Breaking to Breathe Page 13

  “You searching for me, Angel?” Electricity shot through her body, sending currents straight to her core, making her every nerve a live wire. The sound of crinkling paper grabbed her attention. Thankfully, her clenched fist caught her attention before the entire contract was crushed into a paper ball.

  “Hey, I need you to sign this.” Was the stammering in her voice as recognizable to Kyle as it was to her? “It’s a basic contract hiring us to work for Danny’s on Main. This form allows Elliot and I to go ahead with the ideas we presented today, as well as some other ones…Kyle, what are you staring at?”

  “I’m watching your mouth, Angel. The way your lips form each word is sexy as hell. I can’t help but think about the way those very lips felt wrapped around me.” Listening to Kyle recall their evening together made her hot in places she didn’t dare think about during daylight hours. Memories of his hard length pulsing as he emptied himself in her core made her panties wet. “You do remember that, don’t you, Red? It was a good time.” Kyle’s use of the word ‘good’ snapped Cate out of her erotic bubble instantly. What was she doing? First, she was mixing business with pleasure, which led to second, seeing this man over and over again. Each time she laid eyes on him, she found herself craving him just a little more. This needed to stop. Now.

  “Listen here,” she hissed, “we need to work together. That’s it; nothing more. And every time you throw that night in my face, it makes me wish that it never happened. I’ve never had regrets about my sexual partners, Kyle. I’ve always chosen them well, or at least I thought I did. But you are making me re-think my choice. Now either stop bringing it up or avoid me all together. The decision is yours.”

  Something passed through Kyle’s eyes. Cate wasn’t sure what it was, but the cocky perma-grin that usually resided on his lush lips faltered, leaving a flash of vulnerability exposed for a brief moment. Good, the last thing she needed was a full scale pursuit of the Kyle Marx variety. Hell, of any variety. With her protective shell cracked and her newly recognized state of loneliness nipping at her resolve, she didn’t need to place her trust or, worse still, her heart with someone only to have it ripped apart. It was better if Kyle thought she was a raving bitch. Maybe then he would leave her alone. Alone might be lonely, but it was familiar and comfortable.

  Plucking the pen from her hand, Kyle leaned over the table to sign on the dotted line. She couldn’t help but appreciate his broad back encased in black leather, the jacket leaving off at his trim waist where his well-worn, low-slung jeans hugged one of the finest asses Cate’s eyes had ever seen. Memories of how that tight ass felt in her hands as he plunged in and out of her nearly had her groaning with excitement. As if he felt the heat from her stare, he glanced over his shoulder just in time to catch her ogling his ass.

  “Not looking too regretful right now,” he smirked.

  “Shit,” Cate muttered under her breath. “Thanks for the signature.” Cate grabbed the crumpled contract from the table and placed it into the file as she turned away from the man that was quickly stealing her sanity.

  “Cate.” Kyle wasn’t sure what he was gonna say next; all he knew was that he wasn’t ready for her to walk away from him. He had a feeling that if she left he might never have the chance to speak with her again.

  She slowly turned around, keeping her gaze on the floor between them. He watched as she bit on the corner of her lip, the urge to soothe the reddening skin was overwhelming. Those thoughts alone made him uncomfortable. He couldn’t imagine how acting on them would make her feel. Part of him wanted a few drinks. He knew the liquid courage would help him through the awkwardness, but the rest of him realized there was something about this woman that deserved so much more than a drunken pick-up line.

  “Look, I know you don’t do repeats,” Kyle started, having no idea where he was going to take this conversation until Danny’s words started playing in his mind, Sometimes you gotta smell the flowers before you fuck em’. It was beginning to make sense now. Extending his arm, he cupped Cate’s chin, tilting it up bringing them eye to eye.

