Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
S alem
Kellen and I sit at the kitchen table enjoying the delicious butterscotch cookies that have always been his favorite treat and ice cold glasses of milk. It’s the most wholesome thing I’ve seen from him, and I have a hard time not being charmed by it.
I know I should be fighting this attraction between us. God knows I’ve tried. I really have. I convinced myself that he was the lowest of the low after what he did at the villa, and there have been times during these past months at the house that he made it very easy to loathe him, just as the rest of the world does.
But then there are times like this and when we hung out together while I was making cupcakes and when he had our first date that make it hard to not like him. He’s cute and completely charming without even trying.
“Maybe we should spend more time in kitchens,” I mumble before taking another bite of scrumptious butterscotch cookie.
He looks at me strangely and waits for me to offer some explanation. Since I hadn’t actually planned on saying that out loud, I don’t add anything, which makes my comment even odder.
“So, do you have a thing for kitchens?” he asks in a confused voice, likely thinking that’s the logical follow-up question.
I can’t help but laugh at how baffled he sounds. Yet still, he’s trying, so I shake my head and answer, “No, not really. I was just thinking about how the nicest times we’ve spent together have been in kitchens.”
Kellen thinks about it for a moment or two and says, “Or maybe it wasn’t where we were but what we were eating or making.”
“That’s true. Maybe it’s not location but food.”
A sly grin lifts the corners of his mouth, and he sighs. “Although if we’re being honest, the best times we had were at the villa. Did we eat anything or spend much time in the kitchen there?”
I think back to that time and smile. “Just that incredible breakfast. That was different, though.”
Shrugging, he leans back in his chair. “I guess since it was on an island and the weather was much warmer.” He stops for a second before asking, “Or is it different because of what I did by ghosting you?”
God, I really don’t want to ruin this night by talking about that. It’s been so wonderful with the birth of Matthias and Ava’s baby and these incredible cookies Eleanor made for Kellen. Maybe it’s time I let that resentment go once and for all, if not to make things better between us than to give myself a reprieve from thinking about how terrible that made me feel.
I take a big gulp of milk to wash down a bite of cookie and look him directly in the eyes. “I understand why you did what you did. It made me feel like shit, but I know now it was more about you and not me. You apologized, and that’s all anyone can ask for. So you don’t have to think that every time the topic of the villa comes up that I’ll be thinking you’re a son of a bitch for leaving me there.”
His eyes grow big when I let a little residual bitterness about what happened slip out, but then he nods. “I get it. I deserve that. I hope you see I’ve tried to show you how sorry I am and how I’m not that guy, though.”
“I have, Kellen.”
For a second, I stop because I don’t know if now’s the time to say what I have to say. I don’t want to ruin this night, but maybe I need to come clean with him.
“You know, I took this job not knowing who I’d be working with, and then I saw it was you, and the first thing that ran through my mind was I wanted to see you suffer. I was no better than the rest of the world judging you. That’s not who I am, though. I’m a nice person who tries not to hurt people. It may sound na?ve, but I like being that way. Perhaps it’s simple, but it lets me sleep at night. The problem is I didn’t want to be that nice person with you, so a lot of the time I’ve had to spend with you has been hard for me.”
I stop to gather my thoughts, and Kellen says, “I think I know what you’re trying to tell me. I get it. I guess it was too much to hope my past behavior wouldn’t affect any future we could have.”
Holding my hand up to stop him, I shake my head. “No, let me finish. I was having a hard time doing my job because I was letting my personal life intrude on my professional life, and I’ve never done that before. That’s the way it’s supposed to be—I’m not supposed to be able to do my job effectively if I have a personal interest in my client. Now I’m not so sure that’s right. I can’t help the way I feel about you, Kellen. The time we spent together wasn’t long. I know that, and still even if I wasn’t living in the same house with you and working day and night to rehabilitate your reputation, you’d be on my mind. And no, if you’re wondering, it wasn’t just the sex. You’re different from everyone I’ve ever cared about. You’re wild and untamed, and that’s not what I’m used to. But I liked how you made me feel when we were together.”
When I finish speaking, I’m not sure what to expect his reaction will be. It’s a lot to lay on someone, but I want him to know that after everything that’s happened between us, I like him.
