“Oh,” I say relieved.
“But since you’re asking for the reasons I think you are, I’m very attracted to Kaya and am just biding my time to shoot my shot with her.”
I’m itching to crack this dude’s skull with the punch bowl ladle.
“Shoot your shot?” I repeat through gritted teeth.
“It’s apparent that you haven’t been around in a while, so let me bring you up to speed.”
Wow, the balls on this one.
“I’ve been working with Kyle for over five years and Kaya’s had a boyfriend for a little over a year. Kyle doesn’t like him and neither do I, so like I said, I’m just waiting until things fall apart and then I’ll shoot my shot. She’ll be ready for a good man by then.”
What in the ever loving fuck?
“Let me explain something to you. I may have been off the grid for a while, but I’ve got a long history with this family and ain’t shit changed. Kyle’s not going to let some plumber friend he works with date his baby sister. It just isn’t going to happen. So if I were you, I’d walk around this party and find some other unsuspecting woman to shoot your shot with because it’s never going to happen with Kaya. I promise you that.”
“Is that right? Well, you’re the last person I’m going to take relationship advice from.”
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” I ask, getting closer to his face.
“Two words. Lisa Adams.”
Before I can punch him in his fucking mouth, Kaya returns and I find myself quickly falling back.
“Are you two okay?” She asks, looking back and forth between the two of us.
“Just chatting with the special guest,” the asshole says and then suddenly grabs Kaya’s arm to pull her away. “Let’s dance, Kaya. I love this song.”
Anger floats at the base of my throat. If I opened my mouth to stop them from walking away, I’d probably say something very inappropriate. But something I don’t understand is compelling me to react, so I gently grab Kaya’s hand before she slips completely away.
I can feel warmth radiating from her fingertips to mine, and this new proximity sends a shockwave of energy through me.
She whips her head around and stares at our clasped hands, then up at my face. The surrounding air seems charged with electricity, an indicator of the unspoken connection between us that anyone standing nearby could feel.
Shit, this isn’t good.
This doesn’t feel like protective brother vibes at all.
This feels like us in the middle of Maple Street ten years ago but even more palpable.
This time we’re grown.
“It was nice seeing you again, Brick,” she says without any genuine emotion. “Have a nice time at your party.”
Then she abruptly changes direction and follows Kyle’s coworker to the dance floor, leaving me standing here by myself. The back of my neck burns as I watch her move seductively to the rhythmic bass of the music. I want to turn my eyes away because I need to remember that this is the same kid I pushed on the swings when I was twelve and she was only eight-years-old, the same girl I taught to ride a two-wheel bike, but I can’t help myself.
She is intoxicating to watch, and oddly enough, I still don’t think she has a clue as to how much power she wields over men.
Over me.
And that’s a very dangerous thing.
That’s a power that can get a man in a whole lot of fucking trouble.
Brick
I takea bite of my steak and chew it slowly and methodically. During the off season, I typically stick to a strict low-carb diet, which is one of the reasons that I ended up linking up with my ex, Lisa.
