Page 63 of Enticement
Chapter Fourteen
Kit was sitting on the sofa playing video games when Evie arrived home. He had his long legs, encased in supple black leather, folded up before him, so that the controller rested upon his knees. Evie remained in the doorway to the lounge for several moments looking at him. It wasn’t specifically nerves that held her there, more a heartfelt desire to be able to read what lay beneath his outward visage. He’d blown into their lives like a whirlwind, changing everything, reshaping everything in new and interesting ways. She loved him for it, and no number of unfounded accusations changed that; still it struck her how very little she did know about him, and how secretive he and Ross had been over the past.
“Hey,” he said, spotting her. He patted the space next to him and offered up a welcoming smile. “Been out somewhere?”
“Molly’s, getting my nails done.” She took a tentative step forward, trying not to seem too uptight, and raised her hands to show him.
“Not bad.”
“Ross not back yet?” She went back into the hallway and took off her coat.
“He sent a text. Said he’s been called out to some farm to help deliver a calf. I figure he’ll be awhile. I stuck lasagne in the oven.” Kit came over to the lounge door and watched her pottering about at the bottom of the stairs. “Something on your mind?”
“No.” Evie sucked the end of her new acrylic thumbnail. It tasted vile.
“I’ll put the kettle on, shall I? I thought maybe you had a nice story lined up for me, since we’ve got a bit of quiet time together.” The way he said nice implied dirty.
She had a story, but not one he’d appreciate hearing. Evie left him to fix the drinks and sat down at the bottom of the stairs. Really she wanted to ask Ross about the allegation first. He wouldn’t outright lie to her face, even if he was being cagey. It seemed unbelievable that despite three years together he’d never mentioned that someone he knew from the village had vanished, even when they’d been desperately waiting for a house here. You’d have thought he’d want to be anywhere else. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure she knew Ross all that well anymore.
She gave a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them up, she found Kit knelt before her, holding two steaming mugs, with a liquid sheen of concern glazing his dark eyes.
“What’s up?”
When she looked down at the mugs to avoid his gaze, he rested his hand upon her knee.
“Evie? Did something happen while you were out? Did you run into Tony again?”
Hell, she’d almost forgotten Tony. Clearly he took Molly’s view of the situation.
She shook her head, and relief visibly washed some of the strain from Kit’s features. It came right back again as soon as she began talking. “I’ve been hearing things. Things about you and the past.”
Kit rubbed the tip of his tongue against his upper front two teeth. “Where’d you say you’d been?”
“Molly’s. Molly Dean,” she replied, taking one of the offered mugs.
Kit took a nervous slug from his.
“She says—”
He fell away from her, shaking his head. “Don’t. I know what she says.”
“But did you?”
Horror crept across his face, followed by waves of crushing disappointment, betrayal and distrust.
“Kit, I’m sorry, but you have to realize I want to know what’s going on. I kept hearing these whispers that you were a bad boy and I just thought you’d been the village teenage tearaway, but what Molly’s accusing you of is way more serious. I mean, what happened?” She stretched forward to grasp his arm, but he shuffled backwards out of reach. “Tell me, please. I’m trying not to judge. I just want to hear your version of events.”
He didn’t answer, just stared at her like a hunted beast.
Behind him, the front door swung open. Ross loomed up, his face cast in shadow. “What’s going on?” He dropped his work bag at his feet.
Kit remained silent.
“I asked about Sammie,” Evie stammered. “And why neither of you thought it important to mention her.”
Ross’s gaze swept between her hurt and Kit’s blanched expression. “Holy fuck!” he swore and pushed his hand into his hair. “I was going to tell you. There’s just never been a good time.”
“When the hell did you think was going to be a good time? Every bugger in this village seems to think he’s responsible for her vanishing and you were waiting for the right moment to mention it.”
