Desired Read online

  He leaned down and kissed her cheek like she was a casual acquaintance. There was no heat. No love. No passion. Only a tight embrace that spoke to the heady emotions raging through him.

  Then he left.

  Just like that.

  Ella stared at the closed door, tears welling in her eyes. What would become of them now? How could he possibly forget about Rory when he simply seemed consumed by it? She didn’t want him to deal with Rory. She wanted him here, with her. Her strength drained out of her, weakening her knees.

  “Hugs help.”

  Tears streamed down Ella’s face as she turned to Cora. Her arms were opened as she added, “Come here. We’ll stay with you tonight.”

  Ella found her feet moving, without even thinking. She dropped down next to Presley and Cora, with Kenzie on her knees in front of her. “I’m sorry.” She sniffed. “You all never signed up for this.”

  “Oh, please,” Kenzie muttered, giving Ella’s leg a light slap. “We all have shit in our pasts. Horrible shit that we wouldn’t want anyone to know. Yours just happened to explode in front of us.”

  Somehow staring at Kenzie, Ella thought Kenzie understood her more than anyone else. From the warm hints of understanding in her gaze, Ella wondered if Kenzie had been through dark times herself, or at least that’s how it seemed.

  “Kenzie’s right,” Presley agreed. “We’re your friends now. Maybe new friends, but friends nonetheless. And when we go through tough shit, we’re here for each other.”

  Ella looked from face to face, appreciating these women. She cherished that they didn’t pity her. They were simply there for her. Holding her. Loving her. For the first time in so long, she experienced the warm comfort that comes from being around people who truly cared for her. She looked to each of them, wiping her tears. “Thank you for being so good to me.”

  Presley smiled softly. “You’re stuck with us now, Ella. Get used to it. There’s no getting rid of us.”

  “Damn right you are,” Kenzie added with her typical sassy flare.

  Cora jumped off the couch in her bouncy way. “Okay, let me go talk to Aidan. I’ll send him on a junk-food-and-movie run.” She moved toward the door.

  “It’s Club Sin tonight,” Ella argued. “You don’t all need to stay with me.”

  “Hush, you.” Cora glanced over her shoulder. “It’s a girls’ night. I’m sure the club will survive without us. We’ll have a blast and eat horrible food that we shouldn’t.”

  Kenzie nodded with a dancing gaze. “Get him to grab some wine, too. No girls’ night is official without a big-ass bottle of wine!”

  “He’s awake. Sober, too.”

  Sitting at his workstation, Kyler glanced to his father. “Glad to hear it.” He leaned back in his chair, noting the tension from last night hadn’t vanished. He had wanted to stay with Ella, not deal with the shithead who needed time to sober up. But knowing the girls stayed with Ella eased the ache in his chest … slightly.

  What a fucking mess!

  Had he known that Rory would’ve drunken himself stupid and showed up at her door, he would’ve arrested his ass at the casino and forced him back to Savannah. Not until Rory showed up at her house did he realize how wrapped up in Ella Rory was.

  Though he understood.

  He was equally taken with her.

  She was special, and worth fighting for.

  “Care to tell me what this is all about?” his father asked.

  Kyler gave a long sigh. Truth had always been a strength between them. He’d learned the importance of it from this man. Though some things were not for him to share, and this situation belonged to Ella, not him. “It’s about Ella.”

  Andrew leaned against his cubicle, folding his arms. “That’s all you’re going to say?”

  Kyler nodded. “Yep.”

  His father regarded him, his eyes searching Kyler’s. “Do you need my help at all to handle the break of the restraining order?”

  That one statement was so his father. Andrew wouldn’t push the matter, and Kyler assumed he knew enough to understand that the fucker had mistreated Ella. But his father also seemed somewhat clueless about the finer details, which meant he hadn’t looked into it, either.

  The privacy in one’s life was something Andrew had always taken seriously. Kyler shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got this.”

  His father nodded, his gaze turning hard. “I like this Ella, so you’ll see to making this all good for her?”

