And I’m a goner.
His kisses suck me in and claim every part of me.
I feel the seductive caress of his lips in every molecule of my being.
Filling me up.
Heating me on contact.
Confirming his truth, and making me a liar, but I can’t stop.
My body melts against him, and my hands have a mind of their own as they creep up his broad chest and circle his neck. Our kissing turns frantic, and I can’t get enough. I claw at him, pulling him closer, needing this connection as badly as I need air to breathe.
And we’re devouring one another.
On the sidewalk.
In broad daylight.
In front of everyone.
I know all this. But I can’t stop.
No one has ever kissed me the way Kai kisses me.
His mouth can worship and punish me at the same time, and he ignites an inferno in my body with every sweep of his hot lips.
I’m grinding against him as intense need floods my core, and I’m considering jumping his bones when a loud chuckle breaks through the lust-fueled haze in my brain, clearing my thoughts.
I rip my mouth from his, disgusted with myself.
“Young love.” A portly man with a mop of gray hair and a thick bushy mustache smiles warmly at both of us. “I remember it well.” His happy smile fades a little. “Enjoy it, young’uns, because the years fly by, and before you know it, your loved one is gone, and all you’re left with are the memories of her kiss.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I say, feeling an overwhelming need to comfort him.
“You’ve got a good one there, son,” he says to Kai. “Make sure you hold on to her.”
“I’m trying, sir.” Kai’s response startles me. “But she isn’t making it easy.”
The man chuckles again, his melancholy forgotten. “Then she’s definitely worth fighting for,” he says, before adding, “Now, you two, have a good day.” He tips his hat and walks off, leaving us staring after him, both in a bit of a daze.
“Can we call a truce?” Kai asks when we’re seated in the diner a few minutes later, having just given our orders to the waitress.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because all this arguing can’t be good for the baby.”
“What do you know about what is and isn’t good for the baby?” I sip on my soda.
“I’ve had plenty of time on my hands lately, and I’ve been reading some pregnancy books.”
My jaw drops to the floor, and he smiles.
“I’m sure I’m as close to an expert as you can get. Lucky for you.” He waggles his brows before lifting his glass and drinking. I love the way his Adam’s apple bobs in his throat when he swallows—it’s sexy as fuck.
He smirks, and I lower my eyes, inwardly cussing. I can’t drop the ball although maybe it’s time for a slightly different strategy.
He’s called me out on the deliberate flirting, so perhaps a more subtle approach will work.
“It probably is lucky,” I admit, pinning him with puppy dog eyes. “Because I know next to nothing. I had no access to the net or books while I was at Parkhurst and no one to talk to about it.”
He frowns a little. “They didn’t check you out?”
“They did,” I blurt, furiously backtracking. “But they wouldn’t answer any of my questions.”
“We need to book a doctor’s appointment,” he muses.
“There’s no need. I’m only eight weeks pregnant, and they rarely conduct ultrasounds until week sixteen, so there’s plenty of time.”
“I thought you knew nothing?” he queries, leaning back in his seat as the waitress slides our plates in front of us.
I wait for her to leave, using the opportunity to calm down and keep a cool head. “The doctor in Rydeville told me that. She said she’d set up an appointment.”
“I’ll get Rick to organize something,” he says.
“I’ll be back in Rydeville in time to attend my appointment.” I hold my chin up defiantly.
He stops with his burger midway to his mouth, setting it back down on his plate. “You can’t go back to Rydeville. It’s not safe.”
“It’s safer than being on the run,” I retort.
“Not where your father is concerned.” He takes a massive bite of his burger. I stab a fry with my fork and pop it in my mouth, chewing slowly. “And we can’t be separated. I don’t want to miss a second of your pregnancy. I want to be with you every step of the way.”
Emotion clogs my throat, and I put my silverware down, unable to eat in case I choke. “Why?” I whisper.
“Why?” he asks, as if I’m crazy. “You’re carrying my child. It’s my responsibility.”
A different kind of pain slices across my chest. The type that maims and sucks all the oxygen out of your lungs. I’m in agony on the inside, and it’s too much pain to disguise.
He reaches across the table, clasping my hand. “Stop it, Abby.”
“Stop what?” I yank my hand back.
“Whatever that crazy hormonal brain of yours is telling you right now.”
“My crazy brain isn’t telling me anything. You’re the one that said it’s your responsibility.” I pierce him with a loaded look. “Don’t do me any favors, Kai.”
He grabs my hand more firmly this time. “That didn’t come out right. Yes, it’s my responsibility, but it’s much more than that.” He leans across the table. “Surely you see how much I care. I’ve never felt this way about any woman before. Ever.” His eyes are like laser beams burning me with intense heat. “From the moment I met you, you’ve consumed my thoughts. You are my world, Abby. I want this baby.” His jaw tightens, and his eyes blaze with determination. “And I want you.”
“That’s—” My ears prick up, and I whip my head around, my eyes almost bugging out of my head when my gaze lands on the TV. “Oh, fuck,” I whisper, staring in horror at my image on the screen. I read the headline with a mounting sense of trepidation.
MISSING MANNING HEIRESS IN GRAVE DANGER. SIZABLE REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO HER WHEREABOUTS.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kai follows my gaze, shock splaying across his face. He throws a few bills down on the table. “We need to get out of here. Now.” His face flashes on the screen, and my stomach churns sourly as I lock eyes with the waitress. All the blood has drained from her face as she recognizes us.
Kai takes my hand as he walks with urgency toward the exit, but I tug on his arm, holding him back.
“Abby,” he hisses, as I step toward the waitress. “Don’t.”
“She could turn us in!” Fear bubbles to the surface as I look at him. “I need to try.”
He thinks about it for a few beats, nodding curtly. I walk to the counter as she eyes me warily. “Please,” I say, in a low voice, hiding my face behind my hair because the other diners don’t appear to have noticed us or made the connection. “Please don’t turn us in.” I level her with earnest eyes. “My father is a monster who has abused me for years.” I put my ring hand on the counter on purpose. “I ran off because I told him I was pregnant and engaged to the man I love. He’s someone he doesn’t approve of, so he’s concocted this fake story to find us.” I pray for forgiveness as I slide my hand across my tummy. “I’m begging you, on my unborn child’s life, not to report this.”