Finding Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #1)

by Siobhan Davis

  “Hopefully he got the message.” I stick my hands into the sink and give them a quick wash.

  “Knowing Jeremy, he’ll probably only try harder now,” a deep voice says.

  I whirl around, coming face to face with Brad for the first time since Kalvin explained how he stabbed Ky in the back. He’s the only customer sitting at the counter.

  “Hi, Faye,” he greets me pleasantly. Bringing the drink to his lips, he eyes me over the rim of the glass. It’s hard to believe someone with that chiseled, all-American, good-looking, innocent hotness could be so deceptive. On the surface, he’s the white to Kyler’s black. The light to his darkness. I can understand, on one level, why Addison was drawn to him. He’s everything Kyler isn’t, but where Kyler may present as the moody bad boy, Brad is the one who acted like it. That act of betrayal showed his true colors.

  While Kyler is still in the doghouse as far as I’m concerned, and I don’t owe him anything, I despise cheaters. And as Kyler pointed out, outwardly, we need to act like family, so there’s no question where my loyalty lies.

  In any other circumstance, I’d ignore Brad in a deliberate snub, but I’m in work, and I don’t think David would tolerate such rudeness. Pursing my lips, I give Brad a clipped “hi” before heading back out on the floor.

  I’m out back on my break, with Rose, later on, when she brings him up. “Judging by that less than enthusiastic greeting you gave Brad earlier, I’m guessing someone has clued you in?” She takes a long drag of her smoke before offering it to me.

  I nod my head. “Kal told me.”

  Rose takes another drag, leaning her head back against the wall. “I don’t get it, at all. Brad is the last person you’d expect to do something like that. I still can’t wrap my head around it.”

  “Well, I have it on good authority that he did.”

  She twists to face me. “Oh, he did it, all right. There were enough people who saw him and Addison together, but I don’t understand how he could throw away his friendship with Kyler for a piece of ass. Or why. It’s not like he’s short of offers.”

  I’m unable to add any insight; I don’t know the guy.

  “I dated him for a while when I first moved here,” she admits. “He’s a decent guy, from a good family. Although he goes to Old Colonial, and his family is well to do, he isn’t from the usual kind of old money. His dad is a well-respected stockbroker with his own firm. I always thought he was different, you know?”

  She stubs out her cigarette.

  “How come you two broke up?” I hold the door open for Rose to enter ahead of me.

  “It wasn’t anything serious, we were only kids. It ran its course, that’s all.”

  “You remained friends?” I tie my apron around my waist as I speak.

  “Yeah. And when all that shit went down with Addison, I was one of only a handful of people who’d give him the time of day.”

  “He seems to hover on the fringes, all right.”

  “He does now, but before all this blew up, Brad was one of the most popular kids in school. When it first came out about him hooking up with Addison, all the guys were like ‘you the man’ as if cheating with your best friend’s girl was badass.” She rolls her eyes. “But then Ky weighed in, and the guys all changed their tune. Some of them have no choice but to include him because he’s still on the football team, but they don’t go out of their way. I feel for him, I do. One wrong move, one bad decision, and he found himself walking the green mile. That’s rough.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” I shrug my shoulders. “He made his bed.”

  “If he was a deliberately nasty guy, I’d agree with you. But he isn’t. He made a mistake, and we’re all only human. Maybe I’m a big softie, but if I was Kyler, I’d forgive him. A friendship like that shouldn’t be discarded because of a bitch like Addison.”

  Her words rotate around my head for the next twenty-four hours, and they are still looping through my mind the next night as I step outside the diner at the end of my shift. Max is a little late tonight, and I’ve no choice but to hang around until he shows. The lights fade to black behind me, and I hear the telltale beep-beep of the alarm as David appears on the pavement.

  He locks the door and turns to face me. “Can I give you a ride home, Faye? You shouldn’t be out here alone.” His eyes penetrate mine as he skims a glance over my hair. “You changed your hair?” He’s hardly been around all week, and even when he was, he was huddled away in his office.

