I had been dreading coming home to an empty apartment that night. His words warmed me. But I knew he needed to stay on his strict schedule, or it could mess him up for his upcoming match. I reached for my key ring and handed over the one to my apartment’s front door. “You can stay all night if you want. I know you need to be in bed early. And I’m sorry I cost you a day of training.”
His eyes darkened, and he turned me around to face him. “One day is not going to change anything. And I would have willingly missed a week of training if that was what it took to get through to you how much you mean to me.” He took my key and pocketed it.
I kissed him long and hard, and then—because I was tempted to blow off work—I pushed away and grabbed my bag. “I have to go. See you when I get home?”
“Before then,” he promised as he walked me to the door. With one last lingering kiss, he pushed me out of my apartment, and I walked the few blocks to work.
I walked on air the entire way. As I readied Safe Haven for opening, I floated. The bouncers kept sending me knowing grins, and I couldn’t help the smile that continued to sneak up on me every time I thought of the man who had invaded my heart and soul in less than a week.
Mel arrived just before it was time to open, and some of my happy bubble evaporated.
She had sent me a cryptic text saying she’d had a nice time with Greg Daventry, but she doubted she would ever go out with him again. I hadn’t sent her a return message, wanting to talk to her face-to-face about it. But now that I had the opportunity to do just that, I didn’t want to know anything except that she was all right.
There was a kind of darkness in her green eyes that told me she wasn’t. One look at the woman who had pretty much adopted me and I pulled her into the office. As soon as the door closed behind us, I wrapped her up in a tight hug, and a sob escaped her. I let her cry it out, knowing it helped to get it all out of the way as soon as possible.
I held her for a good five minutes until the body-shuddering sobs became more gut-wrenching hiccups. Mel lifted her head and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. Her nose was running, and her lips trembled. Even though I had yet to hear what my grandfather had done to cause Mel to hurt like this, I wanted to punch him in the face.
“What happened?” I demanded, urging her to sit.
“I don’t know,” she muttered, taking the napkins I handed her and blowing her nose loudly. “One minute, we were having a good time. Laughing, getting to know each other. And then the next—I-I went off on him. I guess I was angrier with him than I realized because I let him know exactly what I thought of him.” She grimaced. “Then, after I was done yelling at him, telling him what a poor excuse for a human being I thought he was…I just left.”
Her story made me smile. “So he didn’t do anything?”
She shrugged. “No. I just couldn’t hold in how I felt about the way he had treated you all those years ago. Sure, he wasn’t the one who…who…” She sucked in a deep breath. “But he ignored you when you needed him the most. Ignored you to make money he didn’t fucking need!”
I crouched down in front of her and hugged her again. “I love you, Mel.”
“I love you too.” Her arms tightened around me convulsively. “That’s the first time you’ve ever told me that…”
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you more often from now on.”
ten
Thursdays were our warm-ups to the busy weekends. More often than not, people would come in, knowing they were going to call in sick to work the next day if they had a hangover or not, in order to get a long weekend. Mostly, it was business types that we had, but there were some blue-collars and, of course, the usual bikers, emo, and Goths.
Yes, it was an odd assortment of people under the same roof. But that was one of the reasons why we were called Safe Haven. We didn’t discriminate. All we asked was that you didn’t cause trouble.
The barstools were all taken, as were most of the tables. In the back, where the bouncers kept a close eye on things, the four pool tables were all being used. At one of the tables stood Kieran’s crew and Maddox. They were pretty good, and I had already given them a pitcher of beer on the house, which had basically caused any tension between us to disappear.
Jake had apologized, which had been an almost surreal experience for me. He’d explained that he kind of liked me, especially when I was in my Goth paint. And he had thought maybe he could push me away from Kieran if he told me I was like the others. He hadn’t realized things were moving so fast between his fighter and me. But he wanted me to know that he had been wrong, and would I please forgive him?
