Page 104 of Take Me Away

I laugh, helping her gather the colourful money. ‘Future real-estate tycoon in the making.’

Kit checks his watch. ‘All right, property mogul. Time for bed.’

‘Ten more minutes?’ Maisie negotiates, already stifling a yawn.

‘Nice try. You know the drill. Teeth, pyjamas, be—’ Maisie sighs dramatically, cutting me off.

‘Will you be here for breakfast, Isla?’ she asks, starting to pack up the game.

The question catches me off guard. ‘Oh, I⁠—’

‘Are you having a sleepover?’ she asks, looking between us. ‘Like when you stayed before and Dad got the couch?’

Kit and I exchange a look, heat crawling up my neck.

‘I haven’t decided yet,’ I say carefully.

‘Dad says sleepovers are fun,’ Maisie continues, yawning. ‘But he says the couch hurts his back ’cause he’s old.’

‘I did not say I was old,’ Kit protests, glaring at Maisie.

‘You said your back went crrrk,’ Maisie demonstrates, twisting her small body. ‘After you slept on the couch when Isla was here.’

‘That’s enough, Maisie,’ he says. ‘Bedtime. Now.’

‘Dad snores,’ she adds helpfully, collecting her hair tie from the table. ‘Not super loud, but kinda like a bear. A small one. But then you snore too, Isla, a little like this…’ She goes on to recreate the sound.

‘Thank you for that,’ I manage, pressing my lips together at Kit’s mortified expression. I know for a fact I’m bright red. ‘Goodnight, sweetheart,’ I add as she heads for the stairs.

‘Night, Isla. Night, Dad.’ She pauses at the bottom step. ‘Can we have pancakes for breakfast? Since Isla’s here? With chocolate chips?’

‘Bed,’ Kit points. ‘Before I change my mind about that new video game.’

She scampers up the stairs, leaving us in a silence charged with everything we haven’t said.

‘So,’ Kit says after a moment, his voice rougher than before. ‘The couch, huh?’

‘Apparently it’s the gentlemanly thing,’ I tease, packing away the last of the Monopoly money.

‘About that.’ He moves closer, the space between us suddenly electric. ‘I’m not feeling particularly gentlemanly tonight.’

My mouth goes dry. ‘No?’

‘No.’ His fingers brush my wrist, a touch so light it might be accidental if not for the heat in his eyes. ‘But I’ll take the couch if you want me to.’

‘And if I don’t want you to?’

His gaze drops to my mouth. ‘Then we wait until Maisie’s asleep, and I show you exactly how ungentlemanly I can be.’

‘Promise?’ The word comes out breathier than I intended.

The corner of his mouth lifts in a smile that’s pure sin. ‘I never make promises I don’t intend to keep.’

Chapter Twenty-Three

KIT

The alarm goes at half four, same as always. I silence it before the second beep, muscle memory from years of not wanting to wake Maisie.