Behind Closed Doors (14 page)

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”

He pulled away from the curb and accelerated, the exhaust making a loud drumming sound as he flattened his foot on the pedal.

“You mean, you wanted to make sure I went home alone?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“Getting you home in one piece is my only concern. Was Marc out with you?” Jayce asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Yes. We all went out after the show.”

It dawned on me that they would be wondering where I was. I quickly typed a text, telling Emily that I had caught a taxi home. I knew she’d give me grief about it later, but I hoped she was having too much fun to give it a second thought.

“If Marc was there is irrelevant. I hope you know that by now.” I reassured Jayce. He gave me a stiff smile then nodded.

I relaxed my head back against the headrest and looked out the window as the passing lights blurred together.

“You’re drunk,” Jayce squeezed my leg and I rolled my head to look at him.

“I had a couple of drinks,” I said, trying not to slur my words.

Jayce chuckled and ran the back of his hand over my cheek. “You’re cute when you’re drunk.”

I smiled at Jayce while I drank him in with my eyes. He was wearing a gray hoodie with dark blue jeans. His hair was messy and his profile looked gorgeous, highlighted by the fleeting night lights.

We had been driving for a while when the car suddenly veered off the road. I glanced at Jayce in question, but he was already undoing his seat belt and climbing out of the car.

“Do you need help getting out?” he asked.

Before I could answer, he was already at the passenger door, lifting me out of the car. The smell of salt hit me and I knew we were at the beach before I saw the waves crashing onto the shore.

Jayce gripped my hand and pulled me toward the water.

“What are we doing?” I shrieked as my legs struggled to keep up. The sand filled my wedge heels, making it difficult to walk.

“I’m being romantic,” Jayce said as he stopped close to the water’s edge.

He sat on the sand and pulled me down next to him, wrapping his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and breathed in his scent. It mixed well with the salty ocean air.

I watched the waves crash angrily into each other and enjoyed the cool air washing over my skin. My arms began to cover with goose bumps, so I snuggled into Jayce’s side, enjoying the instant warmth his touch gave me.

“You’re cold?” he murmured.

Before I could form a response, he was taking his sweater off. I opened my mouth to oblige, but he was already slipping the hoodie over my head. His smell was instantly surrounding me. His cologne mixed with vanilla. I breathed in and then let out a sigh. I never wanted to take the sweater off.

I stared out at the ocean, not sure if it was the alcohol or being there with Jayce, but the sea had never looked so beautiful.

“We can’t stay long,” he said pulling my attention back to his face. “Just in case the paparazzi see the car and decide to wait nearby.”

His words brought the reality of our situation back to the forefront of my mind. We were never allowed to be outside together. This was the first time it had ever happened and it wasn’t going to last long. Our relationship was destined to remain behind closed doors and the realization made my heart ache. Jayce noticed the somber look on my face instantly.

“Hey,” he whispered as he pulled my chin up to look at him.

“I don’t like it when you frown. You get this little crease here.” He kissed the furrow of my brow. “Don’t be sad.”

He bent his head and his lips met mine, kissing me slowly at first, but then he intensified the kiss as his tongue found mine. He cupped the side of my face as he moaned into my mouth. I tangled my fingers through his hair as I moved to straddle him, kneeling on the sand either side of him. He pushed himself against my sex and I could feel how much he wanted me through the bulge in his jeans.

He broke away as he muttered breathlessly. “What you do to me, Ky.”

A pleasant thrill ran through my body at him having called me 
Ky
. It was the first time he had called me that and it sounded saccharine sweet coming from his lips.

He stroked my face between his thumb and forefinger and kissed me gently.

“Where have you been all my life?” he whispered.

I wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement. My immediate response was to kiss him harder this time. He pulled away from my lips once again, his breathing uneven. He continued to hold me close to him as he rested his forehead against my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair, incredibly turned on by the intimacy of the moment.

“If we were in a another time and a different place, I would take you right here on this beach,” he whispered, his words meant as a threat.

