Ice Cold (An MMA Stepbrother Romance) (21 page)

Three weeks later I was still as poor as ever, with no end in sight. It was already September, which meant winter was coming, and while the Seattle winters were really mild compared to those in Boston, it still meant bringing out the space heater and risking a higher heating bill I couldn’t really afford. Instead, I figured I’d just have to dig out my big blanket and hope that would do it.

I was going out every day and dropping off resumes wherever I could, but it all seemed so hopeless. Every day I’d see that I had no new calls for interviews, and I wondered if I was ever going to get a job again. I briefly considered going back to Boston with my tail between my legs, but I knew that wasn’t an option.

Then one day, everything changed. I was walking past the Space Needle with a pile of resumes in my hand when I noticed something was going on. I looked around and noticed the streets around the base were closed off to cars, and tents had been set up. Music was blasting from somewhere, and I could smell the food trucks all coming in to the nearby streets to get some extra business.

What’s going on?
I wondered. I made my way slowly through the crowd, happily accepting a free pack of chips from some girls handing them out for promotion, thrilled to be able to get some free junk food. Over to my left I saw a cordoned off area, probably about fifty feet by fifty feet, with a giant red X in the middle. I figured whatever was about to happen was going to be over there, so I made my way to it, standing next to the hastily erected fence to keep people away.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice announced over an invisible loudspeaker, the voice filling the entire area. “Welcome to the Space Needle Jump. Today, you’re going to see a feat that is rarely ever performed, as we watch an American daredevil base jump off this amazing local landmark. ARE YOU READY?” he cried, and the noise from the crowd became deafening.

I looked up and shielded my eyes from the glaring sun with my hand. I spotted a figure standing on the top of the Space Needle, his arms out, like a professional diver getting ready to drop into the pool.

For a second, it was like time stood still. The crowd was silent, every single eye in the square looking at the tiny figure up above, hundreds of feet in the air. Then, almost as though it was in slow motion, the figure leaned over and began to fall. A small gasp from the crowd greeted the man as he began to float down towards the ground, quickly reaching terminal velocity, when suddenly the parachute from his pack sprang to life and the freefall to the earth stopped.

The crowd cheered as the man got closer and closer to the dot, only a few feet away from where I was standing. With impeccable timing, the man landed right in the middle of the dot, his parachute floating softly on top of him, covering him completely a few seconds later.

As the man emerged from his cocoon, taking off his helmet, I stared in shock. That smile. That wavy blonde hair that made him look like he should be on a beach in Australia. That muscular body that obviously spent hours at the gym.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the amazing Kiegan Hunt!” the announcer blared over the speakers, but I wasn’t listening. I didn’t need to hear. I’d already recognized him.

With that million watt smile on his face, the one that had so often come after making me feel my worst, he looked up at the crowd and waved triumphantly.

“
Kiegan Versus the World
premieres this Tuesday on NBC, don’t forget to tune in at ten to watch!” the announcer continued, and the crowd exploded with cheers. I wasn’t one of them. I was looking up, staring into the face of the man I’d sworn never to think about again just a few weeks ago. His eyes scanned the crowd and found mine. They stopped, the recognition instant. He smiled, I knew that smile so well, and I knew he recognized me.

Fuck
, I though, then I turned and forced my way through the crowd, away from the new makeshift stage, as Kiegan was being handed a microphone, ready to wow the crowd with his charisma.

Tears threatened to flood my eyes as I raced as far away as I could. When I got two blocks away I leaned against a wall, closed my eyes and took three deep breaths. Everything was going to be fine. He couldn’t find me. There was no way. I could just walk away, and once again, never see him again.

I did walk away, but not before getting another couple of bags of chips from the ladies handing them out. The last thing I heard from my brother’s mouth was him bragging about how he was going to beat so many superstars at whatever adrenaline pumping challenge the world could think of. Whatever. Not interesting.

I went home and threw the pile of resumes down on the kitchen counter. What was the point? I’d handed out ten of them before I’d gotten to the Space Needle, but no one was going to return my calls. Just like all those other times.  It was stupid. No one wanted to hire me. I had no marketable skills, nothing that could make me more employable. Seeing how perfect Kiegan’s life was, especially compared to how shit mine was, made me want to cry. I wanted to lie down and sob, and feel sorry for myself, and I was about to go do just that when there was a knock on the door.

Weird,
I thought to myself. No one ever knocked on the door. Maybe Mrs. Landers from upstairs needed me to call a taxi for her again, she did that from time to time. I opened the front door expecting to see the kindly old lady who stood barely four and a half feet tall in front of me, but instead I looked directly into my brother’s face.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“What, a brother can’t come say hi to his sister?”

“Not when the sister in question hasn’t given him her address, ever. And doesn’t want to see him.”

Kiegan held up his hands.

“Look, sorry. I know I shouldn’t have looked up your address without telling you. But you left so quickly at the Space Needle, so I knew you were here, and I wanted to say hi.”

“Well I don’t want to say hi to you,” I replied, starting to close the door, but he held it open.

