Broken (9 page)

This little hiatus was his first in too long to count. He thrived on the kill, needed it to get through the day or he’d be bored out of his fucking mind. Now this one seemed to be a challenge of a different kind. One he had no experience with, one that if he were honest, scared the shit out of him. He wasn’t too fond of that shit.

“I asked you a question.”

“Yes, I understand.” She spoke through gritted teeth. If Kerry had any idea of the turmoil that was going on inside him, she might’ve took pity on him, but all she saw was a very angry man whose anger seemed to be directed at her.

It was kind of unsettling to think that she had that kind of effect on the opposite sex, seeing as how

she’d already lost a husband. Somehow Kyle’s anger cut a little deeper.

Then the crazy man changed up on her again. “So what are you having? The fish looks good.” The fish was almost twenty dollars; she balked.

“Um, I think maybe I’ll have the chicken.” He looked up at her but didn’t say a word. Chicken was always the least expensive thing on the menu, and since he wouldn’t let her have the soup and salad special she figured she was safe with that.

Kyle ordered for them both and even threw in the salad as a starter for her and the soup for him along with glasses of sweet tea. He still had ahold of her hand and had graduated to rubbing his thumb over her palm.

He was staring at something over her shoulder but she decided it was more like when you get caught in one of those mind freezes where you’re not really seeing what you’re looking at and left it alone.

In the meantime, she was trying her damnedest to ignore the stares from everyone around them, but that wasn’t easy when they started coming up to the table. Dammit, she wasn’t ready for this, especially not in front of him.

“Hey Kerry, it’s nice to see you out and about. How’ve you been? Haven’t seen you since the divorce. We all thought you’d skipped town under cover of night.” The smirk that accompanied that greeting said it all.

Sarah Cummings was Jen’s best friend and was once part of Kerry’s inner circle. She was one of the first to abandon ship, since as she’d said, Jen fit in more with her lawyer husband and their crew than she, Kerry ever did.

“I’m, okay thanks.” She was anything but, but refused to give the other woman the satisfaction.

“And who’s this?” She turned her attention to Kyle who had yet to look at her. Sarah was one of those bottled blondes with silicone in her tits. She wouldn’t have kids because she didn’t want them to destroy her figure; you know the type. Kerry had never felt threatened by the other woman before, but for some reason she didn’t like the way she leaned over as if trying to give Kyle a better view of her inflated tits.

Something must’ve given her discomfort away or maybe it was the fact that Kyle, unlike most men, paid attention and had picked up on the slight. “Are you always this catty?” You could’ve blown Kerry over with a feather. He said it so calmly he might as well have been asking about the weather.

“I beg your pardon?” Sarah’s hand went to her chest and her face took on that hard look that Kerry remembered only too well. It’s the one she used when she was getting ready to tear into someone. “Pretty sure you heard me, now why don’t you take your fake tits and your even faker attitude back over there, where you came from? And tell the others at your table they can fuck off too.”

“Well, I never…” Sarah puffed up like a bullfrog ready to spew her special brand of venom, but she was cut short by the master before she could.

“And you won’t.” He didn’t even spare her a glance as he picked Kerry’s hand up from the table and kissed her fingers again, sending shock waves through her. It was a dismissive act and the other woman got the message as she stomped off back the way she came.

“You’ve had to put up with a lot of that?” He went back to looking over her shoulder at someone or something and she couldn’t resist taking a quick look. She was just in time to see Sarah join a table of most of her former friends and gesture in their direction.

She swung her head back around quickly and snatched up her glass of water. “Um no, I haven’t really seen anyone since the divorce.”

“Too busy hiding huh.” It wasn’t a question so she didn’t bother to answer just sipped on her water and wished for the moment to end.

She had no doubt that Paul and Jen would be getting an earful in the not too distant future. The thought made her tummy hurt. “She’s not gonna like that.” Sarah was a known troublemaker and because her husband was such a successful attorney, most people steered clear of her venom. She’s been queen bee around these parts for quite some time, and Kerry knew she wouldn’t soon forget this slight.

“Who, the blonde? Fuck ‘er.” She guessed that was okay for him to say since he was going to be hopping on that bike of his soon and heading out of town for parts unknown, while she would be left here holding the bag.

