by K. C. Lynn
The moment I arrive at the gym, my heart rate kicks up, both in excitement and nerves.
You got this, Sophie. Just play it cool. In and out.
Feeling a little more confident, I straighten my shoulders and reach for the door, only to have it swing open at the same time and nail me in the head. A painful gasp escapes me as I stumble back and cover my face.
“Oh shit, Lia, are you okay?” Kolan’s next to me in an instant. He pulls me against him, cradling my head to his chest. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.”
Seriously, did it have to be him?
Humiliation outweighs the pain, making me wish I could go back in time and change the last sixty seconds.
“Way to go, Einstein,” Benny cuts in. “You’re supposed to make women fall for you, not have them drop to the ground in agony.”
I laugh but it quickly turns into a groan when pain radiates through my head.
“Benny, now is not the time,” Kolan growls. “Lia, baby, look at me. Let me see.” Framing my face between his large hands, he forces my gaze to his.
The moment our eyes lock, my heart misses a beat.
“How do you always do that to me?” I whisper, speaking my thoughts without meaning to.
His eyes darken further with guilt. “Jesus, I’m so sorry. I was looking behind me when I pushed it open.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay,” I assure him.
He doesn’t believe me and begins probing at my forehead where it’s sore, asking me questions. I answer them all to appease him but even then he doesn’t seem convinced.
“Trust me. I’m fine. Well, maybe not my pride, but physically, I’m okay.”
“If I were you, I would kiss it better just to make sure,” Benny adds, putting in his two cents.
Kolan glares over at him only to receive a cheeky grin.
“Hi, Benny,” I greet him with a smile.
“Hey, Lia.”
Kolan brings my attention back to him, his hands still cradling my face. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I answer softly, getting lost in his warm brown eyes. Eyes that I’ve missed so much and are more prominent today with his hair pushed out of his face by the red backwards hat he’s wearing.
“Were you coming here for something?” A scowl suddenly transforms his expression. “You aren’t here for lessons with anyone else, are you?” he asks, his tone hard.
“No. Not at all. I just…I thought I would stop by on my way home from work and see how you guys were doing. How Benny’s mom is doing,” I add, feeling awkward about it now.
“She’s doing great,” Benny answers. “She comes home tomorrow.”
I turn to him but regret it when Kolan is forced to drop his hands from my face. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll bet you miss her.”
“I do, but I’ll miss staying with this guy, too,” he says, stepping forward to give Kolan a punch in the arm. “We’ve been partying it up the last few nights and we’re doing it again tonight. Pool and pizza style.”
His excitement has a smile spreading across my face. “Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“You should come.” He invites me.
“Oh no. I just—”
“Yeah, you should.”
My eyes snap to Kolan’s, his body still close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from him, mixing with the humid air. “That’s okay, I don’t want to intrude on guy time. And I don’t have a swimsuit anyway.”
That will never be part of my wardrobe again.
The thought sends a stab of pain to my chest.
“Bathing suits are optional,” Benny tells me. “Especially when it comes to you.”
My cheeks heat, his comment taking me by surprise. Kolan shifts to look at him, his eyes narrowed in disapproval. “What did I say about that mouth of yours?”
“What?” Benny asks innocently. “I’m being nice. Not having a swimsuit shouldn’t stop her from coming. Who are we to judge?”
A laugh explodes from me before I can stop it. Kolan shakes his head and grumbles something incoherent before bringing his attention back to me. “Come with us.”
The offer is so tempting. I’d love nothing more than to spend the evening with him but… “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not intruding when you’ve been invited.”
“You wouldn’t have invited me had I not shown up here,” I argue but it’s weak.
“That’s true. So it’s a good thing you did.”
I smile, his words erasing the last of my resolve.
“Come on.” His hand moves to my lower back, searing the small patch of skin beneath my tank top as he guides me to his truck.
“Sahweet! Another member to the party.” Benny opens the passenger door and is about to hop in until Kolan intercepts him, grabbing the back of his shirt.
“You’re in the back. She gets the front.”
“I was just opening the door for her,” he lies.
Taking pity on him, I decide to play along. “Why thank you, Benny, that’s very kind of you.”
“Any time, hot stuff.”
“Jesus!” Kolan claps a hand over his mouth. “Just get in the damn vehicle, will ya?” He playfully tosses Benny in the backseat.
I cover my mouth to muffle my giggle as I climb inside, finding their banter sweet and amusing. When Kolan hops in, he looks over at me. “Do you need to stop at home for anything?”
I glance down at my soft yellow shorts, white tank top and matching yellow scarf, wondering if I should change but then decide against it. “No, I’m good.”
“You heard the girl. She’s good. Now step on it, Champ, and let’s get our partay on.”
With a grunt, Kolan puts the vehicle in gear and takes off.
Thirty minutes later, I’m sitting on a lounge chair under one of the palm trees in Kolan’s backyard, watching Benny do cannonballs while Kolan changes and orders the pizza. He offered me a swimsuit that his sister keeps here, but of course I declined, which I think he expected.
“Isn’t this place amazing, Lia?” Benny yells, seconds before he does another jump into the pool.
