“Hi. Can I come in? I’d like to talk.”
He nodded and stepped aside for her to pass before shutting the door behind her. He inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo and his cock hardened behind his jeans. Damn. Would he ever not react to being near her? Would there ever be a time when he didn’t want her?
“I’ve never been to your apartment before. Can you believe that?”
Yes, he thought, because they’d spent all their time at her house. “This is home.”
He gestured to the den-like area where he hung out. He had a television on the far wall and a couch across from that. A small table and two chairs made up the eating area, and the kitchen was to the right of the entry. To the far back was his bedroom and bathroom. That was it.
“It’s small but cozy,” she said, stepping in to the center of the room. “Can we sit?”
He nodded.
Fuck, this was awkward. Nothing between them had ever been uncomfortable before now, not even in the very beginning, when she was pushing him away. His heart hurt at the knowledge they were so far apart.
“What can I do for you?” he asked. Might as well get to the point of the visit. Before his whole damned apartment smelled like her long after she was gone.
She glanced down at her hands, which she was twisting together in her lap. “I appreciate you coming tonight. You’ll never know how much your support meant to me especially since we’re… you know.”
“Broken up?” He wasn’t going to cushion his words for her delicate sensibilities. She’d caused this. She could face it.
She nodded and cleared her throat. “Here’s the thing. When I ended things, I thought I had a good reason. I’d just gone through some major trauma with my mother, and I didn’t want to deal with life. With anyone. I was afraid. And you… you’re so alive, Kane. You vibrate with life and you aren’t afraid to live it.”
“Look, I know about your mother, the check and the ring. Phoebe filled me in when you wouldn’t.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself.”
“I don’t want your apologies. I really don’t.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “It’s just that at the time I thought you deserved so much more than I could ever give you. I wasn’t willing to open myself up emotionally the way I would have needed to in a relationship.”
“And don’t you think it was up to me to decide what I deserved or wanted from you?”
She ducked her head, then straightened her shoulders and met his gaze, like she’d just had a lecture with herself and decided to face him, after all. “Maybe but I knew you would wait for me and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want enough for myself and I wanted much more for you.”
His hands hung between his knees as he studied her. “I appreciate the explanation.”
She swallowed hard. “That’s not all. When you showed up tonight, when you told me if this is what makes me happy that I should do it… I realized I wasn’t happy. Nothing was making me happy, because you weren’t beside me in my life.”
At her words, his breath caught in his throat. He thought she was here to explain why she’d called things off. Never had he thought she was here to make things right.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I was wrong for thinking I couldn’t give you what you deserved. I was wrong to be afraid. Because you’ve given me everything. You’ve never lied to me, you’ve always been open and honest, and everything you tell me is the truth whether I want to hear it or not. And while I was with you, you made me better. Stronger. Braver.” She drew a deep breath. “You, Kane Harmon, make me feel fearless for the first time in my life. And I was too hurt by my mother to see that.” She continued twisting her hands together in her lap, but her gaze never left his. “I love you and I want another chance,” she whispered.
Holy fuck. He was out of his seat and pulling her into his arms in an instant. He breathed her in, squeezing her hard against him, afraid this was a dream or that she’d run again.
“You’re here,” he said, so damned relieved.
“Yes.” She grinned.
“You’re mine.”
She nodded, falling into his chest.
“Say it.”
She glanced up, bracing her hands on either side of his face, and looked into his eyes. “I’m yours and I’m not going anywhere.”
He expelled a long stream of air. Okay. He could breathe now, maybe for the first time since that day outside his garage when he’d believed she’d walked out of his life for good.
He sealed his lips over hers, kissing her long and hard, not coming up for air. Not wanting to or needing to. Not when he finally had her back. He glided his tongue over her lips and slipped inside, groaning at the feel of coming home.
Unable to wait another minute, he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom, laying her down on the bed. He untied the top of the dress and let it fall down to her sides, then easily pulled the rest of the garment down and off, taking her underwear along with it.
She watched him with eager eyes and he couldn’t wait, either. He undressed quickly and knelt over her, his gaze never leaving hers.
“I missed you,” she said, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“I missed you, too, beautiful.” He clasped her hands in his and slid into her, letting out a harsh groan at the feel of her tight, wet heat clenching around him.
“Say it,” he said, needing to hear it now, while they were as close as two people could be.
