by Hadley Quinn
He seemed amused. “Fair enough. The restoration on the grill is amazing. I’m impressed. Four-oh-two under the hood?”
“Four-fifty-four,” she corrected.
His smile spread a little further and Kellie noticed how much that changed his entire demeanor. He seemed like a completely different person right now. Maybe she should have introduced him to the Chevelle upon meeting him. Possibly she would have been on his good side from the get-go.
“Don’t think I’ve ever met a girl that would drive something like this,” he faced her. “Kind of fits your boisterous personality.”
She gave him a level gaze. “Boisterous?”
“Yep, feisty,” he smirked as he headed for the front door of the building. “Oh, and I’ll keep all day open for you Sunday. We’ll finish your design, get you outlined, and get as much done as you can handle. Just let me know what time.”
Kellie scoffed at his brazenness. What if she didn’t feel like it? After their odd first encounter, maybe it wasn’t going to work out.
Before she could offer a witty refusal, Tate stepped through the door and said, “See you soon, Kellie. I look forward to it. Oh, and thanks for the charity kiss. Was wondering when I’d be the recipient of someone’s pity.”
She contrived a smile as she attempted to gauge his mood. Was he pissed that she thought he “needed” it? Yeah, that hadn’t come out right but she’d been too stubborn to be candid.
“Well, you know, I try to give back to the world now and then,” she replied with a shrug. She glanced at the time on her phone and added, “In fact, got another appointment in a couple hours so I’d better jet. Get some sleep, Tate,” she called as she got into her car.
“Have fun with your boyfriend,” he retorted back with a smirk.
She narrowed her eyes at him as he gave her a shrug in return—like he’d only taken a guess and her silence had confirmed it.
Well, she had nothing to lose at that point. She wasn’t coming back here anyway so she just let him think whatever he wanted.
“I sure will,” she waved out her window as she revved the engine to life and took off.
Chapter One
Five weeks later…
“Well this one looks better,” Sarah said, holding a lily to the side of Melanie’s face.
Mel glanced at Kellie for her opinion but all she could do was shrug. “Hey, I’m not a flower person,” Kellie reminded them. “But even though pink lilies are my favorites, they all look good on you.”
“Definitely go with the white,” Rayne said as she entered the floral shop from the back door. She dropped a pile of things on the far counter and added, “Is it seriously that time already?”
Melanie grinned, knowing that Rayne was just messing with her. “No, it’s finally that time,” she corrected her. “It doesn’t hurt to plan, but I feel like it’s still way too far away.”
“Three months,” Sarah smiled. “Perfect time to start planning.”
Kellie had just been a spectator when it came to the flower stuff. Tyse’s girlfriend was the florist, so it was a no-brainer to enlist Sarah for that aspect of the wedding. The dress, shoes, and other accessories were Kellie’s job to assist with. Camryn was in charge of practically everything else, but they’d all been willing to help with anything they could.
Melanie had dragged her to Sarah and Rayne’s shop at eight that morning—on a Saturday, for shit’s sake. Normally she’d sleep past ten because she didn’t work until one on Saturdays, but she joined the girls that morning since she wasn’t sleeping well anyway. When Melanie’s incessant texts came, Kellie gave in.
But she couldn’t stay long since she also had breakfast plans, and around ten-thirty she cast the girls her farewells.
“So when are you going to get your new ink?” Rayne asked when she hugged Kellie goodbye. “I thought you wanted to finish your back? You really need to meet my brother so he can get a design for you.”
Kellie studied Rayne carefully. Her interest was completely piqued from the mention of Tate, but Rayne had stated it so casually, Kellie knew she wasn’t aware they’d already met.
And it also appeared that he had never mentioned her either, and that one random thought that always popped up: Rayne had no idea how freaking hot her brother really was.
“I actually did meet him about a month ago,” Kellie admitted. “Before Christmas. I, uh, wasn’t that impressed with him, to be honest. He was kind of a dick.”
