All I Need Is You (13 page)

And way too sexy for her peace of mind.

“Kay. Kaylee?”
 

She snapped to attention to see her boss, Nicholas Alexander, waving a hand in front of her face. Instantly, Kay was ashamed. How long had she been sitting here daydreaming?
 

Nick tucked his hands in his pockets as he regarded her. “Are you okay? You know, no one would blame you if you wanted to take some time off.”

“No! That’s not necessary. I’m fine. Really,” she added when he looked doubtful. Staying at home was not an option. Twenty-four hours a day with Eli? She fanned herself absently with her hand. She’d spend her days locked in the bathroom trying to avoid him and her nights delirious from sexual frustration. Being at work was definitely preferable to that.

“I sent you a calendar reminder for two meetings I set up for next week,” Kay reminded him, determined to keep her mind on business.

“I got them. Except they were set up for last year.”

Kay’s mouth dropped open and she turned to her computer. A few key taps later, she had his calendar open. Sure enough, she’d set the correct month and day on both events but with last year’s date.
 

So much for being fine.

“I am so sorry about that. I’ll fix them immediately.”

“No worries. To be honest, I think I’d rather these appointments be last year anyway.”

Kay smiled weakly when he turned to talk to Eli. She had to get it together. The last thing she wanted was to let Nick down. He’d hired her as a favor to Jackson, but surprisingly, they’d turned out to be a great team.
 

Nick was sometimes a ball of energy as he paced around his office tossing out ideas for his charity foundation, other times quiet and contemplative when running numbers for his financial clients. She could never predict what her job would be from day to day, but it was always interesting and never predictable. Plus, he didn’t expect perfection. When she made mistakes, he was patient enough to teach her how to correct them.
 

He was also very understanding when she needed time off.

“Actually, I think I’ll take you up on the offer for time off. I’m a little tired. But I finished that memo you needed.” She pulled it from her outbox and held it out to him.
 

Nick looked up in surprise. “Of course.” He took the page she held out and scanned the front page quickly. “It’s perfect. Thanks. Take as much time as you need. I’ll hobble along without you for a while.”

Kay smiled at the image of Nick being helpless without her. She thought back to their early days working together when he’d often forget to get his cleaning or missed appointments because he was so engrossed in his work. He really did need her. It was a nice feeling.

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”
 

Nick sent a casual wave in Eli’s direction. “See you guys later.”

Eli stood and tucked his phone into his back pocket. “Taking off early?”

“Yeah, I think I’ve done everything I can handle today.” She pulled out one of her drawers and her eyes landed on the spare key. Since she’d ended up recording the night Sasha was supposed to come over, the key was still in her desk drawer. Her brow furrowed when she remembered how it had seemed to be in a weird place the last time she’d looked.
 

“You asked me if I’d given my key to anyone. But I forgot to tell you that I keep a spare here at the office.”

Eli rounded the desk and looked down at the open drawer. “How long has it been here?”

She did a quick mental calculation. “I think it’s been about six months.”

“Who knows you keep a key here?”

“No one. Well, my best friend Sasha knows because I’ve given it to her before so she could wait for me at home. Sometimes she comes over so we can hang out and watch movies.”
 

“Does she have your security code?”

“No. You told me I have to change it monthly, remember? Whenever I give her the key, I give her the current code. But it changes so often that she couldn’t use it to come when I’m not there.”

At his disbelieving look, Kay shook her head. “I’ve known Sasha since elementary school. She’s the sweetest girl ever and we’ve been through way too much together. She would never hurt me.”

“People do things that would surprise you.”

She gave him a pointed look, remembering his
friends don’t see each other naked
comment. “Believe me, I know. Now, it’s time for me to go home. It seems I have a date.”

THE RESTAURANT DANNY had chosen was an Indian place nestled in the Harper’s Creek neighborhood of Newport News. As Eli pulled into a space on the far end of the parking lot, Kay turned in her seat to face him. This time she’d gone for the basic black dress she wore whenever she needed a confidence boost and had pulled her hair back in a loose knot. She hadn’t spent much time primping, instead going over security protocols with Eli. There would
not
be a repeat of last time.
 

“You’re going to wait at the bar, right?”

He nodded wordlessly.
 

“And you won’t use that listening device unless you really have to?”

His head dipped in another barely perceptible nod. “I plan to have my eyes on you the whole time, but if anything obstructs my vision, I’ll listen periodically just to be sure you’re okay.”

Kay relaxed slightly.
 

Danny was waiting for her at the front of the restaurant. He looked more like a lawyer now in a crisp gray suit, and his brown hair appeared to have been tamed with a brush and some gel. She accepted a quick hug and then they walked into the dim interior of the restaurant together.

“I’ve never been here before,” she commented.

He stopped right before they reached the hostess stand. “Wow. I probably should have asked if you like Indian food before I made the reservation. I really hope you don’t have a sensitive stomach.”

