Chapter 28
Layla
BOOKISH BITCHES
CINDY
oh my fucking god, is anyone up to chapter twenty-four?
LAYLA
no!!!
don’t spoil please omg I’m dying to read
BELLA
you bitches need to get the audiobook
I’m done
CINDY
ALREADY?
BELLA
pays to be an audio girlie
CINDY
I can practically feel your smugness
BELLA
jealous?
LAYLA
I need to introduce you two to immersive reading
Ididn’t realize how nervous I was to surprise Kieran until he stepped through the front door.
My heart was hammering as fast as a hummingbird’s wings and it didn’t stop until a smile lit up his face.
The tension practically leaked out of his body as he dropped his duffel bag and swept Emmy into his arms.
His gaze lifts to mine and holds. “Thank you,” he whispers, and it’s thick enough to make me pause.
Before I can probe any further as to why his deep ocean eyes seem to be a little heavier tonight, he turns away from me, only to stop once he sees the oversized Oodie lying on the couch.
“Is that…”
“Emmy picked them out.” I can’t help but chuckle. “She saw them and I couldn’t say no to her.”
He picks it up, the golden retriever printed all over it matching the one Emmy and I are wearing.
“She’s making me want to buy her a puppy.”
“You and me both.”
Emmy wriggles from Kieran’s hold and flings herself onto the couch. Kieran takes a seat beside her as he all but commands, “You better be staying.”
I should be going home, should leave them to have some alone time to bond, but for some reason, with the way Kieran is looking at me right now, I find I can’t say no to him.
Sitting on the other side of Emmy, my heart melts into a puddle as she holds her hands out on either side of her, her little fingers making a grabbing motion.
Smiling, I place my hand in hers as I say, “Of course I’ll stay, are you kidding? Gilmore Girls plus my favorite person? I can’t resist.”
“Good to know I’m your favorite person.”
“First of all, I was talking about your gorgeous daughter and secondly, don’t forget our rules.”
He frowns, his brows furrowing until he realizes what I mean and gives me a wink, mouthing, Sorry not sorry.
Scoffing to myself, I get cozy, snuggling deeper into the couch as Kieran presses play.
Usually if someone put Gilmore Girls on and placed food down in front of me, I’d be able to switch my brain off. But this time, all I can feel are Kieran’s eyes lingering on my skin.
He’s got two bowls of cereal, one on his lap full of Froot Loops and another beside him containing Frosted Flakes.
He’s making comments as he goes, pointing things out to Emmy as if this is a major rite of passage, and yet through it all I am hyperaware of the quiet moments.
The moments where just the sound plays softly through the speakers, where the logs in the fire Kieran lit snap and pop, because I can feel his eyes on me.
His eyes always seem to be on me.
Emmy’s soft snores started half an hour ago, halfway through episode two and I knew this would happen. No little girl can truly stay up past eleven o’clock at night, I’m honestly surprised she made it this far, but I’m putting that down to the sugar she inhaled.
So that just leaves me, sitting on my boss’s couch, keeping my attention firmly on the TV while I do everything in my power to not look at him.
Except, it was completely impossible when Emmy began tossing and turning in her sleep, only to settle the moment Kieran pulled her into the crook of his arm and laid her head on his chest.
Have you ever seen a six-foot-three man with a sharp jawline, dazzling blue eyes, and insane tattoos all up and down both his arms cuddle a little toddler while watching Gilmore Girls?
No?
That’s unfortunate, because it’s the sexiest thing you’ll ever see.
What is it with seeing attractive men care for children? Why does it make something in our brains go ding, ding, ding, rail him!
I’m choosing to believe this is a common problem for women because if it isn’t and I’m singled out, then I’m afraid my medication has just formed a new side-effect.
Not only that, but the sight of it makes my stomach flip, and not in the way when I’m turned on. No, this is different, and it’s not a feeling formed by nerves.
Dare I say that Kieran, this version of Kieran—the soft, sweet, and gentle side that no one really sees behind his goofy personality—is melting my heart.
I absolutely flatly refuse to allow my heart to turn into a pile of mush for this man because as kind as he is, he doesn’t do serious relationships, and I highly doubt that’s going to change for the girl who will need a lifetime of care and medical support.
Please heart, I beg. Please don’t fall for him.
I can swear I hear a little voice whisper, Too late.
“I’m going to move Emmy into her bed.”
His voice is so deep and intrusive, I flinch. Quickly scrambling to cover it up, I hit pause on the TV, moving to rise off the couch but Kieran’s hand snaps out, stopping me.
“Stay.”
One word.
One plea.
One moment, and suddenly, the tension that’s been brewing snaps.
Our gazes lock and I’m once again swept into the riptide of Kieran Ashford’s ocean-blue eyes.
“Please,” he whispers.
A beat passes.
Then two.
And then I find my lips parting, and before my self-control can catch up, I’m whispering, “Okay.”
The memory of Kieran on his knees for me flashes across my mind, the very image that has plagued me at every waking moment.