chapter ten
noah
I know I shouldn’t be touching her. What I’m doing isn’t inherently inappropriate, but the look of pure pleasure on her face makes it feel that way. Her eyes flutter closed as she lets herself relax. It’s so tempting to move my hands up her legs, but I don’t.
This I can control myself.
After a while, her breathing evens out, and soft snores sound from the other side of the couch. Her face is so peaceful like this. I think back to what she said earlier.
You don’t see me like that.
I wish that were the truth. It would make it so much easier. I shouldn’t see her like that. She’s practically a kid still and doesn’t need me looking at her like I want to fuck her. But god damn, she is beautiful, and her strength is incredible.
The movie ends, and the credits roll on the screen. I grab the remote and shut it off. Glancing back at Kira, I wonder if I should let her sleep there. The couch isn’t very comfy, but I can’t bring myself to wake her up.
Sliding my hands under her, I pull her to my chest, picking her up. She stirs a little, her head nuzzling into my neck.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m just bringing you up to bed.”
I ignore the fact that I wish it were my bed. Carefully, I walk up the stairs to her room. She’s so soft and smells like strawberries mixed with a warm summer night. I lay her gently into her bed, bringing the comforter up around her. The moon shines in through her window, illuminating the side of her face. I don’t think she realizes how stunning she is.
I force myself to leave the room before I can do anything I’d regret. Lying down in my bed, I sigh. I can’t believe she would think I’m not attracted to her.
Out of nowhere, a scream pierces the air from across the hall, followed by another. My mind immediately goes to Kira. I shoot out of bed, rushing to the door. What if someone’s in there? If they hurt her, they’re dead.
I hurl her door open, seeing her still lying in bed. I survey the room, not seeing anyone. Still, I search every corner, making sure no one is there. Kira’s body twists on the bed. She’s still asleep. Is she having a nightmare?
I slowly move toward the bed and sit down next to her. She pinches her brows together. She looks terrified. I reach out to touch her, grabbing her arm.
“Kira, it’s okay.”
She pulls away, screaming. Without thinking, I grab both her arms, trying to wake her up. She fights me.
“No, please!” her face twists. “Please, don’ t! ”
“Kira, it’s me, Noah,” I try to assure her.
Her eyes snap open, and she sucks in a breath. She lets out a sob and looks up at me, fear in her eyes. Pulling her into me, I hold her. She tucks herself as far into my arms as she can.
“It’s okay, I’m here.”
She’s shaking. And I can feel her heart racing. Moving one hand to her back, I run my fingers over it.
“You’re safe, princess. I’ve got you.”
Her head tilts up, eyes meeting mine. They’re red and swollen. I bring my thumb to her cheek, wiping away the tears.
“You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. Just know that I’m here.”
She nods, more tears streaming down her cheeks. I lace my fingers into her hair, guiding her head to my chest, resting my chin there.
Who did this to her?
If I find out that someone hurt her, I’ll end them. The fear in her eyes was so visceral it killed me.
I hug her tighter to me. She feels so fragile in my arms.
“Will you stay?” she whispers so quietly I almost don’t hear.
I shouldn’t, but I can’t leave her like this. She needs me.
“Of course.”
She moves to lay back down, and I help cover her with the blankets. Standing up, I sit on the bench seat by the window. I’ll stay, but I don’t think I can lay there with her.
“What are you doing?” She asks, amused.
“Staying.”
“Why are you over there?”
“I think you know why.”
“Noah, come lay down. I promise I won’t do anything bad.”
It’s not her I’m worried about. I like to think I have control over my own actions, but it’s difficult when she’s that close to me.
“Please,” she whines.
God, I can never say no to her.
Rising to my feet, I stalk over to the bed and climb under the covers beside her. I make sure to keep some distance between us, careful not to touch her. She rolls her eyes and laughs at me, turning away.
“Thank you.”
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take her long to fall back asleep. I glance over at her, now lying on her back. The fear from earlier is gone, replaced by a gentle calmness. I’m glad I was here for her, but I can’t stop thinking about what could have happened to her for her to be that scared.
Without warning, she rolls, laying her head on my chest, her leg sliding over me. I suck in a breath. I hate how much I want this. I should leave now. She’s asleep. Instead, I give in, just for tonight. Wrapping my arm around her, I pull her closer.
I wake up to the sun shining in through the window. It takes a moment before I realize these aren’t my sheets. This isn’t my room. Shit . Glancing down, Kira has wrapped her body around me, and my hand is on her almost bare ass.
Memories of last night flood my mind. Kira had a nightmare and asked me to stay. I was stupid and did. Now, I’m holding her like she’s way more than my kid’s best friend. Carefully, I slide out from under her, trying not to wake her up.
She stirs a little before rolling over onto her stomach. I step into the hall, quietly shutting her door. Hopefully, Jared isn’t home yet, or if he is, he’s sleeping. I don’t know what time it is, but it has to be after nine. I can’t believe I fell asleep in her room. What the fuck was I thinking?
I slowly walk down the stairs, surveying the kitchen as I do. I don’t see him. He’s probably still asleep. I grab one of Kira’s mugs from the cupboard and turn on the coffee maker. It’s the same one I used when I first noticed them. It’s quickly become one of my favorites, and I won’t let myself think about why. It’s a nice mug, that’s all.
