Kellan looked to Eric, totally shocked that his old friend wasn’t shoving him out the door or starting another fight. “I think I should go find another room. This is a conversation for you and Tate. We can talk about how to break up the business later. I won’t be there for the meeting in the morning.”
Eric’s eyes rolled. “God, you’re such a dramatic fucker. We’re not doing that.”
“I still want to beat the fuck out of you.” Tate got up and ambled to the bathroom.
The shower came on, and Kellan figured their fight was over. He turned his attention to Eric, willing him to understand. “I can’t stay around, man. She won’t ever work with me again, and Tate will blame me for the rest of our lives if Belle walks away.”
“We’ll come up with a strategy and we won’t let her walk away. We’ll come up with a plan.” Eric sounded resolved as he started righting the furniture they’d nearly wrecked in their fight. “You’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t want her anymore.”
He should be walking out. There was no reason to stay. He’d sealed his fate the minute he’d broken her heart. So why wasn’t he packing up and moving down the line the way he always did? Because he owed his friends some honesty.
“I still do.”
“All right then, you’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t love her.”
What did he feel for Belle? Kell really wasn’t sure. He wanted her so badly, but it went beyond her body, beyond her lovely face. Of course he liked her. In fact, he loved to talk to her, loved to just sit in her presence. He found an odd peace when they were in the same room. They didn’t even have to be speaking, just going about their business. She often hummed a little as she worked. He always looked forward to the moment she inevitably turned to ask if he wanted coffee, showing her submissive, nurturing side. He’d loved to fantasize that she might go down on her knees and ask how else she might please him.
The idea of never having those quiet afternoons with her again pierced his heart.
Fuck, did he even know what love was? Would he know if it bit him in the ass?
“I don’t know, man. I just know I can’t get married again.”
Eric regarded him with a serious expression. “When you weren’t thinking at all, you were setting up a D/s relationship with her. You take that seriously. You were more than willing to initiate her into Dominance and submission, but you won’t teach her about sex? Look, I was shocked, too. I have no idea how a woman that hot manages to stay a virgin, but I don’t care how many lovers she has—or hasn’t—had as long I get to be one of them. The last of them. Can you stand the thought of her kneeling for another Master?”
Eric’s words made him see red all over again. His pal might not be a good liar, but he was a fucking master of manipulation. He’d known exactly where to strike. “Of course I don’t, but I just broke her.”
“So help us put her back together.”
Eric made it sound so simple, but Kell didn’t see how. Belle would never forgive him. Would she?
“I’ll see her tomorrow, but only to apologize.” He would make sure she understood that her virginity wasn’t the problem, just his scarred heart. He would swear to her that if he was half the man he should be, he would give her everything he owned, share every day and night with her. He would love her.
But that was a stupid-ass pipe dream. So even if it killed him, he would leave and let her find the love she deserved.
Chapter Five
Belle looked through the peephole of her hotel room door, praying that she wouldn’t see Tate or Eric standing in the hall. Even an hour after she’d been utterly humiliated, she was still shaking a little. A shower had soothed her, but she couldn’t seem to stop crying.
She sighed in relief when she saw a blonde with a puppy in her arms, grinning like a loon and waving at the peephole.
It was Kinley’s big day. Belle couldn’t bring herself to ruin the closest thing her friend would have to a wedding. Wincing, she stepped back. Maybe Kinley would think she wasn’t in.
Another knock. “Belle? Belle, I know you’re in there. Open up or I’ll convince the desk manager that I think you’re dead in there and I need to collect your body.”
Annabelle groaned and reached for the bolt because Kinley would do it. The woman would march right back here with the manager and persuade him to open the door.
With a sigh, Belle saved her friend the trouble.
Kinley’s grin faded as she took in Belle’s appearance. “Oh, honey. Who do I kill?”
Belle sniffled as the door shut, but she let Kinley hug her tight as the puppy in her arm used the proximity to lick her cheek. Belle was just about to scold the dog when she really looked at the little thing. Okay, so it wasn’t the most attractive canine, but there was a well of sympathy in its dark eyes that had her tears welling again. The puppy stared at her, then rubbed its face against her cheek as though it knew she needed comfort.
Reaching out, Belle gathered the pup into her arms. It looked to be the runt of the litter, possibly the ugliest of the three, but in that moment, the dog seemed so sweet, she couldn’t help but cuddle the wiggly little thing against her robe.
“I’m serious, Annabelle.” Kinley locked the bolt and followed her into the room. “I want to know who to murder horribly. Well, I want to know who to get Law to murder horribly. He used to be Special Forces. He told me he misses killing rat bastards sometimes, so you would be helping him out.”
Annabelle shook her head and sank onto the edge of the bed. Her room wasn’t anywhere near as opulent as Eric and Tate’s, but it was comfortable. “No murder, Kinley. I’m fine.”