Gray blinked at me.
“It’s got you in it,” Iadded.
His whole face softened, lipsturning up into a tiny smile, eyes a warm, deep blue that I associated with ahappy Gray. My heart did a little backflip.
I still wasn’t used to seeingGray look at me with so much love written all over his face.
One day, though. We hadplentyof time for me to get used to it.
He swooped closer to kissme, licking powdered sugar off my lips. All the air left my lungs at once, mystomach bottoming out as it always did whenever he kissed me for no reason.Justbecause.
It would have been hard tosay which kind of kisses were thebest, but I liked these ones a lot.
A knock on the door startledboth of us, Gray backing off with a pretty pink blush staining his cheekbonesas I called out for whoever it was to come in.
Keeping Gray a secret hadlasted all of about ten seconds. People knew he’d started out here as mybodyguard, but they’d also seen me drooling over him the whole time. It wasn’texactly a surprise that we’d ended up together.
Even Amanda was starting tocome around on the issue of Gray. Probably, I thought, because he got me to eatactual food more often than she’d ever managed.
Jimmy stepped through thedoor, glancing between us, holding a pot plant in his hands. A fern, I thought,although I was no expert on plants.
“I, uh… I hope I’m notinterrupting?” he asked, blushing as well.
“Nothing that can’t wait,”Gray said. “Who’s your friend?” he asked, nodding to the fern.
“Oh, uh… this is actuallyfor Miles. I noticed… this is gonna sound awful, but I noticed you didn’t haveany plants in your house when I was, uh… there.” Jimmy chewed on his lower lip.“So this is kind of a thank for not… having me thrown in jail over it.”
Huh. That was kind of sweet.
I’d played down Jimmy’s rolein everything when I’d been relaying the story to the police. He’d been tryingto do the right thing, and if I’d been more willing to listen to him in thefirst place, then he probably wouldn’t have felt like hehadto go aboutthings the way he had. I didn’t quite feel it was my fault, but I also didn’tfeel he deserved to be punished for trying to save my ass.
Even if he’d done it in theworst possible way.
“I don’t need to be thanked,”I said, meeting his eyes. Jimmy was okay. Misguided, and a little lost, butokay. I hoped,whatever he did next, that it’d make him happy.
“I wanted to. You’ve beenkinder to me than I deserved,” Jimmy said. “I’m sorry, Miles. For scaring you.”
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t havefound Gray if you hadn’t. Or, I mean… I would havefoundhim, but Iprobably would never have spoken to him again. I came out of this okay.”
“Me too, as it turns out,”Jimmy said. “Gray’s friend, Fox, he uh… he had contacts looking for someonelike me. I’m starting a new job as a physical penetration tester. In Vegas, ifyou can believe.”
“A what, now?” I frowned.Physicalpenetration testersounded like some kind of technical position in sextoy design, and that didn’t really sound like the Jimmy I knew.
“It’s a security job,” Graysaid, smiling a knowing little smile. “Like… like white-hat hacking, but forreal-world places. You know, see if you can bluff your way past the receptionistand walk out with million-dollar secrets? And I gotta be honest, exactly thekind of work you should be in. You’ve got talent.”
Oh. Well, yeah. Hard toargue that Jimmydidn’thave talent in that area. If he was going to end upusing that for good…
Then we’d all gotten ahappy ending out of this.
“Wow,” I said as I acceptedthe pot plant from Jimmy, holding the edge of it gingerly. I’d never had aplant before.
Thankfully, there was a carelabel sticking out the side of the pot. I’d need that.
“Well… congrats. Vegas, huh?”
“Thought you’d wanna knowthat I wouldn’t even be in the same state as your apartment.” Jimmy scratchedthe back of his neck, offering me a sheepish little smile. “So… this isgoodbye, I guess. I, uh. For what it’s worth, I’m glad I knew you. And I’m gladeverything ended up working out okay.”
“Hey, Jimmy?” I called as hestarted to walk away. “I’m glad I knew you, too.”
