“Let me make you feel good,” he whispered as his lips brushed my skin.
And then his lips met my cheek. It was a gentle kiss that lingered and sent prickles of warmth coursing through my veins. His mouth moved back toward my ear, and he nipped my earlobe before he kissed me again just below that spot on my neck. I was frozen, completely mesmerized by the sensation of his lips on my skin.
“Oh, God,” I managed to get out on a sigh as I tried desperately to think straight.
His hand found the lower hem of my sundress again, and his fingers toyed with the material for a moment. But then he moaned, and his mouth moved quickly and aggressively along the side of my throat as he nipped and sucked and licked. And that’s when his fingers pushed under the skirt of my dress once more.
I panicked as his hand moved quickly up my thigh, and I rose to the balls of my feet as I grabbed at his wrist. I dug my nails into his skin, and I pushed down even as his hand still tried to move up. His breath left him in a rush that I could feel just under my ear, and he panted quietly as he froze in place.
My focus shifted to the side just to see him staring at me. He was too close to see both of my eyes, but the intensity in which he focused on my visible one was intimidating. The stare went on for too long, and the only sound in the room was our heavy breathing.
“I can’t,” I finally whispered.
His eyelids fluttered and then widened as a breath left him in a huff. It was as though he was coming to consciousness again after blacking out for a moment, and as he did, the tension in his hand that was still high on my thigh lessened, and my downward force finally succeeded in pushing him away.
My lips trembled, and my eyes glossed over and warmed. I could tell the very moment he took in my quivering lips and building tears, because he stumbled back from me, his eyes wide in what looked like panic.
“Oh, fuck,” he gasped out, his voice cracking. He covered his mouth, and he stared at me, and when he finally pulled his hand back, his face was twisted in pain. “Hell, I’m sorry—”
My front door suddenly opened, and Kane’s voice dropped off into silence as I hastily smoothed the skirt of my dress down.
“Auntie Heen-Hee!” squealed Sienna from the front entryway, and then I could hear her little feet padding down the hall to my bedroom.
“Fuck,” Kane muttered as he raked his fingers through his hair, and then he crossed his arms, tucking his hands under them.
He’d always done that when he felt vulnerable—strange the things you never forgot about someone. For instance, I could so clearly remember seeing him standing outside the principal’s office in just that stance—hands tucked protectively under his arms as he was berated by Principal Metcalf. It was a regular occurrence for Kane, but regardless of how cocky he’d been when he was young and the smug look he’d carry on his face, that nonverbal cue was so easy for me to read.
Even now, it was nearly painful to see. His eyes darted around, failing to look at me. I just stared at him, knowing Hilde would be walking in any moment. He was trapped. There was nowhere for him to run, and he seemed to know he was going to have to deal with not only what he’d just done for a little while longer, but with my sister and my niece as well before he could make his escape. He bit his lower lip, and he finally met my eyes. He took a step toward me but froze the second he heard Hilde’s voice.
“Just dropped Brody off at school, and we decided to bring you a danish since you’re busy working on that little ol’ paper of yours. Hope you have coffee on—” Hilde’s voice dropped off abruptly as she rounded the corner into the kitchen where Kane and I were standing awkwardly facing each other.
Her eyes moved back and forth between us, and Kane ignored it for a moment. It looked forced when he finally looked at Hilde. He smiled, but it was tight and uncomfortable.
“Kane,” Hilde said tersely. “How are you?” She was eying the bandage on his cheek suspiciously.
He nodded first before bothering to answer. “I’m fine. I was just leaving.”
“Auntie Heen-Hee!” Sienna came running in. Her face was covered in my cranberry colored lipstick that I’d apparently made the mistake of leaving out.
“Oh, boy,” I said as I leaned down and scooped her up in my arms. She perched on my hip, and Hilde shook her head in exasperation.
“It’s never ending. I’ll go grab a washcloth.” Hilde left the room with a quick glance over her shoulder.
It was suddenly silent, and even Sienna, who normally babbled a mile a minute, was quiet as she poked my cheek over and over again. Kane watched us closely, his eyes studying us so intently as my skin flushed. I still hadn’t managed to say a word to him about what had just happened. Of course, he didn’t seem to have any intention of bringing it up either.