Kay waited as he gave his name to the hostess. They followed the waitress to a booth in the back. She slid out of her coat and folded it on the seat next to her. Once Danny was seated, she answered him.

“I love all different types of food. There’s a tiny Indian restaurant in Norfolk that my best friend loves. She orders takeout from there all the time and got me hooked on it.”

He visibly relaxed and sat back in the booth. “Great. I didn’t even think. I guess it’s obvious that I don’t get out much.”

“I don’t either. Don’t feel alone.”

After the waitress told them about the specials, Kay allowed Danny to recommend a few things. She’d only had a creamy butter chicken dish that Sasha favored and something made with curry.
 

“This is going to be fun. My friend always orders the same things, so it’ll be exciting to try a few new dishes.”

“I usually order the same things, too. I’m feeling adventurous lately.” His eyes settled on her again and it wasn’t at all unpleasant. Then he broke off a piece of the naan bread on the table and popped it in his mouth. “So, tell me about the album you’re working on.”

Kay relaxed as their conversation turned to the places she’d had singing gigs, which segued into a conversation about travel. Not that she had much to contribute on that topic, but Danny had lots of fun stories about his last visit to his grandparents in Poland and a drunken bachelor party in Vegas. Their food came and he offered her samples of the various items on his plate.
 

I could really like this guy
, she thought.
 

The possibility would definitely have been there under different circumstances. Especially if she weren’t pining after someone else who might or might not be listening to their entire conversation.

Kay turned her head slightly, then tensed when she noticed Eli sitting at the bar. He lifted his chin slightly when their eyes met. She whipped around and hoped that Danny hadn’t noticed. After what she’d put him through last time, the least he deserved was to have her full attention tonight.
 

“So, who is he?” Danny scooped up a bite of food and then looked at her quizzically. “Someone you loved and lost or someone you never had?”

“What?” It was a struggle not to spit out the bite of spiced chicken she’d just taken. Kay chewed carefully and then took a sip of her water.
 

“The man you’ve been thinking about this entire time. Who is he?”

Kay started to protest but stopped when Danny propped his head on his fist and smiled at her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“How did you know?” Kay finally said.

His eyes returned to his own plate. “Like recognizes like. There should be a club for the heartbroken.”

Kay craned her neck slightly until Eli came into view. He still sat at the bar. He’d promised not to listen in unless it was absolutely necessary and she believed him. There was never any doubt in her mind that she could trust him. He would do what he’d said he would.
 

“The guy you met last time.”

Danny’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Ah. That makes sense. I figured there was way more behind that story.”

Kay stabbed a piece of chicken. “I’m not sure there is a story at all. I just can’t seem to stop hoping for something that will never happen, that’s all. I’m not sure I’d call that a story. Unless it’s a tragedy.”

Danny leaned forward. “Look, I’m not exactly the right person to give out relationship advice, but do you love that guy?”

Her eyes were drawn back to Eli again. As her gaze soaked up his familiar profile, the wide breadth of his shoulders, the intense set of his jaw, she shivered. Was this love? How could she possibly know that? Tim had made her feel special, had seemed to appreciate the things about her that no one else cared about. She’d thought that was love. Look where that had gotten her.

But had she ever felt this strongly for Tim? She couldn’t imagine him throwing himself in harm’s way to protect her. But, without a doubt, she believed that Eli would always put himself between her and danger. Not just because it was his job to protect others, but because he cared about her.
 

“I’m not sure,” she said finally.

Danny didn’t look convinced. “But the fact that you had to think about it tells me that you probably care about him a lot.”

Kay shrugged. “Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any easier to figure it out.”

He pointed at the breadbasket. “Eat. Trust me, the feelings aren’t going away overnight, so we might as well try to enjoy our lives in the meantime. Even if we’re both thinking of other people, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time.”

That was a philosophy that Kay could get behind. She broke off a piece of bread and chewed methodically. She was going to have fun on this date if it killed her.

ELLIOTT TOOK ANOTHER sip of water and tried not to choke. He’d had Indian food a handful of times before, but he didn’t remember it being quite this spicy. Although, the churning in his gut could just as easily be jealousy as indigestion.
 

Kay and her date were in the midst of spirited conversation. They seemed to have hit if off if the guy’s wide smile and animated hand gestures were any indication. The sinking feeling in his chest was almost as hard to ignore as the burning sensation on his tongue.
 

Too bad a cold glass of water wouldn’t help soothe his heart.

A waiter appeared at his elbow. “Excuse me, sir. Are you the owner of a black Yukon?”
 

“Yes, I am.”

“Is this your license plate?” He held out a piece of paper with a number jotted down in blue ink.
 

Eli recognized his plate number and grimaced. “Yes it is. Am I parked illegally or something?”

“No, sir. Your lights are on. Another patron noticed it in the parking lot and let us know.”

Eli nodded his thanks. It was incredibly odd because his truck had automatic lights. He rarely turned the lights on manually unless he needed his brights on one of the dark country roads bordering his parents’ property. There hadn’t been any reason to use them on the way here.