Gavin looked over at Becky and she shrugged.
“Just because your sister was in trouble and you didn't know doesn't mean that you can suffocate everyone you care about, babe. She's a grown woman. You have to let her do what she wants. I know you care about her, but you can't control her life,” Becky said, as she took Gavin's hand in hers.
“You knew about them?” Gavin asked her.
“I did,” she said. “I've paid attention ever since they kissed on the beach.”
“This shit started in Hawaii?” he asked.
“He saved her from some guy at the bar that was being a jerk,” Becky said. “I knew she was going to see him. I could tell just from watching them. He's a great guy, Gavin. You need to back off.”
Gavin let out a huff.
“Who was she with?” Kyle asked.
“What?” Gavin asked.
“If her car was still at work, who was she with?” Kyle asked in a deep tone.
Gavin and Becky looked at each other and then back at Kyle.
“Who?” He snapped loudly.
“Her ex,” Becky whispered. “He was driving.”
Kyle flew around to face Jenny. Her eyes were open fully. She looked up at him with sadness in them.
“What happened?” he asked as calmly as he could with his entire body on fire with anger.
“Kyle,” she whispered.
“What happened?” he repeated.
“He'd been texting me all week,” she began.
“You didn't tell me that. I asked you to tell me if contacted you after the one message. You said you would. You also said you didn't want to be with him.”
“I didn't and I still don't. You flew to California. I didn't want to worry you when you weren't even here. He sent a couple of messages a day. I thought he'd just go away. I hadn't heard from or seen him since the divorce. The day we went to play pool was the first time. Friday went by and he hadn't sent one text, so I thought everything was fine. I planned to go home and change before coming to your house for the weekend. When I walked out of work, I heard someone call my name. It was him. He said he had something to tell me. I told him he had five minutes. He said Gavin would be pissed if we stood there, so I got in the car. He said he was going to drive around the block once and drop me right back off.”
Kyle let out a growl but didn't speak.
“He took off. Then he told me he wanted me to go to dinner. I told him I had plans, and he got pissed. He was telling me he loved me and I was his wife. When I told him it was a mistake, he smacked me. I kept asking him to bring me back to work, but he kept looking over and asking if it was because of you. I was yelling at him to watch the road. That's all I remember.”
“He put his hands on you,” Kyle said.
“Kyle,” she whispered.
“Where is he?” Kyle asked.
The room was quiet. He turned back to Becky and Gavin.
“Where?” he asked again.
They looked at each other, and Gavin shook his head.
“A few rooms away,” Becky said.
Kyle was mumbling something he wasn't totally sure of himself.
“Kyle please,” Jenny said. “He's not worth it. It's my problem, not yours. You have too much to lose.”
He turned and walked the few steps back to her.
“It's not your problem,” he said. “It's his. He will never put his hands on you again.”
She reached out and grabbed his hand in hers. He heard her wince when she moved.
“I love you too,” she said.
“What?” he asked, as he looked down at her.
“I've had feelings for you for five years,” she said.
“You married him,” he said sternly.
“I used to watch you when you came to the office. I liked you a lot, but I never thought you liked me. You were always kind of cold. You worked with the company. There was no way I could tell you how I felt. You barely even acknowledged me.”
“I wanted you more than you will ever know. It used to drive me crazy to have to be in the same room as you and not tell you how I felt. It was Gavin that didn't want me with you,” he said.
Everyone turned to look at Gavin.
“I didn't want you to hurt her.”
“Really?” Becky asked. “Do you see where we are right now?”
Kyle turned back to Jenny.
“These last three months have been the best and the hardest of my life. I couldn't wait for the weekends to come because I knew I'd see you and spend time with you. I've never felt the way I feel with you in my life, baby. Knowing that you were sleeping one room away was one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with. The few nights we fell asleep watching television were everything to me. I want you in my bed more than you will ever know. I'm in love with you. I've thought about that one kiss a million times. If that makes me a pussy, I don't care. You're it for me, Jenny. Seeing you with someone else tore me in two. I never could figure out what he had that I didn't. My goal when I came here was to build a life that I would be proud of. I wanted to be able to take care of a family without my wife having to ever worry. I built that life. You were the one I wanted the entire time. It was always you.”
Jenny had tears sliding down her face. She squeezed his hand tight.
“I'll be right back,” he said.
“Kyle,” she said. “I am begging you not to do this. He's not worth it. Let it go.”
“Can't,” he said with a shake of his head.
He turned to leave. Gavin grabbed his arm on his way by.
“He's not worth it,” Gavin said.
“What would you do if Becky was there?” Kyle asked.
Gavin let go and followed Kyle out of the room. Gavin pointed to the room, and Kyle flung the door open. There was already a nurse on their heels.
Kyle stopped when he saw the guy hooked up to more machines than she was. His arm was in a cast. One of his legs was as well. His head was wrapped. He looked horrible. Kyle walked close to his bed, and the guy barely opened one of his eyes. When it connected with Kyle's, the guy winced. Kyle knew he couldn't beat the guy any worse than he'd done to himself. He leaned in close to his face.
