Well, that wasn’t what a girl wanted to hear after the best kiss of her life. I was still feeling the moment and my mind still in a fog, saying nothing in response. I wasn’t sorry. Not at all.
“That was totally inappropriate. I just got caught up in the moment, in you…” He swore under his breath, looking like he made the biggest mistake of his life by kissing me. “It won’t happen again,” he continued, not giving me a chance to say anything. Then he turned and sprinted down the stairs.
I walked into my apartment feeling horrible. I knew I wasn’t the type of girl he went for, but was kissing me really that bad?
I don’t know how long I stood there in my empty living room, staring out at nothing, still seeing him in front of me and feeling his mouth on mine. I finally forced myself out of my stupor and closed the door. A little numbed by his… rejection… I went through the motions of getting ready for bed. I thought about the day and all the fun I’d had. I couldn’t believe it had ended this way. After tonight, how was I ever going to face Kyle again?
Chapter 10
Kyle
Simone was sitting in my office having just received the dissolution papers for her marriage.
I watched her as she reviewed the documents carefully. Ever since the night of Stella’s birthday, I had kept my distance. I clearly could not control myself around her and I was lucky she hadn’t told Trent or Jim about my out-of-line behavior. I could just see Trent now, thinking I was taking advantage of her. Simone, thankfully, hadn’t mentioned it again. Her bewildered, silent response had told me enough about what I’d done. The fact that she’d kissed me back was likely reactionary since I’d taken her by surprise, but I’d had spent plenty of time thinking otherwise and wondering ‘what if’. I was worried about upsetting how things were, the way they had been for me. She deserved so much more, and since I didn’t know what I had to offer her and Stella, I’d stayed away.
It appeared she had forgiven me, and I appreciated that, but I missed seeing her and talking to her. The past six months had been a rollercoaster for me, on many levels. Things we talked about in those months, I’d find myself dialing her number or starting a text, only to remind myself that I couldn’t—shouldn’t—do that until I was in the right headspace, and knew the full repercussions of my decisions. I would not hurt Simone. She’d had a lifetime of hurt and I wouldn’t bring more to her doorstep.
When I did text her with updates on her case and to check in occasionally, I tried to keep everything professional.
But now that the judgment was in I couldn’t put off seeing her. She had been through a lot these past six months, but it was finally over. Brad’s mandated drug test had come back negative, which, honestly, was more than a little surprising. Not that he needed drugs to continue acting like an ass. Thankfully, his behavior didn’t deter Simone from making a better future for herself and Stella.
Once Brad realized that the MSA required him to pay child support, he’d quit his job at Erik’s auto shop. We tried to keep tabs on where he was working so Simone could get the money she was entitled to, but if he was working, it appeared he was getting paid under the table.
Simone was granted full custody and Brad had supervised visitation every Saturday. The judge agreed it was best for all visitations to take place at his parents’ home since he didn’t have a permanent residence. Truthfully, if the past few months were any indication, he probably wouldn’t make these visitations a priority. He’d even missed her birthday two months ago. While Brad was missing out on time with his daughter, it appeared Stella wasn’t suffering too much. She had a wonderful mother; doting grandparents, and Trent couldn’t go more than a week without spending time with his niece. All things considered, they were all doing well.
“I can’t believe it’s actually done,” she whispered. She exhaled loudly and leaned back in her chair. “I’m no longer Mrs. Bradley Thompson…”
“You plan on changing your name?” I asked. She hadn’t made a decision on this when we first filed her petition so I was curious.
She thought about it. “Yeah, I think I’ll go back to my maiden name—Clark. Really make it official that Brad and I are over.” I smiled at her when she looked up at me, her gorgeous eyes brimming with happy tears. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. I wish I could repay you somehow.”
