“They were for breast cancer awareness month,” I retorted, snatching the cards from his large hands. “And they’re cute.”
“If you say so.” He chuckled, again taking the cards from me and removing them from their box to shuffle them on the table.
I watched the muscles in his arms bunch and bulge as he shuffled the cards like a professional. There was something about the way he handled everything he did as if it was no big deal; required only minimal effort on his part to do a task perfectly. And I did mean everything. Starting with the way he’d easily handled my body the first night we met, to taking care of my attacker with such confidence, to the hospital staff.
“How long were you a professional boxer?” I questioned, desiring to know more about this man who was taking up so much space in my home, and my thoughts as of late.
He inched back from the coffee table and placed his elbow on the couch, turning to face me.
“Not a boxer, a fighter. And little over ten years.”
“Why’d you retire?”
He peered over the cards he ceremoniously dealt out. “I’d had enough. Take your cards.” He jutted his head toward the small pile of seven cards he’d placed in front of me. “What made you go into fashion?”
“How’d you know I work in fashion?”
“I looked it up. Give me your kings.”
He jumped from one topic to the next.
Blinking, I looked down at my cards and realized what we were playing. I began giggling. “I can’t believe we’re playing Go Fish.”
He shrugged with a grin on his face. “There’s only two of us, not enough for spades. I’d offer a round of strip poker, but you’re not up for that this evening. This is what I pulled out of my ass to keep you awake and let me know if you’re able to follow instructions. Now give me your kings.”
I plucked the king of hearts that I had in my hand and handed it to him.
“No way,” I charged when he made his first book, obviously having the three other kings in his hand. “How did you have three kings already out of a seven card hand?”
His broad shoulder rose and fell. “Lucky, I guess.”
“Or, you cheated when you dealt out those cards.”
“Not a day in my life, sweetheart.” Those pearly whites were on full display and I noticed that at some point he’d removed the hair tie he’d been wearing. Now, his blond locks fell in waves around his shoulders and it took all my strength not to reach out and run my fingers through it.
“It was my mother,” I finally blurted out a few minutes later.
He lifted a curious brow.
“She was the drug addict.”
It took all of two full seconds for him to put two and two together, recalling his question at the hospital.
“I don’t take drugs if I can help it.”
“It was only some acetaminophen.”
I shook my head. “Not if I can help it. The pain isn’t unbearable.”
His face turned somber as he peered down at his cards. “I get it. My ma’ liked booze a little too much. She was a good ma when she wanted to be but she liked alcohol more.”
“But you drink. Give me your nines.”
“Go fish.”
I plucked a card from the deck, happy that I’d pulled a nine of spades. One card closer to making another book.
“Not often. Guess it was just dumb luck running into you at the bar that night. I rarely go into bars.”
I’d heard many lies in my life. A ton came from my mother when she would tell me that she was done with the drugs. Most of the others came from various men throughout my life. They’d lie about wanting to be in a relationship only to tell me it wasn’t that deep, or lies about not sleeping with someone else when it was obvious they were cheating, the I love you lies, and on and on. I’d become adept at discerning lies. Or just not believing much of what came out of a man’s mouth.
So when I stared into Connor’s eyes, and instantly believed what he’d just told me, this was a new experience.
“You’re not lying,” I whispered.
“The hell do I have to lie about?”
I shrugged and peered down at the cards in my hand. “Most men lie in one way or another.”
“Like the lie about you being celibate?” he scoffed.
I raised my sharp gaze, lowering my hands. “I am celibate … or was.”
“Hate to break it you, sweetie, but what we did in New York sure as shit doesn’t qualify as celibacy by anybody’s definition of the word.”
And if I had been a few shades lighter, I’m certain my cheeks would be noticeably burning red.
“I was celibate for two years and a few months before our … encounter.”
He grunted but kept his eyes on his cards. “Encounter,” he mocked.
“I’m serious. I—” I went to say that I hadn’t been with anyone since him either but why the hell did he need to know that? I clamped my mouth shut.
“You haven’t been with anyone since, either.”
It wasn’t a question. A statement of fact. He knew, but again, I couldn’t just let him get away with that without any pushback.
“That’s none of your business.”
He inched closer, his lips hovering just above mine. “You sure it ain’t my business?”
My lips parted to respond but nothing came out.
“Thought so.”
And when I thought he was about to seal his declaration with a kiss, he pulled back. “This ice pack’s done for the night. I’m going to grab the bag of vegetables for that eye of yours. Another twenty minutes with it on and then you can get some shut eye for a little while.”
We played Go Fish for another twenty minutes as he said and then I laid down on the couch, covered myself with the throw, placed one of my pillows under my head, and fell fast asleep. Unfortunately, my rest didn’t last too long because some thirty minutes later, Connor was shaking me awake.
“Wh-What’s happening?”
“Just checking. What’s today’s date?”
“I don’t know,” I grumbled, swatting his big hand away.
