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Though his warm lips hadn’t touched me, my body shook as if they had. My body longed for him to take me in his arms. Stay strong, Scarlett. I pulled away from him. “Thank you for bringing me here,” I eeked out. “I’m going to go to lunch with Landon,” I said before I lost my resolve and begged Kane to take me to his car and make me feel all the things.
Kane sighed and hung his head. “Fine. Keep running, Scarlett. I’m not your big brother, here to protect you from men who come calling. Just be careful. I’ll keep my phone on if you need me.”
“I’m not running from anything,” my voice cracked.
“Keep telling yourself that, but the truth is you’ve been running your entire life. Afraid to go after what you really want.”
Tears of frustration filled my eyes. “I tried once. It didn’t do me a lot of good.”
“Here’s the thing,” he whispered in my ear, “you have to keep trying no matter how hard it gets or how impossible it seems.” He pushed away, leaving me stunned. “See you later.”
I stared after him feeling such loss as he walked away.
Landon appeared by my side. “I hope I’m not causing any problems. You’re obviously close.”
He had no idea, and I planned to keep it that way. “Kane’s just, well, he’s worried.”
“I can see that. Are you ready to go?”
No. No. I wasn’t.
The Runners’ Club
I popped an olive into my mouth from the hummus sampler between us. Mediterranean was Landon’s favorite food. I knew that from his show. We were cozied up in a corner booth at a hole-in-the-wall place downtown. It smelled of olive oil, fig, and rosemary. It wasn’t a bad combination at all. Neither was listening to Landon talk about his work and travels all over the world solving what seemed to be the unsolvable. Especially intriguing was a case in Argentina involving twin brothers. It was one of my favorite episodes. They were identical twins, and it had been obvious one of them had murdered a prostitute. The local police hadn’t been able to prove which brother had done it, so they’d let them both go. The victim’s family then contacted Landon and his team. Being the genius Landon was, he’d taken a second look at the DNA, though it had seemed futile given the brothers were identical matches.
“I loved that episode. The one brother smoked, and you were able to use DNA methylation signals to prove he was the one who did it. Most people don’t know smoking can alter your DNA. Another good reason to never smoke.”
Landon smiled at me from across the table. “Would it be very forward of me to say that you’re too beautiful and smart to be hanging out with a guy like me?”
I swallowed and bit my lip. “I wouldn’t say you’re forward, but maybe you need your glasses prescription checked.”
“Ah, modest, too. A lethal combination.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. Not only was I having lunch with my idol, but he was flirting with me. If only I could fully enjoy it. Kane kept infiltrating my mind. I inadvertently touched the hollow of my neck and my ear. Kane’s touch still burned beneath my skin. His words seared even hotter. “I’m ready to walk away from the single life anytime. Just say the word, Scarlett . . . Keep running, Scarlett.”
“Um . . . what did you mean by a guy like you?” I needed something to distract me in the worst way. I even clasped my hands in my lap to keep me from touching my neck. If only I could shut out Kane’s voice.
Landon leaned back in the booth. “You know, an introverted science geek.”
“I know very well, I would put myself in the same category. I have to say, you don’t come across as an introvert. Especially on your show.”
“I’ve gotten good at playing the part. But I promise you, after this, I will be in great need of alone time and getting lost in video games.”
I could totally relate to him except for the video games part. Social situations always wore me out. I would probably go home and read a book after this. “What games do you play?”
He raised his brows. “That didn’t scare you off? Most women are put off that a man my age is still gaming.”
I remembered Kane once saying something similar to me. That I wasn’t like other women. It was something he had appreciated. After he’d left, I’d wondered if he’d wanted me to be more like other women. However other women were, I wasn’t sure. But who was I to judge anyone? I listened to Celtic music and sat on the floor whenever I could while I worked. I was about as quirky as they came. Landon was probably more my speed than someone like Kane. However, that’s what I loved about Kane. He brought out a side of me no one else could.
