Chapter Four
It seemed he waited forever for Saturday night. Myla was never far from his mind all day, and he finally relaxed when he heard her voice.
“Hello?” Myla asked through the telecom.
“It’s me,” Kaleb said.
“Okay, I’ll buzz you up. I’m on the second floor, the first door on your right.”
Kaleb looked around the building as he climbed the stairs. He liked what he saw. It was clean, and the security was as good as it got in these types of places.
He knocked and waited. His breath caught in his chest at the first sight of her.
The night before, she’d been wearing her work clothes.
That night, she wore a long, feminine skirt and a sleeveless blouse.
Her hair was down, just as it had been the night before, and flowed past her shoulders in silky, blonde waves.
He liked that she didn’t wear much makeup.
She had the girl-next-door look, mixed with a pinup model style he’d seen on a poster before.
If he only knew she’d accept him as a daddy, it would make everything perfect.
“Hi, come on in,” Myla said with a smile and stepped back.
He stepped forward and watched as she closed the door behind him. He could tell she was nervous, and it bothered him when she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Hey,” he said gently.
Myla’s eyes darted to his.
He curled his finger at her. “Come here.”
She took steps to stand in front of him. Her head was tilted back, and waited.
He used the palm of his hand to cup the side of her face. “What’s wrong? If you’ve changed your mind, it’s okay. We can do this another time.”
She shook her head and gripped his wrist with both of hers. “No. I want to be with you. It’s just the first time I’ve had a man in this apartment.”
He rubbed his thumb against her cheek. “I know we don’t know each other yet, but please know I would never hurt you. I’d rather cut off my arm.”
She stared into his eyes for a moment. “I believe you. For some reason, I trust you already, and that’s not like me at all.”
He rubbed his finger over her chin. “I like hearing that.” His eyes roamed over her features. She was so beautiful, he didn’t think he’d ever get sick of looking at her.
She cleared her throat and took a step back. “Are you ready to go?”
He lifted his hand to her shoulder to stop her before she opened the door. “You know what I find amazing?”
“What?”
“That you haven’t looked at my face once.”
“But I have. And I have to tell you, I’ll probably never stop either.”
He chuckled. “No, I mean the scars.”
A frown puckered her brows. “What about them?”
His grin widened. Even his own mother had a problem looking at them. Oh, he knew it was because it reminded her that she just about lost him, but it still sometimes made him vulnerable and self-conscious.
He cupped Myla’s face with his hands. “You act like you don’t see them. With everyone else, it’s the first thing they see.”
She reached up and laid her hand over the cheek that had been injured.
“I don’t see them. I didn’t last night either. All I see is you. Your scars don’t define who you are,” she whispered and then shrugged self-consciously. “Now, do you want to know something that does bother me about you?”
He smiled at the twinkle in her eyes. “Yes.”
“Your height. You’re ginormous.”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “I’ve never been called that before. A jerk, a pig, and even a monster, but never that.”
“Well, as far as I can tell, you’re none of those things.”
He closed the small gap of space between them and cupped the back of her head. “I’m going to kiss you unless you say no,” he growled.
She tilted her head back in his hands and closed her eyes. “Please.”
He felt a shiver race down her spine at the growl of need that burst from his mouth right before he bent and pressed his lips to hers. His lips were soft on hers at first, but the kiss quickly deepened. He thrust his tongue into her mouth when she gasped.
Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she stood on her tiptoes to get closer.
The kiss quickly grew heated and out of control. It was a feeling he’d never felt before. He lifted his head and groaned at the passionate look on her face. Her eyes were still closed, her head tilted back, and her lips were swollen and red.
“Myla, Baby. We need to stop before it gets out of hand.”
She slowly opened her eyes to stare up at him.
His breath caught in his lungs when her little tongue slid over her lips, tasting him. “Jesus, you’re beautiful.”
She sighed, took a deep, faltering breath, and stepped back.
He smoothed the hair from her cheek. “Are you ready?”
She nodded and walked to the door. He made sure the door was locked before setting a hand on her lower back and leading her out to his vehicle.
Tonight was the start of something that would change his life. He just hoped it was for the good and that she turned out to be everything he’d ever dreamed of.