by A. K. Evans
“Why?” I asked.
“Shit has been bad for her the past few weeks,” he shared. “If you make it harder on her, it’s not going to help you.”
I knew there was something I’d seen hanging over her. She was trying to be happy tonight, but she was struggling.
“What happened?” I asked.
He held his hands up. “It’s not my place to tell you her story. She’ll have to share that,” he answered.
“Or you could look it up on the internet,” Knox suggested.
“The internet?” I repeated. “You’re telling me to look up Elise Flynn on the internet, and I’ll suddenly understand it all?”
Knox dipped his chin.
That’s when Logan advised, “You could also trust her to give it to you in her own time. And that might go a long way in showing her that you’re the guy we know you are.”
“And you think that’s going to work in my favor?” I asked.
“You’re patient and a critical thinker,” Nash declared, reaching out toward me. “Plus, you’ve got this beard and the tats. What’s not to love?”
“Fuck off,” I said, shoving him with my shoulder. Everyone at the table laughed. When they settled down, my eyes fell upon Ryker. He was watching me. I asked, “She came with you and Scarlet tonight?”
He nodded.
“I’m going to take her home,” I told him.
“If she agrees to that, be my guest,” he said. “I’m happy to get my girl home and in bed sooner.”
With that, I thought it was time to change the subject. The last thing we needed was the girls returning and catching us in the middle of a discussion about Elise. So, I looked at Logan and said, “A lot has changed since the last birthday you celebrated here.”
He let out a laugh and agreed, “Yeah, and this time I’m not flying halfway across the world afterward.”
“Can you believe it?” Knox asked.
“What?”
“In less than a year, three of us fell hard and got engaged,” he explained. “And it looks like this next year is going to have the final two guys in the group following right behind us.”
“Let’s allow Kieran to get what I’m sure is going to be a tough battle fought before we throw me into the mix,” Nash urged. “We don’t need to be dealing with too much drama at one time.”
“Yeah, I think this upcoming season is going to give us enough of that,” Ryker said.
“The shit-talking has already started, and we’ve got titles to defend,” I stated before I turned my attention to Knox. “Hopefully, your girl will have her head out of the marriage and wedding planning clouds so that she doesn’t start falling asleep at the tree.”
“My girl could cut a light in her sleep,” he shot back.
“How dare you, Kieran?” Avery broke into the conversation, her eyes pinned on me.
I laughed and said, “Relax, holeshot. I’m just trying to get your man riled up. I know you’ll have your head in the game when it comes time to show everyone that you aren’t just a fly-by-night racer, and you’ve got what it takes to be the best year after year.”
As she settled her ass in his lap, she ordered, “Don’t you forget it.”
I rolled my eyes at her as the rest of the girls came and sat down. Elise’s eyes met mine. Her cheeks were flushed with the heat from being out on the dance floor, and I thought she looked even more beautiful.
While everyone fell back into a conversation about the upcoming season and Kendall told a story about her latest baby-delivering drama, I struggled to remain focused on the details of the discussion. And that was a strange feeling for me.
Details were my thing. I rarely had a hard time focusing. That was how I’d gotten so good at doing what I did.
But something told me I should try to figure out how I would deal with this newfound distraction that was Elise. In the end, I had a feeling she was going to be worth it.
“I want to take you home.”
Scarlet was right.
This was precisely what I needed.
I’d been out with her, Avery, Kendall, and the guys who worked at LT Motorsports for several hours now, and it was the first time in weeks that I’d been able to forget about all the craziness going on in my work life.
It was nice to have that distraction for a bit.
But now the night was winding down, and there were talks about getting ready to head home for the night. I wasn’t necessarily interested in staying out all night, but I just wanted a bit more time to be distracted. I wanted to extend the good vibe that started a few moments after Kieran had spoken to me outside the ladies’ room earlier in the evening.
Sure, the night had started a bit intense, but it quickly turned around. I had a feeling part of that had to do with the girls telling the rest of the group where my head was. But the more significant part of it had been him.
Kieran Decker.
Waiting outside the bathroom until I walked out so that he could make sure I was okay was nice. I’d thought he was nice since the day he offered to listen to my problems and shared his snacks with me on the plane. What he did tonight only solidified my initial assessment.
But it still scared me.
Because that confirmation mixed with the fact that I was beyond attracted to him was a lethal combination. I knew I’d be putting myself in an unfortunate position if I gave in to what I felt.
And that was why I was now petrified. Because Kieran had asked to take me home. While part of me wanted that, the other part knew it would be a mistake.
“What?” I asked, hoping to stall and come up with a good excuse for him not to take me home.
He smiled at me and repeated, “I’d like to take you home tonight.”
“I’m… I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Kieran,” I replied.
Yep. That was my response. Clearly, I had no quick-thinking skills when it came to speaking with him.
“I promise it’s not what you’re thinking,” he insisted. “I just want a little more time to talk to you without all this noise.”
It wasn’t what I was thinking? What did he think I was thinking?
