“Hi.” Her voice is so weak that if there was any sound in the house, I probably wouldn’t have heard her.
Her golden hair is hanging in her face like she is trying to hide away from the world. The glance I got from her outside was enough to know that her smile would change my damn life.
“Can I join you?” I keep my tone soft and gentle, worried that if I speak at a normal volume, she will scurry off like a rabbit in the yard.
She nods quickly and slides to the far side of the couch. If she thinks she can get away, she is sorely mistaken. I need to know this angel. I take a seat on the cushion next to her. Her head snaps up from studying her cuticles the moment she feels my presence so close to her. I am not touching her, but if I opened my knees just a touch more, I could feel her warmth against mine.
While my brother and I cling to our golden tones until practically February, I can tell her tan runs for the hills the minute the sun starts setting before 8 pm.
Hmm, I wonder how flush I can make her this winter.
Where the fuck did that come from?
“So…” Her voice is still soft, but she has tucked the hair behind her ear that was hanging in her face. There is just enough light in the room to let me get lost in her emerald green eyes.Fuck, this girl.I stifle a groan, looking at her. She is absolute.
“Well, Sunshine, my name is Callum Hutchinson. You are?” I turn my body so I can face her better, and she leans further back into the corner of the couch. “I am not trying to scare you, beautiful. Just want to get to know you better.”
“Umm…I am Nyx’s friend.”
“I gathered that, since you came to the party with her.” I chuckle slightly. “What is your name? Or I can keep calling you Sunshine. Which would you prefer?”
Her cheeks flush at my question before she answers. “Well, my name is Kyra, but Sunshine works too.” She giggles slightly, and it sends all my blood rushing south. I try to adjust myself discreetly when she looks away from me.
“Nice to meet you, Kyra.” I stick my hand out for her to shake. The moment her palm hits mine, there is electricity. She pulls her hand away, and I know she feels it too. “So…”
Her eyes meet mine for just a second before she lowers her gaze back to the patch of skin between the dress she’s wearing and her boots. I reach over and place my finger under her chin to bring that life-changing gaze back to mine. “You do not need to hide from me, Sunshine.”
“Yes, I do.” She stares up into my eyes. Even sitting down, there is a size difference between us. I slide my knee up onto the couch so I can fully face her, and she mirrors my position. Her left knee brushes against my own, and the feeling of her skin against mine is world-altering.
“Why?” It’s one word, but the shock in her face says everything.
“I have to protect myself.” Her gaze falls to the one spot we are touching.
“You don’t need to protect yourself, love, that’s my job.” Her hand reaches out and rests on the opposite knee. Fuck, if just this sends my world into a spiral, this is not good. I reach out to grasp her face in both of my hands. I need to feel her lips on mine, to make sure this is just not the lack of physical touch talking.
I’ve been in a hospital in Germany for a month, and before that, I was stuck overseas for six months. A roadside IED took out the Humvee we were in. Luckily, all it did was destroy my left knee. The only thing holding my knee together after we rolled was the skin around my bones, every ligament and tendon ripped to shreds. I have a few shrapnel wounds that are finally starting to scar over, but they are all hidden under my clothes. Also hidden under my clothes is the brace that I still have to wear for a while. There is a good chance I’ll never walk without a slight limp, but considering what others have lost, I’ll take a limp.
With her face still between my palms, I slowly lean in, giving her a chance to pull away, but I don’t think I’ll survive another moment without feeling her lips on mine. She is only a breath away. I can feel the warmth of her body radiating off her. Her gaze is still holding mine. The moment she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, I close the centimeters separating us.
Holy fuck.
Her lips taste like mint, and they part slightly at my tongue’s prodding. I dive in and devour her with my kiss. I never want to leave her lips. The fire that burns through me while I have her against me threatens to burn me alive. I would willingly die kissing this girl. Better than dying with sand in every crevice you can imagine.
With a gasp, she pulls away suddenly. “Uh…we shouldn’t have done that.”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t do it again?”
“I’m engaged, Callum.” She says so matter-of-factly.
“Not for long if I have anything to do with it,” I respond before diving back in for another kiss. I will not let this girl go.
CHAPTER 5
KYRA
What the fuck does he mean by that? He just met me. He can’t actually think that love at first sight is a thing.Right?
I mean, yeah, he is absolutely gorgeous. His frame more than filled the doorway to the living room; his muscles tested the strength of the fabric of his shirt and flannel. From what I saw by the light of the bonfire, his hair is as light as Graham’s. Probably a golden-blonde color, shaved close on the sides with just enough to run your fingers through on top. Not much more than a couple of messily styled inches.
