Breathless

by Cheryl Douglas

  “I didn’t… I mean…” He inhaled unevenly. “That’s not why I came here. I really did want to talk to you about your living arrangements.”

  “I know. And we did… talk about it.” She cleared her throat when her voice came out hoarse. “But I meant what I said. I’m not going to let you call the shots.”

  “Baby, please.” He slid his hand into her hair, holding her face captive. “Do this for me.”

  Wow. She was willing to bet a woman would do anything for him when he begged, but she wasn’t easily manipulated and he wasn’t asking for a small favor. “I can’t.” She tried to inch out from beneath him, but he pinned her with his body. His very lean and sculpted body. She swallowed, trying to ignore his obvious arousal, but that wasn’t easy when it prodded her where she needed it most. She hadn’t slept with anyone since Biagio, and her body was telling her she was long overdue.

  “I’m worried about you,” he whispered, his eyes shifting to her mouth. “I… care about you. A lot.”

  “You’re sweet to be concerned, but you don’t need to be. I’m gonna be fine.” Just as soon as you step back, and I remember how to breathe again.

  “Stay with me for a couple of months, until you get back on your feet.”

  “A couple of months? No way! That’s not going to happen.”

  “Give me one good reason.”

  He looked angry, but she didn’t care. He was being totally unreasonable. “It may surprise you to know I have a life. I date. How do you expect me to get to know anyone while I’m living with you?”

  He lifted his shoulder and played with the drawstring inside the waistband of her yoga pants. “So maybe you’ll take a little hiatus from dating. Would that be so terrible?”

  “Yes!” She heaved an exasperated sigh. Was he really that clueless? “I have needs, Armstrong. I’m not going to put them on the shelf just to appease you and Ava and your control-freak of a brother!” Pushing his chest, she tried to make a break for it, but his arms closed around her waist.

  “Think about the dirtbags who hang around those seedy motels. You can’t tell me you’d feel safe there. What’s more important: getting laid or staying safe?”

  She gasped, shocked by his audacity. Who the hell did he think he was? “I’m sorry, have you ever gone months without sex? I’m willing to bet you couldn’t last a week.” He didn’t need to know she’d been celibate for the past year.

  “I’ll take that bet. In fact, if you agree to stay with me, I’ll suffer right along with you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “If you can’t date, I won’t either.”

  “That’s stupid.” She had to admit torturing him may make it worth it. Going without sex wouldn’t be a huge sacrifice with her battery-operated friend in her nightstand drawer, but she had a feeling Keith would be ready to tear his hair out by the end of the month. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it could be fun.

  “I can tell you’re thinking about it.” He smirked. Extending his hand, he asked, “Come on, do we have a deal?”

  She looked from his hand to his face as the wheels in her head turned. “Fine, but I refuse to stay that long. I’ll stay until I get a couple more paychecks. One month, tops. That should give me a chance to save up move-in expenses and find an apartment.”

  He grinned. “It’s a deal. One month.”

  “It’s only a deal if you let me buy groceries and cook the meals. I refuse to mooch off you.”

  Keith laughed, and she knew he thought she was being ridiculous. He earned millions of dollars a year as the vice president of Armstrong Investments.

  “Those are my terms,” she said, crossing her arms. “Take them or leave them.”

  “I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”

  The phone rang, and Tara walked around her desk to check the call display. Unknown caller. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone and forced a smile. “Lasting Connections. This is Tara. How can I help you?”

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  Sinking into her swivel chair, Tara turned her back to Keith. He would read the distress on her face too easily. “Why are you calling me?” she said quietly. “I thought I made myself clear. I don’t want you to call me again.”

  “I drove by your old place today. Such a shame what happened to it.”

  The hair on Tara’s arms stood up. “Why were you driving by my place?” How many times had he done it, unbeknownst to her?

  “I wanted to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  She couldn’t tell him off because Keith was standing right behind her, undoubtedly hanging on her every word. “The feeling is not mutual.”

  “Don’t be like that, doll. Tell me, where are you staying now that you’re… homeless?”

  She could almost hear his amusement. The parasite. He was probably getting a kick out of her predicament. He knew how precarious her financial situation was, and he likely thought he could use her misfortune to his advantage. Too bad the joke was on him. “I’m staying with a friend.”

  “Ava?”

  “No, you don’t know him.”

  “Him?”

  His famous jealous streak reared its ugly head again, but Tara would get the last laugh. “That’s right.”

  “Who is it? Someone you’re seeing?”

  “No, Keith’s just a friend.” After their kiss, she wondered if Keith would agree with that assessment. She didn’t dare turn around to read his expression.

  “Keith? Not Keith Armstrong, Ava’s fiancée’s brother?”

  She cursed herself for using Keith’s first name. Of course Biagio had heard about Ava’s engagement. It had been all over the newspapers, and in every story about Armstrong Investments, the two brothers’ names appeared. “I have to get back to work. Please don’t call me again.”

  After hanging up, she turned around to face the inevitable. Refusing to look up, she slid her finger across her computer’s mouse. “I really should get back to work, Keith.”

