“Why?” I whisper back, causing her to giggle. She darts her eyes toward the kitchen. “Uncle Kiran got mad that Kate didn’t know where you were at,” she says. “He raised his voice and even yelled,” she says, nodding her head. The fact that Kiran gets mad and yells doesn’t surprise me in the least, but apparently, it does Callie.
“I’m sure it’s okay. I’ll go tell Kate I’m home and everything will be fine.” Callie shrugs like she doesn’t believe me, but thankfully she goes back to watching the TV.
I stand up and walk into the kitchen, and sure enough, Gavin, Kate, and Kiran are arguing in hushed voices. The second I step inside, their conversation stops and all three of them turn to face me.
“Guess what?” I ask, not hiding my excitement.
“What?” Kate says just above a whisper.
“I got a job.” I clap my hands before I open the fridge and grab a beer. “I think I’ll celebrate.” I crack the beer open and take a huge gulp.
“You drink beer?” Kate questions as I wipe my face with the back of my hand.
“God no, that was awful.” I cringe before setting the beer down on the counter. “I figured my good news should be celebrated, but I think going out for drinks sounds like a better idea. “Who’s in?” I ask as the three of them continue to stare at me with bewildered looks. “Okay. I can call a cab. I would ask to drive one of your vehicles but what little driving skills I have were learned on a dirt road using an ATV. Add in the adult drinks I plan to have, and I’m sure to end up in jail before the night is over.” I do nothing to hide my excitement while the three of them continue to watch me as if I’m crazy.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” I ask as I run my hands over my cheeks.
“Where have you been?” Gavin questions as he arches his eyebrow.
“I went out,” I proudly state. Kate tries to hide her smile as Gavin shakes his head, but it’s Kiran who speaks up first. “You didn’t think to leave a note? Or, hell, text Gavin since he has your number and tell him where you were? We’ve tried calling you for the last three hours but your phone goes straight to voicemail.” Kiran’s jaw ticks. Callie was right. He’s struggling to contain his anger.
I can feel my happy vibes from earlier melting away. “Kate, I’m sorry if I scared you. When I left earlier today, I didn’t plan to stay out this late. Then I got a job and made a friend, and I lost track of time. Also, I forgot to charge my phone last night so it died sometime during the day. I feel like Callie did on her first day of school,” I say, which causes Kate’s shoulders to relax as she smiles.
“That’s great, Belle.” My smile fades as Kate reminds me that I’m Belle Paasch—the sheltered girl without a life—not Izzy, the girl I was today.
“I think I’m going to go upstairs to change my outfit.”
Kiran’s eyes darken. “You aren’t serious, are you? You think it’s a good idea for you of all people to go out drinking by yourself in a city as big as Denver? I knew you were naïve, but I didn’t take you for stupid.”
Kate gasps and Gavin says, “Dude.”
“What? You know I’m right,” he growls toward his friends. “Would you let Kate out in this city alone and looking to party?” he adds as my good mood officially vanishes.
I take a deep, calming breath. “I think I’m going to pass on the celebration tonight. I’m tired, anyway. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I say, looking directly at Kate and Gavin before turning and walking to my room.
I find something to wear and make my way to the bathroom. I turn on the shower, and once I’m inside and the hot water starts running down my skin, I allow a few tears to escape.
I don’t want to be the woman who’s always dependent on someone else, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t get away from the girl I once was.
Belle
The next morning, I skip breakfast and wait until it is safe to head downstairs. When I finally do, I’m ready for a swim. I pull my hair back and dive in. Within a few laps, I can tell someone is watching me. Because no one should be home, I slow down at the end of my lap to look around. Immediately, I spot Kiran in his usual chair. I shake my head and go back to swimming.
Once my body is done, I climb out of the deep end and grab my towel, never once looking in his direction.
“I’m sorry,” he shouts as I step inside. When it’s clear I don’t plan to stick around, he hops up and follows me inside.
