What Lies Within (5 page)

“I’m glad you’re pleased.”

“Pleased?” Belkins chuckled. “I’m delighted. And I’m going to see to it that you have more contracts than you know what to do with.”

Kyla forced out the appropriate words of gratitude, then glanced toward the crowd around the refreshment table. One woman’s features caught her eye. Soft white hair framed a round, smiling face that glowed with some inner radiance. There was a face of kindness. Love.

There was someone who wouldn’t leave a kitten to die
.

Kyla almost choked on the thought.

“Are you all right, my dear?”

She fended off Belkins’s conciliatory hand on her arm. “I’m fine. Now, you probably need to go talk with the reporters you invited.”

“Won’t you join us? I’m sure they’d love to talk with you as well.”

A revolting idea, if ever she’d heard one. “Regrettably, I have another appointment.” She glanced at Mason.

It wasn’t a lie. Not really. She and Mason
were
having dinner together. Okay, not for a few hours, but still … any port in a storm.

“Ah.” Belkins patted her hand. “I see. Well, give my best to Mr. Rawlins.” He leaned in a bit closer. “I hope there are no hard feelings that I awarded the mall contract to your company, and not his. I just knew you’d understand my vision—”

Kyla assured him Mason was as professional as they came. Her client thus mollified, she finally made her escape. Her height had been a bane when she was younger, but she was glad for it now. For the long legs that brought her to Mason’s side in a few quick strides. “Please, for the love of heaven, get me out of here.”

He frowned at the vehemence in her tone. “You’re not going to talk with the reporters?”

She looped her arm in his. “No. I have … things to do.” Again, not really a lie. She
did
have things to do. Nothing that couldn’t wait, but she wasn’t telling Mason that. “Besides, I need to get ready for a very important dinner this evening.”

“Ever the voice of wisdom, my dear.” Mason took her arm as they headed for the parking lot. “You did a phenomenal job on this project.”

Yes, she could admit that was true. So why wasn’t she more excited? Pleased?
Some
thing other than …

Empty.

How she hated the word. The feeling. That gut-deep sensation she’d done everything she could to avoid. She’d been empty—truly, tragically empty—once in her life. She’d sworn then she would never feel that again.

And yet here she was, fighting it again. All because of some silly, soggy kitten?

“The fact that you were so involved in the design on this one, and that it turned out so beautifully, will open more doors than you can imagine.”

Kyla’s stomach roiled. She narrowed her gaze, trying to see if the animal was still there. It had been nearly two hours. Would the little creature be lying there, stiff? Mute testimony to just how hardened she’d become?

“Perhaps I should sell my company and come to work for you?”

Of course, Mason was teasing. Well, as much as he ever teased. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Was that a movement beneath the bush? Her heart raced,
and she grabbed Mason’s arm, directing him toward her car. She wouldn’t let him see. Neither would she look. “Rawlins Building is just as successful as JuCo.”

“A bit more so, probably.”

He was right, as usual. She hit the remote unlock, and Mason opened the door for her, then handed her into the car. Kyla loved his old-world manners.

Mason leaned his forearm on the top of her car, smiling down at her. “Still, it might be interesting to sit about, answering the calls for your talented services all day—oh! Speaking of which. Your phone.”

He reached down and pulled it from his suit coat pocket—just as a cheery tone sounded. Those fine brows of his arched. “Well. How’s that for timing? What say I give it a go now?” He leaned close to Kyla as he answered the phone. “Justice Construction, may I help you?”

“Oh! Is this you, Mase?”

Oh dear. Annot. With the phone held between them, Kyla heard her sister’s every word. Better catch her younger sister before she said anything she shouldn’t.

Mason forestalled Kyla’s hand. “Yes, Annie, it’s Mason. How are you?”

“Me? I’m fine. Yup, just fine. And you. You’re … well, you’re still around, huh?”

Kyla grimaced. Ouch. When would Annot learn not to express every one of the multitudes of thoughts that flitted through her mind?

The tiniest bit of umbrage sneaked into Mason’s usually calm tone. “Obviously so, Annie. How nice of you to ask. I assume you called to speak with your sister? She’s right here.”

Kyla pressed her lips together and took the phone from his extended hand. She pressed the phone to her chest and sent Mason a tacit apology, then raised her head for his peck on the cheek.

“Well”—he straightened, and Kyla tried not to let the sardonic twist to his lips bother her—“I’ll leave you to your conversation. See you at your place? Around six?”

“You have the key I gave you?”

“Indeed.”

“Thanks again for the offer to fix me a celebratory dinner. I appreciate it, Mason.”

“Yes, well, I like to think I treat you as you deserve to be treated.” His gaze drifted to the phone. “Though I’m sure there are some who don’t agree.”

She should say something, but her mind was as void as her heart. So she just sat there, watching the man she was supposed to love walk away.

Doing nothing to stop him.

THREE   

W
here was she?

Rafe lifted a cup of steaming black coffee to his lips. A week. Seven days since Kyla had been here—eight if you counted today. Every day he watched for her, waited to see her smile as she came in, to catch that tantalizing perfume as she drew close. Something simple and elegant. A kind of vanilla, like the cookies his mom made him after school when he was young. Warm and subtle, but with enough impact to reach him through the scent of good, strong coffee.

