by A. K. Evans
“How so?” Kendall questioned me.
I took in a deep breath and blew it out before I admitted, “I promised him that if we ever ran into each other again after that flight, I would go out on a date with him.”
For a few moments, the girls stood there staring at me. I didn’t know if they were shocked or waiting for me to add more. When I didn’t say anything else, I got my answer.
“Is that it?” Avery wondered.
“Yes.”
“Why is that a bad thing?” Kendall pressed.
Before I could respond, Scarlet did. “Two reasons. She’s insanely attracted to a man she thinks will judge her for what happened at Flynn Beauty. She’s embarrassed by it. But worse, as attracted as she is to him and would want something more with him, she doesn’t believe she can trust him.”
Kendall and Avery slid their eyes back to me. “Is that true?”
“Yeah,” I whispered my reply.
As much as I hated that it might have made me seem crazier than I probably already looked to them, I couldn’t deny that Scarlet had gotten it right. It was difficult for me to trust people. I noticed I became much more selective over the last several years with the people I kept in my circle. It was the reason it was so small. And the same was the case for me at work. My brother was the only person I was close to outside of work. Kat might have been my right-hand girl there, but we didn’t associate with one another outside of work. I always thought it was best to keep business as business only. My personal life never factored in.
Even now, standing with these three women, it was only Scarlet that I trusted implicitly. We’d been friends for years, long before I started Flynn Beauty. I knew the kind of woman she was. My inability to trust Kendall and Avery the same way had nothing to do with them and everything to do with me. It was the way I’d always been and only exacerbated in recent years.
“That’s not Kieran,” Avery insisted. “I’ve been working with him for nearly a year now, and he’s not that kind of guy. I don’t think you have anything to be worried about.”
“I don’t trust myself or my judgment right now,” I revealed. “And clearly, I’ve been putting my trust into the wrong people.”
“Kieran isn’t one of them,” Scarlet offered. “I talked to Ryker about him months ago. Ryker would never lie to me. And he told me that I wouldn’t have to worry about you with Kieran.”
Interestingly enough, something somewhere deep inside me told me that what Scarlet was saying was the truth. Maybe I hadn’t had his real name when we talked to one another on that flight, but I didn’t doubt that everything else he’d given me was authentic. I’d held on to that for weeks.
But now, I couldn’t allow what I felt in a five or six-hour flight cloud my judgment. That was a formula for disaster. No matter how good Kieran might have been, I wasn’t going to be able to do it. It was one thing for me to believe that he was safe and wonderful when he was Deck, the kind stranger on a flight whom I never expected to see again.
Now it was different.
He was real.
He was somebody else.
He was Kieran Decker.
And he could still send my heart racing with one look from those gorgeous eyes.
“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.
“Don’t go,” Scarlet begged me.
“Yeah, don’t go,” Kendall agreed. “We’ll do whatever we can to help you feel more comfortable tonight.”
After a moment of silence as I considered that, Avery said, “I don’t think we’ll need to do that.”
“What?” Scarlet asked as my horrified eyes flew to Avery.
“Listen, out of all of us, I probably know Kieran the best because I work with him,” Avery started. “And I’m not lying when I tell you he’s a good guy. There’s no doubt in my mind right now that he saw how you reacted to seeing him for the first time again tonight and is feeling awful about it. I’m certain he’s worried about you. He’s not going to make this harder or more awkward for you. I’m convinced of that.”
“I feel horrible about this,” I began. “Kendall, this is Logan’s birthday. I don’t want to ruin it.”
“You won’t. You’re not,” she insisted. “Though, I think if you leave, it might put a damper on the festivities.”
Great.
When she put it like that, there was no choice. I was going to stay. I just had to figure out how I would avoid looking at Kieran for the rest of the night.
“What do you think, babe?” Scarlet asked.
I turned and saw the hopeful look in her eyes. This was what I got for being best friends with a romance author. I had no doubt she was seeing a novel play out before her eyes right now. I wanted to laugh. Maybe my whole disaster of a situation could give her some inspiration for another book.
“I’ll stay,” I replied. “But don’t let me drown out there.”
She grinned and promised, “Never.”
“We’ve got your back, Elise,” Kendall promised.
I gave her a nod and smile and shifted my gaze to Avery. She tipped her head to the side and maintained, “Kieran will, too.”
Boy, did I hope she was right.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I said, “Let me fix my face quickly before we go out there.”
“You’ve got it.”
With that, I opened my clutch and pulled out a few Flynn Beauty products, hoping that if nothing else, they’d mask the fear I was feeling about what I was preparing myself to walk into when I left the confines of the bathroom.
The only good thing I could say was that I liked knowing I had these girls willing to go into battle with me.
It felt like a punch to the gut.
After being unable to stop thinking about her for weeks, watching Elise walk away from me was hard.
