“No clue,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “You sure you still want to go?”
“I’m sure.”
“I don’t believe you.” Kaleb put the knife on the cutting board and leaned on the counter beside me. “You were fine yesterday. Today you’re nervous. What changed?”
“Are you reading my emotions? We just met yesterday. How?”
He lifted one shoulder and smiled.
“It’s really annoying when you do it without permission.”
“I can’t help it.” He picked up the sauté pan and tossed the vegetables a couple of times. I’d never be able to do that without dropping everything all over the kitchen floor or burning myself. “Are you nervous because of something Michael said when he followed you to your car yesterday?”
“Not really.” I guessed Michael hadn’t shared his hook-up opinions with Kaleb.
“You know, I bet I could take your mind off your worries.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, teasing.
He put the pan back on the stove and placed his hands on either side of me on the counter, his fingertips touching my outer thighs. “Yep.”
“Oh.” Shazam. I bit down on my bottom lip.
He reached up to gather my hair in a loose ponytail at the base of my neck, his forearms resting on my bare shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about how much I’d like to distract you. Thinking about it a lot.”
“Really?” I sounded a little too breathless. My mind scurried to come up with the right words to stop him, but I couldn’t seem to find any words at all.
“Really.” Kaleb’s hands slid down my arms, his thumbs tracing lines from my inner elbows to my wrists. Chill bumps formed on my skin and anticipation ripped through my system. I leaned back, bumping my head on the cabinet behind me.
Smooth.
He laughed, but it made me feel warm instead of embarrassed.
I got only warmer as he moved his hands to my face to hold my head still. I was kind of glad. I didn’t want to bump it on the cabinet again.
“You distracted yet?” Kaleb asked.
I was at a complete loss for words. I didn’t protest when he leaned forward at a snail’s pace, a breath away from touching his lips to mine. In that second I closed my eyes.
And saw Michael’s face.
I didn’t have to push Kaleb away. He stopped. We opened our eyes at the same time.
“I was afraid of that.”
“What?” I asked as I exhaled.
“Michael. And you.”
“How did you know? I mean, what are you talking about?”
He frowned, focusing on my face and slowly tracing his thumb along my jawline. “Listen. If this were purely physical, I’d be carrying you upstairs to look for an empty room. With your consent, of course.”
I think I squeaked. While Kaleb was ridiculously sexy, he was equally as terrifying. At least to me.
He laughed. “But it’s not just physical, which is confusing enough. There’s something between you and Mike, even if he won’t admit it.”
“No, there isn’t. There isn’t,” I protested when he narrowed his eyes.
“Do you feel something for him?”
“Maybe.” This time I banged my head against the cabinet on purpose. “I have no idea what. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Just let me know when you figure it out.” His hands still cupped my face. He leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on one corner of my mouth, keeping his eyes focused on mine. Then he whispered, with his lips still on my skin, “For a chance with you, I can wait.”
Michael picked that exact moment to walk into the kitchen.
Kaleb pulled away from me quickly, going back to the sauté pan as if nothing happened. Michael’s face was completely unreadable. I wondered for a second if he saw anything. Or cared if he had.
“Emerson?” His voice was empty of emotion. Too empty.
“Yes,” I answered, sliding down from the counter. I almost fell when my feet hit the ground, and would have if Kaleb hadn’t caught me by the arm.
“Sorry,” he muttered under his breath.
“Weak in the knees?” Michael asked.
He’d definitely seen it.
I smoothed down my hair and adjusted my tank top. “I’m fine. It’s fine.”
“Cat’s not here. I went to see her at the lab, and we need to reschedule for tomorrow morning. I wanted to talk to you about our … discussion yesterday, but it looks like you’ve found other ways to amuse yourself.”
Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen.
“Something’s up.” Kaleb’s eyebrows were drawn together in concentration. “His emotions are all over—I think I should go talk to him—”
“No, let me.” I put my hand on Kaleb’s arm. “You guys have been fighting enough as it is. And I need to settle this.”
Chapter 37
Michael.”
He was walking out the front door when I caught up to him. I followed him outside. “Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk.”
“Didn’t know how long you’d be.” He stalked across the wide planked porch, the boards hollow sounding under his weight. “Thought I’d let you finish up.”
“Wait!” I reached out, catching the edge of his sleeve. He flinched as I accidentally brushed his skin with my fingers. “We were done. I was done. We weren’t doing—”
He jerked his arm free and started down the steps. “What the hell were you thinking, kissing Kaleb?”
“I wasn’t kissing Kaleb!”
“I just saw you in the kitchen with him,” he said, spinning around after two steps. “And you were kissing.”
I tried to explain. “It wasn’t like that—”
“It never is.” He crossed his arms and managed to look superior. “Isn’t that the excuse everyone gives when they get caught?”
“Get caught? You say that like I was doing something wrong.” I threw the next words out defensively, wanting to wipe away his smirk. “Why do you even care?”
“I only want you to … forget it,” he said, turning away.
I put both hands on his left shoulder, yanking him around so I could yell in his face. “No, you don’t, Michael Weaver. You don’t get to unload on me and then reel it all back in without telling me why.”
“You can do whatever you want,” he said, his voice cold and distant, shutting me down. Shutting me out. “I don’t have a right to an opinion.”
I still wanted him to have one. And vocalize it. Fighting the urge to push him, I attempted to push his buttons instead. “Kaleb did try to kiss me,” I said, sounding like a taunting bully on a playground.
Michael flinched as if my hand had actually connected with his cheek. “Looked like he succeeded to me.”
Bingo.
“He stopped.” I stood as close to him as I dared. “You want to know why?”
Michael covered his face with his long fingers, his silver thumb ring glinting in the sunlight. “I don’t know, Emerson. Do I?”
I said the next words distinctly, hoping for maximum impact. “Kaleb stopped because of you.”
