The Careless Boyfriend

by Erika Kelly

  What the hell’s the matter with you? Why was she suddenly seeing Gray this way? “My ink?”

  “No. Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “I think you’d have heard about him by now if I did.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s in Paris or New York.”

  “No, definitely no boyfriend. After all those years with the same ridiculously difficult man I’m on hiatus and loving my freedom, and I can’t honestly see that changing any time soon.”

  “Boy.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Robert was a boy. Totally different experience.”

  “Well, this conversation just got a whole lot more interesting. Please tell me all about your experience dating men.”

  That crinkle around his eyes, the dimples that popped on either side of his lazy smile? Lethal. “I’m saying you probably shouldn’t compare what you had as a teenager with what you could have today…with a real man.”

  She pushed back in her seat, cocking her head. “Oh, this is good. Priceless information from a man who’s had so many mature, romantic relationships.”

  “Just saying. You could be missing out on something good just because you’re stuck in the past.”

  “Well, I don’t know about the past, but in the present, I work a lot.”

  “Okay, but in your business, you must hang out with impressive people all the time. Actors, rock stars, international businessmen.”

  “You think I could pull a rock star?” she asked.

  He gave her a long look, from her black knee-high boots, to the navy and white silk charmeuse blouse, to her mouth, where he lingered just a little too long. “I think you could get any man you wanted.”

  Heat roared through her, and she was quite sure her cheeks had turned bright red. What the hell was going on between them? Nothing good. Change the conversation. “Speaking of romance, what’s in the water on the Bowie ranch? I can’t believe two of your brothers finally succumbed to the goddess force.”

  “Goddess force?” He chuckled. “Well, obviously, Fin got sucked in years ago. There was no pulling him out of Calliope Bell’s clutches. Will, though?” He blew out a breath. “Never saw that coming.”

  “He’s totally changed. Like, he’s still a big badass, but the way he looks at Delilah? The fact that he’s a stay-at-home dad? I mean that’s a total one-eighty.” When she shifted, her hand slid lower, fitting perfectly under his. The warmth and strength in it, the comfort, gave her a rush of energy, and she immediately withdrew it.

  “Delilah works long hours at the restaurant, and Ruby’s had her whole world turned upside down. She needs someone to be there for her, and she chose Will. I mean, she chose him. That little girl lost her mom, never knew her dad, got dumped in a new house with a bunch of strangers, and she just pointed at Will and said, You. Made a whole new family for herself.”

  “Must be strange. Finding out you have a half-sister.”

  “Psh. You have no idea. At first, she was just this kid. Didn’t really associate her with my dad at all. Basically, I was gone most of the summer, so it was on Will to get her set up. But, once I got home and spent time with her, she just became….”

  “Yours.”

  His genuine, warm smile sent a rush of pleasure through her. “She’s ours, and she’s awesome.”

  Wow. To be claimed by Gray. That would be…her heart clutched so hard it hurt. As a teenager he’d been so out of her league, she hadn’t even had a single thought about him that way. She supposed, on some level, she still felt the same way.

  “She’s a good kid.” He picked up the cup and tipped it, watching the bead of water roll from one side to the other. “She’s got a voice, you know?”

  “She does sound awfully cute.”

  “No, I mean she asks for what she wants. She doesn’t take shit. She’s not waiting around, hoping things go her way. That girl’s going to get whatever she wants in life.” He gave her a tender and really sweet smile, and she assumed he was thinking about his sister. “She’s a lot like you. Whatever shit comes her way, she takes it like a champ and gets right back on her feet.”

  “She feels it, though.” She didn’t want the brothers to make assumptions about the little girl based on how she handled crises. “Be sure you guys take the time to talk to her. Listen.”

  “I will.”

  The way he was looking at her, with admiration, made her purr deep down. “She’s lucky she has you guys in your corner.”

  He held her gaze, a thousand messages in his eyes she couldn’t read. “Are you lucky to have me in your corner?”

  “If I can hold your attention, I sure am.”

