Chapter 2
[Booster]
This situation is so fucked. And it is so like Connor, that fucking putz, to do something like this. Use my name. Use my place. Or in this case, sell it off to someone else.
Kali Summerbee appears innocent enough but looks can be deceiving.
Connor is a prime example. He’s got that too-smooth skin, suggesting an extensive, expensive skincare routine, and perfectly coiffed hair that doesn’t move in a windstorm.
He’s always been a pretty boy and a weak fucking tool.
His mother was the culprit. She enabled her sons’ poor behavior.
If Cinderella had stepsisters, I have step-monsters for siblings.
Calvin is only slightly better than Connor.
Thank the Universe, this property came to me when my dad passed away. He left the rest of his estate to them. The evil three.
I didn’t need his money. My high-earning years had been wisely invested, and my retirement officially began this year.
Fifty-fucking-two, and I was considered retired. It’d been a long season without my team, without my sport, but right now, I had another issue to process.
A pretty woman is standing in my guest cabin thanks to fucking Connor, and I don’t know what to do with her.
Thoughts that have no business crossing my mind occur. Ones involving her getting down on her knees, those sharp blue eyes blinking up at me. Or taking her over my knee and punishing her for ever being with Connor.
That wanker always cheated on his wife.
And I could have used the same punishments on Sorcha when she wanted to get back together. When she begged me to forgive her for glancing at Connor, let alone fucking him.
Yeah, I’m not interested in his leftovers. And as much as I hate that this woman might have been used by him, it’s a hard stop on any inappropriate thoughts about her.
Connor always wants what’s mine, but I’ve never envied what was his.
Which means this woman is definitely off limits.
“Look . . .” I hesitate, scratching the back of my neck. I’m no stranger to stalkers or ball bunnies or women trying to crash my place, but something about this woman says she’s none of the above, so with a heavy sigh, I say, “I guess you can stay out here for the week.”
She’s shorter than my six-three height and looks a little beat down, but not timid. Maybe tired describes her best. Connor has a way of doing that to women. Dragging their souls through flames and then tossing aside the burnt pieces.
Her shoulders fall as if she’s relieved with my offer, and she rapidly blinks.
Shit. Don’t cry. Don’t fucking cry. I’m a sucker for tears and I just can’t right now . . .
“Thank you,” she whispers, fighting her eyelids and offering me a weak smile. “I promise to stay out of your way. And I’ll just forget about this morning.”
Her gaze dips to the front of my sweatpants before quickly flitting toward the coffeemaker on the counter.
“What happened this morning?” I snap, before remembering exactly what happened.
How I’d stepped onto the balcony, drinking in the morning glory of this place.
The fresh scent of pine and the beauty of the clear lake, intent on sipping my coffee in peace, when a sharp sound and the crunch of rocks caught my attention.
And then the sunshine rays of blond hair on the woman staring at me raised all my hackles.
My dick was already at full mast.
Like I’ve said, no stranger to stalkers, ball bunnies, or those wily women who find a hidden location.
I nearly choked on my coffee and dropped the mug on the balcony as I rushed to dress in order to pursue my intruder. Thankfully, I didn’t have to run far as she was easily found in this small guest house.
“Yeah, about that—”
She holds up a hand and gives me the side of her face. “I didn’t see a thing.”
Now, wait a minute, I want to argue. There’s no way she didn’t see the length of my dick, standing tall and proud as I was greeting a new day. I’m not a nudist, but there is a strong connection between nudity, nature, and spirituality, and I was looking to add a link to sexuality.
As in, letting my sex flag fly in the great outdoors to some serious fantasizing and a hand job.
Instead, I have this woman shielding her eyes from me, and somehow, I don’t like it.
“Okay . . . well . . . yeah, I’ll just be at the big house, if you need anything.” Secretly, I’m hoping she won’t need me. I mean, anything. I’m here to silently celebrate retirement, which translates to mourning the end of a long, productive career.
“Thank you,” she says a little louder, a little more confidently, but no less filled with genuine gratitude. She looks like she could use this place for a little reprieve as much as me, but I’m not here to inquire about her broken heart or get friendly with a woe-is-me Connor throwaway.
His poor wife. I wince at the thought. He’s such a douchebag.
And a part of me feels sorry for this woman. The part that finds her too pretty for my own good.
