Stay With Me (4 page)

My body felt as if a heatwave rushed through it as I thought of Gus and Kilyn together. “Yeah. She was cute,” I said as I took off quickly toward the door Kilyn walked out of.

Gus came up next to me as we made our way through the restaurant and outside. Dragging in a deep breath, I pushed aside those hauntingly beautiful green eyes.

“I’m going home to change and then going for a run.”

Running was the only thing that cleared my head, and I needed my head cleared. Fast.

“P
ENNY FOR YOUR
thoughts.”

I pulled my eyes away from the Rocky Mountains and turned toward Claire. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Thano for the last week. The way he looked at me and caused my heartbeat to quicken. His smile seemed to invade my thoughts every time I closed my eyes. I wasn’t used to a man making me feel like this. “Trying to get into the zone with the Peterson design.”

With a regarding look, she folded her arms across her chest and gave me the same look my mother used to when I had told a lie.

“The Peterson house? Seriously, that was the best you could do?”

Dropping my feet to the floor, I walked over to my desk and flopped down. “Yep.”

“You were taken with him.”

“With who?” I asked, knowing damn well she meant Thano.

Thano. What an interesting name.

Pulling up my computer, I typed in
Meaning of the Greek name Thano
.

“The hotty from cooking class. What was his name again?”

“Thano,” I replied a little too quickly.

Peeking up at her, she shook her head. I swear it was as if Claire had an inside line to my thoughts. We were practically sisters, so I shouldn’t be surprised she would be on to me. “You knew damn well who I was talking about. How in the hell do you remember a name like Thano if he didn’t make some sort of impression on you?”

“Pesh. Please, it’s an unusual name. How could I forget it? Besides, I wasn’t taken with him.”

She leaned back in the chair and stared at me. Her brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun and her makeup done perfectly. The tight white blouse she was wearing was open enough to give a small taste at what could be underneath. The whole outfit was finished off with a pencil skirt and black pumps. Let’s not forget all the jewelry she was draped in. Claire always made sure she was put together. She’d been like that since seventh grade when George McDoogle told her she dressed like a boy. That’s when we both discovered what the power of a dress and makeup could do to a boy.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Tilting her head, she gave me a slight smile. “Kilyn, when are you going to open your heart to the idea of someone?”

With a shrug of my shoulders, I replied, “When that someone comes along. I’m in no rush to settle down. I’m having too much fun.”

Looking back at my computer, I quickly scanned the search results.

The name Athanasios was at the top. Greek meaning for immortal.

Huh. If only a person could be immortal.

“Kilyn, I know a lot of terrible shit happened to you, but not all guys are scumbags like he was.”

Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes. I needed to get refocused and get Thano out of my mind. “I don’t want to talk about it, Claire. I think I’m going to head home. Go for a run and clear my head. I’ll have some sketches of the kitchen for you by tonight.”

Running was something I had started up in high school as a way to escape reality for a bit. Something about it felt as if it freed my soul.

With a sigh, she stood. “Don’t rush. I won’t be back on my computer until tomorrow afternoon. It’s date night with Blake.”

Forcing a smile, I replied, “Have fun tonight and behave.”

She laughed and grabbed her phone and began typing. I imagined she was sending her husband another dirty text. I swear, Claire had more action sexting Blake than I’ve had in my entire adult life.

“I don’t know the meaning of that word.”

Laughing, I gathered up a few things and headed out the door to my car. My best friend Claire was an overachiever. She always had been. Not only was she business partners with me in my interior design company, but she co-owned Onion Creek Gardens.

I was good to just get by in college. My life was nothing like Claire’s. I loved her like she was my sister, but we were opposites in every way. She was daring, I was cautious. She took chances. I researched the shit out of things. But there was one thing we had in common. We loved life and didn’t take a day for granted.

Pulling my jacket around me tighter, I smiled at the young couple walking toward me holding hands.

I loved love. I was just not lucky in it.

Ever since my parents passed away, I wasn’t lucky in anything.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Reaching in, I pulled it out and answered it without looking.

Huge mistake.

“Hello?”

“Kilyn. Baby, how are you?”

Ugh. It was Jack. We met at a cooking class and I agreed to go out with him one time. Worst two hours of my life.

“I’m doing well, Jack. How are you?”

“I’d be better if you were here next to me.”

With an internal groan, I opened the door to my car and slid in. “Jack, we talked about this. I’m not interested in you like that.”

