Page 19 of Stryker
She shook her head and I was struck by how cute her gesture was even though the person she was talking to couldn’t see her. “No, let her rest. No need to wake her.”
“Okay honey. I’ll tell her you called and that you’re doing well. Have fun with the new man in your life.”
I stiffened up.
Kat laughed nervously. “Whatever, Dad. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She pulled the phone away from her ear and touched the red phone icon on the screen before glancing over at me. “Thank you,” she said.
“You’re very welcome. So it sounds like they’re doing well.”
She nodded, then fingered a stray thread on the couch. “Mom’s eating. She’s been smiling and happy.”
Those seemed like good things to me, but I sensed something eating at her, so I stayed quiet. If she needed to vent, she was welcome to do so.
“Maybe all along she needed something like this. Some care. A nice trip, a vacation. Her husband clean and sober. And attentive.” That sense of guilt weighed visibly on her shoulders and I pulled her close again.
“You can’t do that to yourself.” My heart ached for all the things she had to hold inside and carry. The weight of all of it had to be backbreaking, yet here she was, still managing all on her own.
I wondered what kind of conversations I’d have with my parents if they were still here. I wondered if they’d be proud of my choices, if they’d think I was doing the right thing. I wondered if they’d like Kat. I had a feeling they’d love her dearly and reprimand me for not doing more to help ease her burden. Beinghumanhad been important to my parents. Compassion ran deep in our family.
“What are you thinking about right now?” She asked, pulling me out of my painful thoughts.
“My parents.”
Her expression dropped a bit and her red-rimmed eyes watered a little bit more. “I’m sorry. It’s heartbreaking that you don’t have them.”
“Thank you for not asking what happened to my brother.”
She didn’t pry and I did appreciate it. I’d handled my fair share of people that demanded answer or thought I owed them my life’s story. She wasn’t one of them.
“If you want to talk about it, you’ll decide when. Until then, I’ll be patient. Even if you never tell me.” Her lips curved into a delicate smile and she leaned in, her eyes on mine.
Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes darted to my mouth before sweeping back up to meet my gaze again. I could feel her holding her breath and instinctively knew she wanted me to kiss her. Or she was thinking about kissing me.
Either way, I needed to shut this the fuck down.
I turned my head and sat upright. Letting go of her, I leaned over to pick up my coffee. “So what would you like to do today?” I asked as I took a sip of the boiling hot liquid, praying I’d averted disaster.
11
Kat
What did I want to do today?
“I want you to show me everything.”
His head whipped around, and he choked on his coffee before blinking at me. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the hot coffee. “What?” he asked.
Good. He was thinking bad thoughts too. I was a virgin, but I wasn’t a stranger to sexual innuendo. I couldn’t kiss, but I’d read enough books and seen enough movies to know how to phrase things to get males to show their interest… or lack thereof.
I flashed an evil grin. “Yeah, show me everything. I’ve never been here, and you said there was kayaking and all kinds of stuff to do out here in the middle of nowhere.” I furrowed my eyebrows. “You know, there aren’t any neighbors. Think I could swim naked in the lake? Or would it be toocold?” I arched an eyebrow at him.
His expression darkened with desire as I spoke, and I dragged my tongue across my lower lip. His eyes followed the motion, then ticked back to mine. “Show… me.” I whispered the words.
His eyes narrowed and a low growl left his throat. My heart thundered in my ears as he leaned in and kissed me. Excitement grew to a hum in my lower belly and I whimpered as his tongue invaded my mouth.
