Kelli
“Oh my God, you’re worse than Gordo!” Kelli stared at the side of Isaiah’s perfect profile as he held the steering wheel tightly and clenched his jaw.
“He was being disrespectful,” Isaiah retorted, staring straight ahead. “And I am supposed to be guarding you, remember?”
“I’m supposed to be staying under the radar in this town, and here you caused a huge scene at the town’s farmers’ market at their busiest hour of the day. Do you have any idea how often anything remotely exciting happens in this town?” Before he could try to respond to that, she continued, “Never! That’s how often. Like not once since I’ve been here. And we were at a farmers’ market. I was holding melons, Isaiah.”
“That’s not what he was staring at.”
That silenced her for a moment. Was Isaiah really watching the guys chatting with her that closely? It almost made her smirk until the visual of an incensed Isaiah trying to pull the guy over the cart even as she and others tried in vain to calm him, had her shaking her head again.
“This is all the whole town will be talking about now. And fiancée? How am I supposed to explain that to my boss and anyone else who asks? All this time I’ve told anyone who’s asked me out that I’m not ready for any relationships and suddenly I’m engaged?”
She shook her head, sitting back in her seat with a huff. A part of her felt completely exasperated. The sudden fiancé whom the new widow in town hadn’t mentioned to anyone would be the talk of the town, and then he’d be gone forever the day after tomorrow. Yet another part of her couldn’t help feeling the tiniest bit giddy. Fiancée? Was it possible her “feeling comfortable with him” comment during lunch had jarred the memory of him saying they could pass for an engaged couple?
If anything, she’d been right on target about the growing irritation she thought she’d been imagining in Isaiah with every guy who greeted her so cheerfully. She was starting to enjoy it actually—until his over-the-top reaction.
“You should be thanking me then,” he said to her utter disbelief. “Your life’s way too complicated for any sort of relationship right now, right? You wouldn’t want to steer any of those saps wrong the way you did my brother, would you? Now you have the perfect excuse for why you can’t get involved with anyone who asks you out. And by the way, who the hell is Gordo?”
Closing her mouth, which had fallen open, she turned to him again. “First of all, I told you I made my intentions of wanting nothing more than a friendship with your brother perfectly clear from the very beginning.” Isaiah stared straight ahead as she watched his jaw line clench again, but she was done trying to convince him of that, so she moved on to his question instead. “Gordo is just one of the goons that work for my dad. I sent him away when he showed up here not too long ago because I was afraid of him doing something like what you did because he’s completely unpredictable and boorish. And speaking of when you’re gone, how do you propose I explain that I have a fiancé to all these town folks whose tongues are already no doubt wagging about this.”
“Tell them it’s none of their business,” he said with a scowl just as they drove into her driveway.
Kelli pushed the door open the moment he stopped the car. “That simple, huh? Obviously, you’ve never lived in a small town.”
Her phone rang just as they both reached the trunk, and her heart skipped when she saw the name on the screen. She answered it immediately, taking a few steps away from the car.
“Gilbert? What is it?”
“Don’t freak. Matt had a little episode today, but he’s fine now.”
“Episode? What do you mean?”
Isaiah eyed her as he walked by her, holding the bags from their day out. She turned to see the trunk of his car closed now. “Is that all of it?” she asked and he nodded. “I’ll be right in.”
“Who’s that you’re talking to?” Gilbert asked.
“The guy my dad sent to watch over me. What happened to Matt?”
Gilbert was quiet for a moment. “Do you know what today is?”
Raquel shook her head, wracking her brain, but nothing came to her. “No, what is it?”
“It’s the anniversary of the day of his mom’s—”
“Oh my God.” Kelli gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. “I didn’t know that. So what did he do?”
“He skipped work and I guess drank all day. I stopped by to check on him when I heard he hadn’t been into work today and he wasn’t returning any of my calls or texts.” She heard him inhale; then he continued. “Kelli, I thought the worst when I found him passed out in the front room, but he was just passed out from the alcohol.”
Gilbert explained how he’d woken Matt and helped him to the bathroom where he’d puked his brains out. After Matt had showered and passed out again, Gilbert saw his open laptop and the articles he’d been reading all day, about his mom’s death and his dad’s business.
Kelli’s heart ached for Matt. She thanked Gilbert for calling her and texted Matt as soon as she was off the phone.
I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you today. You should’ve called me. I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you.
K
Walking back into her house, she was quickly jerked back into reality when she saw her melons sitting on the kitchen counter and her fiancé sauntering toward his bedroom.
“Good, you’re in now.” His words were icier than they had been all day. “I thought I might have to go stand out there and watch you.”
She rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen and started putting some of the things she’d gotten today away. Taking a deep breath, she wondered how in the world she was really going to explain her fiancé to everyone at work.
