“That you two are attracted to each other,” Katie finished.
Les’s brow puckered. “I swear, Katie, when I first laid eyes on him at the bar, I didn’t know who he was and it was like…wow. And when I found out who he was, I nearly croaked.”
Katie sighed. “Les, please listen to me. Honestly, I’ve dug deep inside of myself looking for maybe just a tiny bit of resentment, but it’s not there. There’s not a good reason why…why you and Joe couldn’t see where it leads.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Les said.
“Why not?” Katie asked.
“So many reasons,” Les said; then she dropped back onto the bed. “What are you going to do about Dickhead?”
“Forget him,” Katie said. “I hate being on the Poked List.”
Les rolled over. “Do you love him?”
“Love? You’re joking, right?” Silence reigned, and then the truth started bubbling to the surface. “When I’m with him, I feel safe, and this is going to sound so corny, but it’s like he gets me, like he sees inside me. Remember what I told you about him giving me the elephant painting? I barely knew the guy and yet he somehow sensed how important painting was to me. And he can just look at me and know when I’m feeling panicked. He says to me, ‘Breathe, Red.’ And every time he’s said that, he’s been right on target.”
Katie hugged the pillow closer. “And he makes me laugh and…I’ve always had to work at being a Ray. I never felt good enough, or poised enough, or pretty enough, or witty enough. But when I’m with Carl, I feel all those things.”
She closed her eyes. “Oh, God, Les. I think I am this close to falling in love with a dickhead.”
They both just sat there for a long minute, before Les asked again. “So, what are you going to do about Dickhead?”
Katie sat up, still hugging the pillow. “If I see him again, I’m going to kick his ass.”
Les laughed. “I trained you well.”
Baby and Precious greeted Carl with affection at the door. He knelt and gave them both a few pats. Then, standing, he stared at the sofa. He envisioned Red there.
He needed a beer. He stepped into the kitchen, and damn if he didn’t see Katie in there, too. Peering at him from behind the pantry door, embarrassed because his dad interrupted…He gazed at the sink and got a hard-on. Shit. He grabbed a beer.
Being a masochist, he went to his bedroom, stared at the rumpled sheets. Visions flashed—of how she’d looked sitting on top of him, riding him, of how she’d tasted between her thighs, of how tight she’d been when…He inhaled. Her musky scent still hung in the air.
He went and sat down at the dining room table, the only place her memory didn’t cling. Then his mind created the image of the clothes piled on the dining room floor. Hers. His. Together.
He reached back and squeezed his shoulder, remembering how he’d wanted to buy some of those red flowers for Katie. The case would be wrapped up soon. Maybe it would be okay to just spend these days with her, enjoy it for a few more days. Wrong. Best to cut it off now. Besides, after the MIA stunt he’d pulled this morning, his chances of getting back in her good graces were nil.
So let her have her anger. Ending things in anger was better than sad good-byes. He sipped his beer.
Baby scratched his leg. He moved his chair back so she could jump up on his lap. Then Precious curled up at his feet. He didn’t need a woman. He had two prissy dogs. And beer.
He sucked down another cold swig. Red deserved to hear him tell her that she was too good for him. And knowing women the way he did, she probably deserved the opportunity to tell him what an asshole he’d been. Besides, he had to take her things over, anyway.
A little while later, he used his key and let himself into his dad’s apartment. When he made it past the entryway, he saw his dad settled in the usual easy chair, reading. His old man lowered the newspaper.
“I figured you’d show up sooner or later.” The paper rattled as his dad went back to reading.
Stepping farther into room, Carl searched for Katie. In spite of knowing it would be a huge punch in the gut, he was starved to see her—to look, not touch.
“Is she in the extra bedroom?” He rubbed his shoulder. Then he set the bag with her things beside the sofa.
“Nope.” His dad didn’t look up.
“Bathroom?” Carl asked.
“Nope.”
Carl tensed. “Damn it! You didn’t let her leave, did you?”
The paper rattled again. “She’s outside on the patio.”
He took a deep breath. Wiped his sweaty palms on the back of his jeans and took a few steps toward the sliding glass door.
“I wouldn’t go out there,” his dad said coolly.
Carl swallowed. “She’s pissed, huh?”
“Probably. But that’s not why you shouldn’t go out there.”
Carl looked away from the heavy blinds covering the door to his dad. “Why shouldn’t I go out there?”
“She’s got company.”
“Company?” Carl remembered Ben telling him he’d given Dad’s address to Katie’s friend, Les. Rotating his shoulder, Carl went and sat on the sofa. He wondered again if Les was the blonde at the police station the other night. “Is she a blonde?”
“Is who a blonde?”
“Katie’s friend, Les?”
“Oh. Yeah, she’s blonde. She visited this afternoon, too.”
“Too?” Carl asked.
“Yup.” The newspaper didn’t budge.
Carl’s gaze shot to the glass doors. “Who’s here now?”
“Her fiancé.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Katie stared at Joe. When Ben had called and said Joe was looking for her, she’d told Ben to give him the address. It felt a little strange seeing Joe after she’d slept with Carl so soon after their breakup, but she did want to remain Joe’s friend. And to do that they both had to accept that there would be other people in each of their lives.
