Powerful (The Driven World) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,15
as Andy Westin?”
Kris nods. “Yeah, I’ve met Colton and his wife.” Athena laughs. “Colton was adopted.”
I chuckle. “Damn, all the good ones are taken, and I didn’t know that.”
Kris stands. “Well, you’re not a true fan, then.” Kris chuckles. “Thanks for the coffee and for hearing me out.”
“You’re leaving?”
To my own ears, I sound pathetic. I want him to stay, to listen to him speak and find out all about his new life, but compared to him, I’m still the same girl living in the same town.
“I’m going out with Dad in the morning to work on the docks.” Kris holds up his hands. “These are no longer used to manual labor, so I need to get some gloves.”
“Petey doesn’t make your Dad do very much. It’s more so he feels valued. After you left and he had no one to take over the boat, he was kind of lost.”
“I was never going to go into the family business.”
I stand. “I know that. I remember all you wanted was to get out of this town. You were always too big for Boothbay and everything in it. Your dad gets it, too, even if he won’t say it out loud.”
There’s an awkward silence between us. Kris sighs and moves toward the gate. I follow a little behind not wanting to get too close.
“Athena?” Kris turns, and I stop moving.
“Umm?”
“You were the only thing in this town I would have stayed for. It’s why I never came back, it is why I never called. If you’d asked me to stay, I would have. I wasn’t strong enough to leave you and this town, but you had big dreams, too. I thought you’d be better off without me.” His words come out in a rush.
My mouth falls open, and I take a step back. “Is that what you tell yourself?”
“What?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Kris. The difference between us is I would have done what it took to make us work where you, you just did what it took to make you work.” He looks so surprised I could laugh. “I have a life, a boyfriend, family, friends, and a home I’m proud of. Can you say that? Can you honestly tell me you’re happy with Sophia and your life in LA?”
Kris closes the gap between us, his face only inches from mine. “At least I tried,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
His arm moves quickly as he wraps it around me and crushes his lips to mine. Kris’ tongue forces its way between my lips, and his other arm cups the back of my head. My body feels like it’s smoldering, slowly coming to life and turning into a fiery inferno.
“Am I interrupting something?”
I push Kris away and stumble backward, ashamed at my lack of control and furious that he’d be able to produce this kind of emotion from me.
“Todd!” I practically shout.
Kris stares at me, turns, and avoids Todd’s gaze as he strides away.
Todd smiles, looks over his shoulder, then back at me. “One day! He’s been here one day, and you folded like a cheap suit.”
“I-I…” Words fail me. I shake my whole body, trying to regain some composure.
“You slut.”
“I am not!”
Todd bursts out laughing. “No, you’re not, but honey, the way that man just kissed you, he’s got it bad for you.”
“He does not!”
“I might be gay, but I know what lust looks like, and if I hadn’t walked in just now, do you think you’d have stopped him?”
“Yes. No. Maybe? Ugh! I don’t know.” Throwing my hands in the air in frustration, I let out a sigh.
Todd looks so smug as he shakes his head and makes a tut-tutting noise. Then he places his hands on my shoulders.
“Next time he turns up, and yes, there will be a next time, you ring me immediately. It was pure luck I was driving by and saw his car. Unless, of course, you want to be alone with him?”
“He’s not mine anymore.”
“No, sweetheart, he’s not.”
Chapter Nine
Kris
Fuck it all to hell!
If the boyfriend hadn’t turned up, I would have kept going. The way she responded to me was just like it was when we were kids. No woman has ever made me feel the way Athena can. I thought as time wore on that it was merely a case of first love, and I was looking back on it with rose-colored glasses, but with my cock as hard as a rock from one interrupted kiss, I know that’s not the case.