I nod. “It should warm up soon; we’re still figuring out the settings on the heating system. They seem a little erratic. You want some coffee?”
“Yes, please. Just black.”
Her coffee matches ours, and I mentally berate myself for feeling like that’s a sign.
I pour her one, then hand it to her, her fingers brushing mine as she takes it. And they linger, just long enough that I feel it in places that would probably scare her. Although, by the way she inhales softly and looks at my chest like she’s uncertain of meeting my gaze, I’m not sure.
I watch the way those plump lips meet the rim as she sips and try not to think about how they’d feel wrapped around my cock.
Or how they’d look around Garrett’s.
Or both.
The stirring in my denim becomes a semi-boner, and now, I’m gonna be stuck on this side of the kitchen island for a hot minute while I think about what a pain in the ass it’s gonna be to lift all these ugly kitchen floor tiles to distract myself.
“Today’s my day off,” Isla says, finally breaking the comfortable silence between us. “I planned to find someone to put a new roof on the house and find out how much it costs.”
“We’ve got a roofer on payroll,” I say, internally wincing when I remember it’s Jinx, who won’t be too happy to see usagain. “I know you want to remain distant from the club, and I get it. But I’ll ensure you get a club deal and…”
“No,” Isla says. “Thank you for offering, but the last thing I need is another biker on my property.”
“But he’ll do it for at least twenty percent less than anyone else will charge you.”
Isla puts the cup down on the counter. “He could offer to do it for free, and I still wouldn’t take him up on the offer.”
I raise an eyebrow at that. “Seriously?”
“Fine, if it was free, I would because I’m not that foolish. But…I just…I need space. And this…you and Garrett…and last night—that’s all confusing enough. I can’t deal with anything else. So, I’m going to find a roofer and start renovating the living room. But what I was getting to was, if you have to leave, I can come back every hour and check on Garrett.”
I didn’t realize that it had been a weight on my mind until Isla lifts it. “You would?”
She nods. “Of course. I can bring him lunch and those kinds of things.”
I glance out the window, thinking about the quandary of how having more people to care about might feel like more work to some but eases the burden for others. “I’d appreciate that. I’ll make sure he’s had breakfast and is set up with the things he needs for the day.”
“You have my number, right?” Isla says.
I know what she’s asking. Is it still on the club-girl phone list? “I do.”
She nods, but I can see the hint of sadness in her eyes as she drinks more of her coffee.
“You want me to get it removed for you?” I ask.
The corner of her lips turns up. “Please. I’m gonna go, now. Tell Garrett I said goodbye and that I hope he feels better and that I’ll see him later.”
“I will.” I step around the island and grab the spare key off the hook. “Here. Take this. He isn’t going to be sprightly on the stairs for a few days.”
She opens her palm, and I drop the key in it. Then, I take hold of her wrist and guide her fingers to close around it. “You go take care of your chores, and I’ll go take care of mine.”
She gives me a soft crooked smile, one that shows the small gap in her front teeth.
I should let her go.
Instead, I take a risk. I step forward, cup her cheek, and lean down so slowly toward her that she has plenty of time to tell me to stop. The kiss is light, chaste, even, but it lingers. Her hand flutters to my chest like she’s trying to steady herself, or maybe me.
Then, she pushes me away, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wide with outrage. “Oh my God. This is why I can’t do this. Your boyfriend is upstairs, and I just let you kiss me.”
I brush a tendril of hair back from her face. “I can explain that in a second. But I need to know if you wanted me to kiss you.”
