Killian

by Brenda Rothert

  When he rolled to lay on his back, he was breathing hard. He reached for my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my fingers.

  I didn’t know what the future held for us. But, for now, he was here, and I was at peace. I let him pull me against his chest, knowing I’d sleep well tonight for the first time in several days.

  Killian

  I’d been awake for a while thinking and Sidney was just starting to stir in my arms. I still didn’t have all the answers, but I knew this place felt more like home to me than my apartment, and it wasn’t because of the furnishings. It was because of Sidney, she owned my heart.

  “Hey,” she said in a sleepy tone. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” I said, kissing her forehead. “Did you sleep well?”

  “I did. For the first time in a while.”

  Her words tugged at my heart. “Same here. I’ve been a wreck.” I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. I’d missed waking up to the warm softness of her lying against me.

  “What the hell was with you asking last night if I’d been with anyone else?” I murmured in her ear.

  She turned to look at me, holding the sheet over her chest. “You didn’t call or text for three days. I figured you were over it.”

  I hummed my amusement with that idea. “Over you? How could you even think that?”

  Her chest rose and fell in a sigh. “I didn’t know what to think. I thought maybe the fight pushed you over the edge. And you’re a man and I know how road trips are. I wondered if you’d screw a compliant woman since I tend to drive you crazy.”

  I pushed myself up on an elbow so I could look down into her eyes. “My dick is oblivious to all women but you, Sid. I haven’t been hard for another woman since the day I met you. Even when you drive me crazy, you’re the only one I want.”

  The corners of her lips curved up in a smile. “You should write Hallmark cards, Bosch.”

  I slid a hand beneath the bed sheet and pinched her ass, making her jump and shriek at the same time. She tried to get out of bed but I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against me.

  “Get on your back, woman,” I said, climbing on top of her. Her protests were lost in her laughter, which warmed me all over.

  I crouched over her, pinning her hips to the bed. She stopped wiggling and looked up at me, her long hair spread out on the pillow and her cheeks rosy from laughing.

  “I’m not the sweetest guy, Sid. It’s hard for me to say things sometimes. But I hope …” I took a breath, searching for words. “I hope I show you how I feel. I try to.”

  Her eyes sparkled like two emeralds. “Me too,” she said softly. “I’m so bad at apologizing and telling people they’re important to me. But I hope you know.”

  I lowered my body closer to hers and our heat mingled. “I felt it last night. And I feel it right now. You’re the only woman in my life, Sid. And even though I don’t need a lot of words, I need to know I’m the only man in yours.”

  “You are.” She reached up and stroked my scruffy cheek. “You’re the only one, Killian.”

  “I’m a person who broods and thinks about things. I wasn’t ignoring you. I thought you wanted space, too. Not space from each other, just space to cool down. If you ever need me, just tell me.”

  Her expression twisted into something I couldn’t place, but it almost looked sad.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just feel myself losing control and it’s so hard.”

  “Losing control of what?”

  There was a pause before she spoke softly. “My heart.”

  With any other woman I’d been with, I’d have leapt from the bed and been in my car within five seconds. But Sidney’s words made me feel so damn good that my eyes burned.

  “Me too,” I said, brushing back a lock of hair from her forehead. “I don’t want to fuck this up.”

  She wrapped her arms around my back and I rested my forehead on hers.

  “I’ve always kicked men out of my bed before they even fell asleep, but you …” She moved her hands down until they were gripping my ass. “I want you to stay here for days. I hate that we only get stolen moments and nights here and there. I cry for you and dream about you. You’ve turned me into such a woman, Killian.”

  I closed my eyes and breathed in her soft, exotic scent. “I’ve turned you into my woman. And that’s a very good thing. I’ll take whatever you’ll give. If you want to keep things a secret, it’s okay.”

  “It’s not that I want to, I just know the fallout would be bad. I’m sure the other owners in the league would have some choice words for me. And you’d be labeled as the guy who slept with his owner to get to the top.”

  “Baby, I was already on top.”

  She sighed deeply. “What did you decide about Indy?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “I kind of don’t want you to go, crazy as that probably sounds.”

  “I need time to think about it.”

  She sat up, still covering her chest with the bed sheet. “Last night … Killian, I felt so swept off my feet. Where did you learn to dance like that?”

  “My mom was a dance teacher. I started dancing about the time I started walking.”

  She smiled, her eyes glistening. “That makes me really happy. Thinking of you dancing with your mom.”

  “I always loved it. Except tap. That wasn’t my favorite.”

  “You know how to tap dance?” she asked, her voice rising with amusement.

  “That’ll be our little secret.”

  “I’ve felt like an uncoordinated fool every other time I’ve ever tried to dance in my life. You made me feel like I was floating.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a dance partner,” I said, reaching under the sheet to take her hand in mine. “Hey, that song that was on when I got here last night… that was nice.”

  “Love is Here to Stay by Ella Fitzgerald. It’s one of my favorites.”

  “I’ll dance with you for as many hours as it takes to make up for being such an asshole,” I said.

  “Oh, really?” She turned to me with a mischievous smile.

