Kane tipped my chin right back up. “I couldn’t have explained you any better. Embrace it,” he implored.
“I’m trying.”
He kissed my forehead. Like his actual lips touched my skin. It was searing yet comforting like a warm blanket. “You’re doing beautifully.”
It was silly to tremble and feel so flushed after a simple kiss on the forehead, but to me it was significant. It meant there was hope that maybe our lips would one day meet, even though I knew I would embarrass myself thoroughly if that ever did happen. At least I would be going out in style.
“Thank you, Kane.”
“For what?”
“Seeing me.”
“Believe me,” he said low, “it’s my pleasure.”
Amazingly enough, I believed him.
Duffy was back in no time with keys and paperwork. They obviously took the process seriously. I was surprised they didn’t ask for a virgin sacrifice before they let you take one of their cars on a test-drive. Maybe that’s why Kane brought me along. Except then he turned to me and said, “Sign here.”
“What?”
“You’re driving too.” He wagged his brows.
I faltered a bit. “Um . . .” I wanted to say, “You’ve seen me with my hand caught down my bra—do you really think I should be trusted with a car that costs as much as a condo? There’s a reason Auggie doesn’t let me drive his Mercedes and why I drive a nice, sensible Toyota.” However, with Duffy standing there, it didn’t seem like I should verbalize that thought. Instead, I saw myself signing and handing over my driver’s license, and before I knew it, I was in the driver’s seat.
I looked around in amazement at all the gadgets the car had, and I couldn’t help but stare at the red leather interior. It was kind of ridiculous if you asked me, but Kane was in awe of it, so I kept my opinion to myself. He was practically bobbing up and down in his seat, he was so excited as he went over every detail of the car as if he were the salesman.
“Start her,” he said in hushed tones, like we were at church.
With shaky hands, I did so.
Kane closed his eyes. “Do you hear that beautiful hum? It’s my favorite song.”
“Do you need a moment?” I teased.
Kane opened his eyes and smirked. “Are you making fun of me, Miss Armstrong?” he drawled. I loved when his accent came out. I wanted to bathe in his words.
“Maybe,” I giggled.
“Wait until we get this baby on the highway. You’ll be singing my tune.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to drive?” What I really meant was “Please, please drive.” I was so nervous.
“I will, but I want you to have the pleasure first.” He sounded so sincere, I wanted to enjoy it for his sake.
I took several deep breaths and pressed down the brake. I shifted into drive, thankful this model was an automatic. Kane preferred manual, as he said true sports cars only had manual transmissions; but since I’d driven a stick shift only once, and it wasn’t pretty, we went the safe route. He also believed sports cars should be red, as it was his heart’s desire, but we were stuck test-driving a silver one.
Slowly, I eased out of the dealership and toward the open road. Well, as open as roads in Atlanta get.
“Relax.” Kane rested his hand on my thigh.
That only made me grip the steering wheel tighter.
He popped his hand right off. “Do you not want me to touch you?”
“I want you to touch me,” I blurted too quickly and too loudly.
He chuckled and put his hand back.
Meanwhile, I sighed at my awkwardness, all while trying not to crash the ridiculously expensive car I was driving—that I could tell wanted to be driven faster. I swore I heard the car screaming at me to set it free.
Kane’s thumb brushed against the fabric covering my thigh, making my body zing. “Why do I still make you so nervous?”
“It’s not you, it’s me.”
“Well, I like you, so just be yourself and let loose.”
Letting loose for me was cranking up Enya and reading all night. “Exactly how do I do that?”
Kane didn’t laugh or make fun of me. He turned on the radio to a classic rock station, rolled down his window, and instructed me to do the same. My hair went crazy in the wind.
“Now relax your arms and lean back. Become one with the car.”
I settled back in the seat, which seemed to contour to my body perfectly.
“Take the next exit for the highway.”
“Okay,” my voice shook.
“You got this!” Kane assured me, yelling over the sound of the wind.
Hopefully. If not, Auggie had great insurance.
I turned on the blinker and checked my blind spot before moving into the turn lane. There was no turning back now. With trepidation, I eased onto the busy highway and carefully merged, staying with the flow of traffic, which was always insane. The car seemed happy for the additional speed, yet I could tell it craved more. I could relate to the car. There was something inside of me that was desperate to be let free, to test the limits of what I could really do.
For a small stretch there was a break in the traffic.
“Here’s your chance,” Kane yelled. “Speed up.”
For a second I hesitated, but I was tired of holding myself back for fear I would do something stupid. Or worse, that I would be seen. But somebody had seen me, and though that scared me, I wanted it more than anything. With that, I stepped on the gas, and the car said, “Finally.” A surge of excitement went through me as the speedometer ticked up.
“Yes!” Kane shouted.
Something took over, and I weaved in and out of traffic like a pro. The car demanded not to be behind anyone. Perhaps my dreams should demand the same. I’d never felt so powerful and in control as I was in this moment when I was one with the car. Sadly, Atlanta traffic had its say and came to a standstill. More than likely there was an accident up ahead.
