Page 22 of One Kind Soul

“I . . . I wanted to make sure you could sleep.”

She rubbed her forehead. “Because when you close your eyes, that van is ready to crush us or is actually crushing us?”

“Shit. You too?”

“It’s stupid because here we are.” She gestured between them. “We’re alive. That van didn’t win. We did.”

“But our brains aren’t convinced.” He stepped back a bit. “You want to come in and we can watch something until we get so tired we have to sleep?” He totally had other ideas on how they could get tired, but he wasn’t asshole enough to suggest those ideas.

Nicole’s gaze landed on the bed behind him where the blankets were tousled then she looked up at him. “I think it’s better if I stay here.”

She was probably right.

“Okay,” he said, a little disappointed she didn’t trust him to be a gentleman. “Good night.”

“Night.” She closed the door.

Christian turned to walk back to the bed. He got halfway there when a knock on the adjoining door filled the quiet. Or had he imagined it? Wishful thinking and all, but then the knock came again.

He backtracked to the door and opened it.

Nicole stood on the other side. A moment later, she stepped into his room, slid her arms up his chest, and kissed him.

Chapter Four

Nicole hadn’t planned on this. Kissing Christian had crossed her mind as they’d eaten their sandwiches and crunched on cheese curls, however she never predicted she’d actually act on such thoughts.

But here she was. Her lips fused to Christian’s, her palms pressed to his chest, and her entire body wanting more.

Because this man was a phenomenal kisser. She’d definitely caught him off guard, but after the initial shock had worn off, Christian had jumped right into the kiss like a pro. His arms had come around her, his hands resting on her hips, and his tongue now traced the seam of her lips. She granted him entry and the kiss deepened. Deep enough to make her feel as if she’d never been kissed before this. Not this thoroughly. Not this enjoyably. Not this possessively.

Christian’s left hand slid up from her hip, coasted along her side to her shoulder, then plunged up into her still damp hair. His fingers were strong, raking along her scalp and holding her in place so the kiss could deepen even more.

Nicole hadn’t expected to toss herself so completely into the kiss. The idea to smooch Christian had stemmed from how unsettled he’d looked the first time she’d opened the adjoining door to him after he’d knocked. His T-shirt and sweats had been rumpled and his face had looked haunted. If he’d envisioned exactly what she had, she understood that look. As soon as she’d gotten into her bed and closed her eyes, that van had come at her six different ways. Five of the ways had killed her and Christian and one had seriously maimed them. When that knock on the adjoining door had sounded, it’d been a lifeline out of that hell.

This kiss though. Was it another type of hell? Was this a colossal mistake? Should she have kept that adjoining door closed? Locked?

Christian backed up a few steps, keeping his mouth on hers so she had to follow him. Deeper into the room. Closer to the bed. She could still stop him if she wanted to.

She didn’t want to.

When he turned her toward the bed and gently nudged her so she had to lower to the mattress, she let him do it. In fact, she slid her arms around his shoulders and coaxed him down with her so he climbed onto the bed. Before she could stop herself, she ran her fingers along his arms then tugged his T-shirt up at his waist. Understanding her intention, Christian peeled the shirt from his torso and Nicole sucked in a breath.

He was gorgeous. His chest was cut with muscles and his abs . . . oh, his abs resembled stacked logs on a cabin’s walls. She’d gotten a glimpse of his biceps as he’d been wearing a T-shirt when she’d first met him in the pub, but seeing how those biceps led up to broad shoulders made her want to take a bite out of him.

She coasted her fingers along his abs, enjoying the ridges then she met his gaze to find him watching her.

“What?” She pulled her hands back from touching him, but he quickly grabbed both of her hands and flattened her palms against his chest.

“Don’t you dare stop touching me.” His voice was a low growl that made her core clench.

“Well, why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, loving the heat of his flesh and the hardness of his muscles under her hands, but starting to feel several shades of unsure of herself.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “Initiating a kiss like that is so hot, Nicki.” He leaned down and trailed soft kisses along her neck, pulling a bit at her sweatshirt to expose more of her.

“Why? Did you think I was some innocent introvert?” She wiggled out of her sweatshirt and sat up so her mouth was in range of his again. She was close enough to watch his pupils zip open wider as he scanned her in the black tank top she’d worn under the sweatshirt.

His rough fingertip scraped from her shoulder, down her arm, and back up so he could tip up her chin. Meeting her gaze, he said, “Innocent introvert?” He shook his head. “No. More like understated vixen.”