Page 20 of A Storm of Nightmares

“I need to check the grounds. Rick could still be lurking around somewhere, hiding. I have to make sure he can’t get to you.”

“No, please! Don’t leave me alone. I-I can’t be alone.” Fear is pulsing through my veins at a frightening rate. The only place I feel safe is in Keith’s arms. His presence alone sets my mind at ease. My arms tighten around him, silently begging him to stay with me. “Please,” I mumble into his chest.

I feel his arms tighten around me as well. “Ok.” I lean back to look at him.Ok?As if hearing my question, Keith adds, “I’ll stay with you until the security company calls. Once I know exactly what happened, I’ll figure out what to do next. But we’re waiting in the surveillance room, with the door locked. Rick could easily be just outside. I’m not taking any chances.” Relief floods me, and I can feel my lungs relaxing. I’m able to breathe again.

Keith slowly unwinds his arms from around me and stands. He reaches out his hand for me, and I grab it quickly before he can change his mind about not leaving my side. He guides me out of the living room and down the hallway, the whole time his thumb drawing small circles on the back of my hand. The simple gesture nearly brings tears to my eyes again.

In the middle of this crazy, frightening storm I seem to be stuck in, Keith is the calm eye. He is what I need. Is it too soon for me to love this man? I try to tell myself yes. It’s only been a week. But somewhere, deep down inside of me, I know that time doesn’t truly matter.

I’ve spent the best week of my life with Keith, and despite the circumstances, I wouldn’t take it back. He’s kind and patient and gentle, yet firm and playful and incredibly sexy. He seems to be the full package if such a thing did exist. I know he’s got demons. His parents’ death plagues him, as well as the mistakes he made after. But I don’t see him as flawed or broken. If anyone is, it’s me.

My thoughts are interrupted when we reach the surveillance room. We enter, him after me, and I take a seat at the metal table. My backside is quite tired of the hard chairs. Hopefully, we can find Rick soon, and I never have to sit in this room again. Or at least I could get some seat cushions, for crying out loud. I swallow. That’s assuming I’ll still be here after we find Rick.

I guess after a week of bliss, I had assumed I’d stay here, but Keith hasn’t mentioned our future at all. Maybe he doesn’t want me to stay. He’s said he likes me, but a part of me fears he’s pitying me, and once we find Rick and hopefully Betty and my life isn’t in disarray anymore, Keith may not want me. I need to try to casually bring this up, although I don’t think now is the best time. Keith’s mood has been heavy since the rock incident. I can’t read him well enough yet, so I don’t know if it’s anger, fear, anxiety, or a mix of them all.

I hear beeping and turn to look at where it’s coming from. Keith is punching numbers into some screen next to the door. After a few more digits, a female voice sounds in the room. “Your room is secure, sir.”

I bite my lip to stifle my laughter. Keith must see the expression on my face because his appearance softens, and his beautiful lips turn up in a small, shy smile. He starts to walk towards me. Once he’s seated directly in front of me, I decide I can’t help myself any longer. “Sir?” I ask with a smirk, not at all trying to hide the amusement in my voice.

He opens his mouth, closes it, and then opens it again. “I never thought anybody else would be locked in here with me to hear that.” He shrugs his shoulders while a slight blush creeps up his neck. His explanation and obvious fluster is too cute, and I erupt in laughter.

“Are you making fun of me right now? After all that’s just happened, how can you still be so...” His voice trails off, and I stop laughing. Oh, no. What could he possibly be thinking of me right now? This is obviously a serious situation, someone is threatening me, and I’m laughing like it’s just another day. He must think I’ve lost my damn mind.

Keith surprises me, though, by taking my hand in his across the table. “You continue to amaze me, Kat. You should be scared out of your mind, and yet here you are laughing at my expense, yet again, and it’s the most wonderful sound I’ve ever heard. I’m in awe of your sheer strength.”

Oh. That is not what I expected him to say. My cheeks warm, and I just know I’m turning a deep crimson. If only Keith knew I wasn’t strong. I’m only a coward, pretending.

Chapter 11

I thought for sure Keith was in a horrid mood, but it seems like I was wrong. Or his attitude changed suddenly. Either way, he’s looking at me like he’s the happiest man alive right now.

We’ve been locked in the surveillance room for about half an hour already. No call yet from his security company. I’ve never had the kind of money to have security, but the way today has gone, I’m not at all impressed by them and their fancy cameras. I cringe thinking about how much worse things could have gone.

