“He succeeded there,” Trina confirmed, looking put out. “Derek never said a word either. If I find out those two were in cahoots to keep me in the dark I’ll be seriously pissed off with my dear brother.”
Now Kelly was confused. “What’s Derek got to do with all this?”
Trina gave her a conspiratorial look. “Who do you think Jake’s going to be working with?”
“Derek and Scott?” Trina’s brother, Derek, and his long-term partner in life and business, Scott Mason, owned a successful company that designed and built homes all over the state of Victoria. Kelly knew the couple well, and was also good friends with Julia, the third person in their relationship. The trio had been together for over a year now and their blatantly obvious happiness would have been enough to make Kelly swoon with envy—if she wasn’t still in the anti-relationship part of her recovery process.
“Apparently business is booming and they needed an extra architect,” Trina explained. “Jake offered to help them out and here he is.”
“I’m glad they’re doing so well. I’m not sure how that translates to Jake invading our home though.” She sighed her discontent. “Well, it’s only one night. I’m sure we’ll muddle through.”
“Somehow that was your idea,” Trina said with an appraising look. “How exactly did you end up inviting him to stay with us?”
Groaning, Kelly threw her free hand in the air. “I was joking! Why would he choose to sleep on our lumpy couch when he could stay with any of half a dozen relatives and sleep in a real bed? The man’s crazy.”
“Who’s crazy?” Jake strode back into the room with a giant duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
Kelly and Trina whirled around to face him. “No one,” they blurted in unison.
Jake regarded them both with suspicion before he shrugged and dropped his bag on the floor beside the couch. “If you say so.” He nodded to the bottle of wine. “What are we celebrating?”
“The weekend.” Kelly grabbed another glass from the cupboard and filled it. “It’s as good a reason as any.”
She placed the glass on the counter in front of him, snatching her hand away before his fingers could brush hers as he picked it up. If he noticed, he didn’t let it show.
Trina held up her glass to propose a toast. “Here’s to… err… new beginnings?”
“I’ll drink to that,” Jake said cheerfully.
Kelly’s eyes narrowed as she watched him take a long swallow of the red liquid. He licked his lips and hummed his appreciation. She recognised the sound. He’d made it the first time he kissed her.
Pushing the memory away with a vengeance she tipped her head back and attempted to drain her own glass in one, large gulp—and choked. One hand slapped over her mouth until she managed to swallow. “Pardon me,” she croaked before coughing loudly. Mortification filled her as she stared at the counter top. If he’s laughing at me I’ll toss him over the balcony after all, she thought.
“How about I buy you lovely ladies dinner?” Jake suggested, ignoring the fact he’d almost ended up drenched in wine. “To say thank you for putting a roof over my head.”
Kelly’s heart made a leap for her throat. She absolutely could not spend the entire evening in this man’s company. It had only been twenty minutes and already she’d invited him to live with them and then come dangerously close to spitting wine in his face. At the rate she was going he would be either mortally wounded or naked in her bed by the end of the night. She wasn’t quite sure which notion appealed more.
“I have to get out of here.” The words fell out of her in a rush. She looked up to see Jake and Trina staring at her and she faked a laugh. “I mean I already have plans so, I’m afraid you’ll have to count me out.”
If she’d been expecting some sort of reaction, which she firmly told herself she most certainly was not, then she would have been disappointed. Without a word, Jake turned to Trina. “What about you?”
“I was planning an ungainly collapse on the couch. What do you say to take-out and a movie?”
“Sounds perfect.” He faced Kelly again with a teasing glint in his eye. “Right then. Who is this guy and what are his intentions?”
Kelly gave a casual shrug. “There’s no guy. I’m going out to dinner with some friends.” She looked at Trina. “I would have called you on the way home to see if you wanted to join us but, as I said, my phone is flat.”
Her friend appeared doubtful, but did nothing to betray her. “No worries,” she said. “You have fun.”
“I intend to.” She allowed a slow smile to work its way over her face, refusing to glance in Jake’s direction until it had completed its journey. Their eyes met and held for a moment before he dropped his focus to the last of the wine swirling around the bottom of his glass.
She almost tutted in annoyance, but caught herself at the last possible moment. “If you’ll excuse me, I should go and get ready.” She imagined his gaze following her as she sauntered out of the room with a deliberate hip swing, and blushed when the unfamiliar gait caused her to stumble.
Once she was safe behind her closed bedroom door, Kelly leaned back against the cool, hard surface. Her eyes slid shut and she forced herself to breathe deeply. She’d always known this would happen. Trina and Jake were cousins. They’d grown up together and had always been close. It was inevitable she would cross paths with him again eventually. She’d just never expected someday to be… today.
Chapter 3
Midnight was a mere few minutes away when Jake heard the key turn in the lock. He held still, sprawled beneath a blanket on the couch, and listened as Kelly crept into the house, the door closing behind her with a quiet click. When she appeared in the living room, she walked on tiptoes with her shoes clutched in one hand.
At her small intake of breath, he lowered the book he’d been pretending to read. “Good evening, gorgeous.”