She was about to say just that to him when the waitress came over with their starters. Of course she eyed his potato soup; they made the best here. But she lifted her fork to dig into her salad greens.

Kyle saw her every move, it was as if somehow he was attuned to her or some shit. It was spooky. Like the way he’d honed in on the table of women across the room earlier and knew that he needed to protect her from them.

Normally he wouldn’t have been that unpleasant to a complete stranger, not without much provocation, but something about the way his Kerry had reacted to her mere presence had tipped him off that today wasn’t the first time she’d been at the end of that wasp’s tongue.

He guessed that was going to be part of his responsibility now too, figuring out who the fuck the enemy was, and breaking them down. Fuck! Like he had time for this small town bullshit drama.

But since she was involved, he guessed he didn’t have much of a choice. He hadn’t dug too deep into the mechanics of the town. Mostly, the people he ran into were friends of his grandparents when he went to the pharmacy to pick shit up for gramps, or went to one of their old hangouts on some errand or other for the old man. No one had ever mentioned her or what had happened to her in his presence. Why would they?

He’d learned all he did about her from Lucille, but it looked like he was going to have to do some digging on his own. Now she was sitting there

eating her little salad and eyeing the steam from his soup.

“Open.” He held the spoon up to her lips until she opened her mouth and accepted his offering. “Fuck Kerry, it’s soup.” She had that look on her face again. Not quite as intense as the one she’d worn after the kiss, but close enough.

His dick was pressing against his zipper and his mouth was damn near dry. “I know but it’s so good.” She licked the residue from her lips and he groaned. Of course he fed her damn near the whole bowl after that, like his ass was in some kinda trance.

It was in the middle of lunch, while he was sneakily feeding her the fish he knew she’d wanted while he ate bits of her chicken that it hit him. She was a sensual being, one of those people that felt things on a whole other level. He doubted the little innocent even realized it. It shocked the shit out of him that’s for sure. How the fuck had she managed that?

People like that, were a rare breed, and it would take someone with great strength and a whole lot of fuck power to keep up with her. Now a lot of things made sense. “What?” She’d caught him looking at her, just staring as she chewed her food.

“Nothing, love!” Her heart tripped. Not only at the endearment, but also at the way he reached out and ran his thumb along the corner of her lips. She wondered what the hell was wrong with her when her body reacted so strongly to that innocent little touch.

Was she so desperately deprived of human affection that the mere touch of a man’s fingertip against her skin made her break out in goose bumps? She couldn’t help herself. Her tongue came out to taste his finger before she drew it back in. Her eyes widened in mortification, but before she could make an excuse, he leaned over right there at the table and kissed her.

Merciful fuck, she almost inhaled him. He’d only meant to test her-well to test his theory, but the way she went under and pulled on his tongue-the sounds she made in her throat-fuck he was a goner. He was ready for that look this time when he pulled away and took in every aspect of her.

Her eyes were glazed, skin flush and those nipples of hers were pressing hard against her shirt and bra. Then he got pissed for another reason. Did she react this way to that asshole she’d been married to? He’d ring her fucking neck if she had.

Uh-oh, I wonder what burr got under his butt this time? Kerry kept her eyes averted as soon as she sensed the change in him. Unlike down by the water, this time he kept whatever was bothering him behind his teeth, but she could see that tic working away in his cheek again. Why did he insist on kissing her if it was just gonna make him mad?

As much as she enjoyed his mouth on hers, his tongue playing with hers, she was going to have to put an end to it. What a shame, she was really starting to enjoy this kissing stuff. Something she hadn’t had nearly enough of in her married life.

Paul had always been too tired either from studying in the beginning, or from getting his practice off the ground later. Their encounters were usually of the stick it in and roll over five minutes later kind. He’d be out, snoring, while she was only just getting started.

You better not think about Paul, not even in an unfavorable light around this one. He seems able to scent blood. “Are you done?” Kyle had just decided where he was going to start his digging expedition and couldn’t wait to get the fuck outta there so he could get a move on.

“Sure, thanks for lunch.” She felt shy and unsure of herself all of a sudden. They didn’t seem to be too good at parting, and she didn’t know how this would end.

“We’re not friends who ran into each other, you don’t have to thank me for feeding you. It’s my job.” He says the weirdest things. It was her only thought as she grabbed her purse and headed to the restroom while he took care of the bill.