  Whatever positive energy rolled between them shut down. She felt stupid for ruining the moment, so she went for levity. “It’s not going to be easy holding it when I’m talking about lace and organza and hemstitch needles. You’re going to run off screaming to the nearest beach.”

  “I don’t know about the screaming part, but the beach sounds nice.” He tugged the hoodie over his forehead, folded his arms, and closed his eyes.

  What’s the matter with you?

  Why did she keep pushing him away?

  Gray patted his pockets. Phone, room key, wallet. Good to go. Just as he reached the door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked pretty stupid in a suit with his hair curling up around the collar of his white dress shirt. In his business, appearance didn’t matter.

  But for Knox and her luxury world? He didn’t want to embarrass her. While he couldn’t get a haircut now, he could at least shave. Yeah. At least do that.

  Shrugging off the jacket, he unbuttoned the cuffs and rolled up his sleeves as he headed into the bathroom. With the water warming up, he dug around in his toiletry bag for a razor. Did he even have one?

  Yep. Got one. Good news. He needed to get a move on, or he’d be late. Squirting shaving cream into the palm of his hand, he smoothed it along his jaw. Shit. He should’ve trimmed it first. Too late. Hurry up.

  The blade scraped over his skin, and the water trickled in the basin. Damn, he really should have trimmed his beard first. He had to rinse off the blade with every stroke. I’m late, and she’s going to be pissed.

  Snatching a clean towel off the rack, he patted his face dry. He couldn’t help smiling as he hurried to get out the door. Because he knew her. She would absolutely call for a ride and go. Leave his late ass behind.

  Knox. No other woman set off fireworks in his heart the way she did. No other scent on this earth stirred his possessive instincts.

  Home.

  Mine.

  Rolling his sleeves down and buttoning the cuffs, he grabbed his jacket and hurried out of the room.

  The minute the elevator doors opened, he spotted her. In a lobby crowded with guests, valets, and concierges, one woman drew him like iron to a lodestone. Tall and lean, she stood out with all that luxurious, dark hair tumbling down her back.

  She wore white pants—tight around the waist and ass but widening as they got to her ankles—some kind of satiny top with puffy short sleeves and red dots on it, and high-heeled sandals that glittered in the morning light. Her bright red toenails matched the red dots of her shirt, as well as the lipstick on her wide, sexy mouth.

  Knox Holliday was fuck-hot.

  With a large, tan tote bag slung over her shoulder, her fingers tapped the screen of her phone. A businessman bumped her with his rolling suitcase, and she looked up with a smile and a shake of her head in response to his apology and then, right before returning her attention to her phone, her gaze snapped over to Gray.

  Her lips parted, as she took a slow scan of him. From his chest to his pants to his dress shoes, and then back up again, quicker that time. At first, she looked confused but, then, a wash of color tinged her cheeks.

  When he reached her, she said, “I was just leaving.”

  “Glad I made it in time.”

  “We can’t be late.” She reached up and swiped a spot under his ear, then pulled a
tissue out of her tote and rolled her finger in it, removing the dot of shaving cream. “First, it’s a crappy thing to do to Mrs. Granger. But, also, I’m dead in the water if this man doesn’t sell to me.” She glanced at her phone. “The driver’s right around the corner. Let’s go.” She strode to the revolving door and—swear to God—three people, all dressed in suits, stepped aside to make way for her.

  “Right behind you.” He spent his time with pretty chill women. Adventurous—or he wouldn’t be hanging out with them on summits or beaches with gargantuan waves—but easy-going. Knox was nothing like them. She was efficient, organized, determined, ambitious…and he loved it. Not many people could make him fall in line, but there was something about Knox...

  She was heading somewhere, and he was going along for the ride.

  Wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  Outside, in the early morning L.A. sunshine, she said, “He’s a small supplier whose been around forever and doesn’t really take on new clients. Mrs. Granger only uses him when she needs specialty items, so she’s not one of his regulars.” She glanced up at him. “I can’t mess this up.”

