Red Light Green Light: Are You Game?, Book 3 Page 10

  “But I don’t want to stop.” She thrust her tongue between his lips before pulling back to nip at him with her teeth, while that torturous hand did its best to get him off. “I want to make you feel good. Want you to make me feel good. I don’t want to feel sad anymore. Just for a little while, I want to forget. Make me forget.”

  What the fuck? She was sad? Wanted to forget?

  This wasn’t about wanting him. It was about finding oblivion from whatever had put that look in her eyes when she’d asked him to hold her. He wasn’t about to let her use him like that. She’d regret it just as much as him after they were done. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her hand out of his pants. In a second, he reversed their positions and pinned her beneath him. Cradling her face in his hands, he left her no choice but to look at him.

  “Kelsey?”

  Air rushed from Kelsey’s lungs as the world turned upside down. Blinking rapidly, her eyes focused on West now looming over her with storm-gray eyes.

  Oh God.

  What did she say? He’d wanted to stop. She’d told him she didn’t. That she didn’t want to feel sad—wanted to forget…

  Oh God.

  “Kels?”

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but neither action stopped the pinch of anxiety from squeezing her stomach—her chest.

  “Talk to me.” West stroked the side of her face, the caress soft like his voice, making her want to lean into him—lean on him.

  Kelsey couldn’t avoid answering no matter how much she wanted to. Opening her eyes she met West’s gaze and tried to divert his attention. “If you don’t want me, just say so.”

  He laughed and rocked his hips against hers. “Does that feel like I don’t want you? Me wanting you isn’t in question, it never has been.”

  She licked her lips and fought for control of her careening emotions. On one hand, she wanted to lose herself in the pleasure that West could give—the bliss that would obliterate anything else from her mind. On the other, she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry for all her ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law had lost in the face of Marjorie’s illness. Kelsey didn’t think West would appreciate the last sentiment. Not when they were tangled together in her bed. Not when he’d had such an angry reaction to her helping Bry in the first place. She needed to change the subject before she revealed what was weighing on her mind. “When did you get here? How’d you get in?”

  West’s hands tightened on her head. “Stop trying to change the subject. Tell me what the hell is going on. You don’t go from trying to sneak away before I’m awake to offering to give me a blowjob in a matter of minutes.”

  Kelsey shook her head, her movements limited by West’s hold.

  “Don’t.” He dug his fingers into her scalp. “Stop shutting me out.”

  “I’m no—”

  “You are.” His voice and body vibrated with the frustration he didn’t try to hide. “You didn’t ring when you got home like you promised. I was worried, so I let myself in with your spare key. And I can see just by looking at you that I was right to be concerned. Talk to me.”

  “I…” She couldn’t dump her baggage on him. Her past was something she needed to deal with on her own. And until she did, whatever it was they were moving towards couldn’t happen—shouldn’t happen. “I’m sorry.”

  West’s gaze bore into hers for long seconds before he pushed himself up and off her. “This isn’t just about sex.”

  “I know.”

  He climbed off the bed. “Do you?” he asked as he glanced around the floor.

  “Of course.” Kelsey suddenly became aware of her lack of clothing—that she only had underwear on. Feeling vulnerable, she reached for the blanket. She couldn’t remember getting undressed. What else was she forgetting?

  “Then you need to let me in.” West shoved his feet into his shoes. “Trust me with more than your body.”

  “I do.”

  “You think so? When I say I want more than just sex, I mean I want everything. The good and the bad. Until you can give me that we’re not sleeping together.”

  Kelsey wanted to pretend she didn’t know what West was talking about—wanted to go back to forgetting everything while wrapped in his arms. She knew she held a part of herself back. But she needed to in order to protect her heart from the one person who had the power to break it. He’d done it before, whether on purpose or not didn’t matter. West had left her heart bruised and bleeding once, and there was no way she was going to risk it happening a second time.

  The fact he picked up on her reluctance complicated things. Sleeping together had been a big mistake. One she’d almost repeated. “You’re right. We shouldn’t have slept together. It won’t happen again.”

  West laughed—the sound loud and sharp in the morning quiet. “Oh, it’ll happen again. You can bet on it.”

  Before she could get a word out, he leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers. Hard and fast, he kissed her and then spun on his heel and left the room. Clutching the blanket against her chest, she sat in stunned silence until the front door slammed closed. Startled out of her stupor, Kelsey glanced at her alarm clock.

  “Shit.” She threw the covers off and bounded out of bed. If she didn’t get in the shower now, she’d be late for her nine o’clock appointment at the community college.

  Showered and dressed in record time, Kelsey detoured through the second bedroom she used as her office to grab the relevant files before heading out the door not fifteen minutes after West had left.

  West.

  What the hell was she going to do about him?

  About them?

  West tossed his keys and wallet on the counter as he made his way to the coffee machine. He needed a shot of caffeine. Actually, he needed something a lot stronger to deal with the drama surrounding Kelsey, but coffee was all he’d allow himself this early in the day.

  She was shutting him out, and while he wasn’t sure she meant to do it, she definitely knew she was holding back. He was convinced it had to do with Bry and his mother. Maybe their past had a bit to do with it too. Oh, who was he kidding, he didn’t have a clue what was going through her head.

