We both get out and we meet at the front of my car where her hand immediately finds mine. I’m fascinated with my attraction to her. As much as I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m in fact ready for more than just a one-night stand, I know I wasn’t prepared for Isabelle Paasch to walk into my life.
I turn the doorknob and we walk in only to be greeted by laughter. Still holding hands, we follow the voices to the kitchen.
“You’re home. How was your first day?” Kate excitedly questions Isabelle.
“It was good,” she answers, but I’m not looking at her. I’m smiling at Gavin’s older brother, Tanner.
“Dude, I had no idea you were coming to town,” I say, letting go of Isabelle’s hand to shake Tanner’s.
“Are you kidding me? I wanted to at least make it out here once before my brother’s grand opening.” Tanner smiles with pride as he looks at Gavin.
“We were just as surprised as you are,” Kate adds.
Gavin and Tanner had a rocky childhood. Tanner moved east the second he turned eighteen, but even before he moved, he was always closed off. I’ve known Tanner since I was a teenager, but I don’t really know him.
In the last year, Gavin and Tanner put their past behind them and are both making a good effort to stay in contact. That being said, I’m still surprised he’s here.
“Come on, man. I’m reopening the same business just in another location,” Gavin replies, downplaying his accomplishments.
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Tanner counters. His eyes leave Gavin and stop on Isabelle.
“Oh, Tanner, this is Belle,” Kate tells him as he shamelessly takes her in. I know that look. It’s the same one I had when I first saw her.
“Belle, it’s very nice to meet you.”
Tanner emphasized the word ‘very’ as a growl forms in my throat. Kate chuckles as I quickly wrap my arms around Isabelle’s waist, pulling her tight against me.
“Oh.” Tanner’s mouth thins as his brow arches.
Without consideration, I blurt, “Yep, she’s mine.” The room goes silent and everyone’s eyes dart to mine. I don’t give a damn what anyone except Isabelle thinks, but as I feel her body tense against me, I’m worried I might have said the wrong thing.
From the second Isabelle walked into my life, I was attracted to her. Hell, any man with a functioning cock would be attracted to her, but I forced a wall up and purposely closed myself off. By doing that, I caused her to create a wall of her own. Now, I don’t just want to jump over that wall. I want to tear it the fuck down, but I’m sure she probably has whiplash from my mixed signals.
Isabelle pulls back and looks up at me. When my eyes finally find hers, they’re glowing with approval. She curls into my waist, wrapping her arms around me. Never has a woman’s touch meant more to me than in this moment.
“Okay, then,” Kate drawls.
“Let’s eat dinner and catch up,” Gavin says, patting his brother on the back. Tanner’s eyes finally leave my girl as he walks off with Gavin.
My girl? Shit, my stomach is already twisting. Whatever is going on in my head, I need to slow it way the fuck down before I end up hurting both of us.
****
Isabelle
Kate’s house is starting to feel like home, especially now that everyone seems to have accepted me. Everyone acts relaxed with Kiran and I being together, which is a big difference from a few short days ago.
I think it helps that Kate appears almost happy to see Kiran acting affectionate toward me. Anytime we’re in the same room, he’s always touching me. He holds my hand, drapes his arm over my shoulder, or will brush my hair behind my ear. Kate’s eyes soften every time I catch her watching us.
“Have you heard from Damian?” Kate asks once Tanner left for his hotel and Callie was in bed for the night.
“No,” I sadly say. “I haven’t either.” Kate nervously clears her throat.
“Something has to be wrong. He’s never gone this long without contacting me, and I know if he hasn’t reached out to you then it has to be because something horrible has happened.” I push down the pain her comment causes.
“Babe,” Gavin says in warning.
“Oh God. I’m sorry, Belle. I can’t believe I said that to you of all people.” Kate’s voice cracks, proving how hard she’s taking Damian’s disappearance.
