.

  And then there was the baby.

  Pushing the covers back, she placed her hands on her stomach. It seemed warmer than the rest of her body. Closing her eyes she could imagine life underneath her skin.

  New life that would grant her peace away from the world. Finally.

  ‘Yet, you’re planning.’

  Charisse was getting sick and tired of this voice in her head. One moment it was on her side and the next it wasn’t.

  Quiet footsteps came into the room and Charisse sat up seeing her sister standing there and motioning her to follow her. Chyna was dressed in green silk pants and shirt with white socks. Her hair was drawn up in a ponytail and a scarf was wrappe
d around the base of her hairline.

  Charisse followed her sister down to the guest room and they closed the door to give them privacy, but they still kept their voices to a whisper as they spoke.

  “He’s in the library sleep,” Chyna said.

  “I never said I wanted to do anything, yet. I said I had to think about it.”

  “You said to speak to you about this later. Since that horrible dinner and the fight Parker and I just had, I think it’s really important we do this.”

  “What horrible fight?”

  “After you went upstairs and Jaelen left, he and I really had it out.” Clear frustration was written all over her face. “I knew Jaelen was going to start shit and Parker is such a fool to think that man’s a friend.”

  “You’re changing the subject and I really don’t care about dinner. What Jaelen voiced his opinion about to Parker doesn’t matter because I’m pregnant now and Jaelen can’t stop it. I’m healthy and I know I can carry the baby to term. Now this other thing you want me to do– “

  “Please Charisse. You have to. She’ll find a way to get to him. He’s a man. He’s going to sooner or later become weak if I hold him off any longer!” Chyna said desperately.

  “I don’t know hardly anything about…oral sex, Chyna. And the little I do know involves a lot of touching.”

  “With your mouth and this is just a little thing…well, Parker isn’t, but the whole thing will be over within two minutes.”

  Charisse worked her teeth over her bottom lip nervously.

  “Put your index finger up,” Chyna said, stopping her sister before she talked herself out of it.

  “Which hand?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Charisse did so and waited for instructions.

  “Take your other hand and grip your wrist, then guide your finger to lie on your tongue,” Chyna ordered.

  When Charisse had obeyed, Chyna continued, “Close your lips firmly around your finger and then suck it gently down until you’re about to choke. If you feel like you’re going to throw up, just breathe out, but don’t gag. Release it from your lips sliding back to the tip. Do this repeatedly until you feel him tighten up and then you’ll feel him on your tongue.”