9781631052347OnCallKenyan by M. O. Kenyan

laugh.
    “Is
that a problem?” Reno looked at AJ over the rim of his glass, hoping it would
hide how absurd he thought AJ’s problem was. AJ shot him a look of disbelief
that urged Reno to say something else, something useful. “Maybe she just wants
to move past that awkward phase of your relationship. Try it, if it doesn’t
work out, at least you would have had some fun.”
    “I
don’t want fun. She’s different. I don’t know why or how, but she just is.” AJ
shook his head in disbelief. What exactly did he want? His tone low, barely a
whisper, afraid that the world would hear him, afraid that he would hear. “I
want what you have with Lisette, what Dad and Mama have. I want someone to call
me every ten minutes, just to tell me they love me, or to check on me. I don’t
want to sleep alone, or with so many different faces. I just want one body next
to me, the same smile to greet me each morning for the rest of my life.”
    “AJ,
are you saying that you want a happily-ever–after?” Reno mocked him.
    “The
reason you can laugh is you already have what you want.” AJ looked down at his
buzzing phone and saw a number he didn’t recognize. He let it ring, sure that
the person on the other end was a woman whom he didn’t want to talk to. He was
going to ignore the phone once more when Reno picked it up.
    “Hallo?
What?” Reno’s puzzled face drew him in. “AJ, it’s for you. It’s Katherine
Henry.

 
     
     
    Chapter
Four
     
     
    “Katherine Henry, I never thought—”
    AJ was
silenced by a kiss. The pressure of Katherine’s fingers into his biceps
confused him more. He took a step back as she pushed him into his apartment.
“What?”
    “Sweetheart,”
Katherine chirped. “This is my brother Christian. Christopher and Duke couldn’t
come. I see your sisters aren’t here. Just as well. You can put my bags down
here Christian. AJ will take them into our room for me.”
    AJ
looked up and for the first time noticed the gigantic blond, blue-eyed man
behind Katherine. He studied both of them, and the resemblance was staggering.
He also recognized him from the bonfire he’d met Katherine at.
    “You
are Katherine’s boyfriend.” AJ took the hand stretched out to him. “I am
Christian Henry, the last born. Christopher has class and Duke has work. I’m
afraid you will just have to settle for me.”
    “That’s…that’s
fine.” AJ followed him as Christian walked into the large apartment and set
Katherine’s bags next to his couch. “Suitcases. Why—”
    “We can
move them in later on,” Katherine blabbered on. She walked over to her brother
and took his arm. Quickly and not subtly, she hurried him out of the door.
Christian could barely get out a goodbye when the door shut in his face.
    “What’s
going on?” AJ finally asked after a few minutes of strained silence.
    “Not
now, please. I need to be at work in two hours. I didn’t get any sleep before
my father tossed me out. Bedroom?”
    “First
door on the right,” he mumbled.
    “I just
need two hours of uninterrupted sleep. We can talk about me moving in after our
shift.”
    “But—”
AJ’s protests was met by a slight click as the door shut behind Katherine. He
fell onto the couch, his head resting in his palms, shocked into silence.
    AJ
sneaked out of the house the next morning. What exactly was he supposed to say
to his fake girlfriend, his new roommate he couldn’t have sex with, but wanted
to? AJ sighed and rubbed his temple. He could feel a migraine coming on and its
name was Katherine Henry. His phone buzzed and it was his little sister. Maybe
she could offer some comic relief.
    “Hey,
Piggy.” AJ answered his phone as his eyes searched around the room for
Katherine’s sandy blonde hair. “Sure, whatever you want sweetheart,” he
answered absent mindedly. When he saw Katherine’s loose pony tail, he ended the
conversation with his sister, not really knowing what he had committed to.
    He
pushed his way through the