He surprises me when he does respond. “I had a great time with you at the villa, Salem. You were sexy and I knew I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. It was more than that, though. I liked how you made me feel too. You were smart and strong-willed. I found out later just how challenging those traits are, but I never thought you were anything other than the woman I knew I had to meet that night at the restaurant. This whole sexual harassment thing isn’t who I am, and I honestly believe you know that. I’m not perfect. I’ve never claimed to be. But when I’m around you, I feel like all my imperfections fade away.”
He stops and then adds, “Well, not all but a lot. I think we could be good together, if you’ll give us a chance.”
I should tell him whatever we may be will have to wait until I’m not working on his situation. I should walk upstairs to the bedroom Eleanor made up for me before I say something I shouldn’t.
The problem is this man makes me want to be something other than what I’ve always been. Before I traveled to the Turks and Caicos on that trip, I’d never dreamed of meeting a man and having a whirlwind sexual tryst that makes every other time I’ve been with a man look mediocre. Before Kellen, I’d never considered getting involved with a client. Before we got together, I didn’t think anyone could make me feel so alive.
What I say next could change my life in ways I haven’t even thought of yet, but I don’t care. Kellen King makes me want to take a big bite out of life and savor every delicious part of it.
“I think we could be good together too,” I say, unsure how to let him know I’m all in on whatever we’re going to be.
Crestfallen, he nods and says, “After you’re finished convincing the world I’m not the worst man on the planet, right?”
Shaking my head, I smile. “No. The old me would have put that stipulation on us being together. The person I am now doesn’t want to wait to enjoy my time in this world. So no, not after I’m done fixing things.”
His eyes wide with surprise, he asks, “Now? Really? Like right here and now?”
“You mean in the kitchen here?” I ask with a chuckle. “I think that might freak Eleanor out if she walked in here and saw us writhing on top of the table where everyone eats.”
Kellen throws his head back and laughs. “That woman had to live through five teenage boys. You better believe she saw some things, but I’m not sure she could recover seeing twenty-five year old me flashing her my naked ass in the one room she considers to be her domain. I care too much about her to scar her for life like that.”
“Who would make you these incredible cookies and that delicious lasagna?” I joke, picking up another cookie to enjoy. “We better not traumatize her like that.”
After we finish laughing at how awkward it would be for the woman who cared for him since he was a baby to see him naked and having sex with me right here in the kitchen, we fall into a strange silence I hadn’t expected. Most guys would simply grab my hand and rush me upstairs to his room. In truth, before I truly knew Kellen, I’d say he was that kind of guy.
“So I think I like you not hating me, you know?” he says in a low voice.
“I think I like not hating you.”
He falls silent again for about a minute before asking, “Would it kill the moment we just had if I ask you if you want to head up to my room now?”
Sometimes he can be so charming. I don’t even think he realizes it. He’s his most charming self when he’s not trying to impress anyone and just being who he really is deep down.
“I’m not sure. We’re in uncharted territory here.”
Kellen stands from the table wearing a huge smile. “I like the idea of being an explorer. How about you?”
He sticks out his hand, and I take it in mine as the idea of uncharted territory fills my head. I’ve never slept with a client I’m working with. I’ve never forgiven any man for anything like Kellen did.
And I’ve never been this crazy about anyone before him. Definitely a brand new world for me.
As we walk upstairs, keeping quiet so we don’t disturb Ava or the baby, I tug on his arm and whisper, “I want to peek in on her to make sure they’re okay.”
“I get it. Sort of like a doctor checking in on one of his patients.”
I shake my head, sure it’s nothing like that. “You’re giving me far too much credit,” I say quietly as we walk toward her room. “Ava did all the work. I just made sure the baby didn’t get himself in any trouble on his way out.”
He opens the door, and the two of us stick only our heads into the room to see how Ava and her newborn son are doing. Asleep in her arms, Theo looks like an angel sent from heaven. As for his mother, Ava rests her head on the pillow I placed behind her earlier and appears to have just drifted off to sleep.
It’s the most serene scene I’ve ever witnessed.
Kellen and I tiptoe to his room down the hall and quietly close the door behind us. He walks directly over to his bed, but I stop just a foot into the room and look around at what I believe is evidence of the life he’s led. Pictures of him playing sports and posters of his favorite bands and teams hang on the light gray walls, and a giant glass jar full of change sits on his dresser over near the window. Immediately, I think to myself how odd that is.
“Welcome to Chez Kellen. Make yourself comfortable,” he says as he beckons me to him sitting on the bed covered in a blue and grey striped comforter.
