Beating Hearts [Knight's Rest #1]

28

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled as he caught her trying to tame her hair. The wind when they had opened the windows had teased a few strands out of the bun she had kept her hair in all day, and now she had made it her mission to tame the wild locks. And currently, she was losing. "I thought you said you were going to call him."

She gave him the stink eye and sank further into her seat. "I changed my mind." There was no point trying to tame her hair. It had a mind of its own.

"Are you sure turning up like this is a good idea?"

Her tongue tapped at the edge of her teeth as she thought upon it. "It won't be a problem." Her dad wouldn't be home.

"Let me rephrase that," Thelonious chuckled. "Are you turning up with me like this is a good idea?"

Darcy shrugged and grinned. "He won't be home so we won't have to worry about that."

He quirked a questioning brow in her direction. "What do you mean he won't be home?"

"I mean," she began with a small smile. "Dad spends every Wednesday night with his friends. He doesn't usually come home until midnight since he doesn't have a morning lecture on Thursdays."

Thelonious wiped a hand down his face to eradicate the grin at her evil plan. "You've perfectly orchestrated this, haven't you?"

Darcy merely smirked in response.

"And when exactly are you going to speak to your dad?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to wait for him to call me."

Thelonious chucked but didn't say anything further on the matter. Pushing Darcy to resolve the situation with her dad while the wound was still fresh probably wasn't the best idea, even if she did need to speak to him. But on the other hand, he was the adult and definitely knew his daughter best.

For the current moment, his plan was to take a step back and let the father-daughter duo sort out their own problems. If she needed him, then he would step up.

"Could we stop for ice cream on the way?" She asked, already googling the nearest ice cream parlour on her phone.

Thelonious grinned. "Your wish is my command, vixen."

-

"You've got ice cream on your face." Darcy scrunched up her nose at him, before finishing the last of her cone. "On the corner of your mouth."

He wiped his hand down his face, missing the corner of his mouth completely. "Did I get it?" When she shook her head, his lips turned up and he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her to him leaving no room to escape. "Help me out?" He bowed his head, his hand slipping under her top to rub soothing circles on her sides.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hold back her smile. Cupping his face in her hands, she angled her face up and licked away the cream. The initial plan had been to tease him and pull away, leaving him wanting plenty, but Thelonious one-upped her as he turned his head and captured her lips in a slow, tantalising, toe-curling kiss.

Darcy came out of it breathless and dazed. "You don't play fair," she whispered, her eyes still closed. She leaned further into him, almost as if being compelled by some magnetic force. She wasn't complaining though.

He bumped her nose with his. "Consider that payment for driving you down here."

"I didn't realise I would be paying you for your services."

Thelonious quirked an eyebrow. "I'll let you think about how you're gonna pay me for the drive back."

Arching her back, she eliminated the little space between them and curled her fingers into his hair, tugging his head down to hers. "I can think of a few things." She whispered the words against his lips, her tongue darting out to trace his bottom lip, asking for entrance.