by Lee Kilraine
“That’s one theory.” Vivian tapped her chin with her finger and raised her eyebrows. “Want to hear mine?”
“Sure.” She stopped pacing and plopped onto the bed.
“I think dear old Dad left you so screwed up that you’ve been subconsciously sabotaging your own happiness. You’ve been picking the wrong men all along to protect yourself from falling in love. Because who can trust love after what we saw growing up?”
Subconsciously sabotaging her own happiness. Oh boy. It made sense. A lot of sense.
“Enough about that bastard. Luckily, he’s long gone. Let’s get back to the current bastard. So why do you think Ivan had me fired?”
“I think it’s possible he had you fired and then made sure to run into you, asked you to give me a message even, as a way to put pressure on me. Like he’s trying to scare me back together with him. Very twisted. Gosh, who does he remind you of?”
“Dear old Papi. It’s a good thing you broke up with him.”
“Darn good. Hey, the good news is, I’m the only one screwed up. Papi didn’t mess you up. I mean, you and Roger are apart now, but you always get back together, right?”
“About that.” Vivian huffed out a breath. “Here’s my true confession: There is no Roger. Never was.”
“What? What do you mean?” Mira sat up straighter and watched as her sister took a turn pacing the room. “I’ve met Rog—oh my goodness . . . I’ve never actually met Roger. All these years and I’ve never met him?”
Vivian had stopped pacing and stood chewing her thumbnail down to the quick. “Nope. I made him up. So you and Mami wouldn’t worry about me.”
“Well, it worked. I never worried about you. I figured unlike me, you had your life together.”
Vivian sat back on the couch and gripped her knees with her hands. “Truer confession time. I’ve never actually gone on a date.”
“Never?”
“Not once. After what I saw our mother go through, I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“Aren’t we a pair?”
“Sí. The crazy Díaz sisters.” Vivian sighed.
“No.” Mira strode over to the couch and sat facing her sister. “No, we aren’t crazy. We’re not. We’re survivors. The only crazy thing we did was not rely on each other.”
“It’s amazing how much damage one person can do, isn’t it?”
“Tell me about it. But you know what? I refuse to let them win. Not Ivan and not Papi. We’re going to have the last laugh because we’re going to live happy lives even if we have to fight for them. From here on out let’s be the amazing Díaz sisters. Deal?”
“Deal.” Vivian beamed at her with moist eyes. “Speaking of happy lives . . . tell me more about Kaz. You were a little fuzzy with the details. Where did you meet him and is he single?”
Mira decided not to tell her sister she’d searched Kaz out because she’d planned to disappear. No point in upsetting her when she’d changed her plans. Ivan’s threat had stopped her dead in her tracks. She’d made a mental about-face. There was no way she was running away after Ivan had involved her sister. No. Whatever twisted thing was between them was going to stay between them—and that meant she couldn’t disappear.
But she darn well wasn’t going to be an easy victim either. Which was why she was going all-in on not just Kaz’s self-defense lessons, she was going to get serious about getting fit too. And learn how to live in this digital world safely without leaving a trail for any crazy to track her down.
“I met Kaz when I delivered a singing Elvis gram to his brother. I was on my way out of town when I got in the accident”—she gave her sister the side-eye when she gasped—“with a bull.”
“What?” Vivian jumped up from the couch, grabbing Mira’s shoulder and turning her around as if looking for damage. “Dios mío, Mira. A bull? You said it was a small fender bender! You’re the most stupidly independent sister in the world. You’ve got to tell me these things!”
“I’m okay. Just a concussion and a few stitches.” She lifted the sleeve of her T-shirt to show her. “My car, on the other hand, is not okay and it’s taking a while to get the parts in to fix it.”
“Goodness, that’s terrible luck. Stuck in a hick town called Climax with a very attractive man.” Vivian pursed her lips and sighed loudly. “Such a hardship.”
“Oh, stop. Everyone’s been extremely kind. The owner of the bull is covering my medical bills and car repair costs and Kaz and his family helped me heal from the concussion. One sweet elderly lady is fixing my torn Elvis costume and they’re fixing my guitar down at the music shop. Climax has been great, but I plan to head back to Greensboro very soon.”
