Powerful (The Driven World) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,14
finger.”
Kris puts both his hands on the counter and leans forward. “Did he ever close the deal?”
Laughing harder, I shake my head. “No. He caught her with Tommy Baker, and that was that.”
Kris is laughing now too. “Tommy Baker? The guy who I was always beating off you with a stick?”
My laughter ceases, the smile falls from my face, and I turn and go back to the kettle.
“Tea or coffee?”
“Coffee, black.”
I feel like I’ve been sucker-punched. Kris kept all the boys away, not just Tommy. He made me believe we’d last forever. The bright lights, big city, and his desire to succeed killed all of that. I make his coffee and my tea, then turn back around to find him studying me.
“Do you want to sit on the sofa or go back outside?”
“How about we enjoy the sunshine?”
“If you’ll open the door?”
Kris moves ahead of me and swings the door wide, allowing me to pass through but not before I brush up against him. Tingles travel from my arm to my most sensitive regions, and I stumble, spilling the hot drinks.
“You okay?”
I laugh nervously. “Yes, just clumsy.”
The gate to my walled garden is open, so I go back to the original spot I was in when Kris arrived. I put the mugs on the table and move my laptop well away from them. The last thing I need is to spill something on it, especially since I haven’t backed it up in ages.
Kris sits opposite me and eyes the laptop. “What are you working on?”
“My latest book. It’s a thriller with a romantic twist.”
“Could I read it?”
I shake my head. “Strictly for women.”
“Why?”
I smile. “Because the hero falls madly in love with the heroine at first sight and does everything in his power to stay with her.” I take a sip of my tea. “It’s fiction. Not real life. It’s an escape for every woman out there who’s life isn’t exactly the way she planned it.”
Kris goes silent, sips his coffee, and nods.
“Like my movies.”
“Yeah. What’s the new one you’re about to start?”
“It’s called Powerful, directed by Andy Westin.”
“Ahh, the man who took you away from Boothbay Harbor.”
Kris nods. “I owe him a lot. If it weren’t for Andy, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He opened a lot of doors for me.”
“I’m not surprised, you’re a very good actor.”
“High praise from Miss New York Times best-selling author.” I shrug at him and feel my face burn up. “What happened to journalism, uncovering the truth, and setting the world on fire?”
I stare intently at my mug and shrug again. “Didn’t you know true journalism is dead? No one cares about the truth. I prefer my made-up worlds and the comfort of my home.”
“Dad said you were attacked.”
My throat closes up as those words hang in the air. I’ve put the pain of what happened to me walled off in my mind, and I have no desire to talk about it or bring any of those walls down. Damn Leonard Livingston for telling his son. I made TB promise never to tell Kris.
My voice comes out strained. “It was a long time ago.”
“Is it why you’re still here? You wanted to see the world, Athena.”
Pursing my lips together, I nod and look up at him. “I will see the world, I’ve got plenty of time.”
“You don’t want to talk about it?”
“Kris, we aren’t friends anymore. I don’t know what we are, but that part of my life is private. I don’t talk about it. And like I said, it was a long time ago.”
He frowns, nods, and takes a sip of his coffee. “You ever wonder what would have happened if I’d never left?”
Every day.
Shaking my head, I say, “Life happens. You either get on with it or you stagnate.”
Kris raises his eyebrows. “I guess.”
I smile at him. “Enough talk about the past. What’s your movie about?”
His face instantly changes. Kris is more animated, and the smile is unfiltered. “I play a race car driver, Skip Torrens, whose mentor is killed in a fiery crash, and I need to overcome my demons to get back behind the wheel, win the girl, and win the race.”
“Sophia plays the girl?”
The care-free attitude disappears, and Kris frowns. “Yeah, she’s the mentor’s daughter. It’s a good role for her.”
“Anyone else I know going to be in it?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, so mysterious,” I tease.
“Colton Donavan is a technical adviser to the movie.”
“No! He’s so good-looking. Have you met him? And why doesn’t he have the same surname