Page 53 of Finding Kyler
He drops the veneer, and anguish is clearly legible on his face.
I squeeze his hands. “I’m so sorry you had to find out like that.”
“How can he do this to Mom? After everything she’s done to provide for this family. This will devastate her.” He drags his bottom lip between his teeth. “He’s destroying our family, and I don’t know what to do. How to stop it.” His body trembles powerfully.
I don’t know what to say—or if there is anything to say—that’ll comfort him, so instead, I scoot closer, wrapping my arms around his waist as I rest my head on his chest.
His arms encircle me immediately, and he holds me close. His heart beats wildly underneath my ear, matching the acceleration of the organ in my own chest. As his fingers drift in and out of my hair, I have to clamp my lips shut to stop from whimpering. “He makes me sick. I hate him.” Raw emotion cuts through his tone, and I can hear how much he’s hurting. I clutch at his shirt, drawing nearer, wanting to get as close as humanely possible. Heat from his body seeps through my clothes, into my skin, and lodges bone-deep. I shudder as the most intense wave of desire ripples through me.
“Are you cold?” he murmurs, tightening his grip on my waist.
I have a hard time not laughing. I’m the furthest from cold a person could be. If I were any hotter, I’d be Egypt. I can’t look up at him, because I know I won’t be able to resist capturing his lips. “No,” I rasp, nestling into his chest. I can’t believe he’s allowing this, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He presses tiny kisses into my hair, and I silently melt. He skims his hand up and down my back, and every so often, he squeezes me a little tighter, holding me closer to his chest, almost like he’s checking to make sure I’m really there.
Expectation is ripe in the air, but I won’t make a move.
It has to be him.
I don’t know how long we sit like that before Kyler stirs. “It’s late. We should head home.”
A pang of disappointment hits me. I don’t want to leave, but I know we can’t stay here forever. It physically pains me to lift my head off his chest, but I do. I pull myself to my feet, feeling a little chill the minute I separate from Kyler. He stands up alongside me, and I feel his eyes drilling a hole in me. Lifting my chin, I stare into his eyes. Stark emotion shimmers in his gaze, and I can tell he’s feeling all the feels too—I’m not in this on my own.
We continue staring at each other, barely breathing, barely aware of our surroundings, and it’s one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. My eyes probe his as he explores mine.
Without breaking eye contact, he reels me in close, and his arms wrap firmly around me. My heart is beating furiously in my chest, and sweat coats my palms in a sticky layer. His fingers dip lower on my back, and he brushes the strip of bare skin between the hem of my shirt and the band of my jeans. My skin sizzles from his touch, and an intense shiver zips through me. I think I might be panting. He dips his head, as I rise up to meet him. Stopping an inch from my mouth, his eyes dart from my lips to my eyes and back again. All the breath has left my lungs as I wait for him to close that final gap. My heart feels ready to leap clear out of my chest.
Kiss me, I will him, pleading with my eyes.
Indecision flickers across his face, and disappointment slams into me again. He isn’t sure of anything, and nothing can happen between us when he’s like this. It would feel wrong, as if I’m taking advantage of the situation. I step back, removing myself from his embrace, negating the temptation. I wrap my arms around my torso to ward off the returning chill and look away. “I think we should go.”
“Yeah.” I hear the tinge of regret in his voice, but that doesn’t do much to soften the rejection.
This time, he makes no move to hold my hand, although his fingers brush gently against my lower back as we walk, silently steering me forward.
I have no choice but to swathe myself around him on the bike ride home. This time, the hum of electricity flaring between our bodies is a teasing, taunting menace.
A reminder of all that is forbidden.
The house is quiet when we arrive back. I presume Alex and the boys are already tucked up in bed, but I’ve no idea if James is home or not. I’m glad he isn’t here because I know I wouldn’t be able to keep the disgust off my face. And who knows how Kyler is going to react when he sees his father.
Kyler’s silent, larger-than-life presence, as we move quietly through the house, cranks my craving to an all-time high. My fingers twitch restlessly at my side, burning to touch him. I stop at my door and turn to face him. “Will you be okay?” I lightly touch his arm. One fleeting touch and I whip my hand away.
His answering shrug speaks volumes. “Goodnight, Faye.” Dipping down, he plants a light kiss on my cheek before walking away.
Whatever progress we made tonight most likely won’t mean a thing in the cold light of day. But I can’t fault him for that. We shared a moment—that was all. And I’m glad that I was able to provide some comfort to him, no matter how small.
At least we might be more civil to one another from here on out.
“Goodnight, Kyler,” I speak softly in the empty corridor before slipping into my room.
Chapter Twenty
I’m still tossing and turning in the bed like a madwoman an hour later. My brain has stretched my limitations beyond over-tiredness and exhaustion, and sleep continues to evade me. The throbbing ache between my legs isn’t helping the situation either. I could take care of it myself, but it isn’t my touch I crave.
The door creaks open and my heart rate accelerates. Pulling upright in the bed, I watch as Kyler creeps into my room, quietly closing the door behind him. Fierce determination mixes with something darker as he walks toward me. I stare at him open-mouthed as he strides across the floor as if his life depends on it.
He drops onto the edge of the bed, pressing his forehead against mine. Warmth spreads from him to me. Shuttering his eyes, he cups my face with one hand. “I need you.” His tone is gruff, his breath heated as it fans across my face. An inner voice urges caution, but I rapidly shut that sucker up. Kyler’s eyes open and I gasp. His mask is gone again, replaced by an innocent vulnerability that guts me. He’s hurting. So badly. I ingest it as if it’s my own pain, and I want to make it go away.
“I’m here for you,” I whisper.