  Ah, so I’m not the only one loving Ella.

  That came as no surprise. She’d made quite the impression on his family. At the dinner, his mother had cornered him, informing him that if he screwed things up with her, she would be extremely disappointed. His brothers had all smiled and given nods of approval, which in their way meant they liked Ella, too. “Of course, I’ll make this right for her,” he stated.

  His father straightened, moving away from the cubicle’s wall. “Your mother won’t hear of this from me.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate that.” While his mother was kind, she’d baby Ella about it all, and he knew Ella didn’t want that. Shit, he actually didn’t know what Ella would be thinking now. He had no idea what he’d return to when he went to her house.

  Had he overstepped when he’d approached Rory?

  While he could explain it all away, the root of the problem was perhaps he pushed too hard against a woman who’d been completely vocal about not wanting him to. And to his complete annoyance, his gentle pushing hadn’t brought them closer together; it had landed Rory on her doorstep, completely wasted and out of control. He didn’t even want to consider what would’ve happened if he hadn’t been there.

  Nothing about any of this felt good.

  A firm hand pressed on his shoulder. “You okay, son?”

  Kyler blinked out of his thoughts and rose from his chair. “Where is Rory?”

  His father frowned at Kyler’s dodge but said, “Sawyer brought him into interview room one. He thought he’d stay with you during your talk.”

  So you don’t do something stupid, the message came through clearly.

  Tension vibrated through Kyler as he picked up the brown envelope off his desk, then went to brush past his father. His dad gripped his shoulder, forcibly stopping him. “Love isn’t easy, son. It never is. If it was, we wouldn’t fight so hard to keep it. We wouldn’t appreciate it. The fight reminds us to never forget why it’s important.”

  Kyler shut his eyes. Yeah, but what if the woman you love is fighting you at every turn. Opening his eyes, he didn’t look back to his father, he strode forward. He understood the fight for love.

  Hell, he’d been doing everything he could for Ella, as gently as possible. Giving her the time she needed. Even offering her the space she required. But at the heart of it, he could do only what Ella would allow. Maybe he’d been fighting for something she simply couldn’t give him.

  Would she hate him for what he’d done?

  He strode down the hallway in the police station and settled in front of the door, with Interview Room 1 written in gold paint. He drew in a long, stabilizing breath, then entered.

  Sawyer leaned against the wall with his arms folded. Rory sat at the dark wooden table with a coffee cup. Exhaling the long breath, Kyler shut the door and then placed the envelope down on the table.

  Rory stared at it with wide eyes.

  No shock to Kyler. Nor had it surprised him that when he went to Rory’s hotel after he’d been taken into custody he had discovered the uncontested divorce papers in Rory’s room. A man fighting a divorce would bring them with him to throw in her face, he assumed. And he’d been right, finding the unsigned document on the desk.

  Kyler pointed to the envelope. “Agree to the divorce and sign the document.”

  Rory’s gaze lifted and his eyes were bloodshot. He reeked of the coffee that Kyler had asked the cops to serve him throughout the night, as well as booze. “That’s between me and Ella. You can’t force me to sign shit.”
<
br />   “I don’t have to force you.” Kyler spun the chair in front of him around and dropped down onto it—all the while keeping a careful distance from Rory. It was one thing to hear about his violent behavior, but seeing it firsthand made it all the more real.

  Rory would never get within a few feet of Ella, and preferably would stay in another state entirely. But Kyler reminded himself that today wasn’t about him, it was about making Ella safe. “Do you love her?” he asked.

  Rory hesitated, then said softly, “I do.”

  The fucker’s eyes got all teary. Kyler could’ve leveled him simply for that. “If you love her, honestly care for her, then you’ll realize that she deserves better than you. She has a good thing going for her in Vegas. Do you honestly want to cause her more pain than you’ve already caused?”

  Rory’s mouth parted, but Kyler interjected, “She’s mine now. I have no idea how much clearer to make that.” He leaned in across the table and heard the snarl in his voice. “The option for you to take her back to Savannah isn’t an option anymore. Regardless, she has a soft spot in her heart for you and thinks you’re not this horrible piece of shit that I know you are.”