Connor remained unperturbed. “What year are we in?”
“2019.”
“What’s my name?”
“Connor.”
He smirked. “Of course, even with a concussion you still can’t forget my name.”
“I don’t have a concussion,” I challenged.
He chuckled. “That has yet to be determined, but you look like you’re in the all clear. Go back to sleep.” He pulled the throw up to my shoulders, and I took comfort in his warmth next to me as he sat at the edge of the sectional, down by my feet.
“You can turn on the TV if you want,” I mumbled. “I can sleep with it on.”
He shook his head. “Nothing good on at this time of night. Go to sleep.”
I wondered if he’d gotten any sleep that night, thinking it must be something like two o’clock in the morning. But I didn’t express that as I fell back to sleep. And on the rest of the night went in the same manner.
****
Connor
“You need to call someone.”
Resha frowned as she stood up from the kitchen table, after eating the ramen soup I’d ordered for the both of us. I let her sleep in late since I’d had to keep waking her up throughout the night to check to make sure she wasn’t experiencing symptoms of a concussion. She woke around eleven, and while she showered and changed clothes, I ordered from a restaurant that wasn’t too far from here.
“Call who?”
I shrugged with my forearms on the white, circular dining table. “Someone who’ll sit with and observe you over the next twenty-four hours just to make sure you don’t have a concussion. Sometimes symptoms are delayed.”
She pushed out a gush of air, and I carefully watched as the oversized T-shirt she wore clung to the shape of her body just enough to silhouette her hourglass figure. All of her clothes seemed to do that by design. As if they’d been
created with her specific body in mind. The black leggings she wore aided in giving the perfect outline of her legs and hips.
“Last night wasn’t enough?”
Hell no, my mind instantly responded. When I rose my gaze to meet hers as she placed both of our bowls in the sink, I realized she was talking about something else entirely.
Pushing away from the table and out of the comfortable upholstered chair, that was, of course, a pink color, I moved behind her at the sink.
Surprised, she turned to face me, but didn’t try to move away from me or push me away. I knew she wouldn’t.
“You should be watched for at least twenty-four hours to make sure you’re in the clear. I’d do it but I have to leave on a business trip in a few hours.”
“That won’t be necessary, you’ve done more than enough. I can’t thank—” She was about to thank me and I didn’t want to hear it.
So, to silence her I bent low and placed a kiss to her lips. I had every intention on making it short and sweet.
I got the sweet part right, just not the short part. The same feeling I’d had in New York when we shared our first kiss overcame me standing there in her kitchen. She felt it, too. The moan she let out, followed by a sigh told me as much. I let my tongue caress her lips and make its acquaintance with her mouth.
Before I could get too involved and start thinking with my cock instead of my head, I took a step back.
“Where’s your phone?” I questioned against her lips.
“Living room.”
I pulled back, hating that I had to do so, and headed in the direction of the living room, spotting her cell phone resting on the coffee table. Grabbing it, I took it to her.
“Call someone. Destiny, your aunt, someone.”
She frowned and I stood there, arms folded, daring her not to follow my direction.
“Don’t think I won’t cancel my business trip.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Fine,” she huffed.
I watched as she pressed the buttons on her phone and made the call.
“Hey, D, it’s me. … Yeah. Anyway, I got into a little, uh, scuffle last night. Nothing major, but um, I need to be observed just to make sure I don’t have a concussion. Could you spare some time to come over?” She paused and I narrowed my eyes, angling my head to the side. “Great! See ya in a few.” She pulled the phone from her ear, ending the call. “She’ll be here in about thirty minutes. Tyler’s home and is going to watch the kids so she doesn’t have to bring them.”
I nodded and glanced at the watch on my wrist. “My flight leaves in three hours. Otherwise I’d wait with you—”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary.” She waved her hand. “I’ll be fine. You’ve really done enough. Honestly. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up last night.”
Moving in, I took her chin in my hand. I brushed my free hand over the left side of her forehead and down to her cheek, still hating to see how swollen her eye was. The ice packs had helped but time was the true healer of all things, including black eyes.
I pressed a kiss to her forehead, nose, and finally her lips. Resha didn’t protest, and I stepped back wondering what the hell had gotten into me. Without another word, I turned on my heels and headed to where my sneakers rested by the door. Stepping into them, I then lifted my jacket from the coat rack, pulling it on, wondering how the hell I was going to get my bike from the hospital, make it home to shower, grab my suitcase, and make my flight on time.
“Thanks again.”
I nodded and gave Resha one final look before opening the door. I didn’t bother making any promises to see her again or to even follow up with her. Typically, I was a man of very few words. Actions spoke louder than words. So when the door shut behind me and I heard the lock sound on the other side, I pulled out my cell phone and called Joshua.
“What’s up, Connor?”
“I need your brother’s phone number.”
“Which one?”
“The youngest, Tyler.”
“For what?”
“I need to speak to his wife because I’m sure her cousin just tried to bullshit me.”
