Page 138 of Midnights
I reach for the door handle, but his sharp look stops me cold.
“Don’t touch that door.” His voice is firm, leaving no room for argument.
In one fluid motion, he swings it open, stepping aside just enough to let me in. His face gives nothing away, but there’s an urgency in the way he moves.
Sliding into the passenger seat, I glance over as he shuts the door behind me, then moves around to the driver's side.
The second he’s in, his eyes are on me. “What happened?” His tone is level, but it’s laced with restraint.
The look on his face catches me off guard, he looks ready to dismantle something with his bare hands if I give him a reason to. And when I still don't answer, he starts to drive out of the parking lot.
“Nothing happened.” I lift a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “I just didn’t feel like hanging around waiting for a ride with him. My phone was being weird, and I couldn’t find a driver.”
I pause, then smile. “Though, I think you’ve got some competition in the tour guide business. He offered to show me around.”
Kane doesn’t take the bait. He doesn’t even look at me. But his grip on the steering wheel tightens.
“Competition, huh?” His voice dips, low and edged with something darker. “I doubt he could keep up.”
I bite back a laugh, but I don’t let him off the hook that easily. “Maybe I should see if his castle is better than yours,” I tease, stealing a quick glance at him.
His jaw clenches, and I swear the air in the car shifts.Oh my God. He’s jealous.
“He was harmless,” I add, though I can’t help but enjoy this a little more. “It wasn’t as terrible as I thought it’d be. He even offered to take me home, but you said to text you if I needed anything, so I figured it would be safer… considering I know you better.”
I trail off, suddenly hyperaware of my own rambling.
Heat creeps up my neck, and I resist the urge to bury my face in my hands. If I keep talking, he’s going to need his car detailed from all the word vomit I’m getting everywhere.
Silence stretches between us.
When he finally looks over, his expression is unreadable, but his dark eyes hold something intense. Like he’s wrestling with a thought he refuses to say out loud.
He watches me for a beat too long for someone who’s driving, and I swear my heart skips under the weight of his stare. Then, he shifts his attention back to the road, flexing his hands against the wheel.
The corner of his mouth lifts slightly, and it somehow feels both teasing and dangerous. “Good choice.”
I roll my eyes but don’t bother fighting the smile tugging at my lips.
“I guess you’re lucky I was in the area then.”
My curiosity flares.What exactly were you doing in the area, Kane?But before I can ask, my phone starts ringing.
I swipe to answer, bracing for impact.
“Hey,” I say, holding back a sigh. “Yeah, I'm okay. Uber was being weird, so I'm with Kane.”
The moment I say his name, Rachel’s rapid-fire questions come in hot. I pull the phone away from my ear, wincing at her volume.
“Yes, we’re still going. And, no, I'm not talking about that right now. Bye.”
I hang up before she can argue, putting my phone back on my lap.
When I look at Kane, he's watching me again, but something flashes across his face. Before I can place it, he shifts his gaze back to the road, but the question lingers between us.
“Wait,” I blurt, the words slipping out. “What were you doing in the area? Hot date?”
The second it’s out, I want to take it back.A date? In the middle of the afternoon? Really?
