“I said I’m fine.” His temper stirred. Eli was one of the few people he let his control slip around.
“I get that and I know you want to go for a run. But we only have one car and I need to get back to the hotel to work. Are you going to run to the hotel?”
“Yes. I’ll meet you there later.”
“Fine, and Kellan?”
“Yep?” he asked.
“It’s okay to let yourself feel something for her. She’s gorgeous and amazing. She could be the one.”
Kellan shook his head. Eli was a smart guy. An excellent agent. Fair and firm.
But he was also an idiot sometimes.
There was no such thing as ‘the one’. No such thing as fate.
All he could hope for was that Eli would find someone who could tolerate being in a relationship with Kellan. Who didn’t need him to meet their emotional needs since he had no idea how to do that.
Because a proper relationship required trust and communication and touching outside of sex or play. And that was something that he couldn’t see himself doing.
Kellan wasn’t a touchy-feely guy. He couldn’t casually hold someone’s hand or hug them when they were feeling upset or tired or just wanted affection.
Those sorts of things weren’t something he’d been given as a child. Yeah, his brothers had grown up in the same household. But their father had enjoyed targeting him.
Singling him out. And Kellan had been happy to take a punishment to spare his brothers.
Where was Arabella staying? Was it safe? Secure?
She’s not your problem.
He kept telling himself that and yet . . . he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her. It seemed that maybe he did care more than he’d thought he did.
Which was . . . worrisome.
11
Arabella knocked on her neighbor’s door the next morning. She had Horse on the new lead that she’d bought him. She’d meant to do this last night, but her equipment and supplies had arrived and she’d gotten busy unpacking.
“Who is it?” someone called out from in the house.
“Um, I’m Arabella. Your new neighbor.” She glanced down at Horse in concern. Perhaps she shouldn’t have brought him with her. What if their neighbor didn’t like dogs?
The door opened and an older man peered up at her through thick glasses. He was using a cane and was slightly hunched.
“What do you want?”
“Well, I came to apologize for all the noise yesterday,” she said, holding out the container with the cake in it. “I made you a cake.”
She waited for him to tell her to get lost.
Some parts of this move really weren’t working out all that great. Nearly spending the night in her car. Having the police called to her place because of Horse.
Bossy men telling her what to do all the time.
Her neighbor huffed. “What flavor is it?”
“Um, chocolate. Is that all right?” She hadn’t considered whether he’d like that flavor or not.