“I didn’t mean to call you stupid last night. I was pissed,” he groans. “I’ve been pissed a lot lately, and every time, it has to do with you,” he adds. I shake my head and start walking up the stairs. “Wait, that didn’t come out right,” he says, taking two long strides to close the distance between us. “What I mean is I’m pissed all the time because you’re fucking with my head.”
This time, I stop and turn around to face him. “I’m fucking with your head?” I repeat, sounding every bit as annoyed as I feel.
“Yes, and it’s not your fault,” he rushes out, which for some strange reason causes my anger to settle slightly.
Kiran locks his blue eyes with mine. “I’m attracted to you. Really fucking attracted, but Kate told me from the second you arrived that you were off limits.” He takes a step closer, but this time, I don’t move away. “There’s also Alex to think about. We’re moving in together, and like it or not, he’s your brother. I’m positive he’ll have my ass if I fuck things up with you, and that’s exactly what I do. I’m a fuck up when it comes to women, but until recently, it never bothered me.” I can see Kiran’s chest moving up and down as he continues to watch me.
“I don’t give out my real name to a woman I know I’m going to have sex with. And the last time I had sex with the same girl more than once I was in high school ...” He pauses, waiting for me to say something. Kiran’s nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath. “I have a shitty track record, and Kate and Alex have every reason in the world to demand I keep my distance from you,” he adds without taking his eyes off me.
A normal girl wouldn’t be excited to hear Kiran’s confession, but I’m anything but normal, and I’m not looking for a happily ever after.
“When you gave a fake name to a woman, was it because you didn’t want to see them again?” I question, catching him off guard.
He slowly nods his head. “Yes. No strings, no relationships. That’s what works best for me,” he replies with a grim smile.
“Is that what you want with me? No strings, no relationships, just sex?” I ask, causing his eyes to flare. I might want more with Kiran, but I’m willing to settle for whatever he’s offering. I won’t be here long enough to have a real relationship, anyway, and no matter how much I try, I can’t get him off my mind.
“I ...” He clears his throat. “I don’t want to only have sex with you.” Those damn flutters make their way down to my stomach.
“What do you want with me?” I’m not about to let him off the hook. I need to make sure I don’t expect more than he plans to give, otherwise my heart might be in pieces when I leave.
His blue eyes gaze into mine for a few moments until he finally answers. “I want to try something more, but I can’t promise you anything. That’s why Kate warned me away. I like you, but I can’t promise you anything more than a good time.”
Forming a lasting relationship with anyone is dangerous. Unfortunately, I’m not only referring to the emotional damage dating me could cause. “Okay, but, Kiran ...” I trail off on a smile.
“Yeah?” he asks, taking another step closer.
“You need to relax. You act like the idea of dating translates into something bigger. We’re not getting married, and while we more or less live together, it won’t be for long. So I’m asking you to relax.” His facial features soften and he steps even closer. He reaches out and runs his hand through my wet hair. Feeling bold, I reach up and run my fingers over the stubble on his chin, which causes him to smile.
“Do you really start a job tomorrow?” he asks. I square
my shoulders and drop my hand, ready to fight him if he tries to talk me out of working. “Yes. It’s at a bookstore downtown.”
He nods his head and grins. “I’ll drive you to and from. Let me know your work schedule, and if I can’t be there, I’ll check with Kate.”
I tilt his chin down and look into his eyes. “I’ll be fine. I promise.” He starts to open his mouth to argue, but I place my finger over his lips. “I’ll tell you my schedule. I’ll let you know when I need a ride, I promise, but that doesn’t mean you can hover.” Our eyes lock together and the flutters I usually feel when I look at him are at an all-time high. His eyes nervously dart down to my lips. His breathing picks up as he looks back into my eyes. Kiran’s arm slowly wraps around my waist, pulling me even closer to him.
Neither of us does anything for several long moments until Kiran brings his hands up and cups my face. Our eyes remain locked as he brings his mouth down to mine. I feel an unexpected jolt pass through my body when our lips connect.
