Breathless (16 page)

Biagio sneered.
“That won’t be necessary. I did what I came here to do.”

“You
accomplished nothing, aside from making yourself look like a
pathetic loser.” Keith had too much pride to let his adversary know
he’d hit his mark, but he was probably doing a lousy job of hiding
his jealousy. “Stay the hell away from her, or the next call you
make will be from jail.”

His lips
curled. “Nothing can keep us apart.” He moved in closer and lowered
his voice. “She still loves me.”

Every muscle in
Keith’s body clenched, along with his fists. Brent had always been
the even-tempered one. Keith was the hothead, in and out of the
boxing ring. “She doesn’t want you.”

“You know that
how?” Biagio rocked back on the heels of his expensive dress shoes.
“It’s not because she’s sleeping with you.”

“You don’t know
shit about our relationship.” Keith wanted to claim that Tara was
waiting for him in bed, but he knew the lie would probably only
confirm Biagio’s suspicions. Keith pointed at him. “I’m not gonna
tell you again. Stay the hell away from her. Don’t call her, text
her, or try to see her. She’s done with you.”

“We’ll see
about that.”

***

Tara was
surprised to see Keith’s number on her screen. “Hey, what’s up? Are
you guys having as much fun as we are?”

“I need to see
you.”

Judging by his
tone, he wasn’t asking. “Is there a problem?” She walked down the
hall, hoping to find a quieter place to talk.

“Yeah, but I
don’t want to get into it over the phone. I need you to meet me at
home. Now!”

Keith had never
been so abrupt with her. “What’s going on? I’m not leaving my best
friend’s bachelorette party without a good reason.”

Keith sighed.
“Your ex-boyfriend crashed our party.”

“What?” Tara
smiled at Alisa, who was slipping out of the restroom. Stepping out
into the backyard, Tara asked, “How the hell did he get past the
bouncers? I thought it was supposed to be a private party.”

“It was. I
don’t know how the hell he got in. I guess he bribed someone.”

Tara didn’t
appreciate Keith’s tone, but she wasn’t in the mood to argue.
“Fine, I’ll head out. I should be there in half an hour.” When he
fell silent, she asked, “Happy now?”

“No. I’ll be
happy when I see you.”

“Keith—”

“Don’t even
think about arguing with me. Until I find out whether anything your
ex said was true, I can’t even think straight.”

The tension in
his voice told Tara he was about ready to crack. She wasn’t
surprised. Biagio had always been antagonistic, especially toward
people he perceived as a threat. “Whatever he said—”

“I don’t want
to talk about it over the phone!” He sighed. “I’m sorry. Listen,
can we just talk about this when you get home, please?”

“Fine, I’ll see
you soon.”

Keith was pacing and
cursing like a crazy man when Tara still wasn’t at his condo an
hour and a half later. His TV was tuned to the lobby’s security
camera. When he saw her face on the screen, he threw open his door
and punched the elevator button, over and over again, until the
doors finally opened. He couldn’t wait another second to see
her.

She was
standing at the security desk talking to the night guard, Stan,
when Keith stepped off the elevator.
Obviously she doesn’t care
that I’m slowly going out of my mind.
Keith grinded his teeth
as he approached.

Brent owned the
building, and all of the staff honored the residents’ privacy, but
Keith knew Stan must be curious about why Tara was staying with
him, unless she’d already told him. “Evening, Stan,” Keith
said.

“Good evening,
Mr. Armstrong.”

Tara smiled at
Stan, totally oblivious to Keith’s dark mood. “You were telling me
about your wife’s operation. How did it go?”

“The recovery
is going to be slow, I’m afraid.” He ran a hand over his balding
head. “But the doc said that’s to be expected with back
surgery.”

Keith wasn’t
surprised Tara had gotten to know Stan. She was outgoing and
friendly to everyone. That’s one of the things he loved about her.
Liked
. That was one of the things he liked about her.

“You have a
good night, Stan,” Keith said, ushering Tara onto the elevator. He
didn’t want to be rude, but he couldn’t wait another minute to talk
to her. Once the doors were closed, he pushed the stop button.

She frowned.
“Why’d you do that?”