  “I heard you before. You don’t date. I got it. Christ, Cate, you’ve heard all about me, I barely do names.” Cate rolled her eyes at Kyle’s admission, but to his surprise, she neither looked disgusted nor shut him down, so he continued. “But since the night of my accident, I haven’t been able to shake you out of my mind. If I promise to stop bringing up sex, can…can we try to be friends?” Friends? Friends? Did that just leave his mouth? Never in his life had he uttered that sentence. However, now that he had, Kyle realized that as much as he wanted Cate in a tear-off-her-clothes-and-fuck-her-seven-ways-till-Sunday kind of way, he would take her in whatever form he could have her. If being her friend was the only option, he’d take it.

  Appearing completely stunned, Cate stood silently and blinked, and then blinked again. “Friends?” Her brows knitted together as she cocked her head to the side. “Friends?” She repeated as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. Kyle then watched as the confusion morphed into what he could only describe as anger. Why the hell would she be angry?

  Friends, Cate screamed to herself, her brain readying to short circuit. What bullshit! He didn’t want friendship. He wanted something else from her and was too much of a coward to ask for it. He was no better than everyone else she’d ever known. No better than her parents, no better than her sister.

  “Cate, what’s wrong? I don’t understand what I said to make you so… upset?”

  “Oh, sure, Kyle, act like you’re clueless when you not. You’re just like everyone else.” Huffing out an exasperated breath, Cate flailed her arms, aware that her actions and her raised voice were beginning to draw attention, “What was I thinking? Of course you’re like the rest of them.” Resentment, frustration, and something else whipped through her as she hurried off, leaving him standing alone, with confusion painted on his perfect face. No wonder women fell for him. He was a great liar.

  “Ells, I’ll meet you in the car,” she shrieked as she high-tailed it out of the bar, not caring about the wide eyes and open mouths she left in her wake.

  Shaking with embarrassment and what she now realized was disappointment Cate hustled across the parking lot toward her car. It was only upon reaching the car door that realization hit… in her haste to escape, she’d left her coat and purse with her car keys back in Danny’s. “Shit. Of course it would be freezing cold out. God forbid I had a melt-down in June.”

  Wrapping her arms around herself, she rubbed her hands up and down her biceps, hoping the friction would help to warm her up, because no way in hell was she stepping foot back in that bar. She lifted the handle of the car door in hopes that just once she was careless and forgot to lock the doors, all the while knowing she would never ever forget to do such a thing. Safety was Cate’s thing. There was never a forgotten lock or an unlatched window. She knew it bordered on neurotic, but once someone went through what she’d lived through, carelessness was erased from her vocabulary. If only freaking out in front of strangers had also been expunged, all would be right in the world. Her head thunked on the cold glass window as the embarrassment threatened to consume her.

  “You look like you could use these.” While the voice coming from behind wasn’t a surprise as she’d heard the approach, the deep, smooth tone nearly had her melting into a puddle even in the twenty degree weather. He slipped the coat over her shoulders, his scent already attached to the fabric, his warmth already seeping into her body.

  She couldn’t face him, but she also couldn’t ignore him. So she swallowed the baseball-sized lump in her throat before acknowledging his presence. “Thank you.”

  “Turn around, Angel.”

  “What do you want, Kyle?”

  If pleading laced her voice, she could only imagine what he would find in her eyes if she turned to face him. But when he repeated his command, she found herself complying.

  “You need to tell me what happened back there.”

  “I don’t need to
tell you anything,” she hissed, not really feeling any of the venom that spilled from her mouth. However, by Kyle’s recoil, her words were like a slap to his suddenly pale face.

  “You’re right,” he answered quietly. “You owe me no explanation at all.” Cate watched as Kyle seemed to work a puzzle in his mind. “Cate, I meant what I said. I have a horrible reputation that I’ve spent years earning. However, I would like something different with you.” Cate felt guilty. Clearly her nasty response had him on edge. She watched as Kyle appeared to struggle with finding the right words. “I understand that anything physical isn’t on the table. But I’d really like the opportunity to know you better. Can you give me a chance as a friend? Please.”

  Cate watched as Kyle nervously played with his lighter. Flipping the top open and closed over and over, the metal clicking nose seemed like a distraction while he waited for her response.

