When I touch Cheryl again—and I’m determined I will get to touch her again—it will only be when she’s broken all ties with Stanten and acknowledged her feelings for me.
Until then, cold showers and wet dreams will have to suffice.
Chapter 11
Cheryl
Rob—the manager in charge today—waylays me before we leave, asking if I’ve time to help out in the kitchen. “I normally stick around for a while to help with dinner, but I don’t want to delay you any longer,” I explain to Keven.
“I’m in no rush.” He extends his hand to Rob. “I’m Keven, and whatever you need us to do is fine by me. Lead the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” Rob says, shaking his hand. “And thanks. We never turn down an extra pair of hands.”
Rob puts us to work chopping vegetables alongside Mira and Freya and the five of us maintain a steady banter as we work. Kev is chatting away to Rob, learning all he can about the home. My heart soars as I watch him listening avidly to everything Rob says.
“He’s definitely a keeper,” Freya whispers, nudging me in the ribs.
“Charming, caring, and so damn hot,” Mira adds. “I fucking hate you, girl.”
I laugh, but I don’t correct them. I let them believe Kev’s my fiancé, and the thought excites me so much.
Which in turn makes me feel guilty.
The longer I’m in Keven’s presence again, the more I’m remembering of our past. All the little ways he showed me he cared. How compatible we were. How we used to get one another with just one look or one word.
When we broke up, I subconsciously let all those good memories disappear, choosing to remember only the ugly ending, and I wish I hadn’t done that, because if I’d remembered what it was like to be crazy in love with a guy who made you the center of his world, I’d have realized that Dan was never that for me.
My dating experiences in college only added to the poor perception I’ve garnered of guys in my head. I didn’t date at all my first year at UD, and last year, I went out with a guy for six months, but he ended up cheating on me too. Dating wasn’t even on my radar when I arrived back in Massachusetts, but Dan swooped in and swept me off my feet.
Now, I’m wondering if I didn’t have blinders on. If I wasn’t so dejected and disheartened after my last relationship ended badly that I failed to see what was in front of my nose.
Dan doesn’t treat me the way I want to be treated. And he doesn’t love me the way a man intending to marry a woman should. Irrespective of whether anything happens with Kev or not, I have to end things with Dan. Deep inside, I’ve known things weren’t right for some time, and I can’t live in denial anymore. It’s time to confront my feelings once and for all and have a serious conversation with him.
Rob ropes Kev into looking at some problem on his laptop, and they disappear into his office while I help the girls serve dinner. The noise levels in the cafeteria are almost deafening, but it’s great to see the kids chatting and laughing and enjoying each other’s company.
Rob and Kev return, and we take a seat at the staff table, tucking into the delicious food we’ve just prepared. Kev fits right in, chatting as if he’s known my colleagues his entire life.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Rob tells Kev as we make our way outside a couple hours later. “And you’re welcome anytime. Thank you so much for everything today.”
Kev shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It was my pleasure, and I’d be delighted to help out again, provided Cheryl doesn’t mind.”
He looks at me with so much vulnerability and longing that my breath hitches in my throat. “I don’t mind,” I half-whisper.
“Then I guess we’ll be seeing you again.” Rob waves us off, and we are both quiet as we climb into Kev’s SUV.
The engine purrs to life, and Kev glides out onto the road. The air is heavy with unspoken words, and I’m confused all over again.
“Thank you for letting me share that with you today,” he quietly says, a few minutes later. “I see what you mean now.” His eyes flick to mine briefly. “And I hope you don’t mind that I’d like to get more involved. I don’t want to encroach on your—”
“It’s okay. I like that you want to help out.”
The biggest smile spreads across his mouth, and it’s like being sucker-punched in the ovaries.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I return his smile.
“I enjoyed spending time with you today. It reminded me so much of hanging out with you in high school.”
My stomach tightens, and I don’t know how to respond to that. I want to tell him I felt the same, but I don’t want to give him false hope either. I need to figure things out with Dan before I even contemplate what to do about Kev. So, I end up shooting him a timid smile and keeping my mouth closed.
“Oh no!” I exclaim, sitting upright in the chair as we pull up alongside my Audi. I jump out the instant Kev kills the engine, surveying the damage to my car with a sigh. Someone has stolen the three non-punctured tires, and my car is completely undriveable.
“Little shits,” Kev says, shaking his head and pulling out his cell. “I’ll drive you home, and I know a guy who can tow your car. Get whatever else you need while I make a call.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he silences me with a deadly look, so I do as I’m told, grabbing my book bag from the back seat and my laptop from the trunk. Then I lock the car and text Dan to see where he is. He replies instantly letting me know he’ll be late, and I scowl as I toss my cell in my bag and climb back into Kev’s car.
“Everything okay?” he asks, frowning a little.
“Peachy,” I lie, while punching the coordinates to my house into the GPS system.
We start moving again. “My guy will tow your car to his garage and fix the tires. I said I’d drop the keys into him later, and he’ll drop the car back to your place sometime tomorrow. I can come pick you up in the morning if you need a ride to school?”