When I don’t say anything and continue to study his bedroom, he says, “You look disappointed, like you expected something else. Were you thinking I’d have solid gold fixtures or something?”
The thought of that makes me cringe. “God, no. I swear if I go into that bathroom and see a gold toilet or sink, I’m walking right back out and heading to the room Eleanor made up for me.”
He laughs at that horrible idea. “Yeah, tacky isn’t really what my parents were going for when they designed this house, so no gold anything.”
I point to the glass jar of coins and ask, “What is a billionaire doing with a change jar? Saving up for your next vacation?”
Shaking his head, he smiles. “No. I just always seemed to have change on me when I lived here, so I started tossing it into that jar. I should cash it in and give the money to charity, but I always forget to take it when I’m here. I guess it’s time for me to admit this isn’t where I live anymore.”
I sit down next to him on the bed. “Once Matthias and Ava decide to give little Theo some sisters and brothers, they’re probably going to be changing this into a room for one of their kids.”
Kellen lies back and folds his arms behind his head. “This room could tell some stories. They might want to fix it up before they put a child in here.”
Nudging his thigh, I ask, “Lots of nights sneaking girls in here?”
He looks at me and smiles. “Believe it or not, you’re the first woman I’ve ever brought up here.”
Not believing that for a second, I chuckle. “Let me guess. You don’t call high school dates women, so they don’t count.”
“Nope. Never a girl or woman in this room for as long as it’s been my room.”
Tugging me down onto the bed next to him, he slides his arm around me and pulls me close to him. I’m still not buying I’m the first female to be invited into this inner sanctum of maleness, though.
“I hope you won’t be offended when I say I don’t believe for a second I’m the first woman or girl to be here with you.”
He rolls onto his side to face me and props his head up on his hand. “You have no idea how nosy four brothers can be, Salem. Just the act of sneaking anyone up here would have been a feat worthy of Houdini. None of us ever slept at the same time as the others, and the five of us were constantly in and out of the house at all hours. On top of that were my parents and Eleanor and her staff, so trust me when I tell you getting anyone up here without everyone else in this house knowing was next to impossible.”
“But this house is huge. It couldn’t have been that hard.”
“Lots of kids and lots of adults meant it was. Believe me when I say you’re the first female to ever be here with me. I mean, look around. Does it look like younger me or even current me has been entertaining women here?”
I smile at how honest he seems to be right now. “I think it’s a typical boy’s bedroom. Lots of blue and gray. Lots of sports stuff on the walls. Typical male.”
Kellen runs his tongue over his lower lip and nods. “That’s me. Typical male.”
His mouth looks so tempting right now, but I hold off kissing him and say, “You know, I’m doing my best to show the world you’re anything but a typical male.”
His dark eyes sparkle when he looks at me and says, “I’m only worried about what one person thinks of me. The world is going to think what it wants to think. What matters is what you think of me, Salem.”
“I think…”
Suddenly, I don’t know how to say. Kellen can be infuriating and stubborn as all hell. In our time together, he was a pain in my ass sometimes and wonderful at other times. I don’t believe he sexually harassed anyone. I’ve seen how charming he can be and don’t doubt Gina and many other women have found that side of him utterly undeniable.
Even more, my feelings for him have been nothing short of a rollercoaster since we met that night at the resort restaurant. I thought I’d hate him forever when I was standing in the middle of his suite alone after he ghosted me. Then I thought maybe we could work together but I’d never forgive him for what he did.
Somewhere along the way, he made me fall for him. I don’t want to tell him that now, though, although I know the truth.
I love him.
When I don’t finish my sentence, he frowns and nods like he’s figured everything out, and it’s not good for him. “I get it. The past few months have probably been even harder than you told me they were, and for that, I’m sorry. If it’s any consolation, I never wanted to make you feel bad. Not at the resort. Not while you were trying so hard to fix my mess either.”
I hate to hear him so sad, so when he finishes, I lean in and kiss him long and deep. Yes, sometimes it was difficult to deal with him and all the negativity that came my way as I tried to persuade people to give him another chance. I think because I had to do that, at some point I realized I should give him another chance too.
He leans back and smiles at me, making my stomach feel like butterflies are fluttering around inside me. “Maybe you do like me, after all.”
I push against his shoulder and roll my eyes. “Of course, I like you. You know, for a man who’s supposedly so successful with women, you don’t seem to read us very well.”