He laughed. “I know! I know! Listen, I’m in the mood to get my shake on. Please say you’ll go with me. I’ve had a hell of a shit week.”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I dropped my head back. “I’m sorry. I have to pass. I’ve got to get some designs done up. Maybe next weekend or something?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

“Bye, Jack, be careful and have fun.”

The sooner I got home and changed, the better. The drive to my new condo in Manitou Springs wasn’t far from my office. I’d change into my running stuff and clear my head with a good long run.

“Kilyn?”

The sound of his voice made my heart stop, and I swear I was involuntarily holding my breath.

Glancing over my shoulder, there he stood.

Good. Lord. Help. Me.

Thano smiled that big smile of his, showcasing the two dimples and his straight white teeth. My eyes traveled down his body and I swear the ground shook.

Breathe, Kilyn. Breathe.

“Um . . . ah . . .”

I couldn’t utter a word. Not a damn word. I’d never had a man make me feel like this and it scared the piss out of me. Maybe I was so affected by him because of how insanely good looking he was.

He held up his hands in defense and said, “I swear, I’m not following you. I was out for a run and I looked over here and saw you. I can’t believe we’ve run into each other twice since that night in the bar.”

Talk, Kilyn. You idiot! Talk!

“I um . . . I just moved to Manitou Springs not too long ago. Do you live around here? Close by? I mean, you don’t have to tell me where you live. I live a few miles that way.”

Damn it. I sounded like a teenager. And the worse part was I actually pointed down the street as I was talking.

Where is the rock for me to crawl under?
Pulling my lip in, I chewed the hell out of it. I couldn’t help but notice his eyes grow darker while he zeroed in on my lips.

The throbbing between my legs was getting to the point where I was going to have to do something about it and soon.

Holy hell. Has it really been that long since I’d had sex? Or was it just him?

“I live in town, but I’m also building a log cabin up in the mountains. Hopefully to live there full time someday.”

Please take me there and ravage me!

No. Wait. Jesus, Kilyn, pull yourself together, woman!

“I like cabins. And love the mountains.”

That was all I could come up with. I was slowly dying inside. I’d never been at a loss for words no matter who I was talking to.

His smile grew bigger as he replied, “Me too. Another thing we have in common.”

My eyes shot up while I watched him push his fingers through his sweat-soaked dark hair. His comment snapped me out of my current daze. “Another thing?”

“Yeah,” he said with a wink. “We both like to run and we both love the mountains.”

Why did my knees feel weak? Did I run too hard? Maybe I was tired.

With an awkward chuckle, I nodded. “I’d kill for a weekend in the mountains. Anything to get away. You’re lucky.”

He lifted his eyebrow and something moved across his face.

Change the subject, Kilyn. Fast.

“Hey, so is Thano short for something?”

“It is,” he said with another drop-my-panties smile. “My full name is Athanasios.”

Dear. God. Why does that make my panties soaking wet?
It’s the way he said it. Those green eyes of his confused me. They held a sad secret, but every now and then he would look at me like he wanted to rip my clothes off.

I would so be down with him ripping my clothes off. My eyes moved to his arm and the tattoos on it. Licking my lips, I forced the moan to stay in.

“That’s . . . a really cool name.”

He tossed his head back and laughed. “Gotta love my Greek parents.”

I needed to know his full name. Okay, that’s not true. I didn’t need to know, I just wanted to hear him say his name again.

“So what’s your full name? Do the Greeks use like a thousand different names for members of the family? You know, like ten middle names?”

When he laughed again, I couldn’t help but notice how a crazy feeling zipped through my body. My eyes lingered a little too long on the scruff that covered his perfectly beautiful face. “No. It’s Athanasios Adrax Drivas.”

And there it was.

I was positive Thano could get any girl he wanted merely by saying his name. Another reason to stay away from him. With those looks and that name . . . let’s not forget the rocking body. Yep. He had player written all over him.

Thano opened his mouth to talk and his phone rang. With a smile, I lifted my hand and said, “Well, it was great seeing you again. Maybe I’ll see ya around.”

He looked conflicted. “Wait! What’s your last name since you know mine?”

I couldn’t help but notice how my chest fluttered. “O’Kelly is my last name.”

The smile that spread across his face made me smile.

“Irish.”

“Yep.” Glancing to his phone, I pointed. “You better answer that.”