“I’m glad I got an education,” she said, clearing her throat delicately when it became obvious he didn’t intend to give her a modicum of personal space. “I set a goal and saw it through to completion. I knew I wouldn’t get rich with an Art History degree, but I wouldn’t trade those years of study for anything. It gave me a sense of independence, helped me become my own person.”
Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “Do you love the woman you are now more than the girl you were then?”
Bree thought it was an unusual question, but since he was barricading her with his body in an elevator that wasn’t moving until he decided it would, she had no means of escape. “I do.” She replayed her conversation with his father in her mind. “I would never have been able to stand up to your father that way when I was a teenager.” She laughed. “He scared the hell out of me. He doesn’t anymore. I’d say that’s progress.”
“My father is an intimidating man,” Kevin agreed. “He’s not used to people standing up to him.”
“But you do.” Kevin had always been the one to challenge his father when no one else would.
“I’m his son,” he said, shrugging. “His first born. It’s not like he’s going to stop loving me just because we don’t always see eye to eye.”
He turned abruptly, pushing the button to resume their assent to the top floor.
Bree knew it was ridiculous to feel disappointed that he didn’t take advantage of their close proximity and seclusion to kiss her, but she couldn’t help wondering whether the attraction was entirely one-sided. “Just like you’re not going to stop loving him because his heavy-handed tactics contributed to our break-up.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Kevin said, rubbing his eyebrow as though he was trying to ward off a headache. “He didn’t just contribute to our break-up. He caused it. I can’t just forget that.”
Bree touched his arm, feeling compassion for the weight that must be resting on his shoulders. He had people’s lives, their futures in his hands. He had hundreds of employees, a crumbling marriage, a demanding family, and a son to raise. It couldn’t be easy to be all things to all people, with no support.
“Hey,” she said, stepping in front of him when he clenched his jaw in response to her gentle touch. “This is me, remember?” She reached up to stroke his face, feeling her heart flutter when he closed his eyes briefly, as though he’d been craving the contact. “You can let your guard down with me, Kev. Talk to me.”
The doors opened before he could respond and he didn’t hesitate to grab her hand and lead her off the elevator, down a long hall toward an impressive suite finished to perfection with light gray and black furnishings.
The middle-aged receptionist looked up from her computer screen when she noted Kevin wasn’t alone. Her eyes rested on their joined hands before she said, “Mr. Foster, your ten o’clock—”
“Will have to wait,” he cut in. “I need a few minutes.”
Bree knew she should feel guilty that he was putting off clients to steal a few minutes alone with her, but she couldn’t.
“Why are you here?” he asked as he ushered her inside and closed the door. “And don’t tell me it’s because Ren asked you to decorate my office. That’s a crock and you know it.”
Bree watched him reach into a mini-fridge, extract two mini bottles of water, and pass her one. She took a sip to coat her dry throat before she said, “I can’t deny I was curious, Kev. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about you over the years. I wondered about your career, your wife, your son, your life.”
“I wondered about you too,” he said, appearing almost angry with himself for admitting as much. “I never thought I’d see you again.” He rounded the desk, sitting down in the black leather swivel chair before casting a quick glance at his cell phone. “When I pulled into Zach’s driveway and saw you standing there with your daughter…”
It killed her to see the pained expression on his face. She could read his mind as easily now as she’d been able to decades ago. “I know this isn’t easy. If you really want me to go—”
“You have a child with someone else.” His eyes met hers, and for the first time she saw a flash of the sensitive man he used to me. “So do I. I can’t shake the feeling that’s not how it was supposed to be, Bree. Don’t get me wrong, I love my son. I know you love your daughter, but I can’t help but think they should be our children, not yours and mine.”
She knew how much it cost a man like Kevin to bare his soul, so she crossed the room, inching her body between him and his massive desk. “Come here,” she whispered.
He didn’t hesitate to stand, setting his hands on either side of her thighs as he waited for her to make the next move.
“What are you afraid of?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What’s the worst thing that could happen if you let me in?”
“You could make me want things…”
“What kind of things?” she whispered, brushing her lips against his cheek. It felt incredible, breathing in his familiar scent, feeling his strong arms around her. “Tell me. Don’t hold back.”
“You have no idea what it did to me when you left.” His solid body trembled ever so slightly when she slipped her hand under his blazer to caress his back through the thin cotton shirt. “I never got over it. I went through the motions. Got my degree, started my business, got married, had a child, but I never felt that same enthusiasm for life again.”
She understood, only too well, what he meant. Her experience had been eerily similar. “Neither did I.”
He closed his eyes before dipping his hands into the mass of ash blond waves spilling over her shoulders. “You’re dangerous, Bree.”
“I’ve never known you to play it safe.”
“You’re wrong,” he said, sighing. “I’ve been playing it safe for a long time now. I’ve thrown myself in to this business because I knew it was something I could succeed at. There was no real risk. I married a woman who didn’t have the power to tear my heart out the way you did. She walked away and I let her. I didn’t even think about trying to stop her. What does that say about me, that I didn’t even want to try to fight for my marriage?”
