All I Need is You

by M. Malone

  She turned from the mirror, disgusted with her own indecision. It wasn’t that she was nervous. Well, not that much. Ridley, Raina, and Mara would all be there. How bad could it be? It would be a low-key, no-pressure kind of date. Just dinner with a bunch of mutual friends was no big deal.

  Although Kay had a feeling Eli wouldn’t see it that way.

  That afternoon, Tank had come to stay with her while Eli took care of something. Whatever he’d been doing must have really thrown him for a loop because he’d been distracted and distant ever since. She’d told him they were having a girl’s night out and he hadn’t questioned it, but she knew his distraction was only a temporary thing. Once he got past whatever he was brooding about, he’d start asking his usual questions.

  Kay couldn’t even begin to guess what he’d do when he realized their girl’s night out was really just an excuse for the girls to fix her up.

  Eli appeared in the doorway. “Are you ready to go yet?” He’d been waiting for her to finish dressing for the past half hour, but he seemed to have run out of patience.

  “Almost. I just need to fix my hair.” Kay avoided his eyes as she rushed into the bathroom. Curly black ringlets stuck out in every direction, so she pulled them into a high ponytail and fastened down any strays with pins. That would have to do.

  “You look really nice,” Eli commented when she rushed past him again. “Aren’t we just hanging out with Ridley?”

  Kay busied herself filling up Hope’s diaper bag with the essentials. “Yeah, but it’s been a while since I’ve gone out. Nick’s got a new project, so we’ve been really busy working on that, plus I’ve been recording late with Jackson.” Guilt kept her from looking him in the eye. “Your brothers have been keeping me busy!”

  Eli chuckled. “You want me to beat them up for you?”

  She tried not to stare, but it was hard not to be entranced by the rare appearance of his smile. It was still a novelty to see this side of Eli. He didn’t joke around that often, so it was always a pleasant surprise when she could coax a laugh out of him.

  “That won’t be necessary. I’m kind of attached to them by now.”

  She grabbed the last of what she needed, then allowed Eli to take the bag from her so she could pick up Hope from her crib. A few minutes later, they were on their way.

  Kay glanced over at Eli several times during the drive. He was in a strange mood, and she debated whether she should tell him to turn the car around and go home. But before she could make up her mind, they were pulling into the long drive of the Alexander farm. Just as she opened her door to step out of the truck, the front door opened and Julia Alexander came down the steps.

  “There you are,” Julia exclaimed. She held out wide-open arms for Kay. The red-and-white checked apron she wore was dotted with flour, and she carried the scent of warmth and sugar. After a round of hugs, Julia took the car seat from Eli and started back toward the house.

  “I’m so happy to hear the girls found a nice young man to set you up with. And you look so nice, honey. I’m sure you’ll knock him off his feet.” Julia winked at them before starting up the steps.

  “What is she talking about?” Eli narrowed his eyes as he looked at her outfit again, clearly seeing the clothes she’d agonized over and the makeup she’d worn in a new light.

  “It’s nothing. The girls just have someone they want me to meet.”

  Eli glared at her, but before he could say anything, Mara appeared in the doorway.

  “Kay’s here,” she announced over her shoulder. “Now we can go. Hi, Eli. We’ll have her back in a few hours.”

  “I know you will because I’m coming with you.”

  Mara stopped in her tracks. “You’re coming with us?”

  Ridley and Raina appeared in the doorway behind her. “Who’s going where?” Raina asked, looking between Mara and Eli with confusion.

  A slow smile spread across Eli’s face. It was so unexpected, such an incongruous expression, that it took them all off guard. “I’m going with you. Wherever Kay goes, I go. Bodyguard, remember?”

  Mara nodded slowly. “Of course. Right. I forgot.”

  “I bet you did,” Eli muttered. Kay covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle her laughter, and Eli turned his glare her direction before asking Mara, “So, what’s on the agenda tonight?”

