Breathless (19 page)

Tara looked
down at his hand. For weeks she’d been telling herself that her
friends were right about him, but what if they weren’t? What if he
really was ready to change and she failed to give him the chance to
prove it?

***

Keith could
tell she was waging an internal battle. Her trust wouldn’t come
quickly or easily, but he would wait as long as it took. Leaning
in, he whispered in her ear, “I’m wearing you down, I can
tell.”

She giggled and
pushed against his shoulder. “Has anyone ever told you you’re like
a dog with a bone? You just don’t give up, do you?”

He held her
eyes, refusing to let her look away. He prayed she would see the
truth he couldn’t seem to convey with words. “Not when I want
something as much as I want this. And I do want you, Tara.” He
brushed his cheek against her face. “You have no idea how
much.”

“You want to
have sex with me.” Her voice was husky, and she leaned in instead
of drawing away.

“Yes, I do.”
Taking a chance she wouldn’t push him away, he inched closer. “But
I want more than that. If you give me your body, you’re giving me
your heart too. I get that. You can trust me not to break it. I
swear.”

Keith would cut
off his arm before he’d break that promise. If anyone was at risk
of getting hurt, it was him. He intended to tell his brother and
future sister-in-law that as soon as he and Tara got home. That,
and he wanted them to back the hell off and quit filling Tara’s
mind with doubts about him. He deserved a chance, and he intended
to earn it.

Resting her
head on his shoulder, she said, “I’m so confused, Keith. I don’t
know what to think or how to feel anymore.”

He put his arms
around her, content just to hold her. “It’s okay. I’m not going
anywhere, baby. You have all the time in the world to make up your
mind about me.” Keith considered time his best friend at the
moment. With every day that passed, he would be that much closer to
earning her trust. She would see that he didn’t need other women,
wild parties, or booze to have a good time anymore. He just needed
her.

***

When they
returned to Keith’s condo, Tara retreated to the bathroom for a
shower. He told her he needed to see Brent about something, but he
should be back by the time she got out. They were both tired after
a long day in the sun, so they agreed to watch a movie and order
pizza before turning in early.

Keith rehearsed
what he wanted to say while in the elevator. He didn’t want to hurt
his relationship with his brother, but he was determined to stand
his ground. The biggest challenge would be convincing Ava. She
loved Tara like a sister, and Brent would object to anything that
upset his fiancée. Trying to divide and conquer the couple wasn’t
an option. After knocking on the door, he paced the hallway.

Ava opened the
door and frowned when she saw him a few steps away. “What are you
doing all the way over there?”

“Can I talk to
you guys for a minute? It’s important.”

“Of course.”
Ava held the door open. “Come on in. Brent’s in his office. I’ll go
get him. Can I get you something to drink first?”

“No, I’m good,
thanks.”

As Ava made her
way down the hall, Keith admired the soft, feminine touches Ava had
added to his brother’s penthouse. Even though they would only live
there a few more months until their house was finished, she’d
claimed she needed to make it feel more like a home than a museum.
Brent gave her carte blanche to do whatever she wanted with the
place. He said whatever made her happy made him happy. At the time,
Keith had teased his brother about being whipped, but he was
starting to understand.
When you love someone, you put them
first.

Brent returned
with Ava a few minutes later. Her lip gloss was smeared, and Brent
was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Keith smiled.
“Sorry to interrupt, but this couldn’t wait.”

Brent grinned.
“No worries, man. Hey, you look like you got some sun today. What
did you guys end up doing?”

“We drove out
to the Lewis’s place and just hung out for the day. It was
nice.”

“There’s not
much to do out there,” Brent said. “Y’all go for a swim?”

“Yeah, and we
had a picnic, went for a walk. It was the perfect day for it.”

Ava looked
uncomfortable about the news Keith had spent a pleasant day with
her best friend.

“So listen, I
need to talk to you guys,” Keith said. “You know Tara and I love
you guys, but you need to back the hell off and let us do our
thing.” So much for not rocking the boat. He’d intended to be firm,
but he could tell he came across as antagonistic.

“Excuse me?”
Ava said, crossing her arms.

