Broken (5 page)

“So tell me about yourself Kerryanne.”

“What do you want to know? There isn’t much to tell I’m afraid.”

“How old are you?”

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s impolite to ask a lady her age?”

“Bullshit.”

His answer startled her for a second. She wasn’t accustomed to anyone speaking to her in such a blunt manner. She shouldn’t be surprised though. After all, he wasn’t like anyone she’d ever known before with his million tattoos and bad boy looks.

Not to mention he rode a bike. He was probably some gang member or something. He didn’t fit her idea of a biker though, aren’t they supposed to have potbellies and grizzly beards?

He stared at her until she shifted in her seat. “Twenty-eight.” She said grudgingly.

“Good you looked younger I was starting to feel like a perv.”

“Why would you feel like that?” She couldn’t believe she was flirting.

“You can’t be that green.” She opened her mouth to say something else but he cut her off.

“We’ll save it for later. I’ll clear while you make that coffee.” He got up and her eyes went directly to his ass in those jeans. She cleared her throat and looked away.

“I really need to get back to my writing.” She wasn’t sure she could keep from putting her foot in her mouth if he hung around much longer. He made her nervous as hell. Not to mention she was starting to feel hot and that was so not a good thing. She wouldn’t begin to know what to do with a man alone in her apartment, and even though he hadn’t made a pass at her, his every word seemed to skirt very close to flirtation. At least that’s how her feverish mind interpreted them.

“Don’t be rude, you have a guest and you promised me coffee.” He didn’t wait for an answer but cleared the remaining dishes and headed for the kitchen. She got up to follow him and get the coffee started. Maybe she could speed things up and get rid of him fast so the unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach would go away.

She tested herself to see if the food was going to stay down and was amazed that she didn’t feel sick at all. Wow, so many hurdles jumped in one day. Maybe, she was finally on the mend. One could only hope. Her first venture out into the real world hadn’t gone too bad. Maybe things had really taken a turn for her after all. I mean here she was with a totally hot stranger enjoying a meal. Something she wouldn’t have imagined in a million years any of the hundred times she’d been crying her guts out on the bathroom floor.

He kept getting in her way as they moved around the small kitchen together. She snuck quick peeks at him every time his back was turned, and as much as she told herself she was playing with fire, she couldn’t deny that he was one fine specimen.

For a long time she’d seen Paul as the perfect man. He had clean cut frat boy looks that had always made her heart beat faster. But this one did strange things to her equilibrium. Wild unsettling things!

She could lie to herself and put these new feelings down to the stuff she’d been writing, but she knew better. Besides, she’d promised herself never to bury her head in the sand about anything again, and if she couldn’t be honest with herself, well then…

There was a pulse beating between her thighs that she put down to just being horny after going without for so long. Though her and Paul’s sex life hadn’t been much to speak of since their hot and heavy high school days, she did have a healthy sexual appetite. Just because she was divorced didn’t mean she was dead.

Still, she wasn’t about to open herself up to that kind of heartache again, and especially not so soon. She took two cups in and found him staring out one of the pitiful little windows into the dark. There was something about his stance and the way his mouth tightened before he turned and looked at her that told her he didn’t like what he saw.

Again she felt embarrassment sting her cheeks. The neighborhood wasn’t the best, but it was all she could afford. The place could do with some repair, but she kept it clean and neat with the few furnishings that had been left behind. That was one of the reasons she’d taken it. The landlord had told her that the previous owner had left in a hurry and hadn’t taken anything.

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to afford furniture of any kind, she’d jumped at the chance. He held out his hand and she passed him his cup. At least those she’d bought at the dollar store. Not china, but not chipped and stained either. She hoped he didn’t notice the cans of sauce that served as two of the couch legs or she’d just die.

“Why so jumpy Kerry? I promise you that you are in no immediate danger from me, relax.” That was reassuring. ‘Immediate’. They stared at each other until she was the first to look away, hiding behind her coffee cup. She was at a loss at what to do next, but he seemed very relaxed and sure of himself as he moved around her little apartment.

