seen around his eyes while he was sleeping were even more pronounced now that he was awake. My stomachclenched with worry. It was obvious Blane was going through something, and arguing with me could only make things harder for him. I decided to bide my time, approach him again after we’d both cooled off.
Our eyes met and his hand moved up to cup my jaw. I tilted my head into his touch, the rough pads of his fingers skimming my cheek. He looked down at me, to the open neckline of the shirt I wore, and he grasped the gold locket resting between my breasts.
Kade had given me the locket for Christmas. It contained a tiny picture of my parents. I’d been overwhelmed with the gift, and rarely took it off. Blane had asked me where I’d gotten it, and hadn’t made any comment when I’d told him.
“I’m not going to ask you,” he began carefully, still looking at the locket, “what happened in Denver. Whatever his faults, I trust Kade to keep you safe. I always have. But I wonder about this job he’s given you, if it’s really something you want to do.” His gaze finally rose to meet mine.
I hesitated before answering. “I’m not sure,” I said honestly. “Before, it felt like my life was happening to me, rather than the other way around. Now it feels like I have a chance to fix that.”
“There are other things you could do, Kat.”
“Like what?” I asked, wondering what he would say.
“I think you should consider what you want,” Blane said. “What do you want to be when you grow up, Kat?” He smiled softly and dropped the necklace, returning his hand to my waist and pulling me closer.
I gave a small huff of laughter. “Once upon a time, I wanted to be you,” I said, resting my palms against his chest.
“Me?” Blane asked, his brows knitting in confusion.
“A lawyer,” I explained. “But after seeing you, watching how it works, I don’t think I’d want to do that.” I thought for a minute. “I guess when I pictured it, my life, I always assumed I’d have a job of some sort, but I mostly looked forward to the day when—”
I stopped, realizing what I’d been about to say. Heat rose in my cheeks and I looked away.
“When what?” Blane asked.
I shook my head. It would sound really pathetic to say it aloud.
“Come on, tell me,” he gently persisted. “Please, Kat,” he said when I still remained silent.
“The day when I wouldn’t be alone,” I blurted. “Visions of my future always seemed to revolve around having a family, not so much a job. I never had brothers or sisters, so I dreamed of a big family, lot of kids, laughter and a messy house and people to love.” I felt stripped bare in front of him, having confessed thoughts I tried not to dwell on.
“Why wouldn’t you want to tell me that?” he asked gently, tipping my chin up so I was forced to look at him.
“Because it’s embarrassing,” I explained. “So trite and cliché. That’s not the kind of thing liberated, independent women are supposed to think. I’m supposed to want a career and climb the corporate ladder and bust through the glass ceiling and all that. Not dream of soccer games and tea parties, piano lessons and PTA meetings, peanut-butter sandwiches and training wheels.”
Blane leaned down, pressing a hard kiss to my mouth. When he raised his head, he said, “Thank you for telling me that. And for the record, you’re one of the strongest, mostindependent women I know. It’s not a crime to want a family of your own.”
My embarrassment faded in the face of his sincerity, and I reached up to pull him down for another kiss.
It was getting late and we both had to be at work, so we took turns in the shower (despite the fact that Blane argued we would save time by showering together). I did my hair and makeup while Blane shaved. It was a novel experience, getting ready side by side. We hadn’t been this physically intimate in weeks, this much in each other’s space, and I found it made me
Our eyes met and his hand moved up to cup my jaw. I tilted my head into his touch, the rough pads of his fingers skimming my cheek. He looked down at me, to the open neckline of the shirt I wore, and he grasped the gold locket resting between my breasts.
Kade had given me the locket for Christmas. It contained a tiny picture of my parents. I’d been overwhelmed with the gift, and rarely took it off. Blane had asked me where I’d gotten it, and hadn’t made any comment when I’d told him.
“I’m not going to ask you,” he began carefully, still looking at the locket, “what happened in Denver. Whatever his faults, I trust Kade to keep you safe. I always have. But I wonder about this job he’s given you, if it’s really something you want to do.” His gaze finally rose to meet mine.
I hesitated before answering. “I’m not sure,” I said honestly. “Before, it felt like my life was happening to me, rather than the other way around. Now it feels like I have a chance to fix that.”
“There are other things you could do, Kat.”
“Like what?” I asked, wondering what he would say.
“I think you should consider what you want,” Blane said. “What do you want to be when you grow up, Kat?” He smiled softly and dropped the necklace, returning his hand to my waist and pulling me closer.
I gave a small huff of laughter. “Once upon a time, I wanted to be you,” I said, resting my palms against his chest.
“Me?” Blane asked, his brows knitting in confusion.
“A lawyer,” I explained. “But after seeing you, watching how it works, I don’t think I’d want to do that.” I thought for a minute. “I guess when I pictured it, my life, I always assumed I’d have a job of some sort, but I mostly looked forward to the day when—”
I stopped, realizing what I’d been about to say. Heat rose in my cheeks and I looked away.
“When what?” Blane asked.
I shook my head. It would sound really pathetic to say it aloud.
“Come on, tell me,” he gently persisted. “Please, Kat,” he said when I still remained silent.
“The day when I wouldn’t be alone,” I blurted. “Visions of my future always seemed to revolve around having a family, not so much a job. I never had brothers or sisters, so I dreamed of a big family, lot of kids, laughter and a messy house and people to love.” I felt stripped bare in front of him, having confessed thoughts I tried not to dwell on.
“Why wouldn’t you want to tell me that?” he asked gently, tipping my chin up so I was forced to look at him.
“Because it’s embarrassing,” I explained. “So trite and cliché. That’s not the kind of thing liberated, independent women are supposed to think. I’m supposed to want a career and climb the corporate ladder and bust through the glass ceiling and all that. Not dream of soccer games and tea parties, piano lessons and PTA meetings, peanut-butter sandwiches and training wheels.”
Blane leaned down, pressing a hard kiss to my mouth. When he raised his head, he said, “Thank you for telling me that. And for the record, you’re one of the strongest, mostindependent women I know. It’s not a crime to want a family of your own.”
My embarrassment faded in the face of his sincerity, and I reached up to pull him down for another kiss.
It was getting late and we both had to be at work, so we took turns in the shower (despite the fact that Blane argued we would save time by showering together). I did my hair and makeup while Blane shaved. It was a novel experience, getting ready side by side. We hadn’t been this physically intimate in weeks, this much in each other’s space, and I found it made me
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