“Why exactly? It’s not like you have a job waiting there for you. You did happen to notice how extremely hot Kaz is, didn’t you?”
“Oh, do you think so?” Mira angled her face away and avoided her sister’s eyes.
“Ha! If that blush is anything to go by, that explains the way Kaz looked at you.”
“Kaz didn’t—” The memory of his warm brown eyes heated her up and sent tingles of awareness and need through her. “He’s helping me, Vi. That’s all. I told him a little about my problems with Ivan and he offered self-defense lessons while I’m stuck here in Climax. Plus, he’s teaching me how to make it harder for Ivan—well, anyone really—to track me digitally. And that’s it. There was no look.”
“Then why are you blushing again?”
Chapter Seventeen
Mira and Vivian spent the next few days making up for lost sister time. They window-shopped and talked and sipped wine on Kaz’s deck and talked some more. They dropped by the mall and bought enough items for a spa day at home. Well, Kaz’s home of course. Setting up in his kitchen, they blended up avocado and honey hair masks and yogurt, cocoa, and banana mud facials. Their feet soaked in buckets of lavender water while they buffed, polished, and lacquered their fingernails.
Mira had to give Kaz credit. Many men would have taken one look at them and the tableau of colorful treatments and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Not Kaz.
“So what is all of this supposed to do?” He leaned against the counter, smiling a sexy, lopsided smile, and watched for a bit like a scientist observing an experiment.
“Make us beautiful.” Vivian’s hair was piled high up on her head in a wet, green, gloopy mess. Her face was covered in a deep brown mud mask, now dried and beginning to crack. And her neck, chest, and legs were shimmering with a neon-pink olive oil sugar scrub. She lifted a tea bag off one eye to peer up at him.
Do you know what that smart man did? Not a thing.
Not a smirk. Not a laugh. Not a comment. Not a condescending “you ladies were already beautiful” or a comment about the fact that they looked anything but beautiful with the layers of gook on every exposed body part.
He picked up the blender from the counter and sniffed it. “What’s in this? Smells like avocado.”
“Avocado, honey, and olive oil.”
“Nothing else?” He dabbed his finger in for a taste. “Not bad. Mind if I use some?”
“Go ahead.” Mira waved her hand carefully; her nail polish was still tacky. “Once it oxidizes it’s no good anyway.”
That had Vivian removing both tea bags from her eyes. “This is refreshing. A man who doesn’t mind catering to his feminine side. What are you going to use it on? Your hair—which is great, by the way—or your face?”
“Sandwiches. I thought I’d make us all grilled red pepper, hummus, and avocado sandwiches for lunch.” With a wink at Mira, he proceeded to do just that.
Vivian threw a wow-would-you-look-at-that look over to Mira as Kaz took easy command of his kitchen.
Right? There was something about a man who took control that made her lose control. Something about a man who fed her food so delicious it didn’t even taste healthy. Oooh yeah. Throw in that the man was sexy as sin but didn’t seem to know it and she might be in trouble. Yep. The warm swirl of heat low in h
er stomach was proof of that. Oh boy.
Pulling her gaze off Kaz, she looked at Vivian, who was staring at her with a knowing eyebrow raise and a cheesy grin. She shook her head at her sister even as the heat flushed up over her cheeks. If Mira wasn’t careful, her sister was going to prod her exactly where Mira knew she shouldn’t go. Right into the arms of Kaz Cates.
* * *
The few days of Vivian’s visit ended up being some of the most fun Mira had had in a long time. The last time she’d seen her sister was months ago, just before Mira had fled Miami for Tallahassee. Phone calls simply weren’t the same. It was a chance for Mira and her sister to reconnect.
Trying to protect each other by keeping their problems hidden wasn’t the real problem. It all traced back to their father. Yes, dear Papi was the gift that kept on giving. Thanks to him neither sister was comfortable with trust. They should have trusted each other. Trusted that not only could they handle each other’s burdens but that they wanted to.
