The Right Temptation
Page 9
She hadn’t anticipated, hadn’t prepared for such a jolting reaction. Rejected by the man she loved. And here she thought she mattered to him. Nico had totally blown her off. He’d slept with her for the same reason any other guy would. On the other hand, she’d practically forced herself on him. She’d been the instigator. He had no respect for her. That’s why he’d showed her the door.
Sofia’s familiar ringtone made her jump. Finally! She’d been trying to reach her sister for hours.
“Hey,” she said, answering on the first ring.
“You called like five times. Why didn’t you leave a message?” Concern laced Sofia’s words.
“Where were you?” Kayla kept her voice from cracking. She needed to hold it together, formulate coherent sentences.
“Sorry. We were out furniture shopping. I accidentally left my phone charging at home.”
“I blew it with Nico,” Kayla blurted out. The thought broke her heart all over again. “He doesn’t want to see me anymore.”
“Is that what he said?” Sofia spoke calmly. Unlike Kayla, who had a tendency to overreact, Sofia liked to get the whole story first. She’d always chastised Kayla for jumping to conclusions. Sofia didn’t operate that way. She had more logic than most women, hence Kayla always used her as a sounding board. She also had a good track record when it came to solving Kayla’s problems.
“He didn’t have to.” Kayla let out a strangled groan.
“Breathe in, breathe out,” Sofia urged. “Now tell me exactly what happened.”
Why did her sister have to live thousands of miles away? Kayla hated that she’d moved to California. Sofia’s husband had landed his dream job, and they’d relocated to advance his career. The couple couldn’t be happier. Kayla wanted nothing less for her sister. But right now, she wished Sofia still lived in South Florida.
Damn it. There went the waterworks again. It took a minute to get them under control before she spilled her heart out. Kayla paused to blow her nose. “How presumptuous to think he felt the same way,” she said, on a final sniff.
“You scared him, mama. That’s all that happened.”
Huh? Kayla expected Sofia to see a totally different picture. “I scared him away,” she corrected.
“Nope. The way he reacted was actually a good thing.” Sofia let out a soft laugh.
Kayla failed to see the humor. Had Sofia heard a word she’d said? Maybe she needed to spell it out again. Nico. Did. Not. Want. Her. “A good thing?” she repeated, clenching her back molars.
“You got to him,” Sofia explained. “And that means he cares about you.”
“Cares?” Where did she get that from? “He practically kicked me out of his house!”
“That’s because he doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings. You said it yourself. He wasn’t looking for a relationship.”
Kayla internalized her sister’s summation. She’d been too hurt to see things from a different perspective. Sofia made a good point, but now Kayla felt even more confused. She didn’t know what to think. And yet, she felt a tiny glimmer of hope. “So what should I do? Try to convince him otherwise?”
“No,” Sofia instructed. “Let him figure it out for himself. He needs to come to you.”
Great. Kayla lived to fix things, make everything, everyone, better. Waiting on Nico would not be easy. Still, what Sofia said made sense. He needed to make the next move. If they were meant to be… Kayla had spent so many years believing in the fairytale. “What if he doesn’t?”
“Don’t worry. He will.”
* * * *
Nico should’ve been jumping for joy. He finally had use of both arms again. The cast had come off a week ago, and man did it feel good to finally get rid of that godawful thing. He’d never break another bone in his life.
He shifted his Mustang into third gear and ate up the open road. Driving again gave him back his freedom. Depending on others had totally sucked. Things were falling into place, and after some light physical therapy to get back a full range of motion, he’d be returning to work. He couldn’t wait to rebuild the strength in his arm, which looked pale and pathetically weak. But hey, at least it still functioned. His doctor promised a full recovery, and soon he’d even be able to resume a hardcore workout.
Driving along the coastline, he reflected on the past few weeks. Same life, yet everything had changed. Even smiling felt like a hardship. He didn’t recognize himself, and everyone else had noticed it too. Christian had begged him to go out and get laid. He’d become such a killjoy. Nico didn’t want a woman. Correction. He didn’t want any woman but Kayla.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He’d acted so childish, like a scared little pussy. The way he’d treated her still pained him. She hadn’t deserved it. Now he saw things more clearly, and realized he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. What had he been so afraid of? He hadn’t wanted a relationship, fearing he’d have to make a sacrifice. And give up what, exactly?
He had a house. He didn’t have a home.