Katie had already concluded that she didn’t have an issue with it, but she didn’t know about Joe.
“I just wanted to check on you,” he said. He looked back toward the door leading into the apartment.
“I’m fine,” she lied. Mr. Hades had treated Joe like something that needed to be cleaned off the bottom of his shoe, and Katie pretty much knew why. He was looking out for his son’s interests. Not that he should; his son wasn’t interested in her. All he’d wanted was a night of sex, and he’d gotten it, too. The pain of that settled into her heart and threatened to hang around like a bad case of stomach flu.
“You know, if you wanted to come to my place, you could, right? And I mean…just as a friend.”
She smiled. “I know.” And right after she’d discovered Carl had dumped her, she’d almost decided to do that. But she didn’t want to mess up any chance there might be for Les and Joe.
“Did you tell your mom?” Katie hugged her sweater tighter.
Joe raked a hand through his hair. “Don’t ask about that.”
“Bad, huh?” Katie frowned.
Joe laughed. “I’ll say.”
“Oh, Joe, she’s just lonely and you’re all she has.”
“Which is why I told her she needs to get a life,” he said.
Katie couldn’t argue with that.
Joe looked back at the patio doors. “I thought you were staying with the PI? Why’re you here, with his father?”
Katie tried not to react. “I think this is best.”
“Something go wrong?” Joe asked.
Glancing away, she answered, “Sort of.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied, and sincerity rang in his voice.
She looked at him and decided now was the best time to bring up the next topic. “I talked to Les.”
He literally flinched. “She told you about last night?”
Katie remembered Les baring her soul before she left. “A little.”
Guilt flashed in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
She held up her hand. “Joe, I’m not upset…really. I just wanted you to know that Les is vulnerable right now. Give her some time.”
He studied her. “You really don’t have an issue with this?”
She smiled. “You want to hear something crazy?”
He rolled his eyes. “As if things could get any crazier?”
“In a way, I think I picked you out for Les.”
His eyes widened. “You did what?”
“I know this sounds nuts. But you’re just like my brother.”
He laughed. “Well, that explains why the sex wasn’t good.”
She laughed, too. “Seriously, you’re totally Les’s type.”
His smile faded. “She doesn’t seem to think so.”
“Give her time.” Katie stood up and went to hug him.
Carl sat on the sofa, trying to figure out why the hell he should care if Red was with Joe Lyon when…when he and Red were over. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Then, unable to take it any longer, he bounced up from the sofa.
“She’s with Joe Lyon? Out there. Right now?”
“Yep.” His father turned the page and Carl could swear he heard the man chuckle.
“She broke up with him.” Carl’s gaze shot from the door to his dad. “He’s not her fiancé anymore.”
The Chronicle lowered, and his dad eyed him over the sports page. “Break up. Make up. You know how you young kids are.”
“They made up?” Carl’s heart fisted. She’d done the dishes with him. They’d made love. How could she go back to Joe?
Not that he’d exactly given her any reason not to, but still.
“I’m guessing,” his dad said. “She was happy to see him.”
“She was?” Carl took two steps to the door.
“I wouldn’t go out there, son.”
“The guy doesn’t deserve her.” Carl swung around and finally found a good reason why Katie couldn’t get back with Joe Lyon. “That bastard was cheating on her. And I think with her friend—that Les chick.”
“Well, I’m sure a woman like Red knows how to handle that.”
Carl went to the blinds and pulled them back. And damn it to hell, Red stood there with Lyon, and that asshole had his hands all over her.
“Oh, shit.” Joe saw the man glaring at him from the other side of the glass and he dropped his arms from around Katie. It had been a simple good-bye hug. But from the look in Carl Hades’ eyes, the man didn’t think it was that simple.
“I think we’ve got company,” he told Katie.
She looked up, and a world of hurt filled her eyes. The thought that someone had hurt her stirred some uncomfortable feelings in Joe’s gut. Not jealousy, but the need to protect her from any asshole.
Joe shot another glance at the PI and saw jealousy in the man’s eyes. Joe knew some men were jealous just to be macho, but some men were jealous because they really cared.
The door jerked open and the PI stepped out. He held himself like a man who knew how to fight and didn’t mind doing it. Joe wasn’t a fighter, but he swung damn hard if swung at.
Katie must have read the same thing in her new boyfriend’s mood, because she jumped between them. Her gaze went from Joe to Hades. “I think you two have met before,” Katie said.
“At the police station.” Joe nodded, willing to take the first step toward clearing the tension.
Obviously not amenable to this, Hades crossed his arms over his chest. “How did you know Katie was here?”
Joe squared his shoulders. “Your brother.”
That news didn’t seem to land so well with Hades. But at least some of his cockiness seemed to fade. Joe looked at Katie. “I should be going. If you need me, call.”
“She won’t be needing you,” Carl said.
“Excuse me?” Katie bit out, and Joe nearly laughed at what he saw in her eyes. Katie had never looked at him like that—with anger and passion. But damn him if Les hadn’t.
