by Kimi Flores
I stepped back, trying to grasp what Caleb was saying. A sharp pain shot across my chest, knowing that one of my closest family member’s—other than my sister, Bri—had moved on in life. Now he seemed more concerned about a girl he’d only known a short while, rather than helping me get what I wanted.
“What’s your problem, Caleb? You used to be an even bigger player than me. I learned everything I know from you, remember?” Furious, I stood my ground, fighting the need to pace back and forth. “How the hell can you stand there and judge me? Just because you’re living in fantasyland doesn’t mean the rest of us want to. How do you even know what Leah wants, huh? Maybe she’s looking for something uncomplicated, too. Either way, it’s none of your damn business.”
His face softened as he placed his hand on my shoulder, but I instantly shrugged it off. “Stefen, you know how shitty I feel about everything I’ve done in my past. I’m sorry you learned all those things from me. But I’ve changed and you know that’s what I want for you, too. You and Leah would probably make a fantastic couple, if you were the kind of guy who stuck around. I know you’re just looking for a piece of ass for now, though, and she’s not the girl for that. She’s a permanent part of Abby’s life, which means she’s in my life too. I’m asking you to please leave her alone. If you don’t, then you’re proving you couldn’t care less about my position here.” He let out an aggravated sigh. “Listen man, she’s my wife’s best friend and you just don't screw with that. I know she’s going to show you around, but I'm begging you to leave it at that.” The concern that covered his face stung even deeper.
“Whatever.” I shook my head as I exhaled an irritated breath.
“I'm going to find Abby. We’re leaving in a few minutes.” He turned his back and walked away.
Bri timidly approached with a drink in her hand. “What was that about?”
Hoping it was something strong, I gestured toward the glass, silently asking for permission to take a sip. She handed it over.
“Our overbearing cousin thought he should warn me to keep my distance from Abby’s precious friend, again.” I didn’t even try to hide my annoyance as I gulped down the dark liquid. Dammit, it’s soda.
Shaking her head, Bri ran her slender fingers through her dark hair to move it out of her face. She placed a delicate hand on my back and spoke softly. “Stefen, I’ve spent the whole week with Leah. I’m sorry, but I agree with Caleb. She’s a great girl and doesn’t deserve heartbreak from you. Please be gentle with her. For me.”
This approach pulled at my heartstrings. I’d do anything for my little sister.
“I will. For you.” Moving in closer, I kissed her cheek. Needing a change of subject, I asked, “So what time are you and Leah’s sister leaving for San Francisco?” The women had just met last weekend but spent the entire week together, helping to prepare for the wedding. My sister didn’t have a lot of good friends so I was happy she’d clicked with Leah’s sister and they’d planned this little getaway.
Bri was my female carbon copy. We shared the same hazel eyes, slender nose and full, defined lips. Although she was two years younger than me, people always mistook us for twins. “We’ll head out about a half-hour after the bride and groom drive off into the moonlight.” She sighed dreamily. “Dani’s car is already packed and ready to go.” Her excitement was obvious as she grinned up at me. Bri loved to travel.
“I really wish you’d wait until the morning.” I worried about her, far more than any brother should. It had been this way our entire lives, since our parents lived their lives like we didn’t exist. I nodded toward Abby and Leah hugging. “Looks like the time has come.”
She kissed my cheek, then darted toward the women. Joining the mob in the driveway, I watched Caleb kiss his wife and lead her into the limo.
The jealousy that shot through me was surprising. Caleb was one lucky bastard to find such a beautiful girl. Not that I was envious of the whole ‘till death do you part’ element, but I was a bit curious about the contentment my cousin had found.
I’d sensed the nervous excitement the pair gave off all evening and still couldn’t believe they hadn’t had sex yet. That was just insane.
Who waits until they get married nowadays?
