“No, actually this was… thisisa bad idea.” She ducked under my arms. “I’m sorry, Reed.”
I turned around to stop her but she already had her hand on the front door. “Eloise, please don’t leave like this.”
Ignoring me, she twisted the knob and stepped out. Except she smacked straight into Kingston, who stood there looking confused. He was dressed in his paramedic uniform, meaning he was on his way to work, otherwise he showered at the firehouse and changed into casual clothes. Though even his dressed-down comfort selections were high-end lounge pants and thermals.
“Whoa! Are you okay?” King dropped his tone lower when dealing with difficult situations, causing things to swing things in his favor. At least most of the time.
Did he look exceptionally handsome today or was it the way he gently touched Eli’s shoulders, looking concerned, that made my arousal spike? We had been best friends our whole lives. We’d never tried dating each other, but we’d had a handful of drunken make-out sessions over the years. He was also dominant. What Eloise probably didn’t know was that Daddy muscle that I seemed to be missing? Kingston had it. He was a natural Daddy, something that I envied. He did it with ease just like everything else he handled in his life. A thought flickered through my head as he spoke to Eloise. What would it be like if he became our Daddy?No, Reed. I chided myself. Focus.
“I threw something embarrassing at Reed, so I’m leaving,” she mumbled.
“Granny panties?” King joked.
Eloise stared up at him with a completely unreadable expression and then she dissolved into giggles. I could listen to her laugh all day. Usually her eyebrows were knitted infrustration. That he’d made her giggle within a few seconds of him being here wasn’t lost on me either.
“I don’t wear granny panties! I meant figuratively speaking, King.”
“Hm? What’d you say?” Kingston subtly led Eli into the foyer, closing the front door and locking it. He was one of the only people who had the code to my keypad. “Tell me.”
“I don’t want to repeat it.”
“Did you declare your wild, unbridled desire for someone to tickle you until you can’t breathe?” He tapped her nose.
“Oh, hell no! That would be a hard limit,” she answered, laughing again.
Kingston shot me a look over her head, his eyebrows waggling as he directed us into the kitchen. Charming could be his middle name. He was so smooth in his responses. Another reason why men and women alike swooned over him.
What the heck is my problem today?
I admired the way his uniform pants pulled on his thighs as he leaned against the counter.Damn it.The other night when he came to check on me and wound up sleeping in my bed had more of an effect on me than I believed. I was falling for my best friend. That was a lie. I’d fallen for him a long time ago but never told him.
“So, what’s up, King? You don’t usually stop by randomly.”
“You didn’t answer my messages. I had to make sure you didn’t knock your head again and wind up unconscious.”
“Sorry, man. I was a little preoccupied.”
With the attention away from Eloise she seemed to realize that she hadn’t followed through with her plan to leave. She took a step toward the entrance to the kitchen. Kingston cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.
“Do you need a ride home, sweetheart? I can drop you off on my way to work.”
Eloise paused, shooting me a guilty look before letting out an exasperated breath. Before I could acknowledge it, she turned on her heel and propped a hand on her right hip.
“I haven’t found a car I want yet, so I’m at the mercy of everyone else in town. I hate bothering people for shit that I can do myself.”
“You’re not bothering me. I offered,” Kingston stated simply.
She pursed her lips as if wondering why anyone would offer her a ride home. It was a simple gesture.
“Why?” Eloise glanced at me again.
“Because I think you’re cute stomping around like you want to leave when it’s so very apparent that you don’t. At least not yet.” Kingston glanced at his watch. “Would you like a ride? Yes or no?”
His crystal-blue eyes sparkled as he studied her posture. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was–that despite her protests, Eloise seemed to be at least a little bit interested in me romantically. I’d told him every detail of our interactions when she’d brought me home in my car and stayed the night. She hadn’t stuck around the next day, not for as long as I’d wanted her to, but she had a lot going on. Her interest in Kingston seemed surface-level at the moment. Though I’d caught her checking him out when we hung out. At least when she thought no one was looking. It was as if the tough outer shell around her cracked whenever he spoke.
“Sure, King,” she finally answered. “I’d appreciate it.”
“Good.” Kingston nodded to me. “Can you make us coffee?”
