Bound and Determined (44 page)

“Had your mind elsewhere.” The grin cracking his bleak face disappeared. “I hear you.”

Suddenly, Mark’s cell phone rang. With a frown, he unclipped it from his belt.

“At least try the pie,” she implored.

Wondering if it was Mark’s divorce attorney again, Kerry
gave him some privacy by tending to the customers who needed a coffee refill across the room.

Mark shot her an absent nod. Kerry refilled drinks and sent a curious glance at her brother. His confusion had turned to an outright scowl. He growled something low into the phone, but she couldn’t hear the words. What the heck was that about?

Before she could return to his side, her boss called from the kitchen, “Kerry, can you lock the front door for the night?”

“Sure, Pops. I’ll let out the customers as they’re ready to go.”

With a wink, the owner and cook disappeared to his offices in the back, his nearly bald head reflecting the bright overhead light.

Hand in hand, the cuddling couple left a moment later as she locked the front door and flipped the
OPEN
sign to read
CLOSED
.

Her gaze lingered as they walked to their car. Kerry’s heart kicked her in the chest like Superman on steroids. She wished that could have been her with Rafe, sharing a sweet with her sweetie, holding hands, making plans . . .

“It’s not in the cards for me, and I need to get over it,” she muttered to herself, hoisting dirty dishes off the couple’s table and scooping up her tip.

The lights shut off in the kitchen. The last of her customers made their way toward the door. As she thanked them with a plastic smile and let them out, Kerry glanced back at her brother. The scowl had vanished, replaced by a low murmur and a nod. Then he flipped his phone shut.

“You ’bout done here?” Mark asked.

“Let me throw these dishes in the sink and grab my stuff.”

“I’ll go out and bring the car around.”

“Thanks for waiting on me. Hopefully I’ll get my car out of the shop tomorrow.”

“No sweat.”

Mark leaned down, a long way, given his height, and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for everything. I know I’ve said it before, but I wouldn’t be free if it wasn’t for you. You deserve every happiness in the world.”

Smiling, she grabbed his hand. “I owed you for being such a great big brother. I’d do anything for you.”

“Same here.” He squeezed her fingers and left.

Kerry finished up her last-minute routine, turning off lights, grabbing her purse. “Pops,” she called to the back. “I’m gone.”

“Good night,” he shouted from his office. “I’ll finish the last of the dishes and lock up behind you.”

“Thanks. See you Saturday.”

Kerry made her way toward the front of the restaurant. She peered out the wall of windows on her left, searching for Mark and his car. Instead, she saw her brother leaning down to talk to someone through the window of a sleek black limousine.

Who would be coming to Pop’s Coffee Stop in a limousine, especially at closing time? Someone had to be lost.

With a shrug, Kerry let herself out and rounded the corner, just as Mark straightened away from the limo’s window and reached down to shake a hand that emerged from the gleaming car’s dark confines. In his free hand, Mark held a rectangular scrap of paper.

“Mark?”

He whirled around. The gleam in his eyes took her aback. He wore an actual smile. A real one. What in the heck was happening here?

“There’s someone here to see you,” her brother said, then walked away, heading into the dark parking lot.

Before she could say a word, the back door of the limousine opened. Out stepped the last person she ever thought she’d see again.

Rafe Dawson.

She gasped, then covered her hand with her mouth. She blinked, twice, just to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her.

They weren’t.

There he stood, all solid and real—and watching her intently. Kerry’s insides malfunctioned. She forgot how to breathe. But her heart . . . it pounded ninety to nothing. To say nothing of the wave of dizziness.

With his dark hair spiked in its usual muss, his gently wrinkled white dress shirt rolled up over powerful forearms, and charcoal slacks molding to lean hips, he looked amazing. His gray eyes glimmered with something she couldn’t understand. How could the sight of one man make her want to faint?

“Hi, Kerry.”

He’d come back.
He’d come back!
Kerry searched Rafe’s beloved, familiar face for some sign of his feelings. If anything, he looked apprehensive.

