“Other side of the building. There’s two apartments up there.”
How had Dakota not known that? He’d been there two weeks and hadn’t realized his landlord lived across the hall from him?
“Oh.” He clutched the bag of taffy. “Good to know.”
They stood there for another beat, just breathing in the same air. Dakota knew he should leave, go back upstairs, put some distance between himself and whatever this was. But his feet seemed rooted to the floor.
Kivani moved first, turning toward the taffy on the counter. “I should get back to work. Got a big order due tomorrow.”
“Right. Yeah.” Dakota took a step toward the door then paused. “Thanks for the tour. And the taffy.”
“No problem.” Kivani glanced over his shoulder, and that smile was back, the one that made Dakota’s knees feel unreliable. “See you around, Dakota.”
“See you.”
Walking back through the shop, Dakota forced himself not to look back. The bell above the door chimed as he slipped into the small hallway that led to the stairs, taking them two at a time as his heart beat wildly.
Inside his apartment, he set the bag of taffy on the counter and pressed his palms flat against the cool surface. This was supposed to be simple. Move to a quiet town, keep his head down, figure out his next move. Getting tangled up with his landlord was not part of the plan.
But god, Kivani was beautiful. And sweet. And talented. And the way he’d looked at Dakota in that kitchen…
He shook his head and moved to the window. The street below was quiet, just a few people walking past the shops. Crimson Hollow really was peaceful. Maybe that was exactly what he needed right now. Peace. Quiet. A chance to breathe without looking over his shoulder.
He reached for the bag of taffy and pulled out a piece wrapped in wax paper. The strawberry lemonade one. He unwrapped it slowly and put it in his mouth, closing his eyes as the flavor hit him again.
Yeah. Maybe this town would work out after all.
Chapter Two
The following evening, Dakota was halfway through reorganizing his sock drawer when someone knocked. He dropped the balled-up pair he was holding and crossed to the door, knowing who it would be. As he pulled it open, his pulse kicked up three notches.
Kivani stood there in a dark green henley that somehow made his eyes look even warmer. He had his hands in his pockets, and his hair was slightly damp like he’d just showered.
“Hey,” Kivani said. “You have dinner plans?”
Dakota glanced back at his apartment, at the sad granola bar sitting on his counter. “Not really.”
“Want to grab something? There’s a diner a few blocks over. Hash It Out. Nothing fancy, but the food's good.”
Dakota should say no. He should make up an excuse about being tired or having work to do. Instead, he heard himself say, “Sure, that sounds good.”
“Great.” Kivani’s smile did that thing again where it made Dakota’s stomach feel like it was full of butterflies. “Ready now, or you need a few minutes?”
So much for keeping my head down and not complicating things with Kivani.One day Dakota might actually listen to himself.
“Now’s fine.” He grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door and slipped his phone into his pocket, then followed Kivani down the stairs and out onto the street.
The evening air was cool, carrying the smell of someone's wood-burning fireplace. Dakota wrapped his jacket tighter around himself and walked beside Kivani, hyperaware of the space between them. Their arms almost touched with each step.
“So you've been here two weeks and haven’t explored much?” Kivani asked.
“Not really. Mostly just staying in, getting settled.” And staying out of sight. Which he should be doing now. “I’m not great at the whole exploring-new-places thing.”
“That’s fair. It can be overwhelming.”
“Do you eat out a lot?” Dakota bit his lip, realizing how that sounded. “I mean, like, at restaurants. Do you go to restaurants a lot?”
Kivani laughed, and the sound made Dakota’s face burn. “I knew what you meant. And yeah, pretty often. I get tired of cooking after spending all day making candy.”
