My phone vibratedin my pocket just as Kieran pulled up outside the cabin, which looked a lot less creepy now that it wasn’t pouring rain anymore.
I pulled it out of my pocket as he opened the door of the truck for me, a real live gentleman, and gave him a little bow in response, chuckling as I headed for the cabin.
Angelica: who!! Is the cutie??
What?
“Something up?” Kieran asked, coming up behind me as I fumbled with the key, the warmth of his body seeping into my back.
“Just my agent,” I said, shoving the key in the hoodie pocket. “Are you cold?”
“I’m fine. When you’ve got as much muscle mass as I do, you tend to run hot.”
He really,reallydid, and I could feel it. I could feel it all the way down to places I wasnotthinking about right now.
“You should come inside anyway,” I said. “For coffee.”
Kieran snorted. “You don’t wanna invite me up to your room to see your etchings, too?”
The tips of my ears burned. Thatdidsound like a line, and it kind of was in that I just wanted an excuse to spend some more time with Kieran.
Angelica: the boy on your Instagram
Oh. That’s Kieran, we used to be best friends
Angelica: give him my number
No.
“Do you want my agent’s number?” I asked anyway, because ifIcouldn’t have him, at least maybe one of us could.
“For like… book… reasons?” Kieran asked, frowning as he closed the door behind us.
“She thinks you’re cute.”
Kieran lit up all over again, like a puppy being told he was a good boy. “Iamcute,” he said. “But no. I’m uh. Taking a hookup break.”
“New York is a long way to go for a hookup,” I pointed out.
Angelica: is he gay? Because he could be the answer to all your problems
I stared at the text a moment too long, Kieran making a curious noise beside me—but thankfully, not looking over at my phone.
“Not when you’re more or less out of options here,” Kieran said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, uh. Might have a bit of a reputation.”
“Last ten relationships two hours or less?” I asked.
Kieran winced, and I opened my mouth to apologize, but then he smiled a shy little smile at me that reminded me of when we were kids, like he’d just gotten caught eating cookies off the rack before they’d cooled.
“Something like that,” he said.
Couldhe be the answer to all my problems? He wasn’t gay, but… he was my friend. And it only had tolooklike we were together…
No. No, I couldn’t ask him that. Not ten minutes after I’d crashed back into his life unannounced like this. He’d already been kinder to me than I deserved. I couldn’t ask for more.
“Coffee?” I asked, heading for the kitchen.
“I’ll make it,” Kieran said, squeezing my arm as he slipped past me.
