The Path to Finding You

by S M Broad

  “Thank you for last night. It was nice to finally have some alone time with Latham.” Her voice is light and happy. I’m happy for her too, but at the same time, it makes me miss having someone to spend time with on an intimate level.

  “No problem, I had fun with this little duck.” I tickle Hensley and sit up more, tucking the fluffy pillows behind me for support. “I hope you guys had a good time.” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively, making Aayla blush. At least someone is getting a little sweet, loving.

  “It was amazing.” She bites her lip to conceal her smile, hoisting Hensley up her hip as she stands. “There’s coffee and breakfast downstairs. Cinnamon rolls, your favorite.”

  “I’m so there.” I tuck within myself and roll James Bond-style off the bed, sticking a perfect landing. “Ta-Da!” I throw my hands up and give spirit fingers, making both of my favorite girls laugh. We head down to the kitchen for breakfast, and I help clean up after, setting up the rest of the party stuff while Latham gets Hensley ready for her big day.

  After the decorations are hung, I run up to shower and get ready, donning a white Chiffon blouse, jean skirt, and a pair of jewel-embellished flip flops. I’m pushing the last bobby pin into my half-pinned hair when I hear people start arriving for the party. I make my way downstairs with the gifts for the birthday girl in tow. Nervously I head to the living room where all the voices are coming from.

  My breath falters along with my steps when I see Kohen’s mom Karla standing by the present table talking to Latham. I don’t know why seeing her has me so fidgety. I knew she’d be here, and honestly, I have missed her, but the similarities to her son are just too much. Kohen looks so much like her, their eyes and sand-colored hair color are so familiar that it makes me sad. I miss the man, something ridiculous, but it was his choice to say goodbye. He ended things, and there was nothing I could say to change his mind. Staring at her, I recall the day I met his family...

  Kohen opens the door of his Jeep for me, helping me down from the lifted vehicle. Taking my hand in his, we walk up the pebbled path to his mom's backyard. I fidget with my outfit, a simple floral jumper, and brown Gladiator sandals, smoothing down the fabric to make myself look more presentable. Kohen stills my hand, his deep laugh warming me.

  I love that sound so much.

  “Stop fussing, you look gorgeous.” His thumb rubs circles on my wrist until I slap his hand away, making him chuckle louder.

  “You stop. This is your family, what if they hate me?” I croak, starting to sweat all over again. God, I should have brought a stick of deodorant to freshen up with.

  “They could never hate you, Leila.” He grips my arm gently, bringing me in for a sweet peck on the lips before swinging the mauve-colored gated fence open. “They’ll love you, because-” His words are cut short as the cutest little blue-eyed, brunette blur comes running towards us, screaming for Kohen. Words forgotten, he swings her up in his arms, tickling her belly, making her giggle.

  Because what? What was he about to say?

  “Uncle Kohen!” She snuggles into his chest, and then I realize this is his niece, Audra. A blonde-haired woman comes jogging up, stopping just in front of us. The telltale bright blue Stone family eyes let me know she’s his sister Kassie. They hug as she glances at me, just a hint of humor in her eyes.

  “Kas, this is Leila.” He motions from me to her in the introduction.

  “Nice to meet you, you’re gorgeous! Look at this hair.” She touches the ends of my reddish-orange locks in awe. When she leans in to hug me, my fear dissipates. “Well, don’t just stand out here all night, come on!” We follow her and Audra to the drink table, Kassie handing us red cups of peach lemonade as she introduces me to her husband, Jason.

  A screen door opens and closes with a clatter, and we turn to see an older woman with curly blonde hair walking toward us, carrying two big bowls of chips.

  “Hi, sweetie.” The woman sets the containers down on the folding table and wipes her hands together before turning to face us.

  “Mom, I want you to meet someone. This is Leila.” Kohen places a hand behind her back, bringing her to stand in front of me. I smile at the woman who Kohen gets his beautiful eyes from, sticking out my hand for her to shake. She takes me by surprise when she wraps me in a warm, motherly hug.

  “Leila. It’s great to meet you, honey.”