  “Kyler,” Sawyer warned.

  His gaze flicked to Sawyer, who hadn’t moved off the wall but raised his eyebrows. Kyler clenched his jaw, controlling his voice. “Ella is staying with me. In Vegas. Where she is safe and loved. She has nothing left for her in Savannah, and she certainly does not want to be with you.” He tapped his finger against the paper. “Sign it and let her move on with her life.”

  Whatever Rory had seen in Kyler’s expression he must’ve taken seriously, since his shoulders slumped. “Is that what she wants?”

  “What she wants is no longer your concern,” Kyler retorted. “Her moving away and the restraining order should be clear enough for you to realize the relationship is over. You cannot possibly be that stupid.” He drew in a long breath, then released it slowly. “I don’t know what you’re hung up on, but it’s done. Over. Now that I know of the restraining order, believe me when I tell you that I will not hesitate to get you arrested. Do not contact her. Do not come anywhere near her. Are we clear?”

  Rory held his gaze, then, like the coward he was, he hung his head. “Yeah. We’re clear.”

  Kyler leaned away, staring at the piece of shit. He’d seen too many people come from hard times and do incredible things with their lives, regardless of the odds. There was no justification to think it was okay to act like a complete asshole at rough times in their lives.

  Rory stared at the envelope before he removed the papers. His hand shook as he picked up the pen and signed the document. “She’s a good woman.”

  Kyler’s fists clenched as he rose from his chair, all his rage slowly building to unbearable levels. He noticed Sawyer stepping in closer to him as he pressed his hands against the table, leaning into Rory. “If beating those words from your fucking mouth wouldn’t make me a man like you, that would be in your foreseeable future.”

  He brought his face within inches of Rory’s, noticing Sawyer move just a bit closer, then he added, “A man of your character doesn’t get to mutter those words. You are to never talk about her again, in any fashion whatsoever. And you certainly don’t need to tell me that I have a woman so special that I’d go to all measures to keep her safe.”

  Grabbing up the papers, he glanced to Sawyer, who had taken a step back and relaxed his posture. “Get Maggie to call her friend in Savannah and get him on a plane.”

  Sawyer raised her brows in surprise. “Are you sure?”

  Not process the paperwork for breaking the protection order? the question rang out between them.

  “No, I’m not,” Kyler muttered, not giving Rory a second look. He didn’t deserve it. He deserved to be ignored and feel small, like he’d done to Ella. “But that’s what Ella would want.”

  She’s the only thing that matters.

  Not Rory. Not abuse. Only her.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  On Sunday morning, Ella waved at the girls as they drove off in Dmitri’s Hummer. The world was a little foggy this morning and her head hurt from the three glasses of wine she’d drank last night. Though, at least she wasn’t as bad as Kenzie, who’d guzzled double what Ella had.

  Kenzie had said all of two words this morning and grunted the rest. While funny as it was, Ella knew the effect that last night had on her. She knew she most likely would’ve run, not wanting to face any of them again. By their staying with her, they took away her chance, and as rattled as she felt, she was also touched by their friendships.

  I’m lucky.

  She sighed as Dmitri’s Hummer vanished around the corner and she shut the front door. Now what? Her thoughts spun wildly out of control. What happened with Rory last night? Did he go to jail? Why did Kyler want to go with him? More important, why hadn’t Kyler come back to her last night?

  Everything hurt.

  Her head throbbed. Her heart ached. Her damn soul felt battered, if she were being honest with herself.

  Instead of standing at the door, thinking shit over that she couldn’t control, she set to showering off the hangover, since two cups of coffee and a painkiller hadn’t helped yet. Moving through her hallway, she entered her small, modern bathroom and stripped out of her pajamas, getting into the shower.

  There, she stayed for a good fifteen minutes until her head stopped thumping and the world seemed less hazy. Once she turned off the shower and reached for the towel on the hook, she heard her front door open and close.

