Kit wraps his hand around the back of my neck, massaging me with strong fingers. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.” He rests his forehead against mine with a soft sigh. Then he kisses me again, and I can feel all the words he’s not saying. All his worry and stress and regret are wrapped up in one kiss that leaves me breathless.
... or maybe I’m reading too much into it. A moment later, he pulls away, shooting a fleeting look at the ceiling.
“Did you hear that?” His voice has lowered to a concerned undertone, almost like he’s afraid of being overheard.
“Hear what?”
He blinks. “Do you feel like there’s something...offabout this place?”
“Off in what way?” I ask. “Like it’s about to fall apart?”
Kit shakes his head. “More like someone’s watching you? I keep getting the same creeping feeling, especially when I’m sitting here alone at night.”
“Only when I’m very tired and hungry,” I tell him pointedly.
He leans back on his hands, now entirely distracted.
Disappointment chases away the last of the tingles in my core, and I climb from his lap, ignoring the twinge in my hip as I grab his tray, dragging it closer.
“Eat your breakfast,” I tell him, dumping it into his lap.
“I will. I just need to check the perimeter first.”
“Nope.” I’m practically growling now. “No. You don’t need to check the perimeter right now. You’re eating, even if I have to feed it to you.”
From the way Kit freezes in place, you’d think my words had turned him to stone. His eyes then meet mine, and he ceases all attempts at getting up.
“Why do I like the sound of that so much?”
“Oh, really?” I can’t help the smirk playing across my face. “Well, then. If it’s the only way to get you to eat.” I then settle back into his lap, grabbing the plate and a fork and proceeding to carefully bring it to his lips.
He keeps his eyes locked on mine as he takes a bite, licking away a droplet of butter so sensuously, my core clenches. His throat bobs as he swallows, and my eyes get caught on the movement. There’s something incredibly intimate about sitting on top of him and carefully feeding him like this until the plate is cleared.
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
There are so many things I want to say to him. I want to ask what he’s thinking, why he seems so disturbed by a noise in a house that’s filled with odd noises. I want to press him again where he’s been since we got here. But as he chews and swallows through to the last bite, letting me take care of him in this way, his shoulders have slowly unraveled as he starts to relax. The words on my tongue all melt away as I decide I can save them for another time.
I’ll regret that later.
Now that I’m sitting on top of him, I can see the dark circles under his eyes and the tired lines on his face. Even if he was sleeping last night, like Finch told me, it’s clear he’s exhausted.
“Come on.” I get to my feet and hold out my hand to him.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you back to bed.”
Chapter 7
Kit
I’m not sure I should be here. And I don’t just mean by the water’s edge, peering out at the waves as they crash against the sand at my feet. The forest behind me is thick and shrouding any moonlight that’s struggling to peer through the clouds.
That’s why I feel uneasy. It must be.
How can I feel anything less than fantastic after earlier? After being able to spend time with Reva and feeling her body against mine, even though I’ve been a shitty partner recently. I’ve just been so caught up, so distracted by—
Well, I’m not entirely sure what I’ve been caught up with. If someone asked me how I’ve been spending my days, I’m not sure what I’d tell them.
