Dangerous Beauty: Part Four: Beautifully Broken (6 page)

The only person in the world that could sneak up on him.

Kyle shot her a playful glare. “You can’t keep sneaking up on me like that, woman! I’m too old. You’re going to give me a heart attack. That’s not very good babysitter etiquette”

“I’m not your babysitter, Kyle,” she grumbled, adjusting her incredibly thick ‘night time glasses’. “I’m a photographer. A famous one. And you’re lucky to have me because I’m in very high demand, and my time is extremely expensive.”

Kyle’s mouth dropped open in feigned shock. “You’re charging me now?”

Her frown only deepened. “You can’t afford me,” she shot, her soft voice raising a little … well, as much as it could at least. Reanna had a very smooth, naturally soft voice. Walking forward slowly, she turned her nose up at him. “Lucky for you, though, Sofia already paid me tonight in the form of hugs, and her magical princess kisses.”

Only Reanna could make a man like him smile at something so damn cute. He didn’t respond to her after that; he only watched her as she made her way to the cabinet, and she stood on her toes, reaching for a glass. She looked incredibly adorable. Her short frame inhibited her from reaching anything. She was about the same height as Carterina, but her body was fuller, very sexy, and thick in all of the right places. Her wild curls were both messy and beautiful at the same time, and she was sporting a pair of his grey jogging sweats that were far too long for her, and an equally oversized T-shirt of his. Kyle loved when Reanna wore his clothes. Her sweet scent would linger on them even when she went back to the home she shared with her sister in Pleasant View.

For another second or two, he stood back, watching as she reached for a glass in his high cabinet. He knew he was being an asshole. He definitely could have helped her, but he didn’t for two reasons: one, she’d barely said a word to him when she’d walked past him a second ago, and two, the higher she reached, the higher the shirt went up, and the better his view of her ass got.

“Okay,” she pouted, ending her attempt at getting her own glass.

When she turned around to face him, Kyle’s eyes quickly shot up to hers. “Hmm?” he asked, smiling innocently.

Man he hoped to God she hadn’t caught him looking at her ass. He’d never been one to shy away from showing his attraction to a woman, but Reanna was different. Kyle was a little intimidated by the …
strength
of the attraction he had to her. He didn’t understand it. When he’d first met her he’d been so struck by her quiet, subtle beauty that he’d literally been unable to move. She had the most stunning face, so lovely, so natural. Her smooth, dark mahogany skin was striking, and contrasted beautifully with brown eyes, which were a shade or two lighter. She never wore makeup, or attempted to enhance her God-given beauty with designer clothing or excessive jewelry. Kyle was pretty sure the only jewelry she owned was the gold locket she always kept around her neck. Her sister had an identical one, so he was sure it was a sentimental piece. Other than that, though, Reanna looked nothing like the type of woman Kyle was usually attracted to. But there was just something about her. Her soft, kind voice, her sweet smile, her calming presence, and the way she loved his daughter just made him want her so fucking bad. His feelings for her were the type of feelings that he wasn’t ready to explore. They were too deep, too eternal. He’d surely fuck everything up if he even tried with her, then she’d leave him, hate him, and he’d end up even more broken than he was before …

“Kyle!”

Kyle blinked, unaware that he’d zoned out while gazing at her once again.
Dammit
. He should have been used to it by now. It was something he did often when he was around her.

“Yes?” he answered awkwardly. “I didn’t hear you.”

She pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest once again. “Sure you didn’t,” she said grudgingly, scowling at him.

There it was. The gorgeous scowl that Kyle hated going a day without seeing.

“I said I’ll stop ignoring you, Kyle. Now can you please …” She motioned to the cabinets behind her.

Chuckling, Kyle walked forward shaking his head. “How do you and Sofia do this when I’m not home?” he asked, coming to stand directly in front of her.

She shrugged. “Sofia’s still small. I can lift her onto the counter.”

“Is that not a little dangerous, Reanna?” He reached up and grabbed her a glass, laughing again when she snatched it out of his hand.

