Chapter Twenty-Three #3
I shove away from the door and pace back and forth. I can’t tell her what I was thinking! Nothing good can come from it! She’ll freak out if I tell her I think I’m in love with her. Or, she’ll be insulted and upset because she’ll think all I want is sex.
She’s right that we aren’t ready to live together yet. I need to figure out exactly how I feel.
I know how I feel; I think as I pace back and forth. I know how I fucking feel! I growl and punch the air in frustration because I don’t fucking trust myself.
I turn in time to see Mikayla carrying a chair over to my door. She puts it down and climbs up on it to grab her phone. In two steps, I grab the phone and lift her into my arms.
“Caine, clearly you’re having second thoughts. Please be an adult about this, put me down and let me go.”
She won’t look at me.
“This is the dumbest fight I’ve ever had!” I yell out in frustration.
“Let me go,” she whispers hoarsely.
“No!”
“Let me go!” Her voice is steely now, low and angry. And from what I’ve already learned, she’s close to tears.
Fuck it!
“I was wondering how someone can tell the difference between love and lust,” I blurt out before I lose the courage.
I don’t let her go, I don’t put her down, and I don’t give her the phone back. I’m no fool. Mikayla is a flight risk.
“Have you ever been in love before?” She lifts her brows, her eyes imploring me.
“No,” I tell her honestly.
“Have you ever felt lust before?”
My brow furrows and I frown. I don’t want to discuss my past sex life with her. She already knows enough about me. I don’t need to paint a picture of just how much of an asshole I am or have been.
“Franklin,” she says in warning.
“Call me Franklin one more time and I take your phone away for good.” Two can place at this game!
Mikayla purses her lips at me. I can’t make this worse, so I kiss them. Just a peck. They’re soft. So, I kiss her again. And again. And again, longer. She doesn’t pull away.
“You’re not getting your phone,” I whisper against her lips when I feel her hand creeping over my side and then behind my back.
Mikayla huffs. Tilts her head and stares at me. Silently.
“Yes! Fine! I’ve been in lust before!” I bark, pissed off to no end!
“So, you do know the difference.”
Her eyes widen. She stops talking and somehow stiffens even more in my arms.
“I knew you’d freak out! There was no way I could win here! Don’t clam up on me, Mikayla! You demanded to know! You can’t get all weird when I tell you!” I yell.
Small hands cup my face, and she kisses me. It’s soft, gentle and loving. When we pull back, I look at her warily.
“You can put me down now,” she says softly.
“You’re not gonna bolt?” I turn my head and narrow my eyes at her. I don’t trust her.
“I’m not gonna bolt.” She shakes her head.
“Or run and lock yourself away in the other room?” I ask, pointing at her door.
She shakes her head.
“I’m not ready to give you back your phone yet,” I tell her, putting her feet back on the floor.
“I don’t need it back,” she tells me. “Let’s go,” she adds, all collected.
I don’t trust it. She’s being too calm. It’s very un-Mikayla-like.
I eye her warily as I put on my shoes. She walks into the master and walks out holding a pair of sandals. She sits down beside me and puts them on.
“What is wrong with you?” she asks as we walk to the car outside.
“Nothing is wrong with me.” I toss the bag in the trunk.
“Then why are you looking at me as though you’re worried I’m about to rob you?” She flicks her hand at me, clearly annoyed.
“I don’t think you’ll rob me,” I say with confidence.
“Don’t make me call you Franklin,” she warns, quirking a brow at me, a scowl back on her face.
We flew past annoyed and are now directly at angry.
“You’re fine.” I think that should be enough.
“Is there something wrong with being fine that I’m not aware of?”
Well, we’ve moved back to annoyed, so that seems like progress. “If it helps, you’re seriously pissing me off right now.”
I smile. I don’t know why, but that makes me grin. I watch as she puts her seat belt on and sits back.
I start the car and turn around. Then take her hand as I drive to the main road.
“You’re a very weird man,” she says, shaking her head.
“Yet, you still like me,” I say with a grin.
“I have no idea why,” she mutters.
“I can think of a couple of reasons,” I say, waggling my brows as I gaze over at her.
“Are you…” She starts. “Never mind.”
“Don’t make this weird,” I tell her defensively, yanking my hand away. “It’s okay to like my dick.” I grin at her, and she blushes.
Her phone rings, cutting off the discussion. I pull it out of my pocket and hand it to her. I see Jack on the caller ID.
“Answer it; the night can only go up after that call,” I tell her.
“You’re not kidding,” she mutters before answering. “Why hello, big brother!”
“Are you fucking Caine Montgomery?” her brother yells.
“Hi Jack!” I say joyfully.
Mikayla turns a dark shade of pink.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” I say in apology. “See, things can only get better after this call!”
I touch her face, caressing her cheek with my thumb. She gives me a simple smile and nods.