by Lea Hart
Zach walked over to the bar, poured three drinks and handed them out. “To a week without having to bail Cole out of jail.”
“It’s not over yet,” Terrence replied before taking a slug.
Zach nodded. “Can I ask an obvious question?”
“You’re going to anyway,” Cole replied as he walked back to his desk.
“What would’ve been so bad about meeting her family and friends?”
“Nothing.” He drained his drink and then got up to refill it. “Truth is, I panicked at the thought of all those people looking at me with disapproval. The moment she suggested it, I flashed back to all the shit we went through as kids. Bottom line, I didn’t want Kelly to see me through their eyes.”
Zach leaned forward with his arms on his knees as Cole sat down. “Brother, you took the brunt of the shit growing up, and all those peoples’ opinions about our family fell mostly on your shoulders. I get that. But, that was more than twenty years ago, and it’s time to let it go because it just cost you a hell of a woman.”
“I look in the mirror every day, and I see the Marine I was and the businessman I am now. But lurking in the background is that kid who came from shitty circumstances.”
“Sounds like a damn good man; introduce me to him the next time he’s around,” Terrence said as he finished his drink. “You need to tell her what’s going on because I bet if she knew, she’d get over her mad and work things out.”
“I’ve been trying, but she won’t see or talk to me. The way her face fell when I told her it wasn’t my scene tells me this meant a whole lot more to her than just having a date to a wedding.”
“Of course, it does, asshole,” Terrence barked. “It’s damn obvious she was inviting you into her life and giving you a chance to be more than just a fuck boy.”
Exploding out of his chair, he leaned forward. “You’re skating a damn thin line.”
Terrence stood and mirrored his posture. “It’s time you got out of your own damn way.” Pounding his fist on the desk, he looked Cole in the eye. “I thought this thing with Kelly meant you were ready to move past the shit you grew up with.”
Cole fell back and sat down. “Me too, but all I could think of was the time I went to pick up a girl for a dance in high school, and her father wouldn’t let her go. What happens if I show up in Kansas City and her parents have a similar reaction?”
“Not possible because Kelly is not judgmental and that has to do with the people who raised her. And if by some miracle, her parents were uptight, she never would’ve asked you to join her in the first place,” Zach said.
Cole folded his hands and shrugged. “Guess it’s possible.”
Terrence rolled his glass in his hand. “It’s Friday, so I bet she’s having dinner over at the Red Door. Let’s head over and see if a face-to-face is possible.”
“Guess it’s not a bad idea. She won’t make a scene in a public place, so I might have a decent chance of getting her to talk to me.”
Zach stood and collected the glasses. “Let’s go, Romeo, and see if we can get a course correction, so no one will have to put up with your shitty mood anymore.”
Cole stood and felt better than he had since Kelly walked out of his office. Facing shit was never easy, and he hated that he still carried around stuff from his youth. Looking at his wallet on the corner of his desk made him think about the pictures he had, and prayed they weren’t done yet.
He’d never gone down without a fight before and he sure as shit wasn’t going to let Kelly go without a damn good one. She’d fascinated, captivated, and irritated the shit out of him and he wasn’t going to let the smart, funny woman go until they had a decent conversation.
It was going to take more than one fight to end them, and she would soon understand that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cole stood with Terrence and Zach in the lobby of the Red Door and didn’t know why they were not being let in. Studying the concierge who was on the phone made him wonder if Gio had taken sides with Kelly. Considering how important she was to his business, he had no doubt he’d be the one on the losing end.
“Mr. Zanetti will be with you momentarily,” the woman announced once she ended the call.
Zach crossed his arms and shook his head. “Gio’s pissed.”
“The mobster loves Kelly, so it ain’t no surprise,” Terrence responded.
Before more could be said, the door swooshed open, and Gio walked out. “Gentlemen.”
Zach clapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, man.”
“You and Terrence can go in; I just need a moment with Cole.”
Crossing his arms, he let out a long breath, knowing that losing his shit wasn’t going to get him closer to his goal. “You guys grab a table, and I’ll be there in a bit.” Terrence lifted an eyebrow and Cole waved him off. “It’s all good.”
Once the men had gone in, Cole shoved his hands in his pockets. “Guessing this is about Kelly.”
“You would be correct. I’m not one to get involved in other people’s affairs, but I make an exception when my sweet cara looks like she’s had her heart broken.”
“We had a fight, Gio, and I’d like to work it out with her, but the stubborn woman has avoided me like a rash.”
“She’s talking to my cousin, and I do not want you to upset her in any way. No possessive bullshit and chest beating will occur, do you understand me?”
“Why the fuck is she talking to your cousin?”
Gio looked at the ceiling and let out a long breath. “That’s exactly the shit I’m talking about.”
Cole held up his hands and nodded. “I will behave and promise not to make a scene.”
“You respect her wishes, no matter what they are.”
“Fuck you; I’ve always done that.”
