The dinner was just as lively as the breakfast and lunch. After an early dinner, everyone gathered up in the living room, to catch up on their lives.
Watching the ladies surround Keir and listening to whatever he said with utmost attention and adoration, defrosted even her cold heart.
Keir was undeniably good with ladies, even with the ones in his family.
Selene learnt many new things about Keir and his family. They used to live in the UK back when Keir was a teen. After Jenny, they moved here and have been living here ever since.
Apparently, Sasha doesn't stay here with grandma and Olivia, Keir's mom. Why? Selene never voiced her question. She just listened, smiling now and then and laughing at grandma's dry humour. Now she knew where Keir got his humour from.
One thing she observed is that they never talked about Keir's dad. It's like the topic didn't exist. When it doesn't exist, there is no evading it. It doesn't take a detective to know that something bad might have happened related to his dad.
Cheated? Missing? Or worse dead? But who isn't these days? Selene mused.
"–And then the fat guy was like one beer to this lovely lady here." Jenny mimicked the voice of the guy she met in her recent club experience.
"You need to be careful, Jenny. It's not safe. You might think nightlife is cool and shit but there's many things that you better not encounter." Keir gave a typical big brother lecture to his sister.
Keir stole a quick glance at Selene who was already looking at him. She understood what he meant by 'things'. He was practically asking her to stay away from people like him.
Grandma waved him off, "Oh stop! She is not a kid. Things?" She mocked him, "You can say rapists and murderers aloud. She is eighteen now."
Everyone in the room spiralled into a tense state. Keir visibly got uncomfortable, Olivia just had her head down playing with her fingers. Sasha rubbed her palm on grandma's knee, ushering her to stop. Jenny lost her cheerful self too.
"But then again, you might meet a special one. Who knows?" Grandma teased Jenny, trying to light up the atmosphere.
Jenny blushed and with excited eyes nodded, "I want him to be like very tall and ooh! Dark chestnut hair, handsome," Jenny blushed more.
Sasha wriggled her eyebrows at her, teasing her. Jenny turned to Keir and smiled, "and caring like my brother."
Keir smiled at her and glanced at Selene once again making her heart lurch forward. They shared a look that said nothing but everything. Though smiling, guilt was there in his eyes. No one saw it but she did. Maybe he turned to her so that she could only see it.
Selene passed him a small smile, her tiny attempt to cheer him up. Killer or not he is a good brother to Jenny. A good son to Olivia. Their love says it all.
Sasha observed the duo in front of her. They shared glances every now and then, but glances weren't the only thing they shared. It looked like it was something connected to only them.
Their constant wordless exchanges ticked her off. They looked like the newly wed couple who were denied privacy when stuck in a family union.
It was infuriating but shocking that Keir didn't even share Selene about his dad. Yet they looked close or was she over analysing them. Was Selene's visit a purpose? What was her gain in this? Questions ran in her mind.
"Lovely chat kids, but I need to get my beauty sleep," Grandma said, getting up from her chair.
Keir chuckled and helped her get up. Her legs or specifically leg, was supported by a walking stick. Only one leg moved, the other just stayed there unmoving. Instinctively, Selene approached her side, placing a helping hand on her shoulder.
They together escorted Granny to her room. Keir tucked her into her bed while Selene stood awkwardly at the bedpost.
Keir crouched down to the old woman's level. She placed her palm on his cheek and smiled, "Come to meet this old woman more frequently?"
Keir gave her a half smile and nodded. She turned to Selene, "Take care of him."
Selene gave a soft smile and nodded. She couldn't speak, mostly she didn't know what to say. This was new to her. Last time she experienced family emotions, someone died and she was sent away to juvie for almost killing someone.
Grandma smiled, "She is a good friend, an observer at that." She commented looking at Keir.
"Indeed!" Keir gave Selene an amused smile.
Once grandma went to sleep, they went upstairs to their own rooms. No words or looks were exchanged. Each of them were busy in their own worlds. They just stared at each other near the door frames. The need to talk was evident between them, to acknowledge what they had experienced from the past sixteen hours.
