Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2) (5 page)

I wasn't sure if there was anything that could be said to make it better. She was right, in a way. She lived a different life, one that I wasn't convinced she wanted or fit into. I held my arms around her body, keeping her feet off the ground until she grew tired and went limp. She was still shaking as she started to cry.

I sank down to my knees, taking her with me and situating her in my lap. Part of me knew I shouldn't be comforting her when she was so upset and vulnerable, but I couldn't let her breakdown alone. I promised we could be friends, and this is what a friend would do. Although, I am sure Scarlett would be better in this situation.
 

Kallie's body stopped convulsing, and a little while later, she stopped crying and sniffled a few times. Her wet blue eyes looked up at me and I swear my heart ripped in half. I hated seeing her hurt. She gave me a sad smile before pushing off of me and scooting a few feet away on the floor.
 

"I'm sorry," she mumbled while wiping the tears off her face.
 

"It's okay." It's not.
 

"I never meant for all this to happen," she gestured around her. "I never meant to ignore you. I never meant to make you think that I didn't love you."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I shook my head at her and closed my eyes. I wanted to believe her more than anything. She probably even believed herself, but I couldn't risk that she wouldn't hurt me like that again. After being deemed not good enough for my own mother, I never allowed myself to rely on someone else's love and approval again. Until Kallie.

We sat in silence on the tile floor. She didn't apologize again, and I didn't have to push her away again. I wondered how we would get through the upcoming weeks and play nice for the wedding. It was becoming obvious that both us wanted what we had, but going back to that wasn't as easy as it sounded.
 

A knock came at the door, and Kallie called for them to come in. The door opened and Kallie's Dad’s pet stood in the doorway, taking in the sight of the trashed living room.
 

"What happened here? Are you okay?" he asked as he rushed over to Kallie's side.
 

"It's fine," she said, brushing him off and glaring until he backed away. She used the counter to pull herself up. "I lost my temper."

"What did you do to her?" he growled at me. I raised my eyebrows, almost impressed. Yesterday, this guy looked like he couldn't get aggressive with a kitten. He seemed genuinely pissed at me now.
 

"I didn't do shit," I said in a warning voice as I stood up.

"Ivan," Kallie said to get his attention. When he looked at her, she limped into the living room, moved a chunk of glass from the table, and handed him a thick file. "Pandora and Gala."

"Why are you limping?" he asked her.

"I hurt my ankle yesterday. Here are all the contracts. I sent you the electronic copies as well. The product list and pricing is in here. Here are all the Gala plans I have so far. It's pretty much done already. I suggest Amanda to finish this up. She's pretty creative and planned the Christmas party. She's good."

Ivan held the files in his hands and stared blankly at her. Kallie stood up straight and didn't retract her arm when he made no effort to take the work. She looked completely serious, and it was sexy as hell. The prick finally sighed and accepted the papers.

"Kallie, I can't do all this without you," he whispered, probably hoping I couldn’t hear.
 

We both waited for her response in suspense. I wanted to shove him out the door and tell him fuck off, but I needed her to do that. She had to make the choice. This was her chance to give in and stay where she was or stand her ground and tell him no. Kallie needed to do it for herself, not for me and not for Ivan.
 

I never wanted for her to turn her back on her family and life for me. I wanted her to be happy and to do whatever it took to get there. When she fell into her old ways, I wasn't upset just because she basically forgot about me. I was upset because I knew she was doing something she didn't want to.

"Yes, you can," she finally told him. "Amanda will do great with the planning. Pandora is pretty much in the bag. My dad hired you for a reason."

"He wanted you," he insisted, almost sounding pitiful.

"I'm family. He hired you because of your skills, education, and all that," she explained gently. "You'll do fine."

She sounded so sure, so confident. I realized that although this guy looked like a pansy, he was educated and had a future ahead of him. He probably went to a fancy college like Kallie did. I had my high school diploma and a future in car repair, and if I was lucky, classic restoration. Ivan already had her father's approval. I paled in comparison to him, but she still wanted me.
 

"You sure you're okay?" he asked her, as if it were secret. He probably thought I was holding her against her will.

"I'm fine," she huffed. "I just can't do this anymore. Any of it. I want to go my own way. I need to."

He nodded. "Good for you."
 

Ivan turned and walked to the door, pausing before pulling it open. He looked right at me before saying, "Take care of her."

With that, he walked out the door and left us alone. I stared at Kallie, taking in her calm and strong composure. She meant what she said and I had never been so proud of her. I just hoped she stayed strong enough. I doubted they would let her go so easy. I was the only idiot that would let her go without a fight.
 

I crossed the distance between us in just a few steps. Kallie's blue eyes locked on mine as I cupped her checks and leaned down to press a hard kiss to her lips. Her tongue quickly slipped between my lips, and I closed my teeth on it gently. Pulling away, I dragged my teeth on her tongue, pulling a deep moan from her.
 

My blood caught on fire and I gripped the back of her head, pulling her closer. Her body pressed against mine, instantly driving the want of feeling her skin on mine. I grabbed her hips and slammed myself into her, letting her feel how much I needed this. She grabbed my shoulders and dug her nails into my skin.
 

My hands slid down to her thighs and lifted. She wrapped her legs around me as I spun to set her on the counter. I kissed her frantically while rubbing up her stomach and under her shirt, grazing the underwire of her bra. When she tugged at the hem of my shirt, I backed away to let her pull it over my head.
 

Once topless, my lips and tongue continued running over the tender skin of her neck. Her breathing was quick, and I could feel her chest meeting mine with every pant. Kallie was as frantic as I was. Her moans filled my ears and I couldn't feel close enough to her.
 

