“Ah, Kim,” he murmured.
“What?” She flipped her hair and pinned him with a challenging glare.
“You look so incredibly beautiful.”
Kim’s anger leaked out quicker than a popped balloon. He looked amazing in a fitted blue t-shirt and gray amphibian shorts. His strong legs and arms were on fine display, and the appreciation in his eyes both softened his handsome face and made him even more appealing. She tried to remember why she was angry. The song. He’d been singing the song he used to sing to her.
“I … you …” Kim cleared her throat and ignored the way he seemed to lean toward her and cling to her every word, as if she could make or break him. “Please don’t sing that song,” she finally managed to get out.
“What … oh.” Understanding lit his blue gaze. “I sing it so often I didn’t realize I was.”
Kim blinked at him with no idea how to respond to that. He sang her song so often he didn’t realize he was singing it? That was sweet … maybe. How did you not realize you were singing a song, especially one with the significance of that one? Maybe he sang it to various brown-eyed girls so it meant nothing to him any longer, other than being a way to snag another girl.
She couldn’t face the questions or his answers right now, so she changed the subject. “Thanks for making breakfast.” She usually only made pancakes and eggs on Sundays. It felt … off to have them today, but that was probably just because her body was used to oatmeal after her waterfall workout.
“Sure.” He finally turned from her, giving the eggs one final stir and sprinkling shredded cheese on them. He poured on another set of pancakes and gestured to the table. “Sit. It’s almost ready.”
She slowly walked over and perched on the edge of a chair while he bustled around bringing food to the table. The table was already set and had juice, milk, butter, and syrup on it. It was weird to have someone serving her in her house. It was completely insane that that someone was Colt Quinn.
He sat and smiled at her. “Would you like me to offer the prayer?”
“Sure.” She closed her eyes to stop staring at him. His prayer was short, but heartfelt. How could a man who had cheated on her and was with multiple women a week have an obviously strong relationship with their Father above? It bothered her enough she wanted to ask, but someone’s personal relationship with the good Lord was none of her business.
They dished up food and started eating in silence. Kim thought they should probably talk about security stuff but she asked instead, “How’s your family?”
Colt swallowed a bite and took a sip of juice. “Really great. Everybody’s happily married, or close to it. Mama is thrilled.”
Kim studied him. His mama doted on him and Mack the most, and she had adored Kim. She thought the no-nonsense lady would probably have a lot to say about the way Colt lived now. “I saw that talk show where Jessie featured Mack and Sariah, and then Griff came on the show and claimed Scarlett Lily like some romance hero.”
Colt smiled. “Very romantic, right?”
“It was sweet,” she admitted. How would it be to know you were the only woman a Quinn man could see? Kim had thought once she fit in that category. Not anymore. Her cheeks burned, and she muttered, “Even Navy’s found someone?” before taking a sip of juice.
“Holden.”
The juice went down the wrong pipe. Kim coughed and sprayed orange juice across the table. The acidic juice burned her throat, and the embarrassment burned her face. She grabbed her napkin and tried to blot at the juice on Colt’s face. Colt chuckled as he used his own napkin and then wiped up some of the mess.
“I’m sorry,” Kim muttered. “Your food’s ruined.”
Colt swirled some pancake on his plate then put a bite in his mouth. “Orange flavored. I like it.”
“Gross. I just spit on your food.”
Colt grinned. “Your spit would never bother me.”
Kim rolled her eyes and pushed her own plate away. Her stomach was too unsettled to eat now anyway. “Holden and Navy got together?” She knew they worked together, but they’d fallen in love?
Colt nodded. His blue gaze went serious. She remembered what he’d said about not knowing Holden was her cousin. She wasn’t sure how he thought that made him innocent of cheating on her, and she didn’t want to get into it, but she had to know what was going on with Holden and Navy.
“When?” she asked.
“Last week.”