  “Not so fast.” Fisting his hands on her desk, he leaned in. “Who was that?”

  “No one.”

  “It sounded like it was someone you didn’t want to talk to. Your ex, maybe?”

  Tara knew there was no sense lying about it. “So what if it was?”

  “He knew about the fire?”

  “I guess so.”

  Why did he have to smell so damn good when she was still wearing her sweats from last night? At least she’d been able to borrow Ava’s shampoo and body wash to make herself look presentable. She’d have to max out her credit card to stock up on the staples before returning home. Home. Not her home, Keith’s. She no longer had a fixed address. Just thinking about being homeless made her heart hurt.

  “How?”

  “He said he drove by.”

  “Why?”

  Frowning, Tara leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “What is this, twenty questions? How am I supposed to know?”

  “I just want to know why he’s so interested in your situation.”

  Smiling sweetly, she said, “I think he was going to offer me a place to stay, but I told him you beat him to it. Happy now?”

  Narrowing his eyes, Keith said, “You know I’m not happy. Why are you baiting me?”

  Tara laughed. “Because you’re so easy. Now get out of here, I have work to do.”

  ***

  Keith and Tara both stuck their hands into a large bowl of popcorn at the same time. He couldn’t think of a better way to end the day.

  Smiling, she inched the bowl toward him. “Since you let me pick the movie.”

  He’d claimed she was torturing him with the sappy romantic comedy, but he’d been so aware of her thigh against his that he’d barely caught a word of the dialogue onscreen. Presumably, the characters were falling in love, and for the first time in his life, Keith could almost imagine what that felt like.

  “Thanks.” He grinned as he filled his hand with popcorn. Popping a kernel
at a time into his mouth, he watched her out the corner of his eye. She was really caught up in the movie, giving him a rare opportunity to observe her when she wasn’t self-conscious.

  Tara was humble and beautiful from the inside out, unlike most of the women who worked to get his attention just because his last name was Armstrong. She was strong and proud because she’d grown up the same way he had, and she understood what it meant to go without.

  His heart had clenched when she walked through the door with bags from the nearest discount box store. She’d stocked up on the basics to get her through until her next pay check. Instead of taking advantage of her friends in high places, she was determined to dig herself out of her mess, and Keith found that kind of resolve difficult to resist.

  Muttering a curse when a soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and their movie, he said, “Excuse me.” Keith wracked his brain to figure out whether he had given any of his recent dates his security passcode for the front door. He and Tara were finally getting closer, and he didn’t want anyone or anything interfering.

  Ava and Brent stood on the other side of the door. Keith was glad his visitor wasn’t another woman, but he feared his brother and future sister-in-law weren’t there to condone their living arrangements. They were probably planning to convince Tara to go home with them, which was the last thing Keith wanted. He wanted time with Tara so he could decide once and for all whether their growing attraction could be the real deal.

  Stepping out of the way, he let Brent and Ava step past him. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

  Ava said, “We were just over at my old place, and I found something I’m sure Tara will want.”

  “Really?” Keith asked. “What’s that?”

  Brent raised an eyebrow and shot a look at Keith when he saw Tara sitting on the couch with her feet tucked under her and a cashmere throw wrapped around her shoulders.

  Keith couldn’t deny she looked right at home in his apartment, and he loved it. He knew his brother, on the other hand, would object.

  Tara paused the movie and set the popcorn and remote on the coffee table. “This is a nice surprise.” Checking her watch, she said, “It’s getting kind of late. This must be important.”

  “We were just cleaning out my apartment. It closes in a couple of days,” Ava said for Keith’s benefit.

  “Do you need any help?” Tara asked.

  Keith smiled. He was touched that even though Tara was going through her own personal hell, she was still concerned about how she could help her best friend.

  “No, we’ve got it covered.” Ava grinned. “But I found something you’re definitely going to want.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Remember when we went to Venezuela last year and the airline lost our luggage? I told you they eventually sent both of our suitcases to my place.”

  “Yeah, I remember.” Tara leaned forward. Her eyes were shining with excitement. “I kept telling you I’d come and pick it up, but every time I was there, I forgot all about it.”

  Ava said, “I don’t know if you remember what you packed for that trip, but it looks like half your summer wardrobe is in there.”

  “Oh my God,” Tara said, clapping her hand over her mouth. “That’s amazing. I picked up some toiletries and a couple of sundresses today, but you have no idea how much I need those clothes. Did you bring the suitcase home with you?”

  “Of course. Why don’t we go up and get it?”

  Tara threw the blanket aside and jumped up. “Let’s go.”

  Keith frowned as they passed through the front door. Turning to his brother, he asked, “Why didn’t you just bring the suitcase down with you?”

  “Ava wanted to talk to Tara alone. I wouldn’t mind having a word with you either, little brother.”

  An uneasy feeling took root in Keith’s gut as he imagined Ava pleading her case. The two women had a long history, and Ava’s opinion carried a lot of weight with Tara. He and Ava got along great, but that didn’t mean she saw him as a good fit for her best friend.

