I sucked in a breath, “You’re right. That was presumptuous of me.”
He smiled again, his eyes lighting up in a way that told me I was some sort of prey. "But…I am curious about you, Lena." He tilted his head, studying me. "What you draw. Why you came here. What you're running from."
My stomach did a flip flop. "I'm not running from anything."
"Everyone who moves to the middle of nowhere is running from something," he said. "Or looking for something."
Before I could stop myself, I was asking this man another question. "And what chased you to the area?"
His smile was slow as he leaned in just a little.Dangerous.
"I do the chasing…"
I didn't know what to say to that. The conversation felt like it was happening on two levels. The surface polite, flirty, harmless. And underneath there appeared to be something darker andheavier happening. Like he was peeling me apart without laying a finger on me.
"Anyone ever told you that you’re…intense?” I asked trying to sound casual.
"You have no idea."
My thighs clenched again and I knew his ass had noticed.
Jesus Christ, Lena. Get it together.
"I should…" I started, but he cut me off.
"Do you live up on the mountain?" I blinked at his question.
"How did you…" my brain was trying to process our conversation, because I wondered if I’d said it briefly and not even realized that I’d mentioned it.
"I live up there too," he said smoothly. "I thought I saw you in passing a few times. "
Relief flooded through me as he explained. For just a moment I thought it might have been something else.
"Yeah," I said, exhaling with a smile. "I'm staying in my aunt’s cabin. It's quiet."
"It is," Killian agreed. "Peaceful. Good place to think."
"Or draw," I countered.
"Or draw," he echoed.
Silence settled between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was heavy. Expectant. Like we were both waiting for the other to make the first move.
"I should probably mingle," I said, even though the last thing I wanted to do was talk to anyone else.
"Should you?"
"My boss will kill me if I don't."
Killian's gaze flicked past me, scanning the room. "The guy in the blue blazer?"
I glanced over my shoulder. My boss, Randall, was holding court near the bar, laughing too loud at his own jokes. "That's him."
"He's not paying attention," Killian said.
I turned back. "You trying to get me fired?"
"I'm trying to keep you here."
