Love on Borrowed Time

Chapter 5: Why him?

KAYLEE

He left. The thought ran on a loop in my brain. I couldn’t believe Caleb had just walked out of the cabin like that. He didn’t argue or plead for me to reconsider.

I mean, why would he when the man had already stated he didn’t want me? And I know I had thrown him out, but he simply picked up his bag, which he had never unpacked, and left to go god only knew where.

I shook my head and angrily wiped at the tears that dared spill from my eyes like a betrayal of my self-respect. What was I crying over, anyway? I wondered, wishing I could give myself a mental slap that would get my thoughts back in line.

Had I really been that naïve to believe he loved me and my son? Before I could find an answer to that, another question popped its ugly head. What was going to happen to Zeke?

I didn’t want to think he would get to experience the same childhood I had lived through with no father present in the picture and a mother who tried everything to fill the gap until she just couldn’t. Then she wasn’t even there to fill her own role, and I was left alone with my grandmother.

Who would Zeke be left with if something happened to me? Lillian? I shuddered at the thought. Lillian was the only blood relative I could safely trace right now. She was my cousin, the daughter of my late mother’s cousin. I could not wish Lillian on my sweet Zeke. Hell no. But then who did that leave?

God, just thinking about it made me wish I could fly home and hold my son. But that wasn’t possible right now and a video call was likely to break me. Not to mention the ordeal of explaining to Lina that I’d been rejected just like she had predicted.

Arg! Nope. I didn’t want to sit in my cabin and analyze any of it right then. That was a dangerous recipe. So, I grabbed the only pair of sweats and a T-shirt I had packed for this trip. Funny how I’d thought I would never use them. Now, I desperately dragged them over my body like a lifeline.

I thought of my abandoned heels in the dining car as I grabbed my slippers, but I wasn’t brave enough to go looking for them.

I didn’t want to see anyone who might have been in the dining car and witnessed my epic humiliation.

Of course, the logical thing would have been to bury my head under a pillow for the next four days until the train ride was done. I wouldn’t see anyone then and I could pretend it never happened. But hell, that stunk of depression. I wasn’t doing that.

So, I made my way to the observation car, grateful when I found it empty of any other living being and quiet, save for the continuous hum of a moving train and the almost inaudible sound of soft music coming from another car.

Barely a step into the space, I fell into the nearest seat by the window as though my strings had just been abruptly snapped.

Throwing my head back, I closed my eyes, ready to just pretend I wasn’t there for a few precious seconds. My head snapped back up almost instantly when an unexpected deep voice cut through the silence.

“That was quite a dinner.”

Shock reverberated through me when I saw who had spoken. It was closely followed by the feeling of humiliation I was trying hard to forget.

Damn. Why did it have to be him? Clearing my throat, I tried to adopt an air of indifference. Or at least one that said I wasn’t as devastated and lost as I felt. “The food was spectacular,” I managed to say.

Mr. Sexy Biker smirked and walked over, settling himself in the seat next to mine as though that was all the invitation he needed.

I blinked at him, surprised by his move and not sure what to think of it. He held my gaze. “I’m afraid I would have to take your word for it. I was too distracted by the show to focus on something as simple as food.”

My mouth fell open. “You…I… Why would you?” I pinched my lips together for a beat. My skin grew warm, a flash creeping up my neck to cover my face. “I think the decent thing to do would have been to-”

“Not mention it?” he asked, cutting me off with an arched brow. The arrogant ass.

“Yes!” I snapped.

He snorted. “Then we’d spend the next few minutes talking awkwardly about the train and the sky we can’t see through the pitch-black darkness outside the window.” He casually waved a hand toward said window to emphasize his point. “Of course, that wouldn’t work and we would circle back to the elephant.”

“And who said we would circle back to the elephant?” At this very moment, an elephant felt too small to encompass the emotions I felt. Maybe a blue whale would have been a better reference, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

Mr. Sexy tilted his head to the side, regarding me with keen, gray eyes I doubted missed anything. He was still dressed in his leathers and looked completely out of place in the lavish surroundings, but you wouldn’t tell by looking at him. The confidence he exuded was almost choking. He seemed to be a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

“Because…” he answered calmly. “How else are we supposed to talk about anything else if we don’t sort out that particular speed bump?”

Okay? Not what I’d expected. I ignored his reference to talking, too agitated by the rest of his statement. “I just got rejected in front of a bunch of strangers and you… you are calling it a speed bump?”

“Sweetheart, are you going to sit here and tell me you are utterly broken up about it?” he challenged. His tone was still annoyingly calm.

I drew a sharp breath as though I had just been splashed with ice-cold water. My mouth opened to tell him I was broken up about it, but found the words wouldn’t come. Damn it! My mouth snapped shut again.

He nodded. “I thought so. I’d bet deep down you knew this would happen, but you decided to ignore that wise little voice at the back of your mind.”

That hit a little too close for comfort. I swallowed and broke eye contact. “If you are going to be so blunt, at least tell me your name so I know who to curse in my head.”

Laughter burst out of him, snapping my gaze back toward the mystery, arrogant man. The sound was so unexpected and rich, like dark chocolate. For a second, I forgot to be irritated and just stared at him in awe. Also, the way his handsome features transformed into a mesmerizing picture was enough to take my breath away. He looked like a fallen angel.

Unfortunately, too soon, he sobered. Something passed in his eyes, but it was too fast for me to catch it. “You can call me Jace.”

“Jace.” I nodded then gave my head a little shake to dispel the thoughts I’d just had about his looks. “I’m Kaylee. In case you wanted to stop referring to me as the woman who just got her proposal thrown in her face.”

“Not even close to what I was calling you in my mind.” He tilted his head to the side. “But would you like to know what I was calling you in my head, Kaylee?”

“Something tells me that’s a bad idea, but sure. Go ahead.”

Jace’s smirk was back. He leaned closer and lowered his voice as though he were sharing a secret. “Nothing bad, I promise. I was just referring to you as the bravest… definitely the most gorgeous woman I had seen on this train.” He leaned back in his seat and grinned. The man enjoyed seeing me flustered.

“Uhm.” I cleared my throat. “At least you said on this train and not the world. Although I think you might be exaggerating a little there.” I had certainly seen women who could easily have been models on the train earlier.

“Not at all. You did something half, if not all, the other women on this train would never dare. And you are not hiding in your cabin or trying to throw yourself off the train into the dark abyss. That makes you brave. Strong even. A very attractive trait to possess and it adds to your physical beauty.”

My chest warmed at the words Jace spoke, but I still shook my head. “All that doesn’t matter. Caleb still turned me down.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Jace suddenly leaned forward. He reached out and cupped my cheek, the move stealing a gasp from my lips. “His decisions don’t reflect on you.” He paused then, his eyes searching mine for a beat. “Would you like me to prove it to you?”

Warmth bloomed from where his palm still cupped my face, traveling to the rest of my body. It didn’t even occur to me that I should tell him to stop it. I was too busy trying to remember how to breathe and cage the butterflies in my tummy.

Licking my suddenly dry lips, I didn’t miss how his eyes fell on my mouth. The desire in his eyes was unmistakable. An answering heat gathered lower in my body. Was I really doing this? Right now? Barely an hour after Caleb turned down my marriage proposal?

“Prove what?” I whispered. Apparently, I was doing this, whatever this was.

To my surprise, instead of answering my question, Jace leaned even closer. The hand capping my face twitched. For a crazy second, I thought he was going to kiss me. I didn’t move away to stop it. I couldn’t. But then he moved his head to the side until his lips were at my ear and his warm breath fanned my cheek. “Prove to you that you are a desirable woman.”

Oh God.