  “What do you want to talk to me about?” Keith asked. As if he didn’t know.

  “Tara staying here with you is a bad idea. We both know that. Ava doesn’t like it, and neither do I.”

  “I don’t recall anyone asking for your opinion.” Brent was used to Keith pushing back, so the rebuttal didn’t earn a reaction.

  “I don’t want anything upsetting my fiancée right now. She’s got enough going on with trying to run a business, build a house, plan a wedding and honeymoon…” Raking his hands through his hair, Brent looked pained. “Now this thing with Tara? I don’t know how much more Ava can take.”

  “Yeah, well, imagine how Tara must feel,” Keith said dryly. “She’s the one whose home burned to the ground. She’s the one who lost everything she owned.”

  “I know.” Brent sank into the nearest chair and kicked his feet up on the ottoman. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound so selfish. How is Tara handling everything?”

  “Better than I would in her position. Hey, what has Ava told you about this ex of hers… Biagio?”

  Brent shrugged. “Not much. Why?”

  “He called her today.” Keith couldn’t get that conversation out of his head, and he didn’t know why. Tara had made it clear, both to Biagio and Keith, that she didn’t want anything more to do with him, but Keith still felt uneasy. “Said he’d driven by her place and saw what happened.”

  “So? What about it?”

  “I don’t know.” Keith reached for his beer. “You want one?”

  “No, I’m good, thanks. So you think the ex is still in the picture?”

  “I think he wants to be. I mean, when was the last time you just drove by one of your ex-girlfriend’s places?”

  Brent laughed. “If I did that, Ava would kill me.”

  “Exactly.” Before taking a drink of his beer, Keith said, “It doesn’t sit well with me, man.”

  “It sounds like you’re getting in too deep with Tara, which is exactly what I was afraid of. You know Ava’s upstairs trying to talk her into staying with us, don’t you?”

  Rolling his eyes, Keith said, “I figured as much, but Tara won’t go along with it. She knows you guys need your privacy.”

  “Please. Our place is huge. We wouldn’t even know she was there half the time.”

  “I’m fine with her staying here. She’s comfortable with the arrangement for now. Why can’t you guys just back off?” Keith was getting testy, but something he wanted was slipping through his fingers, and he felt helpless to stop it from happening.

  “Just remember your promise to me, kid.”

  Keith’s mind flashed to their kiss, a kiss Keith gladly would have taken further. “Yeah, I remember.” He had a feeling Tara wouldn’t let him forget. Keith looked up and grinned when Tara walked in with her suitcase.

  “Hi, honey, I’m home.” She laughed. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

  Keith suspected he could get used to hearing it. “I’m glad you’re back.” And he was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so happy to see someone.

  “I can see nothing’s gonna get through that thick skull of yours,” Brent muttered. “I’m outta here.”

  Chapter Three

  “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Brent groaned as Keith pushed him through the door of Jimmy’s bar.

  J.T. McCall had agreed to shut the place down for Brent’s bachelor party, and Keith pulled out all the stops to make sure it was a night his uptight brother would never forget.

  “Just shut up and pretend you’re enjoying yourself so the rest of us can have a good time.”

  Brent’s friends, employees, and business associates were already crowding the bar. They shouted out their congratulations and joked about Brent finally falling victim to the ball and chain. Keith knew that wasn’t how his brother viewed his upcoming marriage. Finding Ava again was the best thing that could have happened to Brent. He had been
obsessed with seeking revenge until Ava convinced him to let go of his anger and be grateful for his many blessings.

  Keith had hired a live band and, of course, live entertainment he was sure his brother would object to. Brent had never been into that kind of partying, not even in college. While the frat boys were having the time of their lives, he’d focused on how he would earn his first million. If anyone deserved a night to cut loose before starting the next chapter in his life, it was Brent. He’d always done for his family, often forgetting to take care of himself.

  “Come on, man,” Keith said, slapping Brent’s back and leading him toward the bar. “We’re gonna have a good time tonight. The drivers are lined up to take our sorry asses home, so pick your poison.”

  Brent looked at the shot glasses lined up on the bar. “I gotta tell ya, I’m not feeling it, kid.”

  Leave it to Brent to want to be the only sober guy at his own bachelor party. Keith rolled his eyes. To the bartender, Keith said, “Give him a shot of tequila and keep ‘em coming.” To Brent, he said, “I’ll even join you.” Keith didn’t have any reservations about cutting loose. Tamping down his growing feelings for Tara over the past few weeks had taken its toll. The brothers threw back three shots each before someone moved to center stage to announce the band.

  “I don’t know why the hell you bothered with a band,” Brent muttered. “It’s not like there are any girls here to dance with.”

  Keith laughed and put his arm around Brent’s shoulder. “You underestimate me, man.” As if on cue, half a dozen beautiful, scantily clad women milled through the crowd, flirting with all the men.

  “Oh, hell no,” Brent said, looking at the ceiling. “You didn’t.”