And Kyle?
Will I stop mattering to him when we get there? He asked me to be his for the duration of the trip, so does that mean we go back to acting like strangers once this journey is over?
It’s at the tip of my tongue to ask him just that, but when I turn to him, I forget how to speak. All thoughts fly out of my brain as my gaze falls on that strongly defined jawline, those strong brows, and eyes the color of emeralds. His red hair is a charming mess, falling across his forehead in a way that makes me want to reach out and smooth it back. Slowly, I trail my eyes down and something stirs in me as I take in the way his muscles ripple as he grips the steering wheel. There are tattoos all over his forearm. The same arm that held me up this morning against the bathroom counter as he slid in and out of me in the most erotic of dances.
Christ, I can still feel him inside of me.
As if feeling my gaze on him, Kyle turns to look at me, and when his eyes meet mine, I feel a jolt. A spark that ignites a fire inside of me, leaving a trail of need burning my skin.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, turning back to the road.
“Nothing.” But I say it way too quickly for it to be true.
He chuckles, the sound low and deep. “Hmm,” he hums, reaching over to take my hand in his and something inside of me shifts at the move. There’s a sense of comfort I feel in this car with him, and a part of me dreads the moment we make it to Chicago. “Are you hungry?”
“Uh?”
“There’s a city just ahead, Omaha. We can make a stop and grab something to eat,” he says, squeezing my hand in a way that makes me wonder if he, too, is unnerved by the thought of our trip coming to an end.
“I could eat,” I say, not pointing out the snacks we packed for the trip. We drive the rest of the way in silence, but I can’t helpbut keep stealing glances at him. I would give anything to know what’s going on that beautiful head of his.
Does he want this to last? Is it just sex to him?
I turn back to the road, watching the passing scenery as I try not to worry about what will come once we get to Chicago, but it doesn’t work. I think and I worry. I stress over it enough that I don’t realize we’ve stopped until Kyle taps my shoulder and jolts me back to the present.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asks.
It’s so freaking tempting to voice all the questions plaguing me, but my mother’s voice echoes in my head, scolding me for being so darn needy all the time. And like I always do when she does that, I shrink back.
“I’m fine,” I tell Kyle with a smile before turning to take in our surroundings. We're parked in front of a single-story building with weathered brick walls and large, inviting windows. My stomach growls when I catch the thick aroma of food. I gasp, clutching my stomach even as heat climbs up my cheeks.
“I guess we’d better feed you,” Kyle says with a laugh as he reaches for his door. “The reviews of this place were positive, so I bet their food is good.”
“It already smells so good,” I muse, following him out. I’ve only taken a single step when something lands on my eyelid. I blink in surprise but before I can reach up to brush it off, the wind changes and I watch with amazement as a snowflake, a delicate crystal, sweeps past. Then another and another, silent flakes dancing in the air, swirling and twirling around me. I lift my face, and the snowflakes kiss my skin, melting instantly into cool droplets. “It’s snowing.”
I’m grinning widely when I turn to Kyle, and something stirs in me when I find him watching me, something dark and heated in his eyes.
“You have no idea how you look right now, do you?” he mutters, almost as if he didn’t mean to say the words out loud, and something in me settles at the look on his face. I watch him as he crosses around the car to me and I hold my breath as he lifts his hand to my cheek, his eyes crowded with affection. I’m terrified to interpret it as love. I’m scared to read into something that’s not there, but even so, I have to allow myself to believe that this man has feelings for me that go beyond his lust. “I’m in awe of you, Vivienne. You are so beautiful. The most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.”
He doesn’t give me much time to react as he takes my hand in his again and then we’re walking towards the restaurant. I’m immediately hit with the delicious aroma of food and my stomach is back to begging as Kyle leads us to an empty booth. We place our orders and I find my eyes wandering to the window to watch the snow fall. “It’s falling fast,” I comment, idly wondering if it’ll be safe to drive in the snow.
“You’re right,” Kyle comments, digging into his pocket for his phone, and I watch him scroll through it for a moment. “Oh shit, I think there’s a snowstorm coming. Won’t clear up until tomorrow mid-morning.”
“It’s not safe to drive in these conditions, is it?”
Something crosses his expression as he shakes his head. “We’ll probably need to spend the night in Omaha.” He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. “It will add an extra night to our trip.”
I bite into my lip, unsure if it makes me a terrible person that I haven’t thought much about Knox in the time I’ve been withKyle. Of course I want to see him, hug and talk to him as I used to when I was a kid, but…Chicago means the end of whatever it is Kyle and I have.
“I can wait another night,” I assure him, squeezing in turn. “Knox would want us to get home in one piece, right?”
He smiles at me. “Of course. Why don’t you text him about the change of plans and I’ll look for accommodations nearby?”
He looks away before he can spot the terror that fills my face. I’ve kept my phone off since we left Denver, because the constant texting from my mother and Rick was making me jumpy. I’m terrified of what might be waiting for me when I turn it back on. I swallow hard as I pull out my phone, the blank screen mocking me for being a coward. I’m tempted to ask Kyle to make the call on his phone as we always have, but he seems so focused, busy getting a place for us. He’s always doing things for me. Surely I can do this one thing without bothering him.
I power on the phone, and then come the series of notifications. There are almost a hundred calls and texts. Dozens more than there were the last time I dared turn on my phone, all from my mother and Rick. With a trembling finger, I scroll past the notifications and pull up Knox’s number, texting him the change of plans. He replies immediately, agreeing that it’s better to be safe than take a chance in the storm. I’m about to power down the phone again when my eyes lock on Rick’s last message.
I’m coming for you, little bitch.