She dropped her shoes on the floor and padded across the carpet in bare feet, her previous stealth forgotten. The pursed lips and narrowed eyes betrayed her annoyance at being caught trying to sneak past him.
“You’re up late,” she said, a hint of accusation underlying her words.
Jake gave a lazy smile, enjoying her subtle show of temper. He considered making up some flippant excuse for why he was still awake, but in the end he decided it would be more fun to see what she did with the truth. “I was waiting for you.”
She humphed, placing her hands on her hips. “Is that so?”
Jake drank in the sight of her as she stood there in front of the couch. Her denim jeans may as well have been painted on and the blue satin of her shirt hugged her breasts before falling in shimmering waves to her waist. Her long, blonde hair fell over her shoulders in disarray, like she’d run her hands through it too many times. His own fingers itched to do the same.
He’d expected to still be attracted to her, so the rush he’d felt when he saw her again for the first time hadn’t surprised him. But the strength of it, the intensity, that was a jolt to the system. She’d been beautiful before, now she was fucking phenomenal.
Not wanting to infuriate her with his ogling, he tossed aside the blanket and stood. “Now you’re here, how about joining me for a coffee?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but then he saw her eyes glaze over as they stroked his bare chest, lingering on the waistband of his jeans. He lifted an eyebrow in surprise. She might be acting the part of the ice queen, but she wasn’t any more immune to him than he was to her. The urge to satisfy the lust in her eyes washed over him and his body tightened in response, but he knew better than to try his luck so soon. Instead, he waved a hand at her.
“Hello, Kelly? Anybody home?”
“What?” Her gaze snapped back up to his face and her cheeks flooded with colour. “Coffee, right. Um… sure.”
Unable to resist teasing her, he closed the short distance between them. Her eyes widened at his approach, but she stood her ground. He stopped just short of touching her, his voice
dropping to a quiet, husky murmur. “You’re still adorable when you blush.” Before she had a chance to form a no doubt scathing reply, he backed away and headed for the kitchen.
She followed him a few moments later. “Why were you waiting up for me, Jake?” Leaning back against the counter, she crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive manner, even as her lips curved in a mocking smile. “Did you want to make sure no one tried to follow me through the front door when I came home?”
Jake paused in the act of spooning instant coffee into two mugs. “Is that what happened?”
“What business is it of yours?”
When he glanced up and saw her eyes lit with amusement he knew she was baiting him, but he couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy twisting his gut at the idea of another man putting his hands on her. He was well aware he had no right to feel that way. His gut didn’t care.
“You still haven’t answered me,” Kelly reminded him. “What do you want?”
Oh, that was a loaded question. Right now, with her in that outfit, he only wanted one thing. Her. Bent over the counter. Moaning his name in ecstasy. Clearing his throat, he fought to keep his baser urges under control. “I figured this would be a good opportunity to catch up.”
He’d manipulated his way into her home with the sole intention of spending the evening in her company, scoping out her reaction to seeing him again. That plan was thwarted when she bolted out the door as fast as viably possible. But he was a patient man. He’d simply waited for her to come home again.
“Because the middle of the night is always the best time for idle chit-chat,” she said now, a wry smile creeping across her lips.
“It used to be.” Ignoring the way her spine straightened, he gestured to the sugar tin. “Lots of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar, right?”
A flicker of surprise crossed her features before she nodded. “I’m impressed.”
He shrugged. “I remember a lot of things about you.” He didn’t have to see her to know what she thought of that statement. She’d be rolling her eyes right about now.
“Yeah, right. Whatever.”
Yep, that’s where the eye roll would come in.
“No matter,” she added. “Coffee preferences aside, most of what you knew about me no longer applies.”
He looked up at her words. She was making a thorough inspection of her scarlet-tipped fingernails, as if their conversation wasn’t interesting enough to hold her full attention.
That irked.
Bringing two hot mugs with him, he placed them on the counter behind her and leaned one hip against the edge so he could study her profile. “I don’t know. Some things never change.”
She turned toward him with a sly smile. “Don’t count on it.” Her green eyes dropped to his lips, her head tilting slightly to one side as she leaned a fraction closer.
Her boldness surprised him, but he wasn’t about to complain. Then she began to trail one fingertip lightly along his collarbone and down over his chest. He hissed in a breath at the contact.
“I bet I could shock you.” Her sultry tone implied every dark fantasy he’d ever had about her could come true any time she felt like indulging him. His heart began to pound at the possibilities.
The musky scent of her perfume invaded his senses and he felt the urge to follow each and every tendril of fragrance back to its source. She bit at her bottom lip and he imagined himself soothing it with his tongue. What would she do if he tried?
“Go ahead,” he murmured, his voice husky with need. “Shock me.”
She gazed up at him from beneath thick, black lashes, that indecent fingertip of hers wandering all the way down to his belly button before she withdrew it completely. “Sorry, but they’re my secrets to keep.”
She laughed as she backed away from him. A deep, throaty sound that made him ache all the way to his bones. Then she picked up her mug and walked into the living room, as if she was completely indifferent to the fact she’d just given him a raging hard-on with nothing more than the tip of her finger.
