His eyes opened, and he rolled on his side. “Really?”
“Really. I didn’t—I don’t want anyone else.”
A mix of confusion and longing filled his eyes, and I wondered how long it had been since he’d been loved.
A bolt of lightning cracked nearby, shaking the house on its foundation, brightening the room in a flash. “Shit,” I screeched and jumped up. Keston grabbed me, and I held on to him, maybe a bit tighter than necessary, but hey. No one had ever called me a fool. I kissed his neck.
“Are you scared or just using this as an excuse to maul me?”
“Be quiet.” I snickered. “Let me have my moment.” Keston stayed silent but tightened his arm around me, and I settled into his arms with a contented sigh. “Are we okay now? How aboutwe agree to no more making assumptions? If we have a question about anything, we ask.”
“Okay. I have one.” Keston’s nose ran down my cheek. “What’re we doing here?”
I opened my mouth to give a flippant answer but decided to hell with it. Maybe it was time for me to lay my heart on the line.
“I don’t want to be with anyone else but you. I’d like to know you better. And I hope you might feel the same.” Never having been so open and forthright with a man, I held my breath, my hopes sinking as each second passed without a response.
“I-I don’t know how to date. I never have.”
And my heart broke for him. “But you were in a relationship.”
He grew stiff and withdrew. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
“You were younger and happier.”
“Yeah. I was.” In profile, his mouth was a harsh line.
I covered his hand with mine. “We don’t have to call it dating. We can say we’re figuring it out. What do you think?” My heart thumping, I left the question hanging, and relief washed over me when he nodded.
I snuggled under the duvet and curled into Keston. He stretched out and closed his eyes. I fell asleep to the sound of the steady rain pattering against the roof.
**
Saturday morning, we all sat at the long wooden table with our plates. Lauren and Grady had platters of bacon, sausage, and hash browns ready and waiting. We could make eggs as we liked—the stove had six burners and frying pans on each.There were piles of bagels and a plate of lox, cream cheese, red onions, and tomatoes set on the table. Keston and I had separated at the stairs, with him heading to the stove for eggs. I took an everything bagel on my plate and proceeded to build my breakfast.
“Wild storm last night, huh?” Weston crunched a piece of bacon.
“Yeah. The lightning freaked me out.” I spread my cream cheese and placed onions and tomatoes on one side, lox on the other.
At the island, pouring himself coffee, Grady chuckled. “I was dead asleep. I didn’t hear a thing.”
One of Lauren’s friends, a coworker named Faith, shuddered. “I thought the house would fall down. It took me forever to fall asleep.”
“Mmm, us too.” Weston chewed his bacon, but the devil was in his eyes. “I heard lots of moaning and groaning.” With an innocent expression that didn’t fool me in the slightest, he said, “It sounded like it came from your room, Bailey.”
Instead of answering, I took a big bite of my bagel, lox, and cream cheese, chewed and swallowed. Keston and I might’ve decided to see where this thing between us was going, but I’d be damned if I was going to clue Weston and the rest of the house in on our personal life without talking to him.
“Gee, West. I wouldn’t know. I went to bed early.”
“Yeah, but did you go to sleep?” His green-gold eyes twinkled.
Keston surprised me, sitting by my side and pressing his thigh to mine but remaining silent.
“What did you do, Weston? Listen at the door?” I took another bite of my bagel.
“Don’t give him ideas.” Brenner’s lips kicked up. “But we didn’t need to.”
Enjoying the warmth of Keston’s bulk, I nudged my knee to his and took a sip of my coffee. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Must’ve been the wind.”