“It’s effective, Kyle. And resourceful.” She pointed up to the cabinet again. “I need another one, please.”

Kyle frowned in question. “For who?”

“You,” she answered, a sudden innocent smile spreading across her face. She took the glass and walked to the refrigerator. “When Sofia and I were looking up recipes for the lasagna on FoodTube, we found one for this mixed drink. It had a ton of alcohol in it, but of course, being the genius I am, I figured out a way to make a virgin version. It’s good, you’ll love it.”

“I’m sure I will,” Kyle agreed in amusement. Reanna was a FoodTube addict, a ‘foodie’ period. She loved to try out new recipes that she would discover on the web, in cookbooks, or pretty much anywhere. It was her hobby, and something that she and Sofia shared. Every weekend they would cook together, whether it be at his and Sofia’s place, or Reanna and Tamara’s, they diligently kept with the tradition. “So you two had a nice evening together then?”

The smile to his question appeared in her eyes as she looked up at him. This disappointed Kyle. When she smiled with just her beautiful eyes she denied him the chance to kiss the sexy, deep dimples on her cheeks.

“Yes we did,” she murmured, then pointed toward the kitchen exit. “Now, get out.”

The woman had kicked him out of his own damn kitchen, which was probably well within her right. Yes, he paid the bills for the place, but the stove had literally never been used until Reanna flipped it on. Before her, Kyle had depended on food either sent over by Carter, his father, or meals prepared and delivered by a personal chef for both him and Sofia. It was his best option seeing as, with a schedule like his, he had no time to cook, even though he was quite good at it. Now he and Sofia rarely ever went a night without Reanna’s cooking. The woman cooked for her sister, and their other roommate, nearly every night, and always sent them some of her delectable creations, or she’d send them by her sister, whose store was located in Manhattan.

She didn’t have to do all she did for both him and Sofia, and Kyle had told her on more than one occasion that she did too much, but ever the kind-hearted giver, Reanna always dismissed him when he said such things. She once told him, “If I didn’t want to do nice things for you and my baby—what she called Sofia—then I wouldn’t. I do what I do because I want to, Kyle, not because I think I have to.”

Her answer had been so simple, yet meaningful. Kyle had had no choice but to shut his mouth. He wasn’t going to keep fighting her on it. Although, as he’d said, he was constantly confused about the feelings he had for her, the fact of the matter was that he loved being around Reanna. And it was wrong of him, yes, to call on her for help as often as he did, to expect her cooking, her presence, her comfort whenever he and his daughter needed her. It was wrong of him. Wrong of him to monopolize her time, her energy. After all, she was a young and beautiful single woman. Maybe she wanted to date, or … you know, have a family of her own with a man that wasn’t a complete fucking idiot like him.

She deserved that … to be happy.

Kyle shook his head, disliking the directions of his thoughts. Though he cared for Reanna very much, and he wanted her to have all the happiness in the world, thinking of her with another man made him a bit homicidal.

“All done.”

Her brightly toned voice hit his ears before he even noticed she entered the living room area. Shaking his head, he frowned. Seriously, how the hell did the woman keep sneaking up on him like that?

She strolled across the living room holding a very nice tray—that Kyle hadn’t even known he owned— full of food that smelled so damn good, Kyle’s mouth was starting to water.

“That smells amazing, Reanna.”

She smiled, giving a smug nod of her head. “I know,” she bragged. “It’s my best lasagna yet.” Once she made it to where he sat, she set the food on the coffee table in front of him, placing it a distance away, then walked around and perched on the coffee table directly in front of him, and crossed her legs Indian-style. “Too bad you don’t get to eat it …”

At her words, Kyle immediately frowned. “What?” he asked, confused.

“I said you don’t get to eat it.”

Taking a chance, he reached out for his delicious food, pulling away when she smacked his hand.

