She tasted sweeter than honey and I forced myself to pull my lips away. If I kept kissing her, I’d want more. Need more.
When I opened my eyes, hers were still closed. Releasing her hair, I ran the back of my hand down the soft skin of her face. My God she was beautiful.
Opening her eyes, Kilyn smiled and took a step back. She drew her lip in between her teeth. “We should probably call it a night.”
My heartbeat was pounding against my chest so hard I was sure Kilyn could hear it.
With a slight smile, I replied, “We probably should. Do you want me to give you a ride home?”
I regretted asking to take her home the moment it slipped from my lips. The attraction I felt for Kilyn was almost too strong to deny. Yet, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to move on.
No. I’d never be able to move on, but I also didn’t want to lead her on. Use her like I’d used the other women to try and forget for a bit.
“Are you sure? Claire and Blake live in the opposite direction of me and it would help them out if you could drop me off.”
It wasn’t lost on me how she stressed me dropping her off. Maybe Kilyn wasn’t any more ready to take the next step than I was.
Giving her a soft smile, I replied, “Sounds good.”
After telling Claire and Blake I was taking her home, Kilyn grabbed her small purse and coat. We walked in silence out to my car. Walking up to the passenger side, I unlocked it and opened the door for her.
With a huge grin, she shook her head and whistled. “A BMW M2 Coupé. Very nice.”
“Very stupid,” I replied with a chuckle. “My parents told me to go sensible and I didn’t listen. I pay more for the car than my rent, I swear.”
Kilyn laughed, leaving my body feeling strange in its wake.
“Well, I’d take yours over mine any day.”
She slipped in and I couldn’t help but notice how damn good she looked in my car. Shutting the door, I raced around the front and quickly jumped in. Putting it in drive, I took off toward Manitou Springs.
“What kind of car do you have?” I asked.
“Honda Accord two door.”
Glancing over to her, I asked, “You don’t like it?”
“I do. I let Claire talk me into it when I wanted something else. It still pisses me off I let her do that to me.”
She turned and looked out the window, wringing her hands over and over.
“Why do I get the feeling Claire talks you into, or should I say out of, things often?”
With a gruff laugh, she replied, “Oh, yeah. She’s good at talking me out of stuff, even if I don’t need her to.” Her smile faded some as she continued. “She’s done a ton more stuff than I have. I envy her in a way.”
“How so?” I truly wanted to learn more about Kilyn. She had a bit of a mysterious air about her.
Stopping at a light, I looked over at her. She was staring straight ahead. “She’s been horseback riding. I haven’t, even though I’d love to. Oh, yeah, and she’s been on a Ferris wheel. That’s something I’ve never had a chance to do.”
“Really? You’ve never been on a Ferris wheel?”
“Nope,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve never even been to a carnival, which really makes me sad.”
I clutched my chest and sucked in a breath of air. “How? That’s like a staple of every childhood.”
Her smile faded before she looked away. “Well, I didn’t have a normal childhood.”
The pain in her voice bothered me and I couldn’t explain why. “Do your parents live around here?”
Turning her head, she slowly blew out a deep breath. “No. They don’t.”
I wasn’t sure if I should push her for more of an answer or not. I quickly decided I should.
“Do you not talk to them anymore?”
Her chin trembled before she plastered on a fake-ass grin. “My parents died in an accident when I was fourteen.”
My heart dropped. “Shit. I’m so sorry, Kilyn. I wouldn’t have pushed if I had known.”
With a shrug, she gave me a wink. “How would you have known?” She looked straight ahead and pointed to a building. “That’s me. You can pull up and I’ll jump out.”
I was pissed at myself for feeling the way I was. A part of me was disappointed she wasn’t asking me up, but the other part of me was breathing a sigh of relief.
“Will you be okay walking up on your own?”
She narrowed her eyes and gave me a look I couldn’t read. “I mean, I can walk you up if you want?”
With a breathtaking smile, she opened the door and got out. “Nah, Dave the doorman will make sure I get in okay.”