Kayla

My mom’s been hovering since I moved back from Vegas, and I know I owe her for letting me stay here after the sellers delayed escrow for another week, but I’m going stir crazy with her constantly looking over my shoulder and asking me if there’s been any change with my situation.

I should have never told her about the whole Atlas debacle and subsequent fall out, but the tabloids made it sound worse than it was, and I had no choice but to run damage control.

She knocks on my door again, and I finally pull my earbuds from my ears. “Come in.”

“Oh,” she says as she opens the door, “I didn’t think you heard me through all this wallowing.”

I roll my eyes. I get it; I’m wallowing. I’ll stop soon.

Or not.

Wallowing isn’t a sin. Is it?

Greed, lust, sloth, gluttony...

She sits on the edge of my bed. “There’s a young man here to see you.”

I sit up and look at her. There’s mischief in those familiar brown eyes. “What? Who?”

She smiles. “He’s cute.”

I stand up and walk to the door, then turn around and face her. “Mom. What did you do? I told you I’m not interested in dating any of your Bunco friends’ sons.” Oh my God, like, no, Mom, please don’t set me up with some random dude.

She laughs. “Oh, this isn’t Betty’s son, honey.” She stands and approaches me, then holds my shoulders as she looks over my outfit. “Have you showered yet today? It’s nearly four in the afternoon.”

“Oh my God, Mom.” I push out of her arms. Wait, have I showered? Yes! I have! “Yes, actually, I showered this morning.” So there, Mother.

Mom frowns, then looks at my top pointedly. “Change your shirt.”

“What?” I look down at my old Rolling Stones shirt and hold out my hands. “What’s wrong with this?” I mean, okay, aside from the hole and the completely worn out fabric that showcases my boobs. Fine. I should probably change if I’m going to interact with another actual human.

But if it’s not her Bunco friend’s derpy son, who is it?

Mom shakes her head, then looks at the doorway before she slowly brings her gaze back to me. “He looks like more of a Banging Cade fan.”

I swallow hard as her words knock me back down on my bed.

Her lips twitch as she watches me.

“Mom. That’s not even close to funny.” Not even in the same zip code.

She shrugs. “I wouldn’t keep him waiting long, Kay. He’s really quite good looking.”

“Oh my God, Mom, shhhh. He’ll hear you.”

She laughs, then leaves the room.

What the hell? Is Atlas here? He couldn’t be. I mean, how would he find my mom’s house? He doesn’t even know where I’m from, let alone the house I grew up in.

I stand up quickly.

Google, you fucking idiot. Google could have told him just about everything he needs to know about me. Public record and all that.

Shit.

What is he doing here? What do I do? “Oh my gosh.” I sit back down on the bed because my brain has stopped working. I can’t see him. I definitely can’t see him looking like I’ve been pouting in my room for the entire two weeks since I got back.

Someone raps on my door and it opens slowly, and my breath catches in my throat and every thought I’ve ever had in my brain disappears into nothingness because there he is, standing in my doorway, framed by the too-pink walls of a too-girly room, looking like the Angel of Death in all that black, and holy hell, I’d sell him my soul without a second thought.

Atlas is even more beautiful than I remember.

He licks his lips. “Hi.”

I suck in a shaky breath, then nod.

Can’t. Form. Words.

“Can I come in?”

Oh my God, no. I nod again.

His lips twitch on a smile as he steps inside my childhood bedroom, his gaze never leaving mine. He closes the door behind him, then leans against it. “It’s good to see you, Kayla.” His gaze drops to my chest, and his eyelids get heavy for a second before he looks back up into my eyes, his eyebrows slightly raised. “I think Jagger would approve.”

I cross my arms over this raggedy old shirt and the nipples he just zeroed in on, then try to pretend that gaze didn’t just tighten my belly into a giant knot of desire. “I’m going to kill my mom.”

He laughs. “She seems like a nice enough lady to me.”

My eyes widen and I swallow. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Atlas shrugs. “I just figure that if we’re going to be accomplices for something, there are far better laws to break.” He looks around the room, then brings his gaze back to mine. “Nice room.”

I bark a laugh. Not my sexiest moment. “Lies.”

He steps forward and my pulse accelerates. He glances to the Banging Cade poster on my wall, then snorts. “I deserve that.”

I run my hand over my face. One side of the poster is ripped off. One guess as to whose face was on that side. “I’m sorry, I...”

The bed moves as he sits down beside me, then his cologne weaves its way to my nose, and I think I might just melt into him if he asks nicely enough.

He nudges me with his shoulder. “You were mad at me.”

I open my eyes and look at him. He’s too close. Way too close. “I still am.”

He nods. “Understandable.”

With a grimace, I motion toward the poster. “I probably could have handled it with a bit more maturity.”

Atlas laughs. “Probably. Did you at least keep my face?”

I snort. “No.”

It’s folded on top of my dresser.

His eyes narrow briefly, then he nods, searching my gaze. “You’re just as beautiful as I remember.”

I close my eyes on a long blink and take a deep breath. Hearing his voice, seeing him in the flesh, it’s better than anything I could have imagined.

And I imagined everything.

We’ve reunited in my head a million times in a million different ways. Somehow, none of them involved my embarrassing bedroom at my Mom’s house.

Atlas touches my hand and I open my eyes.

He smiles, rubbing his thumb back and forth over my knuckles. “I know you probably haven’t forgiven me for getting you wrapped up in that drama with the magazine, or not fighting for you when you came back to the room that day.” He pauses, biting down on his bottom lip. I wait for him to continue, though, because whatever he’s working on needs to be said. His dark eyes meet mine again, and his brows furrow. “And, hell, Kayla, after the way I treated your friend—”

I stand up, pulling my hand away from his grasp. “What?”

