Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(87)

I leaned up, trying to will my frostbitten fingertips to pull his head back to me. “I don’t care…”

Chuckling more, his hands grabbed my waist and twisted me around.

Pulling my hips into his body and wrapping his arms over my chest, warming me, he murmured in my ear, “Well, I care.” I closed my eyes and leaned back into his embrace; I’d missed this so much. His breath warm down the side of my neck he added, “Besides, I can’t make love to you out here…”

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My eyes sprang open and I took a step forward. Grabbing his hand, I started leading him away from my favorite pond. “You’re right…it is getting pretty cold.”

He looked down and shook his head. Small drops of snow that had melted in his hair fell to the ground as his amused smile widened. When he peeked back up at me, a drop landed on his cheek, sliding its way down to his neck…lucky drop.

His grin breaking into a mischievous one as I pulled him along, he told me, “I know my trick was a little mean, but it did prove one very important thing.”

Twisting to walk beside him, I looped my arm through his and peered up at him. “Besides the fact that you haven’t changed…that you’re still a prick?”

He chuckled and nodded. “Yes, aside from that.” As I stared at him with a small smile on my face, his eyes searched mine and he shook his head. “You really did miss me,” he whispered, his eyes looking almost…surprised by the information.

I stopped us in our tracks and stared up at him. He held my gaze, then swallowed. Shaking my head, I cupped his cheek. “Of course I missed you. I missed you every day, every hour…practically every second.” He smiled really quick and then looked away, like he was embarrassed for bringing it up. “Yeah, I saw that.” He shook his head, still not looking at me. “I just…no one’s ever missed me before…” I barely heard his voice, but I clearly heard the emotion behind it.

Moving my hand to his chin, I forced his gaze back to mine. “I miss you when you’re gone. I feel like I can’t breathe when you’re away. I think about you so often, it borders on obsession.” I tilted my head and ran my frozen fingers over his jaw. “I love you…so much.” He swallowed and smiled, his jaw trembling. Not able to answer me, he only nodded.

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After grabbing his bag from where he’d deposited it by the oak tree, we made our way to my dad’s car. With the heater on high, we slowly drove back to my parents. Laying his head back on the seat, Kellan had a peaceful smile on his lips as he held my hand. I had a smile on mine that I’d given him one. He was finally feeling what it was like to be loved by somebody. To be cared for. To be missed. The simple things that we all take for granted…and he was relishing each moment, because he’d never had them.

It was later than I’d anticipated when we parked in the driveway. Examining the modest two-story house I’d grown up in, I looked up at the windows where my parents slept. The lights were all off—a good sign.

Dad had probably wanted to stay up all night, waiting for my return with my bad influence of a boyfriend, but Mom must have put a stop to that. Or Anna. She wasn’t intimidated by them and would tell Dad exactly what an ass he was being if the situation called for it. I wouldn’t put it passed her if she’d marched him to his room and made him stay there, like he was the child and she was the adult.

Anna…gotta love her.

Turning the car off, I giggled as I twisted to Kellan. He lifted his head, looking over the house, then over at me. “Want to see my room?” I flushed, feeling sixteen again…although I’d never, ever snuck a boy into my bedroom before.

Kellan tilted his head and smiled. “I’d love to.” He grabbed his bag from the trunk, then we quietly stepped into the home that seemed empty. I knew it wasn’t though and cautioned Kellan to be quiet. He smiled, containing a laugh and shook his head. He may think it funny that his first visit to my family home involved sneaking around like we were robbing the place, but he’d understand why if we accidentally woke my dad up. If we did that, Kellan would be interrogated until morning.

Luckily though, my parents were the early-to-bed, early-to-rise type people. As I paused, listening for sounds, I clearly heard Dad’s lumber-jack snores echoing from upstairs. I pictured him asleep in his reading chair, book in hand as he’d drifted off waiting for me to come back 244



home. Poor guy. He’ll probably kick himself for falling asleep on duty. I smiled, wondering if Anna had snuck in and turned off his light when he’d finally passed out, as a signal to me, to let me know that he was asleep and it was safe to…reunite with my boyfriend.

Pointing at the couch, I whispered to Kellan that he could leave his bag there since he’d be sleeping there. He raised an eyebrow at me as he frowned, clearly not happy with anything that involved him sleeping so far away from me. Smiling, I gave him a quick kiss before adjusting the pillow and afghan Mom had laid out for him. Kellan shook his head at the plastic-wrapped contraption and popped his shoes off. Slipping his jacket off, he looked about ready to crawl into the bed my parents expected him to sleep in.

Just as he started to sit, I pulled him to his feet. “You’re not actually sleeping there, silly,” I whispered in his ear.

He grinned at me devilishly as he glanced upstairs. “Are you sure? I don’t want to get you in trouble?”