Page 20 of Killian

Killian chuckled. “True, so there should be no nervousness between us.”

“Not with kissing, for sure.”

He tilted his head. “What would make you nervous?”

Celine met his gaze and knew he was teasing her. “When it comes to you, nothing.”Good Lord, did she just say that out loud?

“We can skip dinner,” he suggested.

“We’ll talk about this later.Afterdinner.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Killian replied. “Well, if you’re ready, we’d better get moving before we lose our reservation.”

“Of course. Just let me put this rose in the fridge then I’ll grab my purse and keys.”

“I’ll be right here.”

Celine placed the rose in the fridge, picked up her purse and keys, then walked back to him.

“I’m ready.”

“Alright, let’s go.” He opened the door for her, and once on the porch, he took her keys, locked the door, handed them back, then grasped her hand and led her to his truck. He opened the door for her and once she was seated, he walked around the truck and climbed inside. He certainly had manners and she couldn’t help but mention it.

Killian shrugged. “My parents raised us right. My dad still opens doors for my mother. He was a good example of how a man should treat a woman.”

Celine chuckled. “It’s too bad he couldn’t be a good example to my ex.”

“Didn’t he do that for you?”

“No. He’d walk out of the house before me, get in the car, and start it before I was even ready to go.”

“So, I’d say his parents weren’t good examples.”

“His father always gave me the creeps. He’d stare at me all the time which made Blaine’s mother hate me. Like I’d be interested in that man.” She shook her head.

“Some men just don’t do what they should. What happened that you broke up?”

“It’s a long story.”

Killian glanced at her and grinned. “I’ve got time.”

Celine huffed. “We met four years ago in my coffee shop back home. I thought he was nice. I suppose I should stop thinking. Anyway, I liked him and when he asked me out, I was more than happy to go. Most women go out with a man, hoping it will lead to something more. After a year of dating and falling in love, we moved in together and it all changed.”

“How? Was he abusive?”

She could hear the anger in Killian’s voice.

“Not with his fists, but he was such a control freak. I mean,obsessivecontrol. Everything had to be in the right place. Have you ever seen the movie,Sleeping with the Enemywith Julia Roberts?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Her husband was like that, but he would also hit her. Blaine never hit me, but he drove me crazy. There’s a part in the movie where her husband sees towels hanging on a rack and they’re not even, so he gets mad. All the cans of vegetables and soup had to face toward the front. Stacked neatly. That’s how Blaine was. If I happened to leave a cup in the sink, or God forbid, on a table. He’d go off. I was called a lazy bitch because I didn’t make everything perfect for him.” Celine shook her head. “One day, he came home and blew up. He said the place was a mess and I was too lazy to clean. The house was immaculate. Not one thing was out of place.I made the mistake of pointing that out to him and he picked up a glass vase and threw it at me. I moved just in time and it shattered when it hit the wall. He looked at me and said, ‘well, it’s not immaculate now’. Of course, that was my fault. By then I’d had enough. I’m not a clean freak. The place looked lived in, but that wasn’t good enough. Oh, and guess who cleaned up the glass from the vase? Yep, that would be me.”

“I don’t know how you lived like that.”

“I should have left him sooner,” Celine said. “My mother warned me that he might start hitting me, but I didn’t listen. I thought I could change him, but it was just wishful thinking. The next day after Blaine went to work, my father came by and helped me pack my things. I moved back in with my parents.”

“I’m sure your father wanted to make sure you were safe,” Killian said. “Did he like your ex?”

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