He offers nothing more. I could ask to know more about what he did, but I don’t.
My mind is feeling all jumbled up from being here with him.
I had a great weekend. I spent all of Saturday with Jesse. And I spent Sunday with Cece. We went shopping and caught a film at the cinema.
I didn’t allow myself to think about Kas…or Haley. But, now, sitting here with him, it’s all I can think about.
I’m filled with empathy and compassion for this man sitting beside me. All the anger and resentment I felt last week are now gone.
But I still feel confused and guilty over what I know. I feel like I’ve somehow betrayed him with my curiosity and snooping into his life.
We don’t talk for the rest of the short ride to the estate.
He parks outside the house.
“Thanks for the ride.” I take off my seat belt and let myself out of the car.
I walk toward the front door. Kas is behind me.
Inside the house, I take my shoes off and hang my coat in the closet.
When I turn around, Kas is standing in the middle of the hallway, his hands in his trouser pockets. He looks unsure.
And I hate this animosity between us.
“Do you want me to get you a coffee?” I ask, offering an olive branch.
He seems surprised at that. “Coffee would be great. Thanks.”
I give him a brief smile and then head for the kitchen. I smile again when I hear him following behind me. I thought for sure that he would go straight to his office.
I busy myself with making the coffee. Kas takes a seat on a stool at the kitchen island.
When the coffee is ready, I take his over to him.
“Thanks.” He offers a smile.
Still standing, I lean my hip against the island and take a sip of my coffee.
Kas wraps his hands around the mug and stares down into it. “I’ve thought a lot this weekend.”
“About?” I ask quietly.
“You.” He lifts his eyes to mine, and the look in them makes my heart beat faster.
“I can’t change the way I behaved, and I can’t explain why I walked out on you. It was the truth when I said I didn’t know how to do this kind of thing, how to treat someone I like. Because I do like you, Daisy. A hell of a lot. I think you’re smart and strong and challenging—”
“Challenging?” I lift a brow.
“I mean it in a good way.” His lips tip up. “I like that you don’t take my shit. You’re a fighter, and I fucking love that. And the way you love your brother and have sacrificed so much for him…it’s inspiring. You’re compassionate and loyal and beautiful. So very fucking beautiful.”
He thinks I’m beautiful. And he sees me in this crappy work uniform, stinking of cleaning products.
My cheeks flush at his compliment.
“And I know you said that you were done, but I’m asking you to reconsider. To give me another chance. I’ll beg if I have to.”
He grins, and I smile.
“Give me a chance, and I promise, I won’t fuck it up.”
My smile turns skeptical, and I lift my brow again.
“Okay.” He chuckles, holding up his hands in surrender. “I can’t promise I won’t fuck it up because this is me that we’re talking about. But I do promise that I will try my very best not to fuck it up.” He lowers his hands to the countertop. “I know I’m difficult and a total arsehole at times—”
My brow lifts higher, and he laughs.
“Okay, I’m an arsehole most of the time. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you…because I do. I want you like you wouldn’t fucking believe.”
He wants me.
“Just give me another chance. Let me take you out on a date. I want to spend time with you, away from this place. So, what do you say? Go out with me, please.”
Now that I know what he had to deal with when he was younger—well, I don’t know for sure exactly what happened, but from what I’ve put together, it was bad—it makes him a hell of a lot easier to understand.
And I do want him.
So much more than I ever thought possible.
But I still wait a moment before answering. He deserves to sweat a little.
“Okay,” I finally say.
A smile breaks out across his face. “Okay?”
I can’t help but smile in return, but I fight to keep it modest. “Okay. You’ve got your chance. But this is your last chance, Kas, so try your hardest not to screw it up.” I smile.
His smile turns into a cheeky grin. It melts me.
“I’ll try really, really hard.” His voice accentuates the word hard, and my mind instantly goes in the gutter.
I feel my face heat, so I bring the coffee cup up to my lips and take a sip, trying to cover it up.
Kas puts his cup down and stands. He walks around the island to me. He takes the cup from my hand and puts it down.
Then, he takes my face in his hands, and my heart bumps clumsily in my chest.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asks softly. His thumb brushes over the corner of my lips.
“I’m working.” I give him a knowing smile.
His brow lifts. “And what about after work?”
I wait a beat and then say, “I’m free.”
He grins. “Good.” Then, he leans in and kisses me in the spot where his thumb just touched.
My whole body responds instantly. My legs turn to jelly from that one small touch of his lips against mine. I have to grip ahold of his waist to keep upright.