Saturday (Timeless Series #6)

by E. L. Todd

  That wasn’t possible.

  She had to feel it too.

  Rose looked into my eyes just the way she did on that night. Her hazel eyes were a brighter color under the light of the afternoon sun. Her full lips were slightly parted, revealing the tip of her front teeth. Even in the tensest moments she was painfully beautiful.

  “Rose?”

  “I think you’re attractive, Kyle. But that’s as far as my feelings go…”

  My eyes narrowed on her face, searching for a lie.

  “I told you I don’t date very often, and only when I absolutely have to. So, I’m not interested in anything more.”

  “Why?” I had no right to ask the question but it just slipped out.

  She looked at the ground for a few seconds before she lifted her gaze. “I prefer to be alone.”

  I didn’t believe that either. There was something she wasn’t telling me. “I’m just asking for dinner. That’s all. I don’t expect anything, Rose.”

  “You’re a sweet man, but my answer is still no.” She grabbed the handle and prepared to walk away.

  I didn’t want to let her walk away. I wanted an answer, a concrete one. Women came and went in my life, but I hardly felt something more than fondness and physical lust. Francesca was the first woman I wanted to be with all the time, and that occurrence was rare. Now I felt that feeling again, but it was a million times stronger—and I hardly knew her.

  That meant something, didn’t it?

  “I really wish you would give me a chance, Rose. Whatever happened to you, I can fix it. Whatever happened in your past doesn’t mean anything to me. I can be what you want me to be.” I was bending backwards for this woman, laying my heart on the line when she wouldn’t even give me a first date. I was swimming against the stream and doing backflips just for an opportunity.

  “Maybe it’s best if we don’t work together anymore.”

  Fuck. Now I really screwed things up. I pushed too hard and lost my only outlet of seeing her. “I don’t want that. You’re the best person for the job and I trust you’ll make my vision a reality.” That was total bullshit but I couldn’t tell her the truth.

  That I couldn’t let her go.

  Hesitance shined her eyes, like she couldn’t decide if she should continue our business relationship.

  If I didn’t do something now I would lose her forever. “I’m sorry I came on a little strong. But when I saw you walk into that restaurant I thought I felt something—something more than physical attraction. I thought there was some kind of connection there. But clearly I was wrong. I won’t bring it up again. This business relationship is important to me and I can’t afford to lose it. I’ll back off.”

  She searched my eyes for nearly a minute before she began to relax.

  “I would love to be your friend—if you’ll have me.” I extended my hand. I wasn’t looking for an excuse to touch her. It was an experiment. Would I feel something when we touched? Or would there be nothing there like I hoped?

  She eyed my hand before she took it. Her fingers clasped around mine and she gave it a gentle squeeze. On the surface it was a platonic handshake, a business agreement between two partners.

  Like last time, the heat traveled up my arm. It burned me from the inside out, giving me the kind of addictive pain I couldn’t shake off. My heart skipped a beat just like last time, and my lungs forgot how to take a breath. The fire burned hotter once we came into contact, quickly turning into an inferno.

  Her delicate breathing immediately became irregular, and I saw her swallow the lump in her throat. Her lips were parted again, and the fear was in her eyes—the fear of getting burned.

  Whatever I felt was still there—and she felt it too.

  Confessions

  Kyle

  Rose was difficult, unattainable, and simply infuriating.

  She wouldn’t give me a chance for whatever mysterious reason, and I didn’t like that one bit. I wasn’t the perfect man, but I did my best to be as close to perfect as possible. I was always respectful to everyone I met, I treated every woman like a queen, and I had a good heart.

  That wasn’t enough for her?

  I wish I could read her mind, discover all her secrets and find out what her problem was. My irritation didn’t come from entitlement. I didn’t expect her to be with me, but I wish I understood why she didn’t want to be with me.

  I should throw in the towel and give up. Other women wanted me, would love to have dinner with me, and it would save me the constant headache that pounded behind my eyes.

  But I still wanted her.

  If I were going to pursue this I needed to talk to Will about it. He only went on two dates with her, but if I kept up this game I needed to be honest about it. If I did get Rose I’d have a difficult time explaining my actions.

  We were hitting the weights together at the gym. We usually spotted for one another, and right now he was doing bench presses. He bent his elbows at the right angle and lowered the weight to his chest. Then he raised it again, going slow to maximize the use of his muscles.

  I stood over the bar with my fingers underneath the metal, prepared to take the weight if I had to. “One more, man.”

  He did the final rep then racked the bar. He was breathing hard and out of breath, his arms feeling like lead.

  “Good job.” I racked the weight.

  “Thanks.” He wiped his forehead with a towel.

  I used to go to Crunch Fitness, the same gym Francesca went to, but when she left me I moved a few blocks over. If we kept running into each other it would just make it difficult for me. But now that I was over her I missed my old gym. The equipment was newer and the place was bigger. Sometimes I thought about moving back but that would be a lot of work.

  “I’m going to be so sore tomorrow.” He drank his water then returned it to the ground. He hadn’t left the bench.