  “Let’s go, everybody!” Ignoring his question, Mara headed down the driveway toward her car. Ridley and Raina followed, sending worried glances over their shoulder at Kaylee.

  Eli grabbed her elbow and towed her back toward his truck. “Where are we going?”

  “The Rush. Eli, maybe we should—”

  “Buckle your seatbelt.” Eli helped her into the passenger side, then slammed the door. Kay shivered as he rounded the car and climbed up into the driver’s side. She was going on a date. And the man she’d been crushing on for the past year would be there as a spectator. And he was armed.

  Yikes.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE RUSH WAS a small diner that had been in operation since the 1950s. Bright colors and waitresses on roller skates would have fit the atmosphere, but instead it was a plain white facade with a cherry-red awning. All the tables and chairs were a faded beige Formica that easily had fifty years of grease baked on.

  Kay inhaled the familiar aroma of hamburgers and the sweet scent of milkshakes as they piled into a booth in the back corner of the restaurant. Mara’s friend, Daniel, arrived several minutes later, sliding into the booth right across from Kay.

  “Hi, everybody. Sorry I’m late.” He smiled hello to everyone, making eye contact with Kay, including her in the greeting. His dark hair was cropped close on the side and stood up in disarray on the top, like he was far too busy to bother brushing it, and his brown eyes crinkled charmingly when he smiled.

  She sat up a little straighter and smoothed her hair self-consciously. It had been an act of peer pressure that she’d agreed to do this, but in all of her mental preparation, she hadn’t considered that the guy might actually be cute.

  Mara caught her eye and winked.

  “So, how have things been going? I haven’t seen you since one of your clients sued one of our clients. Danny is a lawyer,” Mara added dramatically.

  Beside her, Eli groaned under his breath.

  “Really? That must be challenging. What kind of law do you practice?” Kay leaned back when the waitress appeared to bring their water and take their orders.

  Everyone except Eli ordered the special, the house burger and fries. Mara ordered a plate of cheese fries with her meal. Kay really wanted to order some too but figured chowing down on several plates of food was probably bad date etiquette. She could only hope she wasn’t doing anything else wrong. She was so hopelessly out of practice with the whole man-woman flirting thing.

  As soon as the waitress left, Danny said, “Disability.”

  “Huh?” Kay took a sip of her water as she tried to remember what they’d been talking about before.

  Eli leaned over and whispered, “Disability. I think he’s an ambulance chaser.”

  Kay spluttered, the water going down her throat the wrong way as Eli’s loud whisper carried across the table.

  “Actually, Danny works on disability cases for people who have been denied coverage by their insurance companies.” Mara shot Eli a death glare.

  To his credit, Danny didn’t show any reaction. “It’s true. Although I wouldn’t have turned my nose up at ambulance chasing a few years ago. I had law-school loans bigger than the national debt.”

  The tension around the table went down a notch as they all laughed. Kay smiled at him gratefully.

  “So, is this your brother?” Danny gestured to Eli. Kay slapped a hand against Eli’s chest before he could say anything.

  “Oh they’re no relation. He’s actually our brother-in-law,” Ridley said.

  Danny didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. “So, Mara tells me you’re a singer. I couldn’t carry a tune even i
f I strapped it to my back, so I think that’s pretty amazing.”

  Kay had gotten used to answering questions and being interviewed more over the past year. She’d never love it, but it had definitely gotten easier.

  “I’m really lucky. I used to sing as part of a group, but now I’m going solo. My album should be out in a few months. We’re halfway finished recording.”

  Danny looked impressed. “Wow, congratulations.”

  “You should go visit her at the studio,” Mara piped up. There was a round of agreement from Ridley and Raina.

  “Can I? That would be really cool.”

  Kay shrugged. It was hard to believe he was really interested in coming to watch her work, but he seemed completely earnest. Plus, he hadn’t seemed disappointed when he saw what she looked like. As far as blind dates went, they were probably already doing better than average.

  “I guess so.”