Of course, I had told him he stood no chance in hell, with or without Kieran. Then I told him if he ever did anything like that again, I would show him a thing or two I hadn’t shown the spar twins a few days ago. He had thrown his head back and roared with laughter, then proclaimed we were going to be the best of friends.
I was skeptical on that and let him know so with the roll of my eyes. Jake had returned to his friends and then quickly started chatting up the college girls that came in not long afterward.
While the crew and Maddox played a mean game of pool and drank their beer, I still had not seen the only man I wanted. But he’d promised to stop by tonight, and I knew he wouldn’t let me down. So I focused on mixing drinks and keeping the two obvious lovers seated at what I had come to think of as Bubba’s end of the bar from getting R-rated with their kissing and occasional groping.
Of course, that wasn’t as easy as it seemed. I turned around from setting a few whiskey sours in front of two older businessmen to find the lovers going at it nearly porn-star style. Fed up with the two, I grabbed both men by their hair and dragged them to the front door. “Until you get it out of your systems, don’t bother coming back!” I yelled after them.
They hadn’t put up much of a struggle, but still, I turned to find the crew less than a foot away when I started back to the bar. Gage and Simon just grinned and shook their heads. Mason seemed a little concerned but still smiled at me, while Jake moved forward. “You okay?”
“I’m good,” I assured him as I walked behind the bar and resumed filling drink orders. The crew went back to playing pool. Within minutes, they were laughing and shoving each other good-naturedly.
Around nine thirty, I started to get really hungry. I hadn’t stopped for my usual grilled salmon salad on the walk over because I’d been in too much of a love-induced haze to remember. The granola I had snacked on before leaving my apartment had not exactly been filling. My stomach started grumbling just as a sack was set down in front of me behind the bar.
The smells coming from inside made my stomach clench with hunger, and I glanced up to find Kieran standing just a few inches away. He had come behind the bar to greet me, and he had brought food. I threw my arms around him and kissed him.
His big, strong hands gripped my hips, holding me closer.
“Hey! Hey!” Jake’s voice called from the pool tables. “You kicked those guys out for doing just that.”
Kieran stepped back and shot his manager the finger, but he was smiling down at me. “Tossing people out already?” he teased as he reached into the sack and extracted a turkey club sandwich on honey-wheat from the deli down the street. Sweet potato fries followed. He unwrapped the sandwich and placed it on a napkin. “Eat.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I devoured half of the sandwich before I even realized it. Munching on the fries, I mixed drinks and dealt with business. Kieran Stone was taking care of me, and I was really, really enjoying it.
***
When I got home, it was nearly four. There had been a few hangers-on who had given the bouncers and me a little trouble. The cops had had to be called, and three of them had been taken to jail. Once we had given our statements, I had told the guys not to worry about cleaning up. I even skipped all my paperwork and a few other normal closing chores.
All I wanted was a hot shower and to snuggle up with Kieran.<
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As quietly as I could, I entered the apartment and went straight for the shower. I stripped and ignored the mirror as I turned on the water, knowing what I would see wouldn’t be pretty. While the water heated up, I scrubbed my face and brushed my teeth, then stepped under the powerful spray of the shower.
I couldn’t help crying out in both agony and pleasure as the water hit me. I bit my lips together, afraid I would wake Kieran if I kept making loud, moaning noises. It took me longer than normal to get clean, but when I was finally done, I pulled on my flannel pajama top and clean underwear before climbing into bed with the beast of a man already under my covers.
He had been snoring softly until I put my head on his chest and my arm across his hard abdomen. “Reese.” He brushed a kiss across the top of my head.
I smiled despite the pain I was in and raised my face to meet his lips. “Go back to sleep. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
With a yawn, he pulled me closer, unaware he was putting me in excruciating agony. But I just wrapped my arms around him tighter and held on until he drifted back to sleep. It was some time before I could follow…
“I have to go, baby.” Kieran’s deep, sexy voice murmured at my ear as he extracted himself from my hold.