  “It’s great to meet you, too.” I return the hug, unable to stop the flood of emotion that hits me. She releases me, cupping Kohen’s cheeks in her hands.

  “She’s so lovely. You did a good job son; your dad would be proud of you.” The corners of her eyes crinkle as she smiles widely. My cheeks color at her compliment. I wish I could have met his dad, Kurt. Kohen’s told me so much about him.

  “Thanks, mom.” He bristles quickly, then recovers with a forced grin that only I notice as he puts an arm around my back and tugs me to his side. He kisses my hair sweetly, and I melt inside, falling a little harder for this man. The next few hours are spent laughing with his family over dinner. They make me feel so comfortable, and I hope I get to spend more time with them in the future...

  Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I walk over to where they’re standing. Karla gives me a tight hug, kissing my cheek sweetly.

  “Hi, honey. How’ve you been?” She rubs my arm, comforting me. I give her a one-shoulder shrug, unable to put into words how I feel.

  “I know. He hasn’t been himself either.” Karla smiles, but it’s not a happy one. It’s so full of sadness that I have to look away. Seeing her eyes, so alike to his, makes me uncomfortable. Kassie crosses the room to us, settling Audra next to Hensley as they play a picture matching game with Jason on the coffee table.

  “Kohen is such an idiot.” She shakes her head, angrily.

  “Kassie, stop this.” Karla warns quietly.

  “No, mom. He's being an asshole; someone needs to say it instead of tiptoeing around the issue.”

  “Kassandra, Jane!” Karla admonishes her daughter. “He’s having a hard time.”

  “We all are. You don’t see me getting drunk every night.”

  “It’s different because you have Audra to take care of. He misses Kyle.”

  “I do too!” Kassie’s voice jumps an octave, drawing unwanted attention. She looks over at Jason then down at her feet in shame. I take her by the arm and lead her out the patio door into the backyard, sliding it closed behind us for some privacy.

  “I miss Kyle, but he’s gone, Leila. Kohen’s not.” She looks at me with teary eyes.

  “I know. I-” I pause for a breath. “I miss him, too, Kas.” I admit reluctantly.

  “It feels like I lost both of my brothers.” She wipes her face with her fingers. We stand there for several minutes hugging, and when Kassie has calmed down, we head back inside. People are milling about here and there, scattered throughout the house. I look around for Aayla, but before I can find her, there’s a shift in the air.

  I walk around the corner into the foyer and freeze at what I see.

  Or, I should say who I see.

  Chapter 5

  Latham and Kohen are huddled near the front door, talking heatedly. His hair has grown longer, and stubble lines his usually clean-shaven face. His eyes look tired, bloodshot like he hasn’t slept in weeks.

  I can’t move, I’m rooted to the floor like my feet are stuck in cement. I stare, unable to look away from his face. Latham says something to him that has him shaking his head. He coughs into his hand, his eyes glancing up before going back to the floor.

  When it registers that I’m standing there, he looks back to me, and if I’m not mistaken, his eyes flare with regret and longing. Latham says something else to him, and he nods but keeps his gaze locked on me. He stares for a beat longer before finally slipping out the front door without so much as a spoken word. I pinch the skin in the crease of my elbow to see if this is real life, and sure enough, it hurts like a bitch. Latham walks over to me, giving me a sympathetic half-smile.
>
  “What the hell was that?” I whisper, not wanting to draw any more attention.

  “He wanted to know if you’d meet him outside.”

  “Why?”

  “He wants to talk to you.”

  “He said everything I needed to know six months ago when he told me to get the hell out of his house.”

  “Yeah. I understand,” Latham rubs my shoulder. “It’s up to you.” He says, walking away to find Aayla to continue party activities. I stare at the front door, incredulously. Part of me wishing he’d come storming back in and demand to talk to me, tell me he loves me. To say that he’s going to fight for me. After too long of a minute, I realize he’s not coming back. I turn and walk away, the last of my built-up hope fizzling out.

  We sing “Happy Birthday” to Hensley. Everyone laughs when she dives face-first into her crown-shaped smash cake, cameras clicking all around as people take pictures.