  Knowing exactly who it would be, and needing more than ever to see Kyler, she grabbed her housecoat off the back of the door. Then her wet footsteps followed her into the living room.

  Water dripped off her hair, landing on the hardwood floors, when she spotted Kyler sitting on her couch with his back to her. She moved around the couch and noticed an envelope on the table. He turned to her, and his guarded gaze still held that cold distance. Seeing it brought forth emotions she wasn’t expecting. Happiness didn’t fill her at his arrival, red-hot anger did.

  “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the envelope.

  “Your signed divorce papers,” he said, not moving from the couch.

  “Rory finally agreed to the divorce?” she whispered. “On his own?”

  Kyler nodded, never taking his gaze off her. “He signed them this morning, and Sawyer’s seeing that he’s on way back to Savannah now.”

  She swallowed back the emotion threatening to explode. How had Kyler achieved getting a man who’d fought a divorce for ten months to finally agree? “Did you have a hand in getting Rory to sign?”

  His expression gave little away. He had his emotions very in check. “Would you expect otherwise?”

  Gratefulness slid through Ella, of course it did. But she couldn’t get past the feeling that something terrible had changed between them. He’d never been so cold, nor had he been able to keep his hands off her.

  She hugged herself as the floor dropped out from under her. I can’t lose you. Don’t do this!

  He studied her and sighed. “I see anger in those eyes of yours, Ella. Care to explain why?”

  Possibly defensive because of his distance, all of what she experienced last night rushed into her. What he’d done was sweet and thoughtful, but something remained in her thoughts. Something she couldn’t let go of. “I told you to leave it alone with Rory. I told you that I didn’t want you involved with him. If you hadn’t gone to Rory, he wouldn’t have arrived last night. Now everyone knows about what happened with him. And that is not something I ever wanted. So, yes, that makes me angry.”

  The ever-so-cool Kyler regarded her with a long look. “I won’t apologize for approaching him, Ella. Nor will I apologize for ensuring you got the divorce you wanted and enforcing that Rory goes back to Savannah.”

  “I don’t want you to apologize.”

  Don’t you? her mind argued.

  Deep down, she wanted to blame someon
e or something. If Kyler hadn’t pressed Rory, this distance wouldn’t be between them. He wouldn’t have seen the violence she once endured.

  The fact that he was being so collected only angered her more. She wanted emotion. Realness. She wanted him to stop treating her like a woman who was a second away from breaking into a thousand pieces.

  One sleek brow arched. “Then what do you want, sweetheart?”

  She drew in a long breath, and all her emotions came pouring out of her. “I wanted a normal life. I wanted to be like everyone else, and I had that, even if for a little while. And now it’s all followed me. Now everyone knows. This was why I didn’t want a relationship. I don’t want the drama.”

  “You can’t run from this and you can’t avoid what happened,” he replied with a soft voice. “You need to turn and face it. See that no one is going to fault you for this. You need to count on me to talk about it.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she growled, angry tears filling her eyes. How many times did she possibly have to say that? “I don’t need to talk about. I dealt with it, okay? For months I dealt with what it did to me. I have recovered from that. I don’t want to go back to that time in my life.”

  Kyler didn’t move. Was he even breathing?

  He finally said, “You must, Ella. It’s that simple.”

  She wiped her tears, cursing those damn things trailing down her cheeks, and said through clenched teeth, “I don’t understand why you need to hear about what happened in the past.” She threw up her hand in frustration. “Why do you need to hear that I lost my parents? That it destroyed me for a long time. If it wasn’t for my grandparents, I would have been a fucking mess.”

  Drawing in a deep breath, she attempted to control the shaking of her voice, but failed miserably. “Why does it matter that my grandparents died, leaving me with only Rory and his friends? Supposed friends who all turned their backs on me the moment I left Rory because I was in the wrong, even though he hurt me. That every fucking day I look in the mirror, my scar haunts me with memories that the man I loved threw me into a goddamn table. Why do I need to be reminded how fucked up my life is?”