Healed (Real Men Crave Curves Book 6) Read online

  Kayla put her fork down and settled back into the booth with a happy sigh. “That was the best thing I’ve eaten in a quite awhile, Bryce. You have no idea how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

  “Honey, I’m happy to do it. And I enjoyed the hell out of the food myself. I’m usually too busy or tired for this kind of thing. I tend to stick to the tried and true bachelor staples, like microwave dinners and fast food.”

  Kayla grinned at that. “Are you trying to tell me there’s no Mrs. Daniels? How could a catch like you still be on the market?”

  Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink and I felt another bolt of desire shoot through me. “I’m as single as they come, sad to say. Just never found the right woman. Although it’s starting to look like my luck may be changing.”

  Kayla’s face flushed again and she looked down into her lap. “I’ve never had much luck of my own. With anything, really.”

  Her voice was sad and my heart filled with compassion for the young woman sitting across from me. I wanted nothing more than to go over to her and take her into my arms. I didn’t know if I’d be able to fix things for her, but I knew that I had to try and do something to bring that beautiful smile back.

  I also knew I couldn’t help her without knowing what was wrong. Painful or not, Kayla was going to have to tell me her story. I said her name softly and she looked up at me, giving me the chance to smile at her encouragingly.

  “Honey, I want to help you, but I need to know what I’m up against here. What’s going on that has you on the run and breaking bones?”

  Kayla took a deep breath and held my gaze. “Well, it all started when my parents died and I met a guy named Drake…”

  Chapter Eleven

  Kayla

  The last thing I wanted was to look bad in front of the handsome, accomplished man sitting across from me. He’d been so kind since I’d met him, and he had the type of confidence that only comes with someone having their shit figured out. I’d look like a hot mess, and I definitely didn’t like the thought of that, but what other choice did I have?

  I filled Bryce in on hiding in the alley while the cops were looking for me. On how I fell and broke my collar bone. On how the death of my parents had thrown me into a tailspin and I’d been lost ever since. And how I’d turned to pot and pills for comfort.

  “I never meant to get into drugs or a life of crime,” I said with tears in my eyes. “But I was vulnerable and guys like Drake are always on the hunt for women like that, you know?”

  Bryce’s jaw tightened and he nodded his head. “I know all about scumbags like him. Go on, Kayla. Tell me the rest, honey.”

  I took a deep, shaky breath and told him about how Drake had introduced me to smoking pot. About how it made me feel mellow and as if the pain of losing my parents didn’t matter as much. About how he then moved me onto crushing and snorting Xanax. And how by then, I was completely lost in the fog and totally wrapped up in Drake.

  “So, when he first came to me with the idea of breaking into cars, I just went along with it,” I whispered, letting my eyes fall to my lap in shame. “I should have known better. I did know better. But right and wrong didn’t seem to matter when we needed money for food. And more drugs, of course. There was no way I could have held down a job the way I was.”

  I was shaking with shame and fear. I was putting myself totally out there, and I had no idea how Bryce would take what I was saying. Or what he would do about my confession. For all I knew, he would tell me he understood and then drop me off at the local cop shop.

  “The night I got hurt, I was running from a police officer that happened upon me when I was breaking into a car. I’d been in so much pain that night. All I wanted to do was get some money to buy some more pills and make it go away. I just wanted it all to go away…”

  I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and started to quietly sob right then and there. I tried to cover my face with my one good hand, but I felt Bryce take my icy, trembling fingers in his and give them a squeeze. I managed to look up and saw he was staring at me with an expression that was a mix of empathy, anger, and passion.

  “Honey, everything is going to be okay. I promise you that,” Bryce rumbled. “We’re going to get this all figured out. You don’t have to worry about being in pain anymore. No more running or hiding. Not now that I’m around.”

  I was blown away by his kindness and confidence. I was also a little frightened by the husky growl in his tone. But I couldn’t deny that the same strength in Bryce that scared me also drew me to him with an even stronger pull than ever before.

  At first, all I could do was whimper and nod. I wasn’t used to being this much of a shrinking violet. Far from it. But it felt good to let go and lay all of my troubles at Bryce’s feet.

  “I—I don’t know what to say,” I finally managed to mumble.

  “You don’t have to say a thing, honey. All you have to do is let me take care of you,” Bryce said with a final squeeze of my hand.

  He reached out and grabbed the check for our omelettes that lay on the table between us. “I’m going to pay this. And then you’re coming home with me. I have a friend that I think can help you, and you’re going to get a good night’s rest. That’s all there is to it.”

  With that, he stood up and headed for the cash register. I was left there, sitting in shock and watching his muscular frame move under his scrubs. I couldn’t help but enjoy the show and wonder if I was the luckiest girl alive.

  Or if I’d just allowed myself to fall under another man’s spell…

  Chapter Twelve

  Bryce

  As I paid for the meal Kayla and I had just shared, I knew there was no way I could walk away from her now. I’d already been drawn to her in ways that I’d never expected, and once she’d opened herself up to me about the shame she felt for her past, not to mention the fear of her future, I was totally hooked and I knew I was in deep.

