One Wicked Night

Chapter Two

“What? Who?” But he knew there was no fooling Nick. The guy knew him, inside and out.

“You know who. She looks good.”

Tyler’s chest tightened. Of course she looked good. She’d always looked good.

Other than that day…fuck. His stomach still swooped every time he remembered Kaelin walking in on him and Nick and Tracy Brown. He’d known it was risky, doing what they were doing right there in the family room. His parents and Avery had been out, not expected home for hours, but still, the possibility that they could walk in on them had added an edge of danger to the whole scene, increased the thrill factor. And Kaelin showing up hadn’t actually been a complete surprise.

But when Tyler had looked up and seen her standing there open-mouthed, frozen, he’d been shocked at how truly god-awful he’d felt, seeing the hurt on her face, his guts twisting into knots, his heart squeezing painfully.

“She still thinks we’re depraved assholes,” he muttered.

Nick rubbed his forehead. “We are.”

Tyler snorted. “Yeah. True enough.” Then he sighed.

“Actually,” Nick said, “I didn’t get that vibe from her.”

“Of course you don’t. It’s just me. She always hated me. That just sealed the deal.” Nick opened his mouth to speak, but Tyler rushed on. “And what was with the big bear hug?” he demanded before Nick could say something stupid, like some kind of stupid denial that Kaelin had hated him. Because he didn’t want to hear that, or think about that, or feel that goddamn guilt again. “Like you’re long lost friends.”

“We are friends,” Nick said quietly. “I always liked Kaelin.”

“Yeah.” Bitterness edged Tyler’s voice. “I know.”

Nick laughed. “You’re fucking jealous, man! I can’t believe it.”

“I am not.” He scowled.

“Yeah, you are. For Chrissakes, Ty, I can’t believe you still have a thing for her after all these years.”

“A thing?” Tyler laughed. “What the hell does that mean? I don’t have ‘a thing’ for her.”

“Whatever. Come on, we better join the others.”

They went outside. Tyler accepted another drink, only because it was alcohol and he needed it to get through this ordeal. His irritation increased as he found himself continually looking at the doors to the patio, waiting for Avery and Kaelin to rejoin them. He half listened to his mother telling Scott’s parents about the new furniture she’d just bought for the patio, how they’d had to put in a special rush order so they’d have it for the wedding.

God, he just wanted to get this wedding over with and get the hell back to Chicago. Although, there were nothing but problems waiting for him there too. He and Nick were in the middle of a massive difference of opinion on a potential client who wanted to sign with them. A big potential client, huge potential client with lots of money to spend on advertising that could really get their fledgling agency off the ground. Shit.

But he was here for Avery, his big sister, happy for her that she’d found a great guy like Scott. Though he wished with all his heart she and Scott had just eloped. What the hell was she thinking, planning a big family wedding that was torture for everyone? Tyler took a big swallow of Scotch as Avery appeared in the French doors, followed by Kaelin.

His eyes went straight to her. So pretty. So different from Avery. Not the pretty part—his sister was pretty too, he supposed, but in a different way. Avery was all blonde highlights and makeup; Kaelin was a sweep of silky brown hair and big brown eyes. In high school she’d been an intimidating overachiever, top marks, all kinds of academic awards, involved in the student council and about a dozen different clubs and committees. Just like Avery.

Tyler’d been disturbed to find that, as he entered his teenage years and started thinking about girls differently, he’d started thinking about his big sister’s best friend differently. She’d always been at their place, as comfortable as if she lived there. Memory of one morning when he’d encountered her in the upstairs hallway after she’d slept over with Avery had fueled his hormone-driven fantasies for years. She’d been wearing tiny little plaid shorts that revealed her long, smooth legs, which okay, he’d seen many times in the summer, but also a ribbed cotton tank top with no bra. She had great tits, high and full and round with prominent nipples, and the sight had sent him back to his room for a fast and furious hand job.

