by Lea Hart
Adding a packet of sweetener, she stirred her coffee and listened to the call connect. When her sister’s face filled the screen, she waved. “Morning, beauty.”
“Are you still drunk?”
Snorting, she shook her head. “I was asleep by nine and have been up since five.”
“That’s just sad, considering you live in a city that never sleeps.”
Kelly studied her sister’s face and knew Anne was having more fun in Kansas City than she was in the epicenter of sin and frivolity. “How are you?”
“The more important question is, how are you? I see your island is filled with cupcakes and scones, so someone must’ve pissed you off or broken your heart. Considering you haven’t told me about any man, I’m guessing someone got the best of you.”
“It’s neither.”
“You know lying will only come back to bite you in the ass.”
There were people in the world who would accept whatever you told them without a second thought; her sister wasn’t one of them. She may be an elementary school teacher, but she had the soul of a CIA agent and would get to the truth no matter the cost. “I pushed a man away, and I’m not sure if it was the right thing to do.”
Her sister’s face filled the screen as she leaned forward. “I know it wasn’t boring Lawrence, so who was it?”
“Cole McCallan.”
“The man who runs the security company?”
“Yes.”
“The one you’ve fought with from the moment you started working together, has a body only an angel could resist, and a mouth so dirty he’ll never be let in church?”
“Yeah…”
“Damn, sister, I thought you two would end up in bed.”
“I must talk about him more than I realized.”
“Duh.”
She ran her hand over her face and frowned. “That’s upsetting.”
“No, it’s not. I think he’s the first man you’ve met who you can’t manage. Which means I’d love to meet him.”
Sitting back, she picked at the corner of a scone and nibbled on it. “That makes me sound awful.”
“Nah, it just means you’re a force to be reckoned with, and most of the men you encounter are too lazy to bother. They’d rather go along to get along and thus avoid you and your disapproval.”
“And why is this the first time you’ve shared this observation?”
“I may still be drunk from last night and have loose lips. Or…I see your sad face and know this Cole person means more than you’ve admitted to yourself.”
“He’s all wrong, and it would never work, so I’d like to avoid the crash and burn if I can.”
“Why don’t you just marry one of those boring men who agree with you all the time and get it over with? Or just dig your own grave and crawl in because it would pretty much be the same thing.”
“You are still drunk!”
“The drink will set you free, and I’m laying the truth on you whether you’re ready or not.”
“I called you to catch up and get a little sister-love.”
“No, you didn’t. I’m the only one who will tell you the truth, and you need to hear it. Did you use the relationship word and scare him off?”
Leaning back, she drank down her coffee and stared at her sister over the rim of her mug and blinked.
“So predictable.”
“I hate you.”
Anne pursed her lips and made a big smacking sound. “No, you don’t, I’m your favorite person in the world.”
“I may have used the age-old tactic and included kids and a minivan. But he balked, so I got my answer.”
“Let me guess, you gave him a sad superior smile and walked out of the room like a goddess surrounded by all kinds of self-satisfaction. Which kept you all warm and cozy until you got home and drank a bottle of wine and ate a bag of popcorn while watching Outlander.”
“So!”
Anne put her hands up and grinned. “I’m not judging. I’d just ask you to think about if it got you any closer to what you want. Dick is everywhere, but chemistry isn’t, and I’d hate to see you pass it up.”
“He kissed me.” Again, her sister’s face filled the screen.
“And?”
“I could live the rest of my life happy with just the memory of his lips on mine.” Covering her mouth, she sucked in a breath and felt her chest tighten. Saying something like that aloud made it real, and it was the last thing she needed.
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.”
“So, what’s our next move?”
Turning, she looked at the island. “I thought I’d make a pie.”
“Uh-oh.”
“What else can I do?”
“Maybe tell him how much you liked the kiss.”
“Yeah, I don’t like to drive a knife into my own heart, so I think I’ll pass. If I give him an opening, he’ll have me on my knees howling at the moon in pain within a week.”
“As long as you’re keeping things in perspective.”
They each sat back and drank their coffee silently. Until Anne’s latest man walked behind her in all his morning glory. No wonder her sister had such a big smile. “I’ll let you go.”
“Why? We’re not done talking.”
“Your man looks like he needs some attention.”
Anne turned around and laughed. “Kevin, be careful with that thing, you could poke my eye out.”
“Bye, sister. I love you; have fun.”
“Love you. Be brave.”
Laughing, she ended the call before she saw more of Kevin than probably his doctor ever had. She drained her coffee cup, checked the cupcakes, and decided they were cool enough to frost. As she tasted the frosting, she thought about her sister’s words and decided she’d need a lot more than bravery to have a fling with Cole.
Like a lobotomy and a healthy supply of antidepressants for when it ended.
Neither of which seemed appealing.
