The soft curve of her mouth makes my heart start toknock against my ribcage. It's the closest I’ve come to getting a smile from her since the night we met.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“But—”
“You have your secrets, and I have mine, Tieran.” She looks at me pointedly, referring back to ten minutes ago when I wouldn’t tell her why I went after Hughes. Fair enough.
She’s holding my hand as she continues to clean cuts that no longer need cleaning. I tighten my hand around hers, my callouses scraping against her soft skin.
Her eyes drift up to mine from beneath lowered inky lashes. Our gazes hold, and I know she’s thinking about it, that night.
“He said something about you.” My voice is a low, choked out whisper.
My heart starts pounding out of my chest, and I can’t get a single read on what she’s thinking.
She abruptly drops my hand, reaching for ointment and bandages and shoving them at me as I stand, crowding her space a little, taking a sick sort of pleasure in watching her attempt to stay calm.
“Put that on, wrap it up, and try to behave.”
“Yes, boss.” I take a step forward, and she retreats, bumping into her desk.
“You’re not wearing maroon.” I allow my eyes to drop to her navy trousers and cropped grey cardigan.
“I’ve never let a man dictate how I dress, and I don’t plan to start just because a cocky rugby player suggested it.” She squares her shoulders.
“Maybe all this drama wouldn’t have happened if you were wearing it.”
She cocks her head curiously at me, eyes narrowing in a way that says she smells nonsense, the same look that always gets me half hard. “You don’t strike me as the superstitious type.”
“I’m a professional athlete. We all have our good luck charms.”
“What’s yours then?”
My gaze drifts from her eyes down to her pillowy mouth as it pulls in an infinitesimalgasp before settling on the spot of blue in her right eye.
“I’ll let you know when I have it.”
“Put your tits away.I’m coming in.”
Aanya barges in, as she always does whenever she feels the urge to come over, and finds me standing in my walk-in closet in only a bra and underwear.
She stops dead in her tracks, feigning a gunshot wound and slumping against the doorway. “I changed my mind. Don’t put ‘em away.” Aanya walks towards me, hands outstretched and eyes glued to my chest. “Fucking hell, girl.”
“You’re just as bad as a man.” I swat her hands away.
“Worse, to be sure.” Aanya backs up a couple steps and plops down on the floor, legs crossed.
“How was your gig last night?” I ask.
“Oh! Hold that thought.” My friend abruptly stands, leaves the room, and comes back ten seconds later with a bottle of wine, glasses, and…a jumbo pack of Maltesers I didn’t buy.
“Where did those come from?” My eyes narrow as she pops one in her mouth and resumes her spot on the floor.
“I stashed them here a week ago so I’d have a sweet snack when I come over.” She digs her hand in the pack, pulling out a few before tipping her head back and dropping them all in her mouth. “It’sseriouslyconcerningyou don’t like chocolates. That’s basically a crime against womanhood.”
“They’re too rich and stick to my mouth.” I turn, riffling through my clothes for the twentieth time in the past hour.
“Fuck me, and your bum? God really does have favorites, doesn’t She?”
