Chapter Four
Good God, what was she thinking?
Ella disconnected the call she’d just made to her father’s longtime caretaker, Betsy, closed her eyes, and pressed the cell phone to her forehead. What she really ought to be doing was bashing it against her skull to knock some sense into her addled brain for letting her attraction to her long-ago ex-boyfriend soften her determination to keep things strictly impersonal between them. But no, she’d actually agreed to go to dinner with Kyle Coleman . . . the man who’d broken her heart not once but twice now. The first time when he’d walked out of her life ten years ago and again when he’d bought the Piedmont building right out from under her.
Third time’s a charm, right?
She laughed quietly to herself and shook her head. She really didn’t want to be a glutton for punishment when it came to this man. Kyle had made it clear that he wasn’t selling the building at any cost, so there was absolutely no reason for her to stay in the city, or with him, any longer. Even if she dreaded dealing with the horrendous traffic congestion through Chicago on her commute back home.
If she was smart, she’d tell him she changed her mind and leave. But then she remembered how he’d apologized for what happened in the past and how genuinely contrite he’d been for the accusations he’d made against her sister. And truthfully, Ella knew Gwen wasn’t blameless in the entire scheme of what had transpired, which Ella had learned after the fact. But that one hot summer night had been frightful and terrifying, with her father discovering Gwen in the bathroom, delirious and covered in blood as she miscarried the baby they hadn’t even known she was carrying.
I’m going to kill the son of a bitch who did this to you, Ella had heard her father, Charles, yell just as she came home after spending a few stolen hours with Kyle, the two of them making out down by the creek that ran through the woods. Tell me who the father is, her dad demanded.
Ella had reached the bathroom at this point, and she’d gasped when she glanced inside and saw all the blood smeared along Gwen’s thighs and her sister wailing in agony on the floor with her father kneeling beside Gwen to help her through the pain that seemed to consume her.
It was Todd Coleman, Gwen finally confessed when she could speak, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Shock at her sister’s confession made Ella go numb. Completely the opposite of Kyle in every way, Todd had always been a punk and a troublemaker bordering on delinquent, and he was also three years older than Kyle. At twenty-one, he had no business messing around with such a young girl—even if her sister was known for being a bad girl who liked whatever attention she could get from a guy.
He’s the father but he didn’t want the baby. He gave me money to get rid of it, but I couldn’t do it.
The rage that had transformed her father’s features was unlike anything Ella had ever seen before. He was usually such an even-tempered man. Charles pushed past Ella on his way out of the bathroom, his face red and his eyes blazing with contempt.
Where are you going? Ella asked before he could leave.
To make that asshole pay for what he’s done, he said bitterly. You stay with your sister. I already called an ambulance to get her to the hospital. Once they take her, I need you to close up the store for me. William has to leave. I’ll meet you at the hospital after to be with Gwen.
Everything that had happened after that had been like living a nightmare. Half an hour later, the ambulance arrived at the house, and once Ella was assured that her sister was in good care with the paramedic and her miscarriage wasn’t life-threatening, she’d driven to the store as her father had requested. All the while she’d worried about her dad going head-to-head with someone as volatile as Todd, and possibly Kyle’s father, who always seemed to be at home and drunk.
Just as she was getting ready to leave the market to head to the hospital to be with her sister, Kyle had arrived, and the grim look on his face and the tense set of his shoulders nearly made her heart stop in her chest.
What happened? she’d blurted out in a panic, and listened as he relayed the story.
Kyle had been home when her father had banged his fist repeatedly on the door, rousing his dad, Frank, from where he’d been passed out on the couch. Kyle had been the one to answer the door, but his father, who’d been pissed off and furious with the noise, stumbled over to confront whomever was making such a racket. According to Kyle, when Ella’s father demanded to talk to Todd, his older brother had no qualms facing off with the man.
Belligerent and antagonistic, Todd repeatedly denied ever touching Gwen. Ella’s father’s fury pushed him over the edge and all hell broke loose. Accusations segued into pushing and shoving between the two men, and when Ella’s father threw a punch that clipped Todd in the jaw, Kyle had stepped in to keep his brother from taking down Ella’s father, and managed to keep the two of them separated. Kyle’s father threatened to call the police to press charges for trespassing and assault, but somehow Kyle had been able to diffuse the situation.
