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

  “Because not one time have you ever spoken of love for him, Chyna. I’ve heard obligation, duty and everything else but love.”

  “That’s always been hard for me. It’s been hard for all of us because of her.”

  Bitterly, Charisse said, “And I didn’t help by taking him away did I?”

  “To be honest, I don’t think he understood it any better than she did, but she never even understood it until he was gone, then she spent a lifetime accusing you instead of blaming herself,” Chyna said softly.

  Charisse looked at her sister and knew that Chyna was laying her soul open to her. It was the first time she was being a sister and not some bitter replica of their mother.

  “I didn’t understand that I cared for Parker until I knew my own twin sister was going to succeed in taking him away if I did nothing. As for love, I don’t know, Charisse. When I married Parker, I wasn’t looking at the face or man, I was looking at a meal ticket. I really don’t know if I do feel love and the fact that Parker’s never really said that to me in so long because I would be so mean to him, makes me scared to even explore that feeling with him any more. I think he stays with me now just out of obligation and some old feeling in him that leads him to believe that he is in love.”

  “Do you think he loves Cheyenne?”

  Chyna smiled with surprising happiness. “I know he doesn’t love her and he was merely using her to assuage his hurt for not being able to love me. I did make it difficult and all the while he was with her, I knew in my soul, she was merely some bandage.”

  “And that makes you happy?”

  “Wouldn’t it make you happy to know Cheyenne actually was being used, when she’s really the user?”

  Charisse couldn’t help but smile with her sister upon the realization of this knowledge. “She does like to take and not give.”

  “Well, I can’t be mad at Parker for taking when that bitch could make a nun curse.”

  “You know you can’t say you were almost equal to her flame, Chyna.”

  “I was the student learning from the master, but I’m glad I flunked out of that school.”

  Charisse didn’t know if she should trust her sister’s words, but Chyna seemed to sound like she wanted to be a better person. Turning the subject back, Charisse asked, “So you’re bringing a baby into this mess?”

  “It won’t be mess by the time the baby gets here. Parker’s going to see that he needs more from me and I hope by that time I’m able to give it to him.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I just need time to sort myself out. Get my head together. Sometimes I wish I could just get away from all of this and think, relax and get back in touch with myself before the baby, but I know that would be impossible to leave, but I don’t trust Cheyenne to stay away or anyone to keep an eye on Parker if I’m not here. I want to stay with him. I want to be with him. He’s a good man and I’m lucky to have him, despite what’s been done in the past. I can put up with not having the love. We’ll have a child and I just know he’d make a wonderful father.”

  Since Charisse was just as ignorant about feeling for anyone other than her father, she had to take Chyna’s words at face value.

  “Why haven’t you loved a man in your lifetime, Charisse?” Chyna asked.

  Charisse could only think of the sound of the gun going off. “I lost all will to live and love the day I killed my father. Love is hope. I have none.”

  The words were purposefully chosen to be cold and the desired effect was achieved when Chyna left the room.

  ***

  Parker heard her high priced heels clacking in his direction and moved only a floor down before Chyna knew he had been listening. Proceeding in his office/library, he couldn’t figure out why he had stayed to listen once Charisse was told of the change of plans.

  Maybe because he found how she spoke so interesting. She was so unpredictable in her behavior and trying to figure her out was getting more and more complex.

  Definitely cut from a different cloth.

  Sitting at his desk, he languidly went through the applications for a new assistant. His last one decided to marry and move out the state altogether. He was reluctant to use the temporary services because he had to find someone trustworthy to stay at the house because he wouldn’t get his offices finished until next year due to all the other projects he was working on.

  Thaddeus’ wife, Skye, was assisting him in reports he needed and letters typed up, but he still needed someone to handle his appointments, voicemail and emails, because it was getting hard to keep track of things the longer he took to find an assistant. Asking Chyna wouldn’t be right for him and he knew she would refuse, as would Cheyenne and even if she did agree, Chyna would freak out.

  Today alone it took him an extra couple of hours to organize and he was late to the three different jobs and one meeting.

  By the time he returned home, Chyna was watching one of her favorite shows in the lower family room. Rochelle and Charisse were playing checkers in her room and the maid had left dinner in the microwave for him.

  No one even knew he was in the house and that was fine with him as he went into the second floor library to work on getting caught up on the paperwork for the day and send out jobs for the morning.

  About eleven o’clock when he was completely frustrated, the door opened.

  “I didn’t know you were here,” Chyna said surprised and a little bit offended.

  It had been a long time since Chyna really cared about his whereabouts and he could only attribute that it was the only good thing to come out of his affair because before that she could care less if he came in and died, as long as her credit cards were paid on time.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he said wondering why she was in there in the first place. Being married to her for ten years, he knew Chyna wasn’t a book reader. “I have a lot of work to do without Katrina.”

  “I just came to get Charisse an encyclopedia on some things. Rochelle asked me to.”

  Curiously, he asked, “About what?”

  Chyna blushed – something he hadn’t seen since he’d first married her. “Parker, she doesn’t know about pregnancy.”

  “What do you mean? She’s almost thirty.”