Caught off guard, I cried out as he brushed against my side. The light on my bedside table snapped on instantly. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, concern darkening his tone.
“Nothing.” I pulled the covers back over me, trying to hide away from him.
The blanket was stripped from me, and he started running his hands over me. “Something’s wrong. You’re hurt.” His long fingers skimmed over my right side, and I barely held in my whimper. He froze, saw the tears of pure agony in my eyes and then pulled up the flannel top.
A fierce curse escaped him as he took in the discoloration that stretched up most of my side and went around to my back. “What the hell happened, Reese?”
I sighed. “There was some trouble when we went to close up. A group of guys didn’t want to go. They were overly drunk, and I hadn’t noticed they’d had one too many. They struggled when the bouncers and I tried to get them to leave. One of them caught me with a chair. It broke—”
“Jesus Christ!” He looked a little green at the nearly black bruises marring my skin. “You need a doctor. You could have broken ribs.”
“I don’t. The cops called the paramedics, and they checked me over. I’m going to be fine, just sore for a few days.” He raked his hands through his hair, and I knew he was more disturbed than I had first realized. “Really, Kieran. I’m fine.”
His jaw clenched. “You could have been hurt worse, damn it.”
“Please don’t worry about me.” I captured his hand and brought it to my lips. “Come here. Kiss me.”
His kiss was so tender, as if I were a delicate piece of crystal. I didn’t want him thinking I was easily broken, because I had never been that type of girl. I thrust my fingers into his hair and pulled him down across me, ignoring the throbbing in my side as I devoured his mouth.
Soon, I was flat on my back, my panties were gone, and Kieran was deep inside of me. I didn’t let any of the pain I was in ruin the pleasure he made me feel, but he was so careful with me, his gentleness at odds with his size and strength. When I came apart, he went with me. “Reese!” he cried as he took my mouth in a kiss that left us both gasping for breath.
He was late leaving, but he was grinning nonetheless.
***
When last call came that night, the spar twins were seated at the bar. I sighed, feeling like Kieran was making his crew babysit me. But I didn’t say a word to him when I got home. Instead, he made love to me until I was weak and barely able to lift my head.
Saturday night, Jake and Mason were the ones sitting at the bar waiting on the place to empty out. I wanted nothing more than to go home and have it out with Kieran. He couldn’t keep doing this. I had managed just fine before he came along. The mishap two nights before hadn’t been the first time I had been hurt while dealing with a drunk. But like the night before, Kieran attacked me with pleasure as soon as I stepped out of the shower.
Hours later, as I lay in bed after he went out for his morning workout, I realized maybe I didn’t want to argue with him all that much. It felt nice having Kieran care so much about my safety and well-being.
eleven
The week seemed to be flying by.
I was busy at work. It seemed there were a lot of people who had come to town to watch Kieran Stone’s big MMA cage fight, so there were more newbies than regulars frequenting the bar Thursday and Friday. I was glad for the distractions at work. Otherwise, I think I might have lost my mind with stress and nerves.
Kieran’s father attended every one of his fights, and Kieran wanted me to meet him the night before this one. I took Saturday night off—or rather, Mel forced me to take it off. She came in to cover for me and asked one of the other bouncers to come in to help out mixing drinks.
Which was why I suddenly found myself in desperate need of a dinner dress.
As soon as I got out of bed Saturday, I went shopping. It had been five years since I’d needed a pretty dress. I looked for three hours, trying on style after style, hating everything I came across. Nothing suited me, not the me I had become. I wanted black lace and skulls on my dress. But that wasn’t going to make a good impression on the father of the man I loved.
In the end, I picked a simple little black dress. Of course, I had to shop for shoes too because all I had were biker boots and sneakers, neither of which would have gone with the dress. Black heels were what I had planned on, but when I saw them, I had to get them.
