“I can be anything you need,” he growled, gaze lazily scorching over her body.
She tried to ignore the answering heat between her legs and the impulse to lean back into his embrace. Damn, he was like her kryptonite and she needed to find a cure. “We can’t just begin a relationship because you declared it. We’re not the same people we were, Kane. Both of us have changed and grown and I don’t want to go back. It’s better to leave us in the past with a perfect memory. I’ve moved on and you need to do the same.”
“That’s what I thought. Until you proved me wrong.”
She shook her head. “By what? Avoiding you? Refusing to drag back the past? Not staying that morning or trying to find you all those years ago?”
Sierra waited for the male temper from the sting of her words but once again, he surprised her. His wolfish grin confirmed she was about to be stripped of her last defenses.
“No. By naming your store Flirt.” His gaze narrowed with intensity. “You’ve been thinking about me all these years too, Sierra. So much that you made sure I was a part of the most important part of your life—your business. The store you told me you dreamed of having one day. You may not have known my name, so you chose the closest thing. You picked Flirt with me in mind. Didn’t you?”
It was too much. Forcing her to admit the shameful secret was like ripping the Band-Aid off a wound with no delicacy. She trembled under his stare, wishing she could deny it all and throw him out, refusing to speak with him again. She tried to rally and pretend. “It doesn’t matter. The name fit the vibe and tone of the store I wanted. You’re reading too much into it.”
He bent over and pressed his lips to her ear. “Liar.”
She jerked away to hide her reaction. “I’m not doing this with you—there’s no point. I refuse to be bullied, and you’ll need to accept what we had was in the past. Yes, it was special, but I have no interest in pursuing a future.”
“May I ask why?”
She gave him a hard stare. “I heard about you being in jail. There’d be no other reason for you to be in this small beach town other than there’s nowhere else for you to go. You’re not here really by choice, Kane.” She nibbled on her lip and asked the question that really mattered. “Did you hurt people?”
He flinched. The flare of pain in his green eyes affected her; made her want to step in and soothe, allow him to explain, and make space for excuses for his mistakes. Still, his response was key, so she waited.
“Yes.”
His words broke something inside her. A confirmation that wiped away any excuses. If he hurt people before, how could she ever trust him not to do it to her? It was the perfect barrier to locking up her heart, because this man would annihilate her if she gave him a chance. Her spine stiffened. “I can’t be involved with a man who thinks money and power are worth breaking the rules for.”
Regret tore through her even as she stayed true to her words.
His face turned to stone. “Fair enough. I have no right to be irritated you didn’t come to me for an explanation because we never had the time to get to know one another.”
Sierra quirked a brow. “You have an explanation or excuse for hurting people?”
“Does it matter? That conversation is one for later, once we build some trust and learn about each other. Right now, we have to start at the beginning. Create a new one that has a foundation.”
Her jaw unhinged. “I just told you we are not getting involved!”
Kane grinned. The boyish mischief was intoxicating but Sierra figured he knew it. “I understand you’re scared. I was too, but I’m not about to let a little fear keep me from the one woman I’ve never forgotten.”
Frozen to the ground at his unabashed arrogance, he took advantage by leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll go slow. For now, let’s start with planning a kick ass engagement party.”
And while she stood silent, denials stuck in her throat, he let himself out.
Chapter Eleven
“To wear dreams on one’s feet is to begin to give a reality to one’s dreams.” – Roger Vivier
“I call the Bad Ass Bitches Club to order.”
Sierra picked from the cheese and cracker board while she took in the other women gathered at the carved table designed to resemble a corkscrew. The wine bar welcomed them every Thursday night, providing a private room so they could hold their weekly meeting. This past year, they’d all come a long way.
It had originally been a support group to get over Brick, who had no idea women were sharing heartbreak stories and making him out to be a player. Sierra and Aspen had put a quick stop to that ridiculousness, and once the members realized it had just been an excuse to get together, they changed the name to the Bad Ass Bitches Club.
Now, Sierra was a proud member, and they’d welcomed more women into the circle. Riley was the leader. Her bright red hair, smattering of freckles, and killer style allowed her to control the group with ease. Once she’d stopped blaming Brick for everything wrong, she’d actually become a strong advocate for everyone, encouraging sharing and honesty. The topics were wide, but most revolved around everyone’s current love life.
Or lack of one.
Sierra sipped her Prosecco and listened to Lacey talk excitedly about her new boyfriend. She was a local waitress with gorgeous curves, white-blonde hair, and a sweet smile. She’d experienced some terrible past relationships. “He asked me straight out last weekend if I was dating anyone else, and when I said no, he asked if we could be exclusive.” The roar of approval around the table made Sierra smile. “I know! There’s no games. And he pays for shit. He’s a real grown-up, but I’ve been getting in my head and wondering if he’s secretly plotting to break my heart for fun. Isn’t that screwed up?” Her pert nose wrinkled. “I can’t recognize the good ones anymore. But I’m tired of playing games and I just want to be real.”