“You put your hands on her. That is not okay. I've loved that woman longer than you've known her. I'm going to tell you this once and only once. If you ever call, text, go near her, or touch her again, what you're going through now will have been nothing compared to what I will do to you. That woman is mine. I will protect her and keep her safe. I'm letting you know that I am more than willing to die for her. If you come anywhere near her, you'll wish you hadn't. Stay the fuck away from her. She's hurting, and it's your fault. You were the one that vowed to love and protect her. You're the only one that has hurt her time and time again. Leave her alone, or I will fuck you up in ways you can't even imagine. Are we on the same page here?”
The guy nodded slightly.
“You never put your hands on a woman like that again.”
Kyle turned back to the nurse. She had a smirk on her face and tears in her eyes.
“She's lucky to have you,” the nurse said.
“No,” he said. “I'm the lucky one.”
Chapter 30
Jenny
When Jenny heard his voice, she thought she was imagining it. Becky had text him that she was in the hospital. Becky really did know them better than they did. When He said he loved her, she thought she was going to lose it. Jenny was half out of it from the stuff they were pumping into her. When she looked up at him, she was so afraid he was going to walk out over her not telling him about Jim's text messages. He was pissed. She didn't want him to get into trouble over something she'd done. She never should have gotten in that car, she thought. She never thought Jim would do what he did.
Kyle stood up to Gavin. Jenny had no idea Gavin had given him that much shit over talking to her. She wouldn't have cared. Kyle was the man she'd wanted all along. Those three months before the accident were hard on her. She
loved spending time with him as friends, but she wanted so much more than that. Hearing that he did too was like a dream come true.
He walked back into the room with Gavin. They both seemed okay. Jenny didn't want to know what happened. She just wanted to move on. When he got close enough, she reached out and took his hand in hers. She moved to adjust herself and winced. He was right there trying to help her get comfortable. Then he sat down in the chair next to her bed. Becky was watching them closely. Jenny could feel her eyes on them.
“We should go,” Becky said.
“I don't want to leave her here,” Gavin said.
“I'll be here,” Kyle said. “I'll call you if anything happens.”
Gavin looked down at them both.
“I'm not leaving here until she does,” Kyle said. “Better get used to me being around. The only way I won't be is if she doesn't want me.”
“That won't happen,” Jenny said. “I'm not letting you go.”
Becky laughed and pulled Gavin by the arm.
“Come on, babe,” she said. “It'll be fine. Kyle will be here with her.”
“Make sure you call,” Gavin said.
“I will,” Kyle said.
When they left, Jenny looked down at Kyle.
“I'm sorry for not telling you about the messages,” she said. “I didn't want you to worry over nothing. You weren't here, and I knew you weren't happy about being gone as it was.”
“I asked you to tell me for a reason. It was important to me, Jenny. It wasn't nothing. Are you sure it's over with him?”
Jenny took a deep breath in and released it.
“It was never really there. I was in love with you when I started going out with him. You didn't want me, and my friends pressured me into going out in the first place. He wasn't mean or anything. I thought I could eventually love him. When I accepted his proposal, deep down I knew it wasn't right, but I was going to give it my all. I did everything he asked of me, but I wasn't happy. He started putting me down and being a bit of a jerk. When I found him in our bed with someone, I knew I couldn't do it anymore. I wanted out as fast as possible. You were the one I wanted. I felt more in that one kiss in Hawaii than I have ever felt in my life. You do things to me Kyle. It has taken everything in me the last few months not to spill my feelings to you.”
“Why didn't you?” he asked.
“I was able to spend every weekend with you and run with you most mornings. I didn't want to pour my heart out to find out you didn't feel the same way about me. I didn't want to lose what I did have with you.”
“The last five years have been torture, Jenny. When Gavin told me to stay away from you, I knew I needed to do it. John had already been so good to me, and Ethan had given me a job. I didn't want to go against the group after how great they were with accepting me. I knew that I had just graduated college and need to prove my worth to Ethan. My goal was to make a life I would be proud of before ever thinking about a relationship. It wasn't easy. Every time I went to see Gavin, I tried my best not to give you any attention. If I even looked at you, he'd glare at me. You weren't at a lot of family functions, but when you were, it drove me crazy. I wanted to tell you how I felt so badly. Then I found out you were getting married, and it broke my heart. I never thought you were interested in me, and that made it real. That was the proof that you didn't. It was hard for me thinking that you thought better of him than you did me. I thought he was an ass. When Becky told me you were getting a divorce, I was relieved. I know that's wrong of me, but it's true. You have no idea how often I thought of you. When my mom mentioned Hawaii, I thought it would be an opportunity to refresh and get you out of my head. The moment I saw you, I knew I was done. When I kissed you, I didn't want to walk away. It took every single bit of me to do it. I knew Gavin would be pissed, and I thought you'd just gotten lost in the moment and would regret it later. I love you, Jenny. I've loved you for a long time. The three months we've spent together have been amazing. I've learned so much about you. When I see you playing one of the games I made, it makes me so happy. You show genuine interest in what I do. You have no idea how much that means to me. When I stand in that kitchen making something new with you, I don't care if it turns out good or bad. Being with you is what matters. There were so many times I wanted to wrap my arms around you and hold you. Other times I've wanted to kiss you and never let you go. I'm putting it all out there, Jenny. You're it for me. I want you by my side. I want to protect you and keep you safe. I want to know you're mine.”