His lips feel soft and silky, a delicious contradiction to his stubble that rubs against my chin.
His mouth starts moving faster, greedier. His tongue pushes against my lips until I open up and allow him in. Kiran groans into my mouth, sending a wave of lust throughout my body. His tongue continues to move passionately with mine. Seconds later, I feel my towel drop to the floor. Kiran grips my hair in his hand and starts to dominate my mouth. His need for me overrides the self-control he showed moments ago. I whimper into his mouth, wanting to do so much more than just kiss him, but all too soon, Kiran pulls away. Both of our chests heave as we stare into each other’s eyes.
Excluding the other day when my lips barely brushed Jared’s, I’ve never been kissed. I’ve never done a lot of things but not for lack of trying. Between my father and Manuel, no one was brave enough to look at me twice.
Kiran slowly breaks out into a smile. “Go clean up and I’ll take you out to lunch.” His eyes travel down my body.
“You could ask, you know,” I say, faking annoyance.
Kiran sighs and rolls his eyes. “Belle, would you like to go to lunch with me?”
I smile to myself and nod. “Yes, but only if you stop calling me Belle.” Kiran’s eyes flare at my comment.
“My real name is Isabelle. My friends call me Izzy.”
Kiran narrows his eyes and tilts his head before he finally nods in agreement. “Isabelle, would you like to have lunch with me?” Hearing him call me Isabelle affects me more than I was expecting.
“Yes, I would love to have lunch with you.” With another small smile, I turn and walk up the stairs. I take a quick shower, blow dry my hair, and add a little make-up before I go looking for Kiran.
I find him in the kitchen leaning against the cabinet, messing with his cell phone. When he looks up at me, he whistles. “Damn.” I have no idea where we are going, and I only have one suitcase worth of clothing with me, so I find myself wearing a pair of denim shorts and a pink tank top.
“Is this okay?” I nervously ask.
Kiran licks his lips. “Yeah, it’s more than okay.” Kiran is in khaki shorts and a light blue shirt that makes his blue eyes pop. He holds his hand out for me. “Where to?” he asks.
“Wait, you asked me to go with you,” I tell him.
“That’s correct, and I’m going to take the gorgeous lady anywhere she wants.” My cheeks feel flushed. I’m definitely enjoying this sweeter version of Kiran.
“Do you have to work later?” I ask but he immediately shakes his head no. “I took the day off to spend with you,” he proudly states.
“What if I said no?”
He looks at me and shrugs. “I was confident I could win you over.” He smirks and wraps his arm around my waist.
“Okay, if you don’t have to work later then take me somewhere we can have lunch and order a drink. I didn’t get to go out last night to celebrate.” My comment causes his face to fall.
“Isabelle,” he nervously says, “the reason I was a dick about you going out last night was because I panicked. The idea that someone could hurt you...that a man or anyone, for that matter, could put their hands on you is more than I can stomach, and before you ask, I haven’t figured out why that bothers me so damn much.” His eyes soften.
“Is that why you acted like an ass when I went out with Jared?” I question, which causes him to growl.
“I actually punched a hole in my wall—I guess it’s Gavin’s wall—after you left,” he casually says.
My mouth drops open. “But right before I went out, I heard you mention you had a date this weekend.”
Kiran’s face breaks out in a huge smile. “I didn’t know you heard that,” he says with a chuckle.
“Well, I did,” I reply as my heart thumps against my chest as I wait for him to say something. “I was hoping to ask you out. I told you no the night before because Kate had already warned me away. I was hoping I could convince Kate that I wouldn’t be a horrible person for you to spend time with.” He shrugs.
Crap, then I walked out the door acting like a bitch to both Kiran and Kate.
“I’m sorry.” I exhale. “I wanted to go out on a date, and believe it or not, I wanted you to be the person who took me out, but when you told me no, I thought...I thought you didn’t feel the same way.”
He nods his head and narrows his eyes. “And you thought you’d go out with the cell phone guy instead,” he adds.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I repeat.
