Page 37 of One Kind Soul

Nicole followed him with Roxie rubbing her head on Nicole’s chin as that purr reached new volumes. With each room Christian showed her, the tension that usually set up camp in her shoulders leached out as she cuddled the kitten. He was going the extra mile to preserve the house’s charm while still updating it. She was particularly interested in his plans for the master bathroom which would include a spa-style tub when it was finished. She wanted to be around to test it out.

With Christian.

It didn’t make any sense that she’d want that. She only had two weeks in Vermont, but she wanted more after only two days here. It hadn’t even been two full days yet. Something about the mountain air, seeing Tessa again, and meeting Christian made Kauai seem like a foreign country.

One she wasn’t overly eager to get back to.

****

“Do they always stay together like that?” Nicole asked as she pointed to the cats lying in a heap on the ground in front of the barn while Nicole and Christian enjoyed a beer together at the table he’d set up.

“Pretty much. Tibbs likes to wander off now and then, but they are mostly what I call pack cats.”

“I see.” Nicole took a sip of her beer. “And you’re their Alpha?”

“Meow.”

Her laughter pleased him. She’d been complimentary but quiet during the farmhouse tour, no doubt that talk about her dumb sister weighing on her. He was overjoyed that she felt comfortable sharing that trauma with him though pissed she’d had to endure such harsh treatment. It suggested they were past the awkward first stage of a relationship. Not that he’d officially label whatever they were doing a relationship. They’d had sex a few times—a few amazing times—and he’d been eager to see her all day, but this thing had a lot of boundaries on it. First of all, she wasn’t in Vermont for long. Secondly, they were hiding their attraction from everyone so they were limited to clandestine meetings squeezed in during her short time here. It was miracle she’d been able to get away from Tessa and Donovan so soon.

Thirdly, Nicole would probably end up like all his other female encounters. She’d want to just be friends with him. They already felt like old friends, but that added to the sexual chemistry, which was different. Normally after sex, he knew there wouldn’t be a second time. He and the woman had achieved a physical release, but that . . . spark wasn’t there. That spark that kept a person coming back for more.

With Nicole, however, he wanted more. A ton more. Clearly she did too if she’d orchestrated this visit to his farm.

“I don’t want to rush things along,” she said now, setting her empty beer bottle on the table, “but I should be getting back to Tessa’s soon. Dinner won’t last all night. They’ll be coming home. I did say I might borrow her SUV to do a few things, but I’d rather not have to lie about what those few things were.” She pointed at him. “If I can be home before they are, I can say I never left the house.”

“I get it.” Christian hated she couldn’t stay for as long as she wanted.

Or as long as he wanted.

“Maybe we should tell them.” He didn’t love lying to Donovan and Tessa either.

Nicole shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Chrissy. Tessa’s reminded me five times that you are a flirt.”

“Man, I thought Tessa liked me.”

“Oh, she does. Absolutely adores you. It’s me she’s worried about.” Nicole ran her finger along a split in the barnwood surface of the table. “She doesn’t want me to get hurt. Because, you know, that’s how real sisters behave. They look out for each other.” She shrugged one shoulder.

Christian mulled over the fact that Tessa assumed he’d hurt Nicole. He guessed he could see her side of it. In her eyes, he was a guy who flirted, had sex, and then didn’t develop a relationship with anybody. By appearances only, he was One-Night-Stand Guy.

Ugh.

“Do you need to go then?” He wanted to ask her inside, but that move would only solidify him as someone who was only interested in sex.

“Oh . . .” Nicole’s brows furrowed then she glanced at the barn behind them. “I . . .”

“Thought we were going to get naked?”

“Well . . .” Her lips turned up on one side. “Yeah, unless you don’t—” She stopped abruptly when he stood.

“I do. Trust me, Nixen, I do, but I don’t want you to think that a visit here has to include sex.” And this is why I end up in The Friend Group. He had to stop being so fucking nice.

“I know it doesn’t, but I . . .” She got to her feet now too. “I want you, Christian. I’m not sure how I haven’t jumped on you yet. You just standing there turns me on.” She flapped a hand at him. “I thought maybe my intense attraction to you was because you saved me yesterday, but here we are today and I still feel that intense attraction. I want to go in that barn with you . . . unless you don’t.”

Christian barked out a laugh. “Are you crazy? I woke up this morning thinking about you, and I haven’t stopped all day. Now that you’re here, sending you back to Tessa and Donovan without taking you to my bed first seems tragic.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the barn. “Prepare to be on the same bed.”