This time as they left he put his hand in the small of her back as he led her from the restaurant. She dared one last glance behind her at the infamous table and wasn’t at all surprised to see all eyes on them. She tried not to let it bother her too much as he led her to the truck and repeated his earlier actions. She did feel a little special at the way he took care of her. If only his moods weren’t so mercurial, maybe she could relax and enjoy it.

Again, he did the hand holding thing as he drove, but she sensed that he was preoccupied. When they reached her home he helped her down and walked her to the door, still in complete silence. “Do you have anything planned for the day?”

“No, I think I’ll do some writing.”

“Fine, I’ll pick you up later, or I’ll bring something in for dinner.” That sounded so domesticated, but there was nothing domesticated about the kiss he gave her, or the way his arms held her as if she belonged there. Her toes literally curled in her sandals and she was clinging to him before she could stop herself.

No wonder he turned into Mr. Hyde after each kiss. He probably thought she was looking for happily ever after the way she clung to him. Like a little lost puppy. “Stop it. Go inside and make sure your phone is charged. I’ll call you so that you can have my number saved.”

He took a folded piece of paper from his jeans pocket with what she gathered was the number to her new cell phone on it. With one last look and a kiss to her temple he was gone.

She stood in the same spot for another minute or so trying to make sense of what was going on with her life in the last couple of days. As she moved into the daunting little space, she realized it had been more than twenty-four hours since she’d mourned the loss of her former life. At least that was something.

Chapter 6

***

A
cross town, Kyle was headed into the office of one Dr. Paul Blunt. He needed to see what the fuck he was up against. Not that he saw the other man as competition, he wouldn’t allow that shit. But he needed to get a look and feel for this guy to see what it was that she seemed to want to hold onto.

The little receptionist at the desk saw him coming and perked right up. If he wasn’t already half gone over the one he’d just left, he might’ve given her a second glance. Figures, the day after he’d met that one he’d run into just the type of woman he would’ve gone for had she not flung herself under his damn skin. Ain’t that a bitch?

“Good afternoon, may I help you?”

“I need to see the doctor.” He looked at her just to see if there was anything. Not a fucking blip. His dick was still semi-hard, but she had nothing to do with it, he couldn’t even raise a smile for her and she was trying so hard. If she smiled any wider it would break her jaw.

“Oh do you have an appointment?” She looked down at the appointment book on her desk. There was no one in the sitting area, but if the guy was busy he could always come back, though he’d prefer to get this shit over and done.

“No, is he busy?”

“Actually, you’re in luck. He’s between patients right now. Have a seat and I’ll see if he can see you now. What’s your name?”

“Clancy, Kyle Clancy.”

“I’ll be right back.” She threw him another megawatt smile and added a little sashay to her walk as she headed down the short hallway to the closed door. It wasn’t long before she was back ushering him into the office.

He walked in with a chip on his shoulder, his back up, and his gut full of something. This was the man who’d had his Kerry. He didn’t know since when he’d started thinking of her like that, but it didn’t matter now. “Yes may I help you?”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” He turned and walked right the fuck back out.

He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but that milksop wasn’t it. What the fuck? What had she ever seen in that guy? The dude looked more like a wet behind the ears kid than anybody’s husband. He looked soft and just, fuck. The fuck had a receding hairline and the beginning of a paunch.

He couldn’t believe he’d been worried about that fuck. And the truth is he had been. He didn’t admit that to himself until now, but that’s part of what had been bothering him. Now he had one last pressing question that he needed answered and he could put this shit away. Whatever lingering feelings she may still have for that runt he’d fuck them out of her plain and simple.

Lucille had given him the name and the address in passing, but it wasn’t until now that he realized the significance of the last names. These days, divorcees didn’t really go to the trouble of changing them, though he was glad she did, but he needed to know. He was fucking obsessed.

He wanted to know if she’d ever lit up for that fuck the way she did for him. If she ever clung to him like she was trying to get under the same skin. The thought infuriated him so much that by the time he got back to her door he was halfway to a raving lunatic again.

He laid on the doorbell until she came, looking flustered and out of breath. “What the fuck were you doing?” He moved her out of the way and stepped inside his eyes combing the room.

