Defying Gravity: Shattered Cove Series Book 3

by A. M. Kusi

  Belle

  Belle choked, spurting alcohol onto the table in front of her.

  “Jasmine!” Remy scolded.

  “Did she?” Mia asked.

  Belle accepted the paper towel Remy handed her as she cleaned her face and table.

  “No. She’s the one that he was talking about. The one who wouldn’t give him the time of day,” Remy clarified.

  “Ohhhh,” Jasmine and Mia said in unison.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Belle asked, extremely lost.

  “Do you want to fuck him?” Jasmine asked.

  “I . . . no! I mean—maybe, but no.” She shook her head, getting a hold of herself. “I’m not looking for that kind of relationship.”

  The women stared at her blankly.

  “I’m lost. Don’t all relationships eventually lead to sex?” Mia asked.

  “The good ones do,” Remy added.

  “She means she doesn’t do one-night stands. Right?” Jasmine asked for confirmation.

  Belle nodded.

  “Ahhh.” Mia nodded.

  “I’ve never seen my brother interested in anyone long-term before. But from what I hear, you’ve piqued his interest,” Jasmine said.

  All the women’s eyes were on her. She pulled the collar of her T-shirt away from her neck, suddenly feeling flushed. “Look, I don’t really know what to tell you. There’s nothing going on between us. So, you have nothing to worry about.”

  Remy placed her hand over Belle’s. “Oh, we’re not worried—we were gettin’ excited. Bently is such a good man and he deserves to find happiness after all he’s been through. You seem like a great person from what we can tell.”

  “Oh.” It was all she could say.

  “He’s taken care of me my whole life, and I would be remiss if I didn’t check out his potential interests. Make sure you won’t break his heart.” Jasmine winked, but Belle got the feeling that the woman meant business.

  What did Jasmine mean Bently had taken care of her? Did she have even more in common with Bently and his family than she’d realized? Before she could ask, the door burst open and the men filed in.

  “I want a rematch!” Mikel said.

  Bently chuckled. “Nope. Not my fault you underestimated my buddy here.” He rose his fist and TJ bumped it.

  Belle swallowed. The sight of her brother and Bently getting along so well made her stomach flutter.

  Mikel wrapped his arms around Remy. “I got all I need right here. I’m still a winner if I come home to you, baby.” He leaned in and kissed Remy.

  Andre splayed his hands over Mia’s cheek. “Me too.” His lips crashed to hers with so much passion that Belle looked away, giving them a bit of privacy.

  “Ahhh, come on, ladies. You deserve real men, not these two losers.” Bently chuckled.

  Andre pulled back and said, “You’re just jealous I get to go home to this fine woman in my bed every night.”

  Bently’s eye’s clouded over before he glanced at Belle.

  “You’re just lucky I was there to help you pull your head out of your ass in time,” Bently teased, grabbing another beer from the fridge and walking out to the fire.

  Something tugged her out after him. The mix of emotions she’d seen reflected in his eyes was something familiar and recognizable. For the first time, she could see past the jokes and smiles. His mouth said one thing while his eyes told another story. The real question was, what was he hiding underneath the facade?

  She walked out into the cool night air towards the crackling fire. She crossed her arms and shivered, having left her jacket in the house.

  The tether between them pulled her onward. He sat on a log. Red flames reflected in his blue eyes. Heat from her core spread through her, warming her from within as she sat next to him.

  “You okay?” she asked, studying him.

  “Why wouldn’t I be? TJ and I won a hundred bucks each,” he answered, not looking up from the fire.

  “Why do I get the feeling that wasn’t the first time you saw my brother in action?”

  Bently shrugged. “Sometimes we happen to both be at the same court at the same time.”

  A burst of gratitude bloomed in her chest. “He seems to like you.”

  Bently tipped back his beer, taking a sip. “Most people do.”

  A pang of guilt swept through her at the insinuation. “Can I ask you a favor?”

  He turned to face her. Half his chiseled face was hidden in the shadows of the night. The corners of his eyes creased. “What do you need?”

  Need? Someone to extinguish this fire inside me. Someone to take all these complicated feelings and uncomplicate them.

  “I’d like to start over. I made some mistakes and assumed I knew you. That was wrong and unfair. I would like to become friends. If that’s okay with you?” she asked, laying it all out there. She sat in her vulnerability, waiting patiently for his answer.

  He blinked a couple times before the corner of his mouth quirked up. “So, this is what it feels like.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Like what feels like?”

  “To be friend-zoned.”

  She laughed, happy to see the humorous glint return to his eyes. “It’s all I have to offer.”

  “Then I’d be happy to be your friend, Belle.” He rubbed his hand against the rough stubble on his chin. Something about the way he said it sounded more like he was accepting a challenge.

  She licked her lips—his eyes darted to the movement. The tension between them grew thick with anticipation. He leaned in a little closer, his woodsy scent melding with the campfire. She shivered, frozen in place, all thought leaving her head except one. What would his lips feel like on mine?