Your brother needs to step up and be a man and take responsibility for what happened to Gwen, Ella had stated angrily to Kyle, livid that Todd could be that much of an asshole that he’d deny any involvement with her sister, even while she was recovering from a miscarriage at the hospital.
Kyle’s body had stiffened, and his voice had turned harsher than she’d ever heard it before. He swears he never touched Gwen.
She’d been upset that he’d defended his brother, when they both knew Todd wasn’t exactly a stand-up kind of guy. Well, my sister said he was the father of her baby, she’d refuted, her tone sharp and firm.
Come on, Ella, Kyle shot back just as heatedly. Let’s be honest here. It’s not like your sister is pure and innocent. I’ve known guys in school that she’s slept with going back at least two years. Unfortunately, your sister has a reputation for being a slut, and there is no telling who the father of her baby might be.
Ella’s reaction had been swift and immediate. She’d slapped him across the face, hard enough that her palm stung from the impact and his head snapped to the side. When Kyle eventually looked back at her, they were both breathing hard, their anger equal in intensity. Her insides felt raw, her emotions in a turmoil. She’d been so furious with him in that moment, so hurt and betrayed by his words and how he could so easily lay the blame all on her sister, that she was shaking with shock and disappointment.
The ringing of her cell phone had jolted her out of their quiet and intense standoff—the first fight they’d ever had, and it couldn’t have been any more devastating. When she answered the call, it was the hospital informing her that her father had walked into the waiting area and asked for Gwen’s room number, then had collapsed—from a stroke. He was in critical condition and was being taken into surgery as they spoke.
Ella could still remember how that second round of shock had seemed to paralyze her. As soon as she’d blurted out what had just happened to her father, Kyle had insisted on accompanying her to the hospital. But knowing that her dad’s stroke had most likely been induced by the heated altercation at Kyle’s place, the last thing Ella had wanted was Kyle, or any of the Colemans, anywhere near her or her family.
Ella, please let me take you to the hospital, Kyle had said, the biting edge to his voice now gone. You shouldn’t be by yourself right now.
The only thing I want right now is for you to get out of my life, she’d said, knowing now that her words had been driven by fear for her father’s life and anger over the entire situation. At seventeen, her entire body and mind had been filled with terror over the possibility of losing her only living parent, and at that moment in time, Kyle and his family were too much a reminder of how they’d affected her dad’s and sister’s well-being.
There had been other things she’d said to Kyle to push him out of her life that day—hurtful things she’d wished she could take back days after the fact. But by then it had been too late. Kyle had left town early, a good month before they’d both been scheduled to leave for college, without saying good-bye. She’d been grief-stricken by his abrupt departure, even if she’d been the one to push him away.
That quickly, that easily, it had been the end of them.
Ella groaned softly as it all played back in her mind. The pain of those memories had certainly dulled with time, but seeing Kyle again, and listening to his sincere apology and the heartfelt things he’d said, made her realize just how much she’d loved Kyle. That a small part of her probably still did. I never should have left despite you wanting me gone. I should have been there for you when you needed someone the most.
Ella believed him, because his regrets were equal to her own. They’d just been too young to figure it out in time. His earlier words had melted away her anger and made her feel lighter than she had in a long time, despite losing out on the Piedmont building. They’d never be able to change the past, but like Kyle had said, it would certainly be nice to at least be friends. And friends had dinner together all the time, right?
The vibration of her phone in her hand alerted Ella of an incoming text. She glanced down to see it was from Claire.
So, how are things going in the city with Kyle? her friend asked.
Typing out everything that had just happened would take her forever, so Ella narrowed it down to the most important facts. Well, he won’t be selling me the building, and I’ll explain the details later. The rush-hour traffic out of the city is horrible, and he invited me to dinner. I’ll be back in a few hours.
Dinner, hmmm? I take it you two no longer hate each other. She added a cheesy grin emoji to the end of her text.
