Downfall(26)

Solo cocked his head to the side and asked, “What about you? How did you end up here? That’s bound to be an interesting story. They always are.”

He had no idea. I was opening my mouth to give him the short, sanitized version when Noble piped up with the last thing I wanted him to know. “We ran away from home. It’s a secret ‘cause Grandpa’s not nice.”

I jumped to my feet, taking the empty plates in front of everyone with me. I told Noble to hold on a second and I would get her a small scoop of chocolate ice cream for dessert. Solo shook his head and gave me a questioning look when I asked him if he wanted any. Once my daughter was settled with her treat in front of my laptop watching Adventure Time, I walked Solo to the door. I wasn’t kicking him out exactly, but I was definitely trying to get him gone before he could ask any questions I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—answer.

Once he was in the hallway, he reached up above my head and put his hands on the top of the door frame. The move stretched his tall body and made all his muscles flex and ripple enticingly. He was so much bigger than me, but for some reason, I wasn’t afraid of him in the least. I wanted to reach out and touch him. He was far too tempting for my peace of mind.

“I figured you were on the run from something. Figured it was your baby daddy. I’m right next door if you want to talk about it, Orley.”

I shook my head and nervously tugged on my lower lip. “The less you know, the better. No one is going to come looking for us here, and that’s all that matters. Thanks for being so great with Noble. She adores you and there haven’t been very many examples of good men in her life to warrant her affection. Another thing I owe you I’ll never be able to repay.”

Something dangerous flashed in his dark eyes and his head lowered a fraction closer to mine. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.”

“About what?” I could feel the heat coming off of him and smell the spicy, fresh scent of his skin.

“A way for you to repay me. You have something I want.”

I snorted and tilted my head back so I could meet the darkness swirling in his unreadable gaze. “My recipe for spaghetti and meat sauce?”

His lips quirked and his head shook slightly. “No. I want a kiss, just a taste. I know it’s stupid and I’ve been trying to talk myself out of it for weeks. I can’t shake the curiosity. I keep wondering if kissing you is going to feel forbidden because you don’t belong in my world, or if it’s going to feel like coming home. Something about you and that kid of yours always manages to get terrifyingly close to my heart, Orley. I’m still trying to figure out how you worked your way in so easily.”

I walked right through the door he opened the minute he saved me from the scary drug dealer. He protected me and Noble when no one else in our lives had ever bothered. I couldn’t see any of the bright red warning signs after that. I was choosing to ignore the ones lit up in front of me right now, as well.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, I lifted up on my toes just a little so my mouth was level with his. I liked the way his strength and bulk seemed to completely surround me. It was like standing behind an intricately decorated shield of protection, except this line of defense came with a heartbeat and a soul.

When my lips touched his, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I imagined this moment as I laid alone in my bed in the dark, it was rough, brutal. I was quickly overwhelmed and afraid of how easily I would give into his every want and whim. Reality was light years different. Solo kissed with slow, thorough precision. Moving carefully, as if he sensed I was ready to bolt. Not away from him, but from the rush of feelings he unlocked inside of me. His lips moved across mine with steady intent, coaxing small responses until my mouth opened on a gasp. One of his hands left the ledge above my head and landed on the side of my neck. His warm palm encircled the soft skin, and I could feel my pulse fluttering against his sure hold. His thumb skimmed the line of my jaw, applying just enough pressure to tilt my head back so he could seduce me with the slide of his tongue and the bite of his teeth from another angle.

The kiss scrambled my brain and turned my knees weak. I could hear my heart thundering in my ears and feel the rest of my body reacting to his gentle touch. I was caught completely under his spell, malleable in his hands. I’d never felt this way with anyone before. Not that my previous partners had been mature or considerate enough to take the time to worry about how their touch affected me. My reactions seemed to be the only thing Solo was thinking about. When I moaned softly against his mouth, he made sure to repeat whatever he’d just done to draw the sound out of me again. When I shifted closer, he focused on giving me more of whatever it was that lured me in. It was a dance, and I was blindly following his lead. He had way better moves and far more rhythm than I did.

His tongue twisted around mine and then slicked across the curve of my lower lip. It was still tingling from where I tugged on it when I was nervous. I felt him trying to kiss the owie away, just like Noble had done to him. The gesture was so sweet, so thoughtful, I practically fell into his chest as I surged closer, throwing my arms around his neck in a virtual chokehold. I rested my forehead against the hollow at the base of his tattooed throat and momentarily wondered if ending up in the city was the best or worst thing to ever happen to me.

“Mommy!” Noble’s shrill voice broke us apart and left me blinking up at him like an owl. “I want more ice cream.”