Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel by Bella Emy (pdf to ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“Great. Would you like some coffee with that?” he asks.

I smile. “Yes, sir, I would.”

He nods happily. “Perfect! Then homemade apple pie topped off with vanilla ice cream and a side of coffee it is.” He rises from the table and then says, “Lexi, make yourself at home on the couch. I’ll meet you kids there in just a second.”

After he walks out of the room, Kalen and I rise next and he holds out his hand for me to take. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

He smiles down at me and then kisses me quickly on the lips. “I’m so glad you’re here, babe.”

“So am I.”

He pulls me into the next room, and then we take a seat on the couch. I notice a large photo album on the seat next to me and I pull it open on my lap.

“Oh, crap. I see you’ve found the pot of gold. Of course, my dad left it out for you to get a good laugh,” Kalen says, turning red again.

I smile, flipping through the pages. It’s Kalen’s baby album. “Aww, this is adorable!”

I snap my head up, meeting his gaze. “I can’t believe this little boy with the golden-brown curls is you,” I say, pointing to a picture of Kalen when he was about three or four.

He nods. “Yup… that was me.”

“You were so adorable!” I look back down at the pictures.

“Were?” He raises an eyebrow as I catch his expression.

I place my arms crossed over the album on my lap and turn to face him. “Yeah, were. You were adorable… but you’re sexy as fuck now.” Whispering the last part, I lean into him and kiss his lips; I wish he could take me right here on this couch.

I pull back, but I want more of it, and from the look on his face, he does, too, and he notices I do as well. Then I whisper the words, “You’d better slow down, Mr. Starling, or we might have to say good night to your dad early and go make out in your room.”

He bites down on his bottom lip. “Holy mother of God, baby girl. Is that a promise?” he whispers back.

I giggle and kiss him once more on the lips.

We pull apart just in time.

“All right, here’s the apple pie and coffee,” Kalen’s father announces, waltzing back into the room, balancing a tray of pie and coffee cups in his hands, interrupting our moment.

He places it down onto the coffee table in front of us and hands Kalen and me a dessert plate with the slice of apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream as promised. The aroma finds its way into my nostrils, and my mouth waters, anticipating the flavors.

Mr. Starling takes a seat across from us after placing a mug of coffee in front of where we’re sitting. “Enjoy, kids.”

I dig in, and oh my God. The apple pie is scrumptious. The coffee is soothing, and it all goes down so well.

For the remainder of the evening, Kalen and I continue hanging out with his father, enjoying dessert, telling jokes and stories, and just having the best time. I haven’t had fun like this in a long time, and it’s nice just getting to know more of Kalen than he could have ever shared with me. The stories I’ve heard from when he was a kid are truly entertaining.

Once Mr. Starling turns in for the night, Kalen and I remain on the couch watching TV. He’s got his arm draped over my shoulder, and I cuddle closer into him.

“Mmm,” Kalen moans as he runs his fingers up and down my arm.

I giggle and turn my head to face him. “What?”

I feel him shrug against me and see his lips break into a smile. “Nothing. I’m just really loving having you right here beside me. I could totally get used to this every single night.”

“You are the sweetest thing, Kalen Starling.” I reach up with a finger and tap his nose.

Finally turning to face me, his smile fades and a serious expression replaces it. “I’m serious, babe. One day… one day…”

I chuckle again. “One day, what?”

He smiles again and leans down, placing a soft kiss upon my lips. It’s gentle and sweet, but at the same time, it feels as though there’s something more behind it. Something else that I can’t quite make out. But I don’t ask him about it because before I even have a chance to say a word, he pulls back and looks deep into my eyes, searching for something in them. “One day, you’ll see, Lexi. But right now, I just wish I could show you how much I love you.”

“Okay, so show me.” My lips pull into a wide grin. I’m teasing him because I know what he’s talking about, but I also know that he can’t show me because we’re not here alone.

He smirks, not missing a single beat. “You know I would, but I—”

“Sorry, sorry! Coming through!” Mr. Starling comes running through the living room, grabbing his jacket off the coat rack, causing Kalen and me to pull back. Thank God we weren’t doing anything we weren’t supposed to be doing or this would have been utterly embarrassing.

“Dad? What’s going on?” Kalen says, watching his father.

“Can’t find my keys… have you seen them?”

Kalen points to the end table near the front door. “Check there… that’s where you’ve been leaving them lately.”

Mr. Starling walks over to the table and opens the drawer. Seconds later, he pulls out a set of keys, smiling. “Well, would you look at that? Thanks, Son.”

Kalen smiles back. “No problem, but where are you going?”

“I have to run to the shop. My boss called and needs me to check on some stuff. Then since I’ll already be out, I’ll run to the store and grab some things for breakfast; we’re out of milk.”

Kalen nods. “Okay, no problem. I’m going to get Lexi home within the next hour or so if you come back