Rick wasn’t caught sneaking onto the premises, and he could still be outside somewhere.So much for our plan to lower defenses and trap him.I roll my eyes at our ridiculous plan. At least I’m safe in here with Keith. I look over at him. He catches my gaze and smiles.

I guess now is as good a time as any to bring up our future and what’s in store. I feel my heart rate quicken nervously. I can do this. “So, what happens once we find Rick? I mean, where do we go from there?”

“I can think of a few things I’d like to do to that psycho. But I suppose we’ll have to see how everything plays out. If the cops can get to him before I can, he’ll rot in prison. If I get my hands on him first... who knows.”

Gosh, are all men this oblivious? Maybe I just wasn’t clear about what I was asking. I couldn’t care less what he or the cops do to Rick. In fact, there’s plenty I would do to him if I were given the opportunity. Slow, drawn-out torture comes to mind. I take a breath and clear the dark thoughts from my brain. “No, I mean, where dowego from there? You and me.” My voice is small and shy. I’ve never been so nervous in my life. Not even in the third grade when Betty forced me to join the talent show with her, and I froze on stage.

Keith scrunches his face up like he’s considering my question. “I really like you, Kat. If I’m not arrested for beating Rick to a pulp, then I’d like to continue this.” He gestures between the two of us. That was a less-than-romantic statement, but I suppose I’ll take what I can get. I don’t know what to say in return, so I smile and nod. It’s like when you’re a child, and your parents tell you to just be polite at your birthday party when you open a gift you don’t actually want. Just smile and nod. “What do you want for us after all of this?” Keith asks, probably trying to probe for information, so I stop smiling and nodding.

I have no idea what to say. I bring my hand up and slowly trace my finger along my bottom lip, remembering how his lips mold to mine so perfectly. Keith likes me. But just earlier today, I was thinking that I might love him. Those are two different feelings. I don’t want to say anything that might freak him out, especially when we’re locked in here and he can’t run back to his room if I make him uncomfortable.

Our eyes lock, his blue ones searching mine for answers. “I think I would like to stay here, with you.” I’m shocked at my own boldness. No more shy Kat, I guess. “I know it’s only been a week, and I’ll stay in the guest room, of course, and you don’t have to keep sleeping in there with me. It’s just that...” I pause to find the words. “I’m tired of feeling alone. And you make me really happy. This week has been pretty great, and I want to continue getting to know you when all of this is done. Given you’re not locked up in jail.” I try to joke, but I don’t know if it sounds convincing. I’ve just laid it all out there, and I kind of want to vomit.

Keith’s shoulders visibly relax. I hadn’t realized how tense he looked before. “Good. That’s what I want, too. I don’t want to go back to living in this oversized house by myself. I love waking up next to you, and eating every meal with you, and hearing you laugh every single day.” He reaches his hand up and caresses my cheek.

I lean into his touch, reveling in his warmth. “I just didn’t want to freak you out by saying all of that, but this is what I want, Kat.” He leans closer and stops just inches from my face. His smell is intoxicating, and I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath of him. Instinctively, I tilt my head up towards him, and our lips meet.

In a split second, we’re all lips, tongues, and heavy breathing. I’m suddenly sitting on Keith’s lap, having climbed onto him without thinking, and my fingers are tugging at his soft hair. His hands are resting on my hips, his fingers lightly digging into my skin. My blood is heating up, and the butterflies in my stomach have multiplied. I can easily let this go further.

Heaven knows how badly I’ve wanted this for the past few days, but in the surveillance room? There’s no bed, couch, or even comfortable chairs. Just these stupid, hard, cold, metal ones that have made my butt numb too many times to count. This isn’t romantic. Not that I’m necessarily a girl who requires being wined and dined, but I still want my first time to be... special?Gross, that sounds so cliché. It’s not like you ever forget your first time, so I guess the where doesn’t really matter. And I don’t have a doubt in my mind that anywhere with Keith would be special.

My tongue is still intertwined with Keith’s, all the while my brain is trying to make this big life decision. We haven’t even hadthe talkyet. Do people even do that anymore? Or do they just sleep together without a conversation about what it means? I don’t want Keith to think this is something casual. To me, sex means something. I need to just talk to him, tell him I’m a virgin, and we’ll go from there. I’m getting myself all wound up, and Keith seems to be able to tell. He pulls away, panting sexily.

“You ok?” He asks between ragged breaths. His hands loosen their grip on me, but he doesn’t take them off of my hips. I reach my arms around his neck and clasp my hands together behind his head. I hadn’t planned on bringing this up in the middle of a steamy make-out session.

---