Well, they were making up for all those lost years and confidences now. So many stories and memories to relate and tears to shed but also much laughter to share. It was truly a magical few days.
Vivian had even attended the second self-defense class at the gym, although now that it was the day after she was having a few regrets.
“Ow.” Vivian carefully lowered herself onto a kitchen stool next to Mira. “Whose great idea was it for me to attend that class?”
Mira pointed to Kaz, who was blending up a round of organic green smoothies for them all. “His. Ouch. That hurt just moving my arm.”
“Ladies, you’re doing great. The pain won’t last long.” He poured the smoothies into glasses and slid one in front of each of them. “This will help. My post-workout shake with spinach, cherry juice, and turmeric. Cheers.”
Mira couldn’t pull her gaze away from him as he downed his drink. Watching the muscles move in his throat as he swallowed actually did distract her from her pain for a few seconds. Until Kaz left the kitchen for his office and her sister elbowed her in her ribs.
“Ow. What?”
“I think I’m going to Raleigh today.”
“The shake isn’t that bad, Vi. He’s made me drink a few of them and it really does help with the pain.” She raised the glass and took a healthy swallow, nodding at her sister. “See?”
“No, silly. I got a call from one of my sorority sisters late last night. She’s been working in Raleigh and she said her PR firm is about to expand. One of the jobs they’re hiring for is a public affairs specialist, which is right up my alley. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head to Raleigh to look into it.”
“Of course I don’t mind. That’s great news. Would you be willing to relocate?”
“Absolutely. Especially if you end up staying in Climax.”
“I don’t have plans to stay in—”
“You may not be ready to admit it, but there’s something between you and Kaz.”
“What? No, no, there isn’t. Pfft.”
“Remember our deal? I’ve watched the two of you together over the last few days. He makes you happy, Mira. Choose happy.”
* * *
Choose happy. What a concept. If Vi’s theory was right, Mira had been sabotaging her own happiness for years now by choosing the wrong men on purpose. It was a crazy theory, but boy, it went a long way to explaining her complete relationship failures. A married man, a closeted gay man, and a psycho stalker.
Vi was right. Kaz did make her happy. He was smart, kind, curious, logical, and very sexy. They even complemented each other. She liked to talk while he liked to listen. He liked to cook and she liked to eat. Based on his bookshelves, they shared similar reading tastes. He liked martial arts and she loved watching him practice.
Choosing to hang out with Kaz didn’t have to mean anything. They were simply two friends who enjoyed some of the same things. Museums, gaming, Marvel movies, science fiction, and astronomy were only a few of the things they’d found they both liked.
Choose happy.
Closing her borrowed laptop with a click, she walked down the hall to his office to find him. He wasn’t there. Not in the kitchen or out in the backyard. Hmmm. His bedroom? It was on the opposite side of the house from her guest room. Shrugging, she walked down the hallway to his room. The door was open so she peeked in.
His bedroom was a true reflection of him. Kaz gave off a centered, inwardly aware-of-himself-and-where-he-fit-into-the-universe type vibe. Not peaceful necessarily. Calm, yet alert and waiting like a lion. The furniture was a warm teak, with clean, sparse lines. A king-size bed made up in soft gray sheets and a lightweight aqua blanket were soothing on the eyes. The room was just so Kaz. And it was also empty; Kaz wasn’t in there either.
Forcing herself to ignore the urge to check out his bathroom and closets too, she checked the basement gym. Jackpot. Oh, and what a jackpot, because he was stripped down to a pair of shorts and nothing else. She actually lost her breath at his beauty and had to lean against the door frame to recover . . . and watch.
He had his back to her and was going through some set of movements. His body was a work of art. Not the bulked-up muscles of a weight lifter, but long, lean, well-defined muscles and not a spare ounce of fat to be found. All sharp angles and elongated muscles, each one delineated sharply. Corded muscles rippled smoothly like a wave on the ocean as he moved with sureness and grace.
