Page 86 of Forbidden Kisses

"And the place is a shithole," Duncan said in a stern voice. "There were plenty of guys looking for trouble outside."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"How about we move you to my place now?" I wanted to strike while the iron was hot. "I can help you pack."

Paula laughed. "Sure. It's not like I’ve got a ton of things. And my lease is month to month and up next week anyway."

That was news to me. Maybe she’d been listening to my pleas after all?

“Don’t worry about any of those logistics. I’ll have someone take care of that stuff if you have any problems,” Duncan said in that take-charge manner that I loved.

There really wasn’t much to help her with. All her belongings fit in one suitcase. The apartment had been furnished, so she wouldn't be taking anything with her.

Less than an hour later, we were on our way to the house. I messaged Christine and Julia so they weren't blindsided when they came home in the afternoon and my sister was there. This wasn't unexpected, though; I'd spoken to them about thepossibility of Paula rooming with me for a while, and they'd been very supportive.

Once we arrived, Duncan took her suitcase out of the trunk and brought it inside the house. He'd rolled his sleeves to his elbows sometime in the past few minutes, and the sight was absolutely exquisite.

"Do you want something to eat?" I asked Paula once we were inside the house.

"Um, yes, actually, I'm starving. I didn't have much for breakfast and didn't manage to get lunch at all."

"I’ll make something really quick," I said, disappearing into the kitchen.

I needed a few moments on my own—though not too many because I didn't want my sister to get suspicious. Like Duncan, I also had adrenaline flowing through my body, and I needed to expel it. I did that best when I was on my own.

Duncan

Paula sat down on Riley's bed. "Thank you so much for showing up there today."

"No problem. Anything you need, let me know."

She smiled. "You sound like my sister. No wonder she likes you so much. And I like you, too, Duncan."

I winked at her. "You'd better not think I'm doing all this out of the goodness of my heart. I'm hoping to win some points."

She laughed. It was good to see her relaxed. "I'm not buying that. I think that's exactly why you're doing it—out of the goodness of your heart."

“I always take care of family.” I wanted her to understand how important Riley and she were to me. “I know Riley’s glad you decided to move in with her. It’ll give her some peace of mind too.”

“Yeah, I should have done so when she first suggested it, but don’t tell her that.” She smiled, adding, “She’ll get all ‘big sister’ on me.”

We laughed, and I could see how similar the two were, both independent and self-sufficient.

"I'm going to go check on her."

"I was going to suggest just that," Paula said. "She put up a tough act back there, but I know Riley. It takes a lot out of her."

"I know," I said.

Her eyes widened. "You really do, huh? You're great for her, Duncan."

That was good to hear.

I stepped out of the room, walking to the kitchen. Riley was putting toast, cheese, and ham on a platter. Her hands were shaking slightly, as were her shoulders. I went to her without saying anything and simply put an arm around her waist. She stilled instantly.

"I'm here with you," I whispered in her ear.

She turned around and buried her face in my chest. I put a hand at the back of her head, massaging it lightly.