“We need to
talk.”

“Can’t it wait
until we get upstairs?”

“Were you with
him last night?”

“Who?”

Keith fisted
his hands on his hips. He knew he was scowling, but he couldn’t
help himself. He was pissed. At her. Her Ex. Himself. The world.
“Biagio. Were you with him last night?”

Tara laughed as
though that was the most outrageous question she’d ever heard. “Who
told you that? Him?” She rolled her eyes and pressed the button for
Keith’s floor. “And you believed him? I had no idea you were so
easy.”

“I’m not easy,
nor am I amused by his games. This is serious, and it’s about
goddamn time you realized that.”

She reached
into her purse and extracted a package of mints. She offered him
one and shrugged when he ignored her. Before popping one into her
mouth, she said, “You’re blowing this whole thing out of
proportion.” She stepped off the elevator and headed for his suite,
forcing him to rush to catch up.

Keith hated
that she was so blasé about her ex crashing his party. “It’s open,”
he muttered when she looked in her purse for the key.

She kicked off
her high heels and sank her bare toes into the plush, white
entrance rug. “Ah, that feels good. My feet are killing me.”

“I’m not
surprised.” He looked at the five-inch heels she’d been sporting.
“I’m amazed you haven’t broken your ankle in those things.”

“Walking in
those is the same as walking in flats when you get used to it.” She
wandered into his kitchen, giving him no choice but to follow.

Tara peered
inside the fridge. “I should go shopping tomorrow.” She set a block
of brie and some grapes on the counter, then she took out a bottle
of white wine and closed the fridge door with her hip.

She was wearing
a pair of skinny jeans and a black, lacy tank top. Her curves had
made her the target of every horny kid in their college classes.
Some things never changed, Keith thought as he braced his hands on
the counter behind him. He’d never known a woman so naturally
stunning. She wore very little makeup, yet her skin had a flawless
glow. Her dark hair wasn’t highlighted, but it fell in soft, shiny
waves around her shoulders. She was fit but soft in all the right
places. She had everything, yet she was so humble about her beauty.
He admired that.

“What are you
looking at?” she asked, extracting the cork from the wine.

“You’re
gorgeous.” He hadn’t intended to compliment her. He had more
important things on his mind, but the pretty blush staining her
cheeks made him glad he hadn’t censored himself. “I mean it.”

“Thank you.”
She passed him a beer as he reached for the tray of grapes, cheese,
and crackers she’d prepared. “Now, you wanna tell me what got you
so freaked out tonight? Aside from the fact my ex conned you into
believing we were together last night.” She giggled. “I still can’t
believe you fell for that.”

“I’m not
laughing, Tara. Nothing about this is funny.”

She took the
tray and set it on the coffee table before setting her drink down
beside it. “You need to lighten up.” She popped a cracker in her
mouth and chewed carefully before asking, “So what else did he
say?”

“Aside from the
fact that y’all had sex last night?”

Her eyes went
wide, and she covered her mouth. “He did not say that!”

“Yeah, he
did.”

Keith sat
beside her, resting his arm on the back of the soft, gray sofa
Brent’s designer had convinced him to buy. He’d regretted the
purchase ever since, but he placated himself with the reminder that
she’d been a great lover.

“I can’t
believe he…” She shook her head. “Actually, I can. When he makes up
his mind about something, he’s relentless. Apparently he’s decided
we’re getting back together no matter how I feel about it.”

“Like hell you
are.” Keith knew the decision was hers and she hadn’t asked for his
opinion, but if she even considered taking him back, Keith would
find a way to stop her.

“Is that so?”
she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He reached for
a stem of grapes and popped one into her mouth before she had time
to protest. Grinning, he said, “I can think of another way to
silence you, but I thought you might object to it.” They exchanged
a heated glance, both remembering their kiss in her office. That
was weeks ago, but Keith had been plagued by it every day.

“Are you ready
to admit you’re too weak to hold up your end of our deal?” she
asked, feigning indifference and reaching for a square of
cheese.

Keith knew she
was asking him whether he’d slept with anyone. “No way.”

