Has Kazeyuki Collington always been that seductive?
I mean, seriously, it's like he was doing his best to not make me leave—
OH.
MY.
GOSH.
I'm already reaching for the shower handle when it hits me, and I just feel like the biggest idiot in the world for completely missing it, and the next thing I know I'm dashing out of the en-suite and running out of my room and—oomph!
I run into a brick wall that’s all solid and smooth, and smells really, really good, too. Who knew brick walls could—
"Katherine?"
—talk?
Oops.
I look up with a weak smile as I absently do my best to secure the teensy weensy towel I barely managed to remember grabbing and wrapping around my body. I know this could’ve waited. Could’ve. But shouldn’t have because things like this matter a lot, and it’s best not to have misunderstandings over them. Allowing more time to pass would allow storms to brew even in teacups, and since I don’t want that at all—
“I’m sorry,” I say sheepishly.
"Sorry for what?"
"You obviously didn't want me to leave—"
His face turns expressionless. "It's fine. I shouldn't—"
“—but idiot that I am, it was only when I was in the shower that it all became clear, and I finally understood what you were hoping you didn’t need to spell out.”
His hands are still on my shoulders, and his jaw does that thing where a muscle shifts beneath the skin, just once, and then nothing.
"You want us to buy rings, right?" The words tumble out of me in a rush, and I can’t help but smile at the way he stares at me. It’s like he really can’t believe what an idiot I am. “I know, I know,” I say ruefully. “I should’ve gotten it from the start, like how you obviously wanted to surprise me today, but I'm just so bad at taking hints, and I'm so, so sorry about that. But how about this? I just realized now's the perfect time for you to meet Matt, and then afterwards, we can shop for rings." I beam up at him. "What do you think?"
"What...do I think?"
I nod eagerly.
"I think you should go back to the shower because you're making it hard for me to concentrate."
Because I really am an idiot over stuff like this, I spend a fraction of a second wondering what he means.
But then another fraction of a second passes, and when Kazeyuki deliberately lets his gaze trail down and down and down until I finally remember that my towel is about to unknot itself and reveal what no other human being has seen except for my parents—
Aaaaaah!
I spin around and run, my bare feet slapping against the floor, and I can feel his gaze on me the entire length of the hallway. Every single step. Like a hand resting on the back of my neck, and no, no,no, don't be tempted to do anything stupid like pretending to accidentally drop your towel and—
Mph.
I actually trip on my own feet, and I barely hang on to my towel.
"I'm okay," I call out to him without turning back, and I don't stop moving until I'm safely inside my room with the door locked and my dignity in shambles.
Kitty McKenna, keep this up, and before this day is over you won't have a fiancé left.
And I didn't know it at that time, but what is it they say about famous last words?