He had women. He didn’t have a true love.
He had family. He didn’t have his own.
Nico didn’t understand everything, but he knew one thing. He needed Kayla. She pried his heart right open. With her gone, all he had was a vacancy. He knew what he had to do. No more driving around aimlessly. He took a turn on the next avenue and drove toward his salvation.
He had no idea where Kayla would be. He decided to try Jesse’s house first. If her car wasn’t there, he’d track her down at the hospital. The Jesse situation presented a whole other problem. He’d deal with it head-on. He appreciated how Jesse watched over Kayla, but he wanted to take over the responsibility.
Nico pulled up to the house. His heart raced faster than his Mustang. Beads of perspiration pooled above his lip. He spied Kayla’s Nissan. Good. He didn’t want to prolong this anymore than he had to. Nico didn’t practice any speeches. He’d always been a straight-shooter, and now would be no different. He parked behind her car and cut the engine. Taking a deep breath, he prepared for battle.
When he reached the front entrance, he pressed the doorbell without thinking twice.
Figured, Jesse would be the one to answer.
“Hey,” he said, shoulders back, head up and looking straight at his friend.
“Nico.” Jesse grinned. “Haven’t talked to you lately.” He gave him a quick once-over. “What’s up, bro?”
Nico decided to pass on the small talk. He didn’t come to see Jesse. “Is Kayla home?” His look didn’t waver.
Jesse scowled at him. His feet spread apart and he folded his arms across his chest. “What do you want with Kayla?”
“I need to talk to her.” They stared each other down, a pissing contest starting to brew just like Nico had expected. Both men were equal in height, but Nico had more muscle and body mass. Back in the day, Jesse had been the bigger guy. Not anymore.
Jesse’s eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared. “What the hell do you have to say to my sister?”
Just like old times. Some things never changed. “That’s between me and Kayla.” He wouldn’t back down, wouldn’t show fear, not that he felt any.
“Are you fucking her?” Jesse got up in his face, so close Nico could smell his dinner on his breath.
He planted his feet, steeled himself in case Jesse got physical. “Don’t talk about your sister like that,” Nico reprimanded, protecting Kayla’s honor. He hadn’t come to fight, but if Jesse took a swing, he’d hit back. “Look, it’s not what you think. I care about her.”
“You sure have a funny way of showing it.” Kayla appeared at the door. She locked eyes with him. “Do you have a death wish?” she asked, wedging herself between him and her brother.
Her familiar scent assaulted his senses. He’d fight a war to have her back in his arms again. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to talk to you.”
Kayla turned to her brother. “Go inside. I’ll handle this,” she said, pressing her han
d to Jesse’s chest.
A vein in Jesse’s forehead protruded. “The hell you will. You go inside!”
“Jesus Christ!” Kayla shoved him hard. “I’m twenty-four years old. Stop it already.”
Jesse grabbed Kayla by the shoulders. “I told you to stay the fuck away from my friends.”
“Yeah, you did!” Kayla escaped his grip. “But I decide who I see. Not you!”
Nico didn’t want this to get out of hand. He grasped Kayla’s arm and moved her aside. “Listen, bro. I only have good intentions,” he said, trying to reassure Jesse. They were friends, and he respected the guy. “I want to be with her.” He looked at Kayla, whose eyes had welled up. “That is, if she’ll have me.”
Kayla’s mouth fell open, and it took her a moment to say something. “Please, Jesse.” She returned her attention to her brother. “You have to trust me.”
Jesse glared at them. “Hurt her, and I will end you.” He bumped Nico’s shoulder, hard, and stormed inside the house.
Geez. Jesse could be so melodramatic. “Let’s get out of here,” Nico said, holding his hand out to Kayla. His heart leaped when she took it. The dark cloud that had loomed over him instantly evaporated. Hope put a strut in his step. He’d take her to his house, where they could have some privacy. And if he had to get down on his knees and beg for another chance, so be it.
“Where are we going?” Kayla asked. “I don’t have a purse or anything.”
He opened the passenger door for her. “We’re just going to my house.” Their eyes locked and held. “Okay?”
Kayla nodded. She climbed in and buckled her seatbelt. As soon as he got in the car, she said, “That was real ballsy. I thought you two were gonna come to blows.”
“I’ve known your brother a long time. He’s hot-headed, but I didn’t think it would get that far.”
Kayla got comfy. She shoved hair off her face. “I could’ve handled it myself.”
