Kyle's Return (5 page)

He shook his head. “Sorry. My mind was somewhere
else.”

“I could tell. You’re not jealous of my time with the
boys are you? I didn’t think sexy men were part of your taste.”

He chuckled lightly. “I don’t swing that way, love.
And I don’t think fucking around with two men is your cup of tea
either.”

“And how do you know? One might not be enough.” I
countered.

“If that’s the case, you’ve been with the wrong men.
Besides, I know better, your face gave it away when they
propositioned you.”

“So you called me over here to tell me that?”

“I’d just hate to see you do something you’d regret.
And if you don’t need help then you won’t have problems telling
them that you’ll pass on their offer.”

“Right now?” I asked incredulously.

“Why not?”

“Fine,” I said, narrowing my gaze. “Have it your
way.” I turned to Jared and Patrick and grinned. “Saturday night,
it’s on boys.” They both smacked hands and chuckled.

Glancing over my shoulder, Kyle seethed. “What the
hell are you doing?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Maybe I want double
the pleasure. Or maybe I want to find out what has your panties in
a twist.”

Clenching his fists tight, he looked over at Jared
and Patrick and then back to me. “You really want to know? All you
have to do is beat me in a squat match.”

“What happens if I lose?”

His smile grew wide. “Then you tell Tweedle-Dee and
Tweedle-Dum over there to get bent and find someone else to
plow.”

He said it loud enough for the guys to hear. They
stopped lifting their weights and joined us. Their curious gazes
gave me pause, especially when they grinned at each other. They
were up to something.

“You ready, love?” Kyle asked as he stretched his
legs.

I cracked my neck and took a deep breath. “Let’s do
this.”

We started our squats while Jared and Patrick kept
track of the numbers. My thighs burned like hell, but I kept going.
I wanted to win just to aggravate Kyle. It didn’t help that the
boys kept goading him with their words. Every time they would say
something, he’d go faster and gain more squats.

“What do you think, J? Chocolate or whipped cream?”
Patrick asked.

Jared smirked and licked his lips. “Tits and
chocolate are my favorite combination.”

“Mmm,” Patrick moaned.

“Dammit, guys, shut up,” I shouted. My legs hurt so
bad they gave out and I fell to the floor, gasping for air.

Kyle laid down beside me. He was breathing hard, but
it didn’t stop him from laughing. “The date’s over,” he murmured
smugly.

Jared and Patrick came over and stood by our side,
smirking. They both looked down at us and shook their heads. “That
was too close,” Patrick said.

“What are you talking about?” I grumbled.

Jared grinned wide. “Well, we’re strictly dickly.
That would have been awkward for everyone if you’d won.”

“So we came up with a plan to test out the theory,”
Patrick finished.

I covered my face with my hands. “Oh my God.”

Jared pulled my hands away. “Don’t be mad at us. I
didn’t know how else to make lover boy here jealous. I think I
proved my point.”

“And I think you need to get the fuck out of here
before I get off this floor,” Kyle growled.

Winking, Jared helped me up and sauntered out of the
gym with Patrick by his side. I couldn’t believe they said all of
that just to make Kyle jealous. “Please tell me their assumptions
aren’t true,” I said, glancing down at Kyle still on the floor.

Kyle sat up and huffed. “I wish I could, but I
can’t.”

“My friends
hate
you. Where do you see
anything going? It just could never happen.”

Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair. “I’m
trying to change all of that. You saw what I did today. I let go of
my pride and I’ll pay the price of that humiliation for the rest of
my life. I need for someone to give me a chance.”

“You realize what you’re asking?”

He nodded. “I do. And I know you don’t trust me, but
I’m hoping once you see that I’ve changed, you’ll see me
differently from everyone else.”

I couldn’t believe I was even entertaining the idea.
I must be fucked up in the head. “So what do you want to do?”

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “We can
start out slow. What are you doing this weekend?”

“I told my best friend, Nic, that we could check out
the new club in town. I haven’t been out in a really long
time.”

Kyle got to his feet and stood close. “I haven’t
either. I can meet you there if you want.”

I sighed and looked down at the floor. “If we do
this, you can’t tell anyone.”

He ran a hand down my arm and I shivered. It was the
first time he’d touched me so intimately. “I understand.”

“Why me, though? Why not find someone who doesn’t
know about your past?”

“It would be easier,” he admitted, “and you may hate
me, but you’ve also been the only one to show me kindness. You’re
the only one who could come close to being considered a
friend.”

Tyler was going to kill me, not to mention Kacey if
she ever found out. “Okay. Meet me at the club on Friday night.
Just don’t make me regret this decision.”

His smile made me tremble. “I won’t.”

***

FOR THE REST of the week, Kyle and I had talked
at the gym, but kept our interactions to a minimum. “So you’re
trying to tell me that the guy who all of your friends hate is
going to meet us at the bar tonight? Are you insane?” Nicole
shrieked.

I had put off telling her for as long as I could, but
now that we were getting ready to go out, I had no choice. I joined
her in the bathroom to finish flat ironing my hair. “I’m sorry.
It’s just really awkward knowing that he’s
the
Kyle Andrews.
I never knew him like everyone else. From what I’ve seen of him
though, he’s really trying to change.”

