His chuckle vibrated his chest, andI closed my eyes at the sensation. God, I loved to make him laugh. “Since youwon’t be able to keep your hands off me now, I guess we’re just going to haveto keep practicing.”
I finally stood up, hoping he meantright now. “I guess so.”
He looked down at me, his dark eyesheating. “Not tonight, Vera. I need to get you home.” I must have lookeddisappointed because he laughed again. “There will be more. I promise you that.But not after you’ve had to face your darkest demon. Not when Derrek is stillinfecting the air. Not after I’ve just decided on first-degree murder.”
My blood turned to ice. It was thatsimple. Derrek still had the power to ruin every one of my moods, no matter howblissful or flawless. “Don’t go to jail for him,” I pleaded. “That wouldn’t befair at all.”
Killian didn’t seem convinced.“Let’s get you home. I don’t want to talk about him anymore tonight.”
I tried to do the decent thing onemore time. “You really don’t have to drive me. I know it’s inconvenient foryou.”
“Get in the car, Vera,” he ordered,turning me toward the passenger side. “There’s a goodnight kiss in it for youif you play nice.”
I was ashamed to admit that got memoving. “You should know I live with my dad.”
“He won’t mind,” he counteredconfidently. “He likes me.”
“You’re so cocky.”
He flashed me a grin across the topof the car. “And you love it.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t verballyrespond. He was right. I did love it.
“Fine, you can take me home,” Iallowed. “But you better not be stingy with this goodnight kiss.”
He smiled. Drove me home. Andfulfilled his promise.
Very generously.
Chapter Nineteen
I smiled before I even opened myeyes the next morning. Yesterday had been traumatic on so many levels. I still hadto deal with Derrek in a very real way. I had to make sure he knew he couldnever come back to my truck or my city or bother me ever again.
Until then, I chose to let Killianbe the dominating headline of the morning. I lay there in the twin bed from mychildhood and curled my toes into rumpled sheets.
It didn’t seem possible. This manthat had gone from idol to enemy, to reluctant friend, to fantastic kisser.
And not only had he kissed me beyondall reason and rational thought, but he’d given me back whole chunks of myselfthat had been missing. He’d said words I’d been too afraid to think and truthsthat had felt so wholly out of reach, I never believed they could be true forme. I’d purged some of my hurt and loathing.
Maybe not all of it, but some. Itwas like the first few shaky breaths after nearly drowning. They burned andclawed at my throat, they were painful and raw, but they were made of life-savingoxygen none the less.
I didn’t know what to think aboutthat or how to move on. Derrek was a darker cloud than ever, and yet Killianhad inspired hope in a way that also healed where I had been only broken, thatalso breathed life where death had rotted and destroyed. He’d held out theperson I used to be and offered it like a gift he had the right to give.
But the strangest part was that Ididn’t mind. I didn’t even want to fight him for it. He had done something Ihadn’t been able to do myself, and I would always be grateful for that.
He even made me want to considersomething more… something that wasn’t just about me or my healing or my needs.He made me consider him.
He made me consider us.
The smell of coffee dragged me outof bed. I slid my feet into slouchy slipper boots and grabbed my robe for mydad’s sake. I stopped by the bathroom to wash my face and throw my hair in afresh messy bun, but other than that I looked like I did every morning-terrifying.
Shuffling to the kitchen, I found mydad at the table. He had a fresh cup of coffee in his one hand and a piece oftoast and jelly in the other. It was earlier than I usually made an appearance,but then again, last night had been an earlier night for me.
Comparatively. It was after midnightbefore Killian had stopped kissing me.
“You’re up early,” Dad noted as hetook a long drink of his super-hot coffee. I could have sworn he didn’t havetaste buds. For as long as I could remember, food temperature didn’t botherhim. It was unnerving how he just dove right into the hottest foods and drinks.Even now I resisted the urge to shout a warning to him. It wouldn’t have doneany good anyway.
“I closed up a little early lastnight,” I answered honestly.