“No, it’s okay. Not that it makes it any easier, but I’ve always known this day was coming. You can’t live the kind of life Damian’s lives without serious repercussions.” My body tenses as I voice one of my biggest fears. “I always figured I would go down with him.” My voice is barely a whisper.
Kate reaches out and places her hand over mine. “Thank God you didn’t.” Yet. Whatever is happening isn’t over yet. I know that much. Damian might be dead, he might be hiding, but I won’t know what I’m dealing with until the dust finally settles.
“I made plans for Isabelle and I. We’ll be gone all weekend,” Kiran says with a hard look, almost like he’s bracing for Kate’s reaction.
“All weekend?” she repeats, looking over to me.
I nod my head and look over at Kiran. “We’re testing the waters so to speak, and having three extra people around puts a damper on that, especially when one of them is only five years old,” Kiran says as a way of explaining himself.
Gavin coughs and mumbles, “No shit.”
Kate elbows him in the ribs and laughs. “You better start apartment hunting. Alex said he’d have everything wrapped up and be here in less than a month. Since Belle is here, we don’t have an extra room for him to stay in.” Kate’s comment is a reminder that this isn’t my home.
“Alex can have my room,” I rush out, causing all three of them to argue with me, but it’s Kiran’s comment that rings loudest in my head. “She can always stay with me in my room if I don’t find something before he gets here.” My chest tightens and I can feel more flutters in my stomach. But the truth of the matter is, I doubt I’ll be here in a month. Every day I wake up and I’m still in Denver, I’m shocked. Whatever my fate holds, I’m positive it will make itself known before another month passes.
“We’ll figure something out,” I add instead of voicing my real fear: being taken away from the people that I have grown an attachment to.
“You’re right. Everything will be fine,” Kate says more to herself than anyone else. “I’m tired. I think I’ll turn in for the night,” Kate announces before she gives Gavin a squeeze and walks toward the stairs.
When he’s sure she won’t hear him, Gavin looks straight at me. “Before...what you said, it was the truth, wasn’t it? You don’t know what’s happened to Damian?” he questions as Kiran squeezes my hand.
“It’s the truth. More than likely someone would have claimed his death by now, which leaves me to believe he’s gone underground, and Damian would never do that if his life wasn’t being seriously threatened.”
“Do you have any idea who’s after him?” Gavin asks, causing me to laugh.
I look Gavin straight in the eyes. “The list of people who isn’t after Damian is shorter.” I’m exhausted and on edge from our conversation. “Damian is known in the news for smuggling drugs but he mainly deals with guns. A couple of years ago, he took over a large shipment from another cartel and in turn started a war between himself and half of Mexico. This isn’t the first time he’s done something like this, making the list of people who could be after him endless.”
Since the day I learned about Kate Reynolds and the fact that she’s Damian’s real daughter, I’ve notice Damian’s behavior change. He acts with a sense of caution—something he’s never done before. Looking back, the only thing that’s different in his life is Kate, a daughter who’s out in the world on her own. A daughter that was made public, meaning anyone who wants to hurt Damian has an easy way to do it.
“Do you really think Kate is safe?” Gavin asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. I chew on my lip, debating if I should tell him what I know
, but after living with Gavin and Kate, I feel a sense of loyalty to them as well.
“I was told your house is rigged with a state of the art security system. That’s one of the reasons why Damian wants me here.” Gavin's face morphs from calm to livid in seconds.
“He what?” he growls.
“Chill,” Kiran tells him before looking at me. “What kind of system?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m sure whatever it is, it doesn’t cross a line.” Gavin’s eyes darken even more. “I mean, I’m sure he doesn’t have cameras in rooms that would invade your privacy.”
“Having any type of system that I didn’t set up is an invasion of our privacy,” Gavin says in a harsh voice while Kiran nods his head in agreement.
“Unfortunately, even when Damian’s heart is in the right place, he shows a serious lack of respect for others. All he cares about is making sure no one gets to Kate and hurt her.” Gavin’s eyes snap to mine and I see some of the tension melt away. I’m not defending Damian, but I’ve seen firsthand the type of people he does business with, and I’m positive none of them are men Gavin want showing up at his door.
