she’d sealed all the exits from her heart, and she was never going to let a single emotion out. It felt as though they were conducting a business transaction, but he knew better about her. Online, she was a different person, and somehow he had to find a way to make both of those parts connect.
He resisted the urge to slide down against her body and kiss her, because he didn’t think that was what she wanted. Yeah, sure, she wanted to fuck. But she didn’t want to connect, and he needed to accept that before moving forward. That and he kept hoping he’d break through somehow. He swallowed and said, “I’m sure that doesn’t make any sense to you, but I’ve probably told you more about myself, inside and out, than I’ve ever told anyone else.” He could see the understanding wash over her eyes and he wasn’t sure what that meant. He knew, though, that he was in a precarious position, because if she didn’t really feel the same way, he was all kinds of vulnerable. So he forced a grin on his face and said, “Even more than I ever told my dealer.”
Heather’s smile in return seemed equally forced, so he didn’t feel his muscles relax until her smile faded and she rested her head back on his chest. Maybe he simply needed to enjoy the moment, take it for what it was, whatever that turned out to be, and just move on when the time came.
It was a skill he was quite adept at and maybe it was time to practice it once more.
Chapter Nine
HEATHER FELT A little too warm and she had a kink in her neck. As she stirred, she realized she had fallen asleep on Kiefer’s chest, and easing into wakefulness, she realized she could hear his voice. “You awake?”
She stifled a yawn and said, “I am now.”
“Let’s take a walk.”
“ Now? ” She needed to move, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to sit up yet. “What time is it?”
“It’s barely eleven. Not even bedtime.”
“Ha.” She rolled off Kiefer and forced her body into an upright position. She wasn’t going to admit it, but that had been very nice. She’d asked for one thing—hot sex—and received something quite different. She’d always known Kiefer was a sweetheart and a softie down to the core, and his actions shouldn’t have surprised her.
They did , though. Heather wasn’t used to people—okay, men —acting nice or acting like they cared. She expected most men to act like her fucking father, and—until tonight—they had all lived up to those expectations.
What was it about Kiefer? What made him different…and why did he care?
She didn’t know, but she was beginning to think she’d have to find a way past all of it—past who she had been up to this point, past all the walls she’d had up since adolescence, past her doubt and fear…and just go with it.
But part of her was worried that maybe it wasn’t real, that maybe she was just a plaything for him while they were there.
That couldn’t be, though. She knew Kiefer, right? The real Kiefer?
For now, half asleep, she was going to trust him. She was going to follow him wherever he wanted to take her. “A walk? Where do you want to go?”
She felt her breathing grow shallow as she met his smoldering green eyes. They twinkled at her as he answered. “Wherever our feet will take us.”
She couldn’t help the grin that she could feel pulling at her lips, and she stood, stretching her arms and breathing in deeply through her nostrils. “Okay.”
He got up off the bed and stood beside her, and then he followed her to the door. She cracked it open and looked in the hall before opening it all the way. Her voice was low when she said, “Coast is clear.”
He nodded and walked out the door. She reached back in the room to flip off the light switch, and then she followed Kiefer’s lead as he began walking down the hall away from the main areas of the house. Heather wasn’t going to say it aloud,
He resisted the urge to slide down against her body and kiss her, because he didn’t think that was what she wanted. Yeah, sure, she wanted to fuck. But she didn’t want to connect, and he needed to accept that before moving forward. That and he kept hoping he’d break through somehow. He swallowed and said, “I’m sure that doesn’t make any sense to you, but I’ve probably told you more about myself, inside and out, than I’ve ever told anyone else.” He could see the understanding wash over her eyes and he wasn’t sure what that meant. He knew, though, that he was in a precarious position, because if she didn’t really feel the same way, he was all kinds of vulnerable. So he forced a grin on his face and said, “Even more than I ever told my dealer.”
Heather’s smile in return seemed equally forced, so he didn’t feel his muscles relax until her smile faded and she rested her head back on his chest. Maybe he simply needed to enjoy the moment, take it for what it was, whatever that turned out to be, and just move on when the time came.
It was a skill he was quite adept at and maybe it was time to practice it once more.
Chapter Nine
HEATHER FELT A little too warm and she had a kink in her neck. As she stirred, she realized she had fallen asleep on Kiefer’s chest, and easing into wakefulness, she realized she could hear his voice. “You awake?”
She stifled a yawn and said, “I am now.”
“Let’s take a walk.”
“ Now? ” She needed to move, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to sit up yet. “What time is it?”
“It’s barely eleven. Not even bedtime.”
“Ha.” She rolled off Kiefer and forced her body into an upright position. She wasn’t going to admit it, but that had been very nice. She’d asked for one thing—hot sex—and received something quite different. She’d always known Kiefer was a sweetheart and a softie down to the core, and his actions shouldn’t have surprised her.
They did , though. Heather wasn’t used to people—okay, men —acting nice or acting like they cared. She expected most men to act like her fucking father, and—until tonight—they had all lived up to those expectations.
What was it about Kiefer? What made him different…and why did he care?
She didn’t know, but she was beginning to think she’d have to find a way past all of it—past who she had been up to this point, past all the walls she’d had up since adolescence, past her doubt and fear…and just go with it.
But part of her was worried that maybe it wasn’t real, that maybe she was just a plaything for him while they were there.
That couldn’t be, though. She knew Kiefer, right? The real Kiefer?
For now, half asleep, she was going to trust him. She was going to follow him wherever he wanted to take her. “A walk? Where do you want to go?”
She felt her breathing grow shallow as she met his smoldering green eyes. They twinkled at her as he answered. “Wherever our feet will take us.”
She couldn’t help the grin that she could feel pulling at her lips, and she stood, stretching her arms and breathing in deeply through her nostrils. “Okay.”
He got up off the bed and stood beside her, and then he followed her to the door. She cracked it open and looked in the hall before opening it all the way. Her voice was low when she said, “Coast is clear.”
He nodded and walked out the door. She reached back in the room to flip off the light switch, and then she followed Kiefer’s lead as he began walking down the hall away from the main areas of the house. Heather wasn’t going to say it aloud,
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