Ella had never hated Kyle. Ever. I think we’ve agreed to a truce, LOL.
A truce is a good place to start. It could lead to all sorts of interesting . . . things.
Ella rolled her eyes at Claire’s sexy insinuation, even though her friend wasn’t there to see it. It’s not like that.
But it could be? her friend persisted.
There was no refuting her attraction to Kyle in the present, and she could easily appreciate how gorgeous he was, with a hard, solid body she’d no doubt enjoy feeling pressed against hers. Back in high school, being with him had made her feel light and giddy. But now, recalling the way his warm fingers had brushed across her cheek earlier in a simple caress, there was no denying the way her breath had hitched in her throat and her nipples had tightened into stiff peaks.
The instantaneous desire that had curled tight and low in her belly had been unexpected but certainly not unwelcome. And she definitely hadn’t missed the reciprocating flash of heat in his eyes that one touch had elicited from him, too.
So, yes, Ella supposed interesting things could happen, except . . . I have no idea if he has a girlfriend or not, she texted to Claire, and could easily imagine her friend smirking over the fact that Ella had just revealed that she might have thought about Kyle as more than just a business adversary.
If he had a girlfriend, he wouldn’t have asked you to dinner, Claire swiftly responded. And now I’m going to give you some woman-to-woman advice. If Kyle is feeling the same vibe, there is nothing wrong with having a good time, if you know what I mean. You haven’t had sex since Tucker, and let’s face it, you admitted that sex with him was lackluster anyway. Kyle might just be what you need to jump-start your sex life again.
Ella let out a soft laugh and typed back. Are you serious right now? Stupid question. Of course her friend was serious. Hadn’t they just had this lack-of-sex conversation that afternoon before Ella had left for the city?
Absolutely. And knowing you, here’s another piece of advice. Don’t overthink things, Ella. If it feels right, just go with it.
He only asked me out to dinner, for crying out loud! Not back to his apartment for the night. She shook her head ruefully. I need to go. I’ll talk to you later, she typed just as a knock sounded at the door, seconds before Kyle popped his head inside, a slight smile on his lips.
“Everything good?” he asked.
“Yes.” She dropped her cell phone into her purse so she wouldn’t be distracted by any more “advice” from Claire. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take so long. I’m ready to go.” She headed toward the door, which he opened wide so she could pass through.
“How’s your father doing these days?” he asked as they exited the reception area and he pressed the button for the elevator. “My mom tells me that he comes into the Family Diner for breakfast occasionally with the woman who cares for him and that he seems to be doing pretty well.”
Ella appreciated that Kyle wasn’t skirting around the personal stuff, that he genuinely seemed to care about her dad’s health. “He is, though he does have difficulty with his fine motor skills and he has to use a cane to get around,” she said as they stepped into the elevator and started their descent to the ground level. “And of course that makes him ornery, but for the most part, he’s good . . . except for being a little—okay, a lot—upset that you bought the building next to the market when I’d intended to buy it.” And now that her plans had fallen through, she wasn’t sure what her next move was going to be. She just knew there would be an alternative strategy soon, because she wasn’t giving up on her goal to expand the market and bring in the artisans.
Kyle grimaced. “Yeah, I can’t imagine that your father thinks too fondly of me, considering everything that happened back then.”
“He suffered a lot that night, Kyle,” she said, her voice soft. “He watched his daughter miscarry a baby and had a stroke himself. A lot changed after that night, for all of us.”
“I know,” he said quietly.
He’d already apologized for his part in it all, and honestly, Ella was ready to move beyond that tragic night and just enjoy the next few hours with him as friends.
She smiled up at him. “I’m sorry I brought that up again. No more rehashing that part of our past, okay?”
“That works for me,” he replied with a grateful smile.
The steel doors slid open, and they walked out of the elevator to the main lobby that led to the streets of downtown Chicago. When she’d arrived, she’d entered through the quiet parking garage, but as soon as Kyle pushed open the door for her, her senses were assaulted with the loud, anxiety-inducing sounds of the city and the heavy foot traffic on the sidewalk as people hustled to their Friday evening destinations.
