AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m convinced he’s messing with me and yet the look on his face says he’s completely serious.
“Best way to get to know a person.” He shrugs like what he’s asking isn’t totally insane. “Besides, I’ll be working a lot of the time so you’ll be free to do whatever it is you want to do. Tell me this doesn’t sound exactly like what you need.”
“You must be out of your mind if you think I’d consider going to Italy with you.”
“What are you afraid of, Elara?”
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Doesn’t seem that way to me. I’m offering you a chance to escape; the very thing you claim you want to do. Yet you’re looking at me like I’ve suggested we run off and elope.” He chuckles, clearly finding humor in my reaction.
“Okay, I’m done having this conversation.” I shake my head, a trace of a smile on my lips.
“It’s so easy to see why he loved you so much.” His words catch me way off guard and it takes me several seconds to recover enough to actually say something.
“I should go,” I blurt, heat flooding my cheeks.
“So you keep saying.” He steps forward and reaches out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“Just give me your phone, Elara.” He waits patiently as I reach into my back pocket and retrieve my phone, dropping it into his outstretched palm moments later.
“What are you doing?” I ask, watching him type something across the touch screen but not able to see what exactly he’s typing.
“Programming my number into your phone,” he says like it should be obvious. “That way if you change your mind, you can reach me.” His phone sounds just seconds later. “And now I have your number as well.” He grins, handing me my phone back.
“I’m not going to change my mind,” I insist.
“Even if you don’t…” he starts.
“I won’t,” I immediately interject.
“Even if you don’t,” he continues, “at least this way I have the means to call you.”
“And you expect me to believe you’re actually going to?” I give him an apprehensive look before shoving the device back into my pocket.
“Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.” He smiles innocently and I swear my heart picks up speed a little.
Get it together, Elara. I scold myself. It’s hard not to get caught up in a man like Kane. I remember the first time I met him, how attractive I thought he was. Though his good looks were easier to ignore back then because I thought he was a conceited asshole. Now, well, now I know there’s a lot more to Kane than I originally thought and when he looks at me the way he’s looking at me right now it’s nearly impossible to ignore the way my entire body reacts to him.
Trying to shake off the thought, I refocus.
“Guess so,” I say, hesitating longer than I should. For some reason I’m suddenly not wanting to leave.
“Have a safe trip.” He steps closer, pulling me against his hard chest before I have a second to react, his arms closing around me.
I find myself relaxing into his embrace almost immediately. A weird sense of belonging the most prominent thing I feel. Being in Kane’s arms feels oddly familiar and yet entirely new at the same time.
I take a deep inhale, half expecting to smell the familiar scent of the ocean on his skin as I always did on Kam’s. But instead my senses are overwhelmed by something completely different. Faint cologne mixed with what I can only assume is his laundry detergent. He smells incredible and yet I’m disappointed at the same time. Even still, I find myself holding onto his scent longer than I should.
I wish I could understand why Kane makes me feel so off balance but truth be told I have yet to really sort through why this man makes me feel the way he does. I don’t think I’ve spent enough time with him to fully understand it.
At first I thought it was his connection to Kam. The similarities between the two of them and how much he reminds me of his younger brother. Now, I’m realizing that Kane has a hold of me all on his own that is completely separate from Kamden.
I figured it out the day I found out he left with how disappointed I felt. I blamed it on my grief over Kam but deep down even then I knew there was more to it. Not that I really understand what that more is, only that there definitely is more with Kane.
Finally managing to pull out of his embrace, I peer up at his face for a long moment, resisting the urge to reach up and touch him the way I always did with his brother.