“Look. Can I at least buy you a cup of coffee?”

My stomach gurgled again. Was I really going to do this? Kiegan had never asked me to do anything with him before in his life. Maybe he’d changed? Or… was I going to admit it… maybe I just wanted to stare into those eyes for a little bit longer.

“Make it dinner and you’ve got a deal.” If I was going to have to listen to my brother talk to me, I at least wanted a free meal out of it, more than just coffee.

“Fine. Thinking of anywhere in particular?”

“Some Random Bar. It’s on first. Unless you’re too good for bar food these days.”

Kiegan shot me a grin. “You know damn well I’ve never been into the whole wearing a suit to a restaurant scene. I’ll be back here at six thirty. See you soon, sis,” he added with a wink, and I wanted to punch him.

The truth was, I’d never been to Some Random Bar. I’d never really been able to justify the expense, but I’d heard from a few people I’d worked with that it was hands down the food in Seattle, and that I just
had
to try it. I figured if I was getting a free meal from my brother, this was as good a chance as any.

What frustrated me even more was how much time I spent looking for something semi-decent to wear out. Because deep down, I knew that it wasn’t just because I hadn’t eaten anywhere nice for ages. I knew I was getting dressed up for
him
. Why on earth did my body have to have the feelings it did?

At six forty my brother knocked on the door again. I wasn’t surprised, Kiegan had always been absolutely awful at being on time for anything. I opened up, and my breath caught in my throat.

Wearing tight-fitting, but not quite skinny jeans, and a SeaHawks T-shirt that hugged his muscular body, it really left very little to the imagination. I noticed the tattoos on his bicep, those were new, he hadn’t had those two years ago. I caught a glimpse of another tattoo on his chest, as well as the slightest amount of hair poking out from the top of the shirt. God, he was sexy.

“Ready to go?” he asked. “You look good. You know, for what you have to work with.”

“You could have stopped one sentence earlier,” I replied, blushing despite myself. It was the closest thing to a compliment Kiegan had ever given me.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“I can still refuse to go with you.”

“You could. I’ve brought a car over, I was going to bike to fit in and all, but you know, I didn’t think you’d be that big a fan.”

“I don’t mind biking, but I don’t have one of my own.”

“Exactly. That’s why the car is even better.”

We made our way down the stairs, and as soon as we exited the building onto the street I gasped. Parked illegally right in front of my building was a brand new Ferrari. Bright yellow, with angles any math teacher would be proud of. Pressing a button on the remote, the car beeped twice, then the doors began to lift up sideways. I watched in amazement before sitting on the leather seat. I hadn’t sat in anything this nice in, well, I supposed it must have been two years. I’d never been in a car this nice ever, period. The Hunt family was all about sleek sedans, Mercedes and the like. This was a whole new level of expensive.

Kiegan got in the driver’s seat, pressed a button and the doors closed, and let the engine purr to life. A bit like a lion’s purr.

We drove in silence, the sound of the engine, even at slow speeds, would have made it pretty hard to have a conversation in the car. Kiegan drove to first avenue, found a place to park and put some coins in the meter.

A few minutes later we were standing at the entrance to the bar.

“Bar, or table?” a waitress asked us cheerily, and I noticed her giving Kiegan a second, then a third glance.

“Table, please,” Kiegan replied, flashing her a million watt smile, and the green eyed monster inside of me threatened to flare up once more.
Stop it. It’s not like you’re on a date. He’s your brother. Besides, let her have him. She can find out how much of an asshole he really is for herself
.

The waitress motioned us to follow her, the dark brown ponytail bobbing rhythmically behind her as she walked briskly through the bar with the confidence of someone who spent eight hours a day there.

We walked past the bar on one side, which was almost black, with black stools and hanging lights decorated with mason jars. On our other side was an exposed brick wall, giving the whole place a nice rustic feel, and the waitress took us towards the back, away from the noise and bustle of the bar area, to a quiet table for two.

“Here you are, I’ll be back in a minute for your drink orders.”

I took the menu and immediately buried my face in it. I knew I’d said yes to this dinner, but I didn’t want to have a conversation with Kiegan. I was entirely in this for the food.

“So…” he started.

“So… what?” I replied a second later, when he hadn’t continued.

“So how have you been, Tina?”

“I’ve been good.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Because your apartment doesn’t look like you’ve been doing
that
good.”

I glared at him from across the table.

“Money isn’t everything, you know. I’m away from you. I’m away from… the rest of the Hunt family. I’m happy, and isn’t that the most important thing?”

“No.”

“No?”

“Well yes, happiness is the most important thing. But you can’t be happy living in a place like that.”

“Just because you’ve never done it doesn’t make it impossible.”

Kiegan smiled.

“I like this new you. You have more spunk now. When we were in high school you were so spineless, you know?”

“And you’re the same asshole as ever.”

Kiegan laughed. “Yes, I am. I haven’t changed a bit, I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”

“So why this? Why take me out?”

“Well ok, maybe I have changed a little. I wanted to see what’s become of my little sis.”