“I’m yours,” she promised, and he went on to claim her in the most primal of ways.
Afterwards, she lay in his arms, her fingers trailing over the hair on his chest. “I’m sorry,” she said again.
“Don’t.” He shook his head. He didn’t want to rehash the past. “If you needed to go through that to get us here, it’s worth it in the end.” Although he never wanted to feel her loss again.
She lay her head in the crook of his arm and sighed.
“You’re braver than you think,” he told her.
She laughed at that. “I’m going to get there and do you want to know why?”
“Of course.”
She pushed herself up and looked into his eyes. “I’m no longer afraid, because you taught me how to live. You make me want to be fearless.”
He laughed and tumbled her onto her back for another long kiss and he hoped the start of another round of lovemaking. Because everything he did with Halley was about love.
Epilogue
By the end of September, Kane had completed Halley’s deck and they decided to have a party to christen it. The ocean ebbed and flowed in the distance as the group gathered on the finished deck. Since Kane was all but living there when he wasn’t working, they considered it their first joint party, small though the guest list was.
Halley had her family, Aunt Joy, Phoebe, and Jamie here, and Kane had his father, sister, and Nicky. Jamie and Nicky hit it off despite the age difference, Jamie at eleven and Nicky at seven years old, and headed off to hang out on the far corner of the large deck.
Jackson Traynor from Kane’s garage arrived, carrying a six-pack of beer. He seemed happy to be here and was talking to Aunt Joy, Andi, and Phoebe about real estate prices in town.
And Monty was running from person to person, jumping up on his hind legs and begging to be petted.
She’d never heard from her mother again… and she was grateful not to have to deal with her, but she’d minimized the damage the woman had caused. Halley had canceled the check and, at her aunt’s urging, hired a private investigator to scour pawn shops to find the ring. He’d done it, returning the family heirloom to Halley last month.
Kane strode over and wrapped an arm around Halley’s shoulders.
She sighed happily and leaned into him. “This is nice,” she murmured.
“Agreed. So what’s your sister’s story? Think she’d be interested in Jackson?” he asked.
Halley shook her head. “Phoebe seems like s
he has herself together, but she’s still sad about not being able to locate Jamie’s dad. She got pregnant while in foster care and they were separated after. I think she just wants to focus on raising her son.”
“Hmm. She’s too big a personality to be alone forever, though,” Kane said.
Halley shrugged. “I hope you’re right. I want her to have what we’ve found.” Standing up on her tiptoes, she kissed him on the lips.
“Mmm.” He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. His cock pressed insistently against her stomach, making her almost wish they didn’t have company.
“Hey, break it up. There are kids around,” Phoebe called from across the deck.
Halley rolled her eyes at her sister. No one was a bigger Kane fan than Phoebe… except, of course, for Halley.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Love you, too, beautiful.”
She blushed, but God, she’d never get tired of hearing him call her that. She patted his cheek. “Ready to break out the grill?” she asked.
“Can’t wait.”
“I’ll go take orders,” she said, heading over to the group of people she loved.
She knew how lucky she was, that Kane had taken her back and that she had this warm, loving group of people as her support system.
And she would never take family or Kane for granted again.
Next up in the Rosewood Bay series—Phoebe’s story.
READ a teaser of BREATHE by clicking here.
ORDER your copy of BREATHE today by clicking here.
BREATHE
Fall in love with the Wards…
From troubled teen to successful general contractor, Jake Nichols changed his name and turned his life around. He’s single and likes it that way, enabling him to focus on his job and occasional one night stands. On his agenda, a new project, one that could provide entry to a higher end clientele. All he needs is the okay of the realtor in charge. Little does he know his potential new business partner is a woman he once loved. And Jake is about to find more than just a job. He’s about to discover he’s a father.
Phoebe Ward has survived and conquered a painful past that includes foster care and becoming a teenaged mom. She wants nothing more than to focus on the present but it’s hard when she looks into the eyes of her son, knowing she’s tried and failed to find his father. She’s resigned herself to raising him alone with the help of her family… Until a client meeting brings her face to face with her first love. A boy… now a sexy man she thought she’d never see again.
They knew each other as teenagers and now they have the chance to put the past behind them, forge a family, a future… and find love.
Order BREATHE today by clicking here.