  Sighing, he dropped a pod in the machine and hit the button. As soon as the coffee was done, he’d grab a quick shower and head in to work. There was no point hanging out here stressing about the latest red light Kelsey had put in his way.

  His coffee had just finished pouring when his phone rang. He thought about ignoring it in case it was Kelsey, but he doubted she’d be ringing him after the way he’d walked out on her. Glancing at the screen, he saw Cassie’s smiling face staring up at him. Figuring it was work related, West answered.

  “Hey, Cassie. What’s up?”

  “Um, well, there’s been a small incident in the kitchen here at Are You Game?”

  West could hear commotion in the background. “What sort of incident?”

  “There was a small fire.”

  “Did you burn another cake?” West chuckled. Last time Cassie had forgotten about a cake in the oven, it was because her boyfriend Luc had distracted her.

  “Ah, no, it was a little bigger than that.”

  He suddenly registered the nuances in Cassie’s tone and his protective instincts kicked in. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh, yes. No one was hurt.” He nearly didn’t catch the next words she mumbled into the phone. “Well, no one except your kitchen.”

  “How bad?” If someone had burnt down his new kitchen he’d be in trouble. They’d be in trouble. Both Weston’s Catering and Are You Game? had full calendars over the next few weeks. “Tell me it’s at least usable.”

  Cassie’s silence said it all, and West took a deep breath and tried to focus on the fact no one was hurt.

  “Okay. What’s the damage?” He was heading out the door, his coffee forgotten in the face of this disaster.
And that’s what it was. He’d have to source another kitchen and get the repairs on this one started asap. “Never mind. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

  He took the back streets and made it to the Are You Game? building in thirteen minutes. Two fire engines and a police car filled the parking lot and blocked the driveway so West had to park half a block down. When he reached the property boundary, a policeman stopped him.

  “Sorry, sir. You can’t go in there.”

  “I’m one of the owners.” It was a small lie. A technicality really, because he did own the kitchen that had apparently burnt down—if not the whole building—if all the fire personnel were an indication.

  “Name?” the officer asked with a skeptical expression.

  “West. Weston Mann.” The delay had him clenching his hands in frustration.

  The cop stepped away to speak into his radio, but West didn’t have to wait for someone to confirm his identity because Cassie came out of the building and headed their way.

  “West. God, I’m glad you’re here. I had to send Jody home because I didn’t want to risk the baby breathing anything toxic, even though the firemen say it’s okay. And Dan’s out on a job and can’t get back for at least another hour, so other than Kerry it’s just me here.” Cassie threw her arms around him, her body trembling slightly.

  He held her close before pushing her to arms length. “Are you sure you’re okay? Who was in the kitchen when it went up?”

  She shook her head. “No one.”

  “Then how’d the fire start?”

  “Come inside and I’ll explain.” She turned and headed back the way she’d come, the cop making no protest when West followed her.

  The second Cassie opened the outer door, West could smell the smoke. It was a mixture of melted plastic and burnt timber. He tried to remember what was on today’s schedule but the stench had him waving a hand in front of his face and concentrating on not inhaling too deeply.

  “Electrical,” Cassie said as they headed across the warehouse floor.

  “What?”

  “They said the oven shorted out.” Cassie pushed open the door to the kitchen and West’s eyes and nose stung from the smoke hanging in the air in spite of how clear it appeared. “They’re trying to pump the air out the back door. We need to keep this one closed as much as possible so the smoke doesn’t seep into the rest of the building.”

  “Too late,” West muttered as he moved farther into the room, his shoes sloshing through the water left behind by the sprinkler system. He could see the blackened stove and surrounding cupboards. Well, what was left of them anyway. “Who’s in charge?” he asked Cassie.

  “Guy in the red hat talking to Kerry.” She pointed across the room. “She’s giving her version of what happened. I already gave mine.”

  “Shouldn’t they do that somewhere else? The air in here can’t be good for our lungs.”

  Cassie shrugged. “Most of the smoke has gone now.”

  It might seem as though the smoke was gone, but the sting in his nose and eyes told him the air was still contaminated and they really shouldn’t be in here. West strode across the room to where Cassie’s employee and the fireman stood. He stuck out his hand and introduced himself. “Hi. I’m West Mann. Owner of this kitchen.”

  “Oh, right. Ms. Moreland said you’d be arriving soon. Station Officer Rhodes.” He shook West’s hand before turning back to Kerry. “That should do it. I’ll be in touch if I need anything else.”

  West turned to Cassie’s employee. “Kerry, why don’t you and Cassie head out front away from—?”

  “Cassie!” Luc’s voice boomed through the building.

  “Uh oh,” Kerry mumbled.

  “Who’s that?” Rhodes asked.

  “That would be Cassie’s boyfriend, Lucas Wilhelm,” West answered just as Luc came barging through the door with the cop from out front hot on his tail.

  West watched as Cassie quickly sprang into action pacifying both Luc and the cop in few words. He marvelled at how well his pint-sized friend wrangled her six-foot-five boyfriend with the simple batting of her eyelashes. As the trio headed back through the door with Kerry following, West turned back to Officer Rhodes. “So can you tell me what happened?”

