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I swallow thickly, realizing I want exactly that, but he’s already made up his mind to stay here while I walk down the hall.
That kiss lingers on my lips, and something indescribable takes root in my heart. I pack my bags, and Barbi’s too. That kiss is still with me, unforgettable and burned into my memory. It will stay there until I can find the courage to do it again, and I promise myself next time won’t be an accident.
I’ve wanted to kiss him from the moment we met, and it’s ten times, a thousand times, better than I thought it could be. My heart pounds as I place the packed bags in the hall and hurry back to the living room. Zeb is there, lounging on the couch. He looks up when I enter and a satisfied smile fills his face.
“You’re packed?”
“I think so.”
“Good. Rafe and Hayes are thirty minutes out. We’ll wait for them to get here before loading your bags. Any word from Barbi?”
“Not yet.”
We speak as if nothing happened. As if that kiss didn’t fundamentally shift things between us.
But it did. It absolutely did.
FIFTEEN
Zeb
A low chucklerumbles in my chest. Definitely didn’t see that kiss coming. Now that I’ve had a taste of her, and feel the energy surging between us, any doubt about the attraction lingering between us is gone.
Typically, I wouldn’t back off. I would’ve followed Kaye into her room, stripped her down, and spent the next few hours drowning her in pleasure.
But I can’t do that.
Not after what Scott did. Kaye needs time to process and heal. Which means, I spend thirty very uncomfortable minutes waiting for her and the others to finish packing.
Kaye takes a seat on the other end of the couch, maintaining distance between us. Noise from the stairs has me popping to my feet.
“I’m going to help them with their bags.” I want to stay with Kaye. I want to scoot over and sit next to her on the couch. I want to hold her hand in mine and lean in for a kiss that is no accident.
But I can’t do any of that. Not yet.
What I can do is get everything ready for when Hayes and Rafe arrive. Once they’re here, we’ll do a bit of recon on the street, then move out.
At the top of the landing, Rosalie struggles with a large suitcase. When she arrived several weeks ago, she had far fewer possessions.
“Here, let me help.” I grab the suitcase and carry it downstairs. Then I head back up to help Carmen with her things. By the time I’m back downstairs, the front door is open and a heated conversation fills the air.
Rafe and Hayes confront Carmen and Rosalie. The exchange between Rafe and Carmen escalates.
“This is why I wanted you to stay. You don’t listen.” The anger radiating from Rafe clashes with the fierce stare Carmen shoots back.
Rafe worries about her father retaliating, kidnapping her, or worse. Carmen downplays that risk, and they can’t find common ground.
They fire off angry words back and forth in rapid succession, like a battle being waged. It’s too fast to follow.
Rosalie stands off to the side, wringing her hands. Every now and then, she glances over to where Hayes stands in the entryway. The muscles of his jaw clench, but he’s wise enough to stay silent.
Although, with Rafe and Carmen’s argument escalating, there’s no room for him to interject, or say anything to Rosalie.
I take a step forward, ready to break up the argument, but before I can say anything, Kaye steps in.
“Rafe…please.” Her soft voice cuts through the anger and confusion. “This is my fault. It has nothing to do with Carmen’s father.”
Rafe’s mouth gapes as he bites back whatever it is he wants to say. He takes a deep breath, still frowning, but no longer shouts at Carmen.
