Closer: A Novella (14 page)

He took the time to absorb everything about Caroline—the way her left eyebrow lifted up when she was giving him sass, and her little habit of clearing her throat when she was nervous.

“So, I was thinking,” Caroline began, “that when you get out of here, we can go shopping for an apartment together. Is that rushing?” She licked the ketchup from her thumb and watched him indirectly.

“I won’t have a job.”

Caroline swirled her finger in the ketchup. “Don’t be so pessimistic. You’ll find work.”

“This will be on my permanent Breed record,” he reminded her, twirling his finger around to point out his surroundings. “It’s not easy for an ex-con to find work unless you have family who will help.”

She leaned forward and placed her face between the bars. “It’ll work out, Kane. I promise. I don’t need to be with a rich man, and I have a job to help pay the bills. We’ll do this together.”

Kane reached out and captured her wrist, gently pulling her hand through the bars. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he licked the dollop of ketchup from her index finger, and then went back to eating as if nothing had happened between them. She blushed wildly and he smiled, dusting the crumbs off his hands. That’s when he noticed the red scar on her head.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, his voice edged with concern.

Her eyes widened and she reached up to touch it. “You want me to compare a cut to dying? While we’re on this topic, do you mind explaining why you superglued my head together?”

That got him, and Kane completely lost it. He fell on his back, laughing harder than he had in years.

“It’s not funny, Kane.”

Oh God, but it was. His laughter was maniacal and hearing her seriousness made it even worse.

Caroline slapped his leg and tried to pretend she was mad, telling him to stop. His side hurt and he developed one of those embarrassingly silly laughs that men just don’t want anyone to hear. He snorted and finally turned on his side, realizing he’d just killed any chance of keeping this woman around.

“I’m so glad I’m snort-worthy,” she remarked.

When the stitch in his side went away, Kane sat up, rubbing his sore face.

Caroline was smiling. “Can we do this for real?” she asked. “I want a
real
date.”

A hopeful look flashed in her eyes as she nervously tore at the edge of the wrapper. He felt the connection just as surely as she did—as if they were old lovers rediscovering one another after meeting up in a new life. They’d gotten to know each other on such a personal level and yet everything felt like the first time.

This was real.

“Okay,” he agreed, scooting towards the bars. “As long as you don’t mention to our kids where we had our first date. Deal?”

Her apple cheeks blossomed and she lifted her lovely eyes. They were earthy and so full of life and kindness. She gave him a short nod, and he nodded back.

“What’s your full name?”

“Caroline Marie Potter.”

He almost spit out the onion ring he had just eaten. “Your last name is Potter?”

Her lips shrank into thin lines. “Yeah.”

“And you like to go by
Carrie
?”

“Don’t say it,” she warned, waving a finger. “I didn’t have any problems until those books came out. My turn.” She unwrapped another burger and pulled out a pickle, tossing it into her mouth. “Where were you born?”

“California. Why would you want to waste a year of your life visiting a murderer?”

“One who saved my life? Next question,” she said.

He pulled the edge of the wrapper near the bars and fed her a pickle. She happily took it and shifted her legs to sit Indian style.

“Favorite food?” she asked.

“Fish tacos.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Ew.”

Kane arched a brow. “Since when did you become the culinary snob?”

“Since you started putting a sea animal into a tortilla.”

“Fish,” he corrected.

She waved a hand. “Whatever. So tell me, do you have a nickname? You seem to enjoy teasing me about mine.”

Kane clamped his mouth shut and scratched the side of his neck.

Her eyes brightened. “This should be good. Tell me.”

Shit. He couldn’t lie to this woman. He looked her straight in the eye and spoke in a serious voice. “Snoopy.”

His sister had given him the nickname and it was something that only she called him. He waited for her to laugh and make fun of it, but the muscles relaxed in her face and she chewed slowly—thoughtfully.

“I like that you’re honest with me, Kane. I’m sure there’s a story behind it that you’ll tell me someday.”

“Do you mind that I call you Caroline? I can stop if it bothers you.” He hadn’t thought about it, but maybe there was a reason why she went by the shorter version.

Soft hair shook in front of her face. “No. I don’t mind at all. Favorite color?”

Easy
, he thought. When he spoke, his voice was thick like honey. “Red.”

Caroline twisted her mouth to the side and leaned forward with a doubtful look. “I thought it was blue?”

He looked at her blouse admiringly. “Today it’s red.”

“Why?” she asked. A tiny line pinched between her brows.

Kane wedged his face between the bars. He knew his eyes were doing that seduction thing again by the way she averted her gaze. The charm on her neck glittered in the light and constricted his heart.

“Because of this,” he said, touching the soft fabric of her blouse. “You wore this for
me
. Ask what my favorite color is ten years from now and it’s going to be red.”

“Ten years?” she asked in disbelief.

Kane lifted her chin with the crook of his finger. He smoothed the hair away from her face, gently touching the scar that she would carry for years to come. She closed her eyes for a moment and he felt her, and she was glowing with hope. When he had her full attention, his hand slid down her arm until his fingertips curled around her wrist. With that touch he felt her pulse, her warmth, her life, and he wanted to prove his sincerity to a woman who looked at him with such adoration and yet wasn’t afraid to put him in his place.

Kane didn’t save her that night—she’d saved him.

“My turn, Angel. How many kids do you want?” he asked. “Because when I get out of here, you and me are making lots of babies.”

To read more about Sensors and other paranormals, search for books available by Dannika Dark on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Mageri series is an exciting urban fantasy romance following the journey of a young woman's claim to immortality, and her own identity. Dark, unique, and full of unpredictable twists, the Mageri series provides an original spin to an old concept.
Sometimes ordinary people are destined for extraordinary lives.

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