Rayne’s eyebrows shot sky high. Even Sarah and Melanie stopped what they were doing to listen in.
“He was a dick to you?” Rayne asked, seeming completely surprised as she ran a hand through her dark blue hair. “What do you mean? Tate is one of the most laid back guys I know. And he’s really quiet these days, kind of reserved. Are you mistaking that as being rude?”
Kellie shrugged. “I’m really not sure. He was short with me, didn’t seem to care about doing the work I wanted, and just seemed irritated in general. Is that the quiet and reserved you’re referring to?” she joked sarcastically.
“Um, no,” Rayne shook her head. “Seriously, I don’t understand. He usually just keeps to himself, and every now and then he’s a bit withdrawn. Are you sure you’re not misreading him?”
“I don’t know, maybe,” Kellie sighed, not sure she wanted to keep talking about Rayne’s brother. She hadn’t been able to rid her memory of his eyes ever since; the way he looked at her like he wanted to understand her entire story in one brief meeting. It wasn’t going to happen—she was way too guarded for that—but his inquisitive nature kind of made it seem like a possibility. “It’s not a big deal. I think maybe I caught him on a bad day or something. Anyway, I gotta get going or I’ll be late.”
“What’s your rush anyway?” Melanie smiled. “I thought you always sleep until noon on Saturdays.”
“Just food with a friend before work,” Kellie shrugged. “See you guys soon.”
“Bye, hon!” Melanie waved.
Kellie climbed into her car and headed back to Burbank. There was an amazing café down from where she worked and she tried to eat there a couple times a month. Mainly just with one person in particular since they’d discovered it together. It had kind of become a tradition whenever he was available to join her.
“Hey cuz,” Max smiled as she approached.
He was already sitting with a cup of coffee at a table in the back corner. It was private, and one of the few places she knew he felt comfortable being on his own without a bodyguard.
To many, he was the epitome of a sexy Hollywood heartthrob. In fact, he was the Hollywood icon of the decade—at least according to almost every magazine cover and celebrity news show.
To Kellie, he was just her older cousin; a goofy friend that she understood like no one else in her family did.
“Hey, you,” she smiled back as she dropped onto the padded bench across from him.
Her cousin definitely had that Hollywood hotness factor to him with his dark hair and deep blue eyes. His smile was gorgeous—when he relaxed enough to allow it to genuinely show—and it was also very contagious. When he smiled—for real and not to please an audience—it made Kellie smile, too.
He had a face meant for admiring.
“Where’s the little dude?” Kellie added.
“With his mom in Nevada for the next week.” His answer was slightly dour which was a reaction that Kellie could understand. Kate was a total lying whorebag.
She nodded, right as Wanda brought her a cappuccino just the way she liked it. “Thanks, babe,” Kellie smiled.
“You’re always welcome, sweet pea,” she winked. “The usual for you two?”
“For me, yes please,” Max agreed.
“Me too, except I’d like hash browns instead of sausage,” Kellie told her.
“You got it,” she grinned.
As soon as their waitress left, Kellie turned to Max and asked, “So? What’s new with you?”
His shrug was long and slow. “Mmm, not much.”
“What are you working on?”
“Finishing up Project Wishlist next week. And started prep for that military drama I told you about, the one we’re hoping can educate more people about POWs and war veterans.”
“Ah, very cool. I can’t wait to see that.”
“Sure you don’t want to be in it?” he smiled at her with a gleam in his eye. “Come on, Kells—the ‘McCallan Marilyn.’ The hero comes back from war and his woman has been holding together the farm without him. Not exactly a farm, but you know you’d nail that role.”
“Yeah, right. I’m the chick that Dear-Johns the guy before he even leaves.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I know,” she laughed. “Speaking of assholes, how’s the rest of the family?”
He smiled good-naturedly. “Same, I guess. Dad and Grandpa always bitching about what the fuck is wrong with ‘the other kids’ in the family.”