I wait to respond until his head pops back up. “It sure is.”
Kolan’s home is situated on a private section of the beach and offers a spectacular view of the crystal blue water. While it’s beautiful and obviously cost him a small fortune, it’s not over the top or pretentious. There are three bedrooms, one Benny has claimed as his own, a personal gym that I hear is state of the art, which doesn’t surprise me, and a pretty cool theatre room that they’ve been getting good use out of the last few nights.
Then there’s the backyard that’s amazing all on its own. You’re relatively secluded, yet just a few minute walk down the beach and you can join the rest of the world. It’s private, peaceful, and suits Kolan perfectly.
Reclining back, I close my eyes and breathe in the salty ocean air, listening to the waves crash against the shore in the distance. It reminds me of home when Tess and I would hang out at the beach on weekends with our friends.
At the sound of the patio door sliding open, I look over with a smile that dies the moment I catch sight of Kolan, my breath locking in my throat.
Black board shorts hang low on his lean hips, displaying a V that every woman has heard about but most have never seen. His upper body is bare, decorated in black ink, looking powerful with a sharp edge of danger. A pair of aviators now shield his fierce brown eyes while he still wears the backward hat he had on earlier from the gym. His brown hair pokes out from beneath it, framing his killer cheekbones and square jaw.
I have never seen a more perfect specimen in all my life.
“Lia!” His warning growl has my eyes snapping to his face.
My cheeks flush with embarrassment when I realize I’ve been busted. I try to think of something snappy but my words vanish when he leans down in front of me. His hands brace on either side of my hips, bringing all that sexiness much too close for me to think.
&nb
sp; “You make it so fucking hard for me to control myself when you look at me like that.”
Oh god.
My warm body rises to a dangerous temperature. What kind of things? I know it will be things I’ve never experienced, that’s been robbed from me since high school.
“Sorry,” I manage lamely.
He stares at me for a long moment, making me wish I could see his eyes. “Don’t be, just know I only have so much restraint when it comes to you.”
A sharp inhale moves through my lungs at the sudden coolness touching the heated flesh of my shoulder.
“Here,” he says, passing me a cold bottle of water.
“Th—thank you,” I stammer, accepting it with shaking hands. When he finally backs out of my personal space, I pop the cap and guzzle half of it, hoping to bring relief to my overheated body.
“Hey, Champ. You order the pizza?” Benny asks, crawling out of the pool.
“Yeah, twenty minutes.”
“Good. I’m starving,” he exclaims before swinging his attention to me. “You sure you don’t wanna come in, Lia? You could always just stay in your bra and panties if you’re worried about Mr. Judgy over there.”
“You little shit.” Kolan picks up a foam football and whips it at him. Benny catches it with a chuckle and dramatically falls back into the pool, as if the force of the ball sent him there.
I glance over at Kolan with a smile. “You have to admit, he is funny.”
He grunts in disagreement. “He’s not funny at all. He’s a mouthy little shit who will get put in his place one day if he’s not careful.”
I have a feeling that boy will be able to talk himself out of any situation he finds himself in.
“Well, trust me, he would feel differently if he saw what was under the scarf,” I whisper, instantly regretting the words.
I feel his intense eyes bore into the side of my face, beckoning me to look at him, but I ignore them.
“I think you would be the one surprised if you revealed to people what was under there.”
“No.” I shake my head, knowing I wouldn’t be. Everyone’s reaction would be the same as mine.
Disgust.
“You’re crazy if you think anything underneath that scarf could make you any less beautiful.”
His sweet words have tears building behind my eyes. Clearing my throat, I change the subject before the emotion can drag me under. “So you know that dance for the Men of Honor Center your sister was talking about the other day?”
“Yeah,” he replies, letting me switch the topic.
“Well, somehow I got roped into going today.”
“Oh yeah, by who?” he asks, amusement lacing his words.
“Kayla, your sister, and Anna.” A small smile forms on my lips as I remember how kind they were to me, even if they were pushy. “All three of them came to work on my lunch break and took me to this great pie bakery for lunch that their friend owns.”
“Yeah, Grace’s place. It’s good.”
“It is,” I agree. “Anyway, I was kind of cornered about the whole thing, and I didn’t want to be rude so I agreed. I also figure it’s for a good cause.”
“I’m sure you will have a good time. The girls will be good to you, especially my sister.”
“I know they will, that’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
Looking over at him, I decide to be honest. “I don’t want to be friends with anyone. I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because it will only be a matter of time before I have to leave again.”
He’s in front of me in a blink of an eye, moving so fast I don’t have time to register the quick motion before he’s in my face. “You better not ever fucking leave without telling me.” My heart kicks up at the way his jaw ticks with fury. “I mean it, Lia. Promise me.”
I swallow past the sudden dryness in my throat. “I promise.”
He leans in closer. “Or you could trust me and tell me who you’re running from so I can take care of them for you.”
Oh how much I’d love to do just that. I have no doubt if it came to a duel Kolan would win, but Daniel is beyond that. He’s sick—twisted—mentally ill—but most of all, he’s smart. Not even the cops or all the doctors who worked with him can stop him. I’m not sure he can ever be stopped. Not unless someone outsmarts him.