His future
sister-in-law was as protective of the people she loved as a mama
bear, but Ava had to accept that she wasn’t the only one who cared
about Tara and wanted her to be happy. He did too.

“You’d better
explain yourself,” Brent said, sitting down on the arm of the sofa.
He placed his hand on the small of Ava’s back.

“I like Tara. A
lot.” That didn’t begin to describe his feelings, but he thought
Tara should be the first person he told. “I think she’s a great
girl.”

Brent pulled
Ava down on his lap. “And?”

“I want to
start seeing her.”

Brent sighed.
“I thought I told you how I feel about that.”

“I don’t care
how you feel. This isn’t about you.” Keith was one of the few
people who could challenge Brent’s orders because of their mutual
respect for the other’s opinions. Keith had been an integral part
of helping Brent build his company, and they both knew it.

“Please,
Keith,” Ava said softly. “You know I’m crazy about you. I think
you’re sweet, funny, generous, but…”

“But you’re
still worried I’m going to hurt her?”

“Your track
record speaks for itself,” Brent muttered.

Ava looked at
Keith. “I love her. I’ve seen her get hurt too many times. I can’t
let that happen again. Please try to understand.”

Keith
understood Ava’s concern. He would feel the same way, but that
didn’t mean he was going to roll over and surrender. Tara was too
important to him. “I’m not going to hurt her. I swear to you. I’m
playing for keeps, Ava.”

“I’ve heard
that before,” Brent said. “More than once.”

Raking a hand
through his hair, Keith turned his back on the two people who
seemed to be standing between him and the woman he was falling in
love with. “Look, I may have said that a time or two when I was a
kid, but this is the real deal.”

“How do we know
that?” Ava asked.

“What the hell
do you want from me?” Keith asked, throwing his hands up. “Do you
want me to take an oath, sign it in blood? You tell me, what’s it
gonna take to convince you I’m for real?”

“Watch your
goddamn mouth!” Brent said, setting Ava aside and moving in on
Keith. “Don’t talk to her that way!”

“Get the hell
out of my face,” Keith said. The past few weeks were finally
crushing him. “I’m sick and tired of you dictating to me like you
have any right to call the shots in my goddamn life. I worked my
ass off in school to get those sports scholarships so I wouldn’t be
indebted to you. You asked me to come and work for you when I
graduated. I didn’t come to you looking for a job. We both know I’m
the best at what I do. You didn’t give me a goddamn thing. I earned
it, and I would’ve worked my ass off to earn it with any company
who gave me a shot. Let’s get one thing straight: you didn’t make
me into the man I am today.” Keith was shaking by the time he
finished his speech. The two brothers stood toe-to-toe.

Ava reached for
Brent’s arm. “Please, guys, don’t do this.”

“You ungrateful
son of a bitch.” Brent poked Keith in the chest. “How dare
you—”

“Stop it!” Ava
shouted. “I’m serious.”

Brent stalked
across the room to pour himself a drink.

“I’m sorry,”
Keith said to Ava only. “This isn’t about you. I know you’re only
trying to protect your friend, but I’m putting you both on notice.
We’re going to be together, whether y’all like it or not.”

Keith didn’t
wait for a response. He didn’t need one. He’d said what he came to
say… and more.

Tara had just slipped
into a black bathrobe she’d borrowed from Keith when the phone
rang, indicating they had a visitor. She assumed it was the pizza
delivery they’d discussed, so she answered. “Hello.”

“Um, hello,”
came a female voice. “I’m not sure if I punched in the right
number. I’m looking for Keith.”

Oh.
Awkward.
“This is Keith’s apartment. I’m just a friend.” Her
heart protested the characterization, but that’s what she kept
telling him she wanted. She didn’t have the right to stake a claim
as soon as another woman entered the scene.

“Oh, I have
something for him. Could I bring it up?”

Tara wanted to
tell her to leave it at the security desk, but knowing Keith, it
could be something of a personal nature. “Sure, come on up.”

Unfortunately,
she didn’t have time to dash into the bedroom and change. Tara
decided Keith’s visitor would just have to draw her own
conclusions. She didn’t owe a stranger an explanation. According to
Keith, he wasn’t sleeping with anyone and didn’t care to.
Except
her
. She couldn’t help but feel a tingle of excitement when she
thought about his words. He did seem determined to prove that he
was a changed man… and her heart was tempted to let him try.

