by Kimi Flores
“Whatever.” Stefen shook his head as he exhaled an exasperated breath.
“I'm going to find Abby. We’re leaving in a few minutes.” Caleb turned his back and walked away.
Stefen’s sister, Bri, timidly approached with a drink in her hand. “What was that about?”
Hoping it was something strong, he gestured toward the glass, silently asking for permission to take a sip. Bri handed it over.
“Our overbearing cousin thought he should warn me to keep my distance from Abby’s precious friend, again.” He couldn’t even hide the fact that he was upset as he gulped down the liquid. Dammit, it’s soda.
Shaking her head, she ran her slender fingers through her dark hair to move it out of her face. Bri then spoke softly, placing a delicate hand on his back. “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 his heartstrings. He’d do anything for his little sister.
“I will. For you.” Moving in closer, Stefen kissed her cheek. Needing a change of subject, he 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. His sister didn’t have a lot of good friends so he was happy she’d clicked with Leah’s sister and they planned this little getaway.
Bri was the female carbon copy of Stefen. They both shared the same hazel eyes, slender nose and full, defined lips. Although she was two years younger than him, people always mistook them 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.” Bri grinned up at him, her excitement obvious. She loved to travel.
“I really wish you’d wait until the morning.” He worried about her, far more than any brother should have to. It had been this way their entire lives since their parents decided to treat them like they didn’t exist. He nodded toward Abby and Leah hugging. “Looks like the time has come.”
Bri kissed him on the cheek, then darted toward the women. Joining the mob in the driveway, Stefen watched Caleb kiss his wife and lead her into the limo. He’d sensed the nervous excitement the pair gave off all evening and still couldn’t believe Caleb and Abby hadn’t screwed yet. That was just insane.
Who waits until they get married to have sex nowadays?
The jealousy that shot through his body surprised him. Caleb was one lucky bastard to find and marry such a beautiful girl. Not that Stefen was envious of the whole ‘till death do you part’ element, but he did find himself craving the contentment his cousin had found.
Caleb glanced at him, waved, then shot a pleading look that spoke volumes. Irritation weaved through Stefen once again. He clenched and unclenched his hands to relieve the ache, digging his short nails into his palms to keep from using his fists on Caleb instead. Does he really think I’m not good enough for Abby's prized friend?
Fuming, he headed back to the reception as the limo pulled away. A few minutes later, he looked at his watch and realized that there was still another hour to go. He contemplated heading inside the house when he noticed Leah and her sister staring at him.
Leah made eye contact, shaking her head ‘no’ in response to something her sister said.
Thinking on the fly, he had an idea he hoped would earn him some brownie points with Leah. With a forced humble smirk, he walked up to Leah’s sister and held out his hand. “May I have this dance?”
He 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 he expected, but he'd work with it.
“Um...sure?” she replied, uncertain. “Bri and I are leaving in a bit, but I have time for one quick dance.” She was still looking at Leah as Stefen led her to the dance floor.
For permission?
Did that mean Leah felt she had some claim to him? The thought intrigued him. And surely Leah would think he was a nice guy now. But when he glanced back, she was glaring at him.
What the…? There’s no way Leah thinks I’m actually attracted to her sister. I can’t even remember her damn name.
Now that he had her on the dance floor, he was regretting this shitty decision. Holding Dani wasn’t nearly as fun as holding Leah.
His scheme had backfired, and he sighed inwardly. As soon as the song ended, he respectfully thanked her and went on his way. Calling it a night, he walked over to Leah and announced, “I'm turning in now. I'll see you tomorrow morning?”
She wouldn’t look him in the eye. Was she avoiding him? “Yeah, see you then.” The sour expression never left her face.
Pleased, he thought, well, at least I have some kind of effect on her.
Leah 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 her, she let herself in and headed toward the kitchen, calling out, “Stefen, it’s Leah. I'm here.” She set the bag on the counter, removing its contents.
She 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 that he hadn’t taken his eyes off of Leah 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 she started anything with him. Leah would show him around town today, then he was on his own.
Footsteps sounded from the wooden stairs. She 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.” Her head snapped up at the mention of her name, and he greeted her with a smile. “What do you have there?” Hanging the towel around the back of his neck, he leaned over her to see what she’d brought. Her body tingled as he brushed against her.
Oh, he smells so good, clean and masculine.
Turning, she spoke directly to his sculpted chest that was dusted with just the right amount of hair. “Uh...stuff to make pa—pancakes.” Her breathy voice tapered off as she inhaled deeply, her eyes rolling back. She was embarrassing herself but just couldn't stop breathing him in. At least she was able to hold back the moan that threatened to escape.
A laugh rumbled deep within his chest, and Leah broke from her trance, meeting a pair of stunning hazel eyes. They were just as breathtaking as the rest of him.
Stefen reached around and picked up her phone off of the counter, shifting her attention.
Curious, Leah gave him a questioning look. “What’re you doing?”
He smirked while passing it back to her. “I thought you might like to take a photo, so you can enjoy it later.”
Playfully, she smacked him on the chest. “Funny. I’m fine though, thanks.”