“Alright then, Kali. Enjoy.” Turning on the pads of my bare feet, I exit the small cabin, surprised to find no relief in leaving her behind to fend for herself.
Kali is a ghost for the remainder of that first day and most of the next morning.
But when the sun hits high noon and the temperature reaches a perfect seventy degrees, I see her sitting on the floating dock that stretches atop the lake’s surface from the rocky beach.
I’m holding out until the last minute before pulling the thing out of the water.
Her firm arms brace her upright while her legs stretch before her, glistening in the bright sunshine. For some reason, she looks small on the wide, weatherproof planks, calmly resting on the lake.
What the fuck did Connor do to her? And why am I even wondering? It’s not my concern.
Still, her blue eyes looked sad yesterday. Her smile too weak for such a pretty face. Her cheeks are sun-kissed; her eyes cornered by slight crinkles. Lines that I’m certain come from laughter more than age.
I’m never good at pinning ages on women, so I don’t dare guess Kali’s.
Still, she’s not in her twenties. The weight on her shoulders yesterday suggests more than three decades of life.
More wisdom. Possibly more heartbreak. Something about her says experience, but whether that means professionally or in relationships, I can’t decipher.
And again, none of it should matter, but the longer she sits on my dock, the longer I can’t seem to relax on the balcony.
In no time, I find myself yanking two beers from my fridge and heading down to the beach, which isn’t a beach by most standards.
The gravel tumbles into hand-sized stones that lead to rocks the size of milk jugs just beneath the edge of the water.
A drop off happens rather quickly, making the glacial lake water refreshing this time of year.
As I near Kali, she doesn’t move despite my weight shifting the dock, rocking it just the slightest bit. Once I’m close enough, I hold the bottom of a cold bottle against her bare shoulder.
“Careful. You might burn out here.”
Despite being in September, the UV rays can still scorch, especially on a cloudless day with an ideal temp.
“I’m protected.” Nothing about her words should send my mind to a sex-history admission but being that I’ve been without sex for almost a year, my libido bunts, turning the play into a double, and skipping ahead to second base conversations.
Are you on the pill? I have condoms.
Yeah, that discussion won’t be happening here.
“Beer,” I say instead, holding up the bottle teeming with sweat in the afternoon heat.
“Thanks.” She reaches for the Montana special, giving me those blue eyes, and reminding me of the fantasy I can’t seem to erase.
The one where she’s on her knees, about the same height she’s currently seated, staring up at me, with my . . .
Okay, chill.
I fold down to sit next to her, but not too close. I should have brought out the low beach chairs or at least a towel to cushion the hardness of this dock. While my ass can handle it, my lower back needs the relief.
Mirroring her position, I stretch out my legs and use my arms to brace my upper body.
“So, Kali.” Her name hangs on my tongue. “What do you do for a living?”
She tucks her knees toward her chest and turns her head slowly in my direction. “We don’t have to do this.” Her voice is quiet, like I’ve roused her from deep thought.
“Do what?”
“Exchange all the niceties. I get that I’m not here to be your friend.”
Harsh.
“And I’ve invaded your privacy.”
True.
“I appreciate you letting me stay all the same. But I don’t expect anything from you.”
She wasn’t being snippy or sarcastic, just stating the facts. She’s not saying anything I haven’t already hoped she’d say. She’ll leave me alone. Yet, her words pierce my ribcage.
Suddenly, the last thing I want is to be left with my own thoughts. The ones questioning what’s next. I’m only fifty-two, and there is no way I can sit around all day. As much as I enjoy lake life and these Montana mountains, I cannot be still for long.
Clearing my throat, I start a different discussion.
“So what do you plan to do while you’re here?”
She shrugs, glancing back at the lake. “I want to see Glacier National Park, but I’m not certain how I’d get there. I flew into Kalispell and hired a car to bring me here.”
Unfortunately, our area doesn’t offer much in the way of Ubers. The Park is an hour away.
We aren’t even within walking distance of a grocery store or the handful of restaurants in the small town of Whitefish.
“Do you have food in that place?” I glance over my shoulder at the small cabin, knowing it isn’t stocked with perishables or fresh items.
“I’m managing.” She squints off in the distance.
Maybe she ordered delivered groceries, but I’m not appreciating her aloofness. Fuck it. “I can take you to town,” I offer before I even know I’m going to suggest it.
