“Please, Principal Kane,” she says quietly, pleadingly, her hands moving to my shirt and gripping it tight. “Please. I know how messed up this is, but I’d never forgive myself if this led to my dad getting in deeper trouble than he already is.”
She smiles wryly.
“Look, I know it looks like he’s this—” she shakes her head. “Okay, he is a big scumbag, but he’s still my dad.”
I suck on my teeth, my brow furrowing. I don’t like it. Not one fucking bit. But I know it’s not my place to move on this. Not when she’s asking me like this. And so, against my better judgement, I nod.
“Fine,” I growl quietly. “But you’re staying here. No fucking questions.”
She smiles quietly, her eyes sparking as she nods.
“Okay,” she says quietly, and I can’t even try to stop the grin that spreads over my jaw.
“C’mon,” I help her stand and follow suit, towering above her small frame and looking down into her eyes. “I’ll grab some fresh sheets for the guest room and get you set up.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I mean I just slept in them last night.”
“Nah, it’s no problem.”
Upstairs, she starts to help, but I just grin and shrug her off, nodding at the big chair by the window. “Sit. Relax. I got this.”
I strip the sheets, very aware of her eyes on me, and her lip catching between her teeth as she does.
I just kissed her.
Well, maybe she technically just kissed me, but I sure as shit wasn’t an unwilling participant. We’re not saying anything, and we’re not talking about it, and it’s definitely this giant elephant in the room, but I just let it hang there. Because as fucked up as it is, and as fucking wrong as it was?
Kissing Brynn Henley felt fucking good.
Kissing her felt like a breath of air—the first one I’ve had in years. Kissing her sparked something inside of me I was pretty sure was cold and dead forever after the shit I saw in war. After the people I lost and the hell I fought my way through. Teaching brought me back to humanity a little, but that kiss?
…That kiss is the first taste of a real life I’ve had since I went to war. And now, God help me, I want more.
I finish making the guest room bed, and when I turn, I grin as I bust her quickly looking away from staring at me.
“Okay,” I growl. “You’re good.”
She swallows as she stands, smiling quietly at me as her eyes dart over my face.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “I don’t know how to repay—”
“You don’t. Now stop saying that,” I shake my head, flashing a small smile. “Look, I’m going to go downstairs and start some dinner. Feel free to stay in here, come down and join me… whatever you want. You’re gonna be safe here though, okay?”
She wets her lips as she nods.
“Okay.”
I smile, and I go to move past her for the door to the room when I brush against her. And suddenly, her hand darts out and catches mine, and when our fingers lace together, I freeze, my pulse racing.
“Brynn,” I growl lowly, not trusting myself to turn back to look at her as my pulse thunders and my muscles clench tight.
“Colton…” she breathes, and my name on her lips crumbles my defenses as I turn to let my eyes blaze into hers.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Brynn,” I growl quietly, shaking my head. “You don’t owe me for—”
“Is that what you…” She frowns, dropping my hand. “Do you think downstairs I was, like, paying you back?”