  “Ran a little late because...” He rubbed his jaw, finding a tiny patch under his chin he’d missed. “I forgot to shave.”

  And just like that the storm clouds parted and a ray of sunshine in the form of a dazzling smile hit him right in the eyes, nearly blinding him. “For a second there, I didn’t even recognize you.” She ran a hand down his lapel, and it took every ounce of his restraint not to grab it and press it to his chest. “My eyes bugged out of my head when I saw the hottest businessman in the world get off the elevator.”

  “You got a thing for men in suits?” The car pulled into the portico, and she headed for it, cutting off the valets who started jogging over to open her door.

  “I guess so.” Her tone said, Who knew?

  He slid onto the seat after her and reached for the strap to buckle in. The moment the driver took off, he said, “Let’s grab some breakfast on the way.”

  “There’s not enough time.”

  “We’re good.”

  She shot him an impatient look. “Not with L.A. traffic.”

  They’d chosen the beachfront hotel because the supplier was right off the Ten freeway. “It’s a twenty-minute drive. We’ll be fine.”

  “Gray.” She let out a huff of exasperation. “I don’t want to risk it.”

  “Did you eat anything this morning?” He already knew the answer, though, since she tended not to eat when she was anxious.

  “No. But we can grab something after.”

  “So, you don’t get lightheaded anymore when you don’t eat?”

  With her chin tipped down, she smiled. “No, I do.”

  Affection bubbled over and, before he could check himself, he reached for her hand. “Right, so you want to make a quick stop for a breakfast sandwich, or you just want to grab a bag of nuts and an orange juice?”

  The way she stared at his hand, like it was a dirty napkin he’d tossed at her, had him pulling it back. “Breakfast sandwich sounds good.”

  Stung by her response to his touch, he sat back in his seat.

  He needed to check this growing attraction, because it fucking hurt to be rejected by her.

  Chapter Nine

  Gray loved dropping in. The moment he took off, his board gliding on crunchy snow. The cone of concentration he fell into, the adrenaline punching through him as hard as the icy air…nothing like it. He loved racing up the wall, gaining speed, throwing his shoulder into the first spin and soaring off the lip. Nailing a trick was fucking exhilarating.

  But nothing he’d felt about snowboarding compared to the way Knox felt about textiles. As they walked across the mile-long showroom of AG Fine Fabrics, she scoured the bolts of material, ribbons, and lacy shit like she’d been told a winning lottery ticket was embedded somewhere in those piles.

  Her comments about him lacking commitment suddenly made sense. Because, truthfully, medals didn’t matter to him. Finally confronting his brothers the other day had cleared the way for him to see that, in choosing snowboarding competitions, he’d gone along with the pack. Not because, like Will, he had the drive to win, but because it hadn’t felt good to get a ride to a fencing competition, knowing all his brothers were in Utah at an event. Or to sit at the table with them when they got back as they went over every single thing they’d done…without him.

  Gray liked the rush of surfing and boarding, but he always plateaued, needing to tackle more complicated tricks and bigger waves.

  But the only thing he’d ever loved as passionately as Knox loved textiles was…Knox.

  He caught up with her, dared to brush a lock of silky hair off her shoulder so he could see her pretty profile. “I should probably clear out the store, put up a Closed sign, and give you some alone-time.”

  Fingering something satiny, she snickered. “Would you? Please?” And then she sighed. “I wish we had more time. I’d love to look around after our meeting.”

  “You could always stay longer.” He was the one who had to get back to train. “Fly out tomorrow.”

  “No, I can’t afford another night in the hotel, but thanks.”

  He wanted to say he’d happily pay for it, but he respected her for not assuming he would.

  They climbed a dimly lit stairwell to the second floor, the clap of their shoes echoing off the close walls, and entered into an open space filled with cubicles. Rows of offices lined the perimeter of the quiet room.