***
Cole pulled up to Kelly’s house and looked at the quiet house and hoped she was home. It was ten, so he figured he had a good chance of her being around. Lifting the enormous bouquet of flowers, he jumped out of his truck and cleared his throat.
His heart was beating, and his gut was churning the same way it had when he and his platoon hit Nasiriyah as part of the first wave of American troops. Striding toward the front door, he decided the chance of fatality was about the same.
Hitting the doorbell, he stepped back and let out a long breath and wondered why he smelled pie. Before he could come up with an answer, the door swung open and Kelly stood before him.
Looking like a hot mess.
Her hair was up in a messy bun, flour dusted her cheek, and she wore an old T-shirt and acid green boxers. There was not a more beautiful woman on the planet. “Morning.”
“Morning.”
He pushed the flowers toward her and waited until she took them. “I screwed up.”
“How?”
Her brows were drawn together, and he wondered if she was going to let him in. A bell rang inside the house, and she let out a huff. “Come on in.”
The house smelled like a bakery, and his stomach growled as he stepped inside and watched her run up the stairs. He trailed her, and when he hit the top step, he saw the kitchen island was filled with his favorites. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“I like to bake,” she said as she pulled a pie out of the oven. Setting it carefully on the counter, she stood back and inspected it. “Not my best crust.”
“Damn, lady, is there anything you can’t do?”
Turning, she swiped her hair off her neck and tilted her head. “What?”
He walked over to the island and took a seat closet to the cupcakes. “Beautiful, smart, and can make cupcakes. You’re a triple threat.”
“Are you drunk?”
Letting out a laugh, he picked up a cupcake and peeled back the paper. “No, babe.”
; She lifted the bouquet and smiled. “These are lovely. Is the official end of our relationship?”
“No! What the hell are you talking about?”
“You always send flowers when you’re done with a woman. Though why you decided to deliver them yourself doesn’t make any sense.”
He shoved the cupcake into his mouth, deciding it was a better option than kissing the shit out of her until she saw what he did. When she handed him a cup of coffee, he nodded and then wiped his mouth. “That’s one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.”
“The secret is coffee. I add a little to the batter and the frosting, and it enhances the flavor of the chocolate. Also, the batter is a lot moister than what’s traditionally used for cupcakes.”
“You’re a genius because I could eat ten of those.” She gave him a fake smile and bent over to grab something out of a cupboard. Leaning over, he enjoyed the view of her ass hanging out of her boxers. A blessed thing for a Saturday morning.
When she started to straighten up, he sat up and picked up his coffee cup. “Did you make these for the barbeque this afternoon?”
She gave him a confused look as she filled a vase with water. “No, I wasn’t planning on going.”
“Well, change your plans because everyone is expecting to see you, so it would be rude not to show up.”
Arranging the flowers carefully, she snorted. “No one will miss me.”
“I will.”
Turning, she slid her hands onto her hips. “Why couldn’t you just leave it? We kissed, we fought, it’s over. There is no rehashing that needs to be done.”
Standing, he moved around the island. “Oh, there’s rehashing, and we’re not over.”
“We never started, so you’re right there is no over. We scratched an itch and kissed. It’s no big deal; let’s just forget it and move on.”
“Can you?”
“What?”
“Forget how fucking incredible that kiss was. How it rearranged the stars in the sky and gave us a true north.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and she stepped back, bumping into the counter. “I don’t think…”
He pressed his fingers to her mouth. “Don’t lie because you’re better than that.” When her green eyes flashed, he enjoyed using her words. “I was an idiot for saying I wasn’t ready for a relationship since we’ve been in one from the moment we started working together.”
She pushed his fingers away and frowned. “We have not.”
“Oh, yes, we have. All we’re missing is the hot sex and fun.” He took her hands and held them. “Which we can fix the moment you’re ready.” Throwing her a wink, he grinned. “Tonight, in fact, would be great.”
Silence was a blessed thing sometimes.
The dead quiet in the room, however, wasn’t one of those times.
“We are not in a relationship.”
“Uh, yeah, we are.” He held up his hand. “One, we have spent more than half our time together over the last year and have not killed one another. Two, we disagree regularly and yet still manage to come up with a solution that makes us both happy. And third, we care about each other and have each other’s best interest at heart.”
“That’s a very distorted view of the facts.”
“We’re not arguing to see who’s right; we’re discussing to see what’s right, and there’s a whole lot of right about us.”
Her shoulders dropped, and he knew his point hit home. “Kelly, relationships scare the shit out of me since I’ve never had a great one. But if you want to give this a shot, then I’ll do my best.”
“Cole…”
“What, babe?”
“I used the r-word to scare you off. I knew it wasn’t your thing and since you terrify the crap out of me, I thought it would be the perfect answer. Women know the best way to get rid of a guy is to talk about marriage and kids, so I did that.”
“No shit?”
“Works every time.”
“Why do you want to get rid of me?”
