I heard a sound, and the base of my neck prickled with sudden heat. I felt the pull of a different source tug at me.
I turned and met the light-blue gaze I knew so well, had missed so much, and had hoped never to see again.
“Hello, Kelly.”
CHAPTER THREE
Kelly
God, he looked good. I watched Brett drink his water in long pulls, the tendons in his throat contracting as he swallowed. He was shirtless, his torso covered in a sheen of sweat. His back was a road map of muscles, his arms solid. I knew how his broad shoulders felt under my fingers, how his biceps felt as they swelled and moved. His longer, wavy hair was gone, the cut shorter at the back now, the front longer and brushed up high away from his face.
I had tried to stay away. I knew he didn’t want to see me—not that I could blame him. But the silence at Charly’s place was too much to take. The painful recent memories burned hot, playing over and over again in my mind until I couldn’t handle it anymore. I had borrowed Charly’s old bike and peddled my way to Stefano’s.
Gabby was outside on the porch rocking Luna when I arrived, and she welcomed me.
“Come to the back!” she exclaimed. “I just finished feeding and changing Luna. Stefano just headed there.”
“Can I use your washroom first?” I asked. “Little sweaty after the ride.”
“Of course. See you there. I won’t say anything, so it’ll be a surprise. Everyone will be so happy to see you.”
I hadn’t expected to bump into Brett as soon as I stepped out of the washroom, feeling fresher now that I had washed my face and wiped off my arms and legs with a cool cloth.
But somehow I wasn’t surprised. I was never very good at avoiding the man.
Something alerted him to my presence, and he turned, our eyes locking across the room. He didn’t seem shocked to see me as our gazes connected, his clear blue calm and steady.
“Hello, Kelly,” he said, his tone polite and distant, as if greeting a stranger.
“Brett,” I replied, after swallowing the thickness in my throat. I tried not to stare at his bare torso, not to remember how his muscles rippled as he moved inside me, the way he would groan when I would suck his nipples into my mouth and nip them playfully with my teeth. How his chest would rumble in pleasure as I kissed my way down his torso, ghosting my lips over his tight abs.
The crack of his glass slamming down on the counter brought me out of my lust-induced haze. I lifted my eyes, meeting his narrowed stare.
“You done?” he asked.
“Sorry, I lost my train of thought,” I murmured.
He stepped closer, his gaze like ice. “I know exactly where your train of thought went, Kelly. And let me tell you, the station is closed. That—us—is never happening again.” He bent, his breath hot on my face as he spoke, fury dripping from his voice. “You fucked me over once too often. Not interested. Understand? You got me?”
His heat surrounded me. His strength was palpable and his anger raw.
“Yes,” I whispered, sorrow filling my chest. I had anticipated his anger, but I was still disappointed.
I expected him to push past me. Walk away. But he remained close for a moment, the feel of him tempting. I wanted to move in closer, to feel his arms around me. His hand twitched as if he felt the draw between us.
Then with a muttered curse, he spun on his heel and stalked toward the door.
“Stay the fuck away from me,” he demanded, slamming out of the house.
I had to stay in place, trying not to shake as I closed my eyes. For a moment, I had felt it. That odd, intense connection we always had between us had blossomed and grown, filling the air around us like a balloon filling with helium. Light and buoyant, only to fizzle and fall as reality set in.
But I had felt something else when he was close. His desire. The hardening of his cock when he was in front of me. Close enough to touch. He had felt that draw too.
Only this time, he walked away.
I sighed. It was for the best. I wasn’t good for him, and I couldn’t give him what he needed.
As always, I ignored that little voice in my head that whispered that maybe he could give me what I needed.
I sat down at the table for a few moments to calm my nerves. I shouldn’t have come, but I couldn’t leave now. Gabby knew I was here. So did Brett. If I left, he would know why.
I sighed, running a hand over my hair with a frown. I needed a haircut. The last couple of locations we’d been at, we were too busy to take the time out for something as trivial as a haircut, and it was too long, brushing the collar of my T-shirt. I would have to find a place in town and get it trimmed.