“Sounds good. I will text you sometime this evening with the days and times I am free.” He paused for a minute and looked down at the floor. “So you and Kane, huh?”
I started at him for a minute, what kind of question was that? “Um, I’m not sure what you mean?” I was truly puzzled as to why he would even bring it up. Sure he had tried to “warn” me about Kane’s past indiscretions, but I was a big girl and could handle myself.
“Nothing. I just thought—ya know what? Never mind. I’ll talk to you later, Kelsey.” Then he got up and made his way back to his seat.
When I looked at Jessi, she was starting at me. I shrugged letting her know I had no clue what any of that was about and tried not to think about it the rest of class.
Nate texted me later that afternoon letting me know that he wouldn’t be able to study at all through the week. Something had come up, and the only day he would have free would be Sunday morning. That was one of the days that Jessi wouldn’t be available, but considering we still had a lot left to do—and let’s face it, Jessi wasn’t a huge contributor to the project anyway—I agreed to just meet on Sunday and work with Nate. I would just catch Jessi up on everything before we were to meet again.
Kane had stuff to do that afternoon so I spent my time catching up on some reading. I had always loved reading. It was a passion I had gotten from my mom. As far back as I could remember she had been reading to me.
I was reading full-length novels but the time I was in middle school—not those momma type novels, but ones based for my age—but my mom would always read whatever book I was reading, no matter how juvenile they were to what she was used to reading, just so we could talk and gush over our favorite parts and the people we hated most in the books. After she died, I didn’t think I would ever be able to pick up a book again.
The first book I finished after her death, I had laid in bed and cried for hours because I didn’t have her to talk to about it. I wanted to know what she would have thought when the heroine of the book found herself in a situation she never thought she would have. And I wanted to know when the lead couple shared their first kiss, if it gave her butterflies like it did me.
Reading was something I had to slowly work my way back to. I knew I needed to continue reading, no matter if it did hurt every time I finished a book. It was something we had shared a passion in and it was one thing that could keep me close to her in a way.
So I spent the afternoon lost in a fictional world where no matter how bad things got, they always worked out in the end. Nothing like real life, but it was always nice to get away for a while.
I hadn’t noticed I had fallen asleep until I opened my eyes and found the dorm room in complete darkness. I blindly felt for my phone and slid my finger across the screen to unlock it. I had a few text messages and a missed call from an unknown number with a voicemail.
I decided to read the texts first. The first one being from Jessi letting me know she wouldn’t be back until sometime later tonight. The next was from Kane telling me how work sucked and all he could think about was me. He had to go to work at the bar and get everything stocked up and ready for the big game this weekend. Because he was working through the week helping them prepare for the large numbers they would have this weekend, he was able to have Saturday off.
I tapped out a quick reply to both of them, and then listened to the voicemail. It was weird because I never got unknown number calls. Maybe it was a telemarketer and the voicemail would be asking me if I wanted to subscribe to their home security system.
After putting in my passcode I listened to the robotic female voice tell me I had one new message. I pressed one to hear the new message but there was nothing there. Only the slight muffled sound of breathing that lasted a good minute or so before I heard a raspy chuckle and a click. I didn’t recognize the voice but it had sent chills down my spine and I immediately erased the message and went for a shower.
After my shower I was sitting at my desk in my pink robe, contemplating ordering a pizza when there was a knock at the door. I slowly made my way across the room, still leery after that creepy voicemail. I slowly pulled back my door just enough to peak at who was on the other side. Sighing with relief, I drew the door the rest of the way open and took in Kane standing there in a black wife beater—which left his tats on full display. He was wearing a pair of lighter jeans that hung low on his hips and he had his black ball cap covering a black bandanna and his trusted aviators perched on top of them. In his hands were two take out boxes.
I smiled and leaned against my door. “Thought you would be working late?”
He shrugged and returned my smile. “I worked my ass off to finish up early. Thought you might be hungry.”
Oh boy was I ever, and the smell coming from those tiny bags in his hands was enough to make me rub my chin and check for drool. I stepped back a little and motioned for him to come on in.
Kane came in and went and had a seat on my bed. After I closed the door I realized I had a boy … in my room ... all alone. And on top of that, I was standing here with said boy, wearing nothing but a fluffy pink robe. Automatically I clutched my already tightly closed robe just a little bit tighter.
Cleaning my throat I said, “Um, I’m just going to throw some close on.”
I rushed over to my dresser for some yoga pants and realized that I was going to have to get in my underwear drawer and actually pull a pair out in front of Kane. This could not get any more awkward if I tried. But just as I thought that, the pair of black panties I had been trying to discretely pull from the drawer got caught on something causing them to sling shot into the air and come crashing down right at Kane’s feet.
I stood there for a minute, not wanting to even glance over at Kane for fear that I would just drop dead of embarrassment right there at his feet, right beside my undergarments. I heard the bed creak and the heavy thumps of his foot falls. I closed my eyes tight; I didn’t need to see him to know that he was standing behind me now.
I felt his head lower, his rough cheek resting against the side of my head. “I believe these are yours.”
I slowly turn my head keeping my eyes tightly closed. When I finally found the courage to open my eyes, I was met with my black panties, dangling from one of Kane’s fingers. I slowly reached up and took them from his finger … I mean what’s the use in trying to hurry and snatch them away? The damage had already been done.
I clutched my panties to my chest and finally made eye contact with Kane. I could see humor in his eyes, but there was also something else there. Something that may have been lust? I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but I know that just that look from him had me feeling all kinds of lust—like to the umpteenth power.