Crimson Footprints Part 34

Daichi fingered the doily at his table setting.

"It is-the burden of an oldest child to accept responsibility for all things. I too am guilty of this."

He looked up. "Have you ever-inquired as to her motivations for murder?"

"No." Deena lowered her gaze. "No."

"I see." And to Deena, it seemed as though he did see.

She looked up suddenly. "Plenty of people have made a success of their lives without having a mother. I'll do the same."

"I suspect that you will."

Their eyes met and he looked sincere. Deena smiled.

Daichi swallowed the last of his tea and began to stack papers. He placed them in his briefcase.

"Are we done so soon?"

"Yes. Perhaps a stroll might do us some good."

Deena looked up and spotted Kenji, the lone straggler from that morning's volleyball game, sitting on the beach, watching waves.

"Maybe Kenji could use some company," she said softly.

Daichi glanced at the boy, and for a second, a look of uncertainty crossed his face.

"Actually, I believe there's some unfinished business that requires my attention."

"I see," Deena said.

He picked up his briefcase and turned to leave.

"You know Daichi," she said.

"Yes?" He looked up.

She had no idea what to say. She glanced over at Kenji and couldn't help but feel that in her silence, she was betraying him.

"You have to confront it," she said.

Instantly, she wanted the words back.

"What?"

She looked at Kenji again. "The thing that consumes you. I think you-I think we have to confront it."

He stared at her, for an eternity it seemed, though truly he didn't seem to see her. Finally, he offered a short nod.

"Perhaps," he said softly. "Perhaps."

Daichi headed for the door again, stopped, and faced her.

"You should know that I haven't been completely honest about my requiring your presence here, at this time."

Deena froze.

"Claudia Oppenheimer has a home about an hour north of here in Beverly Hills. She's considering your proposal to come on board as the interior decorator for Skylife. But she would like to meet you first. On Thursday."

He disappeared.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO.

John wondered how his brother could ever miss the signals between Tak and Deena. The gazes and lingering smiles, the innuendo and "accidental" touching. Just the day before Tak inadvertently called her 'm.u.f.fin' or 'cinnamon' or some other kind of digestible nonsense. It was enough to nauseate a man.

John and Tak stood on the terrace, their eyes on Deena as they spoke. She laid poolside, a book in her hand, a red two-piece on her body. It fit like wet latex on curves.

"So, why didn't you bring Allison?" Tak asked casually.

John glanced at him. "You kidding me? Allison and Daichi? I want no part of that."

"It's inevitable though."

"Yeah. This from the guy who was just introduced to his girlfriend of the last three years."

Tak rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me."

"Of course, I will. I'll remind you every time I'm feeling self-righteous."

John paused at the sight of the gla.s.s doors sliding open and Mike stepping out of the house.

"John, I swear to G.o.d..."

"Be cool. Besides, you don't believe in G.o.d, remember?"

Tak shot him a warning look just as Michael joined them.

"Admiring the view, boys?" Mike said it as if he'd practiced the words a few times before trying them out. He jutted a thumb towards Deena, who s.h.i.+fted in her lounge chair and adjusted the top on her bikini.

John sighed. "We're just...talking, Mike. That's all."

"Well me, too, fellas."

Mike looked from John to Tak in exaggerated innocence. It had always been that way with him. Mike with this perpetual need to prove he was one of the guys. Gawking at a girl when a simple glance would do, or harping on things other guys barely mentioned-watching a game, drinking a brew, or a prime piece of a.s.s he saw the week before. And always, all of it rang false.

"I'm just talking about the view here. I mean, did you get a load of those knockers?"

Tak shot John a single, lethal look.

"How about taking the edge off that enthusiasm, huh?" John said.

Mike shook his head. "You're spoken-for, John. But me and Tak, we're free to roam." He grinned at Tak as if expecting an endors.e.m.e.nt. When none came, he fell silent.

Deena stood, set aside her book and shades, and dove into the pool. She swam a few laps under the sun, a web of chocolate hair plastered to her neck and shoulders and when she climbed out, water ran down her body in rivulets. The s.h.i.+ne from her swimsuit complimenting the curves of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and backside.

"Now that's a woman." Mike breathed.