The sudden sound of a buzzer fills the air, saving me from having to say anything.
“Pizza!” Benny yells, climbing out of the pool to run inside.
Kolan remains motionless. “This is far from over.” Pulling back, he leaves to answer the door with Benny.
A shaky breath releases from my lungs. My resolve is slipping, the need to tell him everything is wearing me down, but I can’t. I can’t risk him. I know he would do everything to protect me but if something ever happened to him, I would never forgive myself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sophie
Saturday evening, I walk into Katelyn’s salon with Kayla, Julia, Grace, and Faith—Kolan and Katelyn’s cousin whom I just met. She seems as nice as all the others.
So why am I still so nervous?
Especially when everyone has been so kind and welcoming. I don’t know if it’s the thought of being around a big crowd tonight that has me so worked up or not knowing what outfit Katelyn has picked for us to wear. Because whatever she has chosen, I will need to wear a scarf with it, which means I’ll probably look ridiculous and stick out like a sore thumb. I’ve been so nervous over it that I’ve been feeling sick for days, a constant knot in my stomach.
“The party is here,” Kayla calls, announcing our arrival.
Katelyn walks out of the back, her hair and makeup looking like she just stepped out of a magazine. “Hey, ladies, good timing. I just finished with myself and Anna.”
Anna walks out at that moment, looking as gorgeous as Katelyn.
“Y’all look beautiful,” Grace compliments them, speaking my thoughts.
“Thanks. We waited until you guys got here to change. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise of our outfits.” Katelyn’s excitement takes my anxiety to another level.
“Thanks for coming tonight, you guys. It means a lot.” Anna moves to each girl, giving them a hug.
“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Julia says, hugging her a little longer than the others.
“Yeah, and it means adult night,” Kayla adds, doing a small dance. “As much as I love my kids, I really like adult night.”
“Don’t we all,” Faith agrees with a smile.
Anna comes to me next, surprising me with a hug, too. “I’m so happy you were able to come, Lia.”
“We didn’t give her much of an option,” Kayla says, making me smile.
“No, you didn’t, but I’m glad. Thank you for inviting me, I’m sure it will be a lot of fun.”
“Have you ever been to the Barnyard?” Faith asks.
I shake my head.
“It’s really fun,” Anna rushes to say. “It’s the second largest honky-tonk in the country. There’s bull riding, live music, line dancing, pool tables. It has everything.”
“It sounds great.”
And really big.
“All right, before we get started.” Kayla pulls a bottle of wine from her bag, a gleeful smile on her face. “Don’t worry, I brought something special for you, too,” she says to Katelyn.
“Perfect. Give me a second, and I’ll grab glasses.” She dashes into the back and returns a second later with plastic cups. “Sorry, it’s all I have.”
“Just as long as I can drink from it, I don’t give a shit. I would drink right from the bottle but don’t want to be rude,” she says, making us chuckle.
Julia passes a glass to Anna but she shakes her head. “Uh no, thank you. I’ll have some of whatever you brought Katelyn if that’s all right.”
Kayla frowns at her. “Since when do you not drink wine?”
Anna bites her lip, trying to hide a s
mile. “Since I was told I can’t. At least not for nine months…”
There’s only a beat of silence before all the girls start screaming and launch themselves at her. With a smile, I watch their celebratory group hug, feeling envious of their friendship.
How special would it be to have friends like that? I had one really close girlfriend after high school. Or who I thought was my friend…
Don’t think about her, Sophie.
“I can’t believe this,” Julia cries. “Does Jaxson know?”
“No. We only just told our parents this morning. I’m nervous for his reaction.”
“Oh, don’t be.” Julia waves away her worry. “He’ll be growly of course, because that’s Jaxson, but he loves you. He’ll be happy for you.”
A few of them share in another group hug when Katelyn glances at me and breaks it up. “All right, let’s get a move on. The guys will be here in an hour.” She grabs a bunch of individual black tote bags that sit on the floor and begins passing them out to each of us. “Here are your outfits. I think you will love what I picked out. The theme is perfect.”
My heart begins to pound like a drum, echoing in my ears as I take my bag from her. I watch all the other girls open theirs first while I try to think of how I’m going to pull this off without looking completely ridiculous.
Please, let one of the scarves I brought match what she has chosen.
I watch as Grace pulls out a pair of cutoff jean shorts. “These seem awfully short,” she says, holding them up.
“They’ll cover your ass, I promise, but we’re going Daisy Duke style tonight.”
“Cool,” Kayla says, obviously not concerned with the length. “How much do we owe you for all this?”
“Nothing. My client owed me a favor. Just if anyone asks, they came from Rustic Boutique.”
“You got it.”
Julia pulls out a white tank top then reaches back in and holds up a piece of plaid fabric. “What’s this?”
“A scarf.” My eyes snap to Katelyn’s as she answers, but she keeps her gaze on Julia, purposely avoiding mine. “Don’t worry, it’s really light and matches our outfits perfectly. I was going to do plaid tops but figured that would be too hot.”
“Good thinking.”