She had no choice but to sit across from him in one of the overstuffed chairs whose stuffing was about ready to pop, and he did notice the cans under the couch when he sat down and they slid a little. He didn’t say anything, but that mouth of his tightened farther, making her tummy cramp.

***

They ended up spending a pleasant evening together, and Kyle was the perfect gentleman, putting Kerry at ease. It was only after he left that she realized they’d spent more time talking about her than they had about him.

She still didn’t really know all that much about him except that he was here to look after his grandfather’s affairs. She got the sense from his speech and manners though, that he was not at all what he seemed.

She stayed awake for a few more hours after he left, banging away at the computer keys, lost in a world of her own making. She wasn’t surprised to find that her hero was now taking on more and more of the characteristics and mannerisms of a certain someone. What the heck, he’ll never read it anyway so where was the harm?

When she finally fell asleep right there at the table in the early morning hours, she dreamed of silver eyes staring at her from the dark. For the first time in a long time instead of cold that seemed to seep into her bones, she was enveloped in warmth as she slept and dreamt.

Chapter 4

***

S
he was just putting her toothbrush back in its place in the rusty slot by the sink when there was a knock at the door. “Coming.” She rinsed her mouth and dried her hands on the way to the door. She’d gone from no visitors, to Grand Central Station overnight.

She was feeling no pain this morning. Having jumped up from the table sometime after nodding off and dragging tail into the bedroom, she was sure she’d sleep until noon. But, as soon as she felt the sun across her face as it beat through the flimsy curtains at the window, she’d rolled out of bed feeling refreshed and ready to face the world. It was to say the least, a welcomed change.

She opened the door not sure what she was gonna find, but of course her first thought was of Paul. Only this time there was a certain silver-eyed hottie playing around at the edges of her mind as well.

Her heart knocked against her ribs at the sight of him. Her night had been filled with dreams of him, dreams that made her blush in the light of day. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to come of their little interlude if anything. She’d convinced herself in the middle of the night in between writing and dreaming that there could be nothing there beyond her imagination.

Maybe he’d just been doing an old lady a favor and nothing more. And now that it was over he wouldn’t feel the need to keep up the charade and she wouldn’t see him again except in passing. But now here he stood.

She took him in in one glance and sighed. Damn, did the man ever look anything but perfect? He was dressed in jeans and a tee again, those muscles showing to perfection. But it was his eyes; his eyes that seemed to shine with an inner light. It was too damn early in the morning for anyone to be that gorgeous and…

She stopped her train of thought right there. She’d done some research on the market and found that steamy romance was the in thing these days, so she had sex on the brain. She’d read a few snippets of stories about hot alpha males who were the take charge and forceful type. She hadn’t known until now that she was into that. But the fact that she’d kept putting this one’s face over everything she read imagining it was him they were describing was a recipe for trouble.

It was one thing to daydream and imagine what ifs, but she wasn’t about to fall into that trap. No matter how the thought of him taking her over the way she’d read about made her wet between the thighs. Or the way even the thought of his hands on her made her skin tingle all over. She’d squashed those thoughts as soon as they raised their heads and felt safer for it.

No sense in wishing for something that could never be. Besides, those strong sexy men were more into self assured women with a backbone than used up housewives who were now so shell-shocked by their experiences they were afraid of their own damn shadow.

The last thing she would’ve expected though, was to open her door this early in the morning to find Kyle standing there with what looked like sacks of food in his hands. “You gonna give me a hand or stand there gawking?” She was too stunned to do more than step back out of the way. She followed him into the kitchen.

“What’s all this?”

“I’m pretty sure you can see that for yourself.” She’d forgotten what a smartass he could be. She’d learned that much last night.

“Yes but what I don’t understand is why you’re buying me food.”

“Because the asshole you were married to left you high and dry and now your cupboards are bare.” Her face heated in shame and she moved to stop him from unpacking anymore of his wares. She’ll have to deal with the humiliation later, but right now she had to save face. No way did she want him seeing her as something to be pitied. And where the hell had he learned about the terms of her divorce? She’d been extra careful last night during their question and answer hour not to give away too much.

