that stressed, since I’m the one who was doing all the work.” She paused and wrinkled her nose. “Um. That sounded a little bitter, didn’t it?”
Again he didn’t answer her, though a smile flickered on his mouth. He knew how much she’d put into the wedding. “Natalia’s roommate told us that they’d been having some disagreements lately.”
Kendall stared at him. “Oh. I…I…”
“She wasn’t sure what it was all about, but she mentioned a night last week when they’d all been at a party. Natalia had thought Kevin was too drunk to drive and had tried to stop him. He apparently got pretty angry. Got pretty physical.”
Her insides went cold. “What are you saying? Are you trying to say he hurt Natalia?”
He regarded her somberly.
“Jason. He would never hurt her,” she said, frowning. “Yes, Kevin sometimes drinks too much…” Her fingers curled into her palms. “But even when he was drunk, he wouldn’t hurt her.”
“You weren’t happy about this wedding.”
She stared back at him. She’d shared some of her feelings about Kevin and Natalia getting married with him. Again her mind turned over and over, until she finally spoke. “You know I thought they were both young to be getting married. I told Kevin that when they got engaged. But it was their decision and they obviously would get married whether I approved of it or not, so I really had no choice but to support them.” Her eyes widened as a thought struck her. “You’re not trying to imply that I’d do something to stop the wedding…?” She set her hand on her throat, her stomach contracting as she stared at Jason. “Jason…”
“I know you don’t really like Natalia.”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Where was he going with this? “It’s not that I dislike her,” she snapped. She and Natalia were very different, and Natalia’s insistence on a huge lavish wedding had always concerned Kendall. Just a bit. Not that that was bad. “Jason…why are you asking me these things?”
Did he seriously suspect her of doing something? Not only was that ridiculous, it…hurt. That he would think that of her. Sweet mother of hell, this was the man who’d thought they were meant to be together. Anxiety gripped her. She was screwing up. “I swear to you I have no idea what happened to her.”
“Take it easy, Kendall. Nobody has said you do.”
Shit. She was getting all defensive about nothing. Her nerves jittered, and she lifted a shaky hand to push her hair back, hoping he didn’t notice how rattled she was. “I want you to find her,” she said quietly. “Even if she’s changed her mind about getting married.” Their eyes met in a magnetic linkage. She hated to ask for help, from anyone, about anything. But… “Please, Jason. Find her. My brother loves her.”
He nodded again, and something glinted in those midnight blue eyes, a flash of compassion and understanding that had her drawing in a quivery breath. Did he believe her? Did he believe Kevin? And what had Kevin and the police talked about?
“A newspaper reporter called here asking questions about Natalia,” she said.
“What did you say to them?”
“Nothing. I told them I have no comment, but really it’s the truth. I don’t know anything I could tell them other than what everybody already knows.” She searched his face, that strong handsome face, and asked, “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“I will tell you whatever I can, when I can,” he promised, and she believed him and breathed a little easier. He stepped closer and lifted a hand to curve around the side of neck. She immediately went very still and heat curled inside her. His warm, strong fingers slid into her hair, his thumb resting just in front of her ear. Oh God. She wanted to melt into his touch. “We are working on it.”
“I know.” She gave a jerky nod. “I know, and thank you.”
“I’m holding a press conference later this afternoon.” He dropped his
Again he didn’t answer her, though a smile flickered on his mouth. He knew how much she’d put into the wedding. “Natalia’s roommate told us that they’d been having some disagreements lately.”
Kendall stared at him. “Oh. I…I…”
“She wasn’t sure what it was all about, but she mentioned a night last week when they’d all been at a party. Natalia had thought Kevin was too drunk to drive and had tried to stop him. He apparently got pretty angry. Got pretty physical.”
Her insides went cold. “What are you saying? Are you trying to say he hurt Natalia?”
He regarded her somberly.
“Jason. He would never hurt her,” she said, frowning. “Yes, Kevin sometimes drinks too much…” Her fingers curled into her palms. “But even when he was drunk, he wouldn’t hurt her.”
“You weren’t happy about this wedding.”
She stared back at him. She’d shared some of her feelings about Kevin and Natalia getting married with him. Again her mind turned over and over, until she finally spoke. “You know I thought they were both young to be getting married. I told Kevin that when they got engaged. But it was their decision and they obviously would get married whether I approved of it or not, so I really had no choice but to support them.” Her eyes widened as a thought struck her. “You’re not trying to imply that I’d do something to stop the wedding…?” She set her hand on her throat, her stomach contracting as she stared at Jason. “Jason…”
“I know you don’t really like Natalia.”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Where was he going with this? “It’s not that I dislike her,” she snapped. She and Natalia were very different, and Natalia’s insistence on a huge lavish wedding had always concerned Kendall. Just a bit. Not that that was bad. “Jason…why are you asking me these things?”
Did he seriously suspect her of doing something? Not only was that ridiculous, it…hurt. That he would think that of her. Sweet mother of hell, this was the man who’d thought they were meant to be together. Anxiety gripped her. She was screwing up. “I swear to you I have no idea what happened to her.”
“Take it easy, Kendall. Nobody has said you do.”
Shit. She was getting all defensive about nothing. Her nerves jittered, and she lifted a shaky hand to push her hair back, hoping he didn’t notice how rattled she was. “I want you to find her,” she said quietly. “Even if she’s changed her mind about getting married.” Their eyes met in a magnetic linkage. She hated to ask for help, from anyone, about anything. But… “Please, Jason. Find her. My brother loves her.”
He nodded again, and something glinted in those midnight blue eyes, a flash of compassion and understanding that had her drawing in a quivery breath. Did he believe her? Did he believe Kevin? And what had Kevin and the police talked about?
“A newspaper reporter called here asking questions about Natalia,” she said.
“What did you say to them?”
“Nothing. I told them I have no comment, but really it’s the truth. I don’t know anything I could tell them other than what everybody already knows.” She searched his face, that strong handsome face, and asked, “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“I will tell you whatever I can, when I can,” he promised, and she believed him and breathed a little easier. He stepped closer and lifted a hand to curve around the side of neck. She immediately went very still and heat curled inside her. His warm, strong fingers slid into her hair, his thumb resting just in front of her ear. Oh God. She wanted to melt into his touch. “We are working on it.”
“I know.” She gave a jerky nod. “I know, and thank you.”
“I’m holding a press conference later this afternoon.” He dropped his
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