"Oh f.u.c.k this." Tak s.n.a.t.c.hed him by the throat and s.h.i.+rt and dragged him across the terrace before hurdling him under the shade of a palm tree.

"Get a f.u.c.king clue, Mike. Get a f.u.c.king clue."

His nostrils flared. His teeth clenched. His fist wanted Mike's mouth. He took a deep breath and resolved to try again.

"Listen. I need you to cool it. This infatuation you have with my-with Deena. I need you to stop it."

"What? Why?" he rubbed his throat absentmindedly.

"Because she's with me, Mike. She-is-with-me."

"Well she certainly doesn't appear to be with anyone."

Tak hesitated, Mike's words biting like h.e.l.l.

"Just trust me. This isn't going where you think it is."

Michael shrugged, seemed to loosen his joints and stand up straighter.

"No way. You like her too, Tak? Fine. So be it. But you're not going to tell me to back off."

Mike began to pace.

"Our whole lives I've sat back and watched you and John take girl after girl that I've wanted. You're like the golden boys of the family. Everyone's favorite, anything you want, it's yours. Well, no more! I'm putting up a fight."

"Mike, you don't know what you're saying. Just listen for a minute."

"I'm tired of listening. You want her? Then do something about it. But you're not going to intimidate me. No matter how strong you are."

He stalked for the house, paused, and then turned. "We can both pursue her, Tak, and the better man will win."

Michael strode off again; head high, leaving Tak behind to stare in disbelief.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE.

"You wouldn't help me cause your brother wants her!"

Michael stormed into Kenji's room.

"What?" Kenji sat up. He was getting so confused. He just wanted to go back to Miami, where keeping this farce up was easy.

"Your brother tells me that he's interested in Deena, too. And that's fine! I just know where your allegiances are now."

Michael paused. "Just promise me you won't help him. He doesn't need help."

"Help with what?" Kenji cried.

"With her! Help pursuing her. A guy like Tak doesn't need help!"

"With her. Help pursuing her. A guy like Tak doesn't need help."

Kenji frowned. "I think you should sit down and talk to Tak about all this. He can help you understand. And keep me out of it. This is between you guys, anyway."

Mike paused. "Is he in his room?"

Kenji breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah. He should be."

Michael padded down the dark hall towards Tak's room. As he walked, he thought about what he would say. He would reason with him. Make him see that there were plenty of girls that he could have, plenty that he had had. Why not leave this one to Mike? For Tak, it was all the same anyway.

Mike raised a hand to knock on the door and froze mid-motion.

The sounds were muted, but distinct. He'd know them anywhere. He had a monstrous pay-per-view bill that could attest to his intimate knowledge of those sounds. He cracked the door slightly, praying that it didn't squeak. It didn't and he peeked in. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, the heavens blessed him. The faint spring of coils, the moaning, and then two bodies coming into focus. He could see them, and it was incredible.

She was beautiful, even from that side view-especially from that side view. Her hair curled like a waterfall, and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swayed as though they were heavy. Mike was certain they were heavy. Tak's hands were at her waist and he was guiding her, balancing her, heaving the full weight of her atop him. And she was begging for him. G.o.d, she was begging for him.

Tak and Deena. Tak and Deena. Mike bit on his fist, struggling to understand what this meant. But he could hardly think clear. Not with her before him and naked.

But what did it all mean? They'd met days ago, and yet Tak, ever the ladies man, was here making love to her.

Maybe she was one of those new age girls, free and in tune with her body, who sought s.e.xual gratification constantly and made a practice of exploring their s.e.xuality. He wondered if she'd been with a woman, or if she'd had multiple partners at once.

Mike looked down at his erection, then back and forth down the hall. Much as he wanted to, he dared not nurse it. There were about half a dozen things wrong with this situation, and him doing something about his arousal would add a dozen more. He turned his attention back to the pair.

He had to rethink his approach. Anyway, he should've known better. She was an intelligent woman and beautiful, painfully beautiful. What made him think that she would want what every other woman wanted, when she was clearly like no other woman? A woman as brilliant as this must have boundless desires and an open and progressive att.i.tude. The thought excited him. He'd approached her time and again, appealing to her intellect, her interests. But his cousin had shown him the way.