“Look, Bianca—”
“I’m going to go grab something to eat,” I mumble over my shoulder as I fast-walk out of the bathroom. “Enjoy the tub.”
So much for domestic bliss.
A couple of hours later, we’re like two strangers ignoring each other in the house. Kratos is on the second floor, pounding the shit out of something with a hammer. He’s been there since my bathtub freakout.
I still don’t have the courage to have that conversation with him. But I eventually at least work up the nerve to go up there to join him.
He looks to be framing a wall, pounding nails into pieces of two-by-four with a grim look on his face. He’s in grubby jeans that fit him way too well, and a white t-shirt pulled tight over the broad muscles of his back.
When he takes a break and lays the hammer down, I walk up softly behind him. Kratos flinches a little when I wrap my arms around his middle from behind.
“Fuck.”
He spins around brusquely, half pushing me away from him as his brow furrows. I grin up into his face.
“Did I scare you?”
He’s silent for a moment, his eyes stabbing down into mine.
“No.”
He turns around again, seemingly ignoring the way I’m still hugging onto him as he reaches for his hammer again.
“Hey, one sec.”
I stop his hand with mine on his arm. When he turns around again, I lick my lips as I look up into his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “I mean, before…the tub…”
He looks at me blankly.
“Okay.”
Okay?
I shrug it away. I look up into his eyes, feeling my pulse race as I gather up my nerve, grip the front of his t-shirt, and attempt to pull him down as I stand up on tiptoes to kiss his mouth.
I don’t make it.
Before I can kiss him, Kratos shakes his head and quietly pushes me back from him.
My brow furrows.
“Um, okay?”
He shrugs again, looking away.
“Look, I’m sorry about before,” I venture. “You just startled me.”
“No kidding.”
My brows knit even deeper.
“Okay, did I do something wrong?”
He looks at me blankly, no emotion on his face, his eyes unblinking.
“No.”
“Then what the fuck?”
I watch as his jaw grinds.
“Forget it, Bianca. It’s fine. I’m sorry I startled you before.”
He starts to turn away.
“Why’d you stop me from kissing you?”
He pauses, turning back to look at me. “Just forget it. Please.”
“Kratos, it was just a kiss—”
“Maybe I don’t want to.”
