Melanie sat in the booth while she waited for Kyle and a couple of waitresses to finish cleaning. At first, his boss protested against her staying after hours, but Kyle talked him into letting her stay. Since then, she’d been trying not to pass out on the table.
When he finally finished, he came over and held his hand out to her. Melanie clasped it and slid out from the booth. She hid her yawn behind her hand, but he didn’t miss it.
“I ordered us an Uber already,” he said. “I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine,” she said.
Not only was it too far to walk, but she wasn’t in the mood to wait for a taxi. The waitresses exited the building in front of them as Kyle led her outside. He released her hand to lock the door behind them. As he was doing that, a car pulled up to the sidewalk and idled there.
“I think our ride’s here,” she said.
Kyle checked his phone. “That’s it.”
He held her hand as they walked over to the car. He opened the door for her, and she climbed into the back of the Honda. Kyle slid inside as she confirmed her address with the driver.
When the driver pulled away from the curb, Kyle sat back to watch the sleepy city roll past. People still roamed the streets, cars traversed the roads, and light spilled across the sidewalk, but the hustle and bustle of the day and night were winding down as most of the city went to sleep. He loved it here, but sometimes he missed the tranquility of Maine.
He missed waking up in the morning, going to the ocean, and casting out his fishing pole. He missed sailing in the bay, the saltwater spray on his face, and his family. He could do those things here, but not with the same serenity that greeted him on those mornings.
One day, he’d grow tired of spreading his wings and return home, but he wasn’t in a rush.
For now, Boston was the best place for him. Those quiet Maine mornings and nights didn’t help ease the demands of the demon part of him. He required the city's hustle and bustle, the numerous women, and the freedom such a big place gave him to hunt.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Melanie as the lights flashed past. Beneath their glow, she was striking and ethereal. He almost couldn’t believe she was real, but there was no denying the incredible scent she emitted.
He wouldn’t have found her in Maine.
In a move as natural to him as breathing, he clasped her hand. She glanced down at their joined hands before lifting her eyes to his. In their tawny depths, he saw her surprise. Then she smiled, and her fingers tightened around his.
Melanie was glad he couldn’t hear how fast her heart was racing, and she hoped her palms weren’t as sweaty as they suddenly felt. She resisted wiping her free palm on the leg of her jeans as her gaze fell to their joined hands.
Melanie was so caught up in him and them that she didn’t realize they were pulling up outside of her apartment until the car stopped. Then, the real panic set in.
Her heart lodging in her throat made it difficult to breathe. She barely managed to save herself from making an embarrassing, choking sound. What did she do now? If she invited him up, would he expect something more?
But she wasn’t ready to spend the night with him, and she didn’t know how to handle a situation like this. This was, yet again, something she’d never experienced before.
Kyle wasn’t sure what to do about the deer-in-the-headlights look on Melanie’s face. When he took a girl home, he always knew what they expected from him, but it wasn’t the same with her.
She wasn’t some casual hookup from the bar, and he could tell she wasn’t entirely sure what to do now.
“I’ll walk you upstairs,” he offered. “To make sure you get home safely. Can you wait?” he asked the driver.
“No,” the man said. “I have another pickup, and I’m already late.”
“Okay, thanks,” Kyle said. “I’ll catch another ride.”
Kyle helped Melanie from the vehicle and had barely shut the door before the driver pulled away. She stood and gazed from him to the building and back again.
“I’ll just walk you to the door,” he assured her.
Melanie felt like an idiot. She wasn’t a child, and she wasn’t a virgin. She liked him, he liked her, and that was what mattered. Freaking out about things beyond her control was foolish.
They walked to the door together, and he waited while she unlocked it. She turned to him and spewed the words on the tip of her tongue before she could overthink them.
“Would you like to come up for a drink?”
Kyle hesitated; it was obvious she was nervous, but if she didn’t want him to go up, then she wouldn’t have asked. “Yes,” he said.
To keep herself from having a panic attack in the hallway, Melanie counted the stairs as they climbed to the third floor. At the top, she focused on her apartment door while she walked past her neighbor’s and stopped outside her home.
She unlocked the door, flicked on the light switch, and strode across her living room. Tossing the keys on the counter, she turned back as he closed the door.
“We have beer, water, orange juice, and tequila,” she said.
“I’ll take a beer,” Kyle said.
Melanie pulled out two beers and set them on the counter. She settled onto one of the stools, and Kyle sat beside her. With a twist of her wrist, she unscrewed the top and tossed it in the trash can.
“Nice shot,” he commented and tossed his cap into the can.
“Same to you. Your sister is very talented,” she said.
“She is,” Kyle agreed. “I’m sorry if they made you feel uncomfortable tonight.”
“Isn’t that what siblings are supposed to do? Or at least that’s what I’ve heard they do.”
“It’s very much what siblings do. I’ve been guilty of it a time or two myself.”
“Not you,” she teased and playfully bumped his shoulder with hers.
Being here, like this, and in her place made her feel more relaxed than she had all night. He grinned at her before sipping his beer.
She watched the muscles in his neck flex as he swallowed, and a tingle of desire seeped through her. She worked at the edges of the wrapper on her beer bottle as he set his drink down.
They fell into easy conversation, and though she was tired and could hear her bed calling her name, she enjoyed talking to him too much to go to sleep.