I placed a tender kiss on her forehead. I knew I shouldn’t say what was in my head, since we’d already gone over this last night, but I couldn’t resist pointing out a simple solution to her problem. “Well, you wouldn’t have to worry about it at my place. Maybe I’ll just embarrass you back to my home.”

In case she was annoyed I’d brought it up again, I gave her the sexiest smile in my arsenal. I was pleasantly rewarded with Kiera’s lips on mine, but even as our mouths connected, my chest tightened with need. And loneliness. And pain. I really couldn’t wait until the day she finally said yes to my request. The day we were finally ready to move forward. But that wasn’t today. And that was okay.

Kiera and I spent the entire day getting her ready for school. It was starting soon, and as expected, Kiera was nervous. I really wasn’t sure why she let new situations bother her so much. She was smart, beautiful, sweet…she could own every single room she walked into, if she’d just believe in herself more. Her personal insecurity probably fueled a lot of her negative feelings about me, about us. She seemed to think our fire would die and I’d lose interest in her one day. Impossible. On my end, at least. If she saw herself in a more positive light, she’d feel more secure in a crowd, feel more secure about me.

In a way, I was Kiera’s opposite when it came to insecurity. Knowing I was physically attractive made me feel very comfortable in groups, or one-on-one, when it was the nonpersonal type of one-on-one—like random sex with a stranger. But true intimacy…opening myself up to someone…that, I struggled with. Daily.

But if I could help Kiera be more comfortable in her own skin, then maybe she could help me be more comfortable knocking down my walls. We were good together in that regard. In every regard.

When it was time for her shift at Pete’s, Kiera and I headed out to the parking lot. With an adorably cute smile on her face…she tried to swipe the keys to my baby. “Can I drive?” she innocently asked, attempting to jiggle the keys free from my ironclad grip.

When hell freezes over. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, but I was still a little miffed at her for stealing my car. Even if she’d been hurt over my…extracurricular activities, her retaliation had been uncalled for. And cruel. The Chevelle was a classic piece of art. Practically priceless.

Giving her a firm expression, I jerked the keys away. “No, you cannot.”