AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I noticed his gaze turned toward my mouth. I felt even more flushed. I closed my eyes, thinking of what to say, afraid. Scared of so many things, but especially of how I was feeling now. It seemed too wonderful to last, yet I wanted it to more than anything. “Um.” I braved opening my eyes.
Kane took off his shades, allowing me to take note of how imploring his eyes could be. They unloosed my tongue.
“The only time my father sees me is when I’m doing what he wants me to do. And I’m more afraid that he’ll forget me than I am of giving up my dreams,” I struggled to say without crying. “I’m sorry. This is a date, and we should be having fun.” I meant to walk away, but Kane placed his entire body in front of me. Both of his hands now rested on either side of my head against the brick wall.
His nearness immediately scattered my worries until I could barely remember what we’d been discussing. My only thought was that I wouldn’t mind if he pushed up against me. I had no idea where that thought came from.
“This is fun,” Kane drawled.
I agreed with him silently. Words had escaped me. All that existed was him.
“Scarlett.” My name on his lips was like a lantern in the dark. I wanted to follow it wherever it went. “Don’t give up your dreams without a fight.”
His spicy scent and the heat of his body so close to mine had me thinking of some new dreams. I wondered if he would be okay with me chasing those. Chasing him. “I’ve never been good at fighting for what I want,” I admitted.
“It’s never too late to start.”
“Auggie expects me to take over Armstrong Labs one day.”
“Have you ever thought that maybe you should expect more from him?” He pushed off the wall and put some space between us. It made me wonder if I had done something wrong, but then he took my hand and led us in the direction of the waiting bus.
I thought about what he said of expecting more of Auggie. “I’d only be disappointed.”
“Aren’t you disappointed now?” he wisely asked.
“In this moment, no.”
Kane flashed me a brilliant smile. “Clever, Miss Armstrong,” he responded, sounding like a true southern gentleman.
“Tell me about you,” I deflected before he had me spilling all my guts. “What are your dreams?”
He wagged his brows. “I have several.”
“I want to know them.”
“I’ll share, but only if you promise to tell me more of yours later.”
I rubbed my chest. “Okay.”
“That sounded like it hurt.”
“It did, but I promise I’ll tell you.”
“I’m honored,” he said sincerely.
I believed him.
We got settled back into our seats on the bus. It felt good to get out of the heat, but better that I was still with Kane. I felt like we had connected. He knew things about me now that no one knew. And for some reason it made me feel lighter to share my secrets with someone.
Kane made good on his promise and told me some of his dreams.
“Career goals include: senior global manager, then a C-level position, and eventually CEO of a Fortune 500 company by the time I’m forty-five.”
“Wow. That’s ambitious.”
“Says the future CEO of a Fortune 500 company.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned.
“We won’t talk anymore today about your impending doom,” he teased.
“Are those all of your goals?”
“I forgot the most important one. I’m going to buy a Porsche when I reach officer level.”
That’s not what I expected. I was thinking more along the lines of family. “Well . . . uh . . . nice.”
He laughed. “I suppose that makes me sound shallow.”
“Um . . . sort of.”
He nudged me. “Call it a teen fantasy I’ve never let go of.”
“I get that, except I don’t think women care about cars as much as men do.”
“Probably not, except they do seem to fall for guys with hot cars.”
“Not me. I’ve never seen the appeal.”
He pretended to shove a knife in his heart. “That’s because you’ve never been in a Porsche 911 Carrera.” His eyes got all dreamy.
“That must be some car.”
“You’ll see. Our next date, we’re going on a test-drive.”
“Next date?” I smiled.
He tapped my nose. “I told you I would be asking you out again before this date was over.”
“But I didn’t say yes,” I teased.
His jaw dropped. “I see how it is. I bare my soul to you and then you reject me.”
I rested my hand on his muscular leg. “I don’t think career goals and buying a Porsche are your soul.”
He gave me a thoughtful look before running the back of his hand down my cheek. “You’re right, Scarlett. Someday,” he whispered, “I hope to have a beautiful wife and a house full of children. I want to be the kind of dad my father was.”
