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“You were eighteen. And Aiden isn’t gone,” she points out.
Isn’t he? I bite back the words before they slip out. A knock on the door sounds, indicating our dinner is here. Perfect timing. Kiara jumps up to fetch drinks while I collect the food.
I pay for our dinner, waving at the delivery guy to keep the change. The sweet salty smell of my beef stir-fry hits my senses, making my stomach growl. Back in the living room, Kiara is sitting, two glasses of wine set out on the coffee table.
“Smells so good,” she grins, wetting her lips.
I sit down and unpack our food, handing over her carton of sweet and sour pork. We both dig in, enjoying our food in silence, the heaviness of our earlier conversation forgotten.
We eat our dinner while watching The Hangover on cable. Every time she giggles, I glance over at her and smile. Hell, I spend more time watching her than I do the movie. I love that this is taking her mind off her problems. I wish there were more I could do, but I know other than just being there for her, I can’t do shit.
“Oh, hey, I nearly forgot,” I mutter, reaching for the papers I’d brought with me. “The forms you need to fill out for your new position.”
“I don’t think I even said thank you.” She smiles. “At least not properly. I’m sure the only reason I got the job is because of you.”
“Not true,” I argue. “You got the job because you were best suited.” No point in letting her know that Kelly was against her.
“Really?” She narrows her eyes at me. “Somehow I can’t see Kelly . . . Miss Walker rooting for me.”
“You can call her Kelly,” I chuckle.
“Okay then. Kelly,” she says, making a face.
I laugh and shake my head. I reach over for my glass of wine.
“Sorry, but she rubs me the wrong way.”
“Yeah, me too, but there’s not much I can do about it. She does her job well. I can’t fire someone for being a bitch,” I say. Though sometimes I wish I could.
I glance over at her and smile. She has a tiny smear of sweet and sour sauce on her cheek.
“Uh, you have something…” I touch my own face to let her know where.
She blushes and reaches up, wiping the wrong spot. Laughing, I lean over and gently wipe it away.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, intently staring into my eyes as I wipe my hand on my jeans. I don’t move away. I can’t. I’m frozen on the spot, my finger gently stroking her cheek. My heart begins to thump as I shift closer to her, the tension in the air so thick I could slice through it with a knife. Very slowly, I trail my fingers around the back of her neck. She tilts her head slightly, her sight of her beautiful plump lips consuming me.
Closing the space between our faces, I press my mouth against hers, savoring the kiss. Her taste is intoxicating and the feel of her soft lips against mine is next to nothing. Every part of me reacts to her touch, from the fluttering in my stomach to the rush of desire pulsating through my body.
When her hands graze over my shirt, her fingers rippling along the outline of my muscles, I kiss her with more force. My mouth is on hers, my hands exploring her body, when she begins to resist.
“Stop,” she whispers. Her hands on my chest, she pushes me away, maneuvering herself out from underneath me. Her eyes are troubled and she won’t look at me. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this. You need to leave.”
I stand up, confused but trying to be mindful of her situation and what she’s been through. “Kiara,” I begin.
“No, don’t try and make this okay, Max. I’m not okay, I can’t do this.” Her voice shakes as she squeezes her eyes shut. Her hand rises to cover her eyes. The heaving of her shoulders tells me that she’s crying.
“I’m sorry I did that,” I say, not wanting to leave things like this. “What can I do to make it better?”
“Leave.” She crosses her arms over her chest. The pain visible in her eyes rips through my chest. “I’m sorry, Max. I’m not angry with you, I just need some space, okay? Please?” she adds, her voice pleading.
I nod. Before I leave, I reach for her hand and squeeze it. “Please call me? If there is anything I can do, anything at all, call me.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kiara
I shut the door behind me and lean against it. Why do I mess things up over and over again? That was totally me. I kissed him. Today of all days, after finding out what Heather has planned, I go and do that?
