Page 68 of Free to Run
Phil chooses then to pipe up. “Speaking of that, Keene, I feel for you, man. She’s a hard negotiator. Always has been.”
Keene’s voice is laced with humor when he drops into my chair before pulling me into his lap. “Thanks, Phil. Right now, you’re not helping me though.”
“Oh!” Phil jumps up. “Right. Got it. I’ll send you an email, Ali. It’s just Jason and I have this thing he’s been planning for months.”
I rub my hand across my forehead from my perch on Keene’s lap. I can’t with him right now. “Fine. Whatever. Just go.”
Phil dashes around the desk to drop a kiss on the top of my head. Keene lets out a low growl. “Right. Sorry! Leaving. Bye!” And this time, Phil closes the door with him on the correct side of it—in the hall.
That’s when my head literally hits the desk with a thunk.
Keene is shaking with laughter behind me, stroking my back where it’s flattened out. “You’d be bored anywhere else.”
I wave a hand at him, shushing him, even though I know it’s the truth.
Still stroking his hand up and down my back, he asks, “Any preferences for our second date?”
I turn my head and gape at him.
“Because for me, it could be as simple as grilling on your back deck, watching a movie, or eating one of those freaking amazing hot dogs from that guy in Ridgefield.” Keene’s expression is thoughtful for a moment. “If we do one tonight and the other two tomorrow, then we’d be up to four dates. Then we’d just have breakfast left,” he muses.
I laugh, and then something remarkable happens.
Keene’s entire face changes when a smile breaks fully across his handsome face. This isn’t his trademark smirk or a grin. This is a smile that shows his teeth, lifts his cheeks and crinkles the corners of his eyes. It transforms his face from a dark cloud, and it causes my heart to thump erratically in my chest. I knew I was in trouble before, but until this moment, I didn’t realize just how much.
“No answer? Good. I’m taking silence as agreement,” he declares. He pulls me up from my flopped-over position and readjusts me in his arms. I gasp at my heart righting itself in my chest. Keene’s face becomes more charged, more alert. “Alison? What is it?”
My mind is racing. When did it happen? What changed? When did he slide in? When did I surrender to feeling…more for Keene, when I swore my heart wasn’t going to get involved with anyone, ever? How did I unknowingly give power over to a man who might be as damaged as I am?
The lashes of my eyes graze his cheek as I close my eyes in defeat. It doesn’t matter if it’s one more date or four. This man is indelibly written on my soul.
“Nothing. It’s nothing. Just tell me, who’s actually doing the cooking?” I counter lightly.
Keene laughs as he squeezes me. My heart clenches.
God, what am I going to do if it all ends?
28
Melody
Why the hell isn’t he at Hudson? I’ve wasted my time there the last few days, but none of my contacts would tell me a damned thing until yesterday.
He’s withherin Connecticut.
Fucking cuddling in her office.
I could send a bullet right through her window, taking that smile right off her face.
I want to blow that building, and every occupant in it, sky-high.
But no, Keene wouldn’t like that. His sister is in that building. Think about what your man wants for once, Melody, and you might not be in this predicament.
Picking up the binoculars next to me, I see him lower his face down to her. He’s brushing his nose back and forth across hers, his look tender.
He was never tender with me.
“Argh!” I cry out.
