4. Hayes
Hayes
Standing out in the rain hasn’t been my brightest idea, but it did give me a reason to stay with Kelsie.
Even if dealing with the flat is going to be a headache in the future, it’s my saving grace.
Plucking at my shirt, I see the way she grimaces as she gives me side glances. Probably blames herself for not being the one dripping wet.
She’s talking to the power company, hoping to get an estimate on how long it’ll be out. A pole must’ve gone down somewhere.
All day, I’ve watched her work. The bar is closed. I’m hoping she can relax here soon; otherwise, I’ll become restless. Once that happens, it’ll be bad for both of us.
I’ll want to pluck her down to my level and keep her close so she can’t loosen more strands of hair from her ponytail since she keeps tugging her fingers through the freed bit.
Looking away from her, I swallow down the urge to order her to relax.
Trying to get comfortable, my wet shirt makes it impossible. Now that it’s no longer warmed by the summer rain, it’s not drying fast enough. Not even my jeans are this wet.
I can’t worry about her if I’m starting to get bogged down by my own issues.
Plucking at the fabric, one solution comes my way with ease. Knowing it’ll solve my issue, I don’t think twice about reaching behind me to fist the back of my collar. Tugging at it, I pull it off.
Already feeling better, my skin prickles up from the cool air of the bar. Without power, there’s nothing warming the place during the cool days.
Flattening my shirt across a neighboring table, I sigh in relief. Hoping it’ll dry out quickly enough, my skin tingles as I feel like I’m being stared at.
Turns out, I am.
Kelsie is wide-eyed, her mouth parted. Like she forgets she’s in a conversation, she stutters on her words as she tears her eyes away.
Maybe I should’ve asked if she would be comfortable with me taking it off first.
The last thing I want to do is make her feel uncomfortable.
While I could put it back on, my skin already feels better having it off. Relaxing as best as I can in one of these booth seats, I fiddle with the radio to find something worth listening to while she wraps up her conversation.
Approaching the table, she sets down her phone and grips the back of the regular chair on the other side of the table.
“They can’t do too much as of right now. They’re going to try to figure out what shut off the power, but they’re telling me it may be hours before it’s back on. I’m thinking we’re going to be stuck together in these crummy circumstances until tomorrow.”
She sounds disappointed, but I’m on the other end of the stick.
What would I be doing if I weren’t here?
The answer comes too easily… Rotting away in my cabin, drowning in solitude like I’ve done for years, that’s what. The flickering lights, the storm’s howl? None of it would even crack the top five of my miseries. Not when the darkness I carry inside makes every night a power outage.
But here?
Here, there’s warmth that has nothing to do with the failing electricity. Here, there’s her. The way her laughter cuts through the gloom, the way her presence alone makes my battered old heart remember what it’s like to beat for something other than survival.
The storm can take the lights as long as it leaves me this.
I don’t think there’s anything I’d want to do more than be trapped at some rustic bar with the woman who owns my heart.
Seeing me shiver, she reaches out like she wants to put a stop to it. Chewing on her bottom lip, she looks around like she expects to find what she needs within her reach.
“Um, we have aprons I could offer if you’re cold.” She reaches behind her, untying hers. Offering it out to me, I snort and shake my head.
“I’d rather go without.” If it means pulling her attention toward me as much as I have, I don’t want to cover my top half.
“Me too.” Like a slip of the tongue, she stumbles on her next breath. “I-I mean, they’re stuffy and uncomfortable. Too many pockets.” She tosses the apron on another table before plopping down next to me.
A few seconds pass before she scooches closer. Close enough to tease me with her body heat. One more scooch, and she’s right where I need her.
“You’re warmer than any of those aprons.” Speaking my thoughts, I let the words flow. “I wouldn’t mind sharing some of your heat.”
While I was in the service, I spent plenty of nights freezing my ass off. My squad did what we had to do to stay warm.
“You guys cuddled for warmth, is that it?” She’s curious, poking for information as I bring up my experience.
I shrug a shoulder. “Did what we had to. Not like we could strike up a fire while we were spying on the enemy.” Clearing my throat, I pat my thigh. “They used to say I was a heater once I got warmed up.”
For a moment, she hesitates, considering my offer. Even if it’s so far left field that she wouldn’t want to cross a line, I can’t help but make the offer.
