Page 80 of Untamed Heart
Kendra hummed, her eyes in the distance. I didn’t need to follow her gaze to know who she was watching, but after last night, I couldn’t be less concerned.
‘Where’s the wine from?’ Kyle drawled, pulling a face as he swirled and sniffed it, finally braving a sip as Lil attempted a smile in return. The happy feeling building inside me evaporated. I could sense Kyle’s irritation, his patience dangerously low.
‘It’s Californian,’ I stepped in, shooing her back to the others, hating myself for bringing him on them all.
He didn’t reply, just proceeded to down the whole glass, as Leo caught sight of him and laughed.
‘Steady on,’ he said. ‘Where’s the race?’
Kyle shrugged, eyes on Cole as he strode across the deck to help Lil.
‘Wine like that is only good for chugging back,’ he replied, suddenly glancing at me as I hovered nearby, stoking the fire. His eyes were beginning to glaze, the tips of his cheekbones becoming pink. ‘Plus, no use staying sober, is there? No need toperformlater, so what’s the point?’
Conversation quietened as everyone heard the undertone.
My stomach dropped.Fuck.
‘Steady, mate,’ Leo said, frowning.
I felt it, like a tremor across the water in front of us. The impending storm. Kyle wasn’t getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. I glanced at Cole, his whole body shaped by concern, turning as though he was about to walk over to me.
Kyle noticed, his face turning dark, sour.
He started laughing, but the sound was bitter.
‘Oh God, that’s why,’ he said, halfway to standing, steadying himself on the back of the sofa. ‘I was so busy seeing how the man mountain was looking atyouthat I didn’t see you returning it.’
Fear took over as I saw Kendra, Ashley and Alix’s eyes widening.
‘Kyle, can we talk for a moment please?’ I said in a low voice, gesturing for him to walk with me, away from here. Cole was rigid, eyes blazing.
‘No, no, no,’ Kyle said, wagging his finger at me. ‘I’ve admitted my mistakes and God knows you’ve got on a fucking high horse about them, but look here, at whatyou’vebeen up to!’
I locked on to Cole’s eyes, begging him to stay calm.
‘Don’t fucking look at him when I’m talking to you, you slut,’ Kyle hissed, drawing gasps from the women, especially as Cole strode forward suddenly.
‘No, Cole, please,’ I begged, running to stand between them, but Cole reached Kyle first.
‘Go on, say it again, I fucking dare you,’ Cole said, barely a foot from Kyle’s face. ‘If you insult her one more time . . .’
‘And why does she matter so much to you?’ Kyle replied, stepping up to him, arrogance carving a nasty smile across his mouth.
‘Cole,’ I whispered, heart in my mouth, the horrified expressions all around us evidence of the end of the illusion.
‘It matters, asshole, because I’m not standing for it any more. You are speaking to the woman I love. And I’m gonna be spending every day for as long as she’ll let me, proving to her that not all men are selfish, hypocritical pricks like you.’
Undiluted silence rang out across the space, every single mouth popped open.
Except mine. All I could hear were his words, ringing around and around in my mind. He loved me.
Which is why I missed Kyle spinning around and marching towards me, locking on to my arm with a vice-like grip.
‘I don’t think so,’ he said, yanking my arm, his fingers gripping hard enough to bruise as he began to walk us away. ‘Lottie, enough of this fucking hillbilly trash.’
‘Ow, Kyle, you’re hurting me – stop!’ I yelled, hearing but not seeing the pounding footsteps behind me, only aware of Cole as his hand clamped over Kyle’s arm and wrenched it off me.
‘I warned you, asshole,’ Cole snarled, and as Kyle turned back, fist already raised, Cole swung his own and smacked Kyle hard, in the face.