  “Are you cold?” he asked, his gravelly voice bringing to attention just how much closer he was now. He pulled off his jacket and put it around her shoulders before she could answer.

  “Thank you.” Now that oak scent was intoxicating her, cloying to every cell and coating it in desire.

  “You’re welcome, friend.” He smirked.

  The sight sent a shock of wanton lust through her. She clenched her thighs together. She began to tremble from a mixture of hazy need and fear over how her body reacted to him. Something deep inside her whispered, he’s safe. That voice had never misled her before. That intuition was the only reason she was alive.

  “I think you’re going to like being my friend,” he said.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, beautiful.” He winked.

  A flutter of butterflies erupted in her belly. Excitement she wasn’t used to feeling knotted her stomach with nerves. She didn’t like being this off-kilter. She was always in control—she’d had to be. That was what scared her most about him—the disarray he thrust her into.

  He’s safe.

  But was she?

  Chapter 14

  Bently

  After walking up the steps to Belle’s house, Bently took a rallying breath and knocked. The way she’d come to check on him, asking if they could be friends, it had given him the first spark of hope he’d had since everything went south at the gym.

  The door opened and TJ looked up at him, unsure and hesitant. He obviously still had a long way to go earning this guy’s trust.

  “Hey, is your sister home?”

  TJ’s mouth split into a knowing and almost relieved grin. “Sure is. Come on in.” TJ walked in, leaving the door open as he went to the array of books at the kitchen table.

  “Belle, it’s for you!” he hollered.

  Bently shut the door and cleared his throat as Belle came down the stairs with a basket full of laundry in her arms.

  Her full pink lips opened into an O. It was the first time he hadn’t seen them coated in that sinful red lipstick. A mouth he’d almost kiss
ed the other night, until good judgment had won out.

  “Hey, friend. Feel like having lunch on this fine Sunday with me?”

  She bit into that delicious bottom lip and set the basket on the couch, giving him a nice view of her perfect ass in those red high-waisted leggings. She turned around, the tiny half T-shirt showing off the strip of soft stomach. He put his hands into his jean pockets, controlling the itch to touch her.

  “Do you take all your friends to lunch?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as if she could see right through his plans.

  “Only the best ones.” He smiled.

  “You seemed pretty chummy with TJ. Is he invited on this . . . excursion?”

  TJ quietly laughed as he watched their exchange.

  Ideally, Bently wanted this woman alone, but they were a package deal and he’d come prepared. “Of course.”

  Belle’s shoulders relaxed. “It’s kind of last minute.”

  “I like to think of it as spontaneous.”

  A ghost of a smile turned up the corner of her mouth. This woman was a challenge, and damn if he didn’t like it.

  She looked over at her brother before nodding. “Alright, we’ll go.”

  “Great. We can take my truck. You’ll want a pair of sneakers.” He glanced at her small naked feet as she wiggled her hot-pink toes. Everything about this woman was tiny compared to his six-foot-three stature.

  “Okay. Anything else? Where are you taking us?”

  “A warm jacket, and as far as our destination goes, that’s a surprise.” He shrugged innocently.

  The corner of her mouth turned up again in an almost smile.

  She grabbed a pair of Converse sneakers and tied them before slipping a coat off the rack next to the door. “Come on, TJ.”

  “As much fun as spending the afternoon babysitting the two of you sounds, I have plans. Rain check?” TJ smirked, and Bently liked the kid a lot more in that moment.

  Belle’s eyes widened, but Bently swept into action, opening the door. “Well, we better get going. Don’t want to miss our reservation.” He winked.

  Her brow furrowed as panic flashed in her expression. Bently spoke in his most soothing tone. “We don’t have to go if you’re not feeling up to it, but I would love your company. If we’re gonna be friends, we should get to know each other a little better, right?”

  She swallowed, the action drawing his attention to her exposed neck and a small light scar that zigzagged right above her collarbone. “Okay. Let’s go.” She passed him and walked down the porch towards his truck.

  He shut the door and ran to catch up to her before opening the car door for her. Belle needed a boost in because it was so high up. As she took the hand he offered, her soft touch sent a zing of energy buzzing around his body. She pulled herself up, as he reached out his hand to the back of her thigh, steadying her. Liquid heat rocketed through him. He bit back a groan. He’d barely touched the woman and his cock was pressed into his zipper so hard he might have a permanent imprint. He cleared his throat and shut the door as she buckled in.

  Bently climbed in the driver’s side and started the engine before he pulled out. He drove through town and turned the music on low. The band Grandson played on the radio, filling the silence.

  “I had you pegged as a country music fan.” She smiled sheepishly.

  He winced. “I mean, I can stand to listen to some, but it’s definitely not my go-to.”

  She chuckled.

  “What about you?”

  She scrunched her nose. “Country music? No way.”

  He laughed. “What’s your preference?”

  “This is nice. I listen to a mix of things.”

  “So, we seem to have music in common. What’s your favorite food?”

  “Italian. What’s next? You want to know my favorite color?” She giggled and fuck if it wasn’t the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

  “I already know your favorite color.”

