Page 26 of Second First Kiss

“Not happening.” He started to move forward again, and she placed a palm on his chest. His eyes dropped to her hand and then met her gaze.

“I’m fine. I swear.”

“I’m not,” he said quietly. “Nowhere near.”

“He fights like a girl.”

“No one should hit you. Ever.”

Where had men like Nolan been when she’d been growing up and constantly defending herself on the playground?

“I’m really fine.”

He gave an evaluating look to see if she was really okay. Kat put on her best ballbuster facade, the armor of steel that she needed to look like she had it all under control when in fact her world was spiraling.

Kat had had so much practice over the years of portraying confidence and capability, people always fell for it.

Not Nolan. He could see right through her and that hit a vulnerable spot that made her uneasy. If she let him in any closer, would he see through her mask to the terrified and scared girl beneath?

With Tessa’s custody up for grabs, and Nolan being law enforcement, she couldn’t risk it. Plus, after her ex, she promised she’d never date an uptight judgy person again. And while Nolan appeared to be non-judgmental in his personal life, he wore a badge that made him the judge and jury.

“Tell me exactly what happened. I’m going to nail this guy,” he said.

Kat looked away, embarrassment creeping up her neck. “I’m not pressing charges.”

“Why the hell not? He hit you. That’s assault.”

“He shoved me. After I shoved him in front of a bar full of witnesses, and that’s how the report will read.” And no matter how much she wanted to see his smug face behind bars, she knew he’d be out by morning. Or she’d be the one behind bars. He had more money, more connections, and more of everything that put Kat at a disadvantage. “I can’t risk it.”

8

An hour later Nolan still sat vigilant at the bar.

He should definitely go home, but he was finding it impossible to pull his keys out of his pocket and hit the road. Once he’d seen the purple mark on Kat’s cheek, his body ignited with so much rage he could barely make out anything in the room except for the big red target now affixed to the center of R. J.’s face. He was afraid that if he got in his car he’d make a detour to Councilman Locke’s house and have a come-to-Jesus with his son.

Hell, had Nolan’s brothers not been there he would have beaten R. J. to a pulp in front of two hundred witnesses.

But no matter how badly his fist wanted to make connection with R. J.’s entitled face, his immediate concern had been for Kat. He hadn’t witnessed the fight, he’d walked in right as Jax was coming out of the employee hallway and rounding the bar, but he’d seen the aftermath. The swollen cheek was one thing. Her flinching away from him as if she’d expected him to hit her was a clear sign this wasn’t her first go-around with a bad temper.

And that would haunt him for a long time to come.

He’d seen domestic abuse cases on the job, and they were always the hardest to swallow. The inability to help the victim unless they were willing to press charges always left him feeling impotent. So when Kat had refused, it left him with an ache so deep he didn’t think he’d ever really be able to touch it. Oh, he’d tried to change her mind, but she’d gotten frustrated and walked out on him, then disappeared down the employee’s hallway, but not before the beginnings of tears filled those beautiful emerald eyes.

Tears didn’t scare him. Growing up with a kid sister who’d had a heart condition, he’d witnessed his fair share. Even wiped some away when the pain or unfairness of it all got too difficult for one little girl to handle.

But these? These were different.

Kat wasn’t crying from pain or even anger. She was crying out of desperation—and that was a feeling Nolan could relate to. He’d had an awesome childhood with the best family one could hope for, but when his ex, Nina, cut ties with him after meeting her now husband, she’d thought it was best for everyone involved that they make a clean break. Claimed it would be too confusing for her son, Tommy, whom he’d spent three years raising, to have two father figures in his life.

He knew the order to stay away had been issued by her new husband. But what was Nolan to do? He had no legal rights to the kid, so it was up to Nina to deliver the verdict—which had not been in Nolan’s favor.

It’s why he now steered clear of single moms. When things ended—and they would because what kind of woman wanted a guy who chased bullets for a living?—he’d lose out. And he didn’t think his heart could take another shot like that.

He’d spent those first few months drowning in desperation. Desperate for her to change her mind, to see Tommy again, hell, even just to be able to call him on birthdays and holidays. That had been over a year and a half ago and he still felt his absence.

It was a little like how he felt right then about Kat. He knew she needed space to process what had happened. Just like he knew she was likely beating herself up for how she’d handled the situation.

What the hell had she been thinking taking on a guy his size?

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