Chapter 21
That evening, a storm rolled in out of nowhere.
Riley was in the kitchen brewing coffee when thunder started booming outside and rain started beating against the windows.
She’d just shut the windows when someone started banging on the front door.
“Who’s there?” She pulled the door open to find Chris standing there drenched head to toe, holding something tight against his chest..
“Come on in!” She quickly moved aside to let him through.
Chris rushed inside and carefully opened his jacket–this tiny white kitten was curled up in his arms, trembling all over.
“Found her down by the corner. She was about to get swept away.” His voice was deep, with real concern in it.
Riley immediately grabbed a towel and gently bundled up the kitten: “Let’s get her warmed up. I’ll get the blow dryer.”
She started to head off, but Chris grabbed her wrist.
“You’re soaking wet too.” He frowned and brushed the rainwater off her shoulder.
They were super close now, and Riley could smell the rain on him mixed with this clean, pine–like scent.
Her heart did this little flip and she just stepped back.
Chris dropped his hand and coughed: “Let’s get this little one sorted out first.”
“Right.” She looked down, feeling her face heat up..
Riley was sitting on the living room rug, gently stroking the kitten’s head.
She’d already crashed out, her tiny chest moving up and down as she breathed.
Chris walked over with two mugs of warm milk and handed her one: “Not heading to bed yet?”
W
“I’ll hang with her a bit longer.” She took the mug, feeling the warmth through her hands.
Chris settled down beside her. After sitting quietly for a minute, he suddenly spoke up: “Riley.”
“Yeah?”
“If you ever…” He hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. “If you wanted to give someone else a shot, what kind of guy would you go for?”
Riley went totally still and looked over at him.
Moonlight was streaming through the window, lighting up Chris’s face.
He had this soft smile going, but his eyes were totally giving away how he felt about her.
M
How
Her heart started pounding and her cheeks went pink as she quickly looked somewhere else: “I… I haven’t really thought about that.”
Chris smiled and didn’t push it.
They just sat there in the quiet, with only the kitten’s little purrs filling the room.
www
23:04
3 Years as Your Backup Wife, 1 Text to Crash Your World: ‘Guess Which Twin Left?‘
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Chapter 21
Riley was squatting in the corner of the yard, holding a tiny piece of fish and carefully feeding the little white kitten.
The kitten was chowing down happily, bumping her tiny head against Riley’s fingers and making these satisfied purring noises.
Riley couldn’t help laughing quietly, gently booping the kitten’s nose.
“Chris, doesn’t she look like she’s putting on a little weight?” she called out without turning around, figuring he’d walked over.
Nobody answered–just the sound of wind moving through the trees.
Riley frowned slightly and was about to turn around when someone grabbed her from behind.
That familiar scent wrapped around her instantly–crisp cedar mixed with a touch of cigarette smoke.
Adrian’s scent.
Her body went completely stiff.
“I finally found you…” Adrian’s voice was right by her ear, low and raspy, with this tremor he couldn’t control.
His arms locked around her waist like he was terrified she’d disappear the next second.
Riley’s breath hitched, then she pulled herself together, her voice flat as ice: “Let go.”
Adrian didn’t ease up at all–actually tightened his grip, like he wanted to absorb her into himself: “Riley, do you know how long I’ve been searching for you? I’ve turned Savannah upside down, even had people checking overseas… How could you just vanish like that?”
“Adrian Kane,” she used his full name with absolutely no feeling behind it, “let me go.”
“No way!” His voice cracked higher, getting wild and pissed off. “What right do you have to leave? What right do you have to just bail without a word? Do you realize that I-”
Before he could get the words out, someone came flying in from the side and decked him right in the jaw.
23:05
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