For a moment, very lewd thoughts of exactly how she could pay me back rushed through my mind. I was such an asshole! I didn’t want her gratitude. I wanted… hell, I didn’t know what I wanted from her. That was why I really needed to stay away until I could get my head straight and feelings sorted out about Simone. I gathered up the papers and placed them in a folder for her. “You don’t owe me anything, Simone. I’m just happy you can move forward,” I said politely.
Simone stood up to leave and I walked over to open my office door for her. Automatically, I reached out and gave her a hug before she could leave. I knew I was probably sending her mixed signals because I was sending them to myself. But what my body wanted and what my mind thought was best were at war with each other. I couldn’t control my desire to reach for her when she was this close and so touchable. I sighed when she instantly wrapped her slender arms around my waist and the feel of her body against mine again felt so right.
“I’ll see you around, Kyle,” she said with a bright smile and pulled back. She went up on her tiptoes and gave me a quick peck on my cheek. My heart rate sped up at the unexpected gesture and she smiled again before walking out. She wore tight jeans that hugged her lower body and a teal-colored tank top. Even though it was October, the weather was still warm. Another perk to living in San Diego. I tried real hard to not stare at her ass as she left since Linda was eyeing me suspiciously with a smile on her lips.
I gave her a quick smile and ducked back into my office. I still felt the pressure of Simone’s lips on my cheek and I was slightly dumbfounded by my horny teenaged boy response. I’d felt that way after our kiss a couple months ago, which was understandable. But this… this was just a chaste kiss, and it was affecting me just as much as that other one. Once I sat back down behind my desk, I stared at my computer screen still thinking about Simone’s jean-clad ass. If she had known even one of the thoughts I’d had about her in the past six months, she probably would have fired me. Never mind I was doing this pro bono. At least now, I felt less guilty considering she was a single woman. Still, I needed to stop.
A very random thought about asking her out startled me out of my daydream because that was completely out of the question.
Or was it?
I rubbed my eyes, constantly going back and forth about the pros and cons of pursuing Simone. Was it just an attraction due to the situation? No, I decided instantly. I was physically attracted to her, had been for a while, but I knew that once Brad had faded out of the picture, feelings and thoughts had started to creep in, and I had started to see her in a different way. Was this just about sex? Yes, and no. I wanted more than just a few nights and some dates with Simone. That’s where I got stuck. I wasn’t a long-term type of guy. And Stella came with the package, and I knew how protective everyone was of her well-being and happiness because I felt the same exact way.
Other than her now being divorced, nothing had changed.
My conversation with Addie back in June came back to haunt me again. What the hell did I want? I had no clue, and that was the problem. What I needed to do was stop thinking about it or I’d lose my mind. I shook my head; I needed to focus on work.
I eyed the small pile of folders Linda and Addie had dropped off this morning and after lunch. It was Friday afternoon and I wanted to wrap up some paperwork so I could get out of here at a decent time. The guys and I were meeting up tonight. After eight years in the military, Ian was finally home so we had plans to go out and celebrate. The four of us had spent most of our lives together so his absence had been hard on all of us, as we hadn’t been able to see him nearly as much as we wanted. Having him home was going to be
a great thing.
“Hey, are you heading out?" Addie asked, popping her head in through my door.
“Yeah, as soon as I finish a few things, I’m out,” I said, a little distracted. “Are you going to join us in welcoming Ian home tonight?”
At the mention of Ian’s name, something passed over Addie’s face. Something had happened between them but I’d never figured out what, exactly. Over the years, I had attempted to ask both of them what caused their apparent falling out, but they both acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. After a while I let the subject drop, but now I was wondering how they’d act around each other since they were living in the same town again.
“Well?” I prompted when she continued standing there, zoned out. “You coming, or not?”
Her expression was shuttered and she shrugged. “It really should be a boys’ night out,” she said too casually. She was also looking down at her nails like they were the most interesting things in the world. Addie dressed well and took care of herself, but she was no fashionista and could not care less about how pretty her nails looked.