“Thanks for organizing that, and I’m sure Dan can drop me at school in the morning.”
“Of course.” A muscle clenches in his jaw, and an uneasy atmosphere descends again. After a few minutes, he clears his throat. “I was wondering … what’d you ever do with all those photos you took of me?”
“I still have them,” I truthfully admit. “Along with other stuff of yours. I tried to throw them away, countless times, but I couldn’t do it.” Subconsciously, I think I’ve always been holding onto the notion of Keven and me. I can’t believe that we’re back in each other’s lives. Maybe my belief in fate isn’t as misplaced as I’ve come to accept.
“I have that picture of us at junior prom by my bed,” he admits. “It was always my favorite.”
“You do?” I arch a brow. “I’m betting that goes down well when you bring a girl home.”
“I don’t bring girls home.”
I snort. “You seriously expect me to believe there haven’t been other girls?”
“I didn’t say that,” he says. “I’m a horny bastard, and I love sex. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten.” He drills me with a look so darkly seductive my panties are instantly soaked. “There have been hookups but always at their place or in a hotel.”
“What about girlfriends?” I ask.
“I haven’t had a girlfriend since you.”
My mouth drops to the floor. “You’re lying.”
“I’m really not.” He reaches over, taking my hand and raising it to his mouth. He plants a light kiss on my knuckles, and I feel the effects all the way to the tips of my toes. “No one else ever measured up to you, and even if I had found someone worthy, how could I be with her when I’m still madly in love with you?”
I can count on one hand the number of times Kev told me he loved me back in high school. Kev was hugely romantic when it came to doing things for me and showing
me all the ways in which he cared. But he always struggled to articulate those feelings. It never bothered me, because I knew he loved me anyway. I didn’t need to hear him say it a million times to know. Which is why I understand how big a deal it is that he’s said that to me now.
“Keven.” Tears prick my eyes as I look at the adoring expression on his face. Reluctantly, he drops my hand to maneuver the car around the next bend.
Silence engulfs us again as we pull up to the gate to my house. I input the code on the keypad, and the gates slowly open. When we reach the top of the driveway, he cuts the engine and swivels in his seat so he’s facing me. “Tell me you feel nothing for me, Cheryl. Tell me it’s all in my head, and I will leave you alone. I promise.”
“I’m a hot mess right now, Kev. I’m feeling so many things.”
“Can we go inside and talk?” He glances around. “I don’t see your fiancé’s car, so I’m guessing he’s not here?”
“He’s not, but—”
“Please, Cheryl.” He pins me with puppy dog eyes, and I’m powerless to resist.
“Okay, but just for one coffee.”
He smiles before tentatively reaching out to brush some loose strands of hair behind my ears. His fingers leave a fiery trail on my skin, and the urge to fling myself at him is riding me hard, but I sit on my hands to harness the craving. “You’re so incredibly beautiful, Cheryl. I hope you know that. I think it’s because you’re so good, so pure, on the inside, and it just radiates all over you.”
Tears roll down my face. “Keven. Please stop. I can’t …” A choked sob rips from the very essence of my soul.
“I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. I don’t want to upset you. I just want you to know how much I love you because I didn’t tell you enough in high school. I was an idiot. Thought saying it out loud would make me sound like a pussy. After we broke up, I kicked myself in the ass so many times over all those wasted opportunities. And I know I’m not good at this romantic stuff, but—”
I put my hand over his mouth. “You’re the most romantic man I’ve ever met, and I never doubted how much you loved me. At least, not until the end. You never needed to say those words, Kev. I felt your love every second of every day because you were always there for me and we just got each other. So, don’t beat yourself up about that.” I remove my hand and open the door. “C’mon. Let me make you that coffee.”
Thankfully, he doesn’t mention anything else about us once we head into the house. He insists I give him a full tour, and I do my best to summon enthusiasm as I show him around, but I can tell he’s picked up on my lethargy. The only room I don’t show him is the master bedroom because that would just be way too awkward.
After I make coffees, I suggest we take them into the living room, but a dark look washes over his face as he maintains he’s fine to stay in the kitchen. “How are your parents?” he asks. “And Bryan and Violet.”
“They’re all good,” I reply, sipping my coffee. “Dad’s still working for the same pharmaceutical company, and he’s in charge of the whole finance operation now. Mom volunteers for a few local charities when she’s not moonlighting as Violet’s personal taxi service.” I grin as I think of my little sister.
“Violet was close in age to the triplets, wasn’t she?” Kev says, propping his chin in his hands and leaning his elbows on the marble countertop. I work hard to ignore the way his massive biceps flex and roll under his shirt with the movement.
I nod. “She’ll be eighteen in a few months, and she’s a senior now. Bryan’s a freshman at UD. He’s studying business and finance like my dad did.”
“Tell them I said hi,” he says before his face contorts. “Or maybe not. I’m not sure your mother would be happy to know we’re on speaking terms again.”
“Mom always loved you. I think she was as disappointed as me when we broke up.”
“I loved your family. Loved going to your house. My mom was hardly ever home, and I resented her for that. Going to your house was bittersweet because I loved how your mom fussed over me, but it also highlighted how little my mom was involved in my life.”
