Page 104 of Lies and Lullabies
After eating, I made sure to clean up Kira’s kitchen as best I could without knowing where everything belonged. I’d lived a wild life for a while now, one where dirty dishes didn’t really figure in. But I was ready to wash stacks and stacks of them if it meant more days with Kira and Vivi.
And then I was down to half an hour. I threw my things back into my duffel. The minutes ticking down made me feel edgy. I hated goodbyes. And Vivi felt it, too. She was galloping around, getting a little crazier than Kira wanted her to be.
Kira’s father sat on the ottoman and pulled on his shoes. “Vivianne, say goodbye to your dad right now, and I’ll take you out to the swings in the park for a while.”
She stopped twirling. “Really?”
“Really.”
Vivi marched over to stand in front of me. “Bye, Daddy.”
I scooped her into my lap. “Bye, sweetie.” She smelled like maple syrup and weighed less than seemed possible. “I’m going to call you guys, okay? And you can call me. We can use Skype, too.”
“’Kay,” Vivi agreed.
I gave her one more squeeze, and then she squirmed out of my grasp. “I’m going to the park now.”
“Okay,” I said, my throat prickling.
She wiggled into her sandals and went to stand by the door. I quickly shook Mr. Cassidy’s hand, and then the two of them went outside.
The door closed with a click.
I let out my breath and turned to Kira. “That was nice of your dad. He made that a little less stressful.”
She sat on the arm of the sofa. “It really was. And he isn’t known for being Mr. Sensitive. I don’t even know what to think.”
I reached up and took her hand, pulling her down into my lap. “I still have to say goodbye to you, though.”
“Yeah,” she said softly, running a hand through my hair.
I grabbed her hips, turning her until she got the hint and straddled me. I leaned back against the couch and smiled. “You don’t have to wait a half hour to kiss me goodbye.”
“That’s not how goodbye kisses work,” she whispered.
“It is if they last a half hour,” I argued.
She wiggled on my lap, bringing her body closer. “Is that so?” She leaned down and kissed me.
I smiled against her lips, because she smelled like maple syrup, too. “Mmm,” I said, deepening the kiss. And maybe goodbyes weren’t so bad after all. I trapped her bottom lip between my teeth, and Kira melted against me. One kiss turned into another, and then another.
I cupped her ass. “We’re alone right now,” I whispered between kisses.
“Not for long,” she panted. “Fifteen minutes, tops.”
“If you feel like I do right now,” I said against her lips, “then we only need about five. Put your arms around me, sweetness.”
When she did, I stood, lifting her. I carried her into her room, depositing her on the bed. Then I slid the door shut and made very good use of those last fifteen minutes.
Twenty-Six
Kira
My face still felt flushed as I tucked myself back into my clothing. I raked my fingers through my hair.
Jonas had never looked better. Sex-tousled hair looked natural on him, and I didn’t want to stop looking at him, ever. I could drink him in all day and never get enough. He jammed his hand into his pocket, bringing his phone out to check the screen. “The car is outside.”
Chin up, I coached myself. This was only a temporary separation. “I’ll walk you out.”
