Falling for Mr. Wrong(66)

Brit waved behind him as they walked away, and Ross let out a long breath. He wondered how long it would take his brother to fill his wife in on their earlier conversation—assuming he hadn’t already.

“How are you?” he asked, knowing he sounded stupid and uncomfortable, but having no earthly idea how to communicate with her in this goddess-like incarnation, surrounded by people in the noisy gym.

“Tired,” she said, wiping her hands together. “I was just leaving.”

She didn’t look him in the face. Her voice sounded tense, or sad, or…something. Ross wasn’t sure entirely what, but it made him want to stop right there and kiss her in front of everyone, claiming her for his own. Of course, he knew that was ridiculous, because she didn’t belong to him, and in a week, she would be gone.

“Don’t leave because of us,” he said.

“It’s not, it’s…” She shifted from foot to foot. He realized her hands were shaking.

Ross took in the tiny movement with concern. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah, everything’s fine. I’ll see you later, all right?”

He paused, unable to let her go. With a vague wave, she started to move away from him. But then another figure approached from the front entrance, and her face fell.

“Damn it,” she muttered.

A man headed in their direction. He could only have been Kelsey’s father, his body cut from the same plank of muscles, his eyes the same deep brown.

He didn’t stop as he passed by, just raised his hand in acknowledgment. “Kelsey.”

Ross would have recognized that gravelly voice, and the precise note of disappointment, anywhere. “Mr. Hanson,” he called out, having not the foggiest idea what he was about to do. “Hang on a minute.”

Mick turned slowly around. “Can I help you?”

Ross nodded pleasantly, extending his hand. “I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Ross Bencher. We almost met last week.”

Kelsey’s eyes had widened to swallow up most of her face. She opened and closed her mouth twice, but no sound emerged.

Mick stared at Ross’s hand, then back up to his eyes. He made no move to reciprocate the gesture. Ross dropped his hand, not surprised. “I just wanted to let you know that your daughter did a wonderful job babysitting my kids. She’s a very special person. I hope you know that.”

“Of course I know that,” Mick snapped. “She’s my daughter.”

At that moment, Ross enjoyed every one of his seventy-two inches, and the knowledge that his biceps were easily twice the size of the smaller man in front of him. With deliberate arrogance, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Kelsey’s father. “I wonder if you do,” he said, leaving just a hint of a threat in his voice. “I thought it might be worth reminding you.”

Kelsey’s palm flew to cover her open mouth. She made a tiny squeak as her father’s mouth tightened. For a moment, it looked as though he might say something, but instead he stomped away, not looking back at either of them.

“What the hell was that?” she said through her teeth, when Mick was out of earshot.

Ross wasn’t quite sure he knew, which made answering difficult. “I don’t like the way he treats you,” he said finally.

“I don’t really give a rat’s ass what you think about it,” she snapped back. “He’s my father, and our relationship is my business.”

“But our relationship is my business,” Ross said, gesturing between them, suddenly uncaring that Brit and Tori were somewhere nearby, probably watching every moment of their interaction. “And I’m sorry, but you are my business. I’m not going to stand back and watch him treat you like crap. I won’t do it.”

She made another strangled sound deep in her throat. “Great. Because what I need in my life is one more overbearing man. There is no us. There’s no relationship. I’m leaving at the end of week and that’s the end of it. You know it, and I know it. So let go of whatever guilt you picked up about me. I’m just a girl you slept with. That’s all.”

“That’s not true,” he said, grabbing her arm and holding it so she couldn’t run away. His words felt like as if were being ripped from somewhere deep inside his gut. “It’s more than that.”

“I see. Are you ready to introduce me to the kids as your girlfriend, then? What about your brother, do you want to tell him we’re dating? What happens when I leave? Will you tell the kids to miss me while I’m gone? Have you changed your mind about what you want for them? About what they deserve? Because I haven’t. I know what it’s like to lose someone, Ross, and I refuse to do that to your kids. It’s not worth it.”