Page 12 of Crashing Into Me
He stopped swinging his ax and picked up a bottle of water. As he drank, he looked up at the window and winked at her. She ducked out of the way and instantly felt foolish.He just saw you, idiot. What was the point of that?She rushed down the stairs, whizzing by all the ornate picture frames and sconces, out the patio door, and into the yard.
The space was landscaped to the nines and still mostly green despite the weather change. Flowers still clinging to what littlelife they had left lined the lawn edge, and manicured hedges made up the rest of the greenery. A beautifully sculptured birdbath was in the middle of it all, although no bird in its right mind would use it this time of year. She stomped towards him in her flip flops, the cold blades of grass stabbing at her toes, making it very uncomfortable and reminding her she needed to go shoe shopping soon. Besides the black boots that pinched her toes, the flip-flops were her only other pair. He swung the ax once more, and the large chunks of wood fell into even piles on the grass.
“Hey!” She yelled and nudged him on the shoulder.
He spun around, his wet hair cascading down his face. The sun shone behind his head, so he looked like some angelic portrait you’d buy in an art gallery or some cheesy perfume commercial actor.
“What’s up?” he asked, breathless and smiling.
He dropped the ax on the stump again, and she watched as the sweat beaded down his neck and traveled to his chest. She forced herself to look at his forehead and dared not look into his eyes again. Lana was not in the mood for another “episode.”
“Why are you still here? Aren’t you leaving town?” she asked, focusing on his forehead. He frowned.
“No, I told you I was staying. Besides, I intend on keeping my promise to Rachel.”
At least he was trying to keep his word, but did he have to do it here?Kayden was moving his head around trying to lock eyes with her, and she avoided his attempts by looking everywhere but at him.
“You OK?” he asked, concerned, “Is there something wrong?”
He wiped his forehead, and she glanced up at him for a quick second.
“No, nothing’s wrong. Just stay in your corner and I’ll stay in mine, alright? I came up here for peace and quiet, and Iintend on getting it.” She turned to walk away, and the wind ripped through her sweater, causing goosebumps to appear on her neck. At least she hoped it was the wind. He grabbed her by the arm gently as she started walking away.
“Hey,” he held her for a second, and she froze, her stomach twitching in anticipation. She looked up at him this time, and her legs grew weak.
“I’m chopping the wood for a fire because it’s gonna be one of the coldest nights we’ve had in a while. Perhaps we can get to know one another, instead of avoiding each other the entire time?” he asked.
Here we go again. He looked so sincere —no smugness or arrogance detected —so she nodded in agreement.
“Will it get you to leave me alone for the rest of my vacation?”
“Perhaps.”
“Then I’ll be there,” she replied and turned to walk away, but he still held on, and she looked at his hand, then back up to him.
“May I have my arm back?”
He smiled and loosened his grip, and she headed for the house. She wondered if he was watching her leave, but fought the urge to turn around to see. Once she was back inside, she closed the patio doors and looked over her shoulder at him. He stood there, still watching with his hands on his hips, and their eyes locked again. He gave her another wink, and she turned away from him, focusing her eyes on the couch, and couldn’t wait for the fire. The loud crack of the ax resonated through the house, signifying he had returned to his task at hand.
She quickly stole another glimpse of him while he wasn’t looking. A faint smile crept onto the corners of her mouth as she walked back up the staircase and was very interested in learning what he would reveal about himself, if anything at all. It would definitely be an interesting night one way or another, but her expectations weren’t very high.
AFTER EATINGTHE delicious chicken pot pie from the night before in her room, Lana decided it was time to go downstairs and face the music. She’d spent most of the day up there since their earlier encounter in the garden and was ready for some human interaction. The hallway connecting the two rooms on the second floor was dimly lit, and she could see that the door to Kayden’s was cracked a bit. She slowly walked down the hall and couldn’t help sneaking a peek as she passed when he opened it.
She could see his bathroom door was open behind him, and the warmth of the shower steam and aroma of his cologne slapped her firmly in the face.
“Ready?” he asked, drying his hair with a towel, and her stomach tightened that familiar way again.
She nodded and quickly moved down the stairs ahead of him. Every step her feet took, one of his would follow, his smell engulfing the small corridor of the stairway. Once she reached the bottom, the entire house was beautifully lit by the fireplace. The recessed lights throughout the house were also dimmed to a very low level, creating a warm, sensual atmosphere. Through the windows, the sun was just beginning to disappear under the treetops, with dark purples and pinks of sunset drenching the sky.
The scene before her looked like a romantic diamond ring commercial where the guy eventually dropped to his knee and asked the giggly, overly happy girl to marry him. Lana reached over to the wall and turned the dimmer bright, changing the illusion to the way the house normally looked. Feeling the heat from his body up against her back, she felt tingly all over andwent into the kitchen, where breathing would be a little easier. She no longer trusted herself around him, not since the elevator incident earlier that morning.
“Why’d you turn the lights on?” he asked, “What’s the point of lighting the fireplace?”
He reached for the dimmer switch and turned it completely down. The shadows and flickering from the fireplace illuminated the house instantly.At least he’s wearing pants this time. No shirt, though, of course.Only pajama bottoms, which were sitting low on his hips, exposing the band of his Calvin Klein’s. She averted her eyes to the cold slab of granite on the kitchen counter, feeling herself get distracted already.
Kayden walked into the kitchen and reached for the double doors of the refrigerator, and she instinctively took a step away. Smirking at her unease, he pulled out a bottle of wine, and she rolled her eyes.
“Are you serious?” she asked.
