Under Your Skin

by Shannyn Schroeder

  “And what do my eyes tell you now?”

  “Nothing you should be thinking and nothing I want to hear.” His fingers flexed on the fleshy part of her hip, but then he released her and walked away. “If my mom’s asleep, you can go.”

  “Chicken,” she mumbled. She didn’t know what she was doing. Sticking her nose into his game to meet his friends, bargaining for his mom, wishing he would kiss her. She was a mess. Something about being around Kai set her on edge but made her want more.

  Yet he kept pushing her away. Maybe it was time to move on and look for something else.

  * * *

  Kai was fucked up. He’d been doing good staying away from Norah, but every time he turned around, she pressed into his space, in different parts of his life, demanding attention. When Rooster started hitting on her, Kai had wanted to punch him. But that was just Rooster being Rooster. He wanted to get a rise out of Norah and Kai was proud that she didn’t let Rooster know he’d gotten to her.

  She’d handled herself well around his friends, which made him like her more. But he wasn’t supposed to. She shouldn’t have to handle herself around those guys. She deserved better than a poker game in his basement with an ex-gangbanger hitting on her.

  He heard her call him a chicken as he left the kitchen. Without a doubt, he was. He shouldn’t have crawled up on her like that, but he needed to know the look he saw was real, that he wasn’t misreading anything. Not that it should’ve mattered. It was more like a test of his own sanity, which was barely hanging on.

  Rubbing a hand over his face, he went to the fridge and pulled out another beer.

  “That was a long conversation you had with Norah,” Rooster said.

  “I was making sure she knew not to tell my mom you were here.”

  “Just making an observation that ‘keep your mouth shut’ takes like thirty seconds to say. You get a quickie up there?”

  Kai cringed. “She just had a baby, man, like a week ago. Pretty sure sex is the last thing on her mind.” Too bad it hadn’t been the last thing on his.

  “You talk a good game, but I saw you two looking at each other. Now I know why you didn’t want us to meet her.”

  Eric laughed. “She might be a keeper.”

  Keeper? What the fuck?

  “She didn’t run screaming when Rooster hit on her,” he added.

  Then Carlos jumped in. “Even better, she didn’t entertain his ideas.”

  Rooster threw his hands up. “Hey, now, I was hardly tryin’.”

  Dean chucked a quarter at Rooster. “Enough. Are we playing cards, or what?”

  Since Kai hadn’t heard from his mom, she must’ve been asleep, which meant Norah would leave for the night. The thought allowed him to focus on the game and even win a few hands. Unfortunately, about a half hour later, Norah stomped down the stairs announcing her presence.

  “Sorry to interrupt again. I don’t want to leave the laundry in the washer to get mildewed.”

  She said nothing else as she switched the clothes from one machine to the next. He didn’t like her ignoring him any more than he liked her stepping in the middle of his business. It wasn’t fair and he knew it. He enjoyed their flirtations, but he wanted it to stay just between the two of them. Especially since the flirtation wouldn’t become more.

  She started the dryer and said, “Your mom’s sound asleep, so I’m heading home.”

  Carlos looked from Kai to Norah before saying, “It’s late. You should walk her to her car. Your mama raised you better than that.”

  Rooster jumped up. “I’ll walk you.”

  “I’m good, thanks. My four older brothers all made sure I had my fill of self-defense classes.”

  Kai rose. He wouldn’t leave Norah alone with Rooster and he was raised better than to let any woman walk alone late at night. “Let’s go.”

  He held his hand out for her to lead the way, which turned out to be a bad idea because it gave him the perfect view of her ass as she climbed the stairs.

  In the living room, she grabbed her purse. “You don’t have to walk me out. I’m right in front.”

  “Then it won’t take long.” He walked to the front door and held it open.

  “Men,” she muttered as she walked past him.

  She popped the locks on the doors and, at the car, he reached around and opened the door for her.

  “Such a gentleman,” she said, leaning against the car.

