AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His eyes instantly gravitate to me and he smiles.
Ha. Take that and get away from my man while you’re at it.
Wait. What? I didn’t mean that.
So, you don’t care if she’s near Kaiden?
Um… okay… fine. I care. I don’t want anyone near him.
“Rori?” Kaiden waves his hand in front of me.
“Oh, sorry.” I rub a hand across my brow.
“You were deep in thought. Is everything okay?”
I wonder what his reaction would be if I told him I’m arguing with my subconscious about him. I almost laugh at the thought.
I realize Hailey’s no longer on this side of the bar before I reply, “Yeah. I just have something I need to deal with.”
“I’m a good listener if you want to run it by me. This is the point where my teammates usually make a smart-ass remark about me being older and wiser.” He raises the bottle to his lips, drinking some of the beer.
I smile. “That’s nice of you, but now probably isn’t the best time to get into a discussion.”
He places the bottle on the bar between us. “I get that. You know I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”
“That’s sweet. Thank you.”
“I mean it. You’re still coming over on Sunday, right?”
“Hell yeah. Don’t even think of retracting your invite. I mean, if you need to go somewhere that day, at least have the decency to wait until I’m floating around your pool.”
He laughs. “I’m not going anywhere unless you’re coming with me.”
“Then you’re stuck at home that day because once I’m in that pool, I’m not going to want to leave.”
“Good. That’s the plan.” He smirks just before his lips wrap around the bottle’s rim once more. When he’s done, he slides the bottle across the wooden surface toward me. “I’m going to get going. I’ll talk to you before Sunday.”
He moves from the stool to his feet in one smooth motion and we stare at each other for a couple of beats too long. He trails the back of his fingers down my cheek in a brief caress, then gently holds my chin between his thumb and index finger.
“Call me if you need anything,” he says, sounding as if he’s hoping I’ll need him.
“I will.”
We share a smile before his hand falls away and he heads toward the door. I don’t take my eyes off him until he disappears from my sight and then I drag a long, calming inhale into my lungs. I don’t think I took a full breath the entire time he was here. And Lord knows, he stole my breath and a lot more with that kiss.
* * *
I raise my hand to knock when the door opens in front of me and Kaiden catches hold of my hand, pulling me into his arms.
“Hey there,” he says, squeezing me tightly. He loosens his hold, keeping his arms looped around my back, and smiles down at me.
“Hi.” I try to keep my own smile small, but I fail and go into full beaming mode. I’m just so happy to be here and in his arms. I spent the past three days and nights replaying our kiss and analyzing every single word said. I promised myself I would let him set the tone for how today goes and I wouldn’t have any preconceived notions about what would happen. I know guys handle things differently than women do and there’s a chance he’ll act as if we never kissed.
He reaches over my shoulder to push the door closed. “Are you ready for a great day?” he asks, and his excitement is infectious.
“I am. I’ve got my suit on under here and I’ve already put on sunscreen.”
“Let’s get to it, then.” He takes my hand and we walk through his house. I’m just as in awe the second time seeing it as the first. We stop in the kitchen.