What did that mean? Nothing, likely. In fact, he looked like a man contemplating a root canal. She had to stop wishing that things would be different between them.

“What . . . Why are you here?” she asked cautiously.

“Can I talk to you? In the limo?”

Kerry’s gaze trailed into the depths of the dark car. She wanted to talk to him . . . But to get in there, alone with the man whose most casual touch would set her head spinning? Where memories of their last limo ride together would chip away at her composure? He’d already broken her heart once and had the power to unravel the fragile mending she’d barely started.

“It’s not a good idea. If you came to check on me or whatever, I . . . I’m all right. I heard you before you left. Don’t worry. I won’t turn stalker or anything. I won’t even call if I have another loved one in jail.”

She sent him a stilted smile.

Rafe didn’t laugh at her joke. “Please. Three minutes.”

And after three minutes, he’d return to New York. Or worse, what if he just wanted another scorching weekend? Or another wild ride in the backseat? Being in his arms, burning against his skin, she’d fall deeper under his addictive, seductive spell. Her brief glimmer of hope that he could love her would die a death worthy of the worst Hollywood gore flick, and she’d be left alone to try to mend yet another wound in her heart.

“Kerry,” he implored.

She screwed her eyes shut. She wanted to heed that thick, rough voice. God knew she did. She’d never been good at denying the man anything, especially since realizing that she loved him. But if he’d come here with some idea to start another brief fling because they had great chemistry . . .

“I just can’t,” she choked out. “My heart can’t take it.”

Rafe winced. Then with a slow nod, he turned away.

Kerry’s heart fell as he leaned into the limousine. Now he was going to leave again, this time for good. Something in
her wanted to call back to him, promise him anything—everything—if he’d stay just one more night.

She held her tongue.
Be strong. Be determined.

To her surprise, Rafe emerged from the limo again, holding something in his hands. It glimmered silver in the moonlight, but his large palms covered the object too well for her to identify it.

Until he slapped a silver handcuff around first one of her wrists, then the other.

She sputtered, too shocked to scream. Then he bent, wrapped his arms around her thighs, and lifted her feet from the ground, tossing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.

“What are you doing?” she squealed, her cheek resting on his back. “Put me down!”

Three steps later, she felt the limo’s smooth leather riding up underneath the short skirt of her green polyester waitress’s uniform as he settled her on the seat.

Rafe tucked her into the car, climbed in after her, and slammed the door. With the flick of a button, he raised the privacy partition between them and the faceless driver.

Then he turned to face her. “Kerry—”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m kidnapping you.”

“Kidnapping . . . Are you serious? I already told you I wouldn’t come after you and—”

“That’s why I’m here,” he said softly.

Kerry peered at him, trying to understand. He didn’t want her, so she wasn’t following him and that meant he had to kidnap her because . . . ?

“If you’re here to pick up this weekend where we left off last week, I can’t do it. I’m not up for fun and games, sex for sex’s sake—”

“As much as I enjoy making love to you, that’s not what I want. Scratch that,” he stopped himself. “That’s not the reason I’m here.”

Frowning, she tried to decipher what he wanted, besides sex. “I’m lost. Can you tell me what the heck you came here to say, then let me get home?”

Before you break my heart again and confuse me to lunacy?

Rafe said nothing for the longest minute. He just stared, his
eyes seeming to trace every curve of her face. Finally, slowly, something softened his features.

“Ah, babe . . . I suck at words. I had a speech, but I can’t remember a damn word of it now. I just . . .” He sighed. “You wouldn’t leave my head once I got back to New York. The harder I tried to block you out, the more you stayed with me. Your smile, your thoughtfulness, your warmth. I just couldn’t stay away.”

A breath lodged itself in her chest. There went the ol’ heartbeat again, chugging away until she was sure her chest was bruised. And that pesky pixie, hope, had returned. Did he, by chance, want her for more than a fling?

“What are you saying?” she whispered.

He hesitated, then flipped on a muted light in the limo’s interior. “Look at the chain between your handcuffs.”

At the chain . . .
Certainly he hadn’t come all this way to ask her for her opinion on the latest in all things bondage?