Caleb glanced at me, waved, then shot a pleading look that spoke volumes. Irritation weaved through me once again. Clenching and unclenching my hands to relieve the ache, I dug my short nails into my palms to keep from using my fists on Caleb. Does he really think I’m not good enough for Abby's prized friend?
Fuming, I headed back to the reception as the limo pulled away. A few minutes later, I looked at my watch and realized the bride and groom had cut out early and the DJ was still scheduled to be here for another hour. I contemplated heading inside the house when I noticed Leah and her sister staring at me.
Leah made eye contact, shaking her head ‘no’ in response to something her sister said.
Thinking on the fly, I had an idea I hoped would earn me some brownie points with Leah. With a forced humble smile, I walked up to Leah’s sister and held out my hand. “May I have this dance?”
I was pretty sure this girl wasn’t used to good-looking guys asking her to dance. Like Leah, she had brown eyes, a beautiful face and full hips, but she could stand to lose a couple of pounds.
The voluptuous woman looked up, surprised. She threw a glance at Leah, whose mouth was wide open. Not quite the reaction I expected, but I’d work with it.
“Um—sure?” she replied, uncertain. “Bri and I are leaving soon, but I have time for one quick dance.” She was still looking at Leah as I led her to the dance floor.
For permission?
Did that mean Leah felt she had some claim to me? The thought intrigued me. And surely Leah would think I was a nice guy now. But when I glanced back, she was glaring at me.
What the—? There’s no way she thinks I’m actually attracted to her sister. I can barely even remember her damn name.
Now that I had her on the dance floor, I was regretting this shitty decision. Holding her sister wasn’t nearly as fun as holding Leah.
My scheme had backfired, and I groaned inwardly. As soon as the song ended, I respectfully thanked her and went on my way. Ready to call it a night, I walked over to Leah and announced, “I'm turning in now. I'll see you tomorrow morning?”
She wouldn’t look me in the eye. Was she avoiding me? “See you then.” The sour expression never left her face.
Pleased, I thought, well, at least I have some kind of effect on her.
Chapter Two
Girl’s from Pasadena Just Seem Nicer
Leah
I pulled up to Abby’s new home just before nine-thirty the next morning with a bag full of pancake ingredients. Using the key Abby had given me, I let myself in and headed toward the kitchen, calling out, “Stefen, it’s Leah. I'm here.” I set the bag on the counter, removing its contents.
I was still a little bugged by Stefen’s behavior the night before, but came to the conclusion that he was just a flirt and would act the same with just about any girl. Though, Dani said he hadn’t taken his eyes off me when they were dancing.
It didn't matter anyway. He was only going to be in Santa Barbara for a while longer, and it wasn't worth the grief that would surely come if I started anything with him. I’ll show him around town today, then he was on his own.
Footsteps sounded from the wooden stairs. I peered in that direction to find Stefen rubbing his wet hair with a towel. Oh my— He was barefoot, shirtless, and the way he wore a pair of low hanging jeans would bring any girl to her knees.
It almost has for me.
“Hey, Leah.” My head snapped up at the mention of my name, and he greeted me with a smile. “What do you have there?” Hanging the towel around the back of his neck, he leaned over me to see what I’d brought. My body tingled as he brushed against me.
Oh, he smells so good, clean and masculine.
Turning, I spoke directly to his sculpted chest
that was dusted with just the right amount of hair. “Uh—stuff to make pa—pancakes.” My breathy voice tapered off as I inhaled deeply, my eyes rolling back. I was embarrassing myself but just couldn't stop breathing him in. At least I was able to hold back the moan that threatened to escape.
A laugh rumbled deep within his chest, and I broke from the trance, meeting a pair of stunning hazel eyes. They were just as breathtaking as the rest of him.
He reached around and picked up my phone, shifting my attention.
Curious, I gave him a questioning look. “What’re you doing?”
He smirked while passing it back to me. “I thought you might like to take a photo, so you can enjoy it later.”
Playfully, I smacked him on the chest. “Funny. I’m fine though, thanks.”