I can’t think when he’s touching me.

Atlas tilts his head, his brow furrowing deeper. “Yeah, you know, your blonde friend? The one that was with you the night we met. She came by the Hard Rock—”

“Wait.” I cross my arms and stare down at him. He looks ridiculous sitting on my bed in all that black. He’s out of place here. “When did Scarlet come see you?”

Atlas stands and I take a step back. If he gets too much closer, I might forget my line of questioning and never get to the bottom of this.

He stops, dropping his hands to his sides. “She came to return the passes I sent you.”

I purse my lips. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

He shrugs, then pulls the letter—my letter—from inside his hoodie.

“Oh my God.” Shaking my head, I walk to the door and open it. “Why are you here?”

He sighs and raises his hands. “Before you freak out—”

“Too late.”

“I’m not here to pay back what they took from you.”

My eyebrows shoot up into my hairline. “No?” Good. I’d never take his pity money. “Just go, Atlas.”

“Why, Kayla?” He steps toward me and pushes my door closed. “What are you so mad about? Your friend cares about you. I care about you.”

I open my mouth to call him out on his bullshit, but he slides his hands over my cheeks and pulls my head to his, pressing his lips over mine. For a split second, I kiss him back.

For a split second, I let myself feel the way it feels when Atlas has his lips on mine and the rest of the world melts away.

For a split second I forget that he came here to pay me off.

I break the kiss, even though losing that connection to him chips another deep fissure into my heart, then I open the door and wipe my mouth. “Please go.”

“Kayla, please, just hear me out—”

“Fine. If you won’t go, then I will.” I step out into the hallway and rush down the stairs in what might be a move that’s more immature than ripping his face out of the band poster.

“Kayla!”

Ignoring his voice, I grab the keys to my Jetta off the hook on the wall at the base of the stairs, then turn and slam right into my mom.

“Mom...” I fight for something to say.

“Now, Kayla, you’re a grown woman, and I try to stay out of your business, really I do.” I look past her; my car is just a few yards away. She crosses her arms and moves so we’re eye to eye again. “But if you don’t run your narrow ass right back up those stairs and hear that boy out, you’re grounded.”

I scoff. “I’m sorry?”

She shakes her head at me. “You heard me. Now go.” She points upstairs, and I turn around and look up at the beautiful man standing in my upstairs hallway.

I grumble on my way up, but she just laughs.

Evil woman.

I walk past him and go back into my room, waiting for him to follow. When he comes back in, I close the door.

“You done?” His lips twitch on a smile.

“You have five minutes.”

He looks me up and down, then smiles playfully. “Oh, I need much more time than that, Kayla.”

I cross my arms and ignore the heat that rushes everywhere he looks, as if the energy in my body rushes around in a frenzy to meet his gaze. I narrow my eyes. “How much time?”

He meets my gaze and all playfulness is gone. “A lifetime.”

I rock back on my heels, but don’t say anything.

He stands and slowly makes his way toward me. “See, I already talked to Scarlet, Kayla, and I am well aware that any money I give you will be”—he pauses and looks up at the corner of my ceiling—“how did she say it? Oh, yes, pity money.”

I grimace.

“So, contrary to what you assumed, I’m not here to pay you.”

He takes another step toward me. There’s only about a foot between me and the door, and only two feet between me and Atlas, and goddammit, Mom, why is my room so freaking small?

“So, since I can’t invest in your school myself—”

“You don’t know anything about my school.”

“I know enough.”

Scarlet is dead meat.

He pulls an envelope out of his hoodie. “I went to see those investors in Irvine.”

My eyes widen, and my heart stutters in my chest. “You got them to change their minds?”

He laughs, “Hell no. Those guys are dicks.”

I frown. Oh.

“But I can do you one better.” He holds the envelope out to me, but I hesitate, looking up into those dark eyes I love so much. When I don’t take the letter, he gives it a shake. “Go on. You’re really making this difficult.”

Biting my lip, I grab the envelope and pull the letter out. A check falls to the ground, but Atlas bends to pick it up while I read the letter.

From Microsoft.

I swallow hard.

When he stands, I look up at him again, searching his gaze. “There has to be a catch.”

He laughs. “No catch.” He steps toward me and now I’m hyper aware of that remain one foot of space between us. “Do you know how much these guys invest in education?” He shakes his head. “It’s nuts. I went into the wrong business.”

I laugh, and he smiles.

“It’s nice to see you laugh again.” He holds out the check and I look at the amount. It’s double what I lost from that other investment company.

I look up into his eyes. “Atlas, that’s...”

“Double. I know.” He closes the space between us and wraps his arms around my waist. “Should I tell them you don’t want their pity money?”

I bark out a laugh, then cover my mouth.

He shakes his head. “Congratulations, Kayla. Operation Learn and Love is back on.”

My chest shakes when I try to take a breath, and my eyes are so wet I can barely see him as he brings his mouth to mine, but when he kisses me, everything that broke falls back into place, like he’s the glue that holds my heart together.

When he pulls back, he wipes tears from my cheek. “Is it crazy if I tell you I’m in love with you?”

I laugh, and it’s that awful sound again. “Yes.”

He laughs too, then nods. “Then call me crazy.” He looks at the door behind me, then back into my eyes. “You know, this might be crazy too, but I’ve been thinking about being inside you for weeks now. Can we go somewhere and get back to what we started in Vegas?”

I smile and nod. “Say please.”

He growls. “Fuck please.”