When we came to a complete stop, I glanced over at Kane, who was gazing at me. “Thrilling, right?”
I nodded, still trying to catch my breath from the excitement of it all.
“You know what would be more thrilling?” Kane leaned toward me, his eyes piercing me. “Kissing you.”
I swallowed hard and gripped the steering wheel. The adrenaline from driving the car added to thought of Kane kissing me had me seriously buzzing. “Kane.” I licked my lips involuntarily, then remembered it was one of the steps I had written down in my notes.
He inched closer. The summer heat and humidity wafting in through the open windows had nothing on how hot Kane was making me feel.
“Yes, darlin’?”
“Um . . . I have to warn you that, um . . . well, the truth is . . . I’ve never really kissed anyone.”
He backed away with his brow furrowed. “Never?”
My face burned so red I had to turn away from him. “Well, I kind of did once. But I did watch a dozen YouTube videos today on how to do it right. I even took notes,” I rambled without thinking of how much lamer that made me sound.
He brushed back my hair, which was probably ten times bigger than it normally was due to the wind and humidity. “Scarlett,” he whispered so tenderly.
I turned toward him. Traffic still wasn’t going anywhere. “I wouldn’t blame you if you changed your mind about kissing me,” my voice cracked.
“I haven’t changed my mind, but it gives me some pause.”
I lowered my head. “Oh.”
“Scarlett, please look at me.”
I dared a peek at him.
“Will you promise me something?”
“Of course.” I would promise him anything.
“Promise me you will never do anything with me that makes you feel uncomfortable. And that you will always tell me if you feel like I’m pushing the limits.”
“I promise,” I whispered, feeling so overwhelmed by him. He was too good to be true.
“Put the ca
r in park.” He leaned in.
I did as he asked, completely mesmerized by him.
He took my glasses off and gently placed them on the dashboard before taking my face in his hands and drawing me toward him. We were so close I could smell the mint on his breath.
“You use the three-finger method,” I said, breaking the moment. I was an idiot.
He tilted his head. “Three-finger method?”
“Some guy mentioned it on one of the videos. He said if a man wanted more control, he should wrap three fingers behind the woman’s head and his thumbs should land on her cheeks.”
Kane grinned.
“I’m . . . ridiculous,” I trailed off.
“No, you’re innocent and wonderful.”
He inched closer, his mouth teasing mine.
I swallowed hard, not believing this was actually going to happen. “Should I turn my head a certain way?”
“Scarlett,” he whispered. “Close your eyes.”
Right. I forgot that step. My eyes drifted closed while I held my breath.
I felt Kane’s warm lips first on my brow, then my nose. He kissed each cheek and lingered there, his hot breath making me shiver. He tilted my head gently to the left before kissing the corner of my mouth.
I let out the breath I had been holding in a long, dreamy sigh.
Finally, Kane’s lips found my own. He barely brushed them, but I gasped from the pleasure of it. It was better than any sensation I’d ever experienced. That was, until his lips pressed against mine and his tongue invited my lips to part as if he was giving me the option. In that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted. My body instinctively did what Kane silently instructed it to do. As soon as I got a taste of him, I gripped his shirt, hardly able to contain myself. He tasted like unfathomable possibilities and strawberries and mint.
Kane’s tongue gently swept my mouth before he groaned and deepened the kiss.
My hands twisted in his shirt while the rest of me went weak.
Abruptly, his lips slid off mine.
My eyes popped open. “Did I do something wrong?”
For a moment he didn’t speak, only blinked a few times as if he were stunned.
I knew it. It was awful for him. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go of my face.
“Scarlett, you are more intoxicating than whiskey,” he breathed out as if he were trying to catch his breath.
“Really?” I smiled.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “I could easily get drunk off you.”
I certainly felt tipsy. My head was swirling, and I had a million butterflies in my stomach. It was the best feeling ever.
He lightly skimmed my lips with his. “We need to be careful.”
“Why?”
“Because you have no idea what you do to me. And I’m not going to be the one who breaks your teacup.”
“Do you still want to drink from it?” I couldn’t believe I had asked such a question, but that kiss had emboldened me. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him again.
“Deeply,” he groaned.
A car honked behind us, breaking us apart. Traffic had started slowly moving. I’d had no idea—for a moment only Kane and I had existed. It was a beautiful existence. More than I had ever hoped for. I grabbed my glasses and put them back on. As we started inching forward, Kane took my hand, and something in the way he held it felt different. Almost as if he didn’t want to let go.
I held on tighter, feeling exactly the same way.
Confessions of a Forensic Pathologist
I knocked on Naomi’s office door, holding a bag from our favorite deli. She’d called earlier this morning and asked if I could meet her for lunch. She’d said the sooner, the better. I knew she was stressed because she was currently working on a high-profile murder investigation, so I figured she needed a pick-me-up, which was why I had made sure to add frosted sugar cookies to the order.
“Come in,” she called.