"Sleep well." Was all he could say.
"Yeah. You too."
***
Selene tossed and turned but sleep never came. That was odd, Selene is never sleepless on nights. Not usually. Not since she met him.
She got up from the bed and walked out of her room to fetch some water from the kitchen. As she passed through Keir's half opened door, curiosity got the best of her when she heard Sasha's voice from his room.
She peeked through the door and saw them hugging and comforting each other. Mostly Keir was comforting Sasha, rubbing circles on her back to soothe her. They pulled back and Keir held her face between his hands looking deeply into her eyes and speaking incoherently.
Selene backed away before she was caught. She walked away from there before she had to endure watching them kiss next. She expected this would happen, Sasha is beautiful and Keir is not blind.
Though she admitted she was jealous, she wondered why he glanced at her in the living room but not Sasha. Maybe he felt like comforting her since she is his guest or she is just over analysing all this, she answered her own reverie.
This is what she hates about him. He makes her all riled up until she ends up being an over thinking, temperable mess.
Huffing to herself she grabbed a bottle of water and walked into the attached backyard to the house. It was beautiful with well trimmed lawn and peonies in full bloom at the boundaries. It was simple yet alluring.
Downing half of the water she sighed closing her eyes, a fictional image of Keir and Sasha kissing propped before her eyes. She huffed to herself again.
What is wrong with me?
"So you're a night dreamer, huh?" Keir said, walking to her side.
She looked at him uninterestedly, "What's that?"
"People who don't sleep at night but dream are called night dreamers."
Selene laughed drily, "Since when?"
"Since now." He grinned.
Selene for a minute got lost in his vibrant smile. She wasn't even drunk, yet her emotions were all over the place tonight. She needs to get a grip on them.
"Come." He pulled her hand, dragging her with him.
"Where?"
Soon they were in front of his room.
"That's your room."
"And with the best view of the city," He said and pushed open his door.
The room had a clear glass wall placed to the side of the attached balcony. The view of the city can be watched from them. Mesmerised by the beauty, Selene walked into the balcony.
She filled her lungs with the nipping early October air making her shiver in response. She was wearing only her tank top and joggers.
Keir watched as her nose tip turned pink and her ears turned red from the cold. He turned around to bring her a jacket but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"Don't. It feels good." She spoke releasing a puff of condensed air from her mouth.
Keir obliged and stood beside her. The balcony did have the best view. The night lights gleaming down from the shallow valley of the city looked beautiful. Until now she didn't realise that the house is a hill higher up than the rest of the city.
Running her hands over her arms in an attempt to warm herself up, she turned to him and smiled, "It's so serene."
Keir didn't respond, he was busy admiring the beauty before him. He glanced at her lips for a moment and with no warning dipped his head to her face.
A soft gasp escaped Selene's lips when his warm lips touched the side of her cheek. They stayed put a moment longer and then travelled to her temple. He placed a soft fleeting kiss on it. A shiver ran through her body, this time irrelevant to the chilly air.
He pulled back and placed his thumbs on either side of her cheeks.
"You have really soft cheeks." He smiled, admiring them.
Selene smiled gratefully for the distraction from the tension.
She placed her hands on his cheeks as well and felt them, "So are yours." She observed innocently.
"You have really soft lips." He smirked, pulling her bottom lip down with his thumb.
She involuntarily glanced at his lips, almost copying his move. She understood what he was doing.
She hit his chest playfully and turned away, placing a distance between them.
He pulled her back to him and leaned down, claiming her lips. The fireworks sound that all the chick flicks describe was her heart pounding against her ribs. The butterflies in her gut were her anxiousness venting out as tingles on her body.
The kiss was soft and smooth. Keir took his time. He nibbled on her lower lip while pausing in between. He suddenly pulled back and stared down.
Selene bent a little and stared into his eyes. "What is it?" She whispered.
"It has been a while." He gave a small smile, nervously.
Out of everything in the world, she never thought she would hear a serial killer say those words.
Selene gave an inaudible laugh and shook her head. She grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him down, kissing him back with passion.