  “Are you thinking about the horizontal cha-cha? Because yes, that’s one dance I’d love to do with you for hours.”

  “I think that could be arranged. I’m thinking of my parents’ anniversary party next weekend. It’s in San Francisco and it’s a rare weekend with no games. Will you come with me? We can do dancing of the horizontal and vertical varieties.”

  “Is this because I said you don’t think I’m good enough for you?”

  She shook her head. “This is because I want you to come to my parents’ anniversary party with me.”

  “That’ll let the cat out of the bag about us in a big way.”

  “I’m ready if you are,” she said. “I expect some fireworks, but nothing we can’t handle. I’m proud to be with you and ferociously jealous when other women hit on you. It’s time to stake my claim.”

  “I can handle that. And you don’t mind if I punch any guy who looks at your ass, right?”

  “I’d expect no less, Mr. Bosch.”

  Sidney

  Keri was talking about the campaign she’d put together to increase season ticket sales, and I was listening with half an ear. I couldn’t stop thinking about last night. The leather jacket, the dancing, the sex.

  “Earth to Sidney,” Keri said, waving a hand at me from in front of my desk.

  “Hmm? Oh, I love that idea,” I said.

  “I’m pretty sure my corporate sponsorship program is not responsible for the grin on your face.”

  “It could be.”

  “Is a certain team captain responsible for your chipper mood this morning?”

  I nodded. “We had a bit of a fight before they left on the last trip, and we made up last night.”

  “Can’t say this is news to me. You seemed really down just before you left for New York and I can’t sa
y you looked any better when you got back yesterday. I didn’t want to pry, but I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

  “I think everyone who doesn’t know about us will know soon.”

  Keri gave me an apologetic look. “It won’t surprise anyone around here. There’s been some talk.”

  “Really?” My cheeks warmed at the thought of people talking about me and Killian sneaking around.

  “The guy who went out every night never goes out anymore. They know he has a girlfriend. And he comes up here all the time to see you. I think people just made the connection. And then … Nicole may have said some things to a couple guys on the team.”

  I wondered if that had happened right after her firing. Nicole’s mother Jane had called me the day after I’d done it, apologizing profusely and assuring me she’d let Nicole know gossiping about me was a very bad idea.

  “How bad is the talk?” I asked. “Do they think he’s using me?”

  She shook her head adamantly. “He’s already the team captain, and everyone knows he could’ve moved up a long time ago, but he stays here by choice. Really, I don’t think anyone cares.”

  A knock sounded on my office door and Barb opened it and stuck her head in.

  “Your father on line one,” she said. “He refuses to leave a message. Says he already left two voicemails on your cell.”

  “Both in the last two hours,” I muttered. “He’s so impatient.”

  “We’re done here anyway,” Keri said, standing. “Want to get lunch later?”

  “Sure, sounds good. We can do some catching up. I’ll come and find you at noon.”

  Keri and Barb left and as they closed the door I picked up the phone, “Hi, Dad.”

  “Sidney, how are you, sweetheart? Other than too busy for your own father, I mean.”

  “I’ve been in meetings all morning, Dad. I would’ve called back sooner, but I just didn’t have a chance.” I hoped this white lie would get me through the next few minutes of this call. “Anyway, what’s up?”

  “I’m just calling to make sure you’ll be at the party this weekend. I hope you haven’t forgotten.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be there. The flights are booked.”

  “Flights? Is Lance joining you?” The note of optimism in his voice was hard to miss.

  I cringed at the sound of my ex-boyfriend’s name. “No, Dad, you might have forgotten but Lance and I broke up for good about nine months ago.”

  “I was just hoping that you two might have gotten back together. If Lance is not coming then who are you bringing?”

  “I’ve been seeing someone recently, and I’m bringing him.”

  “Details, darling,” my father said in a gleeful tone. “Is it serious? Are you thinking of selling your companies so you can focus on your personal life?” Gee, it didn’t long for him to change gears. Maybe he didn’t care about Lance after all.

  I looked out my office window and finally said, “I don’t have to choose between the two. This is the twenty-first century, Dad.”

  “Er, well … I suppose at this point you don’t have to do anything. So, what’s his name?”

  “You’ll meet him on Saturday.”

  I knew my dad. If I told him Killian’s name he’d be googling him the second we hung up. And I remembered all too well the first headline that popped up when I’d googled him after buying the team: Bad-boy Bosch arrested again.

  I didn’t want my parents to have any pre-conceived notions about Killian. I wanted them to meet him first before judging him. Not that there wouldn’t be judgment. That was something those two specialized in.

  Killian

  I gave Sidney a confused look when the flight attendant showed us to our seats.

  “The fuck is this?” I said in her ear. “These seats are ten feet wide. Don’t I get to be wedged up against you?”

  “Wedge all you want,” she said as we both sat down. “I booked us first class so we could have a row to ourselves. It’s a long flight to the west coast and I thought this would be more comfortable for both of us.”

  “Nice. Mile-high club, maybe?”

  “I’m not sure we’ll have that much privacy.”

  “It’d be a great story to tell your parents at the party tonight, though.”