“I can’t accept this.” She placed her hand on his arm and removed it quickly. Her hand felt like she’d touched a live wire. “Not up to you.” Was he for real? He totally ignored her as he went about unloading his offering. “If you’re not gonna help maybe you can put on a pot of coffee.”

Was the man completely insane? What did he mean it wasn’t up to her? Who the heck acted like this with a complete stranger, someone they’d only just met? Then she had a sudden thought. Of course, it was the only thing that made sense. “Did Lucille do this?” It had to be, and though she appreciated it, she was going to have to have a talk with the old lady. “No.” That’s all he said as he went about his task while she stood there like a lump.

She wasn’t sure about this. Was he, pitying her? How awful was it that the hottest guy on the planet saw her as a charity case. She should make him pack it all up and take it back, but somehow she didn’t think she could make this one do anything he didn’t want to. His face just had that look to it that said ‘don’t even think about fucking with me.’ Kind of like the new hero in the story she was writing.

“That coffee gonna make itself gorgeous?” She shook herself out of her reverie and made her way towards the coffeepot with her mind in a whirl. What did it all mean? Why was his hot ass in her kitchen at the ass crack of dawn? She sniggered a little at her renewed humor. It had been a while since she’d found anything even remotely funny. And even longer since she’d made that sound.

She was acutely aware of his presence as she did her thing. Not the kind of awareness that could easily be brushed aside, no. This was the kind that kept you on full alert. Her senses were working overtime being that close to him. His scent tickled her nose from across the room and did strange things to her thought process. And every sneak peek she took, only sent her blood pressure soaring.

She seriously lost like two minutes of time, where everything was a blank and she couldn’t have told anyone what happened in those two minutes. Her gaze was fixated on nothing out the dirty window as she concentrated on breathing in and out.

What is it that I’m supposed to be doing again? She asked herself as she stood at the cracked laminated counter. Oh right coffee. She looked back at him over her shoulder to see if he’d caught her little lapse. Big mistake! His muscles moved as he reached in and out of the bags, like some kind of well- orchestrated dance. And his ass did things to jeans that she was pretty sure was illegal in small towns like Silver Springs.

He sensed her stare and looked over his shoulder at her. She could imagine what she looked like standing there, stealing peeks at his ass while he wasn’t looking. If she could use her limbs she would’ve checked her chin for drool. He smirked and turned back to his unpacking and she swallowed hard before looking hurriedly away again with her face on fire.

He seemed awfully comfortable in his own skin and she wished she had some of his confidence. Not that she ever had any. Even before the divorce, she’d been a reticent being. Choosing to stay in the background of life. Maybe that’s why she’d been such a doormat for that asshole and his viper.

She couldn’t imagine anyone doing that to the seemingly all-powerful man in her kitchen. Even though she didn’t know him that well, he had this way about him that just screamed, ‘Not me, not here, not now.’ She could sure use some of that hutzpah.

She waited for the coffee to finish dripping and pretended she wasn’t still checking out his ass every chance she got. She wasn’t sure which was more disturbing. The fact that his shirt pulled across his muscular chest even more than the one he wore yesterday and his jeans seemed to hug his package just a little too well this morning? Or the fact, that she was wearing old sleep shorts and a tank with nothing under either of them.

He’d caught her so off guard she hadn’t had time to freak out about her state of undress, and she hadn’t thought to go change when she did remember that she was damn near naked in front of him. The tank was more an old threadbare camisole that hid nothing the way it clung to her chests, and the shorts were well, short.

Was there any chance in heck that he hadn’t noticed her state of near undress? Or maybe the reason he wasn’t taking peeks at her was because he didn’t see anything he liked. Daunting.

She kept trying to fold the tops of her arms, into her sides, to hide her untethered breasts. Geez they were just moving with each step she took, embarrassing. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt him come up behind her. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body, and hers started on a slow melt. Have mercy. She stood there, frozen, with a lump the size of a golf ball in her throat.