She didn’t need a picture to have that beautiful image burned into her mind. Her hand still hovered over his bare skin, and she forced herself to move it away as she spun around to continue unpacking. “I hope you like pancakes.” Keeping her voice light, she squeezed her eyes shut and discreetly smelled him once more.
Food. Talk about food. That will keep my mind off of the half-dressed, mouthwatering guy behind me.
”I love pancakes. Thanks, Leah.” Heat radiated off of his body as he stepped closer. “Are you okay? You look a little flustered.”
She scowled over her shoulder and met his cocky grin. He’s deliberately trying to get a rise out of me.
Leah diverted her attention back to the breakfast. “I'm fine.” Wi
th her back still facing him, she wiggled her fingers, motioning for him to go upstairs. “Go finish getting dressed while I throw breakfast together.” It wasn’t an order, but she hoped he’d listen.
He didn’t. He leaned in even closer, his hands resting on either side of her against the counter, his voice full of amusement. “Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?”
Leah held her breath, her senses on high alert. Her pulse raced as he lightly grazed her arms, but he instantly took a step back. She could hear the pads of his fingertips trailing across his chest. Anticipation for something more burned through her entire body.
Man, I wish that was my hand. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? That can never happen. Mentally slapping herself, Leah wished he would give her some space.
Shifting toward her again, his warm breath tickled her neck. She gulped, anxiously stepping away from him as she 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.” Her stomach filled with butterflies, which irritated the hell out of her.
He stared at her 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, she grabbed the counter for support. She would need to keep her distance. They 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 she would not put herself through inevitable heartache.
“What kind of car is this?” Stefen asked, unable to hide the look of disgust on his face.
The cleanup crew had already finished, and now Leah and Stefen 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.” He 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 him, triggering a desire to jump in and kiss it right off of her. After all, he needed to make sure she knew who was running the show here.
Damn, he groaned inwardly as he got in. This was a bad idea.
Sliding into the uncomfortable cloth covered sponge-like seat, he snuck a peek behind him. There weren’t any seats back there. Taking a closer look, he noticed that panels covered the area, and he 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. He sat back, relieved. “Oh, what else do you drive?”
”This is it. There’s only one of me. I don't need anything else.”
He frowned. Why would anyone voluntarily drive this thing around town? It was a damn minivan. He thought only soccer moms drove these. “All right then.” He 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.
He wasn’t a hip hop fan, but it was kind of adorable 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 him want to probe further. The lust he felt was familiar, but actually being intrigued by a woman for more than sex, that was something new.
”Who is that?” He’d been to plenty of clubs before that primarily played hip hop, but he preferred something more sophisticated.
“J Lo, of course.” She shook her head like it was obvious.
Annoyed, he rolled his eyes. “Of course,” he 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, he surrounded himself with women whose personalities were as fake as their body parts. There was never an afterthought about them once he left. He wondered how easy it would be to leave Leah once he was done with her.
He still couldn’t believe he was sitting in her freaking minivan.
Making small talk, he 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 Stefen’s wide eyes. “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 him. “I was born and raised in Alhambra, California.”
“Where’s that?” he 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 he’d heard of.
He would never admit it, but one of his favorite lines came from the chick flick, Blast from the Past. Holding in a laugh, he recited the line in his 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 him a quick look while they were stopped at a red light.
Stefen 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 him.
Cautiously, he reached out and put his 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, he actually meant it.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she pulled her hand out from under his 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, he 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.”
He 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 at him, irritated, “the one you danced with last night. She still lives with her. She’s also a nurse.”
He couldn't hide his 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.”
Stefen began to feel a little uncomfortable as she shared her personal information. He sighed quietly with relief when they 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.” Pulling the phone out of his pocket, he added, “I kind of picked up how to get here, but let me put the address in my nav
igator.” He started plugging the info into his Samsung Smartphone.
Leah watched Stefen shop, noting that he didn't look at any prices before putting items directly in his cart. She could never do that. The sale paper was the first thing she picked up on her way into the store and, for the most part, she bought store brand goods.
It was probably because she had learned to be frugal from her single mom. Grateful that she wasn't doing any of her bargain shopping today, she picked up the items he mentioned needing as he rambled on about how much he enjoyed this store because of its high quality products. She felt the same way, but when he said it, the words just sounded arrogant.
As they strolled toward the check-out line, Stefen asked, “Aren't you getting anything?”
Nice of you to notice after we’ve already gone through the entire store.
”Nah, I was here a few days ago.” As soon as she leaned down for his items in the cart, he touched her elbow and motioned for her to step aside. She shivered from his light caress.
Taking a quick peek at him, she thought, hijo de puta— I hope he didn’t notice that.
The sly grin on his mouth said that he had. Then he proceeded to pick up one item at a time before gently placing each on the check-out belt.
Seriously? She tried not to laugh at him. They were just groceries.
”It’s not too busy today, but I'll have to remember to come during the week next time.” Stefen swiped his credit card on the machine after greeting the check-out clerk with his killer smile.
Leah caught the girl at the register melting. Oh brother, am I going to have to put up with other girls gawking at him today? How nauseating.