The Sphere Chronicles: A Holding Kate Series Book (11 page)

“You do know she carries a big torch for Trip, right?” Dirk turned her chin to face him.

“Trip? Still?” Kim quirked a brow. “I thought she was over him.”

Dirk laughed. “So she says.”

“But you disagree?”

“I definitely disagree.”

“So, you and she never—”

“Never. She’s not really my type anyway.”

This time Kim laughed. “She is every man’s type.”

“Nope, not mine.” Dirk wrapped his arm around Kim’s waist and drew her near.

“Then you have a penchant for redheads, right? Is that the next line I will hear tonight?” She arched an acerbic brow and flipped her ginger tresses over her shoulder.

“Redheads? Gah, no! I like the tiny, lithe Chinese girl, Eunavae. She’s hawt!”

Kim stopped in her tracks and gawked.

Dirk threw back his head, laughing.

“You big oaf!” She shoved him and slapped at his chest.

He grabbed her hand and drew her into an embrace, grinning at the fire flashing through her eyes. “Kim,” he whispered her name, “how many years have we flirted at something more? Our friendship has been more than platonic for a long time now. You know this.”

She gazed up into his face, desire flushing her cheeks and clouding her eyes. Dirk took her face between his hands. Leaning in, he paused a breath from her lips, then gently pressed his lips to hers.

She melted into the kiss and curled her arms around his neck. He pressed her body close and deepened the kiss. Quite possibly the most perfect first kiss ever, with the surf at their backs and the stars swimming above, their blood pumped in rhythm with the energy of the night.

“Whoo-hoo! Encore, encore!” Hooting calls rushed down the beach to them, and they broke apart, dizzy with the magic of the night and the kiss.

Karen and Matt applauded and called congratulations. Dirk and Kim laughed, grasped hands, and jogged to catch up with them.

Dirk tapped on Kim’s door, and she let him into her hotel room. He grinned and scooped her into his arms, carried her to the bed, and spread her out beneath him. His mouth hungry for more of her.

“Dirk!” she gasped.

He silenced her with another round of insistent kisses.

“Dirk!” Her ragged breath rasped his name, she clung to him, overtaken by the sudden flair of emotion that blossomed between them. How long had she waited for him? How long had she loved him from afar? And now after all these years, he was here, in her arms, wanting her, loving her.

He growled her name in her ear, and he slid his hands across her abdomen, stealing her breath. “God, why did we wait so long?” His kisses traveled down her neck, and his warm breath sent shivers through her body.

She hadn’t felt this way since, since…

“Dirk!” She pushed him back. “Please, stop.”

At the word “stop” he drew back to search her eyes.

She took the opportunity to gather her shirt and slipped out from under him to hover on the pillow, knees tucked into her chest.

Confusion fractured his brow. “Kim, what’s wrong?” He reached for her.

She flinched. If he touched her again, she would give herself to him. Every cell of her body screamed for his touch.

He drew back and sat up on the foot of the bed, putting distance between them. “I’m so sorry, Kim. I-I thought, I thought you were responding. I’ve misinterpreted something.” Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair.

“No, Dirk. You didn’t misunderstand. I’ve wanted you for years now. You have always been the one for me.”

He snapped his eyes to her and a miniscule flash of relief registered in them, but it was quickly replaced by confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Kim jumped up, wrapped her robe tightly around her, and poured a glass of water. She sipped slowly with her back to him. When she turned, he hadn’t moved. He sat rigid on the edge of the bed staring at the chevron pattern on the sheets.

Kim drew a shaky breath and moved to the sofa. “Come sit with me, Dirk. We need to talk.”

He sat for a moment longer, then inched off the bed and moved to sit as far from her as he could and still be on the couch. That hurt. She couldn’t lose him now, after all this time, but she had to be honest.

“I’ve watched you with the Keepers. I’ve read every report that came across Mama Ty’s desk and Chap’s. I typed them all into the computer logs. I know every thought that passed through each of your minds. I know how close you all became.”

Surprise registered on Dirk’s face and he turned toward her, leaning in, obviously interested.

“I know you and Tara were getting close. I saw your reports from Poland, the months of living together, the jumps that threw you together. The bond seemed very strong.”

“It is strong. We’ve become a family, all of us.”

“Yes, I felt you had developed such a kinship with them that the bond we all shared—our friends, you and I—was weakening. I felt you had moved on. Away from us, your old jump mates.”

“Kim, we have years of history.” He scooted toward her and took her hand.

“I know, but you have years of history with them now, too. I mean jump history.”