  “And I think she’s a virgin if you ask me because I’ve never seen her with a boy or ever heard her even speak about boys.”

  How could he forget Dr. Redmond had said she was a virgin? This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

  “So she’s never done anything?” he asked incredulously. “Are you sure?”

  “It’s pretty hard to know anything when you don’t want to be touched, Parker,” Chyna said as if he should know this.

  “So she has no ideas about anything? Anything?!”

  “Parker, it’s not like she needs to.”

  “What do you mean? You act like this is automatic. Having sex is a procedure, Chyna or has it been so long that you’ve forgotten. Just because you don’t take it seriously, it doesn’t mean everyone knows things about it. She probably agreed to this with no idea about everything sex entails. If we really think about this, she probably has no idea at all that serious touching is involved.” Sinking back in his chair, he said disappointedly, “Maybe we should postpone this. We should really think of another option.”

  Adamantly, she said, “No Parker. Okay, maybe I’m rushing things, but we have a chance for a baby sooner than later.” Moving to the desk, Chyna knelt by his chair imploringly. “We’ll figure this out.”

  Parker sighed dispassionately. “This just seems like it might be too difficult to try to figure out.”

  “It won’t,” she assured him. “Just give it a chance before we give up. Dr. Redmond says we have a good four days and it’s just perfect right now. Please Parker. Please.”

  He nodded but the feeling in his gut didn’t dissipate. The prospect of having a child seemed like it was never going to happen.

  Chyna grabbed the encyclopedias and left quickly.
>
  Looking up at the ceiling, Parker worried as he thought about Jaelen’s words.

  ***

  Charisse ignored her sister’s presence as Rochelle took her clothes and then the sisters were alone before she wondered what Chyna wanted to show her.

  “It was suggested that you needed a light refresher course about pregnancy and other stuff.”

  “I’m not stupid, Chyna. I watch movies, I have been at college and I know the stork didn’t drop me off on a doorstop.”

  “I’m not saying you are, Charisse, but let’s just be honest. The last thing you’ve been thinking about is sex.”

  As usual her sister’s bluntness shut up Charisse’s mouth for the moment. “Is that what those books are for?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Chyna answered. “I’ve sectioned off what you should read. Would you like me to sit with you?“

  “No,” Charisse said flatly. “I can read on my own. I prefer it. Goodnight.”

  Chyna left and Charisse reluctantly took the first one and began to read about pregnancy.

  By the time she grabbed the next book where her sister had sectioned off, Sexual Intercourse, Charisse was feeling very sick.

  She wasn’t an idiot, or an innocent, but Chyna had been right regarding her lack of knowledge about sex. Most times at the facility people assumed she had been sexually abused because of her “condition,” but in truth it was because of the hallucinations.

  Even after she finished reading knowing what was to come the next day, prevented her from sleeping all night long.

  Rochelle came out of her room at seven in the morning.

  “You’re up early,” the nurse noted. “Are you hungry?”

  “No.” Charisse was standing at the window watching the sunrise and trying not to feel sick.

  “I’m leaving early.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  “You need anything?” Rochelle asked placing Charisse’s clothes on the bed.

  “No.”

  Even after Rochelle was dressed and getting ready to go Charisse stayed by the window. “You don’t look like you’ve slept all night,” the nurse noted.

  “I slept a little,” she lied.

  Picking up the books on Charisse’s bed, Rochelle stiffened and came over to her. “Is it about what you read?”

  Charisse tore her eyes away from the sunset that seemed to give her this false calm. “It’s nothing,” she lied again.”

  “You’re a horrible liar. I like it when you’re brutally honest and evil.”

  “Okay, then leave me alone old woman. Is that better?”

  Rochelle chuckled. “You keep this up and I’m going to think you really don’t want to kill yourself. You just love the attention.”

  “If you don’t stop being so damn concerned, I might still want to.”

  This didn’t break Rochelle’s spirit. “Have a good day, Ms. Charisse.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” Charisse mumbled after the nurse was out of earshot and leaving.

  Chyna came in the room around eight. Charisse could hear her clacking all the way from on the other side of the house.

  By this time, Charisse had only accomplished pulling her hair in a short ponytail, washing and brushing her teeth before she ended up again just staring stupidly out at the window again.

  “You’re up. Good. Did you read all that stuff?”

  “I did, Chyna,” Charisse said, facing her sister. “And you were right. I don’t know shit. I don’t think I can do this, Chyna! I hadn’t thought that far in advance. I just figured…. No, I didn’t think. I can’t think. I couldn’t sleep all night.”

  Chyna’s shoulders slumped, clearly showing her disappointment. “Maybe we should talk.“

  “There’s nothing else to speak about. I had all night to think about it and talk to myself about this.”

  “But I got this book. I found it this morning. Joanie gave it to me on one of our anniversaries, but I thought I tossed it out.”

  “No! Didn’t you hear me?”

  “Just give me a chance, Charisse. This is important to Parker and I’m begging you. Would you please just look?”

  Forcing herself to calm down, she nodded in acquiesce.

  “Have a seat please,” Chyna said, pointing to the bed.

  She hesitated for a moment, but then took a seat on the bed.

