“Hey,” he smiled at me, and then Bianca in turn, bright and cheerful as ever.
Somehow, I’d forgotten since last night how stunning he was, especially in broad daylight. The way his eyes glittered alone was worthy of at least a couple of sonnets, if only I’d ever been any good at those.
Bianca patted me on the shoulder, nodded to Kieran, and then disappeared.
“Not that I’m notalwayshappy to see you,” I said. “But I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
“That bad, huh?” Kieran asked, smile never faltering. I would’ve liked to bottle an ounce of his carefreeness and keep it with me when I needed a reminder that one awkward social interaction wasn’t the end of the world.
I’d had enough of them by now that I really should have understood that in my bones, though.
“She was telling me that you’ve slept your way through town,” I paraphrased. That wasn’t what she’dsaid, but it was what shemeant.
Which was fine. It was Kieran’s body, he could do whatever he wanted with it.
Kieran turned a dramatic shade of pink along his cheekbones, the color trailing up to his ears. “Busted,” he said, the hint of a shy little smile dancing around perfect lips.
“Well, I didn’t think you were a virgin or anything,” I said. It wasn’t as though I was anybetter. I avoided having a reputation among bored gossips only by living in New York, where life was a whole lot more anonymous than in Slow Falls.
“And it’s not like I haven’t had my share of hookups,” I added for good measure. “And portions of other people’s shares.”
Kieran didn’t need to knowwhy. My ex-boyfriends weren’thisproblem.
“I think Angelica is still mad at me for taking home a boy she had an eye on at an industry mixer she made me go to,” I continued. “We’ve got, uh, similar tastes.”
“And she wanted my number,” Kieran said, lighting up, any embarrassment he might have felt evaporating. “Which must mean…”
I snorted. Kieran had a way of cheering me up. Always had.
“Do you have trouble getting through doorways?” I asked. “You know, with an ego that size…”
Kieran grinned at me, clearly not offended.
“You’re objecting to the size?” he asked.
The back of my neck prickled with heat. I shouldn’t have had to cope with himflirting, that wasn’t fair, I hadn’t done anything to deserve this.
But you do want it, my brain pointed out.
Which was true. Ididwant it. I’d wanted it since before I understood what it was that I wanted.
I’d been socloseto getting it last night, too, and Kieran had texted me this morning and now we were doing coffee. How lucky could I possibly get?
“A man of your experience has to know it’s not about the size,” I said, draining the last of my coffee and standing. “Coffee?”
Kieran looked between me and the counter. “Maybe tea?” he asked.
“Really?”
“My body is a temple between noon and five p.m.,” he said, shrugging. “I dunno. I never want coffee post-workout even though it’s actually meant to be good for you.”
Post-workout. Great. I was imagining him naked all over again, except I didn’t so much have to imagine, because I’d seen itall.
And I definitely wasn’t complaining about the size.
“Tea it is,” I said. “Like…”
“Orange pekoe, please,” Kieran beamed at me. “Black, with honey.”
