Chapter One
Kellan
“Ignore her,” my friend Russell offered. “She’s just hoping to ruin your night. And she drove all the way up to Bellingham to do it.”
It couldn’t be coincidence my college ex-girlfriend, Carly, had chosen this particular bar to visit on the night of our fantasy football draft.
Every August, a group of guys from my freshman year of college got together at the local university hot spot to do the draft for our online team.
It was an excuse to catch up, drink beer, and talk football, and they’d done it for each of the six years since graduating.
This was the first year I’d been able to make it.
No doubt she’d heard about this evening through all of the social media postings about it.
I’d asked around, and no one had invited her.
Why six years after breaking up, she chose to show up now, I wasn’t certain.
All I knew was I hadn’t wanted any part of her drama back then, and I sure as hell didn’t want it now.
“You’re right. I don’t intend to waste a minute on her. How are you, my friend? Everything okay?” Although I didn’t see Russ often, he seemed off tonight.
“Yeah. It’s just been a crazy few weeks getting Layla moved up here.”
I knew his older sister lived in the LA area but had never met her. “I didn’t know she’d relocated.”
He sighed. “Yeah. It’s good to have her back home.”
Guess I wasn’t the only one returning after having been gone a number of years.
Directly after college, I’d moved to the East Coast, outside of Boston, to accept a position with a home remodeling company.
But I’d decided I missed both the milder winters and the more relaxed vibe of the West Coast. Not to mention being able to watch Monday night football at a decent hour.
“How’s Seattle treating you?” Russell asked. “You happy you moved back?”
“I am. I have a good team assembled and our first big job starting Monday.” I’d only been here a couple of months, but the Pacific Northwest was in the middle of a booming housing market.
One on which I hoped to capitalize. All I needed were the right connections, and word of mouth would spread quickly to grow my business.
This new job promised all of those things and more.
It involved the remodel of a large mansion on the Eastside in Kirkland.
“Great news. But do me a favor and don’t spend all of your time working.”
Yeah, so I had some serious workaholic tendencies. So much so that going out tonight was a rare occasion. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. My priority was my business.
“I won’t. How about you? You still enjoying Bellingham?
” The city, two hours north of Seattle, was both a college town and only miles from the Canadian border.
It had a lot of charm and gorgeous views.
I’d really enjoyed attending college here at Western Washington University.
And not just because the drinking age was nineteen over the border.
“Yes. I love it. For me, it’s always been my hometown, but it’s growing like everywhere else. Can’t complain, though. I love both teaching and coaching.”
Russ was a high school math teacher in addition to coaching the football and basketball teams. He was in his element in both the classroom and on the field. There wasn’t any better guy to influence the youth.
I glanced over toward Carly and watched her talk to some of the women who’d come along with their boyfriends.
She remained beautiful, with her honey-blond hair shorter than she’d worn it in college, and a body encased in a tight black dress that showed she kept in good shape. But all I saw was a cheater.
“Kellan, you’re up,” called out the commissioner, signaling me to make my next draft pick for the board and focus on the reason I was here.
“On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want to take off?” Russ asked after I’d made my choice.
“It’s about an eight point five out of ten, but it’s fine.
I’m not leaving. Just wishing I’d brought a date to send the message there’s not a chance in hell of anything happening with Carly again.
Ever.” But I hadn’t met a woman since moving back.
Even if I had, I wasn’t about to invite her to an event where she’d be meeting close friends.
That did not scream casual. And casual is all I had time for these days when I was trying to get my company up and running.
Russ had his phone out and was sending a text to someone. “Carly keeps glancing over here. As soon as you get up, I bet she’s gonna follow you.”
I sighed, ordering another beer from the waiter making his rounds. “I know.” It was as if she was biding her time, watching her prey. The image made me laugh. “Guess I’d best get it over with.” I was already a beer over my max capacity and needed the restroom. No more stalling.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Russ frowned at his own words. “Jesus, I sound like a chick. Forget I said that. I’ll be out here. Give a loud cuckkaw if you get in trouble.”
I chuckled, halfway tempted to go in a pair if it meant I could avoid the ex. Thankfully, I made my way into the men’s room without incident, but on the way out I found Carly waiting in the narrow hallway. Big surprise.
“Hi, Kellan.”