  “You make me want to not act like a gentleman.”

  Her smile widened. “It’s a talent, I guess. Too bad you’re too chicken to act on it.”

  Her goading flipped a switch in him and he no longer thought. He moved in, cupping the back of her head and hauling her into his body. He captured her mouth, tasting her lips and savoring her tongue until she moaned into his mouth. His grip tightened on her hair and he pulled her head to the side so he could taste her neck.

  Her pulse jackhammered against his tongue and when he bit down on her sensitive flesh, she gasped. His dick was like iron in his jeans. When he finally dragged himself away from her, they were both breathless.

  “I’m not chicken. I’m smart. We’re combustible and this would get out of control.”

  Her eyes fluttered open and met his. “Yeah, well, I’ve been in control, not enjoying any part of my life for many months. What’s the harm in running this until it’s extinguished?”

  Just as he suspected, this girl would be his death. He leaned his forehead against hers. “Because when it dies down, one of us will be burned. I don’t want you to end up in ashes.” That was his fear, that he’d somehow destroy her.

  “Like I said inside, I can take care of myself. I’m a big girl. I want to escape for a while, no different than your mom reading.”

  He pushed away from the car before he made another move toward her. He wanted her too badly. “Find your escape with someone who’ll be good for you.”

  “I bet Rooster would offer one hell of a vacation.”

  Anger flashed through him. “Don’t.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Obviously, I’m not serious. However, you played your last card and your bluff sucked. You want me, Kai, every bit as much as I want you. I just had a baby, so I have weeks before I can have sex. That should be enough time to wear you down.”

  He hated that he’d given her confirmation. As if kissing her hadn’t been enough.

  She winked and slid into the car. “See you tomorrow, Kai.”

  Her voice was like silk over his skin with just enough tease to make his dick perk up. He slammed the door and stepped back on the curb until she pulled away. He shouldn’t have let her get to him. He knew better and he’d been able to keep his distance for weeks. With any luck, by the time she was ready to have sex, his mom would be back at Jaleesa’s and they’d part ways.

  All he had to do was steer clear and they’d both be okay. Or so he told himself.

  His dick, on the other hand, had its own ideas.

  * * *

  Norah was on a new mission—make Kai want to have a fling. She wouldn’t go so far as to think they’d have a relationship because that man practically screamed bachelorhood, but between his mom and her pregnancy, they could both use some fun. He made her feel like herself in a way she hadn’t in many months. She wanted to reclaim part of herself. And like he’d said, together they were kind of combustible.

  So she was going to test the waters.

  And if nothing came of it, she’d be ready to move on anyway. He would be a nice distraction while she got the rest of her life in order. First up, she needed to get her body back to where it should be. She’d read the baby books about what happened to her body and how it would take time to bounce back, but actresses and models did it all the time. She wasn’t seeking perfection, just normalcy.

  She started her mornings with yoga stretches. After checking her dad’s blood and making sure he took his meds, she went for a walk. Alone, she was able to walk a lot faster than she could with Lani, so their walks
were reinforcement.

  She’d already started to feel better. Her boobs were shrinking back to normal since she wasn’t breastfeeding. The excess blood flow had almost stopped. Now, if she could only figure out how to make her hormones and emotions snap back, all would be good.

  After her walk, her dad stopped her in the living room.

  “What?” she asked, tugging an earbud out.

  “I want to talk to you.”

  She swung her arms out. “So talk.”

  “Sit down and don’t sass me.”

  She sat on the edge of the chair across from him as he used the remote to turn off the TV. No TV meant serious conversation. It was good to know that some things never changed.

  “How are you?”

  Kind of a dumb question to start a conversation with. “Fine.”

  “I mean with the baby and all.”

  “She’s good, Dad. Kim and Trevor will be great parents. And I get to be part of her life. You can too, if you want.”

  “I wish you would’ve kept her, but I understand why you didn’t.”

  His acceptance was all she’d wanted from the beginning. It was a little unsettling to actually get it. “Thanks. I needed to do what was right for her.”

