Page 26 of Keel

“Let me get on some clothes, and we’ll check with the police. I want to make sure he is gone.”

She stepped back, and he disentangled from her, wishing he didn’t have to. With the door open, they could hear better, but there wasn’t anything happening on the landing. They were in the clear for now.

Frankie moved out to the main room while he pulled on his clothes. Once he was dressed, he started pulling his clothes together.

“We’ll leave once I make sure the parking lot is clear.”

Frankie moved to the doorway. “Okay.”

After he had his things packed, he turned to her standing in the doorway. He had questions, and he could see questions floating around her head.

She might doubt that kiss, but he knew it was real. The intensity had been off the charts. What he felt wasn’t a trick of his mind. Mind-blowing was more like it.

He moved to her and held out his hands. She didn’t hesitate to step closer to take his hands. That made him feel better.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have kissed you,” Keel said. She opened her mouth to say something, but he put one finger on her lips, stopping her. “But I’ve been fighting that feeling for days.”

She took another step closer. “Was that real? Like, did you really want to kiss me?”

He nodded. “I know you’re dealing with a lot. You just came out of an abusive relationship, and that can be difficult. I don’t want to push you.”

“You aren’t pushing me.”

“We should slow things down and let both of us adjust to it.” He should tell her he didn’t want a relationship. The thought made his breath catch. No, he didn’t want a relationship at all. It was ridiculous to think anything had changed. He wasn’t good at relationships.

She nodded. “So you aren’t mad about the kiss?”

He shook his head. “Hell no, I wanted that. It was amazing.”

Her smile drew him in more. He needed to put a stop to this, but he felt like he was in a free fall, and the only way to stop was to hit dirt. “Oh yeah, it was a very good kiss.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Not thinking I’m a total waste of time. I haven’t felt good about myself for a long time. You being nice, that book, too, and journaling, helps.”

Her words hit hard. She was thanking him for being a decent person. It would take her time to get past being under Forest’s thumb. She’d suffered, no question. He didn’t want to make her suffer more.

He wasn’t built for relationships. He’d proven that with his marriage. Being good enough for any woman wasn’t in his wheelhouse. He may be exceedingly competent as an operator, but in love, he would always come out lacking. He should tell her he couldn’t be more than a quick fling, but he couldn’t get the words out.

Chapter 15

The coast was clear, and they took off, driving back to his place. He should tell Frankie he wasn’t up to the task of being a boyfriend. No question, he would disappoint her. She needed more than he could deliver, but he didn’t want it to end what they had.

It was late when they arrived at his place, but they unloaded the car and brought everything inside. He could tell she was exhausted as he showed her to the guest room, not letting the thought of sleeping with her rise to the front of his mind. He could control his desire. She needed a friend, and though they’d kissed, he would be what she needed, and not what he wanted.

When he woke in the morning, he heard a noise and sat up, then remembered Frankie was at his place. After a stop in the bathroom, he pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, then went out to the kitchen.

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind. I made coffee and eggs.”

He nodded. “It’s all good. You’re up early.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. Too much running through my mind. I’m worried that Forest and Stone will show up here.”

He poured himself a mug of coffee and took the first sip, sighing in satisfaction at the dark taste. “He doesn’t know where you are. Just don’t post anything to social media.”

“I’ve tried to block him on socials, but I think he created a fake account a long time ago, and he’s someone on one of the socials watching me.”