Page 12 of Dead to Sin
“What? Back to your house? How are we getting there?”
“We’re walking, sweetheart.”
I stared at him like he’d grown an extra head. We were at least three miles away and the rain was now coming down in buckets. My eyes burned from my mascara melting off and dripping into them.
“Unless your phone isn’t also still in the car. Because mine is.”
It was, and he could see my answer written all over my face.
A little over half a mile later, we’d made our way into the part of town where the roads were more rural and the shoulder disappeared. With each step, my boots squelched and sucked at the mud, leaving deep imprints in the earth. The wetness seeped through my socks, causing blisters to form on my ankles and calves. I winced with every movement and began to limp.
Kiernan noticed. “Are you good?”
Absolutely I wasn’t.“Yep. Fine.”
We walked in silence for a few more steps. “Indie. You’re limping. Are you hurt?”
I pulled his jacket tighter around me. “Nope,” I said, popping the P dramatically. It wasn’t like I had any other choice but to walk, so I wasn’t about to complain the whole way. We were both miserable and getting wetter by the minute.
“Your shoes?” he pressed.
“I’m not limping.” I insisted, clearly limping.
He stopped and grabbed my arm, pulling me to a halt before he crouched down in front of me, his hands firmly on my hips ashe forced me onto his back. I didn’t have time to protest before he looped his arms through my legs, holding me tightly against him.
His scent was intoxicating. Every step he took bumped my body against his strong back, making me hot despite the chill of the rain. My cheeks flushed. I was glad he couldn’t see my face.
I thought about wiggling away from him, but I didn’t have much fight in me at this point. My feet felt so much better already.
“How do you know you’re not feeling all sorry for me and carrying me like a princess to our destination when I just couldn’t walk straight from being fucked too hard last night or something?” I asked, toying with his glasses that were peeking out of his drenched shirt pocket.
A muscle feathered in his jaw and I wondered what else I could say to make it happen again.
“You weren’t walking funny when I picked you up.”
“Hmm. True. My life’s not that fun or interesting.” Understatement of the century. I wasn’t about to tell him I hadn’t been with anyone since him. “It’s the shoes.”
He huffed a laugh. I felt him relax a fraction before readjusting me on his back and holding me tighter against him.
I resisted the urge to lay my head on his shoulder. I could probably get away with it. Use the excuse that I was just trying to keep the rain out of my eyes. But being this close to him was dangerous enough without me trying to cuddle him.
It was nice, regardless.
The remaining miles passed in no time. I was super impressed he didn’t seem to be out of breath when he maneuvered me around his body and set me on the step at the back door of the funeral home. I knew this door led into the living quarters, and I was suddenly anxious to be in his space,and a little sad knowing this would be the first time I visited and Sammy wouldn’t be there.
His tattooed hands came up to cup my face and he ran his thumbs under each of my eyes, wiping away the mascara staining my cheeks. The act caught me by surprise, but it was over quicker than my brain could even register what was happening.
He stepped around me to unlock the door. “Let’s get you inside. You’re shivering.”
Was I?
Because my insides were on fire.
As I entered the kitchen, a wave of cozy warmth washed over me. He gently removed my drenched jacket and hung it on the back of a wooden chair near the table. My shirt was translucent at this point and I pretended I didn’t notice that his eyes flicked to my chest for a split second.
There was that muscle twitch in his jaw again.
“I’ll grab some of my sweats and a t-shirt for you and you can warm up in the shower while I call a locksmith.” I tried to picture him in sweats and couldn’t seem to conjure an image. He was always dressed so neatly, but I wanted to see him otherwise.