She tried not to panic as Kyle placed his hand at the small of her back to ease her into the overwhelming flow of bodies and to keep her close so they didn’t get separated, which she appreciated. Between the crowd of people and the towering buildings looming all around her, she felt confined and boxed in. Her heart started to race in anxiety, and in an attempt to keep calm, she inhaled a deep breath—and coughed repeatedly at the polluted air that filled her lungs. Ugh.
“Are you okay?” Kyle asked in concern, while he seemed totally at ease with the fast-paced and incredibly noisy city life. He was completely in his element.
All she could manage was a jerky nod, and he frowned at her as they stopped at a red traffic light where they needed to cross the street, clearly not believing her.
The light turned green, and they walked with the rest of the pedestrians through the designated crosswalk. A young kid on a bike flew by them, then swerved out into traffic to avoid running into a woman in a business suit. A car laid on the horn as it drove by, fraying her nerves to the breaking point.
She flinched, and without thinking, she clutched on to Kyle’s arm with both of hers, one hand clamping tight around his bicep and the other around his forearm as she clung to him, certain she looked like a frightened monkey. As if he sensed something was majorly wrong, he anchored her closer to his side and pulled her into the first alcove they came across, which was a boutique that was closed for the evening. She gulped in a breath, feeling as though she couldn’t inhale enough oxygen into her lungs.
“Jesus Christ, Ella. You’re not okay,” he said, his voice gruff as he framed her face in his hands, his brows furrowed in worry. “You’re shaking and on the verge of hyperventilating.”
On top of everything else, she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment that he had to see her like this. “It’s the city,” she wheezed out. “I hate everything about it. The noises, the people, the traffic.” She was starting to pant, which only increased her light-headedness and her panic. “Everything feels like it’s closing in on me.”
He immediately pulled her against his chest, and she went willingly. Wrapping one arm securely around her waist to hold her tight against his body, he pushed his other hand through her hair until his fingers were curved around the back of her head, which he guided down to his chest with her face turned away from the congested street. She desperately gripped his T-shirt like a lifeline.
“Close your eyes and concentrate on slow, deep breaths,” he ordered huskily. “Just relax. I’ve got you, Ella, and you’re going to be fine.”
She swallowed hard and concentrated on each inhale and exhale while he stroked his big hand up and down her back and gently massaged her skull with his fingers. Her cheek was pressed against his warm, solid chest, and she couldn’t remember ever feeling so safe and protected. For so long, she’d been the responsible one taking care of everyone else and putting their needs above her own. It had been that way for so many years that it had become second nature to her and a part of her daily life taking care of the market, her father, her sister . . .
But this comforting embrace . . . it was almost luxurious. Like a rare treat where she could let down her guard for a few minutes knowing that someone else had everything under control. She’d never thought that someone would be Kyle Coleman, or that being in his arms again would feel so good . . . or so perfectly right.
God, she’d missed him. So damn much.
She burrowed closer, stealing a few more moments with him. With her heart rate and breathing returning to normal, the masculine scent of him filled her senses—woodsy with a hint of spice—calming her jangled nerves and elevating her awareness of him as a man who was attentive, tempting, and becoming increasingly irresistible by the second.
While her body had softened against his, she realized that he’d gone tense, despite the gentle stroking motion of his palm along her back. Her breasts were cushioned against his muscled chest in the most sensual, arousing way, and through her skirt, she felt his thighs flex against hers as he shifted ever so subtly. She bit back a soft groan when the firm bulge in his jeans pressed against her lower stomach, telling her just how affected he was by this embrace, as well.
“Better?” he asked, his gruff voice reverberating through his chest and against her cheek.
“Yes. Much better,” she murmured, but made no effort to move just yet. Not until she was absolutely forced to, because this was sheer heaven. “Thank you for being so patient and understanding. I really do appreciate it.” Especially since the last trip she’d made into the city with Tucker, he hadn’t been all that sympathetic about her anxiety.
“Of course,” he responded, as if him taking care of her was a given. “I had no idea you had urban-phobia.”
“Urban-phobia?” She couldn’t contain the giggle that bubbled up inside of her as she lifted her head to meet his rich, dark brown gaze. “Did you just make that word up?”
