That was enough for me to reach for her hand. “Do I look bored?”
I let my need for her show in my eyes. The air between us sizzled and her hand gripped mine tighter. “No,” she whispered.
I bent so our faces were closer. “Are you?”
She swallowed visibly. “No.”
I raised a hand and ran a thumb lightly across her bottom lip. “I like the way you say no, but I bet I’m going to love when you say yes.”
Her face flushed and her breath warmed my thumb. “Is that your go-to line with women?”
It was a valid question. As I played my words back in my head, they did sound like something a man would say when he was on the hunt. I moved my hand to caress her jaw and the smooth-as-silk skin behind her ear. “I don’t need lines.”
Her eyebrows shot up and she barked out a laugh. “Wow, your ego is . . . impressive.”
I chuckled. “That came out wrong.”
There was humor in her eyes as she asked, “What would have been the right way?”
I withdrew my hand. “And here I was thinking that you’re a nice person.”
She didn’t back down. “Oh, I’m nice, but I’m also curious. What’s it like to be you?”
I opened my mouth to say something playful, but held it back and asked, “How real do you want me to get?” I regretted my question as soon as I’d voiced it because the tone of our conversation as well as the expression in her eyes instantly changed.
She said, “As real as you’re comfortable being with me.”
I shifted back in my seat and ran both hands over my face before leaning forward again and looking her right in the eye. “I don’t know anymore. Things used to make sense, even what I was angry about did. My entire life is upside down right now and I’m just trying to find my footing.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” She voiced the question with such sincerity I was humbled by it. She deserved so much better than I was bringing to her.
“Not yet.” No, I refused to lay the whole abusive father, rich dangerous brother, impulsive sister shit at her door. “I should have stayed away until my head was straight, but I wanted to see you.”
She searched my face. “Are you married?”
My lips twisted in a smile. “I wish it were that simple.”
“I don’t.” She let out a sigh. “Running from a loan shark?”
“No. Are those even a real thing?”
“I have no idea.” She shrugged then leaned closer. “Give me something. Is it the reason you’re here rather than on tour?”
She was good. “It is, actually.”
“Okay.”
Days had gone by since I’d decided to call Dominic and I had yet to do so. I’d flown to Florida to see Jade without even calling home to tell my family I’d canceled the rest of my tour. Frustrated with myself, I growled, “I can’t tell if things are getting better or worse. I don’t know how to protect the people I love or if I’m even supposed to. I have so much anger inside of me and I don’t know what to do with it or who I am without it.” My hands fisted on the table, and I saw her eyes widen with concern. I relaxed my hands. “That didn’t come out right, either.” I groaned. “I should go.”
She stopped me from leaving by lightly touching my arm. “Why are you here, Kal?”
I tried to find the words to articulate it but couldn’t. Instead, I reached down to the bag I’d brought with me to the beach, pulled out the book she’d sent me and pushed it across the table to her. It looked ragged, a little water damaged, and I had no idea what her reaction to what I’d done with it would be. “Open it.”
She did. As she read one of her hands came up to her mouth. She began to flip through the book, scouring my notes without saying anything then looked up at me. “You did all this since we met?”
“And more. I started a journal as well.”
With one hand flat on a page of the book, she said, “You sought out everyone in the book and met them?”
“Not all of them, but most.”
“And you dived with them? Kal, this is incredible.”
“The book inspired me to reach out to them—you inspired me. I wrote everything down so I’d remember what to thank you for.”
She glanced over my notes in the book and read one aloud. “I wish you were here, Jade. Today I . . .” then asked, “These notes are all for me?”
To lighten the mood a little, I joked, “I guess that depends on if you think they’re romantic or too much.”
When she met my gaze again, her eyes were brimming with tears. “They’re beautiful and I don’t really care how messed up you are, I’m glad you’re here.”
I laughed. “That’s—”
Her face went red. “I didn’t mean . . .”
I kissed her then. It felt better than anything either of us could have said. She met my passion with her own and for a moment nothing else mattered. Only location and what was left of our restraint kept the kiss from progressing. I broke it off and we sat there simply staring into each other’s eyes without speaking.
Eventually she whispered, “Can I show you something?”
“Sure,” I answered in an equally hushed voice.
She dug her phone out of her purse and brought up a photo on it. “That’s me in Michigan packing for Florida. I took that picture for you.”
I moved my chair closer, put an arm around the back of hers, and breathed her in while looking at the screen. “Tell me you’re not a Tigers fan.”
She nodded shamelessly.
“That’s a problem. I’m a Red Sox fan.”
She chuckled breathlessly. “Glad we sorted that out before we got attached to each other.”
“I might be able to get over it.” I bent and nuzzled her neck. “I’m already attached.”
She shuddered against me. “Me too.” The cheeky look she gave me had my heart thudding. “But sorry, I can’t be with a Red Sox fan.”
My answer was to kiss my way up her neck to her ear. “I bet I could change your mind.”
Her quickened breathing matched exactly how I was feeling. I didn’t want to be in public with her anymore. All the reasons why I felt we should take things slowly fell right out of my head. She cleared her throat and asked, “Would you like to go somewhere quieter where I could show you . . . more photos?”
I kissed her again then growled, “I’m up for whatever you want.”
She paid the bill and I let her because my mind was racing with all the ways I would repay her that night. I also agreed that she should drive for the same reason.
CHAPTER NINE
Jade
I didn’t ask myself if we were going too fast, because how I felt around Kal didn’t leave room for such questions. Every inch of my body was focused on him and impatiently craving his touch. His must have felt the same because I’d barely pulled out of the parking lot before he released his seat belt and shifted so he could reach me better.
He kissed my neck and shoulder while yanking the front of my shirt free of my jeans. His touch was forceful and exciting. This was a man who knew what he wanted and what he wanted was me. His hand was strong and rough, but oh so skilled as it slid up my stomach and beneath my bra, pushing it above my breasts so they were freed for him to explore.