  Next to her, Eli tensed and then slid out of the booth. “I think I’m going to order something to eat as well. I’d better go find the waitress. Do you guys want anything else?”

  Kay shook her head then said, “Well, maybe some coffee.”

  Danny looked up. “Coffee sounds perfect. I’ll have one, too.”

  Although he’d offered, Eli looked like he was chewing nails as he asked, “Sugar or creamer?”

  “No, I don’t take anything in it.”

  “Interesting. I would have pegged you as a low-fat, half-caf, soy-only guy.” Eli walked off and left them all staring after him.

  After a few awkward moments, Kay finally said, “I am so sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay.” Danny leaned forward, his eyes amused. “I’m not the easily offended type.”

  “I can tell.” In his place, she doubted she would be so calm. He’d been invited here to meet her and Eli had been treating him with disdain the entire time. His laid-back nature was definitely attractive. She smiled at him. “You should definitely come and watch me record something. It’ll be fun.”

  “I would love to. But are you sure your boyfriend won’t mind?”

  “He’s not her boyfriend. He’s her bodyguard.” Ridley gave Kay a sympathetic look. “Singers have weirdo fans sometimes. He’s just here as a precaution.”

  Kay sighed. “He’s just a little overprotective. We’re friends. He doesn’t want me to get hurt. That’s all.”

  A coffee cup clattered on the table in front of her. Eli set down the second one in front of Danny, spilling a few drops over the edge. “We’re not exactly friends. Friends don’t normally see each other naked.”

  Everyone at the table stopped moving and the diners at the next table looked over. Kay sucked in a shocked breath as heat flooded her cheeks.

  Finally Danny stood and asked the closest waitress, “Where’s the bathroom?”

  After he was gone, Kay turned to Eli and punched him as hard as she could in the arm. “Ow, damn it.” She held her sore hand close to her chest. She was raging mad, and now she couldn’t even concentrate on her anger because she’d almost broken her hand on Eli’s freakishly big biceps.

  “Let me see it.” Eli tugged until she allowed him to examine her hand, spreading the fingers and then closing them back into a fist. “Don’t do that again, you could seriously hurt yourself.”

  “Ugh, you are awful. Let me out.”

  Eli moved out of the booth. “Where are you going?”

  Kay turned to Mara. “I am so sorry. Please tell your friend it was great meeting him.”

  Then she ran out of the restaurant.

  ELI GLANCED OVER at Kay, who was silently glaring out the window as he drove them home. The tension in the air was a tangible force. He gripped the steering wheel, the memory of how he’d behaved eating away at him. He hated it when she was mad at him. Something about it just tugged at his conscience. She was softhearted, so he knew if he apologized she wouldn’t hold a grudge.

  But he just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t pretend he was sorry for something he knew he’d do all over again in a heartbeat.

  As soon as they pulled into his parents’ driveway, Kay had her seatbelt off and was halfway out of the car. Eli trailed behind, waiting on the sidewalk while she rang the bell. His mother gave him a curious glance when she opened the door. He shook his head slightly so she wouldn’t ask any questions. His best bet was to get Kay in private before she blew up at him.

  “Thank you again, Mrs. Alexander. I really appreciate it.” Kay carried Hope’s car seat in one hand and the diaper bag in the other.

  Eli reached out to take the diaper bag from her and was left hanging as she brushed past him angrily. His mom narrowed her eyes. Eli waved and rushed back to his truck. He was already due for a tongue-lashing from one irate female tonight; he didn’t need to add to the pain.

  As soon as they got back to Kay’s apartment, Eli keyed in the security code and quickly looked around. Kay continued ignoring him as she unhooked the baby from the car seat and took her to the bathroom. There was the distinct rush of water hitting the porcelain of the bathtub, and then came Hope’s happy squeals and the sound of splashing.