After three days with no sign of her, he began to worry. Had he done something wrong? Somehow made her uncomfortable? No, impossible. He’d done everything he could to accomplish just the opposite. To make this place a haven for her, a place she longed to be.

Two more days went by. Then two more.

Maybe she was ill. He plunked his coffee mug down on the counter.
Why hadn’t he found out where she lived? Yes, he’d wanted to move with care. To make each advance in their budding acquaintance as cautious and strategic as possible. He wasn’t going to risk scaring her off.

But what if something had happened to her? With her sister and brother so far away, who was around to help her if she needed it?

You think a woman like that hasn’t got friends? Hasn’t got a man?

A man. The thought pierced him, but only for a moment.

No, not the way she’d smiled at him. The way her eyes warmed whenever she looked at him. Even if there was a man in her life, it wasn’t someone who owned her heart. Rafael was as certain of that as he was his own name.

Worry stuck in his gut. He’d waited long enough. Time to do something. He could go to her company’s office, but that seemed too … intrusive. Then he remembered. She’d mentioned the mall her company was building. Perfect. He’d just drive past the construction site. Surely he’d see her there, and then his worries would be put to rest.

He turned and went to find Olivia. His sister listened as he asked her to carry the shift on her own.

“You crazy, Rafa? You know I stay in the background. You’re the front man, si? I don’t deal with those people. Six bucks for a cup of coffee? Those people are nuts.”

“My coffee is worth it, sis.”

She tossed her hair. “Nobody’s coffee is worth that much money. Not unless there’s gold dust in the grounds.”

He waggled his brows at her. “Heeey, there’s an idea.”

She waved him off and started to walk away, but he caught her. Curled his arms around her shoulders and put on his best puppy-dog face. “For me, Livita. Please.”

Her heavy sigh signaled surrender—the childhood nickname had done the trick, as he’d known it would. But she didn’t give in without a price.

“So, what you going to say to this
chica
if you find her?”

“Say to her?”

“Si, Rafa. You’ll have to speak to her one of these days. Maybe even tell her how you feel.” She pinched his arm. “That should be interesting. My little
chato
, too tough to express his emotions, telling a woman he loves her.”

When he didn’t take the bait, she nudged him with her hip. “Come on, Rafa. Practice with me.
Te amo, mi cielo
.”

“Liv …”

“Mi amor.”
She batted her eyelashes.
“Mi corazon.”

“¡Córtala!”

Her laughter rang out as she complied. “All right, Rafa. No more teasing.”

He handed her his barista apron and was out the door and behind the steering wheel in two heartbeats. He gunned the engine, racing through traffic and brushing aside the thought that he was acting just a bit crazy. If he saw Kyla at the construction site, fine. He’d know she was okay.

If not … he’d be placing a call to his Force Recon buddy David Thales. Thales would find Kyla. In record time. Thales could find anyone. Anywhere. Anytime.

He braked for a red light—and frowned. Thales would want to know who Kyla was. What she was to Rafe.

And what, pray tell
, is
she? A customer at your coffee shop
.

He hit the gas, focusing just enough to maneuver around a snarl of traffic. Kyla was more than that. She’d been coming to Rafe’s coffee shop every day for the past four months. Every day. And she didn’t just buy coffee and walk out. She stayed to talk. Sometimes he even took a break and sat with her at one of the small round tables.

That was more than just a customer, right?

Yeah. He could just hear what Thales and the others from his Force Recon team would say.

“Sure, Asadi. Whatever you say.”

“You taking up stalking, Staff Sergeant, sir?”

“You wiggin’ out, Asadi?”

But Rafe would tell them what he kept telling himself: Kyla Justice was just a friend. Nothing more. He spotted the construction site ahead, and his heart rate picked up speed. He’d just drive past, nice and slow—but not too slow. Didn’t want to draw attention.

His plans faded, though, as he pulled into the parking lot. There were cars everywhere. And from the looks of things, this job wasn’t in process. It was done. In fact, unless he missed his guess—which didn’t happen often—there was a grand opening in progress.

Rafe peered into the milling crowd but saw no sign of Kyla. His concern flared to life, and he reined it in, turning the wheel to circle the parking lot—

There! Her car. Sitting at the back of the lot. And perched on the driver’s seat, legs stretched out the open driver’s door, was Kyla. Talking on her cell phone.

Relief so powerful it made him lightheaded swept through him. She was okay. And then, on the heels of relief, came the gnawing unease. He managed to ignore it as he steered his car out of the parking lot, back onto the road. Even held it off until he shifted the car into park back at his coffee shop. But it crawled through him as he pushed out of the vehicle and headed inside.

Because if she wasn’t sick, something else was keeping her away.

“Stop it this minute! Kylie? Are you daydreaming again? He-
llo!
”

Issuing a heavy sigh, Kyla put the phone to her ear. “Annot, for heaven’s sake, must you be so belligerent to Mason?”

“I’m not belligerent.”

“All right then, rude.”

“Not that either.”

Kyla leaned forward, resting her forehead against the steering wheel, then straightened with a jerk. There it was. A mewing sound. She was sure of it!