Chapter Five
Resha
An hour after Connor left, I found myself sitting at my desk, staring at my computer. I was supposed to be writing. I’d had three blog posts I wanted to get through, and thank goodness I’d already taken the pictures for them the previous week. But all I could think about was the night before.
I hadn’t been as scared as I was the previous night in a long time. Years. And I kept mentally kicking myself for walking down a dark alley alone, even though I’d taken that same route many times before. I’d lived in my condo for the past three years and never felt unsafe in my neighborhood. But that goes to show, crime can happen anywhere. The police had told me that the guy was likely some junkie who saw an easy target. I shuddered at that word. It brought back many memories I would rather keep at bay.
Just when I placed my fingers over the keyboard to begin typing, a loud pounding at my front door had me jumping out of my desk chair.
“The hell?”
“Resha, open this door before I have to use my damn key!” Destiny shouted through the door, still pounding.
I rushed from my seat at my desk, out of my office, and down the hardwood floors of my hallway and living room to yank open my door.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh my God!” Destiny recoiled in response.
I flinched, almost forgetting the sight that was my face. Yeah, the swelling was still very apparent even though some of the pain had subsided.
“Who did this to you?” Destiny demanded as she pushed her way through the door. It was only then that I noticed an angry looking Tyler standing behind her. He shut the door after they entered.
“What are you doing here?” I questioned, feeling exposed and confused at the same damn time. Two emotions I hated.
“What am I doing here? The only one asking questions should be me. Like, for example, why the hell didn’t you call me as soon as this happened?”
“Ah hell,” I grumbled as Destiny planted her hands on her hips, looking pissed off. And even though my cousin was only about five-foot-three and petite she was a damn powerhouse. I’d seen her cut down more than one grown man verbally and physically.
“Ah hell is right. Why the hell did I have to find out that my cousin was attacked last night and needs to be under observation for a possible concussion from Connor O’Brien?”
I closed my one good eye, spinning around and moving to my couch to sit down. “I’m going to murder that man.” Somehow he must’ve figured out that I’d made a bogus call to Destiny while he was here and managed to reach out to her on his own.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about him, because you still have to deal with me. Wait ’til I tell Mama about this.”
I sighed. “Tyler, can you control your wife, please?”
Tyler responded by shaking his head, still looking pissed off. “Normally I would, but Destiny’s right, Resha. What the hell? You were out at night alone and didn’t think to call your family while you were at the hospital?”
Did I say my headache had gone away? Because it was starting to come back with each word they spoke.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. Thank God Connor was there and was willing to stay with you throughout the night for observation. But according to him, keeping an eye on a possible concussion for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours is best.”
“It is. You don’t make it to the NFL without seeing a concussion or two. Which doctor did you see at the hospital? Did they do X-rays and a CT scan or MRI? And who is this fucker that attacked you?” Tyler growled, rattling off questions with the same intensity and hostility that my cousin spoke.
“Ty, babe, can you grab an ice pack out of the freezer?” Destiny asked.
“Yeah.”
I watched Tyler enter the kitchen before t
urning back to Destiny who was sitting next to me on the couch, grilling me.
“Where’re the babies?”
“Don’t you dare play that with me. Why the hell didn’t you call me, Resh?”
I flinched at the hurt and anger I heard in her voice. “D, I didn’t want to disturb you. It was my own dumbass fault for walking through a dark alley at night because I had a hankering for some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.”
“Resha, don’t give me that. And I know damn well you’re not sitting up here blaming yourself for what happened.”
“I’m just saying it could’ve been avoided. Don’t get all up in arms and on your feminist rant about how women should be able to go anywhere at anytime without thought or concern for our safety.”
“We should, and last I checked, I’m not the only one prone to that same feminist rant.”
I giggled and sat back against my couch, realizing that the throw was hanging next to my head. Unconsciously, I turned my face into the throw and inhaled, smelling Connor. My entire body electrified at the smell as I remembered placing the throw over his body a few hours earlier as I’d gone into the bathroom to take a shower. It was a smell that one could never forget. Manly, strong, and unyielding, like him.
“Put this on,” Destiny insisted as she took the ice pack from Tyler.
“I used these last night,” I grumbled while still putting the ice pack over my eye.
“Good, and you’re using them again today. Now, who was this fucker that attacked you?” Tyler insisted.
I pushed out a breath because these two were almost as bad as Connor.
“I don’t know. Police think he was an addict out looking to rob someone for their money to get more drugs.”
“Yeah, well, he’s gonna get more than he bargained for,” Tyler growled. “I’ve already spoken with the captain of the station he was taken to.”
“Tyler, that wasn’t necessary. Besides, he already got more than he bargained for when Connor knocked him out cold. I’m pretty sure he’s hurting much more than I am today.”
“Serves his ass right. You’re coming home with us.”
“What?” I shrieked, looking at my cousin as if she’d lost her mind.
No Coincidence Page 7