Then Joe looked to Hades and saw the same intensity in his eyes. Something told Joe that this man cared about Katie. Something also told him that, if given the right circumstances, these two might stand a chance. But what had the jerk done to hurt her?
Joe looked the man in the eyes. “If Katie needs me, I’ll be here.” He didn’t budge, not even when Hades stepped closer.
Hades senior suddenly stepped through the doorway as if he’d felt the tension brewing all the way inside. He put a warning touch on his son’s shoulder.
Joe took it a step further and gave Katie a quick kiss on her cheek. He didn’t like the idea of swapping fists with Hades, but a man who knew he had some competition was less likely to behave like an ass. Then, before Hades got a chance for retaliation, Joe left. Buck saw him to the door.
Katie felt anger burn in her belly. How dare he come out here and throw his machismo around as if he had some claim on her after passing her off like a bad gift? She crossed her hands over her chest and told herself to breathe before Carl said it first.
“What the fuck is going on?” Carl flung the question at her.
“I’m wondering that myself,” she snapped.
“Is the wedding back on? You taking that asshole back?”
“Joe Lyon has never been an ass. Unlike some people.”
Carl’s jaw tightened. “Maybe you should ask him about his feelings for your best friend before you say that!”
Katie wasn’t sure how Carl had gotten this information, but it didn’t matter. “At least he…watches The Brady Bunch.”
She saw her verbal jab hit right where she wanted it to: below the belt.
“You’re going to marry him?” The words came out in a growl.
The truth escaped her. “No. But why do you even care? I gave you what you wanted. We’re done.” Unable to control the ache in her chest, she darted around him and went inside. His dad frowned when he saw her come in.
Carl followed her inside. “We’re not through talking.”
“Yes, we are.” She didn’t look back as she went into the kitchen and found her purse. She had nothing else to say to him. But she did have something to give him. It had taken her almost an hour to get the information out of Mr. Hades, but he’d finally relented and given her Carl’s rates.
“Come back outside,” Carl ordered, and motioned to the door.
She didn’t reply. Instead, she yanked open her purse, pulled out the check she’d written, and met him at the door. She slapped the check into his hand. “This should cover it.”
“Cover what?” he snarled.
“Your fees. I don’t think I should have to pay you for the time we were locked together at Tabitha’s because that wasn’t my fault. But I paid you from yesterday at lunch until now. Your dad gave me your going rate. Which I must say is a bit pricey.”
He glared at the check. “My rates for what?”
“For working my case. Isn’t that what you do—private investigations? Protect people. Solve their problems.”
“God damn, Katie, we had sex!”
“Oh, do I need to pay you for that, too?”
“Fuck!” He ripped the check in half. “You never hired me.”
“So true,” she snapped. “But just in case you’re wondering, I am firing you. I’m no longer your problem, got that?”
“If you think I’m going to let you leave here and risk that some SOB could get to you, then you better think again.”
She moved in. “I’m firing you. But I’ve hired your dad.”
Carl looked mad enough to chew nails into staples. “He works for me.”
“Not on this case, he doesn’t. And just for the record, if I chose to leave here, I could walk out that door and there wouldn’t be a damn thing you could do about it. But believe it or not, as much as your presence annoys me right now, you are not worth risking my life for.”
She started down the hall to her assigned bedroom, but then something had her turning around. Her throat tightened. “By the way, thanks for a won
derful time last night.”
She slammed the door and heard Hades senior say, “Well, that went better than I expected.”
An hour later, Carl leaned his head against the bedroom door. By the way, thanks for a wonderful time last night. Nothing she’d said to him to night stung more than that. Because in her words, he’d heard exactly how much he’d hurt her. Damn! He really was a no-good piece of shit.
“Katie, please open the door and let’s talk,” he said again. She hadn’t said one word since she’d gone in there.
“I’m not leaving until we talk,” he added.
“Mr. Hades?” Katie called out rather loudly. From her voice and tone, Carl knew she wasn’t addressing him.
“Yes,” his dad called from the next room, where he’d returned to his paper. Who knew the Chronicle was so interesting?
“Do you work for me or not?”
“Yes, ma’am. That I do.”
“Then stop the dickhead at my door from harassing me.”
Carl’s old man coughed to cover his laugh.
“Stay out of it, Dad,” Carl warned when his dad appeared.
“Well, son, I might have been able to do that if you hadn’t gotten me knee-deep in it by doing something stupid. So leave the lady alone.” Then his dad motioned him away.
Carl relented and followed his dad into the living room. “Let her simmer down,” his dad whispered. “I’ve seen your mom and even Jessie that mad, and they got over it in time. But don’t stop trying. If you don’t try, they get madder.”
Carl went and fell back on the sofa where he pushed his palms into his eye sockets. He couldn’t think straight. He needed to talk to her and yet didn’t have a clue what he needed to say. He’d come here prepared to give her up. But seeing her in the arms of Joe Lyon had changed everything.
Yet, it hadn’t changed anything. He sucked at relationships. He failed people. He still couldn’t promise Katie anything, because he didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. And a woman like Katie deserved promises. But damn it! He still had to get her to talk to him. He had to tell her…He still fucking didn’t know what he had to tell her, but it must be important, because he was hurting like hell.
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