  Her laughter held a note of nervousness, and that made two of us. I was anxious as hell about meeting her parents and had been since she first invited me to come with her. I knew she came from money and privilege and I was pretty certain her parents would see right through my department store suit and know I wasn’t good enough for their daughter.

  Not to mention the fact that I’d never escorted any woman to a family event. I wanted to be that guy for Sid, but I wasn’t sure I’d be any good at it. Small talk had never been one of my social skills. I could only rely on the manners my mom had drilled into me as a kid. I planned to be as polite and charming as I could. I wanted both Sid and my mom to be proud of me.

  Besides, Sidney wanted me there—she’d told me that several times—and I had to believe her. I wanted to believe her. I kept reminding myself of that. She wanted the whole world to know about us, and I did, too. Meeting her parents and her family was a big step and I just wanted it to go well. It was at times like this that I wished I had someone for her to meet.

  “So do your parents live in California full-time?” I asked.

  “It’s where they have their summer place and they usually spend three or four months there every year. They seem to have more California friends than New York friends these days. My mom spends a lot of time in California.”

  “So, is the party at their place?”

  “No, it’s going to be at a hotel. We’re booked into a place quite close by so it will be convenient for us.”

  “So, what are they like? Help me out here. I don’t know anything about them and I want a few pointers on what to talk to them about.”

  She took my hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry. My mom is very proper. She’ll call you dear and brush invisible crumbs off your jacket for you. But she’s pretty much always upbeat. And she’s a pro at redirecting conversations.”

  “Redirecting?”

  “Yes. Like if things start to get tense—say if someone says, ‘Hey, I heard Bob’s been cheating on Carol’, Mom would say, ‘Carol? I was on a fundraising committee with her. Did you know she knits scarves for charity?”

  Sid’s depiction of her mom made me smile. “She sounds like a sweet lady.”

  “She is. But she doesn’t like to talk about anything uncomfortable, which is why I’m still a virgin in her mind. I probably always will be.”

  “What about your dad?”

  Sidney raised a hand to get the attention of a passing flight attendant. “Can we order drinks yet?”

  The flight attendant told her she’d be with us as soon as we were airborne.

  “Does talking about your dad make you want to drink?” I asked, amused.

  “Yes. He’s the opposite of my mom. He gets straight to the point. He’s also overbearing and has chauvinistic tendencies.”

  “Chauvinistic?” I arched my brows in surprise. “That’s a surprise. I’d have guessed he was exactly the opposite.”

  She gave me a pointed look. “I didn’t succeed because of my father, but in spite of him. Don’t get me wrong, he set me on the right path by sending me to Harvard. But he made it clear it was only so I could meet a good husband.”

  “That’s some expensive matchmaking.”

  “Very expensive, especially since it didn’t work. He gave me money to join a sorority and I used it to fund the development of my app instead. He still hasn’t completely forgiven me for that.”

  The flight attendant passed us drink menus and Sid scanned hers.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “Didn’t the app start everything for you?”

  “Yep, it sure did. But my dad doesn’t care about that. He wants me to sell my companies, get married and start popping out babies.”<
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  I laid my head against the back of the seat and brushed the curtain of dark red hair away from her face.

  “You’re amazing,” I said. “I couldn’t have been easy focusing on your dreams. I admire you.”

  She smiled and leaned over, kissing me softly. “Thank you. And don’t worry about my parents. I’m just glad you’re coming with me.”

  “Me too,” I said, closing my eyes as the captain’s voice sounded over the speakers.

  Nervous as I was, this did feel right. It was time for me to man up, just like Orion had said. I wanted to put my days of drunken brawls behind me and have an adult relationship with Sid. And, as hard as it was, this was the first step.

  Sidney

  The sweet, heavy scent of gardenias told me we were in the right place as soon as we walked into the upscale hotel. With its elegant décor and exclusive clientele, I knew my mother would have settled for nothing less. We headed straight for the main ballroom.

  “Smells like perfume in here,” Killian said, wrinkling his nose and sniffing.

  “Gardenias,” I said. “It’s a garden-party glam theme. My mom loves her gardens and it looks as if she’s had this place transformed into her own secret garden.”

  “My mom really liked roses, especially yellow ones. I used to give her a bouquet every Mother’s Day.”

  “I love roses, too,” I said, taking a deep, fortifying breath. We’d had a chance to relax for a couple of hours before heading down to the party but I was still nervous. Killian took my hand in his and then he opened the tall, carved wooden door to the ballroom.

  “Holy shit,” he murmured as he stepped in behind me.

  The room was a real secret garden. Every surface was covered with tall, lighted topiaries and giant planters layered with white flowers and greenery. Garden lanterns were strung from pergolas. Fountains bubbled gently, their sound mingling with the soft music of an orchestra. There had to be two hundred people here and everyone was dressed to the nines.

  “Sidney, darling!” my father’s booming voice sounded. Darn. I wouldn’t have time for a glass of wine before talking to him. With all the people and lights I couldn’t see him at first and then he appeared, the crowd parting to make way. I squeezed Killian’s hand, hoping he wouldn’t be intimidated by my dad’s wide chest, six foot four height and piercing gaze.