Glancing in the
mirror by the door, Tara fluffed her hair. She’d left it to air
dry, deciding pizza and a movie didn’t warrant using lip gloss or a
curling iron. Their visitor meant she didn’t have any more time to
fret over her appearance. As soon as she opened the door, she
wished she’d reconsidered the lip gloss and hair products.

The woman was a
goddess. And everything Tara wasn’t: blond, tall, and voluptuous.
She practically screamed sex. Her sleeveless red dress was short
and tight to the point of being almost obscene. She was the kind of
woman who would stop traffic and make honorable men consider
leaving their wives and girlfriends.

Pretending she
was totally unaffected wasn’t easy, but Tara was determined. With a
smile, she opened the door wider, gesturing for the woman to enter.
Tara would be secure and composed if it killed her. “Hello. Won’t
you come in?”

It wasn’t until
the other woman reached for the handle of the box at her feet that
Tara noticed it. The box was reasonably large, gold, with embossed
initials and a silk ribbon handle. A gift for Keith?

Tara said,
“Keith should be back in a few minutes if you’d like to wait for
him.”

“Thank you,”
she said, breezing past. “I think I will.”

Her expensive
perfume was overpowering. Tara stifled a cough. She was allergic to
heavy perfume, which was why she’d stuck with the same light
fragrance since college. “He shouldn’t be long.”

With a sneer,
she gave Tara a quick once-over. “I know. You already said
that.”

Okay, so that’s
the way it was going to be. Tara wasn’t an instigator, but she
wasn’t a pushover either. “Can I get you something to drink?” Her
petty side wanted the witch to think Tara had made herself at home
with Keith.

“No, thanks.”
She removed the ribbon from the box and extracted a stunning blue
and green, hand-blown vase.

She set it down
on the book shelf next to the flat-screen TV, and suddenly Tara
felt as though she was the intruder. Who was that woman and why was
she so comfortable in Keith’s home?

“So you’re the
flavor of the week.”

It wasn’t a
question, it was a statement, and Tara was almost too stunned to
respond. “Excuse me?”

She laughed.
“Let me guess, he told you that you were special, right?” Nodding,
a smile still teasing her lips, she said, “He said he’d never felt
about any other woman the way he felt about you…”

Tara felt sick
to her stomach, but she’d swallow bile before she let the woman
know she was hitting her mark. “I don’t know what you’re talking
about.” Tara knew she didn’t sound convincing. She was a terrible
liar, especially when she was shaken and confused.

“Yes, you do.”
Sitting on the sofa, the woman crossed one long, smooth leg over
the other and looked at her strappy red sandals. “Hmm, let me think
for a minute. What else might he have said? Oh, I know, did he tell
you that he didn’t want anyone else? That you were the only one?”
She laughed at Tara’s stricken look. “He really needs to get new
material.”

Before Tara
could respond, Keith walked in. He looked from Tara to his guest
and back again. “Kiley, what are you doing here?”

She indicated
the piece she’d set on his bookcase. “You asked me to drop it off
when it came in, remember?”

Looking
nervous, Keith said, “Oh yeah, right. I almost forgot. What do I
owe you?”

“It’s taken
care of. It was on your last invoice.”

So she was his
interior designer. Not that it mattered. Anyone could see they’d
had an intimate relationship. Keith was behaving like a man with
something to hide.

“Well, if
that’s all…” He walked toward the door. “Can we touch base later?
Tara and I were just about to settle in for the night. It’s been
kind of a long day.”

Kiley rose,
pausing to straighten her dress. “Sure. Call me later this week.
Maybe we can get together for dinner.”

She obviously
assumed Tara was a non-issue, and she was right. If Tara had even
considered giving Keith the benefit of the doubt, Kiley had just
quashed that idea. Keith expected Tara to be one of many. He’d fed
her the same lines he used on every woman stupid enough to fall
into bed with him. Thankfully she hadn’t been foolish enough to
make
that
mistake.