Falling For My Captor

Chapter Fifteen

-Alice-

The steam of Kyle's coffee rose above his ceramic mug. It swirled up into the air, moving around his face. Alice's eyes stopped following the steam when it crossed his gaze. Their eyes locked.

"Where should we begin?" he asked, more than a little edgy.

"I'm not totally sure." She thumbed the rim of her own coffee mug. "I guess we can start with how we go public."

"And how do we go about that?"

Shrugging, Alice suggested, "Casually? Thanks to what you told my parents, I had to lie about our last time together. They think you saved me from a wild party."

A grin tugged at the corners of Kyle's mouth. "I appreciate the cover."

"You put me in a very compromising situation, you know," she muttered. "Anyway, I'll tell them you reached out to me again. We just went to get coffee."

"And, now that you're sober, we both realize how much we like each other?"

She shot him a glare. "I'm glad someone is getting a kick out of all this."

"Well, it'll be misery if we don't find some humor from everything."

"I guess." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"So, how do you intend on doing this long-distance relationship?"

Alice rose from her seat, abandoning the coffee as she moved to his side. His bright, blue eyes held hers. Her hands slipped around his stubbly face. "Weekends are key. We'll meet halfway or something."

"Five days without seeing each other?" He winced. "That'll be torture."

"When you decide you want to marry me," she said, tapping his nose, "I'll be here with you every day."

Kyle caught one of her hands in his and pressed it against his mouth. "And if we're wed before you've graduated college?"

"I'll commute."

"You can always take online courses."

"Kyle," she groaned. "I have to see my friends sometimes. I'll lose my mind otherwise."

"Okay, okay."

Lifting his cheek, she looked deeply into those affectionate eyes. "You won't stop me from getting a job if I want one, will you?"

"You career days are far from now. Let's wait and see."

"Please," Alice pleaded. "I don't know what you're afraid of."

Kyle got to his feet. His tall height made her feel even smaller. "I'm...I'm afraid of losing you."

"Don't be afraid. I came back on my own accord, remember?"

"I'm afraid that after we're married, the shiny new car appeal will fade."

"Shiny new car appeal?" Alice stretched up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. "What is that even supposed to mean?"

Sighing, he draped his arms around her back. "You know. New relationships are exciting until they're not new anymore."

"I'm not going to leave you for my friends, Kyle."

His nose nuzzled her ear. "Right. And what about the fella with the gray sports car?"

Alice peered up at him, eyebrow quirked. "Who're you talking about?"

"The man who took you to coffee when you were with your parents?"

"Nathaniel?" She laughed. "He's not...he hasn't crossed my mind since he dropped me off that day. He was too...desperate."

"Good."

"You have no reason to fear, dear Kyle," Alice told him while she flashed a grin. "So are you ready to commit?"

His lips brushed against hers. "For you, I'm ready for anything."