I opened my mouth to say something, anything, when a strong arm wrapped around my shoulders and squeezed me against a hard body, and a manly scent filled my senses.
“Hey, baby,” hottie guy from the bar said, giving me a hard kiss. “Sorry I’m late.”
CHAPTER THREE
Kane
I didn’t know I had the ability to be as furious as I was now, but dammit, I was seething. I’d followed that beautiful young woman into this restaurant and had been happy to realize that the seating arrangement allowed me to be close enough to observe without being observed.
Stalker much?
Yes, it was damn stalker, but I was so fucking drawn to her. To her smile and grace as she endured the continual insults from that horrible plastic Barbie doll that was apparently her mother.
And when Barbie talked about attempted rape so casually, every nerve ending inside my body snapped. Next thing I knew, I was pressing my lips to this precious person and giving her whatever comfort I could.
Now what?
Staring into dazed blue eyes, I pulled Eliana tighter to my side before looking across at Barbie. She looked equally stunned.
I stuck out a hand. “Kane Steele. It’s wonderful to finally meet the woman who gave birth to this glorious creature. I can’t even imagine how proud you must be of Eliana.”
Silence became a living thing as they both continued to stare at me.
Then Barbie’s eyes moved, flicking down my face and to the sweaty compression tank I’d worn for my run. Her eyes were the same color blue as her daughters, but they lacked the depth and warmth the younger woman possessed.
Tapping my chest, I said, “Sorry, I didn’t have time to change before heading over here. I was already running so late…” I lifted a shoulder as if that explained everything.
Silence.
This wasn’t going the way I’d hoped.
The blue eyes shifted from me to Eliana. “Who is this, my darling?” The bitch’s voice was as stiff as her forehead.
“Kane Steele,” I answered for her in case she hadn’t heard me earlier. I lifted Eliana’s glass and took a sip. Damn, that shit was sweet.
Setting the glass back down, I turned to the girl beside me. “You still have that headache from this morning?”
Eliana blinked up at me and seemed to come out of her daze. “Actually…” she smiled, and my balls tightened, “I’m feeling much better. Thank you.”
I gave her a squeeze. “You’re very welcome.”
“Eliana, why didn’t you tell me about Kane?” Barbie’s face didn’t move as she spoke.
Eliana didn’t miss a beat. “Because I wanted to surprise you, of course.”
Barbie showed a glimpse of teeth. “Well, you certainly did.”
Just then, the waiter came up to the table. “Can I get you any—?” The kid’s eyes widened. “Holy sh… crap. You’re Kane Steele, right? The beast of first base!”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Barbie’s entire demeanor change. When I was a sweaty nobody, I was dirt beneath her feet. I see how it is.
I stuck out a hand to the kid. “Sure am. Been to many games?”
His face fell. “Not many. Mostly watch on TV. Don’t miss a game if I can help it.”
“Glad to hear it. It’s fans like you who will help us break out of this slump.”
The kid’s entire face lit up.
“See that hat there?” I pointed at the stool. “Hand it over, and I’ll sign it for you.”
No one on planet Earth had ever moved that fast. I scrawled my name on the brim and handed it over, then took his name. “Are you free to come to tonight’s game?”
I swore tears welled in his eyes. He nodded.
Typing his name into my phone, I sent an email and got an almost immediate confirmation. “You’ll have two tickets at will-call. See ya then.”
“Th-thanks so much. This is the raddest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I held up my fist, and he bumped it.
“If it isn’t too much trouble,” Barbie interrupted, her voice droll with upscale sarcasm, “I’d like a refill of lemon water.”
The kid blushed and apologized, nearly falling over his feet in an effort to get right on it.
“So, Kane, what exactly is it you do?”
“First baseman for the New York Beasts, ma’am.” Damn, it felt good to watch her lips tighten when I called her that.
“Please call me Alize.”
I grinned at her and gave Eliana a squeeze. “Yes, ma’am.”
She sighed, and before she could ask me another question, like my net worth, I kissed Eliana’s forehead. “What were you two talking about before I arrived?”
“Mom dearest wants me to attend the children’s hospital gala next weekend and was setting up appointments for me to get all dolled up beforehand. Hair, nails, the works.”
“Better not let them change the color of your hair,” I told her, and she grinned so wide, and with so much gratitude in her eyes, it made me feel like a hero. “I think God was thinking about sunshine and happiness when you were born.” I looked over at Barbie. “Where does she get these fabulous looks from? Aside from the eye color, she doesn’t resemble you at all.”
Barbie’s plastic face turned into cement. “Her father.”
“Well, good for you for banging such a good-looking guy.” I patted Eliana’s back as she choked. “You okay, baby? So back to that gala. Should I cancel the spa day I had planned for you? And can you still pick up my tux at the cleaners on the way home?”
Eliana sputtered but quickly recovered. “T-tux? Yes, of course. Thank you for the reminder. It’s been such an unusual day, I’d completely forgotten. Anything else you need?”
“Home?” Barbie asked, leaning forward. “Are you two living together?”
Eliana’s eyes went into full-blown panic, so I jumped in. “Not officially, but we might as well be.”
“And when was I going to be informed of this?”
“Now,” Eliana said, batting her long lashes. “Part of the surprise.”
Barbie narrowed her eyes and turned them back to me. “So, you’re planning on attending the gala? I didn’t know baseball players could afford tickets.”
I laughed. Not very subtle, but I’d go with it. “Well, this is the MLB. Major. League. Baseball.” I said it slow in case she needed to take notes. Then I went for the throat. “But my family’s been attending the gala for years.”
Her eyebrows would have risen had they been able to move. “Your family? Might I know them?”
“Probably. They attend most every major event, even though they live on the West Coast.”
This was actually kind of fun. I’d never hung my family name up like a dangling carrot before today. But I’d do anything to shut this woman up, I realized. And come to the defense of the one beside me. I didn’t know why I felt so strongly about Eliana when I didn’t even know her last name. But I did. I’d felt it from the moment I gazed into her blue eyes in that alleyway.
I didn’t believe in love at first sight or any of that shit. But I did believe in my instinct, and my instincts told me that I wanted to get to know this woman better. A lot better. And not just physically either.