Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
After dinner, Chastity and I clean up the kitchen. We told everyone else we would take care of it. To my surprise, Kane comes into the kitchen.
“You need something?” I wonder.
He winks. “Maybe. I figured you could use an extra hand.”
“You know what, I have to tell my mom something. I’ll be right back,” Chastity makes an excuse to leave us alone, closing the swinging door in the kitchen behind her.
Kane walks over to me and puts his hands on my hips. I wrap my arms around his neck before he leans down and kisses me. I get lost in his arms, pulling him tighter against me as his fingers dig into my hips.
“It’s really hard to be around you and pretend I don’t want to do this,” Kane says once our mouths separate.
“I know,” I sigh, looking up at him lovingly.
“Oh, Colt,” Chastity yells loudly. “Did you catch the Rangers game?”
Kane and I look at each other funny before realizing Chastity is trying to signal us that Daddy is coming. We quickly pull apart, and I grab a dish from the sink and begin washing it. Kane starts covering up leftovers just as Dad walks in.
“Hey, man,” he addresses Kane. “I was thinking – you should just crash here tonight. I know you don’t live far, but the snow looks pretty bad. Besides, you’re coming back here tomorrow anyway.”
“Alright, thanks, Colt,” Kane says.
“Renee?”
I turn around. “Hm?”
“Since when is Chastity a hockey fan?”
I can’t help but chuckle.
“I think she’s trying to find more things to talk to you about, Dad,” I tell him, wondering if he’ll catch my drift.
“What do you mean?”
“Colt, you really are clueless, buddy,” Kane laughs and so do I.
“Now I know how Chastity’s mom feels. Something about this kitchen makes people have private jokes.”
“It wouldn’t be a private joke if you’d figure it out,” I roll my eyes.
“Just tell me.”
“I can’t do that.”
Hinting around about Chastity’s crush on my father is one thing, but outright telling him about it is another.
The Coopers stay until ten p.m. before trudging home in the snow storm. The wind has picked up and can be heard ramming against the windows and the house. Every time the house rattles, I grin at Dad and Kane.
“Why are you such a weird girl?” Dad asks. “Most girls love Disney and mushy romances, not comic books and storms.”
“I like mushy romances and Disney, too,” I shrug my shoulders.
“Renee likes pretty things, and she likes to kick ass,” Kane chimes in. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Thank you, Kane.”
“Just don’t get a paper cut around her,” he concludes with a wink.
I roll my eyes as Dad and Kane laugh at my expense. The three of us clean up any remaining dishes before I announce I’m heading to bed. I hug my father good night before giving Kane a kiss on the cheek. The wind whistles violently and whips against the window in the kitchen, causing Dad and Kane to look alarmed.
“If you guys get scared of the storm tonight, I’ll be just a couple of doors away from you,” I taunt them.
I go through my nightly ritual of washing my face and brushing my teeth. Changing into a t-shirt, I leave my panties off and quickly get under the warmth of my comforter.
I must have drifted off to sleep because a faint knocking at the door jolts me awake. I shuffle to the door and open it to see Kane standing in the hallway.
“I got scared of the storm,” he whispers with a mischievous smirk.
I step out of the way so that he can enter the room while I rub my arms.
“Did I wake you?”
“I just took a little nap,” I wave him off, locking the door before kissing him.
“Have you opened your present yet?”
“No, I wanted to exchange our gifts together,” I say, running to my closet and pulling out the wrapped painting.
“Rey, I hope you didn’t spend money on me. You didn’t have to get me anything, you know?”
“I didn’t spend a lot. I just wanted to give you something special,” I tell him.
“Grab your present,” he tells me, and I reach into my nightstand for the small box.
“On the count of three?”
Kane nods, and I count it off before we both tear open our gifts. I lift off the top of the gift box to see a gorgeous bangle bracelet with a charm dangling from it. It’s an artist’s palette!
“Oh, Kane, I love it!” I grin at him, only to see him staring at the painting I’d made for him. “Is it too much?” I ask nervously. “When I sat down to paint, I couldn’t stop myself from creating us.”
Kane simply stares in silence.
“You don’t have to hang it up or even keep it…” I turn away to put the bracelet down.
Suddenly, I’m spun back around, and Kane has scooped me up before placing me down on the bed with him on top of me. He’s staring into my eyes as he softly rubs his thumb over my cheek.