Chapter One
“Jamie, get downstairs for breakfast or you’ll be late for school!” Phoebe Ward called for her son to come to the kitchen. By her calculation, they had fifteen minutes for breakfast and then they needed to get into the car for the drive to school.
“I’m here!” He skidded into the room wearing a navy hooded sweatshirt and a pair of black track pants and sneakers, smelling like he’d bathed in Axe. The strong, sharp scent, a combination of citrus and peppermint, was pungent and immediately destroyed her nasal passages and killed her appetite.
She breathed in through her mouth. “What did I say about overdoing the Axe before school?”
He looked at her with innocent eyes. “I didn’t. You said I had to shower so I did.”
And he’d bathed in the body wash and topped it off with deodorant. Nice. His teacher was going to have one hell of a migraine if every eleven-year-old in the room smelled the same way.
“I smell like a man,” he said with a cheeky grin.
She bit back a laugh. “You smell like something,” she muttered. “Eat your eggs. We need to get moving. I have an early appointment today.”
He slid into his chair and began shoveling his food into his mouth. “Are you selling a house today?” he asked, glancing at her work suit that she wore for days she was meeting with clients.
“Chew and swallow before talking,” she said. “First, I’m meeting a new contractor at Celeste’s place,” she said of her good friend who’d moved to the city. “She wants to sell the estate and I’m overseeing the renovations. Then I’m showing a listing this afternoon.” She’d never worked with Masters Construction before, but according to Celeste, they’d won the bidding and came with solid references.
“Cool.” He took two big bites of toast and gulped down his orange juice. “Done.” He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and she sighed.
“You’re finished. Chickens get done in the oven. Get your backpack together and let’s get moving.”
He picked up his plate, brought it to the sink, rinsed it off and stuck it in the dishwasher. He was a boy with all the quirky habits that came along with that, but he was a good kid. And considering she’d had him when she’d been sixteen and had been a single parent after that, with only her Aunt Joy and her sister Halley for backup, she was damned lucky they’d both turned out okay.
She smiled as he rushed around, repacking the bag that he should have put together the night before. “Slow down and make sure you have everything.”
“I do. I’m ready.”
She gathered her keys, deciding she’d pick up coffee on her way, and they headed out the door.
She dropped Jamie off at school and waved goodbye, watching until he walked safely inside. Afterwards, she stopped at Grace’s Coffee Shop for a large vanilla latte, which she finished on the way over to Celeste’s home, a large estate that would sell for a hefty price once renovated. She pulled into the driveway where a large Ford F-150 was already parked. The driver wasn’t there so she exited her vehicle.
She had the house key, but she didn’t need to let herself in. The door was open a crack and she toed it the rest of the way with her foot, walking in and shutting the door behind her.
“Hello?” She called out.
“In here!” a masculine voice said, sounding like it came from the far side of the house.
She followed the sound and caught sight of a man talking on the phone, his back to her. He was tall, well built, muscles defined, as she took him in from behind. And what a behind he had, a tight ass in his faded jeans.
She ogled the sight shamelessly, her gaze traveling up his lean waist and broad shoulders. His dark hair was short and a jet black color she preferred on a man. Wearing a light blue button down, the sleeves were rolled up, revealing sexy forearms.
And then he turned to meet her gaze, giving her one raised finger to indicate he needed another minute on the phone. Except she wasn’t paying attention to the gesture because one look at that handsome face, more mature than she remembered but just as good looking, and she froze.
Vivid blue eyes widened at the sight of her in return.
She wasn’t just looking at a stranger, she was staring into the shocked eyes of her son’s father, a man she hadn’t seen since before she found out she was pregnant.
Order BREATHE today by clicking here.
About the Author
Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly’s career spans over a decade and a half with various New York publishing houses, and she is now an Indie author who runs her own business and loves every exciting minute of her publishing journey. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.
Keep up with Carly and her upcoming books:
Website:
www.carlyphillips.com
Sign up for Carly’s Newsletter:
www.carlyphillips.com/newsletter-sign-up
/>
Carly on Facebook:
facebook.com/CarlyPhillipsFanPage
Carly on Twitter:
twitter.com/carlyphillips
Hang out at Carly’s Corner! (Hot guys & giveaways!)
smarturl.it/CarlysCornerFB
Fearless (Rosewood Bay Series Book 1) Page 16