It was easy for Isaiah to say all she had to tell them was that it was none of their business. She wasn’t looking to get on anyone’s bad side. As small as this town was, they were a suspicious bunch when it came to the newbies in town. She’d worked hard to not call any unwanted attention to herself. Mrs. Vanoy had already mentioned the town had a committee that was happy to do background checks on anyone they deemed suspicious. She’d informed Kelli of this more as a favor in case a young widow all alone like her ever felt she needed any protection. The woman didn’t know the half of it. The last thing Kelli needed was to have them spying into her background.
After she’d set up her new reading lamp in her room and walked out into the kitchen to start dinner, Isaiah informed her he was going out back to install her new screen and to make some calls. She’d watched him from the kitchen window. He made a few calls. Her suddenly jealous heart wondered if maybe he was calling Lola or Valerie, the person who called him last night when she’d been on his phone. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, so she could only assume he still wasn’t married, but she dared not ask.
She’d watched some more and could see he was also familiarizing himself with the backyard, the same thing he did when they’d first stepped outside earlier that day. He was probably glad she’d gotten the call when she had so he could walk into her house first and make sure it was all clear.
He’d since come inside but hadn’t said much before going into his room. Kelli frowned when she heard the television on in his bedroom. Apparently, the time he’d spent with her in town was as social as he planned on getting with her. Then she remembered something and walked over to his open bedroom door.
“There’s no cable in the bedrooms, but there is in the front room. The Padres game is about to start.”
“That’s okay. I’m just watching the news.” He barely took his eyes away from the television.
“Really? You don’t wanna watch your brother play?”
He glanced at her, his eyes sweeping up from her feet to her face before looking away quickly. “I’ll watch him in person in a few days.”
The icy demeanor hadn’t waned a bit. If this was how he wanted things to be, then this was how they’d be. She was done trying to be civil. “Suit yourself.”
Walking back through the front room, she picked up the remote and clicked the TV to the Padres game before heading into the kitchen again. After banging a few pots and pans around, she wondered if she should bother making enough dinner for both of them. He could make himself a damn sandwich if he were really hungry. Why should she continue to play nice when he obviously had no interest in being social? He’d likely take the plate back to his room as he had that morning just to avoid being in the same room with her too long.
When Kelli heard the broadcaster on the television announce that AJ “Rage” Romero was up to bat next, she rushed to the front room and grabbed the remote. She brought it back to the kitchen and upped the volume a bit. It didn’t matter how many times she may have seen him already. If she had a superstar ballplayer brother, she wouldn’t want to miss a single game. That just showed her how obstinate Isaiah really was, if he’d prefer to miss this than be in the same room with her.
As little as she knew Isaiah personally, she knew a lot about him. Back when she finally had a first and last name and knew what he did for a living, she’d been a little obsessed. It’s almost scary how much you can find out about a person on the Internet these days for free—even more if you’re willing to pay a few bucks. Pathetically, she had been. One of the things she’d found so endearing was how close he was to his siblings. Kelli actually smiled at that thought then frowned when something else came to her. Ironically, it could be the reason why his stubborn ass would never give her the time of day now.
While she’d been surprised to find out who else Isaiah was so closely related to, it wasn’t too hard to believe his brother was someone notorious for his intensity both on and off the baseball field. Isaiah’s reaction to the guy at the farmers’ market today was further proof that he and his brother had a lot more in common than just good looks. But Kelli had known the man was passionate just from the weekend she’d spent with him. His profound gaze was like none she’d ever been indulged with. It was a quality all three brothers shared and why she’d really been drawn to Nathan in the first place—because his gaze reminded her so much of Isaiah.
AJ hit one out of the park and Kelli clapped, smiling big. “Yes!”
Even before she’d known Isaiah was related to the Padres famous hotheaded catcher, she’d been a Padres fan through and through. She’d had season tickets at one point.
Finally, AJ’s home run got Isaiah out of his room. “You missed your brother’s home run,” she said as Isaiah walked out into the front room and he glanced at the television. “It was a solo home run, but it was still pretty.”
“We record them all.” Isaiah walked into the kitchen. “I’ll catch it when I get back home.”
Kelli didn’t even bother trying to hide her eye roll. Though she was certain he hadn’t seen it since he was back to doing everything to avoid eye contact. He glanced everywhere else in the kitchen—but at her—as if he were trying to find something.
“What are you looking for?”
“The bottled waters.”
She pointed at the fridge then walked over to the pantry, annoyed by his continued coldness. Just as she turned from the pantry, she bumped into him, and once again, as he had that morning, he jerked away from her as if he’d been electrocuted or something ridiculous. It was infuriating. In front of the whole town, he’d made it utterly clear that she was his property—his fiancée. Then behind closed doors he acted as if just touching her burned his skin.
