Page 12 of Secrets Within Us

She paused briefly, “Well, wait until you try it to tell me if it’s good or not.” She answered with a coy smile as she looked up shyly from under her lashes, and even just a half smile as it was, it lit up her entire face.

No, the entire room.

She was breathtaking.

She had two deep dimples that formed when she smiled, and she completely shook my world upside down with them.

“I was just kidding, I’m a pretty good cook. You won’t get sick from it, I promise.” She said, her smile dropping self-consciously as I stood there staring at her like an idiot.

I shook my head, snapping myself out of it. “Yeah, no I got it. Let me get dressed and I’ll be right back.”

And with that, I walked out, trying even harder to get a grasp on myself.

Chapter 5 - Hadley

Confusion

He disappeared upstairs, shaking his head like I’d confused him.

He was the most frustrating man I’d ever met.

He was the confusing one!

I got all the food off the stove and onto plates, carefully carrying them to the table, trying hard not to drop them from my weakness as I replayed our conversation in my head, looking for clues about the mysterious man. When he came back down, he was in jeans and a fleece pullover. He stopped and let Dev out the front door on his way to the table, staying completely silent and unreadable.

“I didn’t know what you wanted to drink, but there’s fresh coffee in the pot if you’d like some.” I babbled stupidly.

Of course, he knew where the coffee was; it was his house after all.

My subconscious was a real self-loathing bitch sometimes.

“Sit down and eat Hadley, I’ll grab some coffee and be there in a second.” I cautiously lowered myself onto the chair at the small wooden table, as if his words somehow granted me permission.

He came out of the kitchen and sat across from me, instantly digging into his meal without caution. Even if I were the worst cook in the world, he bravely took a massive bite, risking an unpleasant taste.

He looked up, catching me staring at him quizzically as he chewed, before he grinned lopsidedly as he swallowed. It should be against the law for a man as good-looking as him, to scowl so frequently and smile so rarely. “It tastes great, thanks for cooking. But you don’t have to do anything. You should be resting.”

“I can handle it. I would, however, like to use your shower after breakfast if it’s not too much trouble.” Pausing briefly, “Oh yeah, did you find a bag of my clothes when you found me?”

“Yeah, I placed them in the laundry room when I brought you in because they were wet from the snow, and I wanted them to dry for you. They should be all set by now.”

“Thanks.” Once again, he finished eating before I did and quickly took care of the plates once I was done. Just as I was about to tidy up the dishes in the sink, he intercepted and stopped me in my tracks.

“Come on, I’ll show you where everything is in the bathroom and then you can shower while I clean up out here. I have to go outside and do some work around the property today, so I’ll be gone most of the day. Probably won’t be back in until dinnertime.” He stared pointedly at me, and I wondered what the shaggy dark hair around his temples felt like. “Just make yourself at home and relax, okay? Don’t do anything strenuous, especially if I’m not here in case you hurt yourself.” He continued, snapping me out of the mental sexual daydream I had no business having. “There are books all around the living room and quite the movie collection in the entertainment center. Just relax and I’ll cook dinner when I get back.”

He talked as he walked away down the hallway to the bathroom, so I followed silently. There were three doors at the end of the hall, one was open to the bathroom I’d used last night and this morning, and the other, he opened to a large laundry/ mud room off the back of the house where he grabbed my clothes for me. The last one though, he didn’t open or say what was in there, so I figured it was off-limits and didn’t ask. But I’d be lying if there weren’t red flags flying at my face each time I walked past the closed door.

He showed me where the toiletries and towels were in the bathroom and then excused himself without another word. In my short time with him, I quickly realized that Kip wasn’t a talker. He said what he needed to when the urge struck him, but he was more interested in speaking with body language and facial features than words most times.

I listened from the hallway as he got on his boots and gear and left the house, taking Dev with him. Leaving me truly alone in his space.

With my clothes in hand, I hurried to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I knew that staying still for too long would only invite unwanted thoughts. And I couldn’t afford to think, or I’d break down.

I hadn’t cried since I’d escaped. A few tears fell last night when I saw the damage done to my face, but that had been just the beginning of a very large tidal wave of emotions that was building inside of me.

So instead I stripped off the shirt Kip had given me and put it in a hamper in the room’s corner, turned the hot spray on in the shower, allowing it to get to the perfect temperature before I carefully stepped in.

The hot water cascaded down my body, providing a soothing sensation as I inhaled deeply as if it was the first breath I had taken in a week.

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