His hands landed on her shoulders and pulled them back. “They’re beautiful, stop hiding.” How did he… The thought that he had been watching her even as she took peeks at him left her breathless and just a little twitchy. She wished now that she’d taken the time to at least throw her old ratty robe over her shoulders.

He did something in her hair with his fingers, but it was too fleeting to grasp, and then it was gone. She was actually a little disappointed when he dropped his hands and walked back to the table to continue his unpacking. She stared out the little window in the kitchen at nothing again.

Her mouth was dry and she had goose bumps from where he’d touched her. Taking a deep breath, she poured two cups of coffee with shaking hands and kept her body turned until she could get herself under control. Her damn nipples were trying to rip through the flimsy material of her top.

“Nice.” That was his declaration once she turned around. She couldn’t very well stand there facing the wall like a ninny, but her body refused to cooperate so she was still obviously aroused. She didn’t say anything to his one word approval, just held his cup out to him and retreated to the table where she could hide the evidence of her body’s betrayal.

For his part, Kyle was still taking her measure. He knew what he knew, that he was attracted, but never one to rush into anything, he was playing it if not safe, then close to the vest. She was a gorgeous piece of work that’s for sure. And last night it had been hell not taking her across the table and fucking his dick into her, but he kinda figured she wasn’t the type to let him fuck on such short acquaintance.

Too bad! It looked like she could really use a good hard fuck, if just the touch of his hands on her shoulders made her nipples hard. Fuck, she was one of those females, the type to keep a man hard as fuck just by breathing.

***

Kyle Clancy was in no way looking for entanglements of the romantic kind. In fact he was doing everything but bending over, head over ass to get out of dodge, but his gramps was playing hardball.

He had a life to get back to in the real world, but the old man didn’t seem to care one bit about that. His new thing now that his beloved Ethel had passed was trying to talk his favorite grandson into pulling

up stakes and moving to the little town he’d called home for half a century.

It wasn’t a bad place, the quaint little town in the middle of postcard country U.S.A. That’s what Kyle called any picturesque little town with a population of less than a million. This one was even more so since it barely made five thousand on the last census, and was a few hundred square miles of open fields and meandering streams.

Still, as someone who’d spent most of his life in the big city, who thrived on the hustle and bustle there, he just couldn’t see himself living here. Much more of the place and he just might put an end to his heretofore, blessed existence.

It wasn’t that he hated the place. He’d enjoyed summers here in his youth. But as a man, he needed a little bit more spice in his daily grind to feel like he was alive. He was more used to the grit and grime of the city than the sweet smell of flowers that came through his guestroom window.

Not to mention the fact that since he’d been here his social life had been nonexistent with the exception of gramps and Ms. Lucille. Unless you counted the nosy ass locals who were always trying to get in his shit.

So though he wasn’t looking for Mrs. Clancy, he sure the fuck did miss an hour or two between the thighs of some hot babe who looked at life through the same tinted glasses as he did.

He wasn’t a man whore, not by any stretch of the imagination. His mom wouldn’t let that shit happen if she had one foot in the grave. But he had been known to sample a few fruit of the vine in his day, and he was lucky enough to have his pick.

He looked at her now as he crowded her in her miniscule kitchen that had seen way better days. She had that wholesome freshness about her that made a man think about days gone by. The shit he’d seen on those black and white flicks that his mom and grandma had subjected him to back before movies had gone to shit.

He could imagine picnics under the stars and holding hands as they walked by one of those streams, and what the fuck? No way. Not my style. He didn’t exactly panic at the thoughts running through his head, but it was close.

She even made him feel…different. He would blame it on the place but he knew better. He’d been here for weeks and hadn’t felt this settled in his gut. Neither did he like that shit one bit.

See that’s the problem with small towns. You hang around one long enough you start getting ideas and shit. He felt an itch between his shoulders like someone had a bead on him and gave her a look. He knew just what the fuck was going on and was not in the least bit interested.

Yeah he’d like to break one off in her, but no way in fuck was he down with that settling down bullshit. Plus, this one had a shitload of baggage attached to her ass. He didn’t do baggage.