“Look.” She glared at him because she’d had enough. “I get that you don’t like me—that I might even repulse you now—but you don’t have to be such a dick about this.”
“You don’t repulse me.” He was obviously still trying to avoid making eye contact with her for too long, but she continued to glare straight at him, and their eyes finally locked.
Having his full attention now actually made her a little weak, and that fury she’d begun to feel waned a bit. He started to say something then, to her surprise, took a hasty step forward, cradled her face in his big hands, and kissed her. It wasn’t soft or gentle as it was way back when he’d first kissed her. It was hard, purposeful—almost angry. But it excited her. Backing her up against the counter, he continued to devour her mouth as he pressed his hard body against hers.
Okay, maybe she didn’t repulse him. She had no idea where he was going with this, but she was helpless to stop him because she was melting with every delicious whirl of his tongue in her mouth. She was almost afraid he might stop just as hastily as he’d started and leave her there breathless in the kitchen, not knowing what to make of this.
Loving the feel of his mouth on her again, Kelli wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping he’d never stop. Only he didn’t. Instead, he lifted her onto the counter, bringing his hands up under her blouse and running his hands all over her back.
It was almost shameful how easily she’d given into this, after the way he’d been treating her, but Kelli felt completely helpless to stop it. Just like that she’d melted into his kisses—kissed him back just as eagerly—until he stopped to catch his breath for a moment. He stared into her eyes, almost as if to check if she were going to protest, but said nothing. When she didn’t protest, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Tell me to stop.”
Kelli inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as her body continued to tremble. “I don’t want you to,” she whispered.
“Kelli, please tell me to stop.”
His words were strained, almost pained. But she refused to say it. If he were going to stop, it’d be because he didn’t want this, not because she asked him to. This was something she’d been dreaming about ever since they parted ways after their weekend together.
“Why?” She kissed his forehead softly. “What I said to you that day in Los Angeles is the truth. Still is.” She ran her fingers through his hair as he gazed into her eyes again. “I’ve been dreaming about this impossibility for what feels like forever. Now that it’s actually happening, there’s no way I’m telling you to stop.”
The way he’d been gazing at her suddenly hardened. “Who the fuck is Gilbert?”
God, no. Kelli scrambled for a response. “A friend.”
He pulled away, raising a brow. “I thought you said only your father and the firm know you’re here.”
“It’s the truth. Gilbert is the only other person who has the number to my pre-paid phone, but he doesn’t know where I am.”
“So he’s a very close friend then?” His expression hardened further, and Kelli felt herself losing him as he shook his head.
Then he was gone. He pulled back, completely stepping away from the counter and roughly ran his fingers through his hair. “Don’t answer that.” He let his head fall back. “It’s none of my business. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about this.” He motioned to her on the counter. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad you did.”
“This can’t happen.” He ran his hands down his face. “I can’t do this. As much as I want to, Kel, I can’t.”
“Why?” she asked, feeling pathetic again, even though she already knew the answer.
Isaiah was admitting what she’d always suspected—that he wanted this as much as she did. As much as that gave her heart the tiniest of hopes, she also knew how adamant he was about this.
“You were with my brother,” he said, exasperated.
“No, I wasn’t.” She hopped off the counter, feeling completely frustrated. “I know it’s how he made it sound, but we were never together. I never slept with him. I went out with him a handful of times, and most of those times were only so I could talk to you because I was desperate to explain myself.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. “As far as he’s concerned, you’re his ex and that makes anything between you and me impossible.”
Kelli stared at him, not sure how much of her dignity she was willing to give up to win this argument. On the one hand, he was the only man she’d never been able to get over, despite there not being much to get over in the first place. She’d lowered herself and already swallowed her pride to chase after him just to be given the opportunity to plead her case. But there was something else Kelli picked up on. If they did this, this would be more than just sex. Her past with Nathan wouldn’t matter if this were to stay between the two of them here. It seemed he was saying if they did more this wouldn’t end here where his brother would never know about it. If anything more happened, Isaiah wanted it all.
That should’ve been music to her ears, but she lifted her chin, gathering her composure. Because in the face of all that, he was also making not doing this seem so easy. It’d be effortless for him to just pass on anything more between them. Just like that, he could walk away and never look back as easily as he’d already done once. And even though her body was still on fire from his kisses, he still hadn’t reached for her again to say he needed his lips on hers as desperately as she already needed to feel his again.
“Well, we can’t argue with impossible, can we?”
“No.” He licked his lips, exhaling slowly. “We can’t.” He started out of the kitchen then paused. “Again, I apologize—”
“Stop,” she said, willing the knot building in her throat to go away, and shook her head. “Just don’t.”
She swallowed back the emotion, hating that she could still taste him when she licked her lips. By the time she turned around from the stove where she’d walked to so he wouldn’t see the tears, he was in his room, door closed.