  My urge to hold and comfort her was stronger than ever. I wanted to keep her safe and away from assholes like that Drake douchebag she’d told me about. God, what I wouldn’t give to find him and put his head through the nearest wall for taking advantage of Kayla.

  The waitress working the cash register handed me back my credit card, and I took a deep breath and put a smile on my face before returning to the booth. I didn’t want Kayla to see how angry I was about what she’d been through and think it was about her in any way.

  “Ready to go, honey?” I asked as I approached and held my hand out to her. She was still showing the signs of the emotional upheaval she’d just been through, but she made the effort to give me a smile, and that made me long to be the answer to every prayer she’d ever uttered.

  Damn, you’ve got it bad, my friend, I thought to myself as Kayla stood and linked her free arm through mine once again. But I’d be lying to myself if I tried to insist I didn’t like falling for this tough angel of a young woman.

  I helped Kayla into the passenger seat and pointed my Acura toward home. I snuck glances at Kayla from the corner of my eye as I drove, just checking to make sure she was doing alright. She seemed to be content sitting in silence and was dozing peacefully when we pulled up to the Tudor style house I’d purchased five years ago.

  I was proud of my home and the nice, quiet neighborhood where it sat. I was wondering what Kayla would think of it when she saw it, and then heard a small gasp from the seat next to me.

  I looked over and saw her drinking everything in. “Oh, Bryce,” she breathed. “Your home is beautiful.”

  “I like it,” I said with a smile. “Wait until you see the inside.”

  I hopped out and headed around to help her extract herself from the car and navigate the brick walkway to the front door. There were a handful of steps to climb and I helped her with those too, and then I turned to smile at her again.

  Kayla was radiant in the moonlight. Her face shone with the promise of happiness and a brighter future, and her eyes sparkled with
excitement. She looked incredibly brave and gorgeous standing there, and I couldn’t hold myself back any longer from what I’d wanted from the first moment I saw her.

  I leaned down and claimed Kayla’s mouth with my own, pressing my pent-up passion into her lips. I didn’t bother to suppress the satisfied groan that slipped out as I gave into my carnal cravings for the lovely young woman on my front porch.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kayla

  I can feel Bryce’s heart hammering against my own and a wave of heat rushes through me as he takes me into his arms. I can both feel and taste his groan on my lips, and there’s a sweet but sharp cramp of longing for him in my core. It’s like the breath has been knocked out of me in the best way possible and I feel myself moan as I melt into him.

  Bryce’s need is pressing into me in the most delicious way, and he pushes me into the hard wood of the front door. He’s lighting up parts of me that have been dark for so long, I thought they might be dead, and I squeeze my thighs together to try and keep myself from climbing his massive frame right then and there.

  But then he pulls back, leaving us both panting and wild-eyed. “Damn, honey…what are you doing to me?”

  All I can do is shake my head and tremble with longing as I watch his lips form the words. I can’t help picturing what that mouth would feel like on other parts of my body. Hell, on every part of my body. I swallow hard and clear my throat, trying to give myself a moment to cool down before I attempt to speak again.

  Bryce and I stared at each other for several long moments. The sexual tension between us was as thick as a fog bank, but finally, I blinked and smiled. “Is the inside as nice as the front porch?”

  He looks at me in surprise for a moment and then throws his head back and laughs. I can’t take my eyes off the strong, chiseled lines of his jaw, and before he replies, I can feel that deep heat at my very center flare up once more.

  “It sure is, honey,” Bryce said. “How about a quick tour before I show you to the guest room?”

  “That would be great,” I said, both relieved and disappointed that our moment of desire has passed without him taking me right there in the moonlight, surrounded by the smell of fresh-cut lawns and the sounds of evening in suburbia.

  Bryce pulled out his keys, unlocked the impressively heavy front door, and held his arm out in a charmingly chivalrous manner. “After you, my lady.”

  I laughed and moved past him into the foyer. I tried not to let my jaw fall open and give away how impressed I was by his home. Everything was done in dark woods and neutral hues. There were colored throw rugs scattered around to add a touch of personality.

  “Oh, Bryce,” I breathed. “It’s perfect! I swear, I dreamed of having a house just like it when I was a little girl. And there’s a window seat! I always wanted one of those, where I could curl up and read on rainy days.”

  I turned to find him beaming at me. “I’m so glad you like it, honey. I don’t share it with many people, to be honest. The life of an ER doctor can be lonely at times. Especially the life-long bachelors amongst us.”

  Bryce showed me around the rest of the house, and I fell in love with every room he presented to me. I don’t know what it meant that I could so easily see myself living in this house, but there was no denying that I felt more at home here than I had anywhere since my parents had passed away.

  “And this is your room,” Bryce said as he opened a door that was down the hall from the master bedroom. It looked like a photoshoot in a magazine and I couldn’t help but give a little cry of delight at the sight of it.

  “I love it, Bryce!” Before I could think about what I was doing, I’d spun around and thrown my arm around his neck. My cheek pressed into his and I was pushed firmly against his comforting and intoxicating warmth.

