Finding Kyle(28)

“I’ll hurt you,” I say ominously.

“Right this very moment?” she inquires sweetly.

“Eventually,” I mutter.

“I’ll take my chances, Kyle,” she whispers. Those five words seal her fate.

“So be it,” I say on a regretful sigh, and then I give her what she wants.





CHAPTER 13




Jane


I wash my hands in my bathroom sink and glance into the mirror. I’m pretty sure the look on my face is just as dopey as it was this morning. I’ve felt it all day. The way my cheeks pull up a little, the way my mouth has been curved in a smile, and the slight flush to my skin.

I went to bed last night thinking about that kiss with Kyle at my doorstep, and I woke up thinking about it. Hell, there’s even a slight tingling to my lips that hasn’t gone away.

Turning the water off, I dry my hands on the cute little hand towel done in lemon yellow with white lace edging, and look into the mirror one last time. Yup… bright eyes that I may have accentuated with some smokier than I normally wear eye shadow, along with a volumizing layer of mascara, and decide that I’m really going to do this.

I head into the kitchen and said dopey smile remains. I can feel it. If anyone had seen me today, they would have looked at me with knowing eyes—that girl was kissed and kissed well. But I’d been at home by myself today, doing some cleaning and a little bit of painting for purely pleasure purposes. It was a casual, summer day off for me, one of the things I loved about being a teacher.

I’d relaxed today, ruminated about that kiss, and around three o’clock this afternoon, made the decision that I’d see Kyle tonight. This may or may not be a surprise to him. When he walked off my porch last night, he left me without a single innuendo or hint that he wanted to see me again. Perhaps he thinks he’s made things clear. On the other hand, I’ve never really let Kyle put me off, and that seems to be a good play right now.

I cook dinner—a roasted pork loin, candied carrots, and fresh baked bread. Granted, the bread feels like a rock, so I throw it away and pack the rest up in a basket. After I top it off with a red-checkered linen cloth, I’m going to bring it to him and insist we eat it together.

Maybe I’ll get another kiss, although I’m not sure it could top the one he gave me last night.

Kyle told me he wasn’t a good man. He pretty much assured me he’d hurt me at some point. So when his lips came down on mine, I actually braced for him to be rough with me. Let’s face it… he’s crude, withdrawn, gruff, and anti-social. He’s all angled planes and tattooed skin with scary designs. I’d watched him grab Craig by the throat and single-handedly dispatch the creep without breaking a sweat.

And even though I wanted the kiss, I knew there was a slight possibility that Kyle could, in fact, be a dangerously dark man. Even more so, I knew I could have been in actual danger. After all, he pretty much told me he considered an invitation into my house to equate to a spreading of legs.

Oh, but that kiss.

He was none of the things I had some reservations about.

It was so soft and gentle. His mouth moved so slowly over mine without any rush, but with the intent to seek everything I had to offer. Kyle was absolutely unhurried. If I had to guess, I’d say he was savoring it as much as I was. He was content to just roam at a leisurely pace, and it drove me absolutely bonkers with needing more. So I made the next bold move by letting my tongue hesitantly reach out to touch his.

And I got a reaction.

A soft growl from deep in his chest as his hand tightened slightly in my hair, and it so turned me on that my body involuntarily leaned into his.

But then… he was gone, releasing me suddenly and taking a full step backward. His eyes were hooded and his face impassive, and I would have thought he was unaffected by it all, except his voice was very hoarse when he said, “Good night, Jane.”

Without another word, he spun around, bounded down my porch steps, and jogged across my yard to Cranberry Lane. I watched him—lips in full tingle mode—until he went inside his house and shut the door behind him.

I didn’t struggle all that hard in my decision to cook and bring him dinner. I know I should heed his warning that he’s a “bad” man, but I’m sorry… that kiss was way too gentle for that to be true. As such, I’m going to see what else is lurking under his carefully layered facade that’s designed to keep people away.

After picking up the basket, the dopey smile on my face remains as I head over to Kyle’s house. I have to concentrate to wipe it off, putting on my charming, quirky smile when I knock on his front door at six o’clock on the dot.

When Kyle opens the door and stares at me, he doesn’t look surprised to see me, but, truthfully, he doesn’t look happy about it either. One could argue that he doesn’t look pissed off or put out. Not curious or resigned. He just stares at me without giving me a single hint as to what he might be feeling.

And that’s okay.

I’m standing here, pushing myself into his life, because something happened last night when he kissed me. It was an epiphany of sorts because my entire life has sort of been settled. I had a charmed life growing up, followed my dreams to go to college and became a teacher, and I wake up every day living in a town that I adore with wonderful family and friends. But when he kissed me last night, the realization was clear that I had truly been missing something I had not realized I was missing until that moment. Kyle Harding presents more than just excitement and intrigue into my ordered world. He is an absolute puzzle, and I’m enjoying the process of figuring him out. Perhaps he’s even a bit broken, and while I don’t want to be the one to fix him, I do want to be an integral part in peeling away the outer layers so I can find out who he truly is. I’ve seen enough goodness and gentleness in him to know that he’s not who he thinks he is. While he acts like he wants nothing to do with the world as it exists, I’ve seen enough curiosity within him to consider the possibility that perhaps he could have things he’d never thought were possible.