It was an odd feeling. I had turned around and saw her walking toward me and felt nothing but relief, hope, and excitement. But in a matter of minutes, she squashed all of that.
Because Elise said she wasn’t okay and that she needed to leave.
I didn’t understand it.
More than that, I hated seeing her so distressed.
The minute she was no longer in my line of sight, Ryker clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go wait at the table.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand,” I replied.
Nash came up on my other side. “She’s obviously in shock right now,” he started. “Give her a minute.”
“Yeah,” Knox agreed. “The girls will get her sorted out.”
“No,” I replied. “You guys go sit. I’m going to wait for her.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Logan asked.
Continuing to shake my head, I answered, “No. But I’m still going to do it.”
At that, I walked away in the direction Avery, Kendall, and Scarlet had taken Elise. And now that I was standing here, slightly downwind from the door to the ladies’ room, I couldn’t do anything but think about her.
I pushed everything that had happened in the last few minutes from my mind and focused on the best part of the night. The moment I turned around and saw her walking toward me.
That dress.
Those curves.
Her eyes.
And her mouth.
The day I met her, I thought she was beautiful, even though the evidence of how upset she’d been was written all over her. But seeing her tonight, all done up in that dress, solidified it.
If there was one thing I knew for sure now, it was that Avery was right.
Elise was drop-dead gorgeous.
The second my eyes landed on her tonight, I instantly felt my pants growing dangerously snug in the groin. My cock was hard with just one look at her. I wanted nothing more than to lift her over my shoulder, carry her out of there, and take her home so I could sink myself between her legs.
The idea of her like that, the image of that woman wrapped around me, writhing and panting for more, was all I needed to
feel that uncomfortable ache again. I groaned.
Then I shifted my body, so my shoulders were leaning against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest, and tried to clear my head and breathe through it.
I didn’t know how much time had passed or how many women I’d seen walk in and out of the restroom while I waited, but I finally saw it open and watched Avery step out. Kendall was behind her, followed by Elise and then Scarlet.
None of them saw me since they were heading in the opposite direction.
“Elise,” I called out.
All four of them stopped, but it was Elise who turned first. Her eyes landed on me, and I did my best to offer her a non-threatening look. Once I had her attention, I asked, “Can we talk privately for a minute?”
The girls turned their attention to Elise and waited for her to indicate what she was thinking. I couldn’t say I wasn’t holding on anxiously with a bundle of nerves in my stomach waiting for her reply.
What if she disagreed?
The thought hadn’t crossed my mind until I saw the look on her face the second the words were out of my mouth.
Thankfully, she looked to the girls and said, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” Avery asked.
A strange look washed over Elise, but she nodded to indicate she was. With Elise’s confirmation that it was okay for them to return to the group, they walked away. Her eyes followed them until they had turned the corner and were no longer visible. I had a feeling she was trying to buy herself some time, but it didn’t bother me.
When she finally brought her gaze to mine again, she swallowed hard. I took a few steps back to move us out of the immediate path of those entering and exiting the bathrooms. Elise followed.
The moment she stopped in front of me, I asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Her voice was quiet and uncertain. I didn’t like it because it made me feel like she might have just been saying what she thought I wanted to hear instead of what she actually felt.
But because I didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than I was sure she already was, I ignored it.
Instead, I asked the question that I really wanted the answer to. “Are you leaving?” I wondered.
Elise briefly hesitated before she shared, “The girls convinced me to stay.”
Relief swept through me, and I smiled at her.
“You look beautiful,” I told her before I could stop myself.
Her gorgeous lips parted. “Thank you,” she rasped. “You look nice, too.”
My lips twitched as her eyes roamed over me.
I waited to respond and allowed her to take me in. I’d stand here all night long letting her do that if it meant I could spend more time with her.
When her eyes returned to my face, I could see the embarrassment in them.
“Relax,” I urged softly.
There was still caution littered all over her face and tension in her body.
“Elise,” I said.
“Yeah?” she replied.
“Relax,” I repeated. “I know you’re freaking out right now.”
“I didn’t expect this,” she responded.
Offering a friendly smile, I insisted, “Neither did I. But I’m not mad about it.”
Shaking her head, she assured me, “That’s not it, Deck. I mean, I’m sorry. Kieran. I’m not mad. I’m just having a hard time with it. I didn’t expect to see you again, and it’s throwing me off that you’re standing here right now.”
“I get it,” I returned. “But I don’t want your night ruined because of this. It’s supposed to be a fun night out. That’s why I figured I’d come and talk to you privately. I wanted you to know that there’s no pressure for anything. We’re just here to have a good time and enjoy ourselves. That’s all.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Positive.”
She let out a sigh of relief and her body visibly relaxed. I was happy to see that, despite how much I wanted tonight to be more than just a bunch of friends out for a night of fun.
Patience.
I needed to be patient.
And I needed to turn on the charm.
But I wanted her to be a bit more comfortable before I started throwing her off balance again.
