by Lea Hart
Her eyes flew up. “What do you mean, ‘taken care of’?”
“Not sure. When he texted me this morning, he only said the situation had been handled.”
She covered her eyes and rested her head against the granite. “That makes me feel very uncomfortable.”
“The guy was going to do God knows what to you, so he got what he deserved.” When she raised her head and frowned, he shrugged. “I’m sure you’re not his first victim, so think of how many women out there have been assaulted and how many will now avoid it.”
Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her body. “I haven’t processed it yet, and that certainly puts it in perspective.”
The color drained from her face, and he didn’t say more. Not that he didn’t have plenty to say because he sure as hell did. Including a long lecture about going out by herself. But that was a conversation that would have to wait.
Her phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a text from a man named Lawrence. What a sissy name, kind of like Allen. Where the hell did she find these men? Clearing his throat, he watched her head raise and handed her the phone. “Text.”
She grabbed it and frowned. “Guess I should cancel my tennis game.”
“Not a bad idea, considering you were drugged less than twenty-four hours ago.” He watched her type a response and nodded. Bye Lawrence!
Tennis, what a sissy game.
What kind of man ran around a court and hit a yellow ball? Not a real one, that was for damn sure. Turning around, he opened the fridge and started pulling out food, and thought about Kelly in a short tennis skirt. Now that might be something worth seeing.
“Do you have Terrence’s phone number?”
He set the food down on the counter and frowned. “Of course, I do.”
She lifted her phone with her fingers poised over the keyboard. “Go ahead.”
“What do you need it for?”
“So I can confirm our date.”
“What the fuck?” he roared.
Laughter erupted from her mouth, and she rocked back in her chair. “That was too easy.”
Leaning over the counter, so their faces were close, he waited. “Let me know when you’re done.”
She wiped her eyes and then grinned. “Ms. Clara never brings her phone into church. So, I want Terrence to let his mama know that I’m not going to be there today. She’ll have to get someone else to help with the coffee and donuts, and I want to give her time to find volunteers.”
“Oh.”
“Why would you care if Terrence and I are…”
He put his fingers over her mouth and frowned. “Don’t.” She nipped his finger, and he felt an instant reaction in his shorts.
Devil woman was teasing him.
He’d been harder than a bat for the last ten hours and didn’t need her playing with his control. “I’m going to ask you to play nice.”
“Fine.” She picked up her phone and wiggled it. “Give me the number because I don’t want them to be shorthanded after services.”
He rattled off the number and watched her smile as she texted his friend. Five minutes later, she was still typing, and he didn’t think there was that much to say about coffee and donuts. When she finally finished, he bit his tongue and didn’t ask.
“I hope he follows my advice.”
“What’s that?” he asked as he cracked eggs into a bowl.
“I gave Terrence a couple of suggestions for his conversation with Jazzy today, and I’m hoping it works.”
“Is that the church woman he’s interested in?”
“Yes, and she’s beautiful inside and out.” Standing, she walked around the counter and washed her hands. “I want to help.” She took the cheese out of the package and started opening drawers. “Where is your grater?”
He pulled one out of a jar that was next to the stove and handed it to her. “Here, babe.” Standing side by side, they prepped the fillings for the scramble, and he enjoyed their companionable silence.
It wasn’t anything he’d ever enjoyed with a woman before and realized it would be great if Kelly changed that.
Feeling a hip bump, he looked down and noticed she was trying to get in the drawer he was standing in front of. “What do you need?”
“A paring knife, I want to dice the red peppers smaller.”
He opened the drawer and watched her select one, inspect it, and then cut the peppers into smaller squares. Why it didn’t bother the shit out of him, he couldn’t say.
Pulling out a pan, he set it on the stove and knew the size of peppers wasn’t going to be the only thing changing. Which meant he should embrace it instead of fighting it like he usually did and see if there was something good on the other side.
Seeing Kelly smile told him there was probably more than a little happiness he could grab ahold of. All he had to do was convince her it was possible.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kelly walked toward her house after she finished her run and saw Gio’s Maserati parked in her driveway. They had spoken on Sunday, and she wasn’t sure why he was visiting at eight on a Wednesday morning. Considering his days didn’t end until three in the morning, he should still be asleep.
Once she hit the driveway, he stepped out the car, and he looked as fresh as someone who’d just had eight hours of sleep. “Good morning.”
“Buongiorno, cara.”
Leaning back when he leaned in, she waved her hand. “I just ran a couple of miles; you don’t want to get close.”
Laughing, he held her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “A little sweat can be just what a man is looking for.”
“You certainly are a flirty birdy this morning.”
He gave her a careless shrug and closed his car door. “Make me a coffee and prove to me that you’ve fully recovered from Saturday.”
“Is that why you’re here or are you checking to make sure things are on track for the new club?”
He moved his big hand to his chest and frowned. “Is that what you think of me?”