Kiran nods his head again. “I don’t have any right to ask this but ...” He takes a deep breath then loudly exhales. “Did he...did that guy—”
“No.” I cut him off, knowing where his thoughts were going. “We had dinner, we went out for a few drinks, we danced, and he acted like a real gentleman by bringing me home afterward.”
Kiran physically relaxes. “I know it’s my own fault for not being honest, but the idea that you were out with him, that he was touching you...then you came home so damn happy ...” His brow scrunches.
I reach out and grab his hand. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat,” I tell him, wanting to put thoughts of Jared behind us.
Kiran brushes a strand of hair away from my face before nodding his head toward the garage. “Lead the way.”
****
“You were homeschooled and rarely allowed out of the house?” Kiran asks with his nose turned up.
We went out to lunch at a wing shop that has a full bar. After our lunch was over, we decided to stay and have a few drinks.
I shrug. “The list of people who’d love to exact revenge on Damian is endless. As far as he’s concerned, he can never use enough caution when it comes to my safety.”
I stir the ice around in my drink, embarrassed to be talking freely about my life with someone who isn’t involved in my world.
“My parents fought all the time.” My earnest eyes shoot up to his, eager for any information he’s willing to share about his past.
“As a kid, you really don’t care why your parents are fighting...you just want them to stop. Now that I’m older, I know it was mainly because my dad was a cheating bastard who couldn’t hold down a job to save his life.” My chest tightens as I listen to him. I can see the pain in his eyes and hear them in his words. “Still, I think my childhood sounds like a picnic compared to yours.” Kiran tries to laugh off his comment, but we both know what he said was anything but funny.
“Everyone is dealt a hand in life, some more depressing than others, but at the end of the day, what we make out of the life we’re given shows our true character.”
Kiran’s eyes soften and he nods his head. “Look at yourself for an instant. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have a college degree. It doesn’t matter that you struggled to make something of yourself. It doesn’t matter that you work for your friend. What does matter is you’re not a deadbeat like the man that raised you. Even if it’s your best friend that signs your paychecks, you still get up every day and earn one and
that’s more than a lot of people can say.”
Kiran’s eyes flash and he holds my stare. “That’s what I told myself growing up. That no matter what happened in life, I’d never be like him.” His face dims even more.
“Which also explains your lack of relationships,” I add with a chuckle. “If you’re not dating someone then you couldn’t possibly cheat on them.”
Kiran’s jaw ticks and his shoulders tense as he looks down at the table. Apparently, talking about his past isn’t something he enjoys, which makes two of us.
“Women came and went with Damian. I only met one woman who was around for a few years, but I don’t think he was faithful to her. She was nice and sweet but for some reason, Damian kept her a safe distance from me.” I sigh. “I think maybe I was hungry for the idea of a mother figure. He probably saw that and knew she wouldn’t be around long.”
Kiran nods his head in understanding. “We’re quite the pair, huh?”
Kiran gives me a shy smile. “I guess we’ve been educated on what not to do,” he adds as the waiter brings the check over. I reach for my purse as Kiran growls. “Don’t you dare. I enjoyed our lunch, but if you even try to pay for it, I’ll ...” he trails off, staring at me.
I nod my head and smile. Kiran places a card on our ticket and the waiter leaves. “Thank you. I had a good time and I hope we can do this again.” I watch him for a sign that this wasn’t our one and only date.
“Isabelle, I don’t know how long you’ll be in town. I don’t know if my fear of relationships will kick in at any moment, but I do know that when I’m around you, I feel different. I feel something I’ve never felt before, and if you’re willing to...then I’d like to explore whatever this is for however long it lasts.”
If I were staying in Kiran’s world, I would be heartbroken listening to his comment. The idea that he thinks whatever we might share already has an expiration date is depressing, but the reality is, it does. I could leave at any moment or I could be here another month, but the one thing I’m positive of is I won’t be here forever.
Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) Page 8
