“Nate. Get the hall light, will you?” Izzy calls out from her room.
“Looks like everyone is going to bed.” His head lifts to mine, our eyes lock, hold a moment too long. He blinks once, twice, then his expression changes. He backs up, and I grip the door, putting my heated face on the cool wood.
“Night, Kira.” With that he walks to his room and shuts the door behind him.
What the hell just happened?
I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell not going to get any sleep now.
Chapter Six
Nate
I toss restlessly, thinking about Kira. Sweet Kira with that adorable yet sexy blush on her face as she stood inches from me at her door. It took everything in me not to gape, slack-jawed, as I took in all the beautiful, visible skin. Fuck, when she gave that breathy little whisper, all I wanted to do was drag her to me, press my lips to hers, and explore her mouth with my tongue. My cock twitches at the visual, and I almost take it into my hands.
Treat her like a sister, my ass.
I want Kira in my bed. I’m not sure what it is—her sweetness, her innocence, or all that sexiness veiled under that oversize T-shirt that I’d love to get my hands and mouth on.
But am I going to do anything about it?
Hell no.
I have work to focus on, and besides that, it’s clear she’s not the kind of girl who indulges in one-night stands—everything about her says white picket fence—and I’m not the kind of guy who can give her more.
I roll and check the clock to discover that it’s after midnight and I still can’t sleep. Grumbling with sexual frustration, I kick off the blankets and a chill goes through me. The fire downstairs must have gone out. Kira’s room has propane, but the main level is heated by wood.
I tug on my jeans and pad quietly to my door. I listen for a moment, but the house is asleep. I take the steps, careful to avoid the squeaks, and make my way into the big living room.
There are only a few embers burning in the fire. I grab a big hardwood log and toss it in. Flames flare and I stand back and cross my arms over my chest. Satisfied the wood has caught, I’m about to head back upstairs when the sound of the old kettle singing stops me.
Who the hell is up?
Flames dance on the walls as I head to the kitchen. I poke my head in and see Kira dipping a tea bag into a mug as she examines something in her other hand. The under-counter lighting is on, bathing her in a golden glow, making her look soft and delicate.
“Couldn’t sleep, either?” I ask quietly, not wanting to startle her. “Mice?”
She turns, alarmed at first, but smiles when she sees me. She shoves something into the pocket of her pajama pants, something she clearly doesn’t want me to see.
“Partly, but I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get that mouse, and tomorrow I’ll check the foundation and patch any holes they might be coming in through.”
“Thank you,” she says.
I hesitate for a moment. What else does she have on her mind? “I’m here if you want to talk about it, but if you don’t, I’ll leave you alone. I couldn’t sleep, so I tossed another log on the fire. It was cold upstairs.”
Her eyes go wide. “I’m so sorry. I never thought. I would have done that for you guys. I just didn’t know.”
I shrug. “No big deal. I wasn’t sleeping.”
“Things on your mind, too?”
“Yeah,” I say but don’t elaborate. Dad called when I was walking Bridgette and Ellen back, and he’s breathing down my fucking throat about the cottages. I wish he’d back off and trust that I’ll pay a fair price and I’m not hemorrhaging money on this so-called state of the art plant that