“Wow.” She’d gotten lost in her painting project, and there had been a bad storm last week. She hadn’t checked anything on United States media for a while, but she was surprised Holden hadn’t called her.
“They’re very happy.”
“Good for them.”
She’d always liked Navy. She liked all of Colt’s family. Navy and Holden would make a very powerful and very beautiful couple.
“It is good for them.” Colt leaned across the table and put his hand over hers. “Kim …” his voice deepened. “I need to talk to you about everything that happened with Holden and that night.”
Kim ripped her hand back and stood, grabbing her plate and the syrup bottle. “I’ll just get everything cleaned up, and then we can talk about possible stalker suspects.”
Colt let out a low growl of obvious frustration. Kim ignored him and hurried to the sink, setting her half-eaten plate in it and the syrup on the counter. Colt came up right behind her. The heat from his body made her stomach swirl with anticipation. He put his hands on either side of the sink, trapping her there. Kim stayed stubbornly facing away from him, praying desperately for sanity and safety from him.
Colt leaned down to her left side, his lips brushed her ear lobe and she unconsciously leaned closer. “Kim, please give me a chance to explain.”
Kim whirled and pushed at him. He didn’t budge and he was much too close. “No.” She shook her head. “I told you last night: you keep this professional or I’ll ask for someone else to protect me.”
Colt stared down at her, his blue eyes filled with frustration. “You won’t even listen to my side?”
Kim was surrounded by his arms and his scent, and he was so appealing to her, but she’d been in pain for five long, lonely years because of this man. She didn’t owe him anything, especially not the chance to explain. She shook her head decisively. “Can we please focus on finding my stalker? Leave the past in the past.”
Colt’s gaze traveled over her face. He leaned closer, and his chest brushed her shoulder. “I don’t know if I can do that,” he murmured low and far too appealing for her weakened state.
Kim’s heart was thundering in her throat, and she didn’t know how she was going to escape. She thought of a way to goad him into leaving her alone about their past. “Did you used to love me?”
Colt lifted his hand and gently trailed his knuckles along her jaw. His blue gaze was full of tenderness as he leaned down and whispered, “Used to? I’ve never stopped loving you, Kim.”
Kim was gasping for air, and her entire body was burning for him. She’d never stopped loving him either, but no matter how beautifully he’d said that, how beautiful he was to her, she had seen the proof that he’d moved on, time and again.
“I don’t appreciate you lying,” she snapped at him.
“Lying?” His eyes filled with hurt. “You have to see how much I love you. It’s got to be written all over my face.”
It was, but she thought Colt was probably a better actor than she’d ever been. “You know what I’ve seen, Colt?” She folded her arms across her chest to protect herself. “I’ve seen you over the years with woman after woman after woman.” She arched her eyebrows. “That just shouts fidelity and love to me.”
Colt finally leaned back and pushed out a long breath. “Those women meant nothing to me, Kim. I dated to try to find someone else because I was so miserable without you and thought maybe there was another woman like you out there for me. I was wrong. There’s no one for me but you.”
Kim held up a
hand. “Don’t. If you care for me at all don’t go there. All that’s available for me on this path is more pain.”
Colt leaned in again. “You and I can take all the pain away. Just being with you. That’s all I need.”
Kim was so close to falling and she knew she had to kiss him or run. She forced herself to duck under his arm and hurry across the kitchen. She whirled to face him. “I’m done with your lies! Stop asking me to be with you and stop trying to explain.” She sprinted for the staircase and up the stairs, slamming into her room. Grabbing her phone, she pushed call back on River’s name and willed her heart to slow down.
“Kim?” Colt was on the other side of the door.
She ignored him and listened to the phone ring.
“Duncan,” River said.
“River! You’ve got to find somebody else. I can’t do this with Colt. Please.”
“Do what exactly?” River asked.
The door opened and Colt stood there. He didn’t come into the room, but he stood on the threshold, begging her with his eyes to not get him reassigned.