“Stop calling me that?”

“Why, sis?” I could see the twinkle of laughter in his eyes, the sparkle made all the more obvious with the soft light of the lamp shining into those blue pools.

“Because I hate it.”

“I know.”

“Then why do it?”

“Because I get a rise out of you for doing it.”

I shook my head, but before I could retort with anything, a waitress came to our table.

“Can I get y’all anything to drink?” she drawled with an accent that made it obvious she was pretty far from home.

“Bourbon and coke, double,” Kiegan ordered.

“An iced tea for me, please,” I followed up. I was still just over a year away from being able to drink.

“Will do,” she replied, and before I knew it she was gone.

“Are you sure you didn’t come here to brag?”

Kiegan looked like I’d just stabbed him in the heart. He always was so overly dramatic.

“Me? Of course not. I really don’t have much to brag about.”

“Sure. Of course you don’t. You’re just an average billionaire, something everyone can do.”

“When your trust fund starts you off with millions of dollars to invest, yeah, everyone can do it.”

“Then why you? Why not just do what your dad wanted, go to Yale or whatever, get a degree then manage your family business or go into politics?”

“Do I really seem like the type of person to do any of that?”

“I guess not.”

“Exactly. I don’t want…” Kiegan stopped for a second, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was actually thinking about what words he was going to say next. “I don’t want what my family wants for me. They have never known what was best for me, and they certainly aren’t going to change their minds now.”

“Are you still in contact with them?”

Kiegan shook his head.

“No. I left a few months after you did. I knew something was going on, but I didn’t know what. I knew it was time to go. I was nineteen, so I had access to the trust, and I was off.”

Just then the waitress returned with our drinks.

“So what can I get y’all to eat tonight?” she drawled, resting an elbow on her hip, notepad in one hand and pen in the other.

I ordered the handmade tagliatelle and Kiegan had the burger. We ordered some crab nachos to share.

“Won’t be too long,” she told us with a smile, and was gone.

“That’s why I’m really here,” Kiegan continued, his gaze piercing into mine.
Uh oh, I knew this was too good to be true. What does he really want?
“I want to know why you left.”

I looked down at my lap, then repeated the answer I practiced the odd time someone found out who I was.

“Well, it’s easy. I had just about turned eighteen, and I decided I didn’t want to live the Hunt family lifestyle anymore.”

“You’re better at shot put than you are at lying.”

I glared at Kiegan. “I could have been good at shot put.”

He shook his head. “No you couldn’t. It would have gotten in the way of your studies, and you would have given it up pretty quickly.”

“Not as quickly as with your help.”

“You’re welcome.” Again, he flashed me that annoying grin. That gorgeous, annoying grin. I felt a tug at my stomach, a desire that I’d kept repressed for so long, but I couldn’t help feeling like the temperature in the room had just gone up ten degrees. “Anyway, you’re avoiding my point. Which is you’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are. You were such a good student, and you had your heart set on going to a good college. That would have gotten you away from the family, but you would have kept the money.”

“I’m sure you already know, so why make me say it?”

This time the surprise on Kiegan’s face looked genuine.

“I don’t know. That’s why I came. I wasn’t… wasn’t really at home much then anyway, since I’d turned eighteen the year before you, and then when I would come back I eventually found out you’d gone, but no one would tell me anything. It was all very hush-hush.”

“Wait… so you actually have no idea why I left your family?”

“Correct.”

This was new to me, and a surprise. I figured he must have known. I had never really imagined a world in which he didn’t.

“Well, it’s not something I want to talk about.”

“So you’re not going to tell me.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“We’re going to be here long enough for you to buy me breakfast, too, if you want
that
list in full.”

“Fair enough. I guess I haven’t been the best big brother.”

“There’s the understatement of the century.”

For a few seconds our eyes connected. I know it’s cheesy, but it really was like there was an invisible force connecting us, an electricity that hovered in the air between our bodies.

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

“Stop prying, I’m not going to tell you.”

“Fine. But I can tell. You might not tell me what it is, but I know it was something.”

Just then the waitress brought over our food, and the two of us ordered another drink. We dug in, and the conversation waned for a while.

This was definitely one of the best pasta dishes I’d ever had. The fresh noodles were amazing, and the truffles were out of this world. I didn’t think that even in the four years I’d spent in the Hunt household, that I’d ever had truffles before. Some Random Bar definitely lived up to its reputation.

The whole time I was eating I could feel Kiegan’s eyes on me from time to time. I knew he was thinking, trying to figure out what had made me leave the family. No matter what, I wasn’t going to tell him.

“So what are you doing now, as a job?” Kiegan asked.

“I’m… in between jobs at the moment.” A small smile formed on his face, and I could almost sense the tease that was coming.

“Well, I’m looking for an assistant.”

Wait, what?

“Wait, what?”

“Mine just quit on me. The fourth this year. But I pay enough that you can move into an apartment that you can fit a bed into. And even enough that you can buy your own bed. I’ll even give you a signing bonus. Twenty grand if you say yes before we get back to the car.”