“You know, I bet I could take your mind off your worries.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, teasing.
He put the pan back on the stove and placed his hands on either side of me on the counter, his fingertips touching my outer thighs. “Yep.”
“Oh.” Shazam. I bit down on my bottom lip.
He reached up to gather my hair in a loose ponytail at the base of my neck, his forearms resting on my bare shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about how much I’d like to distract you. Thinking about it a lot.”
“Really?” I sounded a little too breathless. My mind scurried to come up with the right words to stop him, but I couldn’t seem to find any words at all.
“Really.” Kaleb’s hands slid down my arms, his thumbs tracing lines from my inner elbows to my wrists. Chill bumps formed on my skin and anticipation ripped through my system. I leaned back, bumping my head on the cabinet behind me.
Smooth.
He laughed, but it made me feel warm instead of embarrassed.
I got only warmer as he moved his hands to my face to hold my head still. I was kind of glad. I didn’t want to bump it on the cabinet again.
“You distracted yet?” Kaleb asked.
I was at a complete loss for words. I didn’t protest when he leaned forward at a snail’s pace, a breath away from touching his lips to mine. In that second I closed my eyes.
And saw Michael’s face.
I didn’t have to push Kaleb away. He stopped. We opened our eyes at the same time.
“I was afraid of that.”
“What?” I asked as I exhaled.
“Michael. And you.”
“How did you know? I mean, what are you talking about?”
He frowned, focusing on my face and slowly tracing his thumb along my jawline. “Listen. If this were purely physical, I’d be carrying you upstairs to look for an empty room. With your consent, of course.”
I think I squeaked. While Kaleb was ridiculously sexy, he was equally as terrifying. At least to me.
He laughed. “But it’s not just physical, which is confusing enough. There’s something between you and Mike, even if he won’t admit it.”
“No, there isn’t. There isn’t,” I protested when he narrowed his eyes.
“Do you feel something for him?”
“Maybe.” This time I banged my head against the cabinet on purpose. “I have no idea what. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Just let me know when you figure it out.” His hands still cupped my face. He leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on one corner of my mouth, keeping his eyes focused on mine. Then he whispered, with his lips still on my skin, “For a chance with you, I can wait.”
Michael picked that exact moment to walk into the kitchen.
Kaleb pulled away from me quickly, going back to the sauté pan as if nothing happened. Michael’s face was completely unreadable. I wondered for a second if he saw anything. Or cared if he had.
“Emerson?” His voice was empty of emotion. Too empty.
“Yes,” I answered, sliding down from the counter. I almost fell when my feet hit the ground, and would have if Kaleb hadn’t caught me by the arm.
“Sorry,” he muttered under his breath.