Page 7 of Blood (A Killer’s Love #4)

CHAPTER SIX

Samantha

Stretching out my legs, I wiggle my toes under the blanket.

Kaleb side-eyes me but ignores my feet.

I glance over at Shelby slouched on the other sofa. Cocooned in her blanket, she can barely keep her eyes open. I wiggle my toes again.

Gray eyes connect with mine. The brows above them arched.

I smile before pouting. Please?

Warm hands encase my left foot. Heat pours in.

“How are your feet this cold?” Kaleb tuts, shaking his head, but his hands don’t stop massaging.

A shrug is the only answer he gets.

“Either of you ladies ready for bed yet?”

“No,” we chorus.

Kaleb’s chuckle is breathy and tired. He’s ready for bed.

I nudge his thigh with my other foot. “You should go on up.”

He looks at me as if I have six heads.

“I didn’t sleep this morning when you were too excited to sleep. What makes you think I’d leave you two now at”—he pauses to check his watch—“eight thirty at night.”

Guilt hits me hard. “But it’s a boy,” I remind him.

“Woohoo,” Shelby whisper-shouts, her hand slips out from her huddle and waves a blue flag on a stick that we made. Mine lay abandoned on the coffee table.

Mom texted during breakfast that Charlie had given birth to a small but healthy baby boy. Name to be announced. Spoilsports.

Kaleb had been his usual fun self and helped us make some blue flags for when we FaceTimed with our brother. He rarely tells me no.

Daniel had been the picture of relief and stress . . . and then shock when we called with party horns and flags.

At that point, Shelby and I had gone past tiredness and straight into delirious energy. No one slept.

We talked Kaleb into a movie day and haven’t moved since.

“I think he did sleep.” I nod, looking at Shelby for support.

“Unless he snores while awake.”

I nod. “Definitely heard snoring.”

“You did not,” he protests.

“Did, too.” I insist, poking him with my foot again.

“Did not!”

His fingers skim along the sole of my foot, and a giggle escapes before I glare.

“Don’t you dare,” I warn.

He leans sideways so that his torso is over my body and whispers, “Oh, I dare.”

His fingers attack, ripping a squeal from me, then he straightens like it never happened.

“Did I snore?” he asks.

I pull my feet back from his lap, curl my legs in, and turn to my right side, facing the television.

“Yes.” I nod. “Like a rhino.”

Loud fake snoring noises fill the room, but a solid swat to my ass makes me laugh. Something that I wouldn’t do if the blanket wasn’t there to soften the blow.

Kaleb likes nothing more than discipline, especially in his own house.

“Thank you for letting us stay,” I whisper gratefully.

Keeping my eyes on the film, I stretch out again, just enough to tuck my still cold feet beneath his right thigh.

“Bed at ten,” Kaleb announces, his right hand settling on the outside of my left thigh.

We settle again, the sound of the movie and rain hitting the windows the only thing breaking the silence.

“I can’t believe I’m not watching a horror on Halloween.” He shakes his head in disappointment.