Page 230 of Midnights
Kane raises an eyebrow, and I can see the amusement in his dark eyes. “High standards you’ve got there,Princess.”
“It’s strange,” I admit, smiling. “I've never really talked about this with anyone before. It’s just not… something that’s ever really come up.”
His lips curve into a genuine smile, and there’s a warmth in his eyes that makes me feel too much.
“I’m glad you’re sharing it with me.” His voice sounds sincere. Then his lips twitch, and that familiar cocky spark flashes back. “But if you keep sharing stories like that, I might have to start recording them. You know, just to have evidence that I didn’t imagine the whole thing.”
I roll my eyes, laughing despite myself. “Too bad you didn’t think of that sooner.” My eyes narrow, pointing between us. “This never happened.”
He leans in slightly, “Can I ask you something else?”
I glance at my wrist, looking at the watch I don't have. “Oh, yeah, look at that. Question time is over. Guess I better be heading back home now. My new friends are waiting for me.”
He tilts his head, one brow arching skeptically. “Friends?”
I shrug, looking away, trying to hide my sudden embarrassment. “All the animals that hang around the house,” I mumble, lifting my chin and meeting his stare head-on. “Don’t be an ass and assume that you and Cam are the only friends I’ve made since being here.”
His laugh rumbles out, smoothing the edges I swear never soften. Of course it makes him hotter—because I needed that. God, he should do that more often.
“I’ll answer your question,” I pretend to smooth out my dress. “But only if you stop laughing at me.”
His laughter cuts off and all the teasing is gone, replaced with something sharper. His fingers brush the necklace at my collarbone, and the touch goes straight through me. Naturally, I forget how to breathe.
“This,” he murmurs, keeping his voice low and threaded with something I can’t place. “It suits you.” His fingers linger just a second longer before pulling back. “Where did you get it?”
I hesitate, but my hand instinctively lifts to touch it. “I’m not really sure where it’s from,” I admit. “It was in the box I got after my grandpa passed. I haven’t really taken it off since. I’m assuming it belonged to my grandmother, but no one ever told me.”
His eyes lift from the necklace to meet mine, and it’s like he’s not just listening but dissecting every word.
“Sounds special.” His tone is gentle in a way that feels entirely too intimate.
Desperate to regain some control of my thoughts, I turn to the nearest bookshelf, dragging my fingers over the spine of a book. I force myself to look at him, lifting my chin with a defiant edge to my voice. “So, do you even have time to read? What kind of books does a guy with six jobs even like?”
Kane leans against the bookshelf, and his posture is deceptively casual. His eyes, however, track my every move.
“First of all, I don’t have six jobs,” he drawls. “I own six companies.”
I huff out a laugh, pulling a book off the shelf, pretending to be interested in it. “Of course, you’d say that.”
His hand reaches out to tilt my chin up, and his other hand rests on the bookshelf behind me, blocking me in. I suck in a breath at the sudden shift in his expression because all the teasing warmth is gone, replaced by something darker.
“Princess.”
The word rolls off his tongue like a secret meant just for me. It wraps around me, making my thoughts scatter, and I know without a doubt that I want nothing more than for him to kiss me.
“Hmmm?” The sound barely escapes my lips, but I can feel my body leaning closer against my better judgement.
“You can argue with me in a minute,” he says, his voice dropping to a dark rasp. The space between us evaporates, and his eyes devour me. “I’ll remind you later, if you need it. But right now…I'm going to kiss you.”
My heart lurches into a full on sprint, and my body starts buzzing with anticipation. His words hang in the air, heavy and impossible to shake. Then he leans in—so fucking slowly, and my heart forgets how to function.
When his lips finally crash into mine, it’s like the world shifts. The kiss is firm, but laced with restraint that makes every nerve scream louder. My body melts without permission and my fingers curl against his chest. Of course, that's when he pulls away.
He takes the book from my hand with lazy confidence, sets it on the table, and leans against the shelf across from me, with his arms folded over his broad chest. His eyes hold a spark of challenge that makes my pulse race all over again.
“Was that so hard?”
I fold my arms, arching a brow. “Why do you keep calling mePrincess?”