“Carly.” I gave her a nod and tried to walk past her, but she pouted and grabbed my wrist.
“Please. Give me five minutes. It’s been years. Are you really so angry with me you can’t be civil after all this time?”
I pulled my hand away from her touch and met her brown eyes. “I’m being civil, but that doesn’t mean we have anything to say.”
“Jesus. I was twenty-two and stupid. I did say I was sorry.”
My mouth curled up in a smirk. “Actually, you didn’t. I believe your exact words, when I came home from work early to find you riding my roommate on the sofa, were ‘but you don’t pay enough attention to me.’” I hadn’t had the time. Unlike her, I’d had to work my way through school.
She cringed. “Like I said, I was young and stupid. But I am sorry. Truly.”
Not that I trusted her, but the easiest thing was to give her forgiveness and move on. “Fine. Apology accepted. I need to get back before it’s my turn.”
But she wasn’t done. “Wait. Can’t we catch up? I’m staying at a hotel a couple of miles away. Perhaps we could go there and talk after you’re done.”
Her hand reached out, touching my chest and hinting what type of talking she had in mind. I had to admit I was slightly tempted. She’d always been good in bed, and frankly, it had been months since I’d had the time to get laid. But my pride wouldn’t let me go back there. “I don’t—”
She was already shaking her head. “Don’t say no. Especially since we’ll be seeing a lot more of one another in the near future.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “What do you mean?”
Her expression was knowing. “The house you’re remodeling starting Monday. It belongs to my parents.”
A sick sensation settled in my stomach. Then I realized it couldn’t be. “No, I’m working for a Mr. and Mrs. Williams.” I’d not met the couple yet, but Carly’s last name was Stewart.
“My parents divorced and my mom remarried. She took my stepfather’s last name. I saw the design. The remodel plans are amazing, and I was thrilled to find out you were one of the bids. Of course, with you being new, you weren’t my mother’s first choice, but I persuaded her.”
“What’s your game?” I didn’t want the fate of my biggest job and the reputation that would go with it having anything to do with my cheating, college ex-girlfriend.
She shrugged, looking coy. “Not a game. Simply a welcome back. I could give you a better one if you want to join me tonight.”
My name was being called from the tables to do my pick. The answer was a definitive no to sleeping with her. But she clearly hoped that if I worked on her mother’s home it would further her agenda.
Losing this job would devastate my short-term plan to reinvest the profit into my business. Nevertheless, I made myself clear. “It’s not gonna happen, Carly.”
A smile curved her lips. Confidence shone in her eyes. “We’ll see.”
Returning to the table, I quickly made my pick for the ninth round and sat down to take a long pull of my beer.
Russ sighed. “I should’ve gone with you. Please tell me you’re not taking her up to your room tonight, dude.”
I didn’t want to get into the revelation I was remodeling her mother’s house right now. I was still sick over it. “I’m not going anywhere with her. But she doesn’t like to take no as an answer.”
“Keep drinking like that, and it may not be.”
Shit, I’d drained half my beer. But I had too much self-respect to go back to someone who hadn’t appreciated the young man who’d been nothing but good to her.
I might have been only twenty-two at the time, but I’d been completely devoted to her.
I’d learned the hard way that it had been one-sided.
Now she dangled my big job in front of me as though I’d play the pawn in her game again.
It hardly seemed fair to be screwed over by the same person twice.
“It’s still not going to happen.”
“Glad to hear it. But I’m bringing in reinforcements anyhow.”
My brow quirked up. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry. I believe you when you say you’re done with your ex. But I don’t mind pissing her off for showing up uninvited and messing with you tonight.” Russ’s phone buzzed. He turned toward the front entrance and back with a grin, definitely up to something.
“What?” I turned to see what he’d been looking at and completely froze.
Walking in the door was the most stunning woman I’d ever seen.
Ebony hair hanging past her shoulders, big eyes I wished to learn the color of, and a body that made me stare.
She stood about five foot nine in her heels.
Dark-wash skinny jeans outlined every bit of her toned legs.
The red top accented her trim waist and perfect, round-shaped breasts.
I’d never consider myself a man who gawked at a woman’s body, but she was a sexy temptation I couldn’t resist.
She appeared to be making a beeline straight for me. What the hell?