  “Yeah. This is my natural color. I was trialing the red for a while.”

  He stares at me strangely, and I shift uncomfortably on my feet. “Is that, uh, a problem?”

  “Of course not.” He smiles, snapping out of whatever weird mood he was in, and I relax. “So, you need a ride?”

  “That won’t be necessary,” a familiar voice says, and I turn toward the sound of approaching footfalls. Kyler walks toward me wearing his usual cutting expression. He looks sinfully good in his jeans, plain white shirt, and black leather jacket. He exudes badassery as if it’s a new form of aftershave. “I’m taking Faye home.”

  “Very well. Goodnight, Faye. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I eye Kyler suspiciously. “Where’s Max?”

  “He’s gone to the airport to pick up the others. Come on”—he jerks his head—“my bike is around the corner.”

  A rush of excitement zips through me, and there’s a definite bounce in my step.

  He looks at me funnily. “What?”

  I give him a quick side-eye. “Nothing.”

  “You’re a strange girl.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Are you for real? You want to go there?”

  “I rest my case.”

  I groan, as he leads me around the corner. “You put the jerk in jerk-face, and you have the nerve to criticize me? You’re unbelievable.”

  I roll my eyes as he spins around and walks backward in front of me. “I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not.” I can’t tell if he’s joking or serious because he’s wearing that frustratingly impassive face he loves so much. I wonder if he perfected the mask pre-or-post Addison.

  I stop on the spot, anger taking root inside me. “And I do? Is that what you’re implying?”

  He steps in front of me. “Everyone hides something of themselves.”

  I fall back, prepared to drop it. I’m far too tired to continue this type of conversation and expect to come out a winner.

  A flash of color behind Kyler snags my focus. A couple skips down the steps of the building next door, laughing and joking. My eyes dart to the sign over the entrance. Wellesley Beechwood Hotel is branded in big, gold lettering over the ornate doorway.

  The man opens the passenger door to an expensive-looking car. Kyler spots my distraction and turns around.

  I don’t stop him.

  He needs to see this with his own eyes.

  James gestures at the stunning blonde in the short, clingy red dress, urging her to get in. Leaning up on her tiptoes, Courtney wraps her arms around his neck, fusing her lips to his.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kyler takes my elbow and pulls me down behind the small wall on our right. We crouch low, watching as Courtney and James continue their public snog-fest. I can’t believe he’s being so open about this, and I wonder if Kyler was already aware. James pins Courtney’s wrists together and lifts them above her head as he pushes her back against the car. Her breasts push up with the movement, and James lowers his head, burying his face in her chest. I look away, unable to stomach any more.

  The look on Kyler’s face paints a thousand pictures. His fists clench and unclench at his side, and I figure he’s seconds away from storming over there and doing something he could regret. “Let’s get out of here,” I whisper, though there’s no need. I doubt they can hear us at this distance.

  A muscle flexes in his
jaw as his gaze stays locked on his dad and his mother’s assistant.

  Tentatively, I palm one side of his face, turning his head to face me. “Kyler.” I peer deep into his storm-filled blue eyes. “We need to get out of here. Now.”

  He presses his forehead to mine as his breath snakes out in pronounced spurts. His chest rises and falls in painful movements. This must be killing him. Whether he suspected or not, catching his dad in the act is clearly playing havoc with him. Betrayal seems to follow him around, and my heart aches for him.

  His eyes are closed as we stay locked in place. His lips are tauntingly close, and I long to bridge the gap and kiss him. It’s taking every scrap of willpower to fight the urge to taste him; however, to take advantage of him in a moment of vulnerability would be despicable, and I won’t do that.

  Blinking his eyes open, he stands up, hauling me with him. He takes a firm hold of my hand and pulls me around the side of an adjacent building and out to an open parking garage at the back. I walk quietly as he guides me to his bike. Wordlessly, he takes my backpack and stuffs it in a hidden compartment under the seat. Extracting a helmet, he fits it down over my head. His fingers brush against my neck as he fixes it in place, and I shiver all over.