Nic pinned the last of her curls into an updo and
spread on her lipstick. “I sure hope you’re right. The last thing
you need is another psycho messing with your head.” She squeezed my
arm and I looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had on a skin
tight red dress to match her bright red lips.

“I’m not the same Megan as before, Nic. I know this
guy’s not bad, or at least not anymore.”

“All right, I believe you. Now finish getting ready
so we can go. This is a monumental occasion.”

That it was. I almost forgot what it was like to go
out and have fun. As fast as I could, I finished my hair, checked
my makeup, and put on some lip gloss. I was ready to go.

By the time we got to the bar, it was nine o’ clock
and it was slamming. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait outside long.
The music was loud and there were a ton of people dancing. I
grabbed Nic’s hand and dragged her to the bar so we could sit. The
busty blonde bartender smiled and waited for our order. “A shot of
tequila for me and my friend, please,” I said.

“Coming right up.” She set two shot glasses on the
counter and poured them high.

Nic grabbed hers and tossed it back fast, followed by
a cough. “Whew, that shit never gets easier to swallow. I’m
surprised you didn’t order your usual.”

“I’m done with raspberry martinis. They remind me too
much of Alex. It’s all I would ever drink when we’d go out. I want
to start new things, make new habits.”

She slapped her hand on the counter. “You’re damn
right. How about another shot?”

“Sounds good to me.” We downed another shot and I was
starting to feel pretty good.

“Do you want to dance?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I’m sure there are some
gorgeous guys out there who’d be happy to dance with you.”

“You sure? I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Laughing, I pushed her away. “Go, I’ll be fine.”

She pouted her lips, but as soon as she hit the dance
floor, two guys sandwiched her and she was in heaven. Instead of
ordering another shot, I got water and watched her dance. “Can I
get you a drink?” someone asked behind me. I turned around and a
sharply dressed man in his mid-thirties smiled at me.

“No, thank you. I’m actually waiting for
someone.”

He sat down beside me. “I’ll just wait with you
then.”

“Be my guest.” Trying my best to ignore him, I turned
my body away so I could focus on Nic and not have to look at him.
He was easy on the eyes, but I could smell sleazeball from a mile
away.

“So what do you do?” he asked.

I tilted my head to the side so he could hear me over
the music. “I’m an undercover agent.”

“Really? I never would’ve pegged you for that line of
work.”

I blinked my eyes innocently. “Don’t feel bad, most
people don’t suspect it. Do you want to know what I specialize
in?”

He licked his lips and moved closer. “Tell me.”

“Women hire me to find out if their husbands are
cheating. You’d be surprised the kind of shit I can dig up on a
man.” His face turned green and I smiled wide as he scurried off
without another word.
Worthless jackass
.

“Should I even ask what that was about?” Kyle asked,
approaching the bar. His face was still bruised from the fight but
it was on the mend.

I patted the seat beside me and smiled when he sat.
“Oh you know, just your average cheating husband trying to score
with a chick at the bar.”

“How do you know he was married?”

“He had a tan line where his wedding band should be.
Granted, he could be separated, but judging by the reaction I got
from him, I’d say no.”

He chuckled. “Damn, I pity someone who tries to get
one over on you.”

If only I’d been like that sooner, then maybe I
would’ve seen through Alex. “I try to be,” was all I could say. We
both laughed and it was the first time I’d noticed his eyes. “Hey,
you’re not wearing your contacts.” One eye was brown and the other
green.

“Does it bother you?” he asked in all
seriousness.

“No, not at all. I’ve never known anyone other than
you to have eyes like that. It’s different. Unique.”

“Most people find it unnerving. That’s why I didn’t
wear the contacts. I figured I’d need to be intimidating tonight if
I was going to be around you. But it looks like you can handle
yourself.”

I bumped him in the shoulder. “I appreciate it. I’m
not used to the whole club scene anymore. I’ve been away from it
for a while. To be honest, I’m only here for Nic.”

Kyle scanned the crowd with narrowed eyes. “So who’s
this friend you always talk about?” I pointed her out and she waved
at us; he nodded back. She smiled and continued her gyrating.
Turning around, he ordered a beer and took a swig. “I always
preferred parties to this scene. I had one every weekend before the
accident.”

“I guess now it must seem kind of lonely without all
your groupies, huh?”

He took another gulp of his beer and looked over at
me. “Actually, it was lonelier then.”

“And now you’re here to make peace with your sister.
I hope it works out for you. Kacey has a good heart. I often
wondered how someone like her could have a brother like you.”

“Ouch, that hurts, love.”

I cringed. “Sometimes the truth stings. But if the
way you are with me is the way you truly are, then I have no doubt
you’ll win Kacey over.” I patted him on the knee, hoping to get the
frown off his face.

He moved closer and smiled. “What about you? What’s
your story?”

“Ah, let’s see. I became friends with Ryley and
Gabby. And of course, Matt and Shelby. Speaking of which, I think
those two are your worst enemies.”

“As anyone in their right mind should be. I’m hoping
one day I can apologize to them.”

“Good luck on that one,” I laughed.

“Yeah. So anyway, what made you move to Vegas? Do you
have family out here?”