  Eli smiled at the sound before he sat down in the living room to wait for the inevitable fight. The couch was obviously older, but it was comfortable. That described most of the apartment, actually. Kay seemed to favor warm, muted colors and soft textures. There were also books everywhere. He leaned closer to read the spine of the book on the coffee table. You Get So Alone At Times That It Just Makes Sense by Charles Bukowski. He picked it up and started reading.

  He hadn’t realized it was quiet again until Kay emerged, wearing a clean T-shirt and soft lounge pants. She didn’t look at him.

  “Are you still not talking to me?”

  He let out a sigh when she ignored his question and sank down on the couch. “You have scary taste in books. I literally have no idea what this one is about.”

  Her head whipped around. When she saw the book he was holding, her lips tightened. Then she turned her head in the other direction again.

  Eli closed the book and set it back on the coffee table where he’d found it. “You can’t ignore me forever.”

  “Oh yes I can,” she muttered.

  “I’m sorry, okay. I was rude and I apologize.” He had to force the words out, but Eli figured it was a small price to pay. This tense silence was painful.

  “I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to.”

  “There’s no way in hell I’m apologizing to Mr. Saving-poor-disabled-people Guy. No way.”

  Kay turned on the couch to face him. “See! That right there is why I’m so angry. You’re not even sorry. You don’t think you did anything wrong.”

  Eli agreed but figured that wasn’t the response she was looking to hear.

  “I was just trying to look out for you.”

  Kay’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Look out for me?” She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenching into fists. “You embarrassed me! Not only were you completely rude to Mara’s friend, but you humiliated me. Did you really need to tell the entire restaurant that I saw you naked? If I wasn’t sure I’d hurt my hand again, I would punch you for that. Maybe you don’t care what anyone thinks, but I do.”

  Eli felt the first stirrings of true remorse. Hurting Kay had never been his intention. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that, but I was just trying to protect you. That guy… he was just trying to get in your panties.”

  Kay looked like she was fighting for control. “Did it not occur to you that maybe I wanted him to get in my panties? Hmm? That’s usually why people go on dates, isn’t it?”

  Eli stood and wandered over to the kitchen. He couldn’t look at her just then. Not when she was talking about making it with some other guy. He shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent him from breaking something. “So that’s what you want? Some guy who just wants to get his rocks off?”

  Kay stood and walked over to him. He backed up until he was leaning against the coun
ter. She was so close she almost stepped on his foot. He realized then that her feet were bare. It was such an odd thing to notice in the midst of an argument, but somehow it bothered Eli that she looked so vulnerable when he really wanted to pick her up and shake some sense into her.

  “I want someone who wants to get off with me. Someone who likes me.” She took a deep breath and he could see her fighting for control. “I don’t need you to protect me all the time, Eli. I know what I’m doing.”

  “What about when you kissed me at Christmas? Did you know what you were doing then?” Eli tensed as her gaze slid downward, her eyes eating up the view of him, lingering on his lips, then his neck, then lower.

  She let out a soft sigh and then glanced up at him from beneath her lashes. “I did. Just like I know what I’m doing right now,” she whispered.

  “Do you really, angel? Because I sure as hell don’t.” Eli grabbed her, his hand sliding up into the soft curls at the base of her neck. She made a soft murmur of protest at the contact, but then she melted against him. It set off every dominant instinct he had when she collapsed against him. Nothing could have stopped him from scooping her up and setting her gently on the counter. He pushed forward, parting her knees, making room for himself between her thighs.

  She went rigid as a board when he pressed forward. Her eyelids fluttered shut and her head tilted back. Eli tugged her closer so his lips could explore the soft skin of her throat. She was so soft, he thought, and absolutely perfect. He rained kisses along the skin leading to her collarbone, lost in the scent of her skin.

  There was a roar in his blood, to take her, lay her out on the counter, and spend the rest of the night exploring her from the inside out. But she wasn’t ready for the things he’d require, would in fact be shocked or even frightened by the things he wanted to do to her.

  “Kay… We shouldn’t be doing this.”