“What, nothing? I was in the kitchen getting coffee I had to run to get the door.” He looked down at her and all he wanted was to pick her up and find the nearest flat surface. Or the wall, the wall could be good. Though he thought the first time he got inside of her it might be better for her if she was horizontal. The way she made him feel, he was sure there would be very little finesse.

“Why did you go back to your maiden name?”

Her eyes clouded over and he saw the hurt before she was able to cover it up. “Paul petitioned the judge to forbid me to use his name legally. His…his wife didn’t want there to be another Mrs. Blunt in town, except for his mother of course.”

Her eyes were wide pools of hurt and misery. He pulled her into his chest as it ached for her. What the fuck had those two done to her? He felt. For the first time in a long time he felt something for someone other than family. He kept replaying her life story as it had been told to him over and over in his head as he held her, this final blow tearing at his heart.

As much as he wouldn’t have wanted her to have the other man’s name, he could only imagine what being stripped of everything had done to his sensual little girl. She’d been completely destroyed.

As he stood there, holding her fighting back raw emotion. Pain, anger, hate. He promised himself that he wouldn’t fuck with her unless he was sure of what it was he was after. The need was there yes. The desire to bury himself deep inside her hot little body and fuck for a week rode him hard. But he couldn’t see himself using her and walking away, not after all she had already been through.

Pulling back, he took her face between his hands so he could study her eyes. “You’re a very brave girl aren’t you baby?” She would have to be to have stayed here after all this shit, even if she’d had nowhere else to go. A lesser woman would’ve crumbled into dust.

He didn’t wonder at the wealth of emotion that rose up in him as he looked into her bruised soul through her eyes. He wanted to wrap her up in cotton and protect her from everything and everyone else. But who was going to protect her from him?

What was he going to bring into her life? And was she ready for it?

She’d better be, because it looked like it was out of his control. Maybe it was providence after all that they’d met, and fuck if he knew fuck all about that sappy shit. But whatever he knew or didn’t, one thing was for sure. He couldn’t leave her until he saw this thing through. Come what may, she was in his blood now and he was afraid it wouldn’t be easy getting her out again.

“Why don’t I join you for that cup of coffee sweetheart?” He didn’t answer the questions in her eyes, but instead took her hand and walked deeper into the apartment after closing the door.

He hated this place. She didn’t belong here. First chance he gets he was going to look into that divorce of hers. Though he sure as fuck didn’t want her to have anything from the other man, he wouldn’t mind raking the fuck over the coals to get her some of her own back.

He had yet to lay eyes on this ex-best-friend, but he was sure from what little he’d learned that she was of the same caliber as that Sarah person. Fucking succubus. He could well imagine that his princess was no match for her, not in that arena anyway. She didn’t seem like she could hurt a fly if the fucker buzzed around her head all day. He’d just have to bring some of his own special brand of fuck you to the little town. There was no fucking way he was living here with that shit hanging over his woman’s head. FUCK!

It looked like she’d done in two days what his gramps hadn’t been able to accomplish in weeks. One day with her and already he was thinking of staying. He didn’t dwell too heavily on the change. Nothing was set in stone yet. But he accepted that walking away from this, from her, wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d first believed.

“You go back to your writing, I’ll get the coffee.” He stopped her from going into the kitchen. His mind was now going in the opposite direction from only a day ago. Instead of tucking tail and running like he’d been tempted to, he was now ready to go full blast to stay. That’s always the way with him. No half stepping. Anything in life that was worth having he’d move mountains to attain.

She was such an enigma though, a mix of siren and innocent. A combination he had no experience with but was sure he was going to enjoy the fuck out of tapping into. It didn’t matter that things were moving way too fast, or that some might wonder at the timing. Fuck that! He’d never given a good damn what anyone else thought and he wasn’t about to start now.

He came back with his coffee and the one he’d found sitting on the counter. Placing hers beside her, he turned his back and walked over to the two stingy windows that looked out onto an even stingier patch of grass. He strategized his next move while she tapped away at the keys behind him. He felt his shoulders relax with every sip of the strong brew as her presence in the room gave him peace.

That was it wasn’t it? That’s how she’d snuck in under his guard. With her he didn’t feel the need to keep his shields up. Looking over his shoulder, he studied her, as she was lost in concentration. It’s funny. She was the one being on earth that he should’ve been more guarded against. The only one who’d ever posed a threat to the man he was.