  I took the seat beside him. “Me too.”

  “We should hit legs tomorrow.”

  “Good idea.” I was dreading this conversation, and I thought having it here would be ideal. Other people were around so it wouldn’t escalate into a fight. Also, he was tired from lifting so he may not care as much as he normally would. “I want to talk to you about something.”

  “What?”

  “I hired Rose to design my new beach house in The Hamptons.”

  “You’re building a new beach house?” he asked in surprise.

  “Yeah, my dad left me the land a few years ago but I didn’t get it until recently.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I really hate you sometimes.”

  I got that a lot. “Anyway, Rose and I have been working together.”

  “Yeah? Did she say anything about me?”

  “No…” I hoped this wouldn’t blow up in my face. “Honestly, I’m into her. And I’m pretty sure she’s into me too.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  I couldn’t describe it in a way anyone else would understand. “I can just tell.”

  “Where are you going with this?”

  “Well, I was going to go for her. I just wanted to give you a head’s up.”

  “You’re going for my girl?” he asked incredulously.

  Anger coursed through me at lightning speed. I didn’t like the possessive way he referred to her, especially since it was clear Rose never had any interest in him. “You went out twice, man. And all you did was shake her hand.”

  “You’re still breaking the pact.”

  “Not really.” He was just irritated she preferred me to him.

  “Then why are you asking for my permission?”

  “I’m not. I’m just letting you know what’s going on.”

  “What about Florence?” he asked. “I thought you were into her?”

  When the hell did I say that? That woman was way too bossy and controlling for me. “She’s nice but not really my type. Honestly, when Rose walked in she was all I noticed.”

  “Obviously,” he said. “That
woman brings hot to a new level.”

  I wanted to grab a weight plate and slam it into his skull. Those excessive comments were really getting to me, starting to make my brain boil. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

  “What?” he asked. “All I said was she’s hot.”

  “And knock it off.” She was a lot more than a hot piece of ass. Even if she wouldn’t let me see through her layers I knew there was a whole ocean underneath her skin.

  He rolled his eyes. “Chill out. It’s not like she’s your girlfriend.”

  But she was mine. “ Anyway, are we okay?”

  He shrugged. “I really liked her.”

  They hardly spoke during their time together. He didn’t know her, not like I did. “Not every date works out. That’s just how life is. I’d really like it if you were on board with this. I don’t want to sneak around.”

  His eyes showed his irritation, but that look was slowly disappearing. “It looks like you’ve already made your decision, and if she likes you too I’m not going to get in the way of that.”

  “Thanks.” Now the dilemma was over with.

  “Does Florence know this?”

  Since our last date went to shit I hadn’t talked to her. “No. I ended our relationship last time I saw her.”

  “But she was really into you. I doubt she’s going to be cool with Rose dating you.”

  Since Rose wouldn’t say anything to her anyway I should be fine. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  ***

  A week had come and gone, and I wanted to see Rose.

  I had to go about this carefully. If I moved too quickly I’d scare her off again. I had to use my lawyer expertise to manipulate her into the exact place I wanted her to be.

  I called her and tried to stay cool.

  “Hello?” She answered with an alluring voice. It was deep but feminine at the same time. The sound was so attractive I forgot that I called her altogether. I sat on the phone, treasuring the echo of her words until my mind stopped playing it.

  “It’s Kyle. Is this a good time?”

  “Yeah. I’m just at work. What’s up?” Her voice lacked an edge, so she seemed to have dropped our last conversation from her mind. Since I hadn’t called in over a week she had a false sense of security.

  “I was wondering about the progress you’ve made on the house.”

  “I’ve been working on it a lot, actually. I have a lot of great ideas.” Like always, her voice picked up when she spoke of her passion.

  “That’s great. Can we get together and talk about it?”

  “Sure. I’m at the office now.”

  “Can we talk over lunch?” I asked. “I’ve been so busy at work I haven’t had a chance to grab a bite.”

  There was a long pause over the phone.

  I hoped she’d take the bait.

  “Sure. I haven’t eaten either.”

  Yes. “How about a burger? Mega Shake is just around the corner from your office.” It was my favorite burger joint in the city. It started in Seattle then opened in Manhattan. It was a hole in the wall, but the food was unbelievable. A casual place like that was better than a fancy restaurant—at least for her.

  “I’ve been there. It’s pretty good.”

  “Great. I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”

  “Alright.”

  ***

  I got there first and waited by the front door. Since I knew she was coming my nerves were getting to me. She was the first woman to make me nervous, to make me think about every word I said before I actually said it.

  A guy covered in tattoos walked inside then stood beside me, waiting for someone. He looked my age. Tattoos of every color covered his arms, and on his left hand was a tattooed wedding ring. He pulled out his phone and read a text message before he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

  I couldn’t look more different in comparison. I was wearing a suit because I just left the office, and I didn’t have any ink anywhere. As a lawyer, it may not go over well.