He laughed, surprised that she’d hit him. “Reanna—”

“I said you can’t have any,” she chuckled. She reached over and picked up the beautifully made plate of lasagna, and sunk a large fork into the cheesy masterpiece. “That is until you tell me why it is that you woke up screaming in the middle of the night.”

Kyle’s mouth dropped open.
Oh shit, she heard me?
“Reanna, I—”

“Kyle,” she cut him off with a stern look and shook her head, “save us both some time, and don’t give me the run around.” She sighed exaggeratedly. “I know your kind … hell, I am your kind. We never want to talk about our inner demons, we wanna keep all of it locked up inside because we’re loners, the broken people. We don’t like pity, and we can’t stomach the advice of those that can’t possibly understand our inner torture.” Suddenly, her expression became serious. “I understand, Kyle. Whatever it is that you’re going through, I understand, because I’ve been there. I know pain, and pain recognizes pain ...” A sweet smile graced her lips as she sat the plate in her lap, then motioned for him to scoot forward on the couch.

“And what about you then?” he asked, moving forward as she beckoned. “The pain you know, that you recognize in me … when will you unburden yourself of your
‘inner torture’
, like you consistently, and
boldly
insist I do?”

Kyle had always wanted to ask her that question. It seemed like every time they were together, he’d be the one doing all of the talking while she listened, lending him her support, her wisdom, her shoulder. But lately, Kyle found himself wanting more than that. As his feelings for her grew, his desire to know her more grew right along with them. But she continuously denied him when he’d ask her. Most likely for good reason, but still … he was a selfish man and he longed to be the man in which she felt comfortable enough to lay herself bare with. He didn’t deserve it, but that hadn’t stopped him from wanting it, or her …

“Why don’t we talk about you tonight?” he said, reaching for her hand. “Aren’t you tired of talking about me?”

She shook her head, her expression remaining sweet. “No,” she answered simply. “We’ll talk about you.”

Being denied something he wanted from a woman was something Kyle was neither used to, nor did he particularly like, but Reanna made it a chore to deny him. More and more as his confusing need for her grew, he resented her resistance—just as he was positive she resented his.

“Reanna …”

“It’s not going to happen, Kyle Valente,” she laughed lightly, keeping the mood playful. “Unfortunately, you haven’t earned the right to know my inner torture.”

Smiling at her smile, Kyle’s mood lifted once again, her playful mood causing any dislike he’d felt at her hesitation to vanish. “And how can I earn that right, Ms. Pierce?” A part of him already knew the answer to that … he just wasn’t ready to say it, yet.

Reanna quirked a brow at his question, then chuckled softly, looking down at her lap, then back up to him. “If you have to ask me that, Kyle, then you’re not ready to earn the right.”

Whoa! Ouch
. She was right, but still …
Ouch.

“Damn,” Kyle chuckled softly. He let out a long breath, giving her hand a squeeze then releasing it. “Leave it to you to always tell me like it is.” She and Carterina were the only two women he’d ever met that weren’t afraid to do it.

She shrugged. “Isn’t that why you trust me?” she asked. “What makes,” she frowned a little before she continued, “what we have so … strong, is our ability to be honest with each other, am I right?”

Kyle nodded. Reanna was the only human being on this planet that he wouldn’t hesitate sharing his deepest truths with. Hell, he would tell her before he told Nathan, and Nathan was his best friend, whom he loved dearly.

“Well then,” she clapped her hands, “tell me what’s bothering you tonight.” She smiled again. “Unlike you, I have earned the right to know your inner torture …”

It was absolute truth, and how the woman had done it, Kyle would never know.

He’d never understand how she did this to him. Made him feel so … comfortable, light, so calm around her. Normally, he couldn’t stand it when someone looked him in the eyes such as she was now, but with her, it was so much different. The connection he felt with her was beyond his comprehension. Never had any human being on this earth made him feel the way she made him feel. Even at this moment, he wished he could pick her up, take her to bed with him, and just … hold her, uninterrupted, until they grew tired of being in each other’s arms. Unfortunately, something inside told him that for him, that time would most likely never come.