My eyes widened. Kieran thought I was thinking about having sex with him. I mean, it wasn’t like the thought hadn’t crossed my mind all night. The man was spectacular. Everything about him was perfect. His arms, his tats, his beard, his lips, and his eyes. I was willing to bet there wasn’t a sane woman on earth who would take one look at him and not want to see what else the man had to offer.
So, in a way, I guess he was right.
I had thought about having sex with him.
But I hadn’t thought that that was the reason he wanted to take me home.
Okay, maybe I had been thinking that a little bit. Or, at the very least, that he’d maybe try to kiss me.
This was getting incredibly complicated.
I liked him—a lot.
Because it wasn’t just his looks. As magnificent as those were, it was everything else about who he was that drew me in. There was the gentle and kind patience he exuded. Kieran mixed that patience with an edge of determination. I’d seen it when he asked me to amend our deal on the flight, and I saw it again tonight when he asked to speak privately with me.
All of that made me think he was the kind of man who wouldn’t give up on something very quickly. That was both comforting and terrifying.
I looked away from him, unsure of what to say. It wasn’t that I was in a situation where I thought I had to be concerned for my physical safety with him. Not once since I’d been around him did I feel that. Plus, given his connection to Scarlet and Ryker, I was confident I didn’t have anything to worry about when it came to that.
I couldn’t even say that I didn’t know him that well because we’d spent more than five hours on a plane together before tonight. That alone was longer than most first dates.
The biggest problem of all was that I wanted him to take me home. In fact, I didn’t want him to take me home and just dro
p me off. I wanted a whole lot more, but I knew it would complicate things for me. That was the last thing I needed right now.
I’d taken too long to give Kieran a response because a moment later, he had moved even closer to me, put his hand to the small of my back again, leaned down closer, and said, “If it helps you make your decision, I already talked to Ryker about it. He said that he was cool with it as long as you agreed.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Why do you seem surprised by that?” he returned.
My eyes drifted to Ryker, who was standing beside Scarlet with his arm wrapped protectively around her. They were talking and laughing with Knox and Avery. I felt an overwhelming sense of longing as something squeezed in my chest.
Not wanting to have a second meltdown tonight, I returned my attention to Kieran and answered, “It’s nothing. Anyway, okay, you’ve convinced me. You can take me home.”
“Yeah?” he responded, clearly surprised.
I nodded.
A brilliant smile spread across his face. It made my knees go weak.
“You ready to go?” he pressed.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s say goodbye to everyone,” he urged with a gentle nudge at my back.
We moved toward Logan, Kendall, and Nash first.
“Hey, man, we’re going to head out,” Kieran told Logan.
“Yeah?” he replied. “Cool. Thanks for coming.”
They gave each other one of those manly hugs that was a combination of a handshake and a slap on the back. As Kieran moved to hug Kendall, Logan’s eyes came to mine. “It was nice meeting you, Elise,” he said.
“You too, Logan,” I returned. “Happy Birthday.”
“Thanks.”
I shifted my eyes to Kendall, who was now Kieran-free since he’d moved on to say goodbye to Nash. Her eyes were twinkling as she pulled me into a hug and whispered, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I returned. “I’m good.”
She pulled back just a touch, looked me square in the eyes, and kept her voice low when she said, “Have a good night.”
She gave me a wink before letting me go.
When I moved to Nash, he didn’t hesitate to pull me into a hug. When he did, he announced loudly, “If I had known you needed a ride home, babe, I’d have given you one.”
“She’s good,” Kieran warned him.
Nash let me go and gave me a wink. “Nice meeting you, Elise,” he said.
“You too, Nash.”
Kieran’s hand returned to the small of my back as he pinned a deadly stare on Nash, who didn’t seem the least bit affected. It was a very Nash-like response.
I liked Nash. He was a charming guy and was incredibly laid-back and personable. He reminded me of a guy who wouldn’t ever let anything make him angry. It was like he thought life was too short to be upset about things, so he just rolled with the punches. I wished I could have been more like that.
The next thing I knew, my eyes were darting back and forth between Scarlet and Avery as Kieran, once again, announced we were leaving.
“Yeah, we’re going to get going, too,” Knox said.
“Elise?” Ryker called. His voice was firm and demanded attention. When I looked at him, he asked, “Are you cool with Kieran taking you home?”
Wow.
That was unexpected.
I nodded and replied, “Yeah.”
He dipped his chin and shifted his eyes to Kieran. I ignored what they said because Avery and Scarlet moved in.
“Oh, gosh, Elise,” Scarlet started, her voice a hushed whisper. “You’re okay, right?”
“Yes, I’m good. Honestly,” I insisted.
“I told you,” Avery declared.
My brows pulled together. “What?”
She leaned in and whispered, “I told you Kieran was a good guy who wouldn’t make tonight awkward for you. If it had been, you wouldn’t be letting him take you home tonight. Enjoy yourself, girl.”
“This isn’t that,” I assured her.
“Sure,” she said. “Keep telling yourself that. I’ve watched the two of you all night. Both of you are so smitten; it’s almost sickening.”
“It’s wonderful,” Scarlet sighed. “I’m so happy for you.”