“He’s driving me crazy,” Kim muttered, staring right at Colt. “Trying to bring up our past, trying to get me to forgive him for cheating.” Kim probably sounded like a whiny little girl to River, but she really didn’t care right now. She couldn’t do this for one more second.
“I’ll stop,” Colt said.
She pulled the phone away from her ear and demanded, “What?”
“I’ll stop trying to explain, trying to get you to forgive me, just please don’t send me away, Kim. Please.”
Kim studied him. He appeared sincere. He appeared incredible. “This is just too hard with me and you. Way too hard.”
Colt nodded. “I understand, and I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through, what I’m still putting you through. Please don’t send me away.”
“You’ll stop trying to get me to talk about us?”
He nodded.
“You’ll stop giving me all these appealing looks?”
He arched an eyebrow. “I’ve been giving you appealing looks?”
“Yes or no, Colt?”
He finally nodded.
“You’ll stop touching me?”
Colt stared at her half a beat. Finally he said, “I’m supposed to pretend to be your boyfriend in public, so I’ll have to touch you then.”
“But in private you’ll keep your distance?”
He appeared to be in turmoil but finally he said, “Yes.”
Kim stared at him, and then put the phone back to her ear.
“Kim? You there?”
“Yes. Sorry, River. Colt has agreed to lay off on the romance crap.”
Colt gave her a sad smile. It lacked its usual charm but was even harder for her to resist. She really liked him humble.
“So you two are good?”
“For now.”
“He hasn’t set a list of suspects over to the crew,” River said.
“We haven’t talked about it yet.”
“Can you do that now?”
“Yes, sir, as long as Colt keeps his distance.”
River chuckled. “All right, I’ll be in touch.”
Kim set the phone down and stared at Colt. He smiled sadly and gestured out of the bedroom. “How about we clean up breakfast then compile that list?”
“Sounds good.” She took a cleansing breath. She could do this—be around Colt and stay strong and detached. As long as he didn’t look at her, touch her, or talk about anything but her case. One glance at him and she knew strong and detached would be tougher than ditching her life and family in America had been.
Chapter 6
Colt sat across from Kim at the kitchen table, typing into his laptop. Two of Sutton’s men had come by and swept for bugs. Kim’s house was clear which seemed to relax her, but she’d acted as if the most reassuring thing was him promising not to dredge up their past, give her appealing looks, whatever that meant, or touch her. How was he going to get through this assignment without touching her? And he didn’t even know what looks she was talking about, so hopefully he wouldn’t make her flip out at some point with how he stared at her. He’d thought this would be his chance to reconnect with Kim, but that dream was as far off target as it had ever been. But he knew he had to stay with her and protect her. He’d keep praying, and maybe the Lord would gift him with the miracle of Kim’s heart softening.
“I sent John Graham’s name off to Sutton before I started cooking breakfast,” he said, sneaking a glance at her gorgeous face. She appeared impassive as she stared back, except for a twitch in her cheek. He hated that he was making her uncomfortable, but he couldn’t stand to be away from her and wasn’t letting himself get reassigned no matter what.
“Did he find anything?”
“Yeah.” He read off the email. “John Graham is a former Air Force Captain, flew B-2’s, highly decorated. After he retired he got divorced and moved down here. Two adult daughters that he has very little contact with.”
“That’s sad.”
Colt shrugged. John appeared on the up and up, probably just lonely, but his military background made him suspect to Colt because he had the knowledge and connections to easily pull off what Kim’s stalker had done. Colt wasn’t letting Kim anywhere near him or his mangy dog.
“So how long has he been here?” she asked.
He read through some more. “Eight years.”
“So there’s no way he’s the stalker.” She appeared relieved. Did she have feelings for the older guy?
“I’m not ruling him out.”
Kim arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment.