Brushing her foot back and forth across the wood floor, she shrugged. “My sister thinks it’s because I can’t manage you.”
He leaned against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “Interesting.”
“It’s cowardly.”
“A little, but I get it. You like your preppy princes because they’re never going to give you much trouble, the same way I like fun-time girls who don’t want more than a couple of weeks together.”
She looked up, and his breath hitched when a smile broke across her face. The one that lit her up from the inside out and hit him in the chest. “What say we dig deep and give one another a shot and see what happens?”
“That’s crazy talk, Cole.”
“Livin’ on the edge is where all the good stuff happens.”
“I like the middle where I know what to expect.”
He stepped into her space, wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. “Babe, it’s time we both got out of our own way and see if we can give each other a little happiness.”
“That’s not a great idea.”
“Maybe, but we’re going to do it anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” Her soft body pressed into his, and he decided that Saturday mornings with Kelly were going to be essential to his happiness.
And since he was ready for more of the good stuff in his life, he wanted to see if the woman in his arms could make it possible.
Ready or not.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kelly checked the time as she drove up to Cole’s house and knew she was right on the edge of being rude. The party had started a while ago, and she had fought with herself about even showing up, but knew he’d come drag her out of her house if she didn’t show.
Considering he’d called every hour for the last four, she knew his threats were not idle. Parking down the street from his house, she heard her phone ring. Hitting the button on her dash, she answered. “I’m here, Cole.”
“Did you park in the driveway?”
“No, why would I?”
“Because that’s your parking space.”
“What?”
“I’m coming out and will repark your car if you don’t put your car in the driveway.”
“Bossy men do not make me happy.”
“Yeah, we’re going to change your opinion on that.”
Before she could respond, he hung up. “The nerve.” She turned off her car and looked up the street and saw Cole come out of his house. He wore board shorts and a black tank top, and she did her best not to drool. Sweet mother of sex appeal, there wasn’t a more desirable man on the planet. His tanned muscles were shown off beautifully, and his frown suggested he wasn’t playin’.
Which meant the only reasonable thing to do was not encourage him. She got out of her car, pulled out the tray of cookies, and walked toward him. Steam was coming out of his ears, and she didn’t care because she wasn’t a woman who could be ordered around. “Hey.”
“I see we’re starting off nice and easy.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Don’t be stubborn just to make a point.” He put out his hand. “Keys.”
“Really?’
“My woman doesn’t park down the damn street; she parks in the fucking driveway like a normal person.”
She stopped in front of him and jutted out her hip. “I’m not your…”
“Oh, yes, you are, you want a relationship, so that’s what we’re damn well having.” He leaned over and covered her mouth with his.
Her lips automatically parted beneath the pressure and his tongue swept inside for a devouring kiss. Moaning, she felt the tray between them and pulled her mouth away. Looking into his ice blue eyes, she blinked. “I’m not sure…”
“Yes, you are.” He kissed her head and grinned. “And I am too!” Taking the tray from her hands, he winked. “I’ll take this in and then move your car.”
“How very stubborn of you.”<
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“Get used to it.” He looked her up and down and shrugged. “It’s kind of like looking in a mirror, isn’t it?”
“Very funny.” She followed him into the house and heard the noise of the party. “Did everyone make it?”
“Almost. We’re just missing four guys who are covering the personal protection assignments we’ve got. They’ll be relieved in a couple of hours and show up later.”
“Did you tell everyone about the UFC contract?”
“Yeah, the team was psyched. I wish you would’ve been here when I made the announcement.”
“I’m not really a part of the company, Cole.”
“But you’re part of me, so in a way you are.”
She walked into the house and decided it wasn’t a point that needed to be argued. The house was filled with people she knew, and she felt immediately comfortable. She had gotten to know most of them fairly well over the last year, and she considered a lot of them friends.
Which made Cole’s words ring in her head; maybe she was more a part of them than she realized. She watched Cole set the dessert tray down and then return to her side. “Where should I put my purse?”
“In my bedroom.” He put out his hand and wiggled it. “Keys.”
Looking up, she saw his expression and decided to give in. She dug them out and put them in the palm of his hand. “Happy?”
“Very.” He kissed her firmly and then grinned. “Is your bag in the back seat?”
“What bag?”
“The one I told you to bring.”
“I’m not spending the night.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah, you are.”
“If you’d like to live long enough to enjoy one of my cookies, I suggest you take a breath and quit telling me how it’s going to be.”
“Fine, but me keeping my mouth shut doesn’t change the facts.”
“You keep talking, Cole, because I brought my checkbook and know at least five of the men in this room will be willing to do what I ask for the right price.”
“Not if I get to them first.” He kissed her again and stepped away before she could say more. Watching his fine behind saunter away, she groaned.
Terrence joined her and nodded. “Love ain’t easy.”
“Good thing I’m not loving anyone then.”