I narrowed my gaze at her, suspicious. “What happened between you and Ian?” Now she looked nervous. I took my glasses off, glad to have my mind off a certain curvy woman with brown eyes and black hair. “You’ve always told me it was nothing, but you and he used to be so close and then all of a sudden you both stopped talking.” Saying it out loud made me pause. “Wait! Did he do something to you? You better tell me right now because I will give him a totally different welcome home if he hurt you.”
“What? No!” Her eyes bugged out a little. “It was nothing like that. He and Brad just didn’t get along. Once I started dating Brad I sort of stopped talking to Ian…” she said, trailing off and back to acting casual. She gave a one-shouldered shrug for emphasis. “And we never got back to that level of friendship even after I broke things off with Brad.”
Fucking Brad Thompson. That guy could ruin anything just by existing. I was so glad he was no longer Simone’s problem, and that he was barely around at all. Marla and Jim seemed okay without seeing their youngest son as often, which had to be hard for Marla, especially, but everyone’s lives were much better without the negative energy that seemed to follow him.
“You’re not lying to me, are you?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes at me. “Stop being the overprotective big brother. It’s annoying,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest, even though she was smirking.
Okay, so she was probably telling the truth. Mostly. There was something else, I could sense it, but she was keeping it to herself and that was her right. I knew I could only push so far before Addie dug her heels in and shut me out. We were alike that way.
Hopefully, she and Ian could rekindle their friendship now that he was home permanently. I really liked the idea of all five us back together, like it was when we were growing up. I wanted all of us to hang out, not just a portion of the group.
“So, you want to come out with us tonight?” I asked her, one more time.
“Actually,” she drawled out, “I’m going out with Simone and a couple of her other friends tonight. It’s Simone’s birthday today, plus we’re celebrating her divorce.”
Addie and Simone had been spending a lot of time together, which was good for both of them. At least there was one positive that came out of the mess Brad had caused. But then my brain caught onto the other bit of information I’d hadn’t paid attention to.
“Crap, I didn’t realize it was her birthday,” I groaned, leaning back in my seat, “she was just here and I didn’t say anything.”
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you,” she said with a wink. “Anyway, I’m outta here. Have fun tonight with the boys.”
“You too,” I said, distracted once again.
*****
The guys met at my house around nine so we could pregame before we hit up the club. Not only were we all together for the first time in years, but we were all single as well. It was going to make for an interesting night out for sure.
I didn’t know what I was looking for tonight. On one hand, a simple hookup sounded like fun. On the other hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about Simone and the possibility of something more with her. Unfortunately, trust in romantic relationships didn’t come easy for me, as Addie had clearly overstated back in June. I wondered if that was because my father left one day and never looked back or because my mom continually chose drugs over her children. It was probably a combination of both. My conversation with my sister kept playing in the back of my mind. When I did think about my future—family, wife, kids—my next thought went to Simone and Stella. But taking that risk didn’t just affect me.
“Hey, assholes, drink up! I want to get to the club,” Ian yelled from the living room. He was always ready for a party. It looked like things hadn’t changed much.
We called an Uber to take us to Euphoria, one of the newer nightclubs in the downtown area. We all knew we would be drinking so none of us wanted to drive. We were dropped off in front of a three-story building with a brick façade. There weren’t any signs on the outside so the only hint that we were in the right place was the thumping bass coming from inside.
There was a small line at the entrance but it only took about fifteen minutes to get in. Once inside, the flashing lights and loud music instantly put me in the mood to dance. I looked around trying to see if anyone caught my attention.
“Hey, let’s grab some shots and then scope out the dance floor,” Trent yelled over the music.
We made our way to the bar where Erik ordered us each a shot of tequila. Shooting mine back I turned my attention back to the dance floor. After a couple quick scans, my eyes landed on a woman, and I was unable to look away from her. She was facing away from me but the sway of her hips had me hypnotized. She wore a tight, short black dress that showed a lot of leg. It was dark so I couldn’t make out all her features, but from what I could tell she had dark hair. Though I couldn’t tell how long it was because it was pulled up. She was on the small side and I was worried if I took my eyes off her I would lose her in the crowd.