“Hmm, they still don’t get that we like being ‘the other kids’?”
“You know it doesn’t work that way with them.”
“No, unfortunately I do know that. And I really wish you weren’t such a dick to everyone right along with them.”
Max sighed and shook his head. “Kellie, you’re the only one that understands, but you still don’t get me sometimes.”
“No, you just don’t trust me on this. If you’d let down some of your defenses and just be yourself once in a while… Things would go back to the way they used to be.”
“Trust has nothing to do with it because I do trust that you believe what you’re saying. The thing is, you’re totally naïve to the position I’m in.”
Kellie released a heavy sigh as she shook her head. “People fuck up all the time, Max. The thing with Kate and Teague and that entire mess a few years ago was a shitty thing, and I know that you never intended on hurting him like that, but you’d be surprised at the capacity that guy has to forgive. I wish you would just tell him what really happened. I thought things were going better between you two, but then you decided to be a fucker and keep Chase from him—”
“You have—” He took a moment to rein in his temper as he clenched his jaw tight, but Kellie already knew where they were heading with this.
“I know why, Max, and I’m sorry about that. I really am. But they don’t know that. They don’t know why you’re back to being a total dick about it.”
He didn’t respond at first. Part of their order came anyway so they both proceeded to consume their breakfast.
Finally Max paused and looked at Kellie. “So what would you do if you were me?” he asked softly.
She put down her fork and studied him earnestly. Her cousin was one of the most beautifully misunderstood people in the entire world and it had been breaking her heart for the past four years. Not only had he dealt with a total dysfunctional family his entire life, but it had to be ripped apart by the media, as well. It was bad enough having those heartaches in life, but to have them exploited to make a better story… It just wasn’t right. No one had a clue what the guy had been through.
“I’d stop being so guarded, Max. You are one of the sweetest guys I know and you act like a goddamn prick because you don’t know how to please your dad and be yourself at the same time. For the fiftieth fucking time… You are selling yourself short, cousin. You are so talented and successful with your career…but are you really, truly happy?”
He mindlessly smeared his biscuit in gravy as he murmured, “You know the answer to that.”
God, it broke her heart to constantly be in this position. It was like knowing the secret identity to somebody but never being able to tell anyone. Teague always referred to his brother as the villain not the superhero like the public deemed him. But Kellie knew a side to Max that he never allowed anyone else to see. It had been killing her to hear Teague and Jay despise him for so many reasons when they didn’t know the whole story. Tyse seemed to have a little more tolerance for Max, but maybe that was because he was new to the family.
“Let’s move to a different country for a year,” Kellie said with a smile.
“Why?” he smiled back. “So you can avoid your arranged marriage with Jaron Lancaster?”
She laughed out loud. “Oh God, they aren’t still on that, are they?”
“Yep,” he nodded. “Just the other day my dad mentioned it.”
“Well one of these days I’m just gonna say it outright that I’m pretty sure I’m not Jaron’s gender preference. You all don’t see it,” she waved a playful finger. “But I’m telling you now, that boy is only doing himself harm in the long run by keeping it a secret. I told your dad when he cast him, but he didn’t believe me. Or maybe he does know and he’s waiting for it to be exploited by the media for more attention. He’s a clever bastard.”
Max chuckled. “Please let me be there when you bring it up again.
“I’ll come over to Grandpa’s next Friday for dinner,” she smiled.
“Ohhh, a dinner scene,” he nodded. “I like it. And can you add something else like ‘And I’m pregnant with a homeless guy’s baby!’ or something with similar jaw-dropping effect. I’ll buy you a new car.”
“Oh my God, how about I’m now starring in adult films?”
“Oh shit, I’ll buy you a house. Come on, Kell, you know you want out of the apartment for a house.”
Kellie found herself giggling like a damn kid. She paused and studied him again. “Seriously, Max, why can’t you joke like this for real with them? What’s the worst that could happen? You’re established in your own career, you don’t need them. Do you?”