He was surprised for a moment but then pulled her close to his body while exploring her mouth with his tongue. She pulled him out of the balcony and they made their way to the bed while kissing with the same fervor.
She took the lead and Keir let her. All the sexual tension that was pent up from the start came rushing in double amounts.
Keir pushed her on the bed and climbed on top of her. He resumed kissing her lips and went lower near her jaw.
He placed wet kisses over her neck then travelled up to her ear. He nibbled her ear lobe with his lips before pulling it with his teeth.
A soft moan escaped her lips and her back arched in the content. She pulled his hair back, shutting her eyes when his lips suddenly came down to her collar bone.
Keir grabbed her waist giving it a tight squeeze, before taking her lips once again. He was kissing her lips one minute then her ear, her jaw and then her neck. It was unpredictable, just like him.
Selene was on cloud nine, the feelings were surreal yet so unforgettable. Her hands that were busy pulling his hair are now on his torso. They travelled slowly down as Keir went deeper into her mouth.
She almost reached the waistband of his jogger when suddenly he took her wrists off his body and gripped them above her head.
Then he stopped. The world suddenly stopped. He stared down at her body, pinned down beneath him. Desire was clear in his dark eyes. He closed his eyes controlling his ragged breaths. Selene's breaths were even more ragged. She didn't bother to free her wrists. She was more concerned about what made him stop.
What felt like hours, Keir opened his eyes and looked into hers. She understood. He didn't have to say it but she did.
"We should stop." She whispered, still breathless from their actions.
Keir released her hands and laid beside her. Sighing to himself, he rubbed his palm on his face. What had he done, he thought.
Selene turned her head away from him and mouthed an inaudible 'fuck'.
He got up, leaning over the headboard and stared at her. She was silent, except for her heaving chest and the gulping sounds.
What felt like hours, she turned to look at him but looked away when her eyes met his.
"I'm sorry." Keir apologised for the first time like he meant it.
Selene got up and sat beside him, leaning on the headboard as well.
She shook her head. "If anything, we are both at fault."
"I'm not sorry for kissing you." Keir said in all seriousness. "I'm sorry that I had to stop." He stressed the words as if he had to do it even if he wished otherwise.
Selene knew her reasons why she would want them to stop but Keir was the one to pull away first. She wondered what his reasons were.
"Is it about Sasha?"
If it is about Sasha she wouldn't blame him but she would be mad if she was just a rebound to his lover.
"What?" He turned to look at her. "No! Why would you think that?"
Selene came out honest, "I saw you guys hugging each other. You looked pretty close."
"Sasha is my good friend. I never had any feelings for her."
"You don't. Are you sure about her?" She questioned, jealousy raging through her bones.
"That's ridiculous! She is happy and married to the love of her life. Why would she throw away any of that?" Keir shook his head, denying the theory.
"And yet you told her about your dad." She might have sounded like a clingy jealous girlfriend but she didn't care.
Keir tensed at the mention of his dad. He dreaded she would ask about him since the obvious absence of a dad in this family.
"I never told." He looked at her, "She was there. Every part of it." He took a deep breath feeling his lungs constrict in his chest.
Selene let his words sink in. Sasha had been there for him when he went through his hard time. She wanted to be there for him too but she should know his story, right from the start. She took his large hand into her tiny ones, intertwining their fingers.
"Would you tell me, if I asked you?" She asked softly, making sure not to offend him in any way.
He looked at their joined hands, feeling his breaths come back to normal.
"Would you listen if I tell you?" He asked back.
Selene gave a small hopeful smile and nodded.
"I will."
*****
Uh- Where do I start? It was really tough writing the intimate scenes for me. I feel like I lack in poetic descriptions when it comes to them.
I don't know if it is enjoyable to readers. So please guys, feedback is much appreciated. I won't feel bad even if you didn't like it or feel like it needs more work. >>>
So yeah, Keir is finally going to open up. Next chapter will be a quick trip into his past. So stay tuned!
Don't forget to vote.
~With lots of love, Aurora. ❤️