  He turned to me, his blue eyes friendly. “Waiting for someone?”

  “A girl.”

  He chuckled. “I’m waiting for my wife. She’s late to everything.”

  “Aren’t they all?”

  “You said it, man.” He glanced at his phone again. “But she’s so damn hot I don’t care. That woman can walk all over me and I won’t say shit about it.” He rubbed the side of his neck before he returned his phone to his pocket.

  I didn’t know what to say to that so I said nothing.

  “I’m Slade, by the way.” He shook my hand.

  “Kyle. Nice to meet you.”

  “Right back at ya.”

  The door opened and a blonde woman walked inside. She had a tiny frame but her stomach was distended past her hips. She was pregnant, probably six months along. A glittering ring was on her wedding finger, and when she looked at Slade her eyes lit up in the same flawless way.

  Slade leaned toward me. “That’s my lady. Hope yours shows up soon.”

  “Me too.”

  He patted my shoulder then walked toward her. When he reached her he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss that wasn’t appropriate for the public. “Missed you.”

  “Missed you too.”

  He kissed the corner of her mouth before he took her hand and got in line.

  Would I ever have that someday? I never felt so much jealousy for a stranger before. He had a woman who loved him the way he loved her. And they were starting their own family.

  The doors opened again and Rose walked inside, lighting up the room the second she appeared. Her hair was curled like last time and it trailed over one shoulder. She wore skin-tight jeans with a blue blouse.

  When she saw me standing off to the side she came to me. “Hey. Sorry I’m late.”

  “You’re fine.” My natural instinct was to examine her from head to toe but I kept myself under control. “Hungry?”

  “Very.”

  “Let’s get in line.” I walked up to the register just as Slade grabbed a tray of food. He glanced at Rose then turned his look back to me. He gave me a dramatic wink before he wiggled his eyebrows.

  I chuckled.

  He walked to the table where his wife was sitting.

  Rose didn’t notice the exchange. She ordered the food then grabbed her tray.

  I didn’t bother trying to pay for her things. She would get uncomfortable all over again. It was best just to do things her way until we reached a new level of closeness.

  We sat together in a booth in the corner. On the table was a folder of paperwork, probably full of designs she was about to show me. I took a few bites of my burger and kept my eyes down because I didn’t trust myself. I had a bad habit of staring at her.

  “How’s work?” she asked.

  “Good. But the office never sleeps.”

  “Do you work long hours a lot?”

  “Not really,” I said. “I oversee the office and take care of all the paperwork. I’m usually there in the morning.”

  “You don’t take cases?” She ate one fry at a time, eating slowly.

  “I do but rarely.”

  “That must be nice.”

  “I usually advise the other guys on their cases and take care of other things. And I golf too.”

  “How do you decide what cases to take?”

  “It’s the ones I’m particularly passionate about. When I’m emotionally invested I work a lot harder and I do my job to the best of my ability. I don’t even sleep most of the time.”

  “Are you a prosecutor or a defendant?”

  “Prosecutor—I put fuckers behind bars.” Whenever I thought about the cases I worked on it made my blood boil. The things the women had to go through were unforgivable. Sometimes I couldn’t even sleep because those stories haunted me. “I would never defend a criminal. I don’t care how much they pay me.”

  She held a fry in her hand but didn’t take a bite.

  I re
alized I let my emotion get to me and made the conversation awkward. “Sorry…I got carried away. I apologize for the language.”

  “It’s okay. It didn’t bother me.” She took a bite of her burger but kept her eyes glued to me the entire time. “You sound like a good lawyer. And we need more of those.”

  “All the guys at my firm are great. I know they care about their cases and the people they represent. They’re passionate in the same way, and they don’t stop until they get justice for their clients.”

  She continued to eat but her mind was still intrigued by my words. “How does that affect you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you’re that invested do you ever really move on?”

  I shook my head. “No. Even when I win my cases and get my clients justice I still feel like shit. I feel terrible the crimes were committed at all. You can never erase the past. You can never take back the things that already happened. And my clients will always carry that.”

  She looked down at her fries and picked at them. She didn’t take another bite, her mind somewhere else.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bum you out.”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. “What do you do when you lose a case?”

  “I don’t know. That’s never happened.”

  She looked up again. “You’ve never lost a case?”

  “No.” I didn’t give up. I pushed on until I got what I wanted. “But I don’t take as many cases as the rest of my employees.”

  “That’s impressive…”

  “I have a good relationship with a lot of the judges, and I have a good reputation. I think that helps a lot.”

  She returned to eating her fries, moving at a snail’s pace.

  When I asked her to lunch I wanted to have good conversation, not drop my work drama on her. We were already off to a bad start. “How’s work been for you?” I sipped my soda as I watched her.

  “Good.” She opened a ketchup packet and squirted it on top of her fries. “Work has been good for a while now. A few years ago I couldn’t get anyone to give me a chance because my company is small and I’m the only employee.”

  “Good for you.”

  “I’ve had a lot of high profile clients, and I know that helped.”