I felt someone elbow me in the side. “Hey, look, Addie and Simone are here,” Trent said in my ear. He was standing next to me and I realized he was looking in the same direction I’d been staring.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. I had been so focused on Simone that I hadn’t even noticed Addie dancing next to her.
Now knowing it was Simone, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her even if I tried. She always looked amazing, whether she dressed up or down, makeup or none at all, but right now, she was unbelievably gorgeous. I couldn’t help but smile at how carefree she looked out there dancing.
“Who are the other two girls with them?” Trent asked.
“I think one is Simone’s friend Kayla but I don’t know who the other one is,” I answered.
“Damn,” Ian said, staring. “Addie and Simone look really hot.”
Trent reached behind me and punched Ian in the arm hard enough to make him flinch.
“What the fuck, man?” he asked, rubbing his bicep.
“You kidding me?” Trent snapped, glaring. “Dude, that’s my sister-in-law and Kyle’s sister. Have some respect.”
“Seriously? I didn’t mean it like that,” he muttered, but stepped back toward the bar, shaking his head.
I stared at Trent, feeling his words and actions were rather harsh, so I tried to defend Ian. “He was just saying—”
“I know what he meant,” Trent said, still pissed. “Addie and Simone are off limits to that kind of talk.”
Trent had always been protective of Addie when we were growing up, but I realized that fierceness had long since extended to Simone. That not only included saying they looked hot, but there has always been this unspoken rule that sisters were just that, off limits. You don’t have dirty thoughts about them, kiss them, or fuck them.
Shit. I looked away, feeling the guilt burn through
me. I’d broken two of those rules already.
At the end of the song, we watched the girls leave the dance floor and start walking toward the bar. They were giggling together and totally unaware of our presence.
“We should probably go say hi,” Erik suggested, looking at me when he said it.
I rolled my eyes at him. As we moved into their path, I noticed Simone walking backward, sharing something with Addie, when her back slammed into my chest. I placed my hands at her waist to steady her—and it was a good enough excuse for me to keep them there and not feel like a creep or like I was doing something wrong. It wasn’t like I was her lawyer anymore. I was her friend, too. And according to Trent, I could only be that. But at the moment, all I could think about was how good it felt to be near her and touch her.
“Oh, excuse me,” she said as she turned around to face me.
I smiled down at her. “Hey,” I greeted. I wasn’t sure she heard me, but she returned my smile.
“Kyle!” she yelled a little louder than necessary. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We’re out celebrating the return of this guy,” Trent said, thumbing toward Ian, who waved and smiled. Trent hugged Simone to his side. “By the way, happy birthday, sis.”
“Happy birthday,” we all chimed in.
“Thank you!” she exclaimed, clearly excited and in a great mood. She hugged Trent back like he was her favorite teddy bear. I frowned and looked away, annoyed. I felt possessive of her, even though she wasn’t mine to possess.
Simone wasn’t technically part of the Thompson family anymore, at least not on paper, but you couldn’t tell that to Trent or his parents. Trent gave her a brotherly enough kiss on her right temple, but damn if I felt a little irritated at how touchy feely they were. They were close, I knew that, but I rarely saw it. Whenever Simone and I were together at the office, the Thompsons’ house, or her apartment, it was about the job, and advising her through the proceedings—well, most of the time. Now that I didn’t have that shackle of duty and obligation, I rubbed the back of my neck, still conflicted about my role now and how to act around her. Not to mention, jealous as hell that Trent had his hands all over her. If Trent viewed her like a sister and still got to hug her like that, I could definitely get the same privileges, right?
Falling for the Unexpected (Life Unexpected Book 1) Page 16