  “Get on,” he commands in a barely restrained voice, securing his helmet and sliding onto the bike.

  I’ve never been on a bike before, so my hands rest lightly against his waist when I hoist myself up behind him. Reaching down, he grips my hands and spreads them firmly across the expanse of his stomach. My thighs slide forward on the leather seat until I’m pressed solidly against his back. All my soft parts meet every delectable hard part of him, and I inwardly swoon. His potent masculinity is enthralling, and it never ceases to draw me in, but it also intimidates me a little. I’ve never been with any boy who is so alarmingly attractive and so confident in himself and his sex appeal. Kyler totally owns it. I think I could probably orgasm pressed up against him like this.

  The engine roars to life, and I grip his waist tighter as he thrusts the bike forward and we take off. By the time we hit the road, his dad and Courtney are nowhere to be seen.

  Kyler weaves up and down side roads and alleyways as I attempt to steady my rapidly beating heart. I’m stiff as a board pressed up against him, and it’s only when we hit open road and I start to relax a little that I realize my fingers are digging into his skin. I remove the pressure, while still keeping my arms snugly around his warm body. Wind whistles around my neck as Kyler accelerates on the nearly empty roads. I’ve no idea where we’re going, or how long we’ve been traveling, but after a while, it becomes clear we aren’t heading home.

  My body hums with vitality and longing, and I don’t care where Kyler is bringing me, if I get to stay with him like this. I know I shouldn’t be feeling what I’m feeling, but I can’t help my body’s natural reaction. I like being this close to him, and the danger and anger dripping off him by the bucket load only fuels my desire for him. He’s like no one I’ve ever known, and that excites me more than it should.

  Kyler turns off the main road, down a dimly lit dirt track. Little crickets make chirping noises as we pass. Stars glitter in the sky casting an eerie glow over the land below. After a couple of miles, Kyler swerves to the left and pulls the bike to a stop beside a mammoth tree. Reams of overgrown grass sway gently in front of us. Kyler kills the engine and takes off his helmet before helping me with mine. Gripping me by the hips, he lifts me off the bike, setting my feet carefully on the ground. Without uttering a word, he takes my hand and leads me through the tall grass.

  We step out of the grass onto a mossy green path. Wildflowers litter the path on both sides. Sounds of lapping water tickle my eardrums, and as we round a corner, a tiny gasp leaves my mouth. Kyler pulls me down on a raised grassy mound, resting his back against the trunk of an ancient tree. I sit beside him, skimming my eyes over the small lake rimmed by woodland on all sides.

  “It’s beautiful here.” I look down at our linked hands, marveling at the feel of his skin against mine. He doesn’t respond; he just stares blankly off into space. “What’s going through your head?” I ask, determined to get him to open up. I know from experience that bottling things up does no good.

  He doesn’t say anything for a few minutes, and when he eventually starts talking, his voice is ragged and laced with pain. “I come here when I need to think. It’s quiet, peaceful.” He looks deep into my eyes. “It calms the madness in my head.” I nod, understanding far better than he probably realizes. Air expels from his lungs in an anguished huff. “I knew he was cheating, but I didn’t know it was with her. I’ve never warmed to Courtney. At least now I know why.”

  He drops the veneer, and anguish is clearly legible on his face.

  I squeeze his hands. “I’m so sorry you had to find out like that.”

  “How can he do this to Mom? After everything she’s done to provide for this family. This will devastate her.” He drags his bottom lip between his teeth. “He’s destroying our family, and I don’t know what to do. How to stop it.” His body trembles powerfully.

  I don’t know what to say—or if there is anything to say—that’ll comfort him, so instead, I scoot closer, wrapping my arms around his waist as I rest my head on his chest.