“That didn’t mean she didn’t love you,” I say, feeling the need to defend Alex. “She was trying to provide for all of you, and your dad didn’t work, so he was home to take care of you.”
“I know, and I’m not as resentful now. When I discovered James wasn’t my bio dad, I hated him and Mom for ages for concealing the truth, but then I started to look at it differently. He took Kade and me on knowing we weren’t his biological children, but he never treated us any differently, and I always felt his love. Over time, it was easier to forgive him, and to forgive Mom. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that our parents are fallible too. They fuck up on occasion, but it doesn’t mean they love you any less.”
I subconsciously lean toward him. Everything about him draws me in. From his heartfelt words to his dark, sultry voice, his sexy face, and the hypnotic way he’s staring at me. It’s as if someone took my dream of my ideal man and packaged him as Keven Kennedy. How I ever thought I could leave him in the past is beyond me.
He’s right—I’m clearly delusional.
“Cheryl, honey.” He leans across the counter until our faces are only centimeters apart. “Unless you want me to spread you out across this island unit and impale you with my cock, you’ve got to stop looking at me like that.”
“Holy fuck.” I straighten up, jerking back out of his space, exhaling deeply. “You can’t say things like that to me either.” My heart is beating so fast, and my body throbs with need. I want to pull him close and lose myself in him, and I’m not sure I’m strong enough to resist. “I think you should go.”
“Rain check then,” he says, smirking, and I send him a cautionary look. “Mind if I take a piss before I go?”
“Of course not. You know where the bathroom is.”
I watch him walking out of the kitchen, using the opportunity to fully check him out. His designer jeans hug his shapely ass and muscular thighs causing saliva to pool in my mouth. His back is a solid block of muscle, rolling and stretching under his tight shirt. He runs one hand through his hair, and I’m envious.
I want to be the one to do that.
Happy memories resurface in my mind, and this time, I don’t resist. I let them replay, reliving each moment as if it’s the first time, and with each memory, I fall all over again.
I realize I’m staring at an empty doorway, daydreaming, about ten minutes later, and I snap out of it, glancing at the clock on the wall with a frown.
Where on Earth is Keven?
Chapter 12
Cheryl
“What the hell are you doing in Dan’s office? And how did you even get in here?” I demand, planting my hands on my hips and glaring at him. I know for a fact that Dan keeps this office locked. It was something else I’ve become wary of, especially after he got that new security system installed on Monday.
“I picked the lock, and you need to see this.” Kev is completely unapologetic as he gets up from Dan’s desk, coming toward me.
“Get out!” I shout, pointing my finger into the hallway. I know Kev wants me back, but snooping in Dan’s office is a low blow and not the way to win me over.
He stalks toward me, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder before I’ve had time to even contemplate the move. My head dangles just above his ass.
Not a bad view, my cheeky inner devil whispers in my ear.
Before I can demand he let me down, he’s placing my feet on the floor, his hands on my shoulders holding me in place. We’re positioned in front of Dan’s large mahogany TV unit. The doors are pushed to either side, revealing a row of hidden screens. “Were you aware your fiancé has cameras all over this house?”
My eyes almost bug out of my head as I skim over the rotating images of the inside and outside of the house.
Wh
at the fuck?
“Dan said the only cameras were outside, mainly around the perimeter,” I mumble.
“And did he tell you he has armed men guarding that barn in the woods?” He jabs his finger at a screen on the top left. I squint as I struggle to make out the shadowy forms in the dark. A sensor light flicks on at that exact moment, illuminating two men standing in front of the entrance doors to the barn, lighting up cigarettes. Both have rifles strapped around their torso and they look like the type not to be messed with. Bile floods my mouth, and fear spikes my blood pressure to coronary-inducing levels. My legs buckle, threatening to go out from under me, but Kev is there to catch me. He scoops me up into his arms and walks over to Dan’s desk, dropping into the chair with me in his lap.
“I knew there was something fishy about that barn,” I murmur, as Kev’s fingers race across the keyboard.
“You need to get out of here, Cheryl. Tonight. It’s not safe for you,” he says, his fingers click-clicking as he speaks.
“What are you doing?” I ask, watching lines of code race across Dan’s desktop screen.
“I’m implanting a virus into the security system. It’s the only way to erase the images of me here tonight.”
I can’t argue with that. If Dan knew I had another man in our house, he’d freak out. Not that it matters anymore.
Our relationship is over.
This has cemented the decision in my mind, and now I know I’m right in ending things with him. “He lied to me. He’s mixed up in the same shit Garcia was involved in, isn’t he?” I don’t actually direct the question to Keven, I just kind of throw it out there into thin air, but he answers all the same.
“Yes, and he’s dangerous, Cheryl. I don’t want you spending another second in his company. Go pack a bag. You can stay in my guest room tonight. Hell, you can stay as long as you like. Or I’ll help you move into your friend Lin’s place or help you find a place of your own, but you can’t stay here.”
Forgiving Keven: A Stand-Alone Second Chance Romance Page 10