“Kim, they are like my kid brothers and sisters, my teammates, not my peers.” He pressed the back of her hand to his lips and moved closer.

She had to get this out now, before he drew her right back into an inescapable moment of passion. “Dirk, I met someone.”

He froze.

“I didn’t expect it to happen. His family doesn’t even know.”

Dirk dropped her hand and stared at the crystal vase on the coffee table.

“I thought you had moved on. I thought our chance was over. That I had no hope of ever turning your heart toward me in that way. It killed me to give up on you, but I did.”

“When?” his whisper wavered, crushing her soul.

“Two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks?” Dirk frowned. “At Karen’s and Matt’s engagement party?”

She nodded.

“Who?”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

“
Who
?”

“Mark, Matt’s youngest brother.”

“The marine?”

Kim nodded, a tear escaped down her cheek. “Matt and Karen don’t know.”

“He shipped out.”

Kim nodded again.

“He won’t be back for a long time.” Dirk leaned forward and pressed his forehead with his thumbs. “Is it serious?”

“It’s very new.”

“Did you make some kind of commitment to him?”

She waited for Dirk to look at her. “I did. It was a bit of a whirlwind. I’d never felt so much, so quickly for someone, and I had given up completely on ever winning your heart.”

“And now that you have? Does it change anything? Can we still, still…”

“It changes everything!” Kim cried. “And it changes nothing. I won’t break up with him in a Dear John letter. He deserves more than that. And I won’t engage in a relationship with you, not while…you deserve better than that.” She doubled over and pressed her palms to her face. “You are my dearest friend, Dirk, and now I am afraid that is over, too!”

“No.” Dirk scooted close and lifted her up to him. She fell into his chest and sobbed. “Never. We mean too much to each other to ever lose our friendship.” He lifted her chin to look at him and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

Passion spiked in her breast, and her pulse ramped in her chest. “Dirk, we’ve crossed a line. I can never go back. I’m in love with you. I always have been. I can’t even be near you now, without—” A gasp stole her words, and she focused on his lips.

He drew a deep breath and looked at the ceiling, tucking her head under his chin. “It won’t be easy. But once we get back to Heartwork Village, routine will kick in. We won’t have to be in each other’s faces. Things will smooth over.”

She nodded. The idea of losing him before she ever had him crushed her. It was a horrible picture he painted; a life she wanted no part of. Dismal and bleak, it rang in her ears, bruising her heart.

He stood, took her hand, and walked to the door. He paused for a moment, stroked her cheek, then turned and let himself out.

Pain and loss crashed across her spirit like angry waves on a rocky shore. She and Dirk had charged on the crest of the wave, carved into the heart of the barrel, and spun out of control.

Wipeout.

“STARS,” STAID RASPED
his call a little louder than an average whisper.

“Over here, Stay.”

He turned to see the leggy princess leap the fence effortlessly. She jogged toward him, grace in motion.
Eight-year-old girls are supposed to be gangly and clumsy, but not Stars.
The long-limbed child beamed at him, then leaped into his arms and wrapped her long arms and legs around him.

He chuckled, then set her on her feet.

“Stay, I missed you so much! I was afraid High King Elawk was going to keep you for the royal guard.”

“Stars, you know the royal guard doesn’t take fourteen-year-old boys from their homes.”

“I know, but you’re special. You are much too big for a fourteen-year-old. It could’ve happened.” She cut playful eyes at him.

He grabbed her around the neck in a stranglehold and rubbed his fist against her spiky blonde hair.

She punched him in the ribs, squirmed out of his grasp, then shot off into the night. “Come on!”

He grabbed the spears he’d brought and raced to catch up. They jogged across the pasture, up the incline, and climbed the cliff to their plateau. It offered an unobstructed view of Cheulseti and the vast diamond-spangled sky. Starlythe stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing down at her kingdom. Staid slowly approached, a bit dazed as the starlight glistened against her skin, casting her in a blue glow. He stopped a measure behind her, reached out to grasp her arm, then gently tugged her away from the ledge.

Fearless
. The word that described her best pulsed through his head.

“Come away from the edge, Stars,” he whispered with a puff of clouded breath.

She casually turned to face him and grinned. “Baby.”

“Hmm, I’m gonna have to make you pay for that slight.” He ducked and pressed his shoulder into her belly, swooping her up over his head. He roughhoused her back to the clearing and tossed her. She landed on her feet, skidding in the dew-dappled grass, into a warrior stance. The spears he’d dropped when they entered the clearing rattled as she slid into them.