  Chyna sat on the end arms length away and opened the book she’d been holding all the while, talking to put her sister at ease. “I was looking it over last night and there’s only one position you could manage with Parker with limited touching.”

  “Any touching is still too much touching, Chyna.”

  “You didn’t look at the picture.”

  Reluctantly, Charisse looked down at a naked white woman bent over a chair on her knees, with her derriere in the air. The white nicely built naked man was behind her with one of his hands on her hips, while he had his other hand around his hardened staff aimed at the woman’s rear end.

  “If you both leave your clothes on, there’s even less touching.“

  Charisse jumped up, unable to even fathom Parker Mills doing that to her. “No! I can’t.”

  Stomping her foot in frustration, Chyna asked, “What do you want me to do? What did you expect when you agreed to this, Charisse? When YOU promised!”

  “I don’t know! I didn’t think… I mean, I knew, but…” She felt very sick at just the thought and then she thought about that dream and then that picture.

  Running to the bathroom, she barely made it over to the toilet before throwing up.

  Chyna followed. “Not even with clothes on, Charisse?” she asked exasperated as if that was going to change her sister’s mind and the price of tea in Japan.

  This only made Charisse throw up more.

  Chyna growled angrily and started pacing by the door as Charisse dry heaved on the floor.

  “I got it!” Chyna cried as if she’d came up with the cure for cancer. “A turkey baster.”

  Charisse almost forgot she was sick to her stomach. “What’s that?”

  “The thing you use to baste turkey. Get cleaned up and get down to the kitchen.” Chyna rushed out the room.

  Charisse wanted to run out the front door and get away as fast as she could.

  The last bright idea Chyna had convinced Charisse to participate in was when she told her sister to go in there and pretend to shoot Daddy with the fake gun lying by his hands.

  The outcome for that had ruined Charisse’s life. This one didn’t look good either.

  Chapter 11

  His phone ringing awoke him from the exhausted sleep. He was still wearing his clothes from last night and the chair in the library had tore up his back.

  He didn’t get to his phone in time so he had to call his voicemail in order to retrieve the message.

  “Hi, Parker. It’s Skye Newman. I have those reports you said you needed for your meeting that was changed over to this morning,” Skye said cheerily. “You can come pick it up at nine so you can make your meeting at ten or I could help out and meet you there with the client.”

  He cursed realizing he had forgotten to change his calendar around. Rushing to get his clothes on he called Skye to ask if she could meet him on site and he’d make sure to pay her for the time.

  “Parker!” Chyna called just as he was about to rush out the door.

  “I’m late, Chyna. I forgot to change my appointments around. I’ve got to be at a meeting in thirty minutes,” he snapped, assuming she only wanted money to spend. Automatically, he dug out his wallet.

  “Did you forget about what you’re supposed to be doing this morning?” she asked offended.

  Parker looked over her shoulder to see Charisse standing at the doorway near the kitchen in an unattractive dull orange dress, looking as if she was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. Matter of fact, she was gripping the wall so hard her knuckles almost looked white.

  “Fuck!” he cursed viciously, remembering
what they had planned to do. But once his mind registered he felt an unexplainable excitement come over his body. Warily he pointed out, “She doesn’t look like she even wants to do this, Chyna. I’m not forcing her.”

  “That’s why we got this!” Chyna said proudly and held out the turkey baster as if she were welding Excalibur from Camelot!

  “What the hell am I supposed to do with that?!”

  “We discussed doing this a long while ago, remember?” Chyna asked, drawing his eyes from the turkey baster back to her.

  “Using this?” Parker glared at the turkey baster as if it were about to cut off his manhood.

  “Yes. Just go to our bathroom, deposit your load and I’ll come and retrieve it after I get her in the position.” She shoved the cold plastic in his hands.

  “You agreed to this, Charisse?” he asked looking over his wife.

  Charisse wanted to die again in embarrassment not believing this was even being considered. She could only nod hesitantly hoping he didn’t ask her to speak.

  “See, I told you,” Chyna said. “It’s perfect. No touching, no contact and a method that’s been proven successful in the past. You can even go on the Internet like I did in the past when we were considering this a long time ago. Plus, it’ll only take two minutes, which means you’ll still have time to make your meeting.”

  He looked down at the plastic kitchen utensil and then up at Chyna. “Fine, Chyna.”

  “Good, I’ll meet you in our bathroom. Come on, Charisse. Let’s get you in position,” Chyna said excitedly.

  Parker hadn’t seen his wife this damn giddy ever.

  “What position? Not that chair!” Charisse cried.

  Chyna giggled. “No silly. It’s another one that’s in the book. Just come on.” She didn’t even mind taking the steps back up to Charisse’s room.

  Her sister-in-law walked past him hurriedly, but once she was at the top of the stairs, she paused and looked down at him.

  Parker could feel that she wanted to say something, but didn’t. Instead she continued climbing the second set of steps to get to her room.

  ***

  Chyna had already flipped the book to the page she wanted Charisse to look at before her sister came into the room. With dread, Charisse looked at the picture with the woman laying on her back with her legs up on the bed and wide open. A man was above her positioning to drive down into her.