“It scares me,” she whispered.
“What does?” he asked.
“I feel things for you that I've never felt for anyone else. I work with Gavin. I've been around all of his friends for a long time. Becky and Gavin are my family. They're all I have. You're John's son. I'm so afraid that you're going to change your mind about me. What happens when you realize I don't fit into your world? What happens when you don't want me anymore? I'll lose you, and I'll lose the only family I have. We've only been in public together once or twice. All of our time has been spent at your house. I'm not saying I want to go out all the time. I don't care about that. I like staying in and spending time together. It's been perfect. I don't care about money and fancy stuff, but that's your life. You go to those dinners where you're honored for donating millions of dollars. I saw that woman hanging on your every word and movement. It made me so mad to see her touching you, but that's your life. I'm sure it's like that all the time at those things. It scares me. You could tear my world apart, Kyle. I love you so much. Until now, you weren't mine. I don't know what I would do if one of those women got to you and I found you with her. I don't think I could survive that. You could ruin me, Kyle. I mean that. What happens when you decide I don't fit into your world? I'm not special, Kyle. I'm just Gavin's assistant.”
“I wanted to build a life for me and my family. I've done that. I have security and know that my family will be fine no matter what happens. Money doesn't mean shit to me, Jenny. I just didn't want to be anything like my dad. I want to take care of my wife. I want her to want for nothing. I want my kids to have everything they could ever want. Those fancy dinners mean nothing to me. Of course I love giving to charities and helping people. I don't care if I go to the events. The women are annoying and drive me up the wall. Those women care about money and status. They don't care about me. I would never be with any of them. That entire night, you were all I thought about. I was so pissed that Gavin was the one standing next to you. I wanted to wrap you in my arms and dance the entire night with you. You looked amazing, and I wanted you there with me. You are special. I will not ever hear you say any different. You're not just Gavin's assistant. That man wouldn't get through one day without you. He'd be lost. I could have you with me every second of every day and never have enough time with you, Jenny. I've loved you for almost five years. I'm telling you right now, I'm never letting you go. We've spent three months together, and all I can think about is what we haven't done yet. There are so many movies I want to fall asleep with you watching them. I can think of a million dishes we haven't cooked together. You haven't finished making your game yet. There are so many places I'd like to take you running. That's just the beginning. When I'm at work, all I can think about is getting out of there and seeing you. I can't promise that we won't argue and that it won't be difficult at times. I can promise that I will always be honest with you. I will never cheat on you. I will do everything I can to keep you safe. I will spend every single day showing you just how special you are.”
Jenny looked into his eyes with tears in hers.
“You sure about this?” she asked.
“I've never been this sure about anything in my life,” he said, as he leaned forward.
She put her hands on his cheeks and covered his lips with hers. He was being careful not to hurt her, but she didn't want him to. She wanted that kiss more than anything in that moment. Her hands moved to the back of his head, and her fingers dove into his soft hair. She let out
a light moan. His tongue moved slowly along her bottom lip. Then he took her lip between his teeth and tugged in downward. His tongue dove into her mouth and curled into hers. They couldn't get enough of each other. Her tongue danced with his. The kiss was filled with so much emotion and passion. It was like the last three months all rolled into on kiss. Jenny jumped back and gasped for air when she heard a throat clear above them. She leaned her forehead against his and winched when they made contact. He pulled back, and she knew she had to have had the biggest smile on her face. The nurse that was standing there began moving around to check on Jenny without a word. Jenny couldn't take her eyes off of Kyle. He was perfect, and he was hers.
Chapter 31
Kyle
Kyle stayed with her the whole night. She tried to tell him that she'd be okay and he should go home to get some sleep, but he refused to leave. He sat in the chair next to the bed with his head down in his arms. Jenny held his hand in hers the entire time. He heard her moan in her sleep a few times as she tried to get comfortable.
The doctors ended up releasing her the next day but wanted her around someone for a few days. Kyle wanted her to go to his house, but she insisted on going to Becky's. She argued that he would have to work during the day and Becky would be home. He understood her reasoning but wanted to be the one to take care of her. They wanted her to be careful because most of her injuries were to her head.
Kyle felt bad for her when he helped her to a sitting position on the bed. She winced and cried out a bit here and there from the pain. Her entire body was sore. She said she felt like she'd done the biggest workout of her life and every muscle was hurting. A nurse came in to take her off of the machines and help her get dressed. Kyle went to get his car while they wheeled her down to the door. He helped her into the car and drove her straight to Becky and Gavin's.
The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6) Page 14