From his seat in a corner of the patio, he watched her now, smiling and laughing and making conversation with the other guests. Her blue and beige plaid sundress was far from revealing, with its full knee-length skirt and modest straps. But it did show off a lot of smooth bare skin—arms, shoulders, a faint hint of cleavage, the snug bodice hugging her breasts and small waist. She accepted a glass of wine from his dad, earning a smile of approval from him that Tyler’d never seen directed his way. He frowned. Everyone loved Kaelin. So polite, so responsible.

“Would you snap out of it!”

Tyler jerked at Nick’s low-voiced command, and looked up at his friend standing there. He frowned. “What?”

“Everyone’s afraid to talk to you. You look like you’re going to snap their head off if they say a word to you, sitting there scowling like that. Would you at least try to act normal?”

Only Nick would say that to him. Only Nick could get away with talking to him like that. Anyone else, he’d be pounding the shit out of him. With a sigh, he rose and moved toward the others, a smile firmly in place, and made conversation with the soon-to-be in-laws.

More guests arrived, which in a way was good, because it kept his parents too busy playing host and hostess to bug him. His mom was pulling out all the stops. She must have been cooking for days, which he knew she loved, but still, it was a lot. Also a full bar setup outside, torches and lights and candles around the glowing turquoise pool in their backyard.

When he found himself face-to-face with Kaelin, somehow, their glances collided and bounced away from each other. Tyler’s skin tingled. He licked his lips and searched for something to say.

Kaelin looked down at the glass of wine in her hand. After the conversation she and Avery had just had about Tyler, now he was right there in front of her. She had to put all that old crap out of her head and act like an adult.

“Avery says you’ve been busy helping with this wedding,” Tyler said, still all chilly politeness, as if she was the one who’d done something wrong.

“I was happy to help. With her living in Los Angeles, it would have been impossible to get things done.”

He nodded. “That was nice of you.”

Oh yeah, here it came, the sardonic comments about how nice she was, what a good girl she was. She waited, her gaze flickering up to his. But he didn’t say it. “Um. Thanks.”

“When’s the rest of the wedding party getting here? I thought there were three bridesmaids.”

Men. He didn’t even know who else was in the wedding party. “Just two. Me, and Avery’s friend in L.A., Maddie. Scott’s best man, Hardeep, is her boyfriend. They should be here tonight.”

“Just two, huh?” He nodded, looked out over the pool.

“Your mom wanted her to have ten.”

His head snapped around, eyes wide. “Ten?”

She smiled. “Yep.”

He rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ.”

Their gazes held for a moment of shared amusement and understanding. Kaelin felt a wave of heat wash over her body and her skin tightened and tingled. Tension hummed between them, memories of that summer flooding back.

“Well, my goodness, Tyler! I haven’t seen you in forever!” An older woman approached them and gave Tyler a hug.

“Hi, Aunt Mona.” Tyler smiled. “It has been a while, hasn’t it? But I think you look even younger. How is that possible?”

Mona giggled. Giggled! A fifty-year-old woman with dyed red hair and a double-D bosom giggled like a pre-teen girl. “Oh, you,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. “I hear you’re doing well in Chicago. Your mom tells us about all the big, important clients you have and how much money you’re making.”

“She does?” Tyler’s eyebrows drew together.

“She talks about you all the time! So proud of you.”

Now his eyebrows flew up and he made a choking sound. “I’ll bet,” he muttered just as Mona turned to Kaelin.

“Kaelin. How are you, dear?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” She smiled at the other lady.

“Where’s your young man tonight?”

“There is no young man, Mona. We sort of…broke up.”

“But I just saw you together the other day!”

“Yes, well.” Kaelin glanced uncomfortably at Tyler taking in their conversation with a frown. “We’re still friends.”

“I thought you were getting married.”

Kaelin shifted position, acutely aware of Tyler’s interest. “We were,” she mumbled. “But it wasn’t going to work out.” She straightened her shoulders and gave Mona a bright smile. “We’re both fine with it.”