Sweat glistened along his shoulders and arms, catching the light with each wave and punch as he pushed and sliced the air around him. His half-sleeve tattoos had an almost henna quality of soft, barely there, pencil-thin lines of ink that turned sharply on themselves like a maze over and over. She wanted to trace her fingers over the lines. Over his muscled forearms and up his biceps, tight as tensile steel.
She was so busy ogling him she forgot about the mirrored wall. The one he was watching her watch him in. Until he cleared his throat and their eyes met in the mirror. She thought about being embarrassed at being caught, but would she be embarrassed admiring the statue of David? Of course she wouldn’t.
“So you’re pretty . . .” Her hand flailed as she waved it to include all of him from his gorgeous shoulders down to his bare feet and every inch of golden skin and taut muscles in between. “. . . fit. I mean I knew you were, I’ve just never seen you with your clothes off. I mean, most of your clothes.”
His lips quirked into a small smile before he turned, grabbing a towel off the bench against the wall, and ran it over his chest and abdomen. “What do you and your sister have planned for the afternoon?”
“Hmm?” She was hypnotized by every swipe. “Oh, actually, Vivian left a few hours ago. She’s going to spend a few days in Raleigh with a friend. I thought maybe if you were done working we could get a self-defense lesson in.”
“I’ll need to take a rain check. I agreed to be an emergency substitute on a panel at GamerCon in Greensboro tonight.”
Well, that sounded interesting. “Oh. I guess I’ll channel surf or, I don’t know, dust your plants or regrout the tile in your guest bathroom.”
He smiled. “Would you like to come with me?”
“I’d love to. We’ll need costumes, though.”
“I don’t usually wear a costume.”
“That’s half the fun. I mean, I don’t know because I’ve only been to one GamerCon and didn’t know to dress up—but it looked like a lot of fun.” She sighed, casting her eyes down before blinking them back up at him. “You know, forget I said anything.”
“You’re dangerous.” He pointed at her and then laughed and shook his head. “Fine, but all I’ve got are old Mario and Luigi costumes Paxton and I wore in college.”
“Twins! Lead me to my mustache. What panel are you on?”
He flushed and wiped the last few diamonds of sweat from his chest with his towel. “Sex and romance in online games.”
“Oh! Your VR research. Right.” She felt a little flushed herself remembering the experience. “But rom
ance, huh? You’re like an onion.”
“Technology is the onion. I’m simply helping peel back the layers so more people can utilize it. We’re really just scratching the surface.”
“I find this fascinating. I’m looking forward to listening to the panel. And green is my color, so can I be Luigi?”
* * *
A few hours later as they arrived back at Kaz’s, Mira was realizing she’d made a mistake. What had she been thinking when she’d asked Kaz if she could go with him to hear him discuss sex and romance? Oh, that’s right—she hadn’t been thinking. She’d been lusting and drooling over his hot, toned body.
Well, she was in quite a predicament. It had all started last week in Kaz’s kitchen with that first kiss. Another of her bright ideas. Not. Then the almost kiss, so hot it had boiled over into the virtual sex “research.” Toss in more close contact during the self-defense lessons and his half-naked kung fu workout and her medium simmer was back to a full boil. Tonight had turned up the heat and Mira was about to go up in flames.
She’d squirmed in her seat as Kaz’s deep voice discussed virtual sex in the most cool, clinical, and scientific terms. Mira had it so bad that she’d been aroused simply listening to Kaz talk thanks to that darn mind-body connection. Arousal. Orgasm. Release. Satisfaction. Pleasure.
Oh, she’d reached the arousal stage. The thirty-minute ride home in the dark, shadowy interior of his truck only added to her pent-up feelings. She’d kept up a steady stream of talk about the conference, but it was mostly to take her mind off the crazy impulse to slide across the truck’s bench seat and snuggle up to that hard body of his.
To stroke those lean muscles of his arm, to run her fingertips along his tattoos, to rest her head on his shoulder, or, better yet, let her lips nibble a path up his neck to his strong jaw. Or to pull the tie from his hair and run her fingers through the thick strands.