I didn’t need a picture to have that beautiful image burned into my mind. My hand still hovered over his bare skin, and I forced myself to move it away as I spun around to continue unpacking. “I hope you like pancakes.” Keeping my voice light, I squeezed my eyes shut and discreetly smelled him once more.
Food. Talk about food. That will keep my mind off the half-dressed, mouthwatering guy behind me.
“I love pancakes. Thanks, Leah.” Heat radiated off his body as he stepped closer. “Are you okay? You look a little flustered.”
I scowled over my shoulder and met his cocky grin. He’s deliberately trying to get a rise out of me.
Diverting my attention back to the breakfast, I huffed, “I'm fine.” With my back still facing him, I wiggled my fingers, motioning for him to go upstairs. “Go finish getting dressed while I throw breakfast together.” It wasn’t an order, but I hoped he’d listen.
He didn’t. He leaned in even closer, his hands resting on either side of me against the counter, his voice full of amusement. “Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?”
I held my breath, my senses on high alert. My pulse raced as he lightly grazed my arms, but he instantly took a step back. I could hear the pads of his fingertips trailing across his chest. Anticipation for something more burned through my entire body.
Man, I wish that was my hand. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? That can never happen. Mentally slapping myself, I wished he would give me some space.
Shifting toward me again, his warm breath tickled my neck. I gulped, anxiously stepping away as I started banging cupboards open and closed in search of a pan. “No, I just figured you would want to be fully dressed when the cleaning crew got here.” My stomach filled with butterflies, which irritated the hell out of me.
He stared at me for a moment, frowning. He seemed hesitant to speak, before finally exhaling and gazing at the stairs. “Fine. I'll be right back.”
Once he finally walked away, I grabbed the counter for support. I would need to keep my distance. We could be friends. There was no shame in enjoying the fact that he was nice to look at, but that was as far as it could go. He was an expert player, and I would not put myself through inevitable heartache.
⁂
Stefen
“What kind of car is this?” I asked, unable to hide the look of disgust on my face.
The cleanup crew had already finished, and now Leah and I were headed out to the market. The click of the doors unlocking sounded as she answered defensively, “It’s a minivan. I use it to make deliveries.”
“I have the keys to Caleb’s Range. We can take that instead.” I waited, expecting her to jump at the chance to be driven around in the luxury SUV.
The passenger window rolled down as she sat in the driver’s seat and raised an eyebrow in defiance. “Nope,” she answered cheekily. “I’ll drive so you can look around.”
She smiled playfully at me, triggering a desire to jump in and kiss that grin off her mouth. After all, I needed to make sure she knew who was running the show here.
Damn, I groaned inwardly as I got in. This was a bad idea.
Sliding into the uncomfortable cloth covered sponge-like seat, I snuck a peek behind me. There weren’t any seats back there. Taking a closer look, I noticed that panels covered the area, and I imagined the seats were most likely folded and stored in a compartment beneath them.
“What do you deliver?”
“I own a flower shop. I designed Abby and Caleb’s floral arrangements.” She beamed with pride.
So this piece of shit is for work. I sat back, relieved. “Oh, what else do you drive?”
“This is it. There’s only one of me. I don't need anything else.”
I frowned. Why would anyone voluntarily drive this thing around town? It was a damn minivan. I thought only soccer moms drove these. “All right then.” I faced forward, and she started it up. Hip hop music blared through the speakers.
“Sorry,” she said self-consciously, turning the music down, then grinned to herself as if she’d just been caught moving her body to the beat while holding onto a stripper pole.
Now that I’d like to see.
I wasn’t a hip hop fan, but it was kind of sexy that she listened to it. Her guilty smile was even cuter. Small and shy, it lit up her face. Her delight was palpable and made me want to probe further. The lust I felt was familiar, but actually being intrigued by a woman for more than sex, that was something new.