“If that were the case, then she wouldn’t be in there talking about taking Luca to a wedding next month.”
Feeling rage fill his chest, he looked down at the ground and counted to ten. He could handle this. Slowly raising his head, he nodded. “I will be going with her, and she will understand that fact before the evening is over.”
Gio pointed to the door that led to the street. “Go home, Cole.”
He shook his head and stood his ground. “No, my woman is in there, and we’re going to work this shit out. I’m not going to be an asshole, and if I need to get on my knees so she knows how fucking serious I am, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Gio shook his head. “One chance is all you get. If I see something that I don’t like, then I’m kicking your ass out of the club.”
Cole put out his hand and shook Gio’s. “Thanks, man.”
Gio nodded to the hostess and then escorted Cole into the club. “Behave.”
“Absolutely, not a question.”
“If only that were true,” Gio responded as he nodded to Sal. “I’d offer you good luck, but I doubt it’ll help.”
Cole let out a grim laugh and made his way to the table that Terrence and Zach were occupying. He slid into a seat and picked up the drink they’d ordered for him. Draining it, he studied Kelly and felt the knife in his heart slide in a little deeper.
How was she more fucking beautiful in a week?
Setting down the glass, he nodded. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“The good stuff never is,” Zach replied.
“I’m going to go over and say hello, so she has a moment to get herself together before you approach her,” Terrence said as he stood.
“Thanks, man.” Watching Kelly closely as she chatted with the big as fuck GQ mobster made him wonder if the thing between them meant as much to her as it did to him. He’d never been in as deep with a woman and realized he’d probably never get over her if they couldn’t work things out.
Which made his response to her invitation all the more horrifying. If he’d just let the ghosts from his past stay buried, he never would’ve reacted like such an asshole, and they’d not be in the position they were. Which
told him he had some things to handle if he wanted a relationship with Kelly to work.
“What’s your first move going to be?” Zach asked.
“Say I’m sorry as often as I need to until she gives us a chance.”
“Can’t go wrong with that.”
“Hope so.” He watched Terrence talk to Kelly and held his breath when she turned. Locking eyes, he saw her smile slip. Not anything he ever wanted to let happen again. Standing, he walked slowly in her direction and knew it would always be her. No one would ever make as much sense, and he was going to make sure she understood that.
She’d breached his cold heart and burrowed in, making a place for herself that no one ever had. And the only thing he could do was find a way to do the same with hers.
***
Kelly felt her hands shake as she stared at Cole and set her glass down on the bar. Letting out a slow breath, she turned away and felt Terrence’s arm on her back. “It’s fine, T.”
“Anything I can do?” Luca asked with a gentle smile.
“No.” She tried to form a smile and decided it was probably more of a grimace, so she let her face fall.
“Luca, come meet Zach; he’s the one who trained all the security at the new club, and since you’re running it now, you two should get acquainted.”
Standing, he nodded. “Only if Kelly doesn’t need me.”
“I’m fine; I’ll see you on Monday.”
“All right.” Giving a Cole a once-over when he approached, he nodded. “Just call if you need me.”
Terrence thankfully led Luca away before Cole could respond, and she turned her chair when he took the seat next to her. “What brings you here?”
“Had to run you down since you won’t answer my phone calls.”
“There is nothing to talk about, Cole.” Turning her head, she was immediately hit with his beautiful eyes. “We had a good time, and it’s over. No need to do a post-mortem.”
“Considering we’re not dead, I’d have to agree.” He took her hand and watched her eyes close. “We had a fight, and now I’d like to fix it.”
“There’s nothing to fix. We want different things, and there’s no need to keep going if we can’t make each other happy.”
“I’m very happy with you.”
She studied his face and knew he was being sincere. “I don’t want to invest in something that I know isn’t going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry about how I responded to your invitation. I was an asshole and completely wrong.” Leaning closer, he dipped his head. “I flashed back to some old shit that I thought was handled and reacted poorly.”
“It was too soon to invite you to a wedding but knowing how you feel about it probably saved us grief down the road.”
“You’re not listening, babe. I screwed up, and the crap I said had nothing to do with me meeting your family or going to a wedding together. If you want me to come, then I’d be honored to meet anyone you think is important.”
Turning, she frowned. “I hate you.”
Running his finger over hand, he swallowed. “Yeah, why’s that?”
“Because I made all these grand pronouncements, and then I see you in person, and they crumble. I told myself I’d need a lobotomy and good drugs in order to get involved with you and then ended up having sex with you ten hours later.”
“Changing your mind is not a big deal, babe.”
Untangling their hands, she picked up her drink and took a sip. “It is for me.” Uncrossing her legs, she sat back. “I’ve told myself over and over this week how glad I am that I avoided getting further involved with you and now your stupid face is making my heart ache.”
“My heart cracked the hell in half the moment you walked out of my office. I didn’t know how to fix it right away, and by the time I figured out how, you wouldn’t take my calls.”
