The Complete Red-Hot Collection. Kelly Hunter

Чтение книги онлайн.

       CHAPTER TEN

      BRODIE.

      Gorgeous Brodie.

      Instinctively Scott hated that combination of words coming out of Kate’s mouth.

      But then the reality of her words hit.

       Brodie. Here.

      They were about to come face to face. If he could make himself turn around.

      But for that first moment he was robbed of the ability to breathe, let alone move, as eight years of feelings rushed at him.

      That one hot moment. The sense of betrayal. The bitterness. Shame at what he’d done. Regret at what he’d lost. And…loneliness. A confusing, potent, noxious mix he just couldn’t seem to control the way he’d since learned to control everything else.

      Kate was watching him. Any minute now she’d ask him what was wrong. It was a wake-up call to get it together—because he did not want to be asked.

      He took a breath, pushed the feelings away, forced himself to turn.

      Recognition in a split second. Brodie’s walk. Unmistakable. A loose-limbed, relaxed amble. He was as beach-blond as he’d always been. Tanned. Wearing sunglasses. Boat shoes, jeans, pale blue shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to the elbows. And a tattoo—an anchor—on the underside of one forearm.

      Scott remembered that tattoo. He’d been impressed by it. And a little bit jealous. Because Knights didn’t get tattoos—and yet when he’d seen Brodie’s he’d wanted to be the kind of guy who did. Not that he couldn’t have had one—then or now. But deep down he’d always known it wasn’t his thing. It was the rebelliousness of a tattoo that had appealed to him, not the reality of ink in his skin. Everything about breezy, laidback Brodie had appealed to Scott—who was the exact opposite.

      He knew the instant Brodie recognised him from the slight hitch in his stride. The sunglasses were whipped off, the eyes widened, a smile started…then stopped. Replaced by wariness. Then the sunglasses were shoved into the pocket of his shirt—Brodie was not the kind of guy to hide behind sunglasses or anything else—and Brodie walked on, heading straight for them. He stopped at their table.

      ‘Scott,’ he said.

      ‘Brodie.’

      Okay, it was all a bit ridiculous. Scott. Brodie. Kate would be coughing up her name in a minute. Maybe the barista would pop out and give them a Dean.

      Scott laughed—couldn’t seem to help it. And he had the satisfaction of seeing surprise replace the wariness. It felt good.

      ‘Join us for coffee?’ he asked.

      ‘Sure,’ Brodie said, recovering from the surprise, and snagged a spare seat from the next table.

      Kate reached out a hand to shake. ‘I’m Kate. A…’ Tiny, tiny pause. ‘A friend of Scott’s.’

      Brodie smiled as he took her hand, said nothing—but Kate blushed.

      She flicked a glance at Scott, then back to Brodie. ‘I’m a friend of Willa’s too. And Amy’s.’

      ‘Ah, you’re that Kate.’

      ‘Oh, dear, you’re not going to make a lawyer joke, are you?’

      ‘Fresh out of lawyer jokes, sorry!’

      ‘Well, isn’t that a breath of fresh air?’ she said with another of those flicking looks. At Scott, then Brodie.

      Scott felt the sting. So he’d made one lawyer joke—just once! That didn’t put him ahead of Dirty Martini Barnaby in the woeful pick-up line competition, did it?

      ‘I’ll go and get the coffee,’ Kate said. ‘What’ll it be, Brodie?’

      ‘Black. Same as Scott.’

      Nod. Smile. And she was off.

      ‘Girlfriend?’ Brodie asked, once Kate was out of earshot.

      Scott crossed his arms over his chest. Shook his head. ‘Nothing like that.’

      Pause. A long one.

      Okay—they were back to ridiculous.

      Time to suck it up and move on.

      ‘Are we going to get all girly and talk about things?’ Brodie winced. ‘God, I hope not.’

      ‘Right. Good. Great.’

      Arms were uncrossed. His hand held out. Brodie took it. Shook.

      ‘That’s it?’ Brodie asked.

      ‘Well, let’s see…’ Scott frowned, looking as if he was thinking deeply. ‘We were best friends. A girl who never loved me—a girl I didn’t really love—fell for you. I punched you. You got an attack of nobility and took off. She stayed and was miserable.’ He shrugged. ‘I’d say between the three of us we royally screwed that up. It’s sure felt screwed up for the past eight years, and I’m kind of over everything about it. So, yeah—that’s it. From my perspective at least.’

      ‘I’ve missed you, you know—you bastard.’

      ‘Hey—we’re not getting all girly, remember?’

      Brodie laughed. ‘That’s why I added the “bastard”.’

      ‘Yeah, well, “bastard” doesn’t make it any less girly.’

      ‘Still an uptight control freak, then.’

      ‘And you’re still…what? King of the hair braids?’