  “It looks like a straightforward electrical fire. Ms. Moreland had switched the oven on and left the room while it heated. Unfortunately, there was an exposed wire in the wall behind the unit.”

  “Are you sure? This kitchen is only a year old.”

  “Doesn’t matter how new something is, exposed wires are a fire hazard waiting to happen.”

  “How long before I can get a crew in to clean this up and start repairs?”

  “Ms. Moreland has an electrician coming in to check the rest of the wiring for potential problems. The ovens have their own circuit so I’d say it’ll be fine, but best to be safe than sorry. Then your insurance company will want to take a look.”

  “I guess it really doesn’t matter does it? The kitchen is out of commission indefinitely.”

  “Afraid so.”

  West’s gaze travelled the room and landed on the pantry door. He nodded in that direction. “Do you think any of the food in there is salvageable?”

  “The door remained closed during the incident so anything in sealed airtight containers should be okay, but if it’s covered under your insurance I’d ditch it just in case.” Officer Rhodes shook his head. “You can’t afford to poison people in your line of work.”

  West ran his hand over the back of his neck and squeezed. “Great. Just great.” He really didn’t need this drama in his life right now.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I need to check in with my men.”

  West stared at the disaster in front of him for a few more seconds before heading in the direction of the back door. He needed fresh air and a plan. The fresh air was easy. The plan, not so much. First, he had to find a substitute kitchen. And fast.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kelsey hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Letting it out in a rush, she slumped back against the sofa in relief. As much as she wanted to be there for Bry and his mother, she was glad he’d called to tell her not to visit tonight. In the mood she was in, she couldn’t have put on a cheerful face for Marjorie and the woman didn’t need any more angst in her life.

  Her phone buzzed in her hand, making her jump. Glancing at the screen, she saw Shaye had sent her a message.

  OMG! Did you hear about West?

  She hadn’t spoken to or heard from West since he’d stormed out this morning, so Kelsey had no idea what Shaye was talking about. Instead of texting back, Kelsey called. The phone barely rang when her friend answered. Before Shaye could say a word Kelsey’s questions were tumbling from her mouth.

  “What about West? Did something happen to him? Is he all right? He was fine this morning.” She sucked in a big breath.

  “Whoa. Slow down there, speedy. First, his backup kitchen caught fire. Second, he wasn’t there, so as far as I know he’s fine and no one at Are You Game? was injured either. And third, and most interesting I might add, when this morning did you see him?”

  “I, um, the Are You Game? kitchen? But it’s barely a year old.”

  “Coop said something about an electrical fault. And nice diversion. When did you see West?”

  Kelsey could hear the smile in Shaye’s voice. She didn’t miss her friend’s mention of Coop and wondered what was going on with them, but she wanted to steer clear of any type of relationship talk so didn’t ask. Instead, she went with Shaye’s recent lack of employment as her next attempt at distraction. “How’s the job hunting?”

  “Oh, complete change of subject. Nice try, my friend, but not good enough. When and where did you see the delicious Mr. Mann this morning?”

  A sigh left Kelsey’s throat before she could stop it.

  “Tut,
tut, tut. None of that. Spill.” Shaye could be like a dog with a bone.

  Thinking fast, Kelsey said, “He came over to talk about my new role as his office manager.” That was plausible. Shaye knew she’d taken the job with Weston’s because Kelsey had tried to talk Shaye into taking it instead now that she was unemployed.

  “Oh my God! Did you sleep with him?” Shaye squealed in her ear.

  “What?” Kelsey choked—stumbled over a denial. She couldn’t lie to Shaye. Her friend would know straight away if she did so she went for another deflection. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. The major freak out on your part about whether West was all right. The fact you saw him this morning when I know he was at Are You Game? before nine. That’s awfully early to be at your place, don’t you think?”

  “H-he was passing by.” Kelsey knew they were the wrong choice of words the second they left her mouth.

  Shaye laughed. A deep, rolling laugh that went on and on, and Kelsey knew if she didn’t get off the phone now, their secret would be out, because Shaye would pepper her with question after question until Kelsey caved and spilled her guts. She wasn’t ready to talk about her and West yet. Hell, she couldn’t get things straight in her own head, how would she explain it to her best friend?

  “Look. I’ve gotta go. There’s someone at the door.”

  “I didn’t hear your doorbell, but by all means, runaway. I’ll get the truth out of you soon enough,” Shaye warned.

  “Talk later.” Kelsey hung up before Shaye said another word and then tossed the phone to the other end of the sofa. She knew her friend wouldn’t let the subject lie as is and fully expected to get the third degree the next time they talked.

  The room was quiet. The only noise was the chaotic thoughts racing around inside Kelsey’s head. A minefield of emotions versus reasons versus memories that continued to plague her. Nothing was any clearer than it had been this morning when West had walked out on her. She didn’t know what to do or think…

  Her phone buzzed, and when she glanced over, she wasn’t surprised to see a message from Shaye. Putting it off wouldn’t make the text go away, so she leaned over and grabbed the phone, tapping the little envelope icon as she straightened.