“But it’s too dangerous now,” I sighed, releasing my hands from his hair.

Moments later, we stood and made our way back to the car. Jayce held me close to his side, but as we approached the road, he left space between us. All I could do was hope for a time where I could hold his hand in broad daylight and nobody would give a damn.

Chapter 13

I was home in Seattle for less than thirty minutes when I heard the knock at my front door. I hurried to greet an overzealous Rebecca, who wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheeks repeatedly.

“I’ve missed you so much, Ky! How dare you leave me for this long!” 

“It’s only been a month, Bec.” I closed the door behind her and led Rebecca into the kitchen area of my townhouse.

“A month is far too long. My life sucks without you,” she pouted. Rebecca could be melodramatic at times and this was one of those occasions.

I opened a bottle of white wine and we sat at the kitchen bench chatting. Rebecca filled me in on all of the gossip I’d missed since I’d been gone. She told me that Brody contacted her every second day to check how I was doing and ask if I was willing to talk to him yet.

“Maybe now that you’re back in town you could meet with him?” she suggested.

My mouth fell open in disbelief. “Are you crazy?”

“He is devastated, Kyla. He misses you. I can hear it in his voice. He almost bursts into tears whenever he mentions your name.”

“Well, maybe he should stop saying my name then. Problem solved.”

I walked over to the pantry, rummaging through the shelves for something to nibble on. I found a packet of Fritos and opened them, pouring half the contents into a bowl.

“What are you doing still talking to him anyway?” I asked, placing the bowl of chips between us.

“I can’t ignore him every time he calls. He was my friend too, Ky.”

I couldn’t hide the look of surprise on my face. I hadn’t considered that the breakup would be hard on Bec. Admittedly, she had become close with Brody over the years.

“You’re my best friend and I will always be on your side, but I was friends with Brody for the two years that you were together and it’s hard for me to just shun him. That’s all.”

“I realize that,” I forced a smile, “but I need you to understand, I will never be with him again.”

“He made a mistake, Ky-”

“He cheated on me, Bec!” I interrupted. “Even if I could get over the cheating, I will never get that vision out of my head.”

I shuddered at the memory of Brody in my bed with 
Red
 wrapped around him.

“I know,” she sighed heavily. “I just wish he had kept his dick in his pants. Then you two would still be together.”

“Maybe it was the reality check that I needed,” I shrugged my shoulders. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have pushed me to try out for 
Dreamers
 and I wouldn’t be on this wild ride.”

And I would never have met Jayce
, I thought to myself.

“Speaking of which, how is it?” she asked. “You know, spending every day with 
the
 Jayce del Valle?”

“I don’t see him every day. I see him a few times a week.” I refilled our glasses in an attempt to hide the blush that I could feel creeping across my cheeks. My response was partially true. I saw Jayce three times a week for coaching, the other times we barely talked about the competition.

“What’s he like in person?”

“He’s a nice guy.” I wanted to tell Rebecca everything. To let her know how amazing Jayce was and how he was a great cook and that he looked hot, even in sweatpants, but I knew it was too soon to reveal that I knew Jayce intimately. Maybe when the competition was over and I was back living in Seattle, I could reveal those juicy details to my best friend. But right then, the timing wasn’t right.

“He’s nice, that’s it?” she looked disappointed.

“What more can I say? He’s much more down to earth than I thought he would be,” I added, hoping that answer would suffice and we could change the subject.

“What about Marc, have you hooked up yet?”

I’d told Rebecca about Marc briefly, during one of our weekly phone calls. She had been watching him on TV and I was sure she had a crush on him.

“I haven’t done anything with Marc. He’s just a friend.”

Rebecca sighed. “Well, if I had my chance, I would be jumping all over him. He’s hot!”

I could tell by Rebecca’s sudden increase in volume and by the slight slur of her words that she was tipsy.

“What’s wrong with you, girl?” Rebecca jabbed me in the shoulder with her index finger. “Are you not attracted to men anymore?”

I smiled uneasily. “Of course I am.”

“Well, why not have some fun?”