“No, I’m just trying to make light of the situation.”
He put his hand on her lower back and guided her to the front door. “Which is why I came to make sure that you’re okay. Being drugged is not something to take lightly, and I’m not talking about the physical. There’s an emotional component that can’t be ignored.”
“I’m fine on both counts.” She pressed her hand to the pad next to the door and heard a car horn. Turning, she saw her friend Lawrence. “Let me say a quick hello and make sure he still wants to play tennis this afternoon.”
“Cara, make no mistake, the man wants to do a lot more than that.”
She opened the front door and waved him in. “Go, and I’ll be up to feed you in a minute.”
“Words a man loves to hear.”
“You have a lot of women that would trip over themselves for the privilege and all you have to do is choose one.”
“But none that I’m interested in.”
“I’ll give you back some of your own advice and suggest perhaps you need to widen your horizons.”
“I’ll do it, the moment you do.” He tipped his head toward the car and smiled. “That preppy blond man couldn’t make you happy if I drew him a diagram.”
She let out a little laugh and pushed him into the house. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Shaking her head, she walked down her driveway as Cole’s face popped into her head. Now that was a man who’d never need a diagram for anything.
Sighing, she dismissed the thought, knowing he was about the worst choice she could make.
***
Kelly stood in front of the kitchen window that looked out at Red Rock Canyon and heard the gurgle of her stovetop espresso pot. Turning, she saw that Gio was waiting. “Eat before it gets cold.”
“Come sit and I will.”
She took the pot of coffee over to the island and slid into a seat and poured them both a coffee. “Mangiare.”
“So bossy, are you
sure you’re not Italian?”
Laughing, she dug into the frittata. “Irish and Spanish.”
“That’s why you and Cole are the perfect answer for one another.”
She dropped her fork and wondered why Gio was playing Cupid. “Can you repeat that?”
“You and Cole – a match made in heaven.”
“Or hell. We bicker as often as we agree, have completely different lifestyles, and probably have goals that are very dissimilar.”
“Those are just excuses.” He pointed his fork at her and smiled. “You two have chemistry. I saw it at the club a couple of weeks ago and know it doesn’t come along often. It’s time you faced it and give in, so you can see if he’s the one.”
“I’m not sure we have…”
“You do, and we both know it.” He gave her a sad frown. “I thought last weekend would allow you two to quit fighting what is and put yourselves out of your misery.”
“We did no such thing.”
“So stubborn.” He ate his food quietly and mumbled to himself. Once he cleared his plate, he wiped his mouth carefully and picked up his cup. “Please, don’t tell me that you want to marry a boring executive or that horrible, beige man, Lawrence that stopped by.”
“I absolutely do not.”
He drank his coffee and nodded. “Then I was right, and you and Cole are perfect for one another.”
“It’s not an either-or situation, and Cole is not a man who’s interested in more than a week or two.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I certainly do because American Express statements don’t lie.”
Throwing back his head, he let out a laugh. “For a second, I forgot that accountants know as much as priests.”
“Forget priest, try doctor.”
“So, you don’t want a safe man or one that might be dangerous.” Leaning his elbow on the island, he waited. “What exactly do you want?”
“Passion, decency, and to love deeply. I’ve had a year of men who want nothing more than a night or two, and I’m ready for something real. I’ve had all the appetizers I can stomach, and I’m ready for the full meal.”
“A worthy thing to desire. Don’t settle and promise me you’ll hold out until a man loves you deeply enough so that risking his own sanity is a price he’s willing to pay.”
Covering his hand, she nodded. “Is something like that even possible?”
“I hope so because I’m not settling for less. I know there’s a woman out there that can handle my life and until I find her, I will remain happily single.”
“I bet there’s more than one and all you have to do is choose.”
“I think you only get one in a lifetime.”
“Maybe.”
He picked up the coffee pot and filled his cup. “I really thought that when I called Cole on Saturday, it would give you the chance to see him as a knight in shining armor.”
Leaning back, she let out a chuckle. “You are not going to let this go.”
“Well…was he?”
“Yes, he was very kind and went above and beyond the call of duty.” Gio’s hand covered hers, and she looked up. “What?”
“He may not look like the picture you had in your head, but perhaps you should give him a shot.”
“He’s not a man who does relationships, and considering that’s what I’d like to have, it seems silly to think we could have something.”
“That may not be true. He’s been in my club since Sunday reviewing all the security he and his brothers put in place and has added a lot of new protocol. He’s as upset as I am about the incident and doesn’t want me to allow you to sit at the bar if he’s not there.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe, but I get it.”
Standing, she cleared the plates. “You grew up in a powerful crime family; I’m not sure you’re the best person to be commenting.”
Gio gave her a smile and then stood. “Fair enough. I was raised with all kinds of antiquated ideas and a lot of them are still with me.” He put on his suit coat and took her hand. “Are you really okay?”
