Chapter 2
“Is everything okay?” Unsure why the tension radiated from Paden, her eyes darted out the window, into the heavy rain. “Is there something out there?”
“No, nothing like that.” Pink colored his cheeks and his mouth pulled to one side in discomfort. “I just couldn’t stand to stay at my house.” His hand twisted in the blanket wrapped around his wet shoulders.
“Oh. I understand.” Ree squeezed his shoulder. “Though I’m not sure my house is much better. We’re pretty steeped in the doom and gloom as well.”
Green eyes that were almost fever bright met hers and her heartbeat stuttered. “If I’m with you, it won’t matter.”
Warmth spread over her body as her mind digested his words. Paden had always been so careful to not say anything that might lead her on. Had something changed his mind about her? For the first time in days, she wanted to smile. “Oh. Well, then, you’re going to need some dry clothes.”
“I guess so,” he looked down at the puddle of water surrounding his feet and shrugged. “I didn’t really think this through.”
“I’ll be back in a minute.” She opened her door quietly and stuck her head in the hallway. Using the power to reach through the house, she could tell both of her parents were in their room, so she slid stealthily down the corridor toward the laundry room. She dug through some of her father’s clothes that were still in the dryer and found a pair of sweatpants and a white T-shirt. Stopping in the kitchen, she grabbed a couple of bottles of water and some leftovers that were on the counter before heading back to her room. Balancing the plate in one hand and the water bottles and clothes against her chest, she pushed her door open and stepped into the bedroom, closing it quietly behind her.
When she looked back into the corner where she’d left Paden, she realized she had walked in while he was undressing. Shock caused all her muscles to freeze, except for her eyes, which roamed over his back and shoulders. He glanced at her and gave her a sheepish smile as he finished stepping out of his suit pants.
“Sorry, I was freezing.” There was something disarmingly seductive in his smile as he made his way toward her. Ree felt her eyes widen, and she swallowed to wet her suddenly dry throat. There were no words to express the thoughts floating through her mind.
“Are those for me?” He pointed at the shirt and pants she was clutching to her chest. Reality seemed to snap back into real time, and she fumbled with everything she was carrying to free the clothes from her arms.
“Oh, yeah. Here.” She held them out to him after setting the plate and waters down on her night stand.
“Thanks.” He paused, raising an eyebrow at her and flashed a wicked smile. “I’m going to go over there and…” He pulled at the waistband of his boxers and she blushed.
“Sorry! Of course, those are probably wet, too.” She turned around and closed her eyes. If she didn’t think he would notice, she would have slapped herself on the forehead. “Um, I didn’t think to get any, um…” Her voice trailed off as she became even more embarrassed. She had almost offered to get him her father’s underwear.
“That’s okay. This will work.” The floorboards creaked and, without thinking, she looked up into the mirror of her nightstand. The tan skin of his back practically glowed in the moonlight streaming in from her window. Her eyes traveled over the muscles that sculpted his shoulders and sides down to… She drew in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Don’t go there, Ree, she thought to herself.
“I’m done.” Paden’s warm voice whispered from next to her. He was standing so close to her, she was practically sticking her nose in his chest when she turned around. She looked up at his face and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Without thinking, she reached up and cupped his face in one of her hands. His eyes closed for a moment, and he took a deep breath. “Thanks for the clothes.” He wrapped her hand in one of his and squeezed it.
“No problem,” she said quietly. “You need to sleep.”
“I think I can now.” He looked at her, and she noticed how much more relaxed he seemed just being near her. Her body and mind ached with the need to comfort him. Stepping into him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her head against his chest. A deep, pent-up sigh escaped him, and one arm slid around her waist while the other reached up to stroke her hair. Hours could have passed and Ree wouldn’t have noticed. The only thing that mattered was the solace they offered each other.
After a while he stepped back and, taking her hand, pulled her down to sit on the floor with him. Munching on the leftovers, he told her about the turmoil happening at his house. How his aunt seemed to suspect they knew more than they had told. Their cover story for the night Claire had died had been simple. Jules had realized how late it was and in a hurry to get back they zipped through the alley to say goodbye to Claire. Claire had been alone and on her way back into the pub the last time they had seen her. They had all been asked for their story several times, but the only one that seemed disbelieving was Claire’s mother. Ree wasn’t sure if it was just mother’s intuition or if she might know more than she was letting on, but whatever it was had made Paden’s life difficult.
“And the nightmares…” His voice trailed off, and she realized he hadn’t meant to tell her about any bad dreams.
“Are they about Claire?” She looked out the window he had crawled in earlier that night. She didn’t want to make him even more uncomfortable.
“No. Yes. It’s just like that night, only…” He looked at her with a pained expression. “Only it isn’t Claire, it’s you.”
“I’m fine, Paden.” She smiled at him in an attempt to reassure him, even though the thought of dying that way made her sick.
“God, Ree. You were covered in blood. You could’ve died that night, too.” He looked away from her, but she felt the anger, fear, and frustration that washed off of him in waves.
“But I didn’t, Paden.” She laid a hand on his knee and was surprised when he grabbed it and pulled her to him. Seemingly effortlessly, he slid her onto his lap and brushed her bangs out of her face.
“I won’t lose you like that, Ree. I can’t lose you.” His hands cupped her face as he stared deep into her eyes. There was vulnerability in his features Ree had never seen before. She raised a hand to gently trace the contours of his cheekbones, letting herself get lost in the emerald depths of his gaze. Slowly, as if he was unsure of her response, he leaned forward and gently touched his lips to her forehead before kissing her nose, eyelids, and cheeks. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as Paden finally brought his lips to hers. Lightly, he kissed her, as if he thought she might break in his hands.
Worried she might scare him off, she let him continue his careful exploration. Her hands slid from his face down to his chest, where she could feel the beat of his heart under his shirt. When the kiss became a little more intense, her fingers bunched in his shirt, making Paden sigh against her mouth. His hand slid under her top and his fingers ran over her skin. Just like the last time they had kissed, that feeling of belonging filled her mind.
Something made a beating noise in the back of Ree’s mind, but she couldn’t spare the attention to figure out what it was. When it happened again, her brain finally registered it wasn’t coming from her or Paden. She pulled away from him slightly, and he looked at her with heavy-lidded eyes. The sound slid through the room again, and both of them scrambled off the floor, gasping for breath. Ree pointed at her closet and Paden practically flew into it. Another knock sounded, and her door handle turned ever so slightly.