“I’m going to go check on Callie,” Gavin says before he walks out of the kitchen.
Kiran is watching me with a blank expression. “I’m sorry,” I say when he makes no attempt to speak.
“What are you sorry about?”
I exhale. “About the security system.”
Kiran’s brows bunch. “Did you have anything to do with it being installed?” he presses. “No. But I didn’t immediately tell anyone when I found out,” I add, turning my face away from him.
“Hey, look at me,” Kiran says, taking a step closer. I force a smile and glance at him. He reaches out and brushes his thumb across my chin. “In my opinion, your father doesn’t deserve an ounce of your loyalty, but you give it to him nonetheless, and it’s hard not to respect the hell out of that.” Kiran’s gorgeous smile beams down at me. “But ...” he adds, watching me closely, “I’ll protect you if you give me the chance. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re safe at the end of the day, but you have to tell me what I’m working with. If you keep something from me, it could do more harm than good.” He quietly waits for my response.
I raise my chin and look him directly in the eyes. “I’m not keeping anything from you. I promise.” His eyes dance back and forth between mine. “If something happens to Kate or myself, it would devastate Damian. Most people call Damian heartless, but I can assure you he’s not. He doesn’t love often, but when he does, he loves with everything he has, and that includes crossing lines that most parents would never dream of.” I push down the pain I’m feeling and grin. “Right or wrong, Damian didn’t mean to invade Kate’s privacy. He wants to keep her safe. I think it’s because of that he sent me here.” Kiran’s eyes soften. “Out of everywhere he could have sent me, he told me to come here. He placed the only two people he loves in the same house and the only reason I can come up with is...it’s safe.”
Gavin would never thank Damian for protecting Kate because it’s due to Damian that she needs someone’s protection. Right or wrong, he’s doing everything he can to ensure her safety.
Kiran finally nods his head and licks his lips. “Okay. Promise me you’ll keep me informed.”
I immediately nod my head yes. “I promise.”
Kiran’s shoulders relax as his eyes glaze over. “Go get a good night’s rest. I’ll pick you up when I get off work then we’ll go spend the weekend together.”
My body lights up from the idea of what’s to come. “Sounds perfect,” I say as I gently place my lips on his. Before he has the chance to deepen our kiss, I pull back. “Tomorrow,” I add as I start walking toward the stairs.
“Tomorrow,” he repeats with a look that tells me I’m about to have the best weekend of my life.
****
All day Friday, I stressed over my pending weekend with Kiran. It’s not that I don’t want to go with him or do what we’re planning. It’s that my nervousness about what’s to come have finally set in. I always figured when the day came that I’d finally have sex it would be something that happened in a lust driven moment—not something planned in advance.
Knowing my nerves are on edge, I decide I need to swim. I need to let go of some of the tension that’s clinging to both my body and mind. As I’m walking up the stairs, I hear the front door open as Kate walks in with a box in her hands.
“Hey, you’re just the person I was looking for,” she says with a bright smile.
“I am?” I turn and walk back down toward her.
“Friday’s are my early days. I stopped by to have lunch with Gavin and Kiran asked me to give you this.” Kate offers me the box in her hands.
“He did?” I question as I accept the offering. “What is it?” I ask.
Kate shrugs. “I have no idea. He just asked me to make sure you got this before he comes to pick you up.” I stare down at the box, completely lost as to what he could have given me.
With the box in hand, I walk over to the couch and slowly open it while Kate watches. After I pull the lid off, I move tissue paper out of the way to find a beautiful, yellow, strapless sundress. “Oh my gosh.” I gasp as I pull the dress out of the box.
Kate’s eyes widen. “Holy crap.” I pull the dress against my body and it looks like it will fit perfectly.
“He bought this for me?” My voice mirrors the confusion I’m feeling.
