“Do you want to watch a movie?”
The subject change was so abrupt that Katherine probably looked like a befuddled owl. “Er… yes?”
“Great!” Kong rose from his seat. “I’ll make some popcorn.”
Katherine’s alarm clock went off and she groped for it blindly, slamming her hand down on the snooze button. Rolling over, she stared at the ceiling as memories from the night before flooded her brain. With a groan of shame, she pulled the pillow over her face. What must Kong think of her?
They’d chosen a comedy to watch, her favorite genre, so she should have had no problem staying awake, but Kong had dimmed the lights and because his big body took up so much space on the couch, she couldn’t help sitting right next to him so they were practically touching. He’d been so warm…
She was awoken by a gentle touch on her cheek and her name softly spoken in a deep voice. The end credits of the movie were scrolling on the screen and Kong’s broad chest had been her pillow. She’d fallen asleep. Once she’d realized what happened, she’d jerked her head up, embarrassed, only for her embarrassment to morph into pure mortification when she spotted a wet patch darkening his t-shirt from where she’d drooled on him.
She hadn’t been able to look at him, afraid of what she might see on his face. He’d offered to drive her home, and though the ride had been cold, she’d been grateful for the wind in her ears that made conversation almost impossible.
Then, to add insult to injury, when he’d stopped the Jeep outside of her building, she’d been in such a hurry to escape, she’d offered a hasty, “Thanks for tonight,” and nearly fell out of the vehicle. Her dignity might never recover.
She was just glad Kong hadn’t insisted on walking her to her room.
Someone knocked on her door. The sound was so unexpected that she pulled the pillow from her face and just stared. No one ever came to visit. If someone needed to see her for whatever reason, they had her come to them.
When the knock came again, she called, “Just a moment!”
Katherine bounded out of bed, nearly tripping as the sheets twisted around her legs. God. She was a walking disaster. Freeing herself, she hurried to the door and pulled it open.
Kong, dressed in a tan t-shirt that hugged his muscular torso tucked into a pair of camouflage pants, was standing on the other side with a big grin on his face. “You forgot the brownies you made for the Resurrection soldiers, so I figured I’d bring them over along with breakfast.” He held up the large covered baking pan that was topped with a white bag from the mess hall. In his other hand was a cardboard tray holding two to-go cups of coffee. “Coffee and breakfast burritos.”
She could smell the sausage and a smoky hint of bacon. Her stomach chose that moment to let out a loud growl and Kong’s grin widened even further. “It sounds like I came just in the nick of time.”
Not waiting for an invitation, he squeezed past her and entered her space. Katherine’s eyes landed on the messy bed and she scurried over to quickly throw the covers back into some semblance of order. That done, she looked around and saw her clothes from the night before in a pile on the floor. On top, the pale color of her bra stood out starkly against the cranberry top. Quickly, she kicked the mound under the bed. Luckily for her, Kong wasn’t paying any attention. He had deposited his burden on the desk that doubled as her table and was unloading the contents.
Turning, his eyes landed on her and swept down. Another wide smile lit up his face. “I like your jammies.”
Oh, good Lord, she’d forgotten that she was wearing Hello Kitty pajamas. She’d been awake for less than ten minutes and had already had enough for one day.
Kong turned his attention to her modest room. “Where’s your TV?”
Katherine cleared her throat. The way her luck was going, she’d end up squawking, bleating like a goat, or making some other ridiculous sound. “I’m thinking about getting one.”
Kong nodded. “I’ll have them put one in this afternoon.”
Before she could tell him he didn’t need to trouble himself, he asked, “How do you take your coffee? I brought plenty of creams and sugar.”
“Yes. Er… Cream and sugar.” With a grimace, she approached the desk. “I’ll fix it.”
He nodded absently, his eyes making another circuit around her room. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as he left, Katherine nearly crumpled in on herself. Could she have five minutes where she didn’t embarrass herself? Please?
Kong returned carrying a chair he must have stolen from the break room next door. Setting it down next to the desk, he sat and motioned to the mountain of breakfast burritos. “Dig in.”
Katherine Knox was adorable. From her sleep-rumpled hair and rosy cheeks to her Hello Kitty pajamas and pink fuzzy socks.
He’d been so tempted to tuck her into his bed last night and let her sleep, but he’d been worried how she’d react, so he’d woken her up and driven her home instead. He would have liked to have walked her to her door and said good night properly but she’d been embarrassed, so he’d let her escape.
She’d fallen asleep on him. The memory had made him smile this morning and it had pretty much turned into a perma-grin. It showed a level of trust from her he hadn’t expected so soon, especially after her reaction when they’d first met. But she was relaxed enough around him now to be able to let her guard down, let herself be vulnerable. That was a hell of a lot of progress and he was thrilled.
He liked her. A lot.
“Hey. Can you swim?” It was a spur-of-the-moment thought but he ran with it.