She straightened his tie and patted his chest. “Every woman knows the risk of getting drugged when in a public setting, and I’m lucky that I wasn’t by myself when it happened.”
“We are doing everything we can to make sure it never occurs at the Red Door again.” He checked his watch and frowned. “I’ve got to go.” He gave her a kiss and then headed toward the stairs. “Think about what I’ve said.”
“Yes, Cupid.”
He gave her a wink. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Yes, I should be there in the afternoon.”
“Perfect.”
She watched him walk down the stairs and then went back to the kitchen and tried to figure out why he thought Cole was a viable contender. Didn’t make a lot of sense and she decided it was a mystery that would likely remain unsolved.
***
Cole flew down Warm Springs Road on his bike and felt the warm wind against his face. Riding in the early evening was his favorite, and his field trip to Kelly’s was a perfect excuse to get out of the office.
She’d been MIA all week, and he was about to find out how much longer she planned on hiding. They still had a few things to complete and he sure as shit wasn’t going to be doing it over email.
He pulled into her subdivision and noticed the people with their kids and dogs enjoying the early evening. The sound of his Indian motorcycle caused a few heads to turn, and he nodded to those who stopped to stare.
His bike was definitely a beauty, and he didn’t blame anyone for gawking. As he pulled onto Kelly’s street, he saw a white BMW parked in front of her house and, when he got closer, he saw her standing next to a man in tennis whites.
“Hell, to the absolute fucking no,” he said as he pulled into the driveway. Pansy ass boy with a sweater tied around his shoulders wasn’t going to be making moves on his girl. And, yeah, he’d been thinking of her that way since she spent the night at his house.
In less than a minute, he had his bike parked and was at her side. “Hey, babe.”
“Cole…”
“Did you miss me?” Her eyes flared, and he knew it was a crap statement but didn’t really care since the last thing he was going to do was give the blond-haired tight-ass a chance to make a move.
Risky?
Damn straight.
He put his hand out and grinned. “Cole McCallan.” Waiting a half-second for the dude to shake, he then firmly pumped his hand.
“Lawrence Williams.”
Crowding Kelly, he put his hand on her lower back. “How was the game?”
“Kelly’s a great player, and we had a close match.”
“Nice.” Feeling Kelly stiffen under his hand, he knew he had about another minute before she blew. No doubt his audacity had her knickers in a twist, but she was too well-mannered to do anything about it and, for once, he appreciated it.
“I should get going,” Kelly said as she stepped away from Cole. “Thanks for the game, Lawrence.”
“Absolutely, let me know what time you want to play Saturday. Maybe we can grab dinner afterward.”
“I think…”
“She won’t be able to make it since it’s the company’s barbeque.” He moved closer and slid his hand around her waist. “Good night, Lawrence.” Feeling a sharp elbow dig into his stomach let him know he was going to be in deep shit the moment the preppy prince left. Which bothered him very little.
“I’ll call you later in the week,” Kelly said as she stepped away.
“I look forward to it.” Throwing Cole a glare, he opened his car door.
Cole waved and stood behind Kelly with his hands on her shoulders. When he was out of sight, he stepped back and grinned. “That’s your type?”
Spinning around, she punched him in the arm. “You are such a pig.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Thankfully, she let out a laugh and rolled her
eyes. “It was my duty to save you from a man who wears a sweater tied around his shoulders.”
“Maybe that’s what I like.”
Covering his mouth, he snickered. “Babe, we both know that’s what you’re trying to avoid.”
She crossed her arms, giving him a slow once-over. “And a man in jeans and a leather jacket with tats is my dream man?”
He held out his arms and grinned. “I’m hopin’ so.”
She pushed at his chest, and he captured her hand, closing the space that separated them. “Too much fire between us to think otherwise.”
Looking up, she narrowed her eyes. “Not real interested in getting burned.”
“Sometimes, getting close to the flame isn’t a choice.” Not able to hold himself back, he ran his finger over her soft cheek and noticed her heartbeat pick up.
Clearing her throat, she frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to flush you out since you haven’t been in the office all week.”
“I’ve been sending you spreadsheets via email; have you been reading them?”
“I glance at them, but I’ve been waiting for you to come in.”
“You don’t need to see me in person.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” The last of the evening light allowed him to see the pretty flush on her cheeks and he prayed it was because they were snugged up tight. “Let’s go grab some dinner.”
“I can’t; it’s Blue Apron night.”
“And what the hell is that?”
“Dinner in a box.” Moving out of his embrace, she picked up her tennis racket. “Would you like to join me?”
“Did you just offer to make me dinner?”
“Yes, it’s the least I can do after you took such good care of me on Saturday.”
“Babe, I’ll always take care of you. All you have to do is let me.”
“Have you been drinking?”
Taking her hand, he frowned. “No, why are you being so prickly?”