Chapter Six
Kellan
Turned out, a morning person Layla was not. I could tell by the way she reluctantly rolled herself out of my bed once the alarm clock went off at four.
“You’re welcome to sleep here as long as you like,” I offered.
Frankly, I could get used to the idea of her in my bed and in my home.
“I’ve known you two days. You shouldn’t trust me alone in your house.” She was already getting dressed.
Logically speaking, she was right. Yet I felt comfortable with her, as if we’d known each other a good while.
By the time I’d made coffee downstairs in the kitchen, she was coming down with her bag in hand and her hair pulled back.
“Thank God, you have coffee. You have a to-go cup I can borrow?”
“I do, or you can drink it here and take your time.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You really are a gentleman, aren’t you?”
After pouring her java, I turned and pulled her into me. “Not every time.” I framed her face with my hands. “Especially not once you’re naked.”
“I like that side of you.” She leaned in to take my lips in a scorcher of a kiss.
By the time she stepped back, I was hard and wanting nothing more than to return upstairs.
“I’d better go before you’re late for work.”
“I’m tempted to call off sick.” I’d never uttered those words before.
“Better not. I have appointments today, so it’s probably a good thing I get an early start myself. Plus, I rather enjoy the anticipation of tonight.”
I dropped one last kiss on her upturned face while shaking off the craziness she was making me consider. “Me too. Here, let me take your bag. I’ll walk you down.”
After kissing her goodbye, I watched her pull away from the curb, already missing her. It made me wonder what Friday would hold.
I arrived a few minutes early to the Williamses’ house and took in the view of the water.
Then I turned to look at the house. It was a beautiful old mansion on a large waterfront lot, but it needed a lot of updating.
So much so that the Williamses had moved out for the duration of the work.
According to the plans, the place would look exceptional once it was finished.
A project that would no doubt get my business off to the best start.
The burning question was how much I could put up with from my ex through this four-month project.
The truth was, although her betrayal had hurt, it had been my cousin’s participation that had caused the only long-term effects.
He’d made excuses, he’d apologized, but the relationship with my very best friend had died that day.
So had our plans to take over his father’s successful home-building and remodeling business.
I hadn’t spoken with Brandon since. I’d heard that he’d gone through with his plans and had grown his father’s business.
The news drove me on to make my own mark.
The sound of tires crunching on the driveway had me turning around to see a white Land Rover coming toward me. Carly was behind the wheel. There didn’t appear to be anyone else in the car.
She parked and stepped out of the vehicle, looking as though she was on her way out for the night rather than a remodel site to meet with the builder.
When we’d met, I’d thought she was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen.
But she’d come from money, and I’d always felt unworthy, with two working-class parents and a job I worked to help fund college.
Now, being a confident man, I no longer let anyone diminish me.
“Kellan, how nice to see you.” She went in for the hug, which I endured but didn’t return.
“Where are your parents?”
She stepped back, a perfect pout on her painted lips. “Coming any minute. We thought tonight over dinner we could discuss the furnishings.”
Her assumption annoyed me. “I have plans. And furnishings won’t be something we’ll need to pick out for a few weeks.” And it wouldn’t need to be done over dinner.
“Plans with your girlfriend?”
This wouldn’t work if she intended to play games, particularly over a span of months. I decided to clear the air. “I hope we can work together on this house, but my personal life is off-limits.”
Even though Layla wasn’t my girlfriend, getting back together with Carly wasn’t an option. I still had too much resentment toward her even if I was angrier at my cousin. I’d never be able to look past their betrayal.
“I would imagine this job would open a lot of doors for you, would it not?”
Her threat was obvious, causing me to turn around and walk toward my truck. The job might mean a lot to me, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my pride for it, especially not to my cheating ex.
“Wait. Sorry. Kellan, wait—”
I turned toward her, hands on my hips, fighting my temper.
“I’d like it if we can be friendly during this. I won’t bring up the past again.”
“Or make veiled threats about my job depending on making dinner plans with you?”
She appeared chagrined and walked over to me. “I understand.” Her hand stuck out. “Shake on it.”
I took her hand, hoping this was a promise she meant to keep.
After I finished discussing the timeline and blueprints with Carly and her parents, I drove over to my remodel job in Bellevue, a project that was in the final stages.