Yet somehow, he’d left himself open and she’d conquered him without even trying. “So fucking perfect.” He whispered the words to himself before turning back to the windows. He had a fuck load of shit to take care of if he was gonna do this. He heaved a deep sigh before raising his mug to his lips.

Now that he’d sort of made up his mind he no longer had that hunted feeling like he was prey or some fuck. He’d had a good run outrunning the relationship game. He’d kept his head above water and tread carefully along the marsh and traps that other women had set for him.

But he guessed at thirty-five it was time he settled down. His mom would be so pleased, and he was almost certain that she’d love his choice. Once again, he found himself smiling secretly at the fact that she’d reeled him in without any real effort. In fact, he would venture to say that she had no idea she’d even achieved that. Maybe that too was part of the appeal. The fact that unlike most of the women of his acquaintance she hadn’t been gunning for him. She had no idea of his worth, and yet she’d melted in his arms.

He finished his coffee to the sound of her fingers tap-tapping away on the keys behind him. “I’ll leave you to your writing, I’ll be back later.” He needed to get started on some of that shit he had to do. Leaning over, he kissed her long and hard, leaving her slumped against the chair with swollen lips and hungry eyes. “Later.” With a pass of his hand over her amazing hair he left.

His step was a lot lighter than it had been as he climbed into his truck and headed for gramps’ place. As he pulled into the driveway he saw the old man hoofing it from across the street. Him and Lucille had been out in her front yard doing who knows what.

“Afternoon Kyle, how’s our Kerry doing today?” Lucille called from across the way. He didn’t ask the woman how she knew where he’d been. What would be the point? He was sure the two of them had taken up clocking his every move, and probably had a bevy of their old nosy ass friends spying on his ass.

“She’s okay, I left her writing.” Gramps looked better and his color was coming back. He had that old twinkle in his eye that his mother had always accused Kyle of inheriting. Up to no fucking good! “Good boy.” The old man clapped him on the shoulder as they both waved at Lucille and headed for the house.

“So, what are we up to today? You look better.”

“What do you mean grandpa?”

“Well, since you been here you’ve been about the sorriest sight I’ve ever seen. I was about to call your mama and ask her just what the hell you been getting up to in that big city of yours, but hell if you don’t look half alive today.” Kyle just looked at him. Sneaky fucker was up to something.

“That Kerry sure is a fine girl isn’t she? Sad what that sorry son of a bitch did to her, and her being all alone in this world and all.” He shook his head.

Uh huh, I’ve got your game you old fake. “Say gramps, it’s been a while but I seem to remember there used to be this nice neighborhood down by the water.”

What he remembered is that that’s where all the big shots lived. Millionaire row it was called if he recalled. “Well now that place has been all the rage with the out-of-towners here lately. Last I heard some hotshot bought the biggest place down there and built him a mansion. A right beauty I heard tell. Sitting on a prime forty acres overlooking the water on a hill.”

“Oh yeah? They got any more real estate down there for sale you think?”

“Well now I was fixing to tell ya. That hotshot ran into some trouble a few months back. Lost his shirt in some scheme or other, gotta sell. Lucille was just now saying how it’s a shame that beautiful place is gonna go to waste cause sure as spit no one around here can afford it. Been on the market for a spell.”

Kyle didn’t miss the side eyed glance or the hopeful way the old man was looking at him. “Lucille say anything about the price?” He was sure she knew down to the damn penny.

“Two point five million.”

“Hmm. What say you and me head on out there and have a look?”

He hadn’t seen the old man move that fast since he’d come to town. Barring the fact that he was essentially doing this for her, he would’ve done it just to see that joy in his gramps’ face.

They headed out with the old man talking a mile a minute trying to sell him on the idea of small town life. It was true he could work from anywhere and head back when the need arose. She could go with him on those trips. As he listened to the old man try to reel him in he was busy planning her life in his head.

He didn’t once question whether or not she’d be on board with any of this. As far as he was concerned the decision had been made, now set in fucking stone. That part of him that made him such a formidable foe in the boardroom was in full effect. She didn’t stand a chance. Besides, the way she went up in flames in his arms, he didn’t foresee any problems. And if she made her past a stumbling block then he’d just have to smash that fuck into pieces.