I can confidently say that she doesn’t look disturbed by the suggestion.
Leaning dangerously close, her warmth spreads across my arm.
My thoughts fizzle out as she stares up at me.
“I don’t bite.” Choking on the words, my gaze falls across her face.
She’s so beautiful, even in this poor lighting. The flashlight she has aimed up at the ceiling doesn’t hide her flushed expression or her innocent expression.
I shouldn’t push, but I want more.
“How much closer can I get without sitting on you?” Starting with a laugh, the sound dies off when my fingers tap my thighs.
Any fool can see this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Even if it risks all the progress I’ve made with her over the last few months through friendly conversations, I’m willing to see where this can take us.
I’ve dreamed of having her in my arms from day one. This is the first opportunity that has come my way to make it a reality.
At first, Kelsie doesn’t move. Rather, she looks confused, if anything. For too many seconds, I can see the wheels in her head spinning.
I’m already opening my mouth to take it back, to laugh it off like always, when, without warning, her palm slides slowly up my thigh.
The world stops. The rush happening outside turns into fuzzy background noise.
Her touch burns through the denim, searing enough that I forget how to breathe. This is happening. After all this time, all the restraint…
She’s not pulling away.
“Body heat is a good way to stay warm.” She’s murmuring to herself softly as she moves, settling herself across my lap. “I’ll tell my boss to add blankets to our emergency kit for next time.”
Fuck next time. I want to worry about the present.
Her weight settles against me in a slow, deliberate curl—sideways across my lap, her hip pressing into my thigh, her warmth seeping through every point of contact. She’s smaller like this, folded against me, yet she might as well be the only thing anchoring me to earth.
My hands hover at her waist, torn between crushing her closer and memorizing this moment before she realizes her mistake.
Because this— her —is all that exists now.
The way her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks when she glances down, the nervous bite of her lower lip, the electric current where her skin meets mine…
The storm outside could swallow the world whole, and I wouldn’t even notice.
As she gets comfortable, I can see the moment another thought crosses her mind. It’s one that makes her stiffen up before I get the chance to fully enjoy what is taking place.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?” Like a flip of a switch, she’s back to drowning me in her concern.
My body could be screaming in pain, and it wouldn’t be enough to put an end to what is happening here. I feel like I’m caught in a dream, and none of this is real.
“Don’t think about moving.” Rasping out the words, my hand finds her outer hip. Giving it a squeeze, a groan catches in the back of my throat as she slides closer.
Not from pain. Anything but.
My body betrays me, the friction making the hints of my arousal impossible to ignore. Can she feel my cock firming against my thigh, or is she being kind for not pointing it out?
Either way, she’s not trying to move away, and that’s what matters.
While the radio warns us about the flooded streets and warns us to stay inside, I can feel her body stiffening.
Kelsie is nervous. I can feel it in the way she’s reacting against me. Jerking with the thunder, her breath catches with each jolt, revealing her current state.
It’s so strange seeing her this way, and I can’t help but feel special for getting the chance to see a side of her like this.
Without thinking, I begin to stroke her back along the length of her spine. In hopes of helping calm her, I cradle her closer to me.
“Sorry, I’m not usually this bad, I swear.” She forces a laugh as her body relaxes against mine. Each stroke of my fingers brings her closer and closer to turning into pudding.
“I have rough times as well, this is nothing.” Just as the words leave my lips, thunder shakes the building. “You might have a hard time believing this, but having you with me is saving me from my own breaking down.”
Tilting her chin, her face is so close to mine. She blinks, curious. “Really? You always seem so calm and composed. I have a hard time believing it.”
Mouth twitching, I chuckle. “Most of us look okay on the outside. The inside, however… there’s a lot of damage. For me, the damage isn’t easy to hide in or out.”
Her eyes lower, and she lifts her hand, her fingers lightly grazing a scar on my chest. “Your limp.”
She says it as a statement, not a question. Of course not. I’ve never tried to hide it.
“Want to tell me about it? I’ve heard all kinds of stories from these guys every week, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about your own injuries.” Her brows come together as she tries to recall the weeks of conversations we’ve had together. “It’ll help pass the time.”
With the way she’s looking up at me now, there’s no way I can’t talk about it. Even if I’m not fond of the memory, there’s no chance I’m going to turn down her curiosity.