A pair of blood-red, spike-heeled pumps that just screamed at me to buy them. True, they weren’t exactly conventional, and they cost way more than I was originally expecting to pay. But there was no way I wasn’t getting those shoes!
At six minutes after eight, I walked into one of Phoenix’s most prestigious restaurants. There was a line of people waiting to be seated, but there was no sign of Kieran. Squeezing through the crowd, I felt a little exposed with my makeup down to a bare minimum of just a rosy pink gloss, eye shadow, and mascara. I had actually thought about showing up in full Goth makeup—for about a minute.
But I wanted Kyle Stone to like me. And even though I would have been more comfortable hiding from this crowd behind my mask, I wanted Kieran’s father to see the me that was underneath.
The maître de was a short, thin man with assessing dark eyes, and he greeted me with a smile as I finally came to stand before him. “May I help you, miss?”
I gave him a tight smile in return. “I think my party might already be here. Stone?”
His eyes brightened. “Ah, yes. You would be Miss Graves?” I nodded. “They are right inside. Would you like for me to escort you?”
I shook my head. “Thank you, no. Mr. Stone is hard to miss.” With another smile, I entered the dining room, ignoring the male eyes I could feel behind me, following my every step.
The place was beautiful, and it brought back memories of eating out at places just as extravagant and glamorous back in New York. Most weekends, my mother liked to go out. To be seen with and by others who were regular stars on the front pages of gossip magazines. I had hated those dinners out.
I was halfway across the dining room when I spotted Kieran. He was laughing with a man who had the same dark blond hair and wide shoulders as he did. But the older man had his back to me, and I couldn’t tell what he looked like.
As I neared, Kieran saw me and stood to embrace me. His hands tightened around my waist for a moment, and he bent his head to brush his lips across the shell of my ear. “God! You are so damned beautiful,” he breathed before he lifted his handsome head.
I grinned, for a moment, my nerves forgotten. That was what I had been going for when I had dressed for the night. I’d wanted that exact reaction from him. “So, you like the dress?”
He stepped back enough to give me
a quick once-over. “The dress. What’s in the dress.” He winked. “I love it all.”
A throat was cleared behind Kieran, and he turned to introduce me. “Dad, this is Reese. The mother of your future grandchildren.”
I jerked at his words. Had he really just said that? Was he crazy?
Kyle only chuckled. “Wow, you just about gave the girl an aneurysm, son.”
Kieran lowered his head and brushed a quick kiss across my lips. “Nah. She knows what she means to me.” Another kiss on my nose and then he was pulling me forward. “Reese, this is my father.”
Fingers trembling, I put my hand in the older, albeit leaner, version of Kieran. His grip was warm, and when his fingers wrapped around mine, he gave me a reassuring squeeze. “We Stone men know as soon as we meet the right girl. Kieran’s mother and I knew we were going to spend the rest of our lives together from the time our eyes locked across a crowded quad back in college.”
“Really?”
His smile was just as warm as his hand. “Of course! We didn’t even know the other’s name, but for me—and later, I found out, for her too—in that instant, our souls recognized each other as their other half.” As he spoke, his eyes brightened even more, and I knew without having spent more than five minutes with this man that his wife was his best friend, his other half.
And that was how I felt about Kieran.
***
“So what did you really think about my father?”
We were lying in each other’s arms in my bed. Sweat was still beaded on Kieran’s skin, and mine wasn’t much better. Our lovemaking had been fierce, Kieran taking no time to get me out of my new dress—and leaving my red heels on. Which I now toed off and kicked across the bedroom.
I lifted my head to find him looking down at me intently. “He was amazing. You’ve told me over and over again how your childhood was, but I guess I didn’t really believe you until tonight. You have a wonderful father, Kieran. And that he supports you and your brother and sisters in whatever you choose to do with your lives, that puts him in father of the year category.” We shared a grin. “I like him.”
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