  After that Aayla cleans her up. She opens her presents, giggling and squealing at everything she gets. While thoughts of Kohen linger in the back of my thoughts, I’m so glad I decided to come. I would have been heartbroken if I had missed this. I try to focus on Hensley and the party, but my mind is elsewhere. Before I even know it, the event is over, and I’m hugging Karla goodbye, promising to keep in touch but knowing I won’t. It’s too painful to hear them talk about Kohen.

  Later, when everyone has left, and the house has been cleaned up, I mention to Aayla that I’m thinking of going to the frequented spot, Sweetwater for a drink. I mentally hug Latham when he suggests that Aayla come with me for some girl time. It will be good to talk to her, just the two of us.

  We settle in at the bar to order a couple of mixed drinks, talking while we wait. In the middle of a story I’m telling, two guys come up behind us offering to buy a round of shots, and we brush them off, obviously not interested. They walk away when we order our own drinks. I excuse myself to make a bathroom trip, and as I get past the men's room door, I’m pushed up against the wall by a pair of rough hands.

  “You smell nice.” The voice slurs, his nose inhaling. Turning my head to the side, I see it’s one of the douchebags from earlier, pinning me down with his legs.

  “Get off me!” I grunt, trying to twist out from under him, but he’s too strong. He runs his nose up my neck into my hair, smelling it again. I try to kick a leg out, but I’m trapped, at the mercy of this disgusting pervert.

  He lifts one hand and grabs my ass hard, making me flinch. A tingle of disgust washes over me, and just as I open my mouth to scream, I hear a door creak, and then I’m free of his advances. There’s a scuffle, and I spin just in time to find him being tossed out the door that just opened by a tall man wearing a ball cap and navy t-shirt. I take a deep breath, calming myself before I speak.

  “Thank you,” I say quietly, making the man stiffen and turn toward me. I blink, unsure of what my eyes see.

  This can’t be happening.

  Kohen stands there, hands in the pockets of his dark jeans, sandy blonde hair sticking out of the white ball cap. I recognize it because I gave it to him. Now I know the tingle I felt wasn’t of disgust, but awareness. My body knew it was him before I even did.

  He stares at me, a look of uncertainty in his eyes like I might run away again. I should, but there’s so much going on in my head that I can’t move. He takes two tentative steps toward me, testing the boundaries. I stand still, frozen in my spot. He takes three more, and he’s so close I can feel the body heat radiating off his tall frame. The tension between us builds, and the air crackles, mixing with our breaths.

  My heart hammers, blood roars in my ears as the seconds tick by. A switch flips in my head, and we move at the same time, colliding into each other. He bends to my level, gripping my face with his hands, his lips bruising mine with punishing force. I claw at his biceps, holding him to me and gasp when he bites my bottom lip.

  My mouth opens on an exhale, giving him the perfect opportunity to caress my tongue with his. He tastes like spearmint gum and smells like musky Axe shower gel. An intoxicating mix that I can’t get enough of.

  His hands drop from my face, and I miss the contact, but I don’t have much time to think before he squats to grab the backs of my thighs. He lifts me effortlessly, pushing me up against the hard wall.

  The song over the sound system in the bar switches from the upbeat “Mud on the Tires” by Brad Paisley to the sultry “Speakers” by Sam Hunt. I let the slow words wash over me, intensifying the already electric buzz between us. Kohen tears his lips from mine, breath heavy as he stares at me. His heated, savage gaze is a two-ton anvil pressing on my heart.

  “Are you drunk, Leila?” He rasps out, the way his scratchy voice says my name makes my breathing bottom out. I shake my head, unable to speak up. My thoughts are muddled by his scent and the passion I’m feeling, and I'm not drunk, but I’m not thinking clearly.

  I don’t realize what’s happening until he walks me backward into the men’s restroom, setting me down to turn the lock on the door. Kohen closes us in before turning back around and covering his mouth with his hand to decide his next move.