Jake cleared his throat and took a moment to adjust his jeans before he followed her. “You didn’t tell me how your night went,” he said as he joined her on the couch.
“No, I didn’t.” She fell silent again, inhaling the rich aroma of her coffee before taking a tentative sip. The Kelly he’d known had never been able to keep anything to herself and Jake wondered how long she could hold out. Long minutes later, she continued to appear for all the world like she was doing nothing more than enjoying her coffee, and he marvelled at her newfound restraint. She was halfway through her cup before he gave in.
“How was your night, Kelly?”
“Great,” she replied, seeming happy enough to answer now she’d forced him to ask. “I had fun.”
“Fun, huh? Does that mean someone managed to part you from a copy of your phone number?”
She looked at him blankly for a second before she burst out laughing. “Is this your way of asking if I met any hot men?”
He shrugged in a nonchalant manner even he didn’t find convincing. “Maybe.”
“You know, contrary to the popular belief of men, hot or otherwise, women often go out together to relax and enjoy themselves. Not necessarily to meet the mythical Mr. Right.”
“Undoubtedly.” He congratulated himself for the calm tone he managed to affect, when inside he sighed with relief. He did not need some random prat to come along at the last moment and ruin his plans. “My most humble apologies, madam.”
“I should say so.” She gave a regal, if somewhat indignant, nod—then ruined the effect by giggling. “Besides, as far as I’m concerned Mr. Right can take a hike because I’m not interested.”
His brows furrowed. “Why is that?”
“Are you kidding? I just came out of a long-term relationship—”
“Three months ago,” he interjected.
“Whatever. This is the first time I’ve been single in half a decade.” She emphasised the last few words, as if it felt more like half a lifetime. “I want to enjoy being alone for a while.”
“Really? You haven’t dated at all since you and Simon broke up?”
She shook her head. “It’s not like I’ve been hiding from society or anything. I just don’t want to be in a relationship in the foreseeable future. Honestly, the thought of it is enough to make me queasy.” She gave a shudder as she took another long sip from her cup. “Why all the questions, anyway?”
“Just curious,” he told her, his mind reeling at this unexpected revelation. He was already fighting an uphill battle, given how badly he’d behaved toward her in the past. If Kelly was serious about loving her newfound freedom, his meticulously thought out plan to win her back was seriously screwed. He had to find a loophole. “You used to be such a hopeful romantic. Surely, if you met the right man, you’d feel differently.”
He knew he’d pushed too hard. The very air between them filled with the heat of her displeasure. “You barely knew the girl I was, Jake,” she said in a clipped tone. “Do not assume to know anything about the woman I’ve become.”
“You’re still you, Kelly.” He leaned forward a touch, met her annoyance head-on. He’d waited too long for this moment, had too much riding on it to back off now. “What are you afraid of?”
She blinked and her head jerked back a touch. He could see her throat working as she swallowed hard. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
He might have believed her more if her voice hadn’t wavered as she said the words. It was all the answer he needed.
“What about you?” The tone of her voice, quiet now but sharp as a blade, told him she’d left annoyed and was heading for royally pissed off. “I take it you haven’t changed either? Is that why you’re moving back to Melbourne in such a hurry, Jake? Is there some poor girl you need to get away from?”
His jaw tightened and he shook his head. “I’m not that man anymore, Kelly. I can promise you that.”
“Hey, you’re the one
claiming people don’t change—not me.”
“You’ve made your point.” He picked up the empty mugs and stalked into the kitchen. He didn’t need to be reminded of what a bastard he’d been ten years ago. He’d known exactly what he was doing when he’d made love to her that night. Had meant every word he’d whispered to her in the darkness. What he hadn’t counted on was how he’d feel when he woke the next morning.
Trapped.
He’d been nineteen years old and had barely begun to taste freedom from the responsibilities he’d shouldered as a teenager. He’d fallen in love with Kelly during the month they’d spent together, but at that time of his life he hadn’t had it in him to be tied to anyone. So he’d taken the coward’s way out. He’d run as far and as fast as he could. To this day he felt ashamed of the way he’d handled the situation, but there was no doubt in his mind leaving had been the right thing to do.
“What is the truth, Jake?” He hadn’t heard her enter the kitchen and turned to find her watching him with curiosity. “Was somebody sorry to see you go?”
“No.” Only the width of the room separated them, but to Jake it felt like a chasm. “There hasn’t been anyone really special in my life since… well, not for a long time.”
She became still and an expressionless mask lowered over her features. “Well, well. Who would have guessed a shiny jewel was buried among all your conquests? Who, pray tell, is the unique woman the irrepressible Jake Caine can’t forget?”
He knew it was too soon to tell her he was talking about her. That no matter what else he’d done in his life, or how many other relationships he’d had over the years, she was the one woman he’d never been able to forget. His perfect match.
It had taken him a long time to be ready to commit to anyone, but over the course of the last few years the idea of having a family had begun to fill him with a sense of longing. He’d dated a number of women during those years who would have made good partners in life and been wonderful mothers. And yet, every time he pictured his ideal future, it was Kelly’s face he saw.
This Time Forever: Second Chance Romance (Finding Forever Book 3) Page 2
