Kickstart My Heart (Burgers and Brew Crue #1) - Lacey Black Page 0,34

make sure her window is locked, shutting off the light, and pulling the door until it’s almost closed. When I turn around, he’s standing in the doorway across the hall, taking in the empty room. “Is this your room?” he asks, his eyes drawn together in confusion. “Where’s your bed?”

I place my hand on his arm. A jolt of electricity zips through my blood, causing me to pull back. His eyes widen and he looks down to where I touched him, as if he felt it too. “Come back to the living room so we don’t wake Lizzie,” I tell him, though I know that’s unlikely. If my child can sleep through an argument and the make-up sex next door, I’m sure she’ll sleep through Walker and I having a conversation. As soon as I sit down on the couch, I ask, “Do you want something to drink?”

Walker takes the seat beside me and turns to face me. “No, thank you. Where’s your bed, Mal?” His voice is soft, his eyes confused.

Taking a deep breath, I reply, “You’re sitting on it.”

He glances down at the old floral cushion between us. “You sleep on the couch.” It’s not a question, but a statement.

“I do. For now, anyway. When we moved here, I just had my car and whatever I could fit inside it. I made sure Lizzie had everything she needed.”

“So you left your bed,” he deduces, sitting back. “Where are you from?”

“Gibson, Indiana. The circumstances in which we left weren’t the best, and maybe someday I’ll share them with you. But for right now, just know this was our fresh start. As long as she’s happy and healthy, I’ll endure as many nights as needed on this old couch,” I tell him.

Before he can reply, the door slams on the other side of the wall and the muffled sounds of voices filter through the walls. Walker turns and stares at the wall, as if he can actually see my neighbors. “Thin walls?”

I snort a laugh. “At least they’re not fighting. Or having sex,” I mumble, casting my eyes downward.

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. Loud.”

“Interesting. Maybe I should stick around? I could give them pointers through the wall,” he adds, his blue eyes shining with amusement.

I can’t help but laugh. “I’m not sure they’d hear you over the bed slamming against the wall or the constant moaning.”

Why am I telling him this?

Clearing my throat, I add, “Anyway, I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done tonight. Let me know how much the repairs were, and I’ll pay you back. Gas money too.”

“That’s not necessary, Mal,” he replies, moving closer to me on the couch. My heart starts to strum a little quicker in my chest as he reaches for my hand. His palm is so much larger than mine, his long fingers extending well past my own fingertips. “I want to help.”

Swallowing over the tightness in my throat, I close my eyes and try not to fall under the spell of his hand against mine. “I appreciate that, Walker, really, but I need to do this on my own.”

When I open my eyes, he’s watching me intently. “Do what?”

“This. Life. I need to prove to myself I can support Lizzie and me on my own.”

He continues to stare at me as our fingers link. “What did he do to you?” he whispers, my eyes drawn to those full lips.

“He hurt me, but not physically.” Walker seems to visually relax with relief. “He put my daughter in jeopardy, and I didn’t even realize it,” I find myself confessing, the tears burning my eyes.

“I’m sorry he did that. When you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll listen. But you should know, you’re not getting rid of me that easily, Mal. I’m drawn to you in a way I’ve never felt before, and as much as I’ve tried to fight it, I just can’t anymore,” he says, sliding his hand up my neck and holding me tenderly.

“What does that mean?”

He shrugs. “Damned if I know, but what I do know is I can’t stop thinking about you and want to be near you all the time.” His thumb strokes over my spine and sends goosebumps flying across my burning skin.

“I need to pay you back,” I insist, the words coming out in a little gasp of air.

“Okay,” he agrees. “The battery was forty bucks.”

“Forty? That’s all?”

Walker shrugs. “It was on sale.”

I don’t believe him but have no real experience with batteries and the costs associated. “I’ll