"Bedroom," she panted against my neck, leaving a trail of heat behind her breath.
 

I lifted her up and blindly walked her down the hall. Pushing though the last door at the end, I peeked around her to see a four-poster bed covered in a white comforter. When my knees hit the footboard, I laid her back onto the mattress. Her blonde hair fanned out across the fabric, and her eyes were dark with lust.
 

I leaned over and lifted her shirt off. I trailed kisses down her chest while reaching behind to unclasp her bra. Upon seeing her bare chest, my breath got stuck in my throat. I forgot how beautiful she was, especially naked. I had no idea how I would ever be around her again and not picture this.
 

I kissed and nipped at the collarbone, making her wiggle and squirm underneath me. My fingertips lightly danced across the inked skin. The feather stood out against her paleness and I feathered light kisses over it. Moving up, I took one of her nipples in my mouth and she cried out, arching against me.
 

I quickly pulled her skirt down her legs and tossed it to the floor. Kallie looked up at me, watching every impulsive move I made. With my hands under her, I lifted slightly to shove her up the bed. After grabbing a condom from my wallet, I quickly unbuttoned my jeans and crawled over her.

Her cheeks were red and her lips swollen from our forceful kissing. Her eyes held a determination I had only seen a few times. The most recent was when she handed over her responsibilities to fuck-face. I saw it before when blew me off at the warehouse party, determined to torture me with her moves. It's the same expression from when she pleaded with me and told me she forgave me that night in the rain.
 

With the memories fresh in my mind, she watched me roll on the condom. Her eyes traveled up my body and sparked with excitement. She cried out when I plunged inside hard, her voice echoing in the large room. She clenched onto my arms, and I stilled once I was deeply buried inside. Her legs wrapped around my waist as she moved to take me deeper.
 

Loving hearing her cries of pleasure, I pushed into her roughly again. She bit down on her lip so hard I thought it would bleed. I leaned down and sucked it into my mouth to protect it. My tongue tangled with hers as I relentlessly pounded into her tight wetness. Her lips pulled away, and she turned her head so she could breath.

Kallie closed her eyes tightly as she moaned louder. Each moan and gasp grew louder. The neighbors were probably able to hear us, but we didn't stop. I went as deep as possible until she screamed out my name and a string of curses. Feeling her clench tightly around me did me in. My thrusts slowed while milking our orgasms, and I emptied myself into the condom.

When I couldn't hold myself up any longer, I flopped down next to her on the bed. Our skin was coated in a thin layer of sweat, and our heavy breathing filled the otherwise silent room. I let myself sink into the comfortable mattress, loving the softness of it. I was surrounded by Kallie's smell, and I almost drifted off in the comfort of it.

"What was that for?" she asked in the darkness.
 

"I was proud of you."

"So, that was a reward of some sort?" she asked, laughing slightly.

"Something like that." I saw the Kallie I fell in love with out there today. It wasn't all her, but I saw her peeking through. I remembered what it was about her that I couldn't resist, despite my hesitancy. She was firm, strong, and did what she wanted. If we could get that girl back, maybe we stood a chance. She had a lot of making up to do, though.

"Can we drive back in the morning?" she asked. "I still have to pack."

"Sure." I rolled over on my stomach and looked at her. She looked deep in thought, so I stayed quiet.
 

I knew there was more she wanted to say, but she wouldn't. I was glad. I didn't have answers to her questions. I didn't know what we were doing or what would happen next. I watched her eyes flutter shut and her muscles relax. I pulled the covers out from under us and covered her up.
 

I woke up feeling rested and calm for the first time in a long time. I stretched and forced myself out of the luxurious bed. The sheets were too soft and the mattress supported my body perfectly. If I didn't get up now, I never would. I stepped over our discarded clothes, grabbing mine and quickly dressing before going to the kitchen. I leaned against the counter while waiting for the coffee to brew.
 

Once my eyes were open, I started to pick up the glass from the living room floor. I was surprised she didn't cut her feet open last night. If she would have, I would have forced her to go to the hospital then. I piled up the ruined photographs and placed the glass in an empty paper box I found in her office. The more I walked around the apartment, the more it seemed unlike her. It held no personality or memories.
 

When the floor seemed safe to walk on, I stood in the doorway to the bedroom. Kallie was spread out in the bed, her hair sprawled across the pillows. Her bare shoulders were uncovered and the sheets clung to her small body. She almost looked lost in the king sized bed. I wondered how lonely she must have felt every night when she went to sleep. I could imagine, because I felt the same.

Kallie

I stretched out in my familiar bed. I didn't want to wake up; I could sleep away the rest of the day. I moaned and rolled over to stare up at my ceiling. I was alone, not surprisingly. I didn't think Ryder would have stuck around for the cuddling. My body ached in all the right places and I smiled at the memories running through my mind.

I could smell coffee so I sat up, ready to grab a cup. Ryder stood in my doorway, fully dressed and holding two cups of coffee. He smiled, but it wasn't his full smile. He was still here, so that was a good sign, but he wasn't going to let me think last night meant more. I held the covers over my chest as he came in and handed me the cup of heaven.

"How's the ankle?" he asked.

I shrugged as I took a sip. "I don't know yet."

He gently pulled the covers off my feet. "Looks better. Still bruised, but the swelling went down."

I nodded and drank my coffee, feeling slightly awkward. I never had casual sex. I didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed as I would’ve if I had slept with a stranger or made a drunken mistake. This was Ryder. It was different and complicated. I trusted him regardless if we were together now or not. I knew how I felt about him, and my body wasn't going to forget it. Neither would my heart.