“Who is that?” I’d been to plenty of clubs before that primarily played hip hop, but preferred something more sophisticated.
“J Lo, of course.” She shook her head as if it was obvious.
Annoyed, I rolled my eyes. “Of course,” I sighed then turned to peer out the passenger window.
Leah is so different from any other woman I’ve ever met. She’s unpretentious, all-natural, and sexy as hell. Typically, I surrounded myself with women whose personalities were as fake as their body parts. There was never an afterthought about them once I left. I wondered how easy it would be to leave Leah once I was done with her.
I still couldn’t believe I was sitting in her freaking minivan.
Making small talk, I asked, “So where did you and Abby meet?”
“In college,” she replied, her tone nostalgic. “She started mid-freshman year. I was so thankful when I came back from Christmas break to find her as my new roommate. The one before her was literally a witch. She was so strange, and I just knew she was putting curses on me.” Leah laughed at my shock. “It’s true. Anyway, Abby and I hit it off right away. She was a little less chipper back then, but we had a lot of fun together.”
“Where are you from?” Why am I asking personal questions? Do I really want to know?
She glanced over at me. “I was born and raised in Alhambra, California.”
“Where’s that?” I asked, never having heard of the city before.
“It's just south of Pasadena.” She switched on her blinker to turn left.
“Pasadena is where the Rose Parade is, right?” Pasadena I’d heard of.
I would never admit it, but one of my favorite lines came from the chick flick, Blast from the Past. Holding in a laugh, I recited the line in my mind about girls from Pasadena seeming a little bit nicer.
“Yeah, we used to go every year when my father was alive.” She sucked in a sharp breath, giving me a quick look while we were stopped at a red light.
I watched as she worried her bottom lip. Maybe she’s upset at herself for saying too much? Vulnerability shone in Leah’s now watery eyes and the need to soothe her sadness chipped away at me.
Cautiously, I reached out and put my hand over hers. “I bet he was a great man. He must’ve been to create a daughter like you.” Although it sounded like a line, I actually meant it.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she pulled her hand out from under mine to wipe it away. “He was the best,” she said sadly. “A police officer. He died in the line of duty when I was twelve.”
“That's tough.” At a loss for words, I just nodded. What do you say after that?
“It was pretty awful.” She sniffled. “I’m the youngest of three, and we were all total daddy's girls. After
that, my mom had to work even harder to support us. She only works part time now because my sister and I give her money every month. We would love for her to take it easier and enjoy life.”
I had to give her props for helping support her mother. “That's really considerate of you. What does your mom do?”
A smile came over her face, some of that sadness washing away. “She's a nurse. My sister Dani, you know,” she jutted her chin, irritated, “the one you danced with last night. She still lives with her. She’s also a nurse.”
I couldn't hide my smile. She was still pissed about that dance. Why?
Huffing, she continued, “My oldest sister, Elena, is a stay-at-home mom and lives a couple blocks from them. She’s seven years older, and we’re not as close.” Her cute little nose wrinkled up. “Plus, she just has a bad attitude in general.”
I began to feel a little uncomfortable as she shared her personal information. I sighed quietly with relief when we pulled into the parking lot for Whole Foods Market. “Perfect. I was hoping you had one of these here.”
“Abby and I shop here, Trader Joe's, and Sprouts for the most part. We normally hit the farmer's market on Sunday afternoons, too.” Seemingly hesitant, she added, “You’re welcome to come with me after we’re done here.”
“Sounds good to me.”
⁂
Leah
I watched Stefen shop, noting that he didn't look at any prices before putting items directly in his cart. I could never do that. The sale paper was the first thing I picked up on my way into the store and, for the most part, I bought store brand goods.
It was probably because I had learned to be frugal from my single mom. Grateful that I wasn't doing any of my bargain shopping today, I picked up the items he mentioned needing as he rambled on about how much he enjoyed this store because of its high quality products. I felt the same way, but when he said it, the words just sounded arrogant.