  My cloudy thoughts say get out now, but my heart screams I need him. How could I forget about the powerful hold his body has over mine? For a split second, I almost stop him, but I’ve missed his touch too much. At this moment, I want him voraciously. Kohen traces his bottom lip with his thumb, eyes closed like he’s reliving where my mouth just was.

  “Leila,” His voice is grave, rough.

  “No talking.” I close my eyes, whispering. When I open them again, there’s a storm raging in his ocean blue eyes as he stalks toward me, threading his hands into my hair to kiss me again. He lifts me with ease, holding my petite body up against the outside of the stall, pushing my skirt up around my waist.

  His hand dips into my panties, making me shiver from the rough touch of his fingers. Groaning against my mouth at my wetness, he kisses me harder. Never pulling away from his lips, I move for the button of his jeans, fumbling to get it open. When it finally pops free, I push the waistband down as best I can, exposing him. He’s rock hard, ready for me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from moaning.

  Kohen pulls the band of my lace panties so hard they rip, floating to the floor like a feather. He guides himself inside me easily, making me gasp as he stretches me. I haven’t been with anyone since him, and I've somehow forgotten how thick he is.

  He thrusts deep, swallowing my moan with another rough kiss. He rolls his hips upward, causing a dizzying sensation over my entire body. I sink my nails into his muscular forearms, trying to get closer because he seems too far away. Sensing my sudden urgency, he wraps one arm around my back while the other holds me up, pushing our chests together, so we’re face to face.

  We stare at each other, but don’t say a word, letting our bodies talk for us. His intense, carnal gaze bores into mine, every emotion crossing his face as he pushes into me again and again. I feel my orgasm building faster with every firm pump of Kohen’s hips. When it topples over the edge, I close my eyes as vivid colors explode behind my lids with tingles rippling from my head to my toes. I open my eyes back up to watch Kohen’s face, the arm that was wrapped around my back appears in front of me as his big hand covers my mouth to keep me quiet while he keeps his pace; his warm breath fanning across my face as he grunts roughly.

  “Fuck.” Kohen growls as he finds release with me, riding out our pleasure together. It’s over far too soon, and realization starts to seep into my veins. Shame floods me, trepidation rocking me to my very core. I feel like I’m going to be sick. As soon as he puts me down, I fix my skirt to cover my bare ass and step past him to flip the lock on the door, bolting before he can get a word out to stop me.

  “Leila?” I run past a surprise faced Aayla, through the bar out into the night.

  Chapter 6

  Aayla doesn’t question me about what happened. Just drives us back to her house after she found me dry heaving in the park
ing lot. When we get to the house, I climb out and look up at the moon in the dark night sky. I don’t know how I could have let this happen. My head was foggy, clouded by desire, and now I feel insanely stupid. I blame the alcohol for my poor judgment. My phone sounds with a text, so I pull it from my pocket.

  Kohen: We need to talk about this.

  The hell we do.

  I ignore the text, go inside and get right into the shower, needing to wash his manly scent off my skin. All I want is to erase the memory of our fling. When I come back downstairs, Latham and Aayla are talking in hushed voices in the kitchen, a bottle of wine, and a couple of glasses sitting out.

  Even the thought of drinking alcohol after what happened makes me want to hurl.

  I decide to just get it over with and talk, telling them about how the guy grabbed me, and Kohen coming to my rescue.

  “I don’t even know why he was there.”

  “He makes deliveries for Mr. Forester,” Latham says, talking about the man who owns the Grayson supermarket.

  What happened to his other job?

  “He was fired from the contracting company when he started drinking. Mr. Collier told him to shape up, or he’d be out. I guess he’d had enough.” Rubbing the back of his head, he answers my question as if he’s read my mind. I hadn’t realized it had gotten that bad.

  “He wasn’t drunk.” I blurt, getting a questioning look from both.

  “You talked?” Aayla asks curiously.

  “Yes…” I rethink my words. “Well, kind of. Actually, not exactly.” To stop the rambling, I bite my tongue to shut myself up. They stare at me, waiting for more.

  “We, um.” I look at Aayla and then Latham, trying to ask for a little privacy with my eyes. I exhale when he nods in understanding at the same time his phone rings. He answers without looking at the screen.