“She left you,” she said, running her hands up to rest on his broad shoulders. “She found someone else. You’re not to blame.”
“Yes, I am.” He broke eye contact before he said, “I was never really there for her. She deserved better.”
Based on everything Bree had heard about Kevin’s wife, she got exactly what she deserved, but she knew it wouldn’t help to point it out. “Do you think you deserve to be happy?” she asked, knowing her approach could backfire.
“Honestly? I don’t know.” His eyes landed on her lips as he said, “I’m not a good guy, you know. I’m not the guy you remember.”
“Okay,” she said, hesitantly. “Tell me about the guy you are now.”
“I put criminals back on the street. I fight for the rights of men who’ve stolen money from seniors. I defend savages who hurt innocent children and because I’m so good, they walk, and those kids never get justice.”
He hated himself. Bree sucked in a breath when she saw the self-disgust etching lines in his handsome face. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” she said, touching his face, smoothing out the harsh lines. “You’re in charge. You get to decide which cases your firm accepts.”
“You don’t understand,” he said, gripping her hands. “I get the most complex cases. People come to me because they know I can win cases no one else can. Therein lies the challenge. Without the challenge, doing what I do wouldn’t be worth it.”
Bree knew she couldn’t help him sort out his life in the span of a few stolen minutes, but she was glad he was confiding in her. At least he was leaving the door open a crack. Maybe in time, he would invite her back in. “I know your identity is wrapped up in being a lawyer,” she said, setting her hands on his chest. “But the beauty of life is that we can re-invent ourselves whenever we wan
t to.” She smiled when his eyes dipped to her hands. “That’s what I’m doing, re-inventing myself, building a new life for me and Ainsley. Who says you couldn’t do the same?”
“It’s not that easy for me, Bree.”
“I know, but you need to decide whether it’s worth it. Does this work nourish your soul?”
He frowned. “What’re you talking about?”
She’d always been a very spiritual person, thanks to her aunt’s influence, though she knew Kevin didn’t share her devotion. “Does it make you feel alive? Are you passionate about what you do? Do you jump out of bed in the morning, excited to get to work?” He rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm, but that didn’t deter her. She’d always been good at forcing him to ask himself the tough questions. “Does the day pass so quickly you forget to eat?”
“It used to,” he said, finally. “In the beginning when I was working toward a goal. I wanted my own practice so bad. I wanted the respect of my peers and…” His voice trailed off. “I have all of that now and I feel like there’s nothing left to work for.”
“So shift direction.” She knew she was over-simplifying. Kevin had spent years building his practice, making the kind of changes she knew would be required to bring him peace wouldn’t happen overnight, but she felt it was her job to help him see he had other options. “Figure out what you want and find a way to make it happen. That’s what you do best, right?”
He smiled while brushing her side-swept bangs off her face. “That’s what I missed the most, having someone who believed in me.”
Her breath stuttered when his eyes locked on her lips. She wanted more than anything to kiss him, but she knew it may be premature. Before she could decide, he took the initiative, lowering his head just enough to brush his lips against hers.
Her hands found the nape of his neck as his mouth came down on hers. He devoured her with sweeping strokes of his tongue, giving her little choice but to respond in kind as the ache of longing that had been slowly building since she laid eyes on him again, reached a painful crescendo.
When they finally broke apart, he whispered, “One kiss, just one kiss, and you remind me of everything I’ve spent the last twenty years trying to forget.”
Chapter Six
When Kevin pulled into his driveway two days later and found Bree’s late-model minivan parked near the front door, he bit down on his bottom lip to curb his smile. He’d had a feeling she’d be there. When he called Rennie to demand answers, she told him she’d hired Bree to decorate both his home and office, and had given Bree his spare key. His first impulse had been to let Rennie have it, but when that kiss in his office flashed through his mind, he could only thank her.
He grabbed the bag of Chinese take-out on the seat beside him and made his way up the path, whistling. Bree had crept into his thoughts more times than he’d dare admit over the past several days and the prospect of seeing her again lit him up.
He knew it was dangerous to get so invested in a woman who’d broken his heart once and wasn’t technically available to pursue a relationship, but the way she responded to his kiss told him her heart was with him, not back in Houston with her estranged husband.
Kevin smiled when he heard the Christmas carols filtering in from the family room. Bree was standing at the top of the winding staircase with her back to him, fastening an oversized white bow to the wood banister.
It gave him an opportunity to admire her without being caught ogling. The years had been damn good to her. She could still fill out a pair of blue jeans like no one else and the tight, red, long-sleeved T-shirt accentuated her trim waist and spectacular bust. It may have been twenty years, but he would never forget what it felt like to pepper her body with kisses until she was pleading with him to make love to her.
Closing the door softly, he set the bag down on the table and kicked off his shoes. He’d planned to sneak up on her, but she turned in time to spot him.
