Opposites Attract: The complete box set

by Higginson, Rachel

The next time he kissed me it was a real kiss, mouth to mouth, lips caressing lips, tongues seeking tongues. I melted into him, fully alive again for the first time in years.

  He tasted as perfect as possible, all masculine need and hungry desperation. His mouth moved over mine, fully in charge, fully committed to kissing me as thoroughly as possible.

  My hands wound around his neck, desperate to hold onto something stable as my knees trembled and my belly flipped and my core coiled, heating with delicious warmth.

  He just kept kissing me, deepening until his tongue did wicked things to mine. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip, and then he licked a slow path that pulled another needy sound out of me.

  His hands pressed me closer to him, while he walked me and leaned my back against the car. He held me there, trapped against the cold, dew-covered door and his hard, muscled body. His thigh slid between mine, not aggressively, just enough to tease me into wanting more.

  I wanted him closer, harder. I wanted to strip his clothes off him and throw myself on top of him. This tension had been building and building between us. I didn’t know if it was my emotional breakdown that had finally pushed us together or if we would have always ended up here, unable to resist the pull between us.

  I’d tried to ignore it. Ignore him. But he’d never let me ignore the fire between us. He’d never let me get away with pretending we didn’t want this.

  And God, did I want this.

  His mouth left mine to drag slow, sensual kisses over my jaw, to the tender spot just below my ear, down the column of my throat, where he spent a delicious amount of time at the hollow between my collarbones.

  When he finally brought his mouth back to mine, we were nothing but lips and tongue and desire. His teeth bumped into mine as we learned the contours of each other, as we familiarized ourselves with each other’s body and mouth and need.

  It was everything a first kiss should be—irresistible, voracious and too short. Way, way too short.

  He finally pulled back, and I slumped against him, breathing heavily and tingling with desire. My lips were swollen in a way they hadn’t been in a very long time, and my stomach jumped with nerves and need and a thousand lust-filled butterflies.

  He panted just as heavily as me, his arms still wrapped around my waist, supporting me so I didn’t tumble over. His voice rumbled against the top of my head when he finally spoke. “You’ve wanted to do that for so long. I’m surprised you held off for as long as you did.”

  I smiled, surprisingly comfortable with his familiar arrogance. I didn’t even bother standing up. I just smiled into his chest, inhaling him again and again. “I thought you’d be a better kisser, though. I’m trying not to be disappointed.”

  His chuckle vibrated his chest, and I closed my eyes at the sensation. God, I loved to make him laugh. “Since you won’t be able to keep your hands off me now, I guess we’re just going to have to keep practicing.”

  I finally stood up, hoping he meant right now. “I guess so.”

  He looked down at me, his dark eyes heating. “Not tonight, Vera. I need to get you home.” I must have looked disappointed because he laughed again. “There will be more. I promise you that. But not after you’ve had to face your darkest demon. Not when Derrek is still infecting the air. Not after I’ve just decided on first-degree murder.”

  My blood turned to ice. It was that simple. Derrek still had the power to ruin every one of my moods, no matter how blissful or flawless. “Don’t go to jail for him,” I pleaded. “That wouldn’t be fair at all.”

  Killian didn’t seem convinced. “Let’s get you home. I don’t want to talk about him anymore tonight.”

  I tried to do the decent thing one more time. “You really don’t have to drive me. I know it’s inconvenient for you.”

  “Get in the car, Vera,” he ordered, turning me toward the passenger side. “There’s a goodnight kiss in it for you if you play nice.”

  I was ashamed to admit that got me moving. “You should know I live with my dad.”

  “He won’t mind,” he countered confidently. “He likes me.”

  “You’re so cocky.”

  He flashed me a grin across the top of the car. “And you love it.”

  I rolled my eyes but didn’t verbally respond. He was right. I did love it.

  “Fine, you can take me home,” I allowed. “But you better not be stingy with this goodnight kiss.”

  He smiled. Drove me home. And fulfilled his promise.

  Very generously.

  Nineteen

  I smiled before I even opened my eyes the next morning. Yesterday had been traumatic on so many levels. I still had to deal with Derrek in a very real way. I had to make sure he knew he could never come back to my truck or my city or bother me ever again.

  Until then, I chose to let Killian be the dominating headline of the morning. I lay there in the twin bed from my childhood and curled my toes into rumpled sheets.

  It didn’t seem possible. This man that had gone from idol to enemy, to reluctant friend, to fantastic kisser.

  And not only had he kissed me beyond all reason and rational thought, but he’d given me back whole chunks of myself that had been missing. He’d said words I’d been too afraid to think and truths that had felt so wholly out of reach, I never believed they could be true for me. I’d purged some of my hurt and loathing.

  Maybe not all of it, but some. It was like the first few shaky breaths after nearly drowning. They burned and clawed at my throat, they were painful and raw, but they were made of life-saving oxygen none the less.

  I didn’t know what to think about that or how to move on. Derrek was a darker cloud than ever, and yet Killian had inspired hope in a way that also healed where I had been only broken, that also breathed life where death had rotted and destroyed. He’d held out the person I used to be and offered it like a gift he had the right to give.