“I am having fun.”

“I mean some X-rated fun.”

I rolled my eyes and wondered when Bec’s interrogation would be over. I looked at the microwave clock and noticed it was approaching midnight. Rebecca had been at my house for almost five hours.

“You want to sleep in the spare room, Bec?” She followed my eyes to the clock.

“Fuck me! It’s almost midnight. I have to get home. I’m meeting mom for breakfast tomorrow morning at some absurd time.”

She stood from her chair and stumbled backwards.

“Whoa, definitely not driving, Bec.” I grabbed hold of her hand to steady her.

“I’ll get a taxi. Mom can bring me here after breakfast to pick up my car.”

Rebecca made one last trip to the bathroom while I called her a taxi.

We waited in my front garden for the taxi to arrive and I hugged myself tight, surprised by the chill in the air. Rebecca continued to ramble about breakfast and how her mother would order fruit and yoghurt, leaving Bec to look like a pig when she ordered bacon, eggs and hash browns.

The taxi pulled up and Rebecca embraced me one last time.

“It’s good to have you back, Kyla. I’ll ring you tomorrow and we’ll organize something awesome to do tomorrow night.”

I hugged her back and laughed as she stumbled into the backseat of the cab. I gave the driver a sympathetic smile as I waved them goodbye.

I rushed inside and locked the door behind me. I was exhausted and eager to get into my warm and cozy bed, but I needed to tidy the kitchen first. I started to rinse the glasses when I heard a knock at the door.

I laughed to myself as I hurried to answer it, knowing it was likely that Rebecca had left something behind.

My eyes shot open when I caught a glimpse of
him
 standing on my front porch.

He was at my house. In Seattle. His hair was tousled and messy, his cheeks were rosy and his eyes were dark, veiled by the dim outside lighting. But he still looked gorgeous as he stood on my doorstep, smiling at me.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered.

“I missed you. I wanted to see you.” He took a step inside the doorway and lightly brushed his lips against my cheek.

“Can I come in or do you want to hang outside in your front garden?”

I took a step back as I made room for him to step into the hallway.

“It is a lovely garden though,” he breathed on my neck as his lips met my cheek again, this time lingering a little longer.

I shut the front door as Jayce shook off his jacket and hung it on the stand next to the door. I was suddenly self-conscious as I looked at Jayce, standing in my home, which was ordinary compared with his ultra modern Malibu condo.

“Are you okay?” he smiled down at me.

“I’m just a little surprised,” I responded shakily.

“That was the plan,” he said. “I hope you’re surprised in a good way,” he added, uncertainty clear in his voice.

“Of course.” I led him through to the kitchen and he took a seat where Rebecca was sitting ten minutes prior.

He gestured toward the empty wine bottle sitting on the countertop. “Having a big one?”

“My friend just left. You were so close to meeting her it’s not even funny.”

“I know. She was here for a long time. I was starting to think she’d never leave,” he responded in a casual tone.

“What do you mean? Where were you?” I raised my eyebrows, waiting for his response.

“I was sitting in my rental car across the street, waiting for your friend to leave.”

“You’ve been sitting there for five hours?” I asked incredulously.

“No. I did drive off for an hour or so to get some food,” he said.

“You’re crazy!” I said and I meant it.

He chuckled. “Relax. I’m not a stalker. I just wanted to come here and surprise you. I didn’t realize you’d be entertaining on your first night back.”

He grabbed my hand from across the counter and gently pulled it to his lips.

“You sure you’re not a stalker?” I smiled for the first time since he’d arrived, my shock finally starting to diminish.

“I only stalk you,” he kissed my hand once more before lacing our fingers together. I noticed he wasn’t wearing his wedding band and I rubbed my thumb along the indent on his ring finger. He met my eyes intentionally, but he didn’t say anything.

“How about a wine?” I asked.

“Do you have red?”

“I’ll have to open a bottle, but I suppose you’re worth it.”

I made my way to the wine rack on the other side of the kitchen and chose a bottle from my limited selection of reds.