“I shouldn’t have invited you, and maybe I did it as a test to see where we were. The sex we had in your office sparked a ton of feelings in me and made me think I was in too deep. I knew, on some level, meeting my parents would make you balk.”
“Is this like the minivan, marriage thing?”
“I guess, though I didn’t really understand why I did it until I got home and drank a half-bottle of wine.”
“So, we both spooked.”
“Seems so,” Kelly replied.
Cole took her hand again and linked their fingers. “Your invitation triggered my self-doubt, and I hated the idea of your family not thinking I was good enough.”
“The high-school punk thought he wasn’t good enough for the girl who grew up in the big house?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, the geeky girl who didn’t date until she was twenty thought the good-looking, cool guy wasn’t interested in anything more than sex.”
Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. “Babe, we gotta work on our communication skills.”
“The man who broke my heart is going to be there, and I wanted to have you on my arm, so I could show him that I’ve moved on.” Raising her eyes, she grimaced. “I should’ve told you.”
“Not necessarily. If we’re working right, then all you ever need to do is tell me you need me, and my response is: ‘fuck yes,’ no questions asked.”
“Doubt we’ll ever get there.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“No, it’s reality.”
“Can we go somewhere else and have this conversation?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” His hand went to her cheek, and she looked up, not sure what she was seeing. “What?”
“Babe, one fight is not the end. We need to talk, and I’m not giving up.”
“But…”
“No, you are not a quitter, so get your ass up and let’s go hash it out.” He took her hands and held them tightly. “Please.”
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I can’t let you break me.”
Moving closer, he kissed her head. “I will never do that.” He tightened his hold as whispered, “Please…let’s just talk.”
Letting her shoulders fall, she nodded. “I…guess that would be okay.”
“Thank fuck,” he murmured.
“You can come over to my house because I need to get out of my work clothes.”
“I like the sound of that.”
She pushed his chest and smirked. “I’m going to put on my ugliest sweats and wash my face.”
“Still like the sound of it.”
“Why are you being so…”
“Irresistible?”
“Not the word that came to mind.” Lifting her drink, she took a sip. “You behave, Cole McCallan.”
“Of course, whatever you want.” He kissed her cheek and stood, holding out his hand. “You’re not taking Luca to Kansas City.”
Standing, she straightened her skirt. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
He let out a groan and ran his hand over his face. “After we work out our shit and have amazing make-up sex, will you invite me again to meet your family?”
“Possibly.”
“I can live with that.”
“Good because it’s not like you have a choice.”
“How long do you plan on busting my balls over this?”
“Not sure.” She picked up her purse felt his hand go to her back. “We may not work this out, Cole.”
“Oh, we sure as hell are. I’m not walking away from the best thing to come along because we hit a rough patch.” Taking her arm, he stopped her. “I hated this fucking week and don’t want us to quit.”
“But what if it’s the sanest option?”
“Babe, I’ve got no use for sanity.”
“I can’t do crazy, Cole. I’ve already done it and have no appetite for the pain.”
“Guess there’s a story that I need to hear.”
“Yeah, and it’s not a pretty one.”
“Don’t need pretty; just need real.” He cupped her c
heek and rested his head against hers. “Whatever has made you who you are, I’m appreciative of and want to know about. I’m not great at letting people in, but I promise I will try every day.”
“Maybe it’s time I show you mine and you show me yours. So, if we decide to continue seeing one another, then we know what we’re in for.”
“I like show and tell. Can we do it naked?”
Laughing, she stepped away. “Dirty boy.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked at the crowded room. “But you love it, and since you’re not happy with me, I need to play to my strength.”
“There is plenty that I like about you that doesn’t involve your body.”
“Can you think of one right now?”
“No, but in five minutes I bet I can.”
Laughing, he nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
She ran her tongue over her lips and noticed his eyes tracking the movement. Before she could move away, he kissed her hard. Swiping his tongue over her lips, he demanded entry, and she mindlessly gave in. He consumed her mouth and held her tightly against his hips, showing her how much she affected him. “Cole,” she muttered as she pulled away. “We’re in public.”
“Considering what goes on behind those red doors, we’re fine.”
Smoothing out her hair, she squared her shoulders. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Absolutely.” He took her hand and led her toward the door. “And then we’ll let our bodies communicate.”
Trying to keep a straight face, she followed him out and promised herself she wasn’t going to take the easy road and fix their relationship with sex.
No matter how tempting it was.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cole watched Kelly walk out of the bedroom after she changed and liked the T-shirt and shorts she wore. When she walked into the living room and sat in the chair as opposed to next to him, he decided not to be disappointed.
“I missed you like crazy, babe.”
“Unfortunately, I missed you too.”
Leaning forward on his knees, he waited for more. Because with Kelly there always was. When she didn’t say anything right away and played with her hair, he knew whatever was coming wasn’t easy for her to share.