She chewed
carefully as she regarded him. “You love sex, Keith. Everyone knows
that. This is probably the longest you’ve ever gone without. Why
are you doing this?”

He watched her
reach for her wine and waited while she took a sip. “You want the
truth?” He knew it was time. They’d been dancing around their
attraction for weeks, and it was making him crazy.

“The truth
always beats a lie.” She gave him a wry smile. “You’d do well to
remember that.”

“I want you.”
He slid his hand into her hair and inched closer to her.

Her eyes went
wide when he took the glass out of her hands and set it on the
table. “We talked about this,” she said, pressing against his
shoulders. “Brent… Ava…”

He didn’t wait
for her to finish before he covered her mouth with his. She tasted
like fine wine and that unique flavor that made him hunger for
more. Sliding his hand up her ribcage, he deepened the kiss,
gratified when she wrapped her arms around his neck instead of
trying to push him away.

Keith drew back
long enough to look at her. She looked as drunk on lust as he felt.
Alcohol had nothing to do with their attraction. He felt it bone
deep even when he was stone cold sober. He knew she felt it too.
They could run, but they couldn’t hide from it.

“I want you,”
he repeated, kissing her neck. He needed to make her feel the words
instead of just hearing them. Every cell in his body craved their
connection, making it seem almost surreal.

“You’ve gone
without too long…” she whispered. “You just want a warm, willing
body.”

“You’re wrong.”
He held her face, looking down at her. The intensity of the moment
rocked him. He prayed she felt it too. “This has been a long time
coming, Tara. I think we both know that.” They were compatible on
so many levels, but his history made him a terrible bet for a girl
who liked to play it safe.

“I won’t deny
I’m attracted to you.”

He smiled. “You
can’t.” Brushing his lips across her cheek, he said, “Neither one
of us can deny this anymore. It’s too intense, too powerful. I’m
tired of fighting it.”

She slid her
hands up the back of his shirt and caressed his bare skin as her
eyes drifted closed. “We can’t tell your brother. Or Ava. She’d
kill me.”

He didn’t care
if the world knew they’d been intimate. He wasn’t embarrassed or
ashamed, but she might be. “Are you afraid they’ll call you a fool
for going to bed with me?”

Biting her lip,
she stared into his eyes. “You can’t deny you have quite the
reputation.”

“Don’t judge me
for the man I was yesterday.” His feelings for her, his need to
protect her had changed him. Before, he had been all about taking
care of himself, tending to his own needs. Now that seemed
secondary. “Judge me based on the man I am today.”

Tara caressed
his cheek. “Are you saying you’ve changed? You’re not that same
fun-loving guy who turned dating into an Olympic sport?”

“You know I
haven’t been with anyone since…” He tasted her lips to remind
himself it wasn’t a dream. She was really there with him, making
him believe she was everything he’d been waiting for and more than
he deserved. “We kissed.”

She grinned.
“That was some kiss. But I hardly believe it was enough to turn you
off other women. I’m not that naïve.”

“No, you’re not
naïve.” He brushed her wispy bangs off her forehead. “You’re astute
and smart.” He kissed her again, not because he was trying to
convince her he was sincere, but because he couldn’t stop kissing
her. He knew she could easily become his addiction. “And sexy, fun,
feisty…”

Her eyes
sparkled with amusement when she looped her arms around his neck.
“Tell me more. I could get used to this.”

“Stick with me.
You’ll have to get used to it.” He intended to tell her every day
how amazing she was because that’s what she deserved.

Tara looked
down and fidgeted with the button on his shirt without undoing it.
“What are we doing here? Ava and Brent are right to be concerned
about us hooking up. You’re his brother. I’m her best friend. Our
paths are going to cross for a long time. Sex is a sure-fire way to
make things awkward between us. I don’t want that, and I know you
don’t either.”

She was
shutting down; he could feel it. “Don’t tell me what I want,” he
said quietly. “You have no idea.”

Her eyes
snapped back to his. “What…?”

“I want what
they have. Is it so hard to imagine that I want someone who’ll love
and support me the way Ava loves Brent?” He hadn’t intended to let
his guard down, but if revealing his weakness was the only way to
prove his sincerity, he’d risk it.