He looked her over carefully and exhaled. “No, I don’t. But they seem to need me. I’m in the position I’m in because of my dad and grandpa. I can’t just be a compulsive asshole and do whatever the fuck I want like Teague does. Because of my brother’s deviation, I get the hell for the both of us. And because of Tyse, I have no desire to be around him, either.”
Kellie had no response. It was a shitty situation to be in, and no matter how many times she tried to get Max to listen to her advice, she actually understood his reasons for why he shouldn’t.
It was a tangled mess for sure.
Chapter Two
Kellie flipped the card over in her hand for the tenth time and sighed. She had absolutely no logical reason for why she should give Tate her business, but there was something that had been bugging her ever since. He was intriguing, but she also wanted to give him another chance because he was fine as hell and definitely worth swallowing her pride for.
That was so superficial and she hated herself for it. She’d never been hooked on a guy because of how he looked; she saw thousands of “beautiful people” every week. No guy had ever caught her attention quite like Tate had and it was something she really needed to comprehend.
Those eyes…
“What’s got you quiet?” Brandon asked as he rejoined her on the couch. He set two beers on the coffee table and waited for her response instead of restarting the movie they’d been watching.
Kellie paused as she considered a reply. Brandon was the type of guy she could probably share anything with and he wouldn’t cast judgment. They were actually friends with benefits more than anything, and although they’d agreed on that from the start, Kellie was still hesitant to get too close. She didn’t like opening herself up to feel vulnerable to anyone.
“Meh, just thinking about more ink,” she answered, holding up the business card before tossing it onto the end table. “I’m feeling indecisive.”
“I thought you already had something picked out?”
“Sort of,” she shrugged. “I want to finish what’s on my back. But I’m just hitting a wall, I think. I don’t know.”
“Hmm, well no hurry then. Don’t do it until you’re sure.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve pretty much decided,” she smiled. But deep down inside she didn’t feel so happy. That feeling of discontent was eating away at her and she didn’t like it.
<
br /> Brandon playfully tackled her onto the couch and slid her shirt down from the neck. He kissed a tattoo on the front of her shoulder—the skull with a pair of kissable lips—and asked, “What’s this one mean?”
Kellie pulled her shirt away a little more to look it over. Every single one of her tattoos had meaning, and even though she was always willing to share their significance if someone asked, some held more depth than others.
This was one of them.
“Well…basically it represents someone who’ll put out but doesn’t feel or connect to anything from it. Affectionate and all—the lips—but completely unavailable otherwise. The skull. Dead.”
He looked up and studied her for a second. “Are you talking about yourself?”
She shrugged. “Yeah.”
“You’re not completely dead inside, Kell. I think you’re too hard on yourself. You have a big heart and the right guy is gonna realize that.”
She shrugged again but smiled. “I’m fine with the way I am. I don’t need a guy to ‘complete’ me,” she used air quotes.
“It’s not about finding someone that completes you, but finding someone that loves you completely the way you are.”
“Aww that’s so poetic,” she teased. She pulled him down and kissed his lips. “You almost made me feel something there.”
He laughed. “I lied. You’re such a cold-hearted bitch. I thought for sure that would chip away that block of ice in your chest.”
“Nope, not quite.”
“Damn it, I should have had chocolate, too.”
“Nope, not chocolate. Maybe some nachos.”
Brandon laughed again. “This girl is won over by nachos. Got it.”
“No, there is no ‘winning over’ at all,” she cocked an eyebrow at him. “Unless you added a margarita.”
Laughing, he shook his head but continued to kiss her. “You’re a hopeless case.”
“But not entirely useless,” she grinned back.
***
“Okay, where is he?” Kellie called as she entered Camryn and Teague’s backyard. Her eyes scanned every human body until she spotted the one she was looking for. Teague was sitting on the deck with a couple of his friends, but Kellie went straight for the baby in his arms.