Midnight Run (7 page)

His frank answer startled Nora. “Another
one?”

Her dad shrugged and stirred his coffee
absently. “Now that she’s had one, it’s more likely that it will
happen again.” His eyes glistened, and he reached across the table
to squeeze Nora’s hand. “I’m not ready to lose her, baby girl.”

Nora choked up. “Me, neither, daddy.”

Kingston didn’t have
time to dwell on the barista too much that week; when he got home
from work on Tuesday, he tripped over a pair of beige leather
pumps. He glanced at the shoes, confused for a moment, and then he
looked up.

“Mom,” he said, swallowing nervously. “And
Sir. What are you both doing here?”

His mother crossed the small space to kiss
him on each cheek. “We wanted to surprise you.”

“It’s certainly a surprise,” Kingston
admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “How’d you get in?”

“Oh, your doorman was ever so kind once he
learned we were your folks.”

Kingston smiled. His mother could charm a
snake right out of its skin, and he had no doubt that the poor
doorman hadn’t stood a chance. “I wish you’d have let me know you
were coming; I’d have tidied the place up a bit.”

“Yes, this place,” his father said, moving
into the kitchenette with a frown. “Beautiful location. How much
are you paying in rent each month, son?”

“The bank supplied the apartment.” The lie
slipped out before he could think, and Kingston held his breath,
hoping his face didn’t give him away.

“Humph,” his father answered. “I should hope
so. Didn’t think I raised my boy to be frivolous or wasteful.”

Kingston shook his head hurriedly. “No, sir.”
He glanced at the refrigerator. “I don’t have much to offer—“

“Let’s go out, then,” his mother said,
looping her arm through his as she slipped on her shoes. “Take us
somewhere that’s part of the real New York.”

Kingston chuckled. “I haven’t been here long
enough to discover the ‘real New York’, but I’m sure we can figure
something out.”

Before he could open the door, his father
strode across the room and put his hand on the knob. “After you,
sweetheart,” he said, nodding to Kingston’s mother. As she slipped
into the hall, his dad put his hand on Kingston’s shoulder,
stopping him for a minute.

“You’re doing well for yourself, son. I’m
glad that bank realizes what you’re worth.”

He forced himself to nod. “They do, sir.”

“Good.” His dad nodded to the hall, and
Kingston followed his mom, his heart racing. Would his father still
be proud of him if he knew that Kingston spent every day in a
cubicle, not an office, or would he think he wasn’t working hard
enough somehow? Kingston shook his head, hoping that his parents
wouldn’t ask him too many questions about work. Even though the job
had
been a promotion, his father hadn’t been impressed when
Kingston had initially shared the news. Now that his parents were
in New York, he felt a childish desire to make believe his new life
was even better than he’d imagined, but he wasn’t sure how long he
could keep spinning stories to keep them satisfied.

Luckily, once they’d been seated in a dark
corner of the steak house near his apartment, Kingston realized
that his mom at least wasn’t interested in hearing him talk about
work. In true form, she was on his case within minutes about his
lack of a social life.

“How are you ever going to meet a nice girl
if all you do is work?” She lamented, picking daintily at her
salad.

Kingston sighed. He was tempted to tell her
about Carrie’s obvious interest in him, just to get her off his
case, but he knew from experience that if he mentioned a girl to
his mom, he’d better be ready to propose within weeks. “I don’t
just work, Mom. I’m still running.”

She sniffed. “You aren’t going to meet a nice
girl that way.”

“I’ve joined another midnight running club,”
he said, splitting his attention between both his parents. “It’s a
lot of fun.” Tearing off a piece of bread from the bread basket in
the center of the table, he added, “I’m training to run the half
marathon in the spring.”

His father nodded approvingly. “It’s
important to keep your body as strong as your mind.”

“But darlin’,” his mother said, “I want
grandbabies soon!”

Kingston sighed. “You’ve got Blake and
Shelton,” he reminded her gently. “Have you seen them
recently?”

His mother sighed. “Rachel said she’d bring
them over next week.” Chewing on the bottom of her lip, she lowered
her voice. “I wish she and Mark would figure out this nasty
separation business.”