“Maybe.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he gave her a boyish grin that peeked through that trimmed beard on his face and was filled with humor. “But you’ve got to admit, it sounds official, doesn’t it?”
She laughed, the last of those jittery nerves ebbing into a slow, simmering warmth that settled in her belly just as everything and everyone around them faded away. They stared into each other’s eyes, and with his arm still wrapped tight around her waist and his fingers still tangled in her hair, the atmosphere between them changed, their mutual desire growing into a nearly tangible thing.
Slowly, she released his shirt from her fists and splayed her hands on his chest so she could better span the impressive expanse of muscles beneath the soft cotton. He was solid and strong and well built, and so deliciously hard, she thought, as she dared to skim her hands a bit lower, until her thumbs boldly brushed across the upper ridges of what was undoubtedly the start of a spectacular six- or eight-pack abdomen.
A deep, tortured groan rumbled in his throat, and the fingers in her hair tightened. Holding her head immobile, he tipped her face up to his while his darkening gaze dropped to her mouth. His chest rose and fell much heavier now, as if he was trying to maintain a tight rein on his control, and right or wrong, she wanted to crumble that polite restraint.
She was suddenly dying to taste him, and the edgy, restless feeling swirling inside of her had nothing to do with being in the city and everything to do with wanting Kyle. Badly. While he watched, she slicked her tongue across her bottom lip, deliberately tempting and teasing him, and he accepted the invitation and lowered his head, brushing his mouth across hers in a soft, tentative kiss, as if he was giving her the chance to stop what was about to happen. Instead of pulling back, she parted her lips on a sigh and welcomed the bristling sensation of his beard against her skin, along with the seductive stroke of his tongue. Within seconds, sweet and gentle turned into hot, hard, and unapologetically deep.
With a low growl that sent tingles racing along her skin, he angled her head slightly and his tongue swept in and took over. His firm, sensual mouth molded to hers, commanding and demanding—and she could honestly say that she’d never been ravished like this before. The hunger and desire in his kiss were so powerful and heady they superseded anything that had been between them ten years before. This was an adult lust, filled with passion and pleasure and erotic promises. And he was a confident, sexual man who knew exactly how to make a woman ache in the best possible way and all the right places.
By the time he ended the kiss, that persistent pulse had made its way down between her legs, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it but squeeze her thighs together in a futile attempt to ease the relentless pang. But later tonight, when she was at home and alone in bed with her trusty battery-operated boyfriend, she knew it would be the memory of this steamy kiss of Kyle’s that would eventually get her off. So, at least she had that to look forward to.
He loosened his hold on the strands of hair he’d fisted and brought his hand down to her cheek. His thumb skimmed along her damp, kiss-swollen bottom lip, a too smug smile curving his mouth. “I hope you don’t expect me to apologize for that kiss.”
She raised her brows, his touch of arrogance amusing her. “I wouldn’t want you to.” It was the truth. She’d been an active participant and the kiss had been nothing short of amazing, but she also knew it was most likely a one-time, heat-of-the-moment thing. She and Kyle were not meant to be.
His eyes glimmered with remnants of desire and heat. “Glad we’re on the same page, Sunshine.”
Sunshine. Oh, wow. For ten years, she hadn’t heard the nickname he’d given her back in high school, but the intimacy of it was swift and immediate—as was the memory of what it meant to him. That she’d been the one bright spot in his life.
But before she could respond, he let her go completely, his gaze searching her face more seriously now. “The restaurant is only a few storefronts down,” he said. “Do you think you can make it there okay?”
She finally glanced back out to the main street, which was still busy, but she was calmer now, and the pizza place was closer than his office, so her choice was a no-brainer. And since she’d skipped lunch, she was getting really hungry. They’d just have to stay there until the activity on the sidewalk and streets died down. Being with Kyle for a few hours certainly wouldn’t be a hardship.
“Yes, I’m good,” she assured him.
He took her hand in his and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “You got this,” he said with a smile that helped to bolster her determination. “And more importantly, I won’t let anything happen to you while you’re with me.”
The best part was, she believed him.