  “That’s why we sent you to Bridget.” He sat forward, bracing his meaty arms on his knees. “You were smart and pretty and we were gonna screw you up. With the boys . . . I knew what to do with them. A slap upside the head usually did the trick.”

  “I wanted to stay,” she whispered.

  “Jimmy was leaving and you were already acting out. Ditching school and causing trouble. Following in your brothers’ footsteps in no good way.”

  “I was a kid.”

  “Exactly. At twelve, you were already acting like your teenage brothers. Jimmy and I believed Bridget would know what to do with you. And she was always nagging about how a houseful of men wasn’t a place for a young girl. As you grew, you were more and more like your mom. It made it easy to believe she’d do better.” His jaw flexed. “We were afraid you’d end up pregnant by some loser.”

  She almost laughed. Almost. She’d known why Jimmy had wanted to send her away. He didn’t trust their dad not to screw her up. They’d fought about it often over the years. Now that she was older, she understood. She didn’t like it, but she understood. “You never asked what I wanted. No one did. I felt so alone, Dad. It was like I stopped existing for you.”

  “That was shitty of me. But watching you grow—hell, even now—you’re so much like your mom, my Siobhan. Sometimes, it’s hard to look at you.”

  Her throat tightened. He never talked about her mom. Everything Norah knew about her came from Aunt Bridget and a few stories from Jimmy. She knew she looked like her mom because Jimmy had framed a photo of their mom for her before she’d left for Boston.

  Her dad cleared his throat. “So what are your plans now? Back to Boston to finish school?”

  One thing she could say for Seamus O’Malley was that he’d never linger over emotional topics. “No. I’m going to find a school here to transfer to. I liked Boston, but it was never home. I want to stay here. Is that okay?”

  “Sure. As long as you stop nagging about my blood and my meds.” He leaned back on the couch and picked up the remote.

  Norah pushed off the chair. “Not likely to happen. In fact, by the time I get my nursing degree, I’ll probably get worse.” She leaned over him and kissed his cheek. Her dad wasn’t much for physical affection, but she needed that little bit to let him know they were good. “I want you around for a long time.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She went upstairs to shower and change before going to Kai’s. She pulled out a pair of her old jeans and shimmied into them. Her thighs felt compressed and she had zero chance of buttoning them, but she was getting closer. She peeled them off and resorted to the yoga pants she’d been living in. She flat out refused to continue wearing maternity clothes. She understood why some women did. They were comfy. But since she wasn’t raising Ella, she didn’t want the questions that would come with the clothes.

  Her large T-shirt camouflaged some of her flabbiness and she wore Kai’s sweatshirt over the top of everything. She should’ve returned it, but she decided to wait until he asked for it. It was worn and soft. Unlike Kai who was all hard muscle and attitude.

  She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she left. Not quite the tempting outfit she’d need to sway Kai, but she’d figured out that to lure him, she’d need to be subtle and sneaky. Moving forward would have to appear to be his idea, not hers. He liked to be in charge, make the moves. She could let him have that, but a little maneuvering on her part couldn’t hurt.

  Walking into Kai’s house, Norah called out as she did every day to let everyone know she’d arrived. “Hello. Lani?”

  Lani didn’t answer because she was sitting on the couch. “Why do you yell like that every day?”

  “I want to give you fair warning I’m coming in.”

  “You want to give me fair warning? Or Kai?”

  “Whatever.” She glanced through the room as if she’d find some evidence to let her know Kai was home, but there was never anything. She knew it was his house because it felt like him, but he moved around almost silently.

  Lani sighed. “He’s in the kitchen.”

  “Huh?”

  “Don’t look at me like that. Kai is in the kitchen. Maybe you should let him know you’re here.”

  “Actually, I might grab a yogurt before our walk. I’m hungry.”

  “Mmm-hmm” was all Lani said before returning her attention to the book in her hand.