Kingston’s father took a swig of his gin and
tonic. “I’ve tried to talk with her about it, but she’s like a bank
vault.” He raised an eyebrow at his son. “Has she confided in
you?”

He shook his head, thinking back to the
conversation he’d had with his sister earlier that week. “No. I
wish I knew what to say or do that would help her.”

“Don’t rush into marriage,” his father said,
leaning forward to look at him intently. “No matter what your
mother may say, son, that’s not a commitment you should take
lightly.”

His mother pouted. “But Kingston’s got a good
head on his shoulders. I’m sure he wouldn’t make the same mistakes
as Rachel.”

Kingston wasn’t so sure that Rachel had made
a mistake; he wondered if she and Mark had simply fallen out of
love. Given how many of his friends were divorced, he doubted that
they’d all “rushed in” as his father put it. But all he said was,
“Don’t worry. I’m not thinking about getting married anytime soon.
Besides,” he offered with a gentle laugh, “I’d have to meet someone
first.”

His mother eyed him intently. “I wish you’d
let me introduce you to—“

“No, Mom,” Kingston said firmly. “No set ups.
I can find my own girl, thank you very much.”

“But you haven’t,” she pointed out
reasonably.

“But I will,” Kingston said, his thoughts
drifting to a pair of wide brown eyes that made his heart race.

That night, alone in
her old bed in her parents’ farmhouse, Nora tossed and turned for
hours. When sleep finally overcame her, she was swept into a dream
about Kingston.

Pebbles hit her window, calling her to lift
the sash, and sleepily, Nora swung her feet out of bed and crossed
the floor. When she looked down into the moonlit yard, his familiar
smile beamed up at her.

Her heart started to beat faster. “What are
you doing here?” She whispered, leaning over the sill.

“I’m here for you, hon,” came the soft
reply.

Nora swallowed. “How are you going to get up
here? My parents--” She paused. There was something about her
parents that she was struggling to remember, but it danced at the
corner of her memory, just out of reach. “I don’t—” she tried
again.

The words had barely left her mouth when she
felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, and Nora exhaled sharply.
Kingston chuckled, turning her to face him. “You were saying?” His
eyes were alight with expectation, and Nora felt her body begin to
tingle in response to his intense gaze. He tipped her chin toward
his and leaned forward, pausing an inch away from kissing her. His
breath was hot on her skin, and Nora tried not to shiver at the
delightful sensation. Kingston’s mouth curved into a slow, sure
smile, and he inched a little closer.

Nora licked her lips, her heart racing. She’d
fantasized about sneaking a guy up to her bedroom when she was in
high school, but the couple of boys she’d seriously dated had been
just as polite and well-behaved as Nora, and no one ever made her
act on her fantasy.
Until now
, she thought, studying
Kingston’s lips hovering close to her face.

Tentatively, Nora closed the distance,
bringing her lips against his with a gentle sigh. The kiss was long
and deep, and Nora felt the soles of her feet begin to dissolve
into the floor.

Kingston’s lips were thick and smooth, and
with each kiss, Nora melted a little bit more. He murmured her name
against her mouth, and heat flooded Nora’s body as she reached for
him, tangling her fingers in his hair. Gently, he ran his hand
along her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder, stroking her skin in
smooth, sure movements.

Nora shivered and pressed her body against
his, beyond caring that her thin night shirt offered little in the
way of a barrier between them. Somehow, his shirt was already off,
and Nora’s hands slowly began to trace the thick muscles across his
shoulders. His arms tightened around her hungrily, and Kingston
trailed his lips down her jaw before coming to rest at the hollow
of her throat. A low moan escaped Nora as his tongue flicked
delicately against her skin.

Just when she thought her knees were about to
give out, Kingston lifted her up and in one swift motion deposited
her on the old twin bed. Gently, he pressed his lean body beside
her, and Nora slid over to accommodate him, her heart racing. She
tried to deny the knot of longing that had formed in her stomach,
but every inch of her being was acutely aware of his flesh against
hers.

