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Authors: Jennifer Lyon
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already in huge debt, and with medical bills…” He trailed off, gazing at the movie he had playing on Netflix.
Kat repressed her own wave of guilt. This wasn’t about her, but about Kel and his issues. “Diego is not Brian.” Kellen had been in a bad relationship with a man and endured escalating violence. Brian always blamed it on Kel’s lesser income and growing school debt, and somehow that had stuck in his brain. If he didn’t pull his financial weight, he’d get hit and be despised.
“I know.” He looked up from his plate. “I do. Really. I just have too much time to think right now.” He forced a smile. “Tell me what’s going on with you. So you’re going to Marshall’s engagement party a week from Saturday?”
Her stomach clenched at the reminder of the party for her brother and his fiancé. “Yes.” She rubbed her forehead. “David made a point of reminding me that he’d be there.” Of course he would. Marshall and David had been best friends since high school.
Kellen’s face flushed with anger. “I’m going with you. I might have to sit a lot, but it’s better than you facing the weasel ex alone.”
He would too. She knew he would, no matter how much pain he was in. But she wasn’t going to risk his recovery. “No you’re not. I handled David in my bakery, I can handle him at the party.” She hoped. She made herself eat some chicken as if she didn’t have a worry. It tasted like sawdust.
“You’re getting tougher. Keeping the streaks in your hair?”
That lifted her spirits, and she couldn’t resist grinning. “I’m told they’re hot.”
“Not from David, I know that much.” Kellen set his fork down. “Spill it.”
Kat debated telling him, but then she couldn’t hold back and burst out with the story of Sloane coming in the bakery the day before. Finally she stopped talking and took a drink of water.
“Plus-one proposition.” Kellen flashed his killer dimples. “That’s not even the interesting part.”
He was really enjoying this too much. “No?”
He shook his head. “Nope. The fascinating part is that he figured out how to entice you. Not with the usual promises of clothes, jewels, vacations…no not for our Kat. You walked away from that world. You’re more interested in the latest industrial mixer and upscale baking chocolate. But he didn’t go there either.”
“What makes you so sure he’s actually enticed me?”
“Oh, he has, Kit Kat. Your voice changes when you talk about him.” Kel smirked at her. “He’s figured you out. And he’s offering you the one thing that scares you as much as it tempts you. Learning to fight back, to get stronger.”
Her stomach clenched. “But what if I can’t do it?”
He regarded her and asked softly, “What if you can?”
She closed her eyes, trying to get a handle on the waves of worry, fear, longing.
“I was scared too with Diego. You know that.”
Yeah, she did. “Not the same thing. Sloane isn’t looking for a relationship.”
“Are you?”
Her guts burned. “No.” Never. She didn’t have that kind of trust in her anymore. Wouldn’t ever have it. “At least he’s honest about what he wants.”
“What do you want?”
She set her fork down. “I want to get stronger, Kellen. I don’t want to have a damn panic attack when I’m out of my safe zone. I’m so tired of being afraid.” It was a relief to say it. “But I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Just like recovering from your surgeries, and me learning to trust Diego, you take baby steps, kiddo. Start with one thing.”
That made sense. She didn’t have to jump into this whole thing with Sloane in one leap. “A lesson in self-defense.”
And, baby, I can’t put my hands on you…and not strip us both to our skin and fuck you until you’re screaming in pleasure. Taking this step would inevitably lead to the next. Excitement burrowed in her stomach, and lower. She didn’t remember any man ever having such a profound and
Kat repressed her own wave of guilt. This wasn’t about her, but about Kel and his issues. “Diego is not Brian.” Kellen had been in a bad relationship with a man and endured escalating violence. Brian always blamed it on Kel’s lesser income and growing school debt, and somehow that had stuck in his brain. If he didn’t pull his financial weight, he’d get hit and be despised.
“I know.” He looked up from his plate. “I do. Really. I just have too much time to think right now.” He forced a smile. “Tell me what’s going on with you. So you’re going to Marshall’s engagement party a week from Saturday?”
Her stomach clenched at the reminder of the party for her brother and his fiancé. “Yes.” She rubbed her forehead. “David made a point of reminding me that he’d be there.” Of course he would. Marshall and David had been best friends since high school.
Kellen’s face flushed with anger. “I’m going with you. I might have to sit a lot, but it’s better than you facing the weasel ex alone.”
He would too. She knew he would, no matter how much pain he was in. But she wasn’t going to risk his recovery. “No you’re not. I handled David in my bakery, I can handle him at the party.” She hoped. She made herself eat some chicken as if she didn’t have a worry. It tasted like sawdust.
“You’re getting tougher. Keeping the streaks in your hair?”
That lifted her spirits, and she couldn’t resist grinning. “I’m told they’re hot.”
“Not from David, I know that much.” Kellen set his fork down. “Spill it.”
Kat debated telling him, but then she couldn’t hold back and burst out with the story of Sloane coming in the bakery the day before. Finally she stopped talking and took a drink of water.
“Plus-one proposition.” Kellen flashed his killer dimples. “That’s not even the interesting part.”
He was really enjoying this too much. “No?”
He shook his head. “Nope. The fascinating part is that he figured out how to entice you. Not with the usual promises of clothes, jewels, vacations…no not for our Kat. You walked away from that world. You’re more interested in the latest industrial mixer and upscale baking chocolate. But he didn’t go there either.”
“What makes you so sure he’s actually enticed me?”
“Oh, he has, Kit Kat. Your voice changes when you talk about him.” Kel smirked at her. “He’s figured you out. And he’s offering you the one thing that scares you as much as it tempts you. Learning to fight back, to get stronger.”
Her stomach clenched. “But what if I can’t do it?”
He regarded her and asked softly, “What if you can?”
She closed her eyes, trying to get a handle on the waves of worry, fear, longing.
“I was scared too with Diego. You know that.”
Yeah, she did. “Not the same thing. Sloane isn’t looking for a relationship.”
“Are you?”
Her guts burned. “No.” Never. She didn’t have that kind of trust in her anymore. Wouldn’t ever have it. “At least he’s honest about what he wants.”
“What do you want?”
She set her fork down. “I want to get stronger, Kellen. I don’t want to have a damn panic attack when I’m out of my safe zone. I’m so tired of being afraid.” It was a relief to say it. “But I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Just like recovering from your surgeries, and me learning to trust Diego, you take baby steps, kiddo. Start with one thing.”
That made sense. She didn’t have to jump into this whole thing with Sloane in one leap. “A lesson in self-defense.”
And, baby, I can’t put my hands on you…and not strip us both to our skin and fuck you until you’re screaming in pleasure. Taking this step would inevitably lead to the next. Excitement burrowed in her stomach, and lower. She didn’t remember any man ever having such a profound and
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