“Oh my God,” she said, laughing breathlessly. “You scared me. I guess I didn’t hear you come in over the music.”
He chuckled. “Interesting choice of tunes, by the way.” He grinned. “I’m partial to U2 and Nickleback myself.”
She rolled her eyes as she made her way down the stairs. “It puts me in the festive spirit.”
“This looks incredible,” he said, admiring the garland wrapping around the intricate wood and iron railing. “The house has never looked better, Bree.”
“Really?” she asked, looking hesitant as she fiddled with a pinecone perched in one of the branches. “I wasn’t sure what your wife had done—”
“Soon-to-be ex-wife,” he corrected. “And she didn’t do much.”
Bree raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for an explanation.
“I mean she wasn’t really into Christmas. Her family didn’t have a lot of money when she was growing up, so I don’t think she had a lot of happy memories of Christmas. In fact, she always tried to talk me into taking a trip before the holidays, but I convinced her to wait until after. I thought it was important for Danny to spend it with family.”
“She did put up a tree for your son’s sake though, didn’t she?” Bree asked, appearing upset. “Every kid who celebrates needs to wake up to a tree on Christmas morning.”
Kevin thought it was cute she was so into the holidays. She’d definitely worked her magic on his house. It had never looked so warm and inviting or maybe it was just her energy that was drawing him in. “She usually managed to put up a little artificial tree and stick Danny’s stocking on the mantle, but that was the extent of it.”
“That’s too bad,” Bree said, taking the stairs slowly as she surveyed her handiwork. “We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up either, but I remember the holidays being a magical time. We’d bake cookies for Santa, string popcorn for the tree…” She blushed. “That probably sounds silly to you, doesn’t it?”
“No, I think it’s sweet.” He and Zach had never helped bake cookies, but they had their own traditions, like going out as a family the day before Christmas Eve to find the largest tree left in the lot. “We used to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve,” he said, thinking back. “And my mom would sing and play the piano.” “Silent Night” came on and he smiled. “This song is still one of her favorites.”
Bree leaned against the wall at the foot of the stairs, crossing her arms. “Did you have any other traditions?”
“We’d volunteer at the church’s soup kitchen,” he said. “I remember the first few years I was really uncomfortable, but when I got a little older, I realized we were making a real difference and I started looking forward to it.”
Kevin hadn’t thought about that in years. It made him question why he hadn’t continued the habit with his own son. Of course, it was never too late. Maybe he could talk to Trena about spending a few more days with Danny over the holidays so they could do something like that together.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked, feeling self-conscious when he caught Bree staring at him like she was seeing him for the first time.
“Welcome back, Kev.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been gone awhile.”
He was tired after a grueling day, but not so tired that he missed the not-so-subtle jab. “You see the changes in me and you’re not impressed, is that it?”
“What happened to the guy I used to love?” she asked, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “You told me the other day that you’ve changed, that you’re not the same guy you used to be. I believe you. But why? What made you change?”
Losing you. Of course he couldn’t say that without sounding pitiful, so he said, “People change, Bree. We were just kids back then.”
“I guess you’re right.” She sighed. “But you know what they say, the more things change the more they stay the same. Coming home helped me to realize that. Things aren’t all that different. My aunt is still here doing what she loves. Rennie and Zach are more in love than ever, p
roving you should never give up hope.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He’d been practicing cynicism so long, optimism seemed foreign to him now. “You always were the one who saw the glass half full.” She’d been the one to convince him they could survive a long-distance relationship until his father convinced her otherwise. “I used to think you were too idealistic, but I have to admit, I admire that quality now. I’m so used to dealing with negativity in my line of work, it’s nice to run into someone who hasn’t been dissuaded by the harshness of reality.”
“I’ve had my fair share of sadness,” she said, reaching for the coat she’d left on an iron hook by the door. “My mama died the year Ainsley was born. I still miss her like crazy. And my marriage…” She reached for her purse, clutching it to her chest. “Let’s just say it wasn’t always easy being married to Lyle.”
He reached for her purse, tugging it out of her hands and setting it back down on the floor. He wasn’t ready for her to leave yet. He didn’t want to be alone, not when he could be with her instead. “I’m sorry to hear about your mama, Bree. I know how close y’all were. You must miss her.”
“Every single day.” She forced a smile. “But life has to go on, right? That’s what my aunt keeps telling me and I know she’s right. I don’t want Ainsley to see her mama being sad all the time. Even if I do have my fair share of bad days, I think it’s my job to put on a happy face for her. She’s got more than enough to deal with, with me and her daddy being apart and us moving.”
“She seems like a happy, well-adjusted little girl,” he said, taking her coat. Hanging it back on the hook, he added, “You’ve done a great job with her. You should be very proud.”
“Thank you, I am proud of her,” she said, looking amused. Pointing to her coat, she asked, “What do you think you’re doing? I’m on my way out.”
“You’ve worked so hard making my home beautiful. At least let me feed you before you go.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Fast Break (Texas Titans Holiday) Page 6