“I guess. The box was sitting on his desk when I got there.” Kate chews on her lip while I go back to admiring the dress. I wear nice things all the time at home, but this is the first time a man has purchased me something as a gift, and I know as long as I live I’ll remember exactly how this moment made me feel.
“Belle.” Kate waits for me to look at her. I tear my eyes away from the dress with my smile still in place.
“When you first got here, I think Kiran, like Gavin, was concerned about what might happened to the four of us by allowing you to stay with us. However, after a few days, I saw the way he looked at you and it frightened me. I’ve only known Kiran for a little over a year, but the very few times I’ve seen him around a female it left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t want that for you. That’s why I butted in where I didn’t belong and I’m sorry because I was wrong.” Kate reaches out and tugs on my hand. “I don’t know why Kiran is different with you, but he is and this dress is the proof of that.”
Kate’s words cause me to fight back happy tears, something that is extremely rare for me. “Thank you,” I add, feeling upbeat for the first time in my life.
“No, Belle. Thank you.”
“I think I’ll go get ready for my date.” My need to swim suddenly vanishes. I pick up the dress, run up to my room, pick up my cell, and then type out a text.
Me: Thank you.
Seconds pass before he replies.
Kiran: You’re welcome. Pack your suitcase. I’ll be there to pick you up in about an hour.
An hour? Crap, it’s only a little after three in the afternoon. I grab my things and I head to the bathroom. I have a hot date to get ready for, and I want to make sure I look my best.
Isabelle
The dress Kiran picked out for me fits perfectly. I fixed my make-up and left my hair down. Thankfully, Kate popped her head in and gave me a pair of strappy heels that look great paired with my new dress.
I pull out my extra clothing and pack everything else I will need then go downstairs.
I’m waiting in the living room when I’m startled by the sound of the doorbell. Since I’ve moved in, I’ve never heard the doorbell ring and I have no idea if I should answer it or not.
“Kate?” I holler when I hear it ring again. Hesitantly, I make my way over to the door and peek out the side window to find Kiran standing on the other side of the door. With a smile on my face, I open the door. “What are you doing?” I ask with a laugh in my voice.
The smile on Kiran’s face slow
ly melts away as another emotion takes over. “Good God, Isabelle. You look ...” he trails off, rubbing his hand over his face. “You look better than the million dirty fantasies I’ve had all damn day.” His words cause my face to flush. I have no idea what Kiran wore to work today, but he’s currently dressed to kill. He’s wearing a blue shirt with the collar left unbuttoned paired with dark jeans. Kiran looks sexy when he wears his usual outfit consisting of khaki shorts and a t-shirt, but that’s nothing compared to how he looks at the moment.
I clear my throat. “Why did you ring the bell? You live here.”
Kiran’s eyes dance back and forth between mine. “Because you live here and I happen to be here to take you out.”
He once again causes flutters in my stomach.
“Oh,” I breathily say.
“I told you, Isabelle. I’m going to give you a weekend you’ll never forget.” He gives me a breathtaking smile that captures my heart.
“Ready?” I nod when I can’t find my voice as Kiran offers me his arm. “Let’s go.”
He walks me to the passenger side of his car and opens the door. I slide in as he walks my bag around and places it in the trunk, and then we’re off.
“I haven’t lived here long so I’m a newbie on where to go but I made us reservations at a place that’s not far from our hotel.” My heart speeds up from the unexpected thought Kiran has put into our weekend. My mind is racing as he reaches over and laces my hand with his. I glance over at him to find him grinning as he drives.
It’s not long before we arrive at a fancy restaurant. Kiran hands over his keys to a valet. After placing his hand on the small of my back, we walk in together.
“Reservations for Clark,” Kiran tells the hostess.
“This way.” Kiran’s hand returns to the small of my back as he leads me to our table. It’s probably my imagination, but it feels like every person in the restaurant stops to watch us walk by.
“Your waiter will be right with you.”
I sit down then so does Kiran, but instead of opening his menu, he stares at me. “What?” I ask, tamping down my nerves.
Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) Page 10