  I realized that I might have caught him off-guard, so I stepped back quickly and glanced at him to gauge his reaction. Bryce’s eyes were hazy with happiness and there was a smile spreading across his face. He looked like a man that had enjoyed himself and wanted more.

  “You’re very welcome, honey,” he replied in a husky whisper. “I’m going to leave some extra-strength ibuprofen on the counter for you in the bathroom down the hall, so you can get some good rest. I don’t think you should be taking anything stronger so soon after your…experience with the heavy stuff you mentioned at the diner. Sweet dreams.”

  With that, Bryce gave me a tender smile and left me standing in the guest room I loved so much—wishing that I’d have more than a down comforter to keep me warm that night.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bryce

  I’m surprised I got any sleep at all last night. As it was, I’d spent most of the hours before dawn staring up at the ceiling and thinking back on how perfect Kayla’s curves had felt pressed against me.

  I’d wanted so much more than the single kiss and quick embrace that I’d gotten. But I truly cared about Kayla, and I wanted her to get the rest she desperately needed after her harrowing ordeal and painful injury. Besides, there was plenty of time to make her mine, especially now that she seemed to feel so much more comfortable around me.

  I’d dragged myself out of bed as the day’s first light had peeked through the window of my bedroom and headed into the kitchen to make some coffee. I figured I’d need as much help as I could get after my night of desire-fueled tossing and turning.

  After I’d had my first cup of joe, I made two quick phone calls. I let the hospital know that I was taking a personal day and they’d need to call in another doc to cover my shift. I was still on the other call when Kayla came shuffling into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

  I couldn’t keep from grinning at the sight of her looking so adorably rumbled and fresh-faced. I held a finger up to let her know I’d be right with her and then turned my attention back to the man on the other end of the phone.

  “That sounds great, Paul. Thanks again for all of your help. Say hi to Laura and the kids for me. Bye for now.”

  I ended the call and set my cell phone down on the counter, and then poured Kayla a cup of coffee. I could tell she was curious to know what was going on, but I wanted to make sure she had what she needed first. I was happy to see it looked like she’d gotten better sleep than I had the night before.

  “Good morning, honey. Do you take cream and sugar?”

  Kayla nodded and watched me quickly prep her brew. When I passed the warm mug to her, our fingers touched and we both stopped and locked eyes. There was so much electricity between us, it felt like a summer storm could break out right in the middle of the kitchen.

  I smiled at her and rubbed one finger over her knuckles before pulling my hand away and leaning back against the counter. Kayla blushed prettily and then settled into one of the stools at the kitchen island and blew on her steaming mug.

  “Thank you again for the guest room,” she said after taking a sip of coffee. “I slept like a baby in that bed.”

  “I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed being in my bed,” I said with a smile that was so packed with heat, it made Kayla blush again. “Well, my guest bed, at least. How’s the shoulder?”

  “It feels much better. Thank you for that, too. I feel like I should be keeping a list of all of the things I need to thank you for doing. And figure out some way to pay you back, of course. I don’t have much, but I can get a job, or clean the house, or something…”

  I held up my hand and looked Kayla straight in the eyes. “Just being able to help you and have you in my life is payment enough. I promise, Kayla.”

  It looked like she was fighting back tears, so I jumped in with something I thought would make her smile. “Do you remember when I said I had a friend that might be able to help you?”

  Kayla nodded and took another sip of her coffee as I went on. “I was talking about a guy I went to high school with, who happens to be a damn good lawyer now, and I just got off the phone with him.”

  She perked up as I told her more. “Paul promised to t
ake a look into any case the police in your hometown might have cooking against you, and get back to me with the details this afternoon. He seemed to think it wouldn’t amount to much, which is very good news, and he owes me a favor, so I think you’ll be able to put all of that business behind you very soon.”

  I watched her eyes grow big with wonder, and then she was up and across the kitchen, tossing her arm around me again before I knew it. I held her close and closed my eyes, soaking up the feeling of her soft body pressed into mine, and buried my face in her hair.

  “That’s so wonderful, Bryce,” she whispered into my skin. “Thank you again…so, so much.”

  I pulled back just enough to give Kayla a smile. “Anything for you, honey. Now, how about we hit the town and go shopping for some essentials? You could use some clothes and other things, and I can’t think of a way I’d rather spend my day than with you.”

  Kayla stepped away and gave me a look that was hard to interpret. “I can’t let you do that. You’ve done enough, and I don’t want to be a burden, or get myself into too much…debt with someone I just met.”

  There was no way I could lose Kayla now. She’d gone back to being hesitant and I realized the look she’d given me was a mix of fear and suspicion. I wanted her to return to smiling and flinging her arm around me.

  “Kayla, I’m single, I don’t have children, and I have more money than I know what to do with,” I said and shrugged before giving her my most charming smile. “There’s no reason for me not to help you. I don’t expect anything in return, you’re a good person in a tight spot, and there’s not a shot that I’m taking no for an answer…”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kayla