Nico never would’ve allowed it. He had to deal with Jesse personally, because it wasn’t just about Kayla. They had history. It was about them too. “No. That wouldn’t have been right.”
She thumped against the headrest. “Oh, well. I’m not sad about it. He needed to be put in his place. Jesse forgot that he’s my brother, not my father. He’s always tried to control me.”
That about summed him up. “He was that way when we were kids too,” Nico said, checking his rearview mirror. He shifted gears.
Her head snapped in his direction. “Holy cow! You got your cast off.”
Nico grinned. “Yep.”
“With all the commotion, I didn’t even notice.” She reached across his chest and rubbed his left arm. “How does it feel?”
“A lot better than it looks,” he said, showing her his pasty skin.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get your strength back.”
He had every intention of accelerating the program. “Yep. Already working on it.”
“My goodness. This car is so beautiful.” She checked out all the cool details, touched a few gadgets. “I’m jealous.”
He’d never let anyone borrow his car, but if Kayla wanted to drive it, he’d hand her the keys. Same thing went for everything else he owned. “Feels good to be back on the road.” Yep. He felt a thousand times better with her by his side.
“I really want to be mad at you.” Kayla looked out her window. “You’ve ignored me for weeks.”
Guilty as charged. He deserved her hostility, and yet she’d gone easy on him. Why? He wouldn’t question it. “I was a real dick.”
She turned her face to him. “So what changed?”
“Let’s save this conversation for when we get home.” He wanted to talk without any distractions. Nico concentrated on the road, drove a little faster.
It didn’t take long to reach his neck of the woods. Once inside the house, he grabbed a couple of beers and escorted Kayla to the living room. They sat facing each other. “I’m really sorry,” he said, handing her a bottle. “I’ve been a fool.”
She crossed her legs and watched him. “What happened? Why did you freak on me?”
Nico swallowed his pride, swallowed some beer. “I got scared.”
“Of what?”
His heart thundered inside his chest. He’d never been the touchy-feely type. But damn, he felt so much. He wouldn’t hold anything back. “Of how much I wanted you.”
She smiled. “Why did that scare you?”
“I was afraid it might change things.” Little had he known, those changes were for the better.
She nursed her drink, absorbed his words. “But now you feel different?”
He took a long pull from his beer. Weeks of soul-searching had led him to an interesting conclusion. Kayla was everything he never knew he’d always wanted. “I’m a better man when I’m with you.” He caressed her cheek. “Did I blow it?”
Her glassy eyes dove into his. “How could you blow it? I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you.”
Her words squeezed his heart. “I know I need some work. All I ask is for a little patience.”
She put her hand on his thigh. “We can take it slow,” she murmured, reassuring him.
Kayla understood him so well. She worked within his comfort zone, which he really appreciated.
“And that’s okay with you?”
She had nothing to worry about. He would give her his all, work hard to be the kind of man she would be proud to have at her side. She chose him. She trusted him with her heart. He’d make sure she’d never regret it.
She rubbed his leg. “I just want us to be together.”
He set his bottle on the table, took Kayla’s face and gave her a compelling kiss. “I want that too.” Nico stood and lifted her to her feet. He held her tight to his chest. She felt incredible in his arms without the barrier of a stupid cast. Christ. He didn’t want to let go. “Know what else I want?”
She gazed up at him. Her smile reached her rich brown eyes. “What?”
He needed to take her to his bed, reveal the depths of his heart. “I want to show you what I can do with two hands.”
Other Lyrical Books By Diane Escalera
Dangerous Desire
Still Hot For You
Latin Heat Trilogy
About Diane Escalera
Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Diane Escalera makes her home in sunny South Florida. The sultry paradise is a steady source of inspiration for her hot love stories. Diane is married, has two children and a super cute dachshund she can’t get enough of.
Please visit DianeEscalera.com to learn more about her sexy tales – stories that will hopefully touch your emotions, ignite your passion, infuse you with the belief that true love conquers all.
The Right Temptation
9781616504755
Copyright © 2013, Diane Escalera
Edited by Piper Denna
Book design by Lyrical Press, Inc.
Cover Art by Renee Rocco
First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: July, 2013
Lyrical Press, Incorporated
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
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Table of Contents
Cover Copy
Highlight
The Right Temptation
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Other Lyrical books by Diane Escalera
About Diane Escalera
Copyright
Find Your Hero