  By the look on his face, he was expecting rejection, and she’d given him no reason to expect otherwise. However, there was something about him that made her feel safe. It didn’t make sense, of that she was sure, but he did. So for the first time in a long time, Cate decided to listen to her gut and not her head.

  Biting the inside of her lip, she quietly said, “Okay, Kyle.”

  He braced for her rejection, planning out his next step when she refused to be his friend.

  “Okay, Kyle.”

  “Cate, just think about it,” he argued. “What’s the harm in trying to be friends? If it doesn’t work… Wait, you agreed?” Her small smile had his stomach doing flips. Was he being punked? Was she going to take it back?

  “I’m willing to try the friend’s thing if you promise to keep it just friends.” Her leveled glare spoke volumes to the seriousness of her statement. The crazy thing was it didn’t bother him at all. Yes, he was beginning to worry something was wrong with his dick that he would not only agree to, but suggest such a crazy idea, but he would figure that out later. Right now, he was just happy to be making progress with the woman who had been eluding him for months.

  “Here.” He reached into his jacket pocket and produced Cate’s cell phone.

  When her beautiful lips curved into a pouty smile, Kyle knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with his cock. He just hoped that Cate didn’t figure it out as well. After all, he was a man. He couldn’t help the way she affected him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

  “Confident, huh? What were you gonna do if I hadn’t accepted your friendship proposal?” Cate asked shyly, her free hand placed on her perfectly rounded hip.

  “I was going to bring it to you. Tomorrow, at your office,” Kyle said with a shrug and no apology in his voice. “I saved my number in your contacts already.”

  When his comment produced a visible shiver in her, he asked, “Are you cold, Cate?” Her denial made him feel even taller than his six-three height. Yeah, she could deny it all she wanted. She was into him. While he absolutely meant everything he said about keeping things friendly, knowing the feelings were mutual made life a hell of a lot better, and a shitload more difficult.

  “Sorry, Catey. I got caught up chatting with everyone. Things good out here?” Elliot looked from Kyle to Cate, receiving nods from both of them. Her smile was full of mischief. He knew damn well that Cate’s friend gave him some extra time to work everything out. She was a cool woman, he thought to himself. Not his type, but cool none-the-less. He waited silently while Elliot entered the car and closed her door before speaking to Cate again.

  “So you have my number.” Watching her nibble the side of her lip made his dick stir in his jeans, but he kept his eyes trained on hers as Cate said nothing in response. “I’ll wait to hear from you then.” Cate nodded and turned to open the car door, but before she slid in, Kyle finished his thought. “I won’t wait long, Cate.” He saw her shoulders still as the breath caught in her chest. Without turning back to face him, she tucked herself into her car and closed the door.

  What the fuck was he doing?

  Dirty Man

  IT HAD BEEN almost a week since the Cate and Elliot presentation at Danny’s on Main. Since that day, Cate had begged Elliot to handle all phone calls, email, and inquiries from anyone from Danny’s. Of course, Cate was working her ass off on all of the projects for Danny’s, Leo’s Lights Foundation, and the rest of Shout It Out’s clients, but she couldn’t bring herself to face any of the people she clearly lost her shit in front of last Thursday morning.

  Usually, it wasn’t a huge deal for Cate to stay behind the scenes and not speak to clients, but with the grand re-opening of Danny’s on Main on the horizon, each day was filled with questions, decisions, and paperwork. Elliot, being the world’s best friend, traveled the half hour back and forth to Charistown three times to meet with Lyla, Ashley, and Julie—or if it was after school hours, Janie as well. Cate knew Elliot thought she was overreacting, but as repayment, Cate had taken on face-to-face hours with a few of the other clients in order to lessen Elliot’s load.

  Cate had just finished a conference call with one of their smaller accounts when her cell phone started vibrating on her desk, signaling an incoming text.

  DirtyMan: Hi

  Cate stared at the screen. The tempo of her heartbeat quickened as the brief message said so much more than it read. Cate tried to no avail to contain the grin that broke over her face as the nickname she’s used to replace Kyle showed up again.