Like she can hear my thoughts, soft footsteps sound from the stairs. She’s still wearing her pajamas, and it takes all the control I have left not to look at those soft thighs or how her shirt hangs slightly off her shoulder.
“ Mornin ’,” she says, a shy smile on her face.
“Good morning.”
She saunters toward me, her hips swaying with each step. My heart jumps as she stops inches away, her eyes locked on mine. I remember the fear in those eyes last night. What caused it?
Fuck, Jared could walk out here any minute, and there is no reason she should be this close to me. Standing on her tippy toes and reaching her hand up, she swipes a mug out of the cabinet. I let out a breath, looking down at her. She smirks and pours herself some coffee. She’s an entirely different Kira this morning.
Jared chooses this exact moment to amble into the room.
“When did you get in?” I ask.
He was here while I was with her, in her bed. Jesus, I need to get it together. If he had seen us… I can’t let myself think about what would’ve happened.
“Late,” he responds, moving to get a glass of water.
“Are you hungover?”
He ignores my question, chugging the water. I look over at Kira, and she shrugs.
“Jared, it’s a Tuesday.”
“ And? ” he says.
“I wanted to go to town to go shopping today, do you want to come with me?” Kira asks Jared, trying to change the subject.
“I can’t, I’m sorry. I promised Keith I would mow his lawn today. Maybe Thursday?”
“I work. It’s okay. I’ll just go by myself.”
Yeah, that’s not happening.
“Have fun,” Jared says before wandering back into his room. How is he okay with that?
“You’re not going downtown alone.”
“I will be fine. I’ve done it before.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” I say, eyeing her. “I’ll go with you.” She looks up at me, an exasperated expression on her face.
The drive into Traverse City is quiet but not tense, not like I expected. Neither of us brings up last night, but something lingers between us, an unspoken shift. I can ’ t stop thinking about how scared she was. The look in her eyes. The way she shrank into herself.
I grip the wheel a little tighter and focus on the road.
Finding parking downtown is a nightmare, and parallel parking this truck makes it worse. I mutter a curse under my breath as I maneuver into a tight spot along the street. Kira doesn ’ t comment, just waits for me on the sidewalk, her arms crossed loosely.
When I finally climb out, I round the front of the truck and meet her gaze.
“Where to?” I ask.
“I need to find some new shorts. I don’t really have any good ones for summer.”
“Lead the way.”
We fall into step together, weaving through the late-morning crowds. Shops and boutiques line the street, some sleek and modern, others homey and cluttered with knickknacks meant to lure in tourists. The warm breeze carries the scent of sunscreen and lake water, a mix that ’ s so familiar it tugs at something deep in my chest. This place has always felt like a second home.
Kira veers off the main strip into a small consignment shop, and I follow. The space is tight, racks of clothes packed into every available corner. She heads straight for the back, where a modest rack of women ’ s shorts sits against the wa ll.
I watch as she flips through them, her fingers skimming over denim and cotton. She ’ s wearing those same jeans—the ones that hug her ass in a way that makes it impossible not to notice. This time, she ’ s paired them with a cropped short-sleeve shirt, the fabric loose but just short enough to tease.
She reaches up to rifle through the hangers, and her shirt lifts, exposing more of the soft curve of her waist.
I swallow, my fingers twitching at my sides.
I shouldn ’ t be looking at her like this.
But I can ’ t help but picture my hands there.
“I’m going to go try these on,” she says, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nod and follow her.
There’s a bench there, so I sit down. She disappears into one of the fitting rooms, the lock clicking. After a few moments, the door opens, and she’s now in a pair of high-waisted denim shorts. If I thought the jeans were tempting, fuck, these are sinful. They fit her perfectly.
“What do you think?” she asks me.
“They look nice.”
Her face falls a bit, and she turns to look in the mirror. Now I can see her ass in them. Jesus. I look away, focusing on a wall of purses in the distance.
“You should get them. They fit you really well.”
She turns back to me with a smile on her face. She mutters something about having to try the rest on and goes back into the room. In total, she tries on five pairs of shorts and likes two of them. We make our way to the front of the store and get in line at the register.
It’s our turn to check out, and Kira sets her items on the counter. The cashier greets us and starts entering the prices into the machine.
“You did a good job with this one. She’s beautiful,” she says, a smile on her face.
Does she think I’ m Kira ’ s dad?
Kira quickly gestures between us, “Oh, he’s not—we’re not related.”
The lady looks up at us, confused, but then her eyes widen in realization. Great, now she thinks we’re together, and there’s judgment in her eyes. Kira senses it, too, looking up at me. I shrug, letting her know that it doesn’t matter. She relaxes and hands the lady her card.
We step out of the shop, and Kira immediately starts laughing.
“Well, that was weird. At first, she thought I was your kid, but then she thought I was your girlfriend.”
I laugh with her as we wander back toward the truck. Before we can get there, though, Kira stops and looks up at an old building. It’s a bookstore. Her eyes move to mine, and I know exactly what she wants.
“Go ahead, we have time.”