That was my girl. Always living with her head in the clouds. “Thanks, Scarlet,” I returned. “But he really is just taking me home so your man can get you home sooner.”
“I’m sure that’s what he told you,” Scarlet joked.
The three of us laughed until Kieran’s voice interrupted, “You ready, Elise?”
My eyes went to his and heated before I answered, “Yeah.” I looked between Ryker and Knox and said, “Thanks for making me feel welcome tonight. I had fun.”
“Happy to hear it,” Knox replied.
“If you need anything, Elise, you let us know,” Ryker insisted.
I held his gaze a moment longer, a kindness washing over him, and turned toward Kieran.
A few minutes later, we were in his truck heading toward my house.
“I didn’t think he liked me,” I declared.
“Who?” Kieran asked.
“Ryker,” I clarified. “He and I had a bit of a volatile first meeting. Of course, he thought that Scarlet stood him up at the airport, so he was a bit angry about that.”
Kieran chuckled. “I’m not surprised. Ryker was a grouch for years. It wasn’t until he and Scarlet got back together and worked things out that he mellowed out a bit.”
“Well, I think it was nice of him to make sure I was okay to leave with you tonight,” I shared. “That was unexpected.”
“You should have heard him talking about you earlier today,” Kieran mumbled.
“What? He was talking about me?” I questioned him.
Kieran glanced over at me for a moment. Even though it was dark, I could see his eyes were shining. He was happy. Genuinely happy.
When his eyes returned to the road, he explained, “We were all standing in the office at work today talking about going out tonight. Avery was thrilled that you and I were finally going to be meeting. Of course, I didn’t know that you were who you were. And when Avery tried to get Ryker to convince me that I should be excited about getting to meet you, he told me that you were, and I quote, fucking crazy.”
“Yeah, that’s because I called him a liar within minutes of meeting him,” I grumbled.
Kieran burst out laughing. “Now it makes sense,” he reasoned. Following a beat of silence, he continued, “Just so you know, he did say nice things about you, too. Deep down, Ryker’s a good dude. And I think he’s still struggling to make the full transition from grump to nice guy. Scarlet’s doing a good job with him.”
“She’s so happy,” I sighed. “I couldn’t be more relieved and excited for her that they found their way back to one another. She deserves it. They both do. Turn left right here.”
Kieran made the turn. He drove a couple of feet before I pointed and instructed, “You’re going to make another left just up there. Then you’ll make the first right. My driveway will be the third one on the left.”
“Okay.”
For the remainder of the ride, Kieran and I didn’t speak. He simply followed my directions to get me home safely.
When we finally turned onto my road, and Kieran had passed the second driveway, he slowed down just before we reached mine and asked, “This one?”
“Yeah.”
I saw something wash over his face, but he didn’t say anything. I believed I knew what was going through his mind, but I stayed silent like him.
Once we came to a stop by the house at the top of the driveway, Kieran turned off his truck, looked at me, and ordered, “Wait there.”
My brows pulled together as he got out and rounded the front of his vehicle. He made it to my side, and I thought my heart was going to explode. Kieran opened my door for me. It wasn’t that nobody had ever done it for me before. It thrilled me to know that he was a true gentleman. Or, at least, h
e was excellent at pretending to be one.
He held his hand out to me, and I had no choice but to slip my hand into it.
I loved it.
I loved the way his hand felt wrapped around mine.
Better yet, he never let go of my hand as he led me toward my front door. I found this extraordinarily kind and endearing because it was the end of January, and there was a significant amount of snow on the ground.
When we made it to the front door, I slipped my key into the lock and opened the door. Then I looked up at Kieran and asked, “Would you like to come in?”
There was a moment of hesitation before he agreed, “Okay, but only for a minute. I’m not staying.”
I ignored how hearing him say he wasn’t staying made me feel and pushed inside. Once we’d stepped inside and I’d hung my coat up in the foyer closet, I settled my gaze on him. Before I could say anything, he asked, “Okay, Elise, what’s the deal?”
“What?” I replied, confused at what he was talking about.
Kieran looked around, and I was suddenly unsure about this. I should have realized that him bringing me home would result in questions. Seeing him now, I had the proof that the look I’d seen on his face when he pulled into my driveway was precisely what I thought it was.
Kieran confirmed that notion as soon as he spoke. “This house… no, this mansion. What have I missed?” he wondered.
Kieran’s voice indicated that he was genuinely curious. He didn’t seem disgusted or turned off by my home or that it was clear I had money.
But I didn’t want this discussion.
The last several hours had been so wonderful, better than I had expected and precisely what I needed after the events of the previous couple of weeks. Though I had initially thought it was a mistake the minute I walked into Lou’s tonight, it quickly became apparent that I was wrong. The girls had my back all night, the entire crew was genuinely kind to me, and Kieran was terrific.
I had relaxed.
I’d had a good time.
Best of all, I had forgotten all about the bad stuff that had been swirling around me.
The last thing I wanted was to talk about why I had this home. Because that would lead to a discussion about the current state of my business. And all the good vibes I’d been feeling throughout the night would be gone.
