Page 19 of The Lightkeeper

I tried to swallow, but it felt like I had a sea urchin lodged in my throat, round and prickly and painful. While he was able to wash me off, my body was still recovering from the way his made it go haywire.

My heart continued to pound in my chest. My lips tingled like they were just starting to get normal circulation back. But the ache that started lower, that didn’t seem to be dissipating at all.

“I went there because I saw your hat that first day and the mug you always use, so I figured the coffee had to be good.”

“Or maybe it’s just the only coffee shop in town.”

I pushed my glasses higher on the bridge of my nose. “And while that might prompt you to get coffee from there, I doubt it would entice you to wear their branded paraphernalia.”

He turned, tucked his arms to his chest, and narrowed his gaze on me. “And how do you know what would entice me, Miss Cross?”

My mouth parted as it felt like all the air was suddenly suctioned from the room.Entice.What a poor choice of word I’d picked. My eyes dropped to the floor for an instant. “You’re right. I don’t,” I said, and then because I couldn’t stop myself, I added, “But I don’t think there are very many things that would.”

When I looked back at him, he tumbled with heat like storm clouds churning with lightning. “Well, you’re right about that,” he said, his voice growing rougher as his eyes did a quick, cold flick over me.

In an instant, that ache that gnawed inside me shriveled up so hard and so fast that I swore I felt it shatter. I’d never been attracted enough to feel a man’s rejection before, but I swore that was what this was. Which was odd because I didn’t realize there was anything between us to reject until it happened.

“Lou said I should ask about your art.” I forged on past the lump in my throat.What else was I going to do?I’d already gone off the deep end, so either I was going to let his surliness drown me or I was going to try to make it back to shore.

“Did she?” he said tightly and faced me, his eyes narrowing. “What else did she tell you?”

“That she has a twin. Frankie. And another older brother, Jamie.” I licked my lips. “Your name. Well, she called you Kit. Is it just Kit? Or is it short for Christopher?”

His jaw pulsed. “Short for Christopher.”

That fit. He’d turn every part of himself into something short and sharp if no one stopped him.

“Do you have any of your paintings here?” My eyes flicked to the locked bedroom; if he did, that was the only place they’d be.

“No.” His lip twitched. “I see my sister conveniently forgot to tell you that all my work is at my gallery in town… that she manages,” he said with a low rumble. “You’re welcome to call a taxi and go there if you want to see them.”

And leave him in peace went unsaid.

“Maybe I’ll stop by another day.” I brushed off the dismissal. “What do you paint? Sea creatures by any chance?” I let out a weak laugh. “I started to sketch some of these guys for my paper, but my art skills are sorely lacking.”

“Seascapes. Storms.”

I hummed and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, imagining what kind of style he had. Were his paintings dark and foreboding? Or were they storms on the verge of breaking?

“You’re going to be in here then for the day? Staring at your starfish?” His hard tone broke through my thoughts.

“Technically, the name starfish is a misnomer since they aren’t fish at all. They don’t have scales or gills or fins; they’re from a completely different order altogether, which is why we prefer to call them sea stars?—”

“You know what I prefer, Miss Cross?”

I blinked at him, guessing sheepishly, “Sea snails?”

His frown deepened. Clearly, he still wasn’t entertained by our priornudibranchconversation.

“Solitude,” he clipped. “Are you going to be inside all day, Miss Cross?”

I blinked at him and then nodded. “There’s not much I can do outside with the rain, but I’ll leave you in peace, I promise?—”

He barreled around me, his shoulder and chest brushing along my arm no matter how hard he tried to avoid it.

I spun just as he yanked his coat off the hook and threw it on.

“You’re going out there? In the rain?”All to avoid me?

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