Cruel (The Buck Boys Heroes 2)

He sets his binder on the corner of my desk. “Juliet, I promise you that he will be back.”

I glance at the open page of the binder to see a photograph of red-chested bird. It’s not a robin. It’s something else.

“That’s a rose-breasted Grosbeak.” Nigel taps a fingertip on the picture. “The sounds they make are some of the sweetest I’ve ever heard.”

“I know something that sounds sweeter.”

That voice. God, that voice. I have longed to hear it all day.

I look toward my office door. “Kavan.”

“My Juliet,” he whispers.

“Mr. Bane.” Nigel bolts to his feet with his binder in hand. “I’m going home. I’ll send Nara and Alcott on their way too.”

He starts toward the door but stops when he’s next to Kavan. “It’s good to see you, sir.”

“It’s good to know you, Nigel.” He pats Nigel’s shoulder. “I need you to start calling me Kavan. We’re family.”

“I can do that,” Nigel says in a tone tainted with emotion. “Goodnight, Juliet. Goodnight, Kavan.”

“Goodnight,” I call as he takes his leave.

Kavan approaches, reaching out a hand to me. I snatch it quickly in mine. “I was so worried.”

“I drove north to some lake,” he says, pulling me to my feet. “I met a very wise woman on a bench. She helped me find the words that I’ve wanted to say to you for a long time.”

A lump forms in my throat so all I can manage is a nod.

“I love you, Juliet Bardin.”

“I love you, Kavan Bane.”

“The article.” I glance at my closed laptop. “Kavan, I know you read it. I was never going to submit it. I hope you know that. Trust me, I never would have.”

“I trust you,” he whispers before he kisses me softly. “That’s why I want you to submit it.”

“What?”

His hands move to cup my cheeks. With his brilliant blue eyes searing a path into my soul, he smiles. “You wrote that from your heart. The world deserves to read it.”

“You’re sure?”

“Juliet.” My name comes out of him sounding sweeter than it ever has before. “I’m forty two billion percent sure.”

She laughs. “You know that I never mentioned Ares in the article or that night because that doesn’t have to define you anymore, Kavan. You’re an incredibly kind, sensitive, and thoughtful man.”

“I know.” He tilts my chin up with his finger. “I want you to know those details. It’s important for me to share them with you now.”

“Now?”

“Now,” he repeats.

I nod. “Good, but you should know that you have thousands of notifications on your phone.”

He looks to where it’s sitting on my desk. “That can wait. This is more important.”

We settle on the couch in front of the fireplace.

Kavan places a blanket over my lap even though I’m not chilled.

He takes both of my hands in his and bends his leg at the knee so he can face me.

“We went to Miami for a conference. It was related to a business that my father had acquired a month, maybe two months before.”

I nod.

“The idea was that we’d hang out and talk.” He shakes his head. “We didn’t have a lot of time for that so I was eager to get that chance.”

Even before hearing it from his lips, I could tell that he adored his father.

“I had something important to talk to him about,” he confesses. “It was a pretty big shift in my life and I needed his approval. That was vital to me.”

He takes a second to gaze at the roaring flames.

“What did you want to talk to him about?” I question softly.

His eyes lock on mine. “I wanted to leave the business and go back to school.”

“Really?” Surprise taints my tone.

“To study medicine.”

My hand jumps to cover my mouth. “I had no idea that interests you.”

“It did,” he says gently. “Back then, it did. Now, my interest is Bane Enterprises and you, of course.”

I smile.

“We had a great day on the beach.” He laughs. “He ran into the ocean. I took off after him because my dad couldn’t swim.”

“You probably can like a champion.”

He flexes a bicep. “Varsity team in college.”

“Cookie-cutter…”

“There’s nothing cookie-cutter about me.” He leans closer to kiss me.

I gaze into his eyes. “You’re right.”

Nodding, he kisses my palm. “We had some shots, some food, walked in the sand, and then he wanted to go back to the room.”

“You didn’t?”

“There were bikinis everywhere.” He shoots me a look. “I was single.”

“Ready to mingle,” I add.

“Something like that. Before he left to go to the room, I told him my news.” He glances up at the ceiling. “I threw it all out there. I said I wanted a chance to pursue my dream instead of his. I wanted to be a doctor.”

“What did he say?”

He glances at me again. “He laughed until he noticed I wasn’t laughing.”

“I’m sorry,” I offer with a squeeze of my hand over his.