  She swiveled her head to look at him as he turned down the road towards the state line separating New Hampshire and Maine.

  “You do?”

  He nodded as he stopped at the stoplight. Swiveling his head to face her, he said, “Red.”

  She sucked the tiniest amount of her bottom lip into her mouth, and a shot of lust burned his veins. He wanted to be the one to do that.

  Someone honked behind them and he focused his attention back on the road, pressing the gas and continuing on to their destination.

  “How did you know?” she asked, a little quieter.

  “You wear a lot of it. It’s one of the first things that drew my attention to you. Those red lips.”

  “Oh.”

  The sexual tension in the car was stifling. He cracked his window, letting cool October air into the cab, but it offered no relief.

  “Your family and friends seem like good people. They look up to you.”

  They do, but should they? “They’re special.”

  “Jasmine said you basically raised her,” she pressed.

  He cleared his throat. “TJ said the same about you.”

  “I did. I guess that’s something else we have in common. Both having to protect and care for others long before we were meant to.”

  He wanted to ask about her life, but that would leave him open for her return questions. And there was no way he was going there.

  “What made you become a nurse?” he asked instead.

  She waited a beat before she answered. The road they traveled turned into gravel as they wound through the forest, up the mountain path. “I like helping people. Where are you taking me? Is this where you murder me and leave my body for the bears? I have to warn you, I know self-defense,” she joked, though her voice was tinged with uncertainty.

  He laughed. “I thought it might be fun to hike to our lunch spot.”

  “Hike? Here in the woods? Aren’t there like bears and other wild animals?”

  He pulled into the lot and parked the truck. Turning to face her, he tried to hide his grin. He patted her knee, need and want blistering from the touch. “Don’t worry, city girl. I’ll keep you safe.”

  She looked down at his palm and back to him. The lure of her dark brown eyes wavered his defenses. Bently jerked his hand away like it was on fire. He was too exposed and vulnerable with her. He needed to get himself under control. Bently opened his door and walked around to her side. He held out his hands and she gripped his shoulders before sliding herself slowly to the ground. Her soft curves pressed against him, sending white-hot flames splintering through him. He set her on her feet and stepped away before she could feel what she did to him.

  He’d promised her friendship, and anything more would scare her off for good, he was sure of it. The problem was, there was no way he could just be platonic with this woman. He craved her, desired her with every cell in his damaged body. But she needed slow. She’d only offered him friendship and he’d take what he could get. Someone like her would never want him long-term—not after she found out what a failure he truly was.

  “Mount Agamenticus,” she read off the sign.

  “It’s got a great view of the White Mountains and the ocean at the top.” He pulled the backpack from his truck bed and slung it over his shoulders before leading her towards the trail.

  They walked in silence at first, passing other hikers every now and then. It wasn’t too busy this time of year. Most of the leaves had already fallen, covering the floor of the forest in the bright yellows, reds, and oranges. The trail was steep in many places. He slowed to stay in pace with Belle.

  The farther they hiked, the closer she got to him. “Are you sure we won’t run into any bears?” Her hands touched his arm, and instinctively he wrapped his palm around hers and squeezed.

  “No, we’ll be fine. This is a well-traveled area. I’ve hiked this mount
ain hundreds of times and never seen more than a squirrel or chipmunk.”

  “Okay.” She seemed to breathe a little easier, but she didn’t let his hand go.

  He’d protect her, even if it meant risking his life. That was part of his job—every day there was a risk he might not make it home because he’d sworn to protect and serve. But nothing about the softness of her hand entrusted in his felt like just another day. The ache in his chest at the fear in her eyes told him that whether he was a cop or not, it was more important to protect this woman than the next beat of his heart.

  He was the one in danger.

  Chapter 15

  Bently

  They were out of breath by the time they reached the summit. He led her to a wooden lookout, his leg muscles aching with every step. When he guided her to the top, he pointed out in the distance. “There are the White Mountains.”

  “Where?” she asked.

  He stepped behind her, one hand on her shoulder as he leaned in and pointed with the other one. “They’re easier to see when they have snow caps on them.”

  She turned to face him. “And that other side is the ocean?”

  He nodded, not taking his gaze off her. He leaned the tiniest bit forward, testing the waters.

  Her stomach grumbled.

  He chuckled. “Guess we better eat.”

  She smiled bashfully. “I skipped breakfast.”

  “You should have said something. We could have stopped for food.”

  She shrugged as he led her towards a picnic table. “I just got busy and forgot. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Do you do that a lot?”

  “Skip breakfast?” she asked.

  “Forget to take care of yourself?”

  She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Belle remained silent as he pulled out the water bottles and handed her one.

  “So glad we could make the reservations.” She cast him a skeptical look and twisted off the cap before taking a long gulp of water.

  He smirked. “Wouldn’t want to miss the best seats in the house.” He laid out the sandwiches and fruit and veggie platter he’d packed on the wooden picnic table.

  “Wow. You’ve really outdone yourself,” she said, unwrapping one of the sandwiches.