I walked in to find her desk covered with stacks of papers and her room filled with white evidence boxes. This was my dream. I thought of all the times Naomi had brought me here and shown me what she could about the cases she was working on. I treasured the Knight’s Forensic Pathology book she had given me when I had turned thirteen. I’d read it and highlighted almost every page. I’d even bought the subsequent editions that had come out and done the same to them. I looked at her large freestanding whiteboard in the corner, covered with notes from her current case. Lines were drawn connecting pieces of evidence and timelines. Naomi had always told me to never discount even the tiniest of links. She said clues hide in plain sight.
Naomi took off her reading glasses and gave me a tired smile. “Hi, honey.”
I held up the bag. “I brought your favorite.”
“You’re the best.” She cleared away a small space on her desk so we could eat.
I took a seat across from her and began taking out her pastrami on rye and my grilled club sandwich. And, of course, the cookies. When I looked up, Naomi was gazing thoughtfully at me.
“You’re glowing.”
“I am?” I mean, I felt all lit up on the inside. Who knew that kissing could do that to you? I thought back to the good night kiss Kane had given me last night after our test-driving date. At first it had been sweet and tender, but then he’d backed me up against the front door and started ravaging my neck. It didn’t last long. He had abruptly stopped and took several steps back before apologizing for getting carried away. I hadn’t minded in the least. He made me feel alive in ways I didn’t know I could be. My heart had never pounded so hard, and he made my body tingle from my head to my toes.
Naomi reached for her sandwich, never taking her eyes off me. “You are. I hear you’re dating someone,” she said nonchalantly, though there were some heavy undertones to her words.
I sank back in my chair. Not only did I feel bad for not telling Naomi about Kane, but I still didn’t like that people were talking about me. “Who told you?”
“Your father.”
I sat up straight. “Auggie called you? On his honeymoon?”
Naomi dropped her sandwich and grabbed a pink frosted sugar cookie instead. I hated that she still loved my father. Worse, I hated that he loved her and let her go. What a different life I would have had if they had stayed married.
“He’s worried about you.”
“That’s why you wanted to have lunch with me?”
“Honey, I would love to have lunch with you every day. However, I did promise him I would talk to you.”
“You don’t think I should date Kane either?” I rubbed my heart. I couldn’t stand the thought that I would be disappointing her.
She tossed her head from side to side. “I didn’t say that, but I admit your father,” she growled, “makes some valid points.”
“Like what?”
“His age, for one.”
“Seven years isn’t that bad.”
“No, but you are so innocent.”
“I’m not a child,” I whispered.
“No. No you’re not. You’re a beautiful young woman, and your father knows that. I think that worries him more than anything.”
“I don’t know why he cares so much. Besides, Kane has been nothing but a gentleman.” I grabbed a cookie and took a large bite.
Naomi grinned. “You must really like him.”
I chewed and swallowed. “I do. He’s . . . well . . . he’s perfect.”
Naomi laughed. “Oh, honey, no man is perfect. But tell me why you like him and why you didn’t tell me about him.”
I twirled some of my hair. “I’m sorry. I wanted to, but it seemed too good to be true. Honestly, I still can’t believe that he likes me.”
“Why wouldn’t he like you?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t look him up and research him.”
She flashed me a guilty smile. “He’s very handsome and accomplished.”
“Definitely not my type. Though, honestly, I don�
�t have a type unless you count the host of Confessions of a Forensic Pathologist. The cute, nerdy type.”
“Who’s also a lot older than you. I’m beginning to think older men are your type,” she teased me.
I set my cookie down and rested my head on her desk. “Are you going to tell me I have daddy issues now?”
“No. I was going to say there’s a change in you. A good one. I see it in your eyes and the way you carry yourself.”
My head popped up. “Kane is helping me see myself. Think about myself.”
“I like him already.”
“You would like him. He’s intelligent and driven. But a lot of fun. He knows all the best places in Atlanta.”
Naomi reached across the desk, and I gave her my hand. “I’m glad you’re having a good summer. With that said, your father wants to make sure you’re using birth control.”
I choked on my own spit and began to cough violently.
Naomi jumped up, flew around her desk, and began to pat my back. “Are you okay?”
I got my coughing fit under control and took a deep breath in and out. I couldn’t believe Auggie thought I was having sex.
Naomi knelt next to me, concern in her eyes. “Are you having sex?” she hesitantly asked.
“No.”
Her entire body relaxed.
“I’m not ready for that step.” I put her mind at ease.
She patted my knee. “Good. You have your entire life ahead of you. And I know this is going to sound old fashioned, but when the time comes, make sure it’s with someone you love and who’s committed to you. It will make your life a whole lot easier, believe me. Sex is the most powerful force on earth, and if you’re not careful, it can destroy you.”
That was quite the statement. I wasn’t sure I would have believed her yesterday, but after feeling what Kane’s kisses did to my body, I had no doubt she spoke the truth. “I’ll wait for the right person,” I promised her. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine sharing my body like that with anyone right now. Not even Kane. I needed to be all the way comfortable with me. Besides, I have goals, too. And honestly, I hadn’t ever been sure sex was in the cards for me, seeing as I had little to no experience with men. And maybe I was old fashioned, too, because I’d always thought if it ever did happen, it would be with the person I was meant to marry.
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