“Should we go back out there and find everyone else?” she wondered.
“Probably,” I answered. “But before we do that, I have to tell you this again. You look phenomenal, Elise. The green looks great on you.”
“It reminded me of your eyes,” she shared. The instant the words were out of her mouth, Elise’s eyes widened, and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m mortified. Did I just say that?”
Turning around to hide her face, I got more than I bargained for. When Elise had walked away with the girls earlier, her hair and their bodies covered her back. Now, nobody was blocking my view, and her hair had fallen forward with her head tipped down.
Her entire back was exposed—all of it. My fingers itched to touch what I believed would be soft skin. And her ass. Fuck. Her ass filled out the back of the dress better than I could have ever imagined.
Drop-dead gorgeous.
Everything about her.
Wanting to calm her and let her know that she wasn’t alone, I moved toward her. As much as I wanted to curl my body around the back of hers and press my cock into her backside, I didn’t think that would help. So, I shifted slightly to the side, put a hand to the small of Elise’s back, and felt her tense at my touch. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “The feeling is mutual, Elise. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that flight.”
She twisted her neck and looked in my direction. Our mouths were inches apart. Damn it. I wanted to kiss her.
Instead, knowing she was reeling with so many emotions, I begrudgingly stood up, put gentle pressure on her lower back, and urged, “Come on.”
Elise didn’t hesitate to move.
I kept my hand on her back, loving the feeling of her skin there until we made it back into the restaurant where we found our friends waiting for us.
It reminded me of your eyes.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The entire crew and I ate dinner and were now upstairs in the saloon. Elise, Scarlet, Kendall, and even Avery had made their way out to the dance floor while the guys and I grabbed seats. And for the last few minutes, I’d been distracted by her in that green dress. Knowing she wore it because it reminded her of me was excellent news. It made me believe that perhaps it wasn’t going to be hopeless between us.
I’d been on her mind. I liked that.
“Kieran?” Logan called.
“Yeah?” I responded, tearing my eyes away from Elise.
“How is it possible you met that girl weeks ago and never said anything to us?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I didn’t think I’d ever see her again. I had no idea she was Scarlet’s friend,” I answered honestly.
And that was the truth. I didn’t think there was any reason to share her when I knew virtually nothing about her, and there was little chance I’d ever run into her again.
“She seemed much more relaxed through dinner than she was when she first got here,” Knox pointed out. He looked out at the girls dancing before he continued, “And she seems even more at ease now. It looks like whatever you said to her worked.”
Sadly, I think it only worked because I’d avoided doing what I wanted instead of what I thought was best for her at the moment. But it had worked. They all saw it. Plus, I had a feeling when the girls got to the table, they must have talked to the guys and let them know to take it easy on Elise.
Thankfully, all my friends stepped up to the plate and kept the conversations on everything and everyone but Elise. They didn’t exclude her, but there was no pressure on Elise to be in the spotlight.
And the best part about it was that she found ways to join in the conversation independently. It was never forced, and I was happy to see that she�
��d relaxed and warmed up to everyone.
Admittedly, it was difficult for me not to notice because I ended up sitting right beside her during dinner, something I’d be forever grateful to my friends for orchestrating. I was acutely aware of everything about her from the moment I pulled her chair out for her.
She smelled so fucking good.
She tried hard to be relaxed and happy.
She spoke intelligently.
And yet, there was still something lingering there. Something I couldn’t quite figure out. A dark cloud hanging over her. I hoped it wasn’t something brought on by the fact that I was there.
“Because I told her she had nothing to worry about,” I remarked.
“You say that like it’s not the truth,” Ryker noted.
“Of course, it’s the truth,” I said. “It’s just that I don’t think she remembers what she promised me.”
Ryker’s brows shot up, but it was Nash who asked, “She made you a promise?”
“Yep.”
“Which was?” Logan pressed.
“We never exchanged names with each other on that flight,” I started. “Or, at least, we didn’t exchange our real names. I didn’t like it, but I agreed to it. The more I talked to her, the more pissed I became that I made a deal with her. So I asked her to amend the deal, and she agreed.”
“What does she have to do?” Nash wondered.
I grinned and shared, “She promised that if we ever ran into each other again after that day, she would go out on a date with me.”
“Nice,” Knox said, sitting back in his chair.
“How much are you willing to bet she claims this was that date?” Logan joked.
I looked out at her again, loved the way she looked and the way her body moved, before I declared, “She can claim that all she wants, but it’s not happening.”
“I don’t blame you, Kieran,” Nash put in from beside me. “If that girl made me that promise, I’d do anything I could to make sure she followed through on it.”
There was a beat of silence before Ryker warned, “If she doesn’t want to follow through, Kieran, don’t push it.”
My brows pulled together. Earlier in the day, he said she was crazy and would do anything to get what she wanted. Now he was saying I shouldn’t do the same.
