Chapter Four
Saturday, October 29
Jonathan and Kiera’s house
Dallas, TX
Ian
W hen I drive into the gated community, I’m in awe of the houses around me. From extremely lavish to simply elegant, each house I see is more jaw-dropping than the last.
Soon after driving past the first couple of streets, the GPS in my car prompts me to turn left, and the destination would be on my right. After doing so, I park my car at the curb.
I knew Jonathan and his soon-to-be bride were looking into houses. But when I heard they bought the house of their dreams within two months of finding it, I was surprised. Clearly, they’re not wasting any time starting their lives together.
This house, with its stucco finish and stacked stone exterior, screams homey but still gives an elegant feel. Gray shutters accent the picture windows. An arch of white stone at the entrance complements iron doors. The walkway to the front door is decorated with small greenery and vibrant flowers on both sides.
Maybe someday you could have that white picket fence life, too.
A house? Possibly. A wife and kids? There was a long time when I thought that idea had become a pipe dream, especially after Katy left. But with Kami? I’m dreaming about it again.
I get out of my pickup truck and pull a large box of booze with a small gift bag on top. I’m starting to walk up to the entrance when I see Jonathan coming out of the front door in a white and gold tunic with gold sandals. Yep, this is definitely a Halloween party.
“Hey, man,” he greets me.
“Hey! Don’t you look…ethereal.” I nod to him.
He chuckles. “It was all Kiera’s idea. I’m just the mannequin. Need help with that?”
“Nope. All good. My gift to y’all is on top, though, if you want to grab it.”
He grabs the little blue paper bag and looks inside. “Thanks, man. Kiera loves mugs, especially if they’re matching.” He scans my Halloween costume. “And who are you supposed to be?”
For over the past month, I’ve been buried in work. From hiring and rehiring management, to opening and closing the bar, I haven’t found much time outside of work to do much of anything.
During that time, I’ve made sure Kami knows she’s still on my mind by sending her gifts. Thank god to Kiera for being an ally, and giving me Kami’s address.
I gave her a bouquet of flowers I thought she’d appreciate, a Swarovski Crystal bracelet of the Phantom of the Opera mask, along with a DVD copy of the Broadway show at the Royal Albert Hall, and a perfume that smells like jasmine. The same scent I kept smelling the night we were together. The scent that’s still driving me crazy.
I’m not surprised she hasn’t contacted me about my gifts. No doubt she’s been trying to avoid me since the engagement party. But I remain optimistic because she hasn’t returned any of the presents. I may be putting her on notice, but how else do I get her attention? What else can I do to get her to talk to me?
Walking into a Halloween store a few hours earlier, I grabbed the first decent costume that I saw. I don’t care what I look like as long as it’s from the men’s department, in my size, and has more fabric than an Adam and Eve costume combined.
“Uh, pirate…I think.”
I’m wearing a white, flowing, transparent shirt and brown vest with dark blue pants, and brown, knee-length boots. A cheap-looking pirate hat is on the top of my head. Better than nothing, right?
“Come on in, Ian,” Kiera greets me, holding the door open as I enter the house. She wears a costume similar to Jonathan’s, only she wears her hair in waves and with a gold headband.
“Thanks, Kiera.” I smile. “Where would you like the booze?”
“Set it in the kitchen just ahead.” She indicates the passthrough.
“Thanks. You guys have a beautiful home. Congrats.”
“Thanks, man.” Jonathan wraps his arms around the petite brunette. Her smile toward him is so smitten, it’s hard not to grin for them.
I walk into the immaculate kitchen with marble countertops, black cabinets, and a gas stove. The rectangular-shaped island in the middle of the kitchen is completely covered in delicious foods. A variety of sweet and salty makes my mouth water.
“There goes my diet,” I mutter.
“We’ll take that as a compliment.” Mia walks in and greets me. “Hey, Ian.”
“Hey, Mia,” I greet back. “I see you and Kiera have been busy.”
Her hair is in waves. Her makeup sultry as she wears a tight, purple corset and black pants with a pointy witch hat on her head.
“It wasn’t just us. Most of the ideas for the food came from—”
“Me.”
I hear Kami’s voice before I even see her make the corner and come behind Mia.
The minute she comes into view, I’m blown away by her all-black sexy vampire costume. Her black-laced corset highlights her hourglass figure. Her tits spill over the top, screaming to me “Put me in your mouth. I taste good.” Her short, ruffled skirt barely covers the tops of her thighs, which are dressed in sheer, fishnet stockings. Shit, how am I going to keep my hands off her tonight? Then again, what if that’s the idea?
I realize I’ve been staring too long at her tits, bounce my gaze back up to her face, and mentally pick my jaw up from off the floor.
“Nice to see you again…Kami.” I smile.
She slightly stiffens. She must have remembered Mia was standing next to her because then her body language turns neutral, almost aloof.
“You, too.” Her gaze is everywhere but on me.
Mia then quickly interjects. “I’m going to put up the rest of the decorations before more people arrive.”
“I’ll help—” Kami begins to say when Mia stops her.
“I got this. Just…chill.” Mia winks.
Thank you, Mia.
Kami rolls her eyes, then turns back to me, staying on one side of the island while I stand on the other. “So what do you have for me this time?”
I grin at the confirmation that she received my gifts. “Just me this time. Did you like the other gifts I gave you?”
She hesitates. “As…kind as it was for you to send me those things, you didn’t need to.”
“I wanted to. And my intention wasn’t to be just ‘kind.’” I might as well come out and say it. “I like you, Kami.”
I watch her face contort into that same expression that she made back at the bar. As though she were fighting with herself. There’s a long pause between us. What is going on in that gorgeous head of hers?
Eventually, she takes a deep breath. “Why are you spending this money on me? You don’t even know me.”
She has a point. This is my second time seeing her since our night between the sheets.
“I don’t, but I’d like to. I sent you those things because I wanted you to know I was listening. Paying attention to what you had to say. I find you fascinating.”
She shakes her head. “That’s very…flattering of you, but that doesn’t change things. Even if I was looking for a special someone, it’d be someone not serious about a relationship, who still wants to party, and maybe someone…younger.”
Did she really just call me old?
Excuses. They’re all excuses. “You sure about that? Cause you don’t look sure.”
Her cheeks turn red. I can’t tell if she’s mad or blushing. “My point is, you’re still barking up the wrong tree. I don’t have time for relationships.”
I’m calling bullshit. “Don’t have time to date or don’t want to date me?” I challenge.
“Look, I’m willing to compromise, so let’s just be friends.”
“Friends? We fucked each other into oblivion, and you want to be friends?”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’ve got a problem with that?”
If she had zero interest in me, we wouldn’t have had sex that night, she would have returned my gifts, and she definitely would have nipped this conversation in the bud.
And yet here we are.
Circling around the long kitchen island, I close the distance between us. She watches me as I inch my body closer and closer to hers. Her face looks panicked, yet she doesn’t move an inch. She’s frozen in place, staring up at me like I’m the only thing standing between her and insanity.
Once we’re chest to chest, and our stares lock, my nose is met with that same damn hypnotic scent of hers. This time, it’s even more powerful.
Could she be wearing the perfume I gave her right now?
I study every aspect of her face before leaning my forehead against hers, her lips inches away from mine. “I’m afraid I do, baby.”
“W-why?” she breathes.
I caress the side of her face. She unconsciously leans toward my touch. “Because I don’t usually want to fuck my friends.”