  His arms encircle me immediately, and he holds me close. His heart beats wildly underneath my ear, matching the acceleration of the organ in my own chest. As his fingers drift in and out of my hair, I have to clamp my lips shut to stop from whimpering. “He makes me sick. I hate him.” Raw emotion cuts through his tone, and I can hear how much he’s hurting. I clutch at his shirt, drawing nearer, wanting to get as close as humanely possible. Heat from his body seeps through my clothes, into my skin, and lodges bone-deep. I shudder as the most intense wave of desire ripples through me.

  “Are you cold?” he murmurs, tightening his grip on my waist.

  I have a hard time not laughing. I’m the furthest from cold a person could be. If I were any hotter, I’d be Egypt. I can’t look up at him, because I know I won’t be able to resist capturing his lips. “No,” I rasp, nestling into his chest. I can’t believe he’s allowing this, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He presses tiny kisses into my hair, and I silently melt. He skims his hand up and down my back, and every so often, he squeezes me a little tighter, holding me closer to his chest, almost like he’s checking to make sure I’m really there.

  Expectation is ripe in the air, but I won’t make a move.

  It has to be him.

  I don’t know how long we sit like that before Kyler stirs. “It’s late. We should head home.”

  A pang of disappointment hits me. I don’t want to leave, but I know we can’t stay here forever. It physically pains me to lift my head off his chest, but I do. I pull myself to my feet, feeling a little chill the minute I separate from Kyler. He stands up alongside me, and I feel his eyes drilling a hole in me. Lifting my chin, I stare into his eyes. Stark emotion shimmers in his gaze, and I can tell he’s feeling all the feels too—I’m not in this on my own.

  We continue staring at each other, barely breathing, barely aware of our surroundings, and it’s one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. My eyes probe his as he explores mine.

  Without breaking eye contact, he reels me in close, and his arms wrap firmly around me. My heart is beating furiously in my chest, and sweat coats my palms in a sticky layer. His fingers dip lower on my back, and he brushes the strip of bare skin between the hem of my shirt and the band of my jeans. My skin sizzles from his touch, and an intense shiver zips through me. I think I might be panting. He dips his head, as I rise up to meet him. Stopping an inch from my mouth, his eyes dart from my lips to my eyes and back again. All the breath has left my lungs as I wait for him to close that final gap. My heart feels ready to leap clear out of my chest.

  Kiss me, I will him, pleading with my eyes.


  Indecision flickers across his face, and disappointment slams into me again. He isn’t sure of anything, and nothing can happen between us when he’s like this. It would feel wrong, as if I’m taking advantage of the situation. I step back, removing myself from his embrace, negating the temptation. I wrap my arms around my torso to ward off the returning chill and look away. “I think we should go.”

  “Yeah.” I hear the tinge of regret in his voice, but that doesn’t do much to soften the rejection.

  This time, he makes no move to hold my hand, although his fingers brush gently against my lower back as we walk, silently steering me forward.

  I have no choice but to swathe myself around him on the bike ride home. This time, the hum of electricity flaring between our bodies is a teasing, taunting menace.

  A reminder of all that is forbidden.

  The house is quiet when we arrive back. I presume Alex and the boys are already tucked up in bed, but I’ve no idea if James is home or not. I’m glad he isn’t here because I know I wouldn’t be able to keep the disgust off my face. And who knows how Kyler is going to react when he sees his father.

  Kyler’s silent, larger-than-life presence, as we move quietly through the house, cranks my craving to an all-time high. My fingers twitch restlessly at my side, burning to touch him. I stop at my door and turn to face him. “Will you be okay?” I lightly touch his arm. One fleeting touch and I whip my hand away.

  His answering shrug speaks volumes. “Goodnight, Faye.” Dipping down, he plants a light kiss on my cheek before walking away.

  Whatever progress we made tonight most likely won’t mean a thing in the cold light of day. But I can’t fault him for that. We shared a moment—that was all. And I’m glad that I was able to provide some comfort to him, no matter how small.

  At least we might be more civil to one another from here on out.

  “Goodnight, Kyler,” I speak softly in the empty corridor before slipping into my room.

  Chapter Twenty