Though I’d arrived there late, I left work early, much to the shock of my crew.
But I needed to get home, shower, and make dinner for Layla.
Unfortunately, Seattle traffic didn’t cooperate with my plans.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” This was why I didn’t date on a weeknight. But since I only had limited time with Layla, I was willing to deal with the short-term stress.
As I pulled into my driveway, I realized I only had five minutes before she arrived. I raced into the house and had barely taken off my shoes when the bell rang.
I answered the door to see her looking beautiful in a flirty red dress and matching heels. I was a sweaty bum in comparison.
“Hi, you,” she greeted.
I ran a hand through my hair, aware that my clothes were covered with drywall dust from the job. “Hi, gorgeous. Sorry. Traffic got me, and I just walked in.”
“No apology needed.”
I let her inside, noticing she was without a bag. “Did you not bring your things?”
“I didn’t want to appear presumptuous about spending the night.”
Leaning forward, I planted a kiss on her lips, careful not to touch her clothes. “I want to spend every minute I can with you before you leave.”
“In that case, my stuff is in the car.”
“I’ll run out and get your bag, jump in the shower, and then, I promise: dinner.”
“How about I go get my things while you shower to make things more efficient?”
It would save time. “Okay. Feel free to pour some wine but leave the cooking to me.”
“Believe me, we’re both better off if we leave that part to you. I’m only decent with breakfast foods.”
Layla was such a mystery—I loved learning things like this about her. “Good. Hopefully that means you’re easily impressed.”
I was up the stairs and in the shower in seconds.
There, I literally tried to scrub off the evidence of my day—the headache in dealing with my ex this morning, drywalling a basement, and traffic.
I was anxious to return downstairs and start dinner.
I’d finished washing my body and rinsing my hair when I whipped around at the sound of the shower door opening.
Layla, with her hair up, stepped in.
The instant my gaze feasted on her nude body, I forgot everything else.
She quirked her head to the side. “I thought I’d skip the wine.”
“I can’t say I mind. At all.”
“Good.” She didn’t hesitate but grabbed my soap, squirted the liquid into her hands, and rubbed it on my chest.
My eyes closed from the sensation of her hands massaging my skin.
“You seemed stressed about running late.”
I took a deep breath. “I was thinking about the limited amount of time I have to see you before you leave for the Peace Corps.”
My newest guess made her laugh. “I don’t have a clue how one joins the Peace Corps, let alone what they actually do. Probably means I’m not the type of person who’d join. As for the time spent with me, we’re spending it together now.”
Her hands worked their way down until she was grabbing my semi-erect shaft. She ran her soaped hands up and down in a delicious motion that made me grow larger in her talented hands.
“I wanted the perfect dinner for you.”
“It’s sweet you wanted everything that way, but perfection is overrated, not to mention unachievable.”
Yes, it was. This beautiful creature had walked into my life, giving me a glimpse of something for which I hadn’t known I wished, only to walk out of it again in four days. Not perfect at all. Just the thought had me anxious to touch her.
My lips crashed down on hers. Tasting her made me desperate to be inside of her—as if I hadn’t just been with her last night.
She seemed to feel the same urgency, raking her nails along my biceps and deepening our kiss.
Lifting her up against the shower shelf, I had to resist the urge to thrust into her in one move.
Clearly sensing my desire, she spoke. “We can’t. Not without a condom.”
My forehead touched hers. “I know. Not that I’m not clean.” What was I saying? Under no circumstances should I be thinking about going bare.
“I’m clean, too, but I’m not on the pill. And we’ve—”
I kissed her neck. “Only known each other a couple of days.”
“Exactly.”
We rinsed but didn’t bother to dry off before heading to the bedroom, her body wrapped around mine.
My heart felt as if it would explode. I couldn’t quit touching her.
Couldn’t get enough of her. There might as well have been a countdown clock above the bed.
We were greedy for one another and desperate for more time.
But this had to do. Having thoughts about this becoming more was dangerous.
She was leaving on Friday. I kept reminding myself of this fact, yet I didn’t want to dwell on it.
Didn’t want to think of the hole that would be left with her absence.
It was ridiculous I was so utterly consumed by her after only a few days, but it was true.