“I said I still want you.”
There was a time in my life when I would have walked through fire to hear him say that to me. But those days were behind me now.
“It doesn’t matter what you want, Gio. We’re through.” I felt along the wall for the light switch, but he grabbed my hand.
“I don’t think you heard me. We don’t have to end things. No one has to know. ”
“Yes, we do.” I wrenched my wrist from his grip. “I’m not the same woman I was when you walked all over me. I don’t have to put up with your crap any more. I’ve learned I deserve better.”
“That’s my girl.” The deep voice came from a few feet away. It sounded like Kellan, but that would be impossible. He was on his way to the airport.
“Who the hell is that?” Gio squeezed my shoulder.
“I told you to let go of me.” Wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible, I jerked my knee upward, connecting with his crotch.
“You bitch!” Gio yelled.
The light flipped on. As Gio lunged for me, a patch of red flashed before my face. The sound of flesh connecting with flesh came from my left. Everything happened so quickly. One moment I had my back pressed against the wall, trying to avoid Gio. The next I had an iron band wrapped around my waist and I was being pulled to the other side of the room.
“Stay here, sugar.” Kellan released his grip around my middle and stepped in front of me.
My brain tried to reconcile Kellan’s appearance with reality. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He should be on his way to Austin to get on a plane that would take him halfway around the world.
“Who the fuck are you?” Gio wiped a trickle of blood from his lip while he glared at Kellan.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Kellan stared back, a hint of a smile teasing the edges of his lips upward. “I’m Santa Claus, and I’m here to make sure Blakely’s Christmas wish comes true.”
I couldn’t feel my face anymore. Every part of me had gone numb. My lungs squeezed tight while I tried to take huge gulps of air. Being suffocated with testosterone made it difficult to breathe.
“You think you know what Blakely wants? What she needs?” Gio narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze to me.
It crawled over my skin.
“Yeah, I do.”
“And what’s that, Romeo Santa?” Gio’s fingers curled into tight fists. He wasn’t nearly as big as Kellan, but he could hold his own in a fight.
Kellan glanced over at me and smiled. “She wants a man who loves her for who she is, not what she can do for him.”
My heart skipped several beats. I took a step toward Kellan, but he put up a palm to stop me.
“You’re wrong about that, Santa. All Blakely cares about is keeping up appearances, and that means getting her mom in and out of rehab as quickly as possible. If you don’t have the cold, hard cash to help her, then—”
The sting of my palm against Gio’s cheek shocked me. I didn’t even realize I’d hit him until I felt the impact. “That’s enough.”
Gio looked down at me, his eyes wide with shock. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“You okay, sweetheart?” Kellan reached for my hand and turned it over in his.
“Better than okay. I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” My heart felt lighter than it had in years.
Kellan brushed his lips over my palm before he wrapped his fingers around mine. Then he turned his attention back to Gio. “Come near her again, and I’ll make sure this is the last Christmas you ever celebrate. Got it?”
The gruff tone in his voice made my panties damp. I’d never had a man stand up for me like he just had. God, it was a turn on. Though I was more than capable of handling Gio and his bullshit on my own, knowing I didn’t have to brought more comfort than I ever imagined it would.
I squeezed his hand. Touching him calmed my nerves. Like I could somehow absorb his quiet strength. Being around him made me feel like everything would be okay. That I could handle whatever crap came at me as long as he was by my side. It didn’t make sense, especially since I’d always been super self-sufficient. I’d never needed someone before. With Kellan around, it wasn’t so much that I needed him, but I appreciated having him nearby.
He put a possessive arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. “Should we take advantage of the open bar before we head out, gorgeous?”