After her door closed behind them, she turned to face him. “I shouldn’t take too long.”
“I’ll wait,” he said and grinned. “Don’t forget to grab an overnight bag with things you’ll need for a few days.”
A spear of shock raced through her. “Really? We’ll be together the whole time?”
“Yes, baby. Unless you don’t want to.”
Oh, God, yes, she did. More than anything at that moment. The strength of her need scared her a bit. “I do. I’ll be right back.”
Aleena walked into her bedroom and closed the door. Then she pulled off the ruined pants and his shirt before taking off her bra and panties. At Kaleb’s place, she had put her underwear on inside out but still felt a little yucky so quickly washed herself before putting on another pair.
She dressed in a pair of jeans and a soft pink shirt. Then she sprayed her hair with conditioner and combed through it before she pulled on socks and her white tennis shoes before going to find him.
He was standing in front of the pictures again. He picked up the one of the dog and turned to her.
“Who’s this picture of, baby?”
Oh, Lord. She couldn’t help but be embarrassed. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms around her waist as a blush warmed her face. “It’s a picture of a dog I want to get eventually.” She had done that for years. She’d cut out a picture of something she eventually wanted. She still had most of the photos in a file in her nightstand.
“Is it from a magazine?”
She nodded.
“The house also?”
“I know it’s silly.”
He shook his head as he placed it back on the fireplace mantle. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s not silly at all.”
She peeked up at him, and something inside of her melted at the approval, affection, and passion on his face.
He bent and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled, lifting to her toes before trying to deepen the kiss.
He pulled away and held her at arm’s length. “We have to stop, baby. I don’t think you're ready for where this is headed.
Aleena stared up at him with equal parts disappointment, frustration, and desire. She knew why he stopped, and although her body was demanding satisfaction, she knew he’d made the right decision. She nodded and stepped back.
Kaleb picked up her travel bag and then grabbed her hand. “Let’s go eat.”
“Okay. I’m hungry.”
“Good, you’ll like the place I’m taking you.”
He took her to a diner he liked to eat at often. The place was nothing fancy, but the food was excellent.
She’d never tasted a better Denver omelet.
He grinned at her. “It’s good, right?”
“Yes. We definitely have to come back here a lot.”
He leaned back in the booth. “Tell me about yourself, baby.”
She set her fork down and took a drink of water. “I get to learn about you, too, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, um, I’m twenty-six. I grew up in a small town in Kansas. My grandmother raised me, and we lived in an old house.”
“You loved the house or living with your grandmother?”
She nodded. “Both. How did you know that?”
“Your expressions. You don’t like where you live now, right?”
She nodded. “I don’t at all, but Gregory picked it because it was safe.”
“I agree with that. Now, you don’t have to live there. I’d like you to move in with me.”
Her mouth dropped. “What? Are you crazy? We’ve been on two bizarre dates. We hardly know each other.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t call them bizarre.”
She snorted. “The first one was when you knocked me down in the rain, brought me home, and we drank chocolate milk. I still say that it wasn’t really a date. The second one was you taking care of my injuries, eating Chinese, and then I fell asleep on you.”
“If you weren’t hurt, it would have been perfect.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait to be on a crummy date with you. And then all the ways you’re already taking care of me. It’s like we’ve been together for years instead of hours.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t want you to forget I’m going to be taking you to and from work.”
“I think that’s ridiculous. I’m perfectly able to get myself there and back.”
He tipped his head forward a bit. “I know, baby. But I love taking care of you, and part of that is keeping you safe.”
She saw the determination in his eyes and dropped the subject for the moment.
“Please go on,” he prompted. “You lived in Kansas.”
She nodded. “My grandmother raised me.”
“Why?”
“We never knew who my father was, and my mom had a drug problem, so the state gave me to Grandma.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. That had to have been rough. How old were you?”
“Eight.”
“Hell,” he said. “You were so young.”
“It actually turned out good. Being with my mom wasn’t safe for me, and my grandmother was very sweet.”
“I hate to ask, but where is your grandmother?”
Aleena swallowed and inhaled a deep breath. “She passed away when I was fourteen. Thankfully, it was in her sleep.”
“What happened to you?”
“Foster care.”
“Dammit.” He wiped a hand down his face. “I hate that you went through that.”
“Don’t. They placed me with a nice family, and I got to stay there until I went to college.”
“How did you go to college?”
“I had straight As, so I got an awesome grant to go to one of the universities.”
“How did you end up here in this city?”
“My professor set me up with a job with Gregory.”
“That was brave, moving several
