Page 14 of Blue Embers
“I’ve enjoyed your company in the small increments I’ve had it and I regret that you’re clearly in pain over the matter of your sister.”
“Well, you’re not the one who should be sorry.” I bit my tongue before letting myself rant. “But I’ve spent the whole day thinking about the issues I can’t fix. I would like to think about a few that I can.”
“Like what?”
Wonderful. I wasn’t sure if I could think of an issue. The museum exhibit’s progress had been going smoothly and aside from my sister, other aspects of my life were rather uneventful. Instead of saying something witty, I found myself awkwardly silent and unable to carry a conversation. I snickered at myself, covering additional embarrassment with laughter.
Looking back up at Killian, his eyes had softened to a brilliant, blue-silver. Sure, he smelled like vanilla, probably from the last girl he screwed only moments before coming to meet me, but it didn’t make him less attractive. I wasn’t loose and I wasn’t desperate, but he made me feel like I was both. Somehow the troubles weighing on my mind mixed with the late night, food, and Killian’s presence made me thirst for a bit of meaningless distraction.
I turned away, clearing my throat as I rose from my chair to grab a water bottle from a stack in the corner that was there for workers. I unscrewed the cap, taking a few swigs as if it would cool the heat that was swelling in my core. I was a lot stronger than this. I was certain Killian was used to women throwing off their clothes for him, but I wasn’t those women. I was an inspired, independent, hard working woman with a passion for far more than shallow, physical relationships. Then again...with my lifestyle, short bursts of physical relationships was all I really had time or desire for.
No,I told myself, taking another drink as I turned around to brave sitting back down at the table.Human men are one thing. Killian is a Draak and my boss. Killian...no...Mr. Valentyne isn’t on the table.
Of course, looking at the table as I sat back down in my seat, I could definitely see him on it.Dammit!I cursed myself for being so uncollected and chaotic. There was no chance that Killian didn’t sense it now. He had to know my hormones were screaming to rip off his clothes and lick him from head to toe. He raised another bite of food to his lips as he smirked behind his fork. Suddenly I was red with embarrassment again. He knew and it was entertaining to him. Thankfully, his amusement irritated me enough to gain some control over my sexual urges again. I pushed them aside and glared, stabbing my noodles with my chopsticks.
“What?” I asked.
“You seem flustered, Persephone,” he said, his eyes remaining down toward his food.
“That’s an understatement,” I muttered. “I’m just a little on edge. It’s been an emotional week.”
“I can imagine. Perhaps you need a little break,” he spoke, lifting his eyes toward me again, only this time they portrayed just the right amount of danger to drive me a bit insane.
I wished he’d kept his gaze diverted. A rush of startling heat zapped through me and I found myself hoping he’d just make a move so I didn’t have to ruin myself by being the initiator.
Instead, Killian’s lips shaped into the most tantalizing of grins. The color of his eyes moved ever so slightly like blue embers swirling in a pool of water. I held strong, pulling a mask over myself to appear as unenticed as possible.
Smiling, I tilted my head with a curious stare and crossed my legs in as sexy a way as possible. I let my thighs slide together and adjusted my posture to sit more straight and confident. His gaze skimmed me, soaking in every detail of my demeanor, which made it even harder to restrain the annoying urges that were tickling my thoughts.
“This is my break,” I said. “Being here and not at home.”
“I see,” Killian nodded, leaning back in his seat as if accepting defeat, but I could only imagine how fun the pursuit was for him. “So we open in a few days. You’re not the least bit stressed about it?”
“Not at all. Everything is in order. It’s one thing I’m confident about. The stress comes with juggling my love for this with the hate I have over my sister’s condition.”
“I’m sure she’d want you doing what you love. Humans have a way of wanting people to care about their death while also wanting people they love not to be burdened by it. I can’t imagine your sister would want you to stop your life because of her.”
“She doesn’t, which is why it’s so hard. I wish everything stopped for a while so I could be with her while she’s still here, but…” I bit my lip, my blood flowing cold beneath my skin over the thought of my sister and only family passing. “I’m just waiting for the call,” I said heavily. “The one where they tell me she’s gone and I wasn’t there for it.”
Killian didn’t say anything after that. His eyes wandered down toward the table where my hands were resting beside my takeout container. Something in the way he looked at them made him seem as if he wanted to reach out and touch me. Like one would comfort a friend. Instead, he took a breath and cleared his throat, rubbing his brow with his thumb.
Now the sexual vibes were all but nonexistent with him like he’d suddenly lost interest. That was a good thing...or at least it should have been, but now I was wondering if my getting personal with him had made me seem too extreme. Perhaps he’d just lost a bit of respect for me. It was long after museum hours. I was far from being in a professional state of mind, but maybe I’d pushed a bit too far. Looking at him with his slight traces of unease now made me wonder if dinner wasn’t something I should have agreed to. I closed up the takeout box, setting my chopsticks down on the table as I stood.
“I should go,” I said as I waltzed toward my shoes by the steps.
I slipped them on, bending to pull the backs up over my heels. When I turned, Killian was there, so close I could feel the heat of his body. I gasped, startled by how silently he’d approached me. He looked at me with an almost unreadable expression, calm and observant, as he raised his hand to show that he was holding my phone.
“Don’t forget this,” he said in a near whisper.
I swallowed, unsure when I’d even taken it out of my pocket now. More than that, I didn’t know what I expected him to do before he handed me my phone. I wrapped my hand around it, my fingers lightly grazing Killian’s as I took it from him. Tiny sparks of awareness seeped through my skin as we connected, startling me internally, but I refrained from showing it. In fact, I was doing everything in my power not to be read by him, but I knew Draak and therefore I knew my efforts were in vain.
“Thank you,” I uttered, slowly sidestepping to get around his large form.
I started toward the doors, a bit guilt-stricken for leaving Killian there after such a brief visit, but I wasn’t sure what would really happen if I stayed. I was too vulnerable tonight and far too unlike myself to be around someone who was awakening parts of me I hadn’t seen in a while. Parts of me that were a distraction. I didn’t know if it was a good distraction or a bad one.
Stopping at the doors, I turned to face Killian, slipping my hands into the pockets of my dress. Killian slowly pivoted, looking at me with those deep eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I expressed. “For laying all my personal problems out. I’m not like this usually. I take pride in my control and ability to categorize parts of my life so they don’t interfere with each other. I’m sure you probably came here with this very casual and friendly Chinese takeout so you could get away from whatever problems you’re dealing with and I probably didn’t help. I’m not in the best position to be having worthwhile conversations, so I’ll see you tomorrow when I’ve collected myself.”
