Page 5 of Broken Promise

“Karmen, that man is lying to himself and toyou,” Jacob explains. “If he wasn’t into you, it wouldn’t havemattered whether we kissed or not.”

“You know you’re nuts, right?”

“But I’m a good friend. And now you owe me afavor.”

I shake my head. “Go home and get some iceon your face. I also suggest avoiding Wesley for the foreseeablefuture. He tends to hold a grudge.”

Jacob smiles before hopping in his midnightblue truck and driving off. I stand outside in the parking lottrying to get my drunken brain to put everything that just happenedinto some kind of order. Is Jacob right? Did Wesley lose it becausehe kissed me or is he simply still clinging to the promise he madeTommy?

I guess there is only one way to findout.

Walking back into the bar, I make eyecontact with Adam. He nods his head in the direction of the backoffice, and I know that is where Wesley will be.

Making my way down the short hall where thebathrooms and storeroom are, I stand outside the closed door of hisoffice and listen to him rage inside.

****

Wesley Blake

“Fuck!” I roar throwing my office chairacross the room and watching the wooden structure break apart.Everything else except my desk has already been destroyed orupended.

I knew that little shit, Jacob, was up tosomething but the moment his lips met hers I saw red. She is astunning woman so I’m sure he isn’t the first guy to kiss her butit’s the first time I’ve had to see it.

Are they more than friends? Friends withbenefits? The thought alone is enough to send me into another fitof rage and I put my fist through the drywall. Even the pain in myknuckles isn’t enough to calm me down.

I hear the hinges of my office door squealas someone pushes their way inside without knocking.

“Go the fuck away!” I roar, my hands pullingat my hair.

I honestly don’t have the mental acumen todeal with Adam right now. And I’m liable to hit my own brother justto get rid of this feeling inside me. It feels like everything is atangled fucking mess inside me right now.

“Don’t yell at me.”

Her voice wraps around me and I swear I feeleverything inside me relax. The moment she walked out of my barwith Jacob I wanted to burn the world to the fucking ground. Theidea of her going home with him—or anyother man for that matter—had every darkthought I’ve ever had rushing to the forefront.

Turning, I find her sitting on the edge ofmy desk, the only piece of furniture I haven’t demolished orflipped over in the past five minutes. I glare at her, warringbetween the need to kiss her and strangle her with my bare hands.She drives me insane and I both love and hate her for it.

“What do you want, Karmen?” I ask, my voicelow and gravelly.

She stares at me in silence before taking inthe decimation that I’ve wrought to my office. My chest is heavingas I work to catch my breath and keep my anger under control. Thelonger she remains silent the faster my heart beats, fear andanticipation thrumming through me.

“I love you,” she says, looking me straightin the eye. “I’ve loved you since I can remember, and I’ve nevereven tried to love anyone else. But I can’t do this shit anymore.”She hops off my desk and takes a few steps until she is standingagainst me, staring up.

He words repeat in my mind and I feel like Ihave slipped into an alternate universe. One where I finally getthe girl I have always wanted.

She grabs me behind the head and uses me forleverage to pull herself up as she stands on her toes and fuses herlips to mine. The moment she kisses me I’m lost. She tastes liketequila and smells like sunshine, and I can’t help but kiss herback. I thread my left hand through her long sun-kissed blondetresses and plunder her mouth.

Karmen moans when my other hand kneads theglobe of her ass cheek and I swear my knees almost buckle. Just asquickly as it started it ends and she steps away from me, takingher lips and her taste with her and leaving me bereft.

“You need to decide,” she says softly, atinge of sadness in her voice. “Either you keep your promise toTommy and let me go, or you step up.”

It feels like I’ve been kicked in the nuts,my stomach cramping as her words rip at my tattered soul.

“It’s not that simple,” I say, trying tofind the words to explain myself.

She shakes her head. “I’m atwenty-two-year-old virgin because I’ve been saving myself for you.I just had my first kiss because my friend wanted to prove you feltmore than you were owning up to. There’s nothing complicated aboutthis, Wesley. I love you and I want to be with you. If you don’tfeel the same, say so. At least then I can move on with mylife.”

Words have left me, my brain fried by herconfession.

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