Mona shook her head sadly. “That boy is crazy about you, Kaelin. And he’s a good catch! A police officer. Good steady job, a nice boy.”

Kaelin caught Tyler’s eye roll and her stomach tightened.

“You know, I’m so glad to see you,” Mona continued, blithely unaware of the tension snapping between Kaelin and Tyler. “I need one more person to work an hour at the church bake sale next weekend.”

Kaelin wanted to close her eyes. The church bake sale. Could Mona make her life sound any more pathetic to Tyler? “Next weekend,” she repeated. “Not this coming weekend.”

“Oh no, of course not! This weekend is the wedding! This is the wedding of the year in Mapleglen! It’s next Saturday. We need someone there for nine in the morning.”

Kaelin smiled tightly. “Sure. I can help.”

“Thank you, dear. You’re such a good girl.” Mona patted her cheek. “Now I must go meet that handsome groom of Avery’s.”

Kaelin tossed down the last of her wine in three big gulps, again waiting for Tyler’s amusement. This time he didn’t disappoint.

“A police officer, huh?”

She met his gaze head-on. “Yes.”

“A nice boy,” he repeated.

Kaelin pressed her lips together.

“How come you broke up?”

She did not want to talk about this to Tyler. In fact, she almost wished she’d let Brent talk her into bringing him along tonight. A boyfriend beside her would have gone a long way to helping her deal with Tyler.

But she didn’t really have a boyfriend and she wasn’t going to tell Tyler why exactly things hadn’t worked out between them. Brent kept calling her, dropping in to see her, still hopeful that she was going to change her mind, but deep down inside she knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“That’s not really your business,” she said stiffly.

“Sounds like he’d be perfect for you,” Tyler continued. “Since you’re such a good girl.”

His words ricocheted around in her head, memories of teenage Tyler mocking her about how good she was, laughing at her for being disappointed because she’d gotten a B+ on a test, making fun of her for spending Saturday night studying. She remembered how Tyler’s teasing had started to bug her because…well, because it was him. Because she didn’t always want to spend Saturday nights studying, but she didn’t have a crazy social life like he did, and because sometimes she had no choice, she had to stay home on Saturday nights. Remembered hurt and frustration rushed through her.

She fought for control of her surging emotions and lifted her wineglass again. Empty. Dammit.

“You probably don’t want another glass of wine,” Tyler said. “One’s your limit, right?”

She lifted her eyes to his face. “You’re still an asshole,” she said quietly.

His jaw tightened, though he kept his smile in place. “Yep,” he said. “I sure am. Are you surprised about that?”

“No,” she said. She tipped her head. “Though I don’t know why you feel a need to take out your frustrations on me. I never did anything to you.”

His smile disappeared. “Frustrations?”

Now he looked pissed.

Good.

“Yes. You obviously have some deep-seated sense of inferiority that makes you need to make fun of others to make yourself feel better.”

His mouth dropped open. “What the fuck.” His eyes narrowed, flashing blue sparks at her.

“Oh, don’t even look at me like that,” she said. “You have no right to be mad at me. I’m the one who should be mad.”

“Oh for Chrissake. Lighten up a little. You always were Miss Serious.”

They faced each other, glaring. Kaelin’s fingers curled tightly around the stem of her wineglass, almost snapping it. He thought she was upset about him teasing her! Jesus, how stupid could one man be? Did he not even realize what he’d done?

But there’d never been anything real between them. As they’d spent time together that summer, her feelings for Tyler had grown into something they shouldn’t have, and when he’d kissed her—just once—she’d foolishly believed he was starting to feel the same about her.

And the very next day she’d walked in on that scene.

She fought to control the long-suppressed rage surging inside her, shocked by a desire to hurt him back. The urge to physically hit him, the way she’d wanted to that night. Before she’d run out of the house then run all the way out of Mapleglen and back to college, a week early. And then to her horror, her hand lifted, swung back—and she did it.

Right in the middle of a big party of friends and family, she slapped Tyler Wirth’s face.