Never taking his eyes from her face, Kingston
slid one of his hands deliberately up her leg, the fingertips
skimming over her bare skin like water. Nora’s breath caught as his
hand slipped under the hem of her nightshirt, and gently, he
started to stroke her inner thigh. A shudder passed through her,
and Kingston exhaled loudly in response, stroking faster. His other
hand cradled her head gently, and Nora leaned back, arching into
Kingston’s touch. She felt as fragile as glass, as if one more
touch could shatter her.

The tips of his fingers brushed against her,
asking permission, and Nora wrapped her arms around him, pulling
him down on top of her. His weight shifted gently against her, his
hands still tracing lines of fire across her body, and desperate
need welled up in her. Nora opened her eyes and studied his face;
the perfect line of his jaw, the generous, wide mouth, before
coming to rest on his steady gray gaze. Her hands started to move
of their own accord, stroking down the length of his spine before
coming to rest at the elastic of his briefs. Slowly, cautiously,
Nora slid her fingers under the waistband, and Kingston ground his
hips into her in response.

Need overwhelmed her, and Nora pressed her
body against Kingston’s solid weight. Everything about it felt
right, and Nora’s shyness slipped away in a tangle of sweaty flesh.
The blood was pounding in Nora’s ears as she wriggled her hips,
trying to slip out of her panties, but the pounding only increased.
Startled, Nora realized that someone was knocking on the bedroom
door, and her eyes flew open in panic.

Sunlight streamed through the yellow
curtains, and Nora was alone in her bed. Sweaty and disoriented,
she glanced around, wondering what had happened to Kingston, but
then her dad’s voice broke through her fog.

“I’ve made pancakes if you’re awake, peanut.
Visiting hours start in a bit, and I want to get back there as soon
as we can.”

Mom
. Nora’s face heated with shame as
she croaked, “I’ll be right down.”

Her dad’s footsteps receded, and Nora buried
her head under the pillow.
What kind of sick person has a hot
and heavy dream while her mom is laying in a hospital bed?
Hurriedly, Nora stripped off her sweaty nightshirt, grabbed a
towel, and ran across the hall to take a shower.
But it felt so
real
, she thought, replaying the dream in her mind before
shaking her head firmly. Now wasn’t the time for her to fixate on
adolescent fantasies, no matter how gorgeous Kingston was; every
fiber of her being needed to be focused on being present for her
parents, especially her mom. Nora toweled off deliberately,
promising herself that she wouldn’t think about Kingston anymore
while she was at home.

***

Nora’s mother was discharged a day later, with a
date scheduled for the bypass surgery in a few weeks, and even
though Nora’s impulse was to stay home with her parents, her mom
insisted that she go back to New York.

“You can’t spend all your time here, Nora,”
she’d urged. “That promotion won’t wait forever.”

Nora knew she was right; she’d talked to Todd
the first day she was in Pennsylvania, and while he’d said he
understood, Nora could tell he wasn’t thrilled to have to postpone
her training. Still, Nora worried about her mom the entire train
ride back to the city, and she even skimmed the job postings she
could find online for work near her parents’ town. There wasn’t
anything that jumped out at her, not even any coffee shop or fast
food positions, and Nora resolved that at the very least, she would
make an effort to call home every day, no matter how crazy her new
schedule was.
And I’ll ask Todd if I can take the time off to be
there for the surgery
, she told herself.

Carl was waiting for her in the living room,
and he’d pulled her into a tight hug before she was even halfway
through the door.

She forced a laugh. “Nice to see you,
too.”

He pulled back, studying her face. “She’s
fine, right?”

Nora shrugged. “She has surgery later this
month. After that, I guess we’ll see.”

Carl shook his head. “She’s fine,” he
insisted, “and so are you.”

This time, her laugh was genuine, but halfway
out of her mouth, it shifted into a sob, and she buried her face
against Carl’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered
through her tears.

“Nothing you can do. She’ll be fine,” he
repeated, “don’t worry.”

Trying to get a grip on herself, Nora nodded.
“Thank you.”

“Of course! I’m just sorry you didn’t wake me
before you left; I’d have come with you.”

Nora looked at him in surprise. “Really?”

Carl rolled his eyes. “I practically grew up
at your house, Nora. Of course I love your folks.”