  But the strangest part was that I didn’t mind. I didn’t even want to fight him for it. He had done something I hadn’t been able to do myself, and I would always be grateful for that.

  He even made me want to consider something more… something that wasn’t just about me or my healing or my needs. He made me consider him.

  He made me consider us.

  The smell of coffee dragged me out of bed. I slid my feet into slouchy slipper boots and grabbed my robe for my dad’s sake. I stopped by the bathroom to wash my face and throw my hair in a fresh messy bun, but other than that I looked like I did every morning- terrifying.

  Shuffling to the kitchen, I found my dad at the table. He had a fresh cup of coffee in his one hand and a piece of toast and jelly in the other. It was earlier than I usually made an appearance, but then again, last night had been an earlier night for me.

  Comparatively. It was after midnight before Killian had stopped kissing me.

  “You’re up early,” Dad noted as he took a long drink of his super-hot coffee. I could have sworn he didn’t have taste buds. For as long as I could remember, food temperature didn’t bother him. It was unnerving how he just dove right into the hottest foods and drinks. Even now I resisted the urge to shout a warning to him. It wouldn’t have done any good anyway.

  “I closed up a little early last night,” I answered honestly.

  Dad set his newspaper down and gave me his full attention. “Did you run out of food?”

  The story came out in a torrent of information. “Derrek showed up unexpectedly after Vann left for his date. I felt uncomfortable staying there by myself.” For all my newfound courage, my explanation still trembled.

  Dad’s expression hardened. “Why would he do that? Why didn’t he call first?”

  “He doesn’t have my number. And I wouldn’t have answered anyway.”

  “Because you’re a smart girl,” he sympathized. I saw the questions bounce around in his head through the window of his concerned expression, but for some reason, he didn’t ask them.

  I wondered if he didn’t need to. Ma
ybe he already knew. Maybe he’d figured it out for himself. Either way, he patted the seat next to him and told me to grab some coffee before I sat down.

  While I poured the perfect ratio of cream and coffee in my chipped Mickey Mouse mug, my dad asked a very practical question. “Are you going to have to worry about him showing up again?”

  I’d already considered that possibility, and it made me nauseous. I didn’t want to go to work every night worrying about Derrek lurking in the shadows. “I’m not sure,” I answered. “He opened his own restaurant in Charlotte. So it’s not like he has a ton of free time. But I’d love it if he never, ever showed his face again. Like if he could just bury himself upside down in the sand, that would be ideal.”

  Dad sputtered his coffee all over his newspaper. “Sorry,” he coughed, wiping up the mess with the napkin he’d been clutching. “Warn me before you start plotting murder.”

  I hid my smile in a long drink of coffee. “Will do.”

  “What are you going to do about him?”

  “I’m going to reach out to him today and tell him that I don’t want him anywhere near the food truck or me.”

  He eyed me shrewdly. “And if that doesn’t work?”

  “I’m going to file a restraining order.” There. I said it. The words were out in the world now, and I couldn’t take them back. I couldn’t even pretend they didn’t exist. It was something I should have done a very long time ago.

  Some of the color leached from his face, and I could tell he had his suspicions, but he hadn’t put together the whole story yet.

  He looked at me, blinking slowly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  I shook my head. Despite my brand-new mettle, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Dad what happened with Derrek. The sunlight was too bright, too revealing. And my past was much too dark. My dad loved me more than anything, but the crippling embarrassment and fear of judgment kept the words locked inside me.

  I justified my omission, by reminding myself I didn’t want to stress Dad out any more than he already was. I wanted him as strong as possible for chemo and this gross cancer. He knew enough.

  A restraining order was not something to joke about, and I hoped he knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t just throw that threat around unless I absolutely needed it.

  When I answered, “Not really,” I pushed the guilt aside. I loved my dad more than anything, but I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I needed to start fighting my own battles. Fight them. Not just run from them.

  Knowing he would be there for me anytime I needed him gave me a whole new sense of daring.

  “You can tell me anything, baby girl,” he soothed. “I know you’re all grown up and got your own business and all that. But I’m still your dad. I’ll still go after any boy that breaks your heart. Or worse.”

  I took another sip of coffee to hide my emotional reaction. “I know, daddy.”

  His smile was sad, but genuine. “I love you, Vera May. There isn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do for you.”

  I sniffled and nodded. “Thank you.”

  He looked back at his paper, quickly hiding the tears that had filled his own eyes. Geez, all these heart to hearts were turning us into a bunch of softies.

  My phone buzzed with a text message. I looked down to see Killian James Quinn’s name appear in the bubble. I’d changed it from James Q because I couldn’t erase the image of a middle-aged man in a bathrobe trolling me from his mom’s basement. Call me when you wake up.

  I blushed, surprised by the romantic message, even after everything that happened last night.

  Just kidding. I didn’t blush. And the message wasn’t romantic. Leave it up to Killian to send me commands through text without even a please or thank you.

  God, that man…

  “Big plans for the day?” Dad asked while I decided what to do about Killian’s message.