  DirtyMan: How are you?

  There had been quite a few times over the past six days that Cate reached for her phone with the intention of contacting him. Neither her pride nor her fingers would allow her to make the call. When she finally decided that texting might work, she couldn’t figure out if she should be witty, sarcastic, sincere, or what. So she did what came naturally by pulling her invisibility cloak around her and pretending the entire situation didn’t exist.

  Leave it to Kyle to show her that a simple ‘Hi’ was all that was needed.

  Cate: Good. u?

  DirtyMan: Fair, waiting 4 my friend 2 call. She nvr did

  Cate: She sounds like a bitch. u should move on

  Even though Cate made the suggestion, her gut clenched at the thought that he may do just that.

  DirtyMan: Nah, I’m gonna like buggin’ her

  Kyle’s funny retort soothed Cate’s worry as she exhaled an anxious breath. Before she had time to respond to Kyle’s text, her cell rang. Dirty Man was calling her.

  Relief washed over Kyle when Cate answered his texts. He’d never in his life waited for a call from a girl before, and after almost a week of checking his phone to make sure it was working, he’d had enough. Each time he’d seen Elliot’s car pull up to the bar, he found himself hoping that the tall red-head would be with her, and every time she wasn’t, his disappointment was reflected in his mood. It was Elliot and Lyla who finally convinced him to get off his pretty boy ass, their words not his, and go to Cate. He’d decided to text her first, not knowing how she’d take to seeing him since she’d been avoiding him all week. Hell, her avoidance kind of pissed him off.

  “Um, hey, Kyle. So the texts weren’t coming fast enough for you?” Her husky voice drove him wild with lust, but it was the hesitance he heard in her tone that quelled his libido, forcing him to think with the proper head. The problem was sometimes too much thinking brought Kyle back to a time that was better left forgotten; a time when another woman avoided him, after she walked away and never looked back. That kind of negligence was impossible to forget. Relationships had never been an issue for him, therefore neither had avoidance.

  “Red, I’ve been waiting all week for you to contact me. So no, the texts weren’t cutting it.” He wanted to kick himself for sounding like a jerk, but he wasn’t a patient man, and she’d all but used up his reserves just by making him wait. Words are like nails, Kyle. The wisdom Lyla shared with him the day he went to apologize for the horrible things he said to her the previous fall resonated in his head. He’d been raised in a home where words w
ere weapons and tone was poison…that said a lot for a person who was actually beaten. There were times when the words hurt more and the damage lasted longer than the beatings themselves. While Kyle wasn’t a violent man, he did inherit an evil tongue. So when Lyla agreed to accept his apology, he listened to her advice. Words are like nails tapped into a wooden post, Kyle. Sure, you can take them out, but the damage will have been done. At some point, there will be more holes than wood and the beauty will be gone forever. Be careful.

  “I’ve been busy, okay.” Kyle’s sharp response had clearly put Cate on the defense, judging by her quiet gasp. It was the last thing he’d intended to do.

  “Err, I’m sorry, I…I’m a dick. I guess I was just hoping you’d call, and when you didn’t…”

  “Your fragile ego took a hit?” She giggled. The sound made him smile, deflating his irritation immediately.

  “Something like that. Well I was hoping I could take you to lunch. I have two hours before I need to be at the bar.” Tink, scrape went his lighter as he waited for Cate’s response.

  “Well, it’s already eleven-thirty, and it would take a half hour to come down to Charistown. Maybe today isn’t a good day.”

  Exhaling, Kyle took his second risk of the day. If he were being honest, his second risk ever when it came to women. He pocketed the lighter, opened the door to Shout it Out and walked in.

  “Oh, Kyle, someone just walked into my store.” She stood from her chair and headed toward the storefront. “I’m in the back office, so I should probably go…” There he stood, once her eyes connected with his, he lowered his phone from his ear and straightened his posture. The uncertainty in his half smile ratcheted his sexiness up to a panty melting level. “What are you doing here?” She rasped.