“Any other neighbors you have a relationship with?” His voice shouldn’t have pitched on relationship, but the thought of Kim having a relationship with another man made him wish he hadn’t eaten breakfast. He claimed he’d tried to move on after he saw Kim and Holden together that fateful night. He pretended he’d tried to find someone else by dating a new woman each week, but if he was truthful, he’d shut his heart off when he thought Kim cheated on him. He’d become cold and detached. Nobody and nothing touched him. His defenses were flirtation and joking, pretending to flit from woman to woman without truly giving anyone a chance to hurt him again. Now his heart was wide open, and she was trampling it. He knew he deserved it for reacting so horribly in that restaurant five years ago, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.
“No.” She shook her head, and the tension in his shoulders lightened.
“Ricki and Frazier from the waterfall.” He tried to stay focused. “How well do you know them?”
“I say hi to them every morning.” She lifted her hands. “I bought a lifetime pass so I never have to stop at the gate and they come early to give me time alone at the waterfall.”
“You don’t know their last names?”
She shook her head.
“They seemed to know you pretty well.” That ugly jealousy was rearing up again.
Kim rolled her eyes. “Just because someone is friendly to me doesn’t mean they’re my stalker.” She pinned him with a glower. “Or that I’m dating them.”
“Who have you dated the past five years?” He poised his hands over the keyboard as if it was simply a question for the case.
Kim pushed out a breath. “Nobody. Not that it’s any of your business.”
Colt’s gaze flew to hers, and his heart thumped lighter and happier. “Really? Nobody?”
Kim gave him a flip of the hair, as if she was a sassy teenager on one of her Disney Channel shows. “Just because you’re a playboy doesn’t mean I lowered myself to that standard.”
That hurt, but what could he say? He had acted like the playboy, dating different girls every weekend. What would she say if she knew he rarely kissed any of those girls, and the times he had given one of them a kiss it had meant nothing, he’d felt nothing. That’s how deeply he’d always loved her, even when he believed for the past five years that she’d cheated on him. He’d promised
not to try to explain to her so he didn’t, but he couldn’t resist asking one more time, “Nobody?”
Kim folded her arms across her chest. “Nobody, okay? You don’t have to rub it in.”
“I … wasn’t trying to. Just, you know.” He pointed at the computer. “For the case.”
“Believable excuse, Colt.”
“Wasn’t it?” He smiled and winked at her. Nobody. She’d dated nobody. He was so happy right now.
Kim’s gaze narrowed. “You promised none of those appealing looks.”
Colt swallowed hard, fully prepared for her to dial River up again. “I’m sorry. Um, honestly I’m not sure at what moments I do those looks. If you point them out, I’ll try to stop.”
She gave an annoyed grunt. “Honestly? You’re completely oblivious to how appealing you are?” Her eyes widened as she finished the sentence.
Colt almost reached across for her hand, but he clenched his hands together instead. It was a small victory, but she had said he was appealing. He cleared his throat and said, “I’m not trying to yank you in with some look, Kim.” He wouldn’t complain if he did, but he wasn’t scripting smoldering glances or something.
“You give women those looks so often you don’t even realize you’re doing it anymore.” Kim’s voice was full of disgust.
Maybe she was right. He’d always had women chasing him. Maybe he was one of those schmoozers who stared all lamely into a woman’s eyes, and they fell for him. He didn’t like to think of himself like that, but he didn’t know how to refute her. More than likely it was just his longing for her that was shining through, but she didn’t want to hear about that.
“Do you have other questions for me that pertain to the case?” She asked with a roll of her eyes. “Or can I go paint? You’re throwing me off schedule.”
“Can you think of anyone else you associate with?” he asked, to keep her here and because he should’ve sent this info to River yesterday.
“Well, there’s Rita down at the gallery in town. She sells my paintings. Plus, I have my art in galleries at Playa Hermosa and Tamarindo. Joe’s the owner of the gallery in Hermosa and Alberto in Tamarindo.”
Quinn Family Romance Collection Page 72