  Behind the utilitarian metal desk stationed at the top of the stairs sat a young, well-dressed woman. Knox beamed a radiant smile. “Good morning. I’m Knox Holliday, and this is Gray Bowie. We’re here to see Mr. Goldschmidt.”

  The woman peered at her screen, looking confused. “Uh…I don’t think you have an appointment?”

  Everything happy and hopeful in Knox’s features flattened. “We do. Mrs. Granger arranged the meeting.”

  “Right.” She looked uneasy. “But she called first thing this morning to say she couldn’t come.”

  Gray stepped forward. “She can’t come, but she’s not the one ordering fabric today. Knox and I are.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. When she said she wasn’t coming, we cancelled the meeting.”

  “Well, obviously, there’s been a misunderstanding,” Knox said. “But we’re here, right on time, and we have a plane to catch this afternoon, so we’d like to meet with Mr. Goldschmidt as planned.”

  “Unfortunately, he’s not here,” the receptionist said.

  “How long will it take him to get here?” Knox sounded firm but still friendly.

  Fierce. Damn, he liked her.

  “In traffic?” The receptionist shrugged. “At least an hour.”

  Knox indicated a couple of hard chairs set against the wall. “We’re happy to wait.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible.” The young woman lifted out of her seat to glance into one of the glass-walled offices across the way.

  “Get him on the phone.” Gray’s tone wasn’t nearly as amiable as Knox’s, but he didn’t give two shits. “Or I can call Mrs. Granger, and you can explain why she won’t be getting the dresses Knox is making for her spring show.”

  “I’m so sorry.” The receptionist looked uncomfortable. “I’m sure he’d be happy to reschedule, but—”

  “That won’t work,” Knox said. “I’ve got a plane to catch and a business to run. I’d like to speak with Ethan.”

  Who the hell was Ethan?

  The woman’s concern vanished. “Sure. Let me go talk to him.” She got up, her ballet flats shushing on the carpet as she walked to the office she’d been watching.

  He gave Knox a questioning look. “Ethan?”

  “The man who’s heart you’ve been instructed not to break. I read that his dad’s been pulling back on his hours, gradually giving his son more responsibilities. He can take care of my order just as well.”

  He wanted to kiss he
r. Haul that sexy body up against his and feel her curves and heat. He was pretty sure his eyes said what he couldn’t, because awareness bloomed in a pretty pink splash across her cheeks.

  He’d loved the girl who’d fought so hard to survive in a hostile town. But this woman?

  Put it this way: I’m in serious trouble.

  * * *

  Gray needed to get out of the hotel room. Now. He tossed the room service menu onto the table and got up. “Let’s grab something to eat.” Fingers tapping on the doorframe, he peered into her bedroom.

  Thanks to the love fest between Ethan and Knox, they’d missed their flight. So, while the two of them had walked through the warehouse, touching, fondling, and petting fabric, gawking over pearls and examining crystals through a magnifying glass, he’d called the hotel.

  And stupidly, impulsively, moved them into the two-bedroom suite.

  Digging through her suitcase, she barely spared him a glance. “Where are my pajama bottoms? Don’t tell me I didn’t bring them. No, I’m sure I did.”

  Even though he could’ve caught a flight out and left Knox on her own—because, let’s face it, he didn’t care about the various kinds of lace—he could have happily watched Knox in her element all day long.

  And, if he had to be really honest, it had to do with the secret smiles she’d thrown his way, as if he was her very first thought. Countless moments where her eyes widened in a look that said, Isn’t this amazing? Where she’d reach for him, her fingers tapping the back of his hand to get his attention.

  “Here they are. I knew I’d packed them.” She yanked them out from the bottom and did a victory pump with them. “What did you say? Oh, right. Dinner. Would you mind ordering me the Caesar with grilled chicken, dressing on the side? I’m just going to change.”

  “You’ve just spent hours swooning over miles of fabric and scored the deal of a lifetime, and you want a salad?”

  “Swooning is exhausting.” Her sexy lips curved into a teasing smile, and he nearly lost his shit.