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Kiera turned on the dishwasher. She’d spent the morning making soup that she and Gray could take with them. It’d make a nice warm lunch after ice-skating outside.
With the kitchen once again clean, she grabbed the crossword puzzle and was sitting down to wait for Gray when the intercom buzzed.
She glanced at her wall clock. Either it was off or Gray was thirty minutes early.
A nervous flutter settled in her chest as she let him in downstairs.
Squeezing her eyes tight, she reached for the doorknob. “Relax, you idiot,” she whispered to herself. Kiera opened her eyes and pulled the door open.
“Gray.” She’d expected him to be on the other side of the door, but she hadn’t expected him to be standing there in a suit and long wool coat. “Come on in.” She took a step backward. “Did you change your mind about ice-skating?”
Gray closed the door behind him, but made no indication he planned to stay.
“I can’t make it today. Work called this morning and there’s an emergency with a hotel deal that I need to take care of.” He pulled off his leather gloves and stuck them into his pocket. “I’m really sorry.”
He stepped toward her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Trust me, if it wasn’t an absolute emergency, I wouldn’t go. I’d much rather stay here with you.”
I shouldn’t be disappointed. Sadly, her heart refused to listen to her inner monologue. “I understand. Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal.” The lie sounded convincing to her ears; she hoped it did to his as well.
Kiera shoved her hands into her pockets. “Where are you off to? Someplace warm and sunny?”
Gray’s hand traveled up her neck, and she fought the urge to touch him as well.
“Cozumel. And it is a big deal. I wanted to spend the day with you.”
“This morning I made some carrot soup. I thought we could have it for lunch. I’ll get you some to take with you.”
She doubted he planned to travel via a commercial airline, which regulated what could and couldn’t come on board. Kiera tried to step away, but his hands kept her in place.
“I’d love a rain check for today.” His fingers made tiny circles on her skin beneath her ponytail. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
Kiera shifted her weight to her other foot. “Sure. No problem.”
The corner of his mouth inched upward. “Thank you.”
She intended to ask if he wanted some soup again, b
ut before she got a sound out, he kissed her. Thoughts of soup and skating got pushed aside as heat built up where his hands touched her.
Unlike the kisses they shared the day before, this one remained tender. And quick.
“I need to go,” Gray whispered when he ended their kiss.
Kiera nodded. “Give me one minute and I’ll get you the soup.”
When she pulled away, he didn’t try to stop her. Without looking at him, she walked into the kitchen. She’d already filled one container up, so she grabbed it off the counter.
“Here you go. I hope you enjoy it. It’s a new recipe I’ve been experimenting with.”
“Kiera, I really am sorry about today.” He ran a finger down her cheek.
The disappointment she heard in his voice echoed the feeling in her chest. “Rain check, remember?”
“Right.” Despite his agreement, Gray’s frown remained. “I can’t say when, but I’ll call you sometime this week, okay?”
She forced a smile. “Of course. And have a safe trip. At least you’ll be warm down there.”
Kiera moved in to kiss his cheek, but Gray beat her to it, and brushed his lips across hers one final time.
