Page 103 of Just One Season
Somewhere at the table Richard is saying something to Ron, then to Kellen, but all I know is that this man next to me is picking a fight with my ex-fiancé to defend my honor.
And it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
Ron scurries off a minute later, declining Richard’s offer to have him join us. The added chair remains empty at the table.
We leave the restaurant after scarfing down the appetizers and engaging in twenty minutes of awkward small talk. Richard briefly shakes Atticus’s hand and ignores Kellen. He embraces me before striding quickly away. We don’t discuss the Ron incident.
There’s mostly silence on the way back to Mom’s. I fill her in on all the events and Mom’s appropriately shocked and appalled. Atticus crashes early. Kellen goes to talk to Bri and Ava in his room. I change into comfy sweatpants and a tank top and sink onto my bed.
It’s been a long day.
I finally have time to think about the three words that popped into my head earlier.
There is no room for me to fall in love.
I lay back on the comforter. I gotta talk myself out of this.
There’s a soft knock at my door.
“Come in,” I call softly.
Kellen walks into my room. My chest immediately pounds, and I scramble to stand.
“Hey,” Kellen says, stopping close to me. “I know it’s almost midnight, but I wanted to check on you. Are you okay? After that dinner?” He reaches out and places a hand on each of my biceps. His touch is warm and firm and gentle at the same time.
“Yeah. Thanks for what you did.”
“What’d I do?”
“You made me feel like I’m not crazy. You defended me. You put Dad in his place. Told off Ron. Made me feel…” But I don’t know how to finish. Kellen’s moving his hands slowly down my arms. His fingers leave a tingly trail, and my body warms in response.
“Made you feel what?” His eye are bright. I move forward and wrap my arms around his waist and rest my cheek against his chest.
“You made me feel good.”
Kellen’s chest is warm, covered with a thin t-shirt. His heart pounds against my cheek.
“Did we do what we needed to?” He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head, letting his lips linger.
“Yeah. We did it.”
Kellen rubs my back, and I close my eyes.
I’m falling for Kellen Bassey.
Shit.
I pull back and look up at him, pressing my body against his. I’m suddenly extra aware of the thin layers of clothing between us. Nothing stopping us from being together. A repeat of the night in Wyoming.
But is it really the same?
“Lucy,” he says.
“Yes?”
Then Kellen leans his face down and presses his lips to mine, leaving one hand around my waist and moving the other into the back of my hair, burying it in my curls.
It feels like the first kiss, but it’s not. Not even close. Electricity runs between us, but we take our time. Small kisses turn into longer ones. Mouths open and our tongues connect. I run my hands up his chest and want there to be less between us.