With a wink, he says, “I’ll work on that.”
“So are you tired?” I ask playfully.
Teasing me, he looks around like he’s trying to decide. “Not really. Want to watch TV? Or we can always sleep.”
I slide my hands down his stomach and begin unbuckling his belt as I stare into his eyes. “Those sounds like two very good ideas. Got any others?”
Nodding, he moans while I slide my hand inside his pants to palm his cock. “I’m sure I can think of something. I like what you have in mind.”
“So my seduction is working?”
Kellen looks down his body at where my hand is pressed against his already hard cock. “I’d say the answer to that question is a resounding yes.”
“That's good,” I whisper against his lips.
Sliding his hand around my neck, he pulls my mouth to his and kisses me deeply, letting his tongue linger as he slips it over my lips. Aching to have him inside me, I roll my hips to rub my clit against his cock.
“God, when you kiss me like that, I feel like I can’t control how much I want you,” I whisper against his beautiful mouth.
He softly moans as he says, “Forget control. I want you to let yourself go.”
Tugging at the top of my pants, he groans, “And toward that end, these need to disappear.”
I feverishly strip out of my clothes as he undresses at the same time, the two of us rushing to rid ourselves of the last remnants of anything that stands between us. Tossing our clothes toward the bottom of the bed, we look at each other and smile.
Remembering our time at the resort, I look down his body at his muscular legs that held the two of us up as we fucked in the shower. And the pool. And the ocean.
He gently pushes me onto my back and slides up my body as I say, “We really did like having sex in water down there, didn’t we?”
Kellen stops and looks at me strangely. “Did I miss some conversation about that?”
I smile and shake my head. “No. I just looked at your legs and remembered us having sex pretty much any place there was water.”
Angling his hips, he pushes his cock through my wet folds and moans. “Water. Sand. The North Pole. I’d want you whatever the location.”
I love how he can be so playful. I’ve always been so serious, so his way of being cute utterly disarms me. And he knows it too.
His mouth plunders mine, inching up my desire until I can’t wait anymore. I slide my hand down between us and grab hold of the base of his cock. For a moment, Kellen looks surprised, but then he smiles when I ease him toward my entrance.
A soft moan escapes his throat, and he says in a low voice, “That’s it, baby. I do love a powerful woman who knows what she wants.”
With one slow thrust, he fills me completely. He doesn’t immediately begin fucking me, though, and I look up at him to see him staring down at me.
“What’s wrong?”
Kellen shakes his head. “Not a damn thing. I’m just enjoying how incredible this feels. Part of me wants to freeze this moment in time, but another part of me wants to show you how much I’ve wanted you all these months.”
I can’t deny I’m relishing how good he feels inside me, but every inch of my body craves more.
“If you’re afraid this isn’t going to happen ever again, don’t worry. I’m as crazy about you as you are about me.”
“Mmmm…Now that’s what I like to hear.”
Without warning, he flips me over so he’s on his back and I’m on top of him. Setting his hands on my hips, he groans, “Ride me.”
Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I slide down his thick cock and roll my hips. I watch his expression turn from one of excitement to one of pure ecstasy.
“You look like a goddess riding my cock. It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
He sets his hands on my hips to keep me in place once I find my rhythm and watches in awe as I roll my hips to take every delicious inch of him. With each time I rise up, his cock almost slips out of my body, but then I sit back down to take him into me in a rush that makes him groan low and deep.
We begin to fuck in earnest, the two of us reveling in the feel of one another and how much we’ve both wanted this to happen. Just like down in the islands, the sex is sublime, like he’s made exclusively only for me and I was made only to be with him.
I feel my release begin to uncoil deep inside me and moan as I dig my fingernails into his shoulder. “Oh, God. This feels so good. Don't stop.”
“I couldn’t stop if I wanted to,” Kellen practically grunts out before thrusting his hips up to fill me in one hard push.
My body clenches around his cock, and I lean down to kiss him. I drag my fingernails from his shoulders to his biceps, raking the skin as my orgasm hits me hard. He senses this and pumps into me without abandon.
We’re raw and uncontrollable, and I love it.
Kellen thrusts hard into me until he comes, and then it’s like the two of us can’t move anymore. Exhausted from our lovemaking, we fall still against one another, the tremors still pulsing through our bodies.
Wrapping his arms around me, he holds me tightly against him. Neither of us says a word, but we don’t have to. Our actions say enough.