  “Not really. I need to pay some bills and head to the commissary to do inventory. Oh, and manage my Facebook ads. And decide on next week’s menu. I should make a trip back to the truck and do some deep cleaning before it gets out of control. At some point, I need a new pair of work pants. I still haven’t found a bakery to work with either. I should swing by a few more today and drop off my card.”

  He stared at me with his cup halfway to his mouth. “I thought today was your day off?”

  “It is. That’s why I finally have time to do all the things I’ve needed to do for weeks.”

  He snickered, turning his attention back to the paper. “When you were a little girl you just couldn’t wait to grow up. Remember that?”

  I rinsed my empty cup and put it in the dishwasher. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

  “I could have, of course. But that would have spoiled all the fun.”

  “Who’s having fun?”

  He smiled at me, his grin stretching wide across his stubbled face. “Me.”

  I just rolled my eyes and put the creamer away. Since I really did have a ton to do today, I kissed him on the top of his shiny head and hurried to get ready.

  My hair was a mess after sleeping on it wet, so I sprayed a half bottle of product on it and hoped for the best. I threw on a navy blue romper, with spaghetti straps and a bright orange belt to give it a pop of color. Rompers were a nightmare when it came to peeing, but I only had a couple more weeks of real summer and Sundays were one of the few days I didn’t have to dress for work- even if I would be working the entire day.

  After I’d brushed my teeth, applied minimal makeup and pulled my hair into a loose braid over my shoulder, I grabbed my phone and headed for my car.

  Killian had called an Uber last night just like he’d promised and then he’d kissed me thoroughly until it arrived. My belly flipped just thinking about the way he pressed me against my front door and used his very talented tongue to drive me crazy.

  I sat in my driver’s seat tapping the back of my phone, deciding what to do. Had I changed my mind about dating? After last night, everything felt different.

  I felt different.

  Opening up to Killian had been freedom I didn’t realize I needed, but did that change my decision to be single? I still had goals.

  Foodie took up almost all of my time. And Lilou was even worse for Killian. We didn’t really have time to pursue anything real.

  Besides, as amazing as he’d been last night, I’d promised myself I would never date another chef again. It wasn’t that I expected all of them to be violent psychopaths. But it wasn’t a secret that Killian was arrogant, dominating and driven. The last thing I wanted to do was jump feet first into another unhealthy relationship.

  I didn’t want to put myself in another position to be trampled or forgotten about. I didn’t want to ever compromise my dreams for someone else’s again.

  So, why did I pick up my phone and call Killian like he asked? Er, demanded.

  Because obviously, my heart was a traitor that refused to listen to reason.

  He picked up on the third ring and didn’t bother with hello. “Did you just get up?”

  “I’m actually on my way to the commissary. I need to check inventory for the next week before I go back to Morning Market.”

  “You’re working today?” I could hear clanking in the background, voices calling to each other in an open space. He was already at Lilou.

  “I’m catching up on everything,” I told him. “Are you working today?”

  I heard the smile in his voice when he answered, “I work every day. How long is that going to take you?”

  I calculated everything I had to do, deciding to swing by Target first since it was on my way. “Two hours. Maybe three.”

  “Do you want to swing by Lilou afterward for some lunch?”

  I bit my bottom lip, trying to restrain my smile. “Are you asking me instead of telling me?”

  His voice dropped to a low rumble that did wicked things to my resolve. “Don’t tempt me, woman. I have no problem telling you to get your ass over here. I�
�m not good at being nice, Vera.”

  Oh, my God.

  I licked my lips and reminded myself I wanted a nice guy. I was done with assholes.

  Only, Killian didn’t feel like an asshole. Not anymore.

  Not at all.

  I cleared my throat and tested him. “Just say please.”

  His deep chuckle chased me through the phone. “Vera, please come eat lunch with me.”

  Holy cow. If I thought Killian was sexy when he told me what to do, the word please just rocketed him into an entirely different dimension of irresistible.

  “Okay,” I agreed breathlessly while my heart pounded erratically in my chest and my blood rushed with anticipation.

  I heard the smile in his voice and knew he heard the same in mine. “See you soon.”

  “Bye, Killian.”

  I hesitated another three seconds before I made myself hang up. I was in very dangerous no-you-hang-up-first territory. Gross.

  And at the same time—swoon!

  I remembered belatedly that I was driving and refocused on the road, straightening out my car that had been gliding a little too freely to the left. Oops.

  I determined not to think about Killian until lunch. I would focus on being a responsible driver, on finding the right black pants that I could destroy in the kitchen without regret, and on inventory at the commissary. I wouldn’t think about him again.

  Not once.

  Starting now.

  Twenty

  Three hours later, I parked in Vann’s lot and realized I had done nothing but think about Killian since I hung up the phone with him. Which was obnoxious.

  And secretly, very secretly, adorable.

  I locked up my car and walked across the street, the August afternoon sun beating down on the top of my head. There was no breeze today, the air was thick with sticky humidity and sweat.

  Hurrying across the street, I debated on whether I should go in the side door like Killian always did or through the front even though they weren’t open yet. Nerves pinballed back and forth through my appendages, making me equal parts nervous and excited for a behind the scenes look at Lilou.