Declan looked at me. “Check it.”
“It’s probably nothing.”
“Then check it and know.”
I picked it up.
Roman: Your wallet is not at the smoothie place. Progress.
Roman: Also Rachel says if you are pretending to be fine she’ll know because women have satellites.
I breathed out. “Roman.”
“Answer him.”
I typed, Wallet currently in my possession. Tell Rachel her satellites are invasive.
Three dots appeared immediately, then disappeared.
Good enough.
I set the phone down, but the restlessness stayed in my fingers. I dried the same plate twice before Declan took it from me.
“Stay tonight.”
My hands stopped.
The water ran in the sink. Tiny squeaked once in the other room, then thumped against something, probably furniture with a grudge.
I looked at Declan. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Olivia is back tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“That makes this feel…”
“Real?”
I swallowed. “Yeah.”
He turned off the water and dried his hands slowly. “It is real.”
The sentence landed clean and heavy.
I didn’t have a joke ready. My brain reached for one, found nothing, and left me standing there with my heart doing stupid, visible things in my throat.
Declan stepped in. “You can say no.”
“I’m not saying no.”
“Then come here.”
I went.
The first kiss was controlled until it wasn’t. His mouth opened over mine, and I grabbed the front of his shirt because I needed something to hold. He backed me into the counter, hands gripping my hips, then slid lower to my ass and pulled me hard against him.