Then she saw something dangling sparkle, twinkle in the cool light of the limousine. Was that a . . . ?

“A ring?” She jiggled her wrists until the ring turned around on the chain. “A diamond ring?”

“Princess cut, set in platinum. The jeweler says it’s a great stone and a popular cut, and the setting reminded me of you, but if you don’t like it—”

Like it? She loved it! Slightly whimsical with filigree around the center stone, solid without being flashy. She fell in love instantly.

“Are you . . . ?” Kerry swallowed, her heart picking up yet more steam. “Are you asking what I think you’re—no, that’s not possible.”

Maybe this was his weird way of assuaging his conscience. Certainly, this wasn’t a proposal. It couldn’t be . . . could it?

“I’m fucking this up.” He sighed. “I’m sorry.”

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her closer. Without the use of her hands, Kerry fell off balance and onto Rafe’s broad chest. He clasped her against him, so warm, smelling so familiar and yummy, Kerry couldn’t decide whether to burrow against him or jump his bones.

Listen to the man instead!

Rafe grasped either side of her face and stared down,
straight into her eyes. “I know I’m bad with words. I know I said a lot of stupid things before I left here last week. But since then, I realized that I’m not happy without you. I’m not whole without you. Ah babe, I’m not perfect, and I’m sure I’ll piss you off more than once.” He swallowed. “But I love you.”

Gasping, Kerry felt her eyes widen until she was sure the lids darted over her brows.
I love you,
the words repeated in her head. Tears pooled in her eyes.

“Rafe . . .” Her voice caught as one hot tear tracked down her cheek.

“I love you even though I thought I couldn’t. So much I think I might explode sometimes.” He tangled his fingers in her curls. “That ring means exactly what you think. Tell me I’m not too late. Say yes.” He caressed her cheek. “Marry me.”

“You’re serious?”

He nodded, cheeks taut, gaze decidedly nervous. “Marry me.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Marry me.”

“You’re not just teasing—”

“Damn it, woman. Marry me.”

Rafe wanted to marry her.
Her!

“That’s a romantic proposal.”

“Is that a yes?”

Kerry smiled through her tears. “Yes!”

She pressed her lips to his. He responded enthusiastically by slanting his mouth over hers, invading the recesses of her mouth with his tongue and staying a good, long while.

When he finally eased away, Kerry’s head swam and her heart floated. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Babe, I couldn’t stay away. I didn’t know how much I needed you, how much you make me feel, until I’d already left.”

“You were gone more than a week.”

“Just proves how stubborn I can be.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Kerry laughed, joy lighting every corner of her heart, washing away the pain of the last week and leaving her with only love.

When he unscrewed a loose link in the chain between the cuffs, the ring dropped into his palm. Silently, he slipped it onto her finger. It fit perfectly, and her world felt right.

“Wow, married,” she breathed. “Should we plan for a ceremony this late this summer? I think it’s too late for a June wedding, but August—”

“I was thinking more like Saturday.”

“What!”

“Once I tap on the privacy partition, the limo will take us to the airport. I’ve chartered a plane to take us to Vegas.”

Getting married in Las Vegas in two days? The idea boggled the mind. “I don’t have a dress.”

“You can get one tomorrow. Regina helped me arrange a chapel, a photographer, and flowers. Your brother has a plane ticket for a flight that leaves Friday after work.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”

Rafe paused. “Why do you think I brought the handcuffs?”

“You would have abducted me?”

Wearing a grin, Rafe leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. “Why not? It worked for us the first time.”

“True.” She laughed. “Well, now that I’ve said yes, what should we do with the handcuffs?”

Rafe tapped on the privacy partition and the car sped away. Then he sent her a smile infused with pure sin. “We’ll think of something.”

Originally from Southern California,
Shelley Bradley
lives in the Southwest with her husband and daughter. The author of sizzling contemporary and historical romances, Shelley has been a member of the Romance Writers of America for more than fifteen years and has won or placed in more than a dozen contests, including the Golden Heart.

Visit her website at
www.shelleybradley.com
.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.