  Norah wasn’t sure how she felt about Lani making those assumptions about her and Kai. Sure, she wanted to start something with him, but it wasn’t something she wanted to declare to his mom. That would be weird.

  Kai leaned against the kitchen counter, shirtless again, drinking his coffee. “Enjoying my sweatshirt?”

  “Actually, I am. It’s very comfortable.” She reached into the refrigerator and took out a strawberry yogurt.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kai didn’t want to stay and watch Norah, but he couldn’t move. Ever since he’d kissed her by her car, he’d done his best to avoid her because she was some kind of irresistible. Standing there in his battered sweatshirt that had to be three sizes too big, she was cute.

  Then she peeled back the foil lid on her yogurt and licked it, managing to make eating yogurt sexy. Without speaking, she said plenty with the way she swirled the spoon over her tongue. She wanted to torment him and she was good at it.

  “You shouldn’t play games.”

  With her spoon poised for another dip, she said, “Games can be fun. We’re all entitled to a little fun.”

  “No game is fun when the rules aren’t clear.”

  She jabbed the spoon into the container and set the yogurt on the table beside her. She stepped forward, getting close enough to him that she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. “So let’s lay out the rules.”

  Standing toe-to-toe with him, she tried to look tough, but he saw her sweet softness. “You don’t want to play with me.”

  “You’re wrong. We definitely want to play with each other. Otherwise you wouldn’t have kissed me. Twice. And it was smokin’ hot both times. There’s no denying it.”

  He closed his eyes and hoped for strength. Without it, Norah would win whatever battle she was forcing.

  A gentle finger stroked down his chest. “Look, we’re adults. Our lives had been rough lately. All I’m saying is let’s enjoy our time together. Your mom will be moving back to Jaleesa’s in a couple of months. I’m not looking for a life partner. I’m looking to have some fun with you until I move on.”

  “And what does that fun look like?”

  She swayed a little as she lifted her shoulders. “We can hang out. Mess around a little, see if the chemistry holds, and when I get the all clear from my doctor, get tangled up in some sheets.”


  “And you think your brother’s going to be okay with us hanging out and . . .”

  “Neither Tommy nor any of my brothers get a say in how I live my life and who I see.”

  He laughed. He might not have been the best brother in the world, but who his sister dated had always mattered. He’d thrown a scare into more than one teenager even though he was only two years older than Jaleesa.

  Norah stroked his jaw. “That’s a good look and an even better sound.”

  “What?”

  “You smiling and laughing.”

  He enjoyed the feel of her palm on his cheek. Enough that he wanted to lean down and kiss her again. “So you want to date?”

  She shrugged again. “Sounds silly when you say it. I just . . . Don’t avoid me. Hang out and drink your coffee while I eat my yogurt and talk for a while.” She smiled up at him. “Be friendly.”

  “Chatting and friendly aren’t my thing.”

  She sighed. “Then what is?”

  He pressed a hand to her hip to move her back, checking the urge to squeeze and bring her closer. “My thing? Taking you hard and fast up against the wall until you’re screaming.” He watched her throat work as she swallowed and her eyes dilated. Damn. He’d hoped to scare her off, but she was getting turned on.

  She cleared her throat. “Then let’s compromise. A month of my thing, followed by a month of your thing. Then your mom will be better and you won’t need me anymore.”

  “I have to get to work.”

  “Don’t be a chicken. Think about it.”

  The temptation was great. Two months of Norah being his. Well, a month of her being his and in order to get that, he’d have to what? Be friendly?

  “Hey, Kai?”

  He turned from the door.

  “Do you think I can have Friday night off? I want to go out. Get a break.”

  Two thoughts immediately hit him: One, he didn’t want Norah finding fun with some other guy, and two, he had a hockey game Friday night. But then he remembered his mom’s physical therapy appointment was late that afternoon, and Jaleesa had offered to take her. He couldn’t do anything about his reaction to the first, but the second could be remedied. “Should be okay. I’ll ask Jaleesa to stay with her.”