She glances back at me, resting her chin on her sunburned shoulder. “Thanks. But I’m taking this vacation as a find-yourself moment. Learning to manage on my own. Not that I haven’t been alone for a while now, but I’m looking to force myself not to rely on another person.”
“You aren’t relying on me,” I argue, finding my tone sharper than it should be. Clearing my throat, I start again. “I’m offering. Consider it a helping hand.”
She continues to stare at me, like she’s trying to puzzle together my intentions. Like she doesn’t trust that I have honorable ones.
Her first impression of me might not have been my best. Then again, her first glance exposed me at my rawest. Literally.
It’s the second impression that doesn’t put me in a positive light.
Not that I need her approval, but I did come on a little strong, and I blame it on Connor.
“Hey,” I lower my voice. “I’m sorry about yesterday. Connor is a fucking putz, and I’ll take all this up with him.”
She huffs, turning her head to face the water again. “If only you could get my money back.” She smiles weakly, more to herself than to me.
I sense Connor stole more than a thousand bucks from her.
And that becomes evident when she reaches for the dress sitting next to her to cover herself.
“Too much sun?” I tease.
When her arm comes over her belly like she’s trying to cover what’s already covered, I have the answer to my question. She doesn’t want me seeing her for some reason.
Too late, because she’s been sitting out here for a while in that bikini. The one with a high cut waist and a triangular top with a thick halter strap tied behind her neck. The one holding up heavy swells and exposing a little softness in her mid-section.
A middle that I’d like to sink my teeth into, along with seeing how well her hips fit in my large hands.
Jesus. I press the cool bottle of beer to my cheek as I stare out at the water as well. Abstaining from sex for nearly a year can wind a person up.
Now my dick wants to wake up.
After Sorcha, I didn’t want to be with someone else. I didn’t love her. Haven’t pined for her. But her fucking Connor mentally did me in.
Connor is younger than me by a few years and was not on the brink of ending his career.
After the Sorcha situation, I felt unattractive.
Not in a physical sense, but in a companionship one.
Like I didn’t have anything to offer anyone.
I no longer had a status. As if it wasn’t good enough to just age, and change direction, and search for a new path to lead my life.
“Just . . . covering up,” she says, breaking into my thoughts as she collects the length of the dress in her lap, leaving her legs exposed but her midsection out of my sight.
I hate that I might have made her uncomfortable. Or that she’s not comfortable in her own skin, proudly showing off what she has. The hint of those breasts. The swell of her hips.
Feeling the need to explain my current issue with Connor, other than my deep dislike of him, I say, “I was dating a girl named Sorcha . . . when she and Connor hooked up.”
At the sharp intake of her breath, I realize too late I’m starting the third wrong conversation.
Kali leans forward and tugs her dress over her thighs, like it’s another part of her she doesn’t want me to see, when all I’d been thinking about earlier was spreading them over my lap.
God, I’m going straight to hell.
“Connor is my husband. Was,” she corrects. “Well, is, my ex. And Sorcha was the name of the woman he cheated on me with.”
Fff-uck.
The list of Connor’s infractions continues growing.
Take over my dad’s company. Check.
Get divorced. Check.
Steal Booster’s girl. Check.
“Fuck,” I whisper aloud this time. “I’m so sorry, Kali.”
I’d never met her before because Connor didn’t bring her around on the rare occasions he showed at a game. And I never attended family functions once my dad married his mom.
To the evil three, I fell into the ugly stepchild category, while Dad was still proud of me.
Kali shrugs, finally cupping the beer, but not lifting it to her lips. Squinting into the distance again, she says, “He’s Connor, right? He only thinks about himself.”
She’s nailed it, but I don’t like that in the meantime, he screwed with her. His wife. Ex-wife.
We’re quiet for a while before she finally takes a drink of the Montana special. Her lips pucker around the wet bottle lip and I watch her throat softly roll as she drinks.
Needing my own drink to settle the questioning thoughts in my head and calm the unfurling in my swim shorts, I swallow hard as I gulp half my beer.
“I’m going for a swim,” I announce, like she even cares or needs to know my next move. Pressing up to my full height, I take long strides to reach the outer edge of the dock then throw myself into the much-needed icy water, drowning out thoughts of Connor and Sorcha.
And Kali.