Page 39

Do something, I told myself. Just… I swallowed hard and took a step forward, narrowing the space between us. Does he want this, too?

Kieran’s breath hitched as I moved closer, his eyes widening slightly. His gaze dropped to my mouth and he pinned his bottom lip between his teeth for just a second.

I took a steadying breath. “I’m sorry if I’ve been weird lately.”

He dipped his head, looking at his feet briefly before looking back to me. “It’s okay. It’s a weird situation.”

Only because I want you so badly. The thought made me ache. “Doesn’t excuse me being an asshole.”

“It’s okay,” he repeated, his voice dropping to a whisper. The words were the same, but it sounded like he was answering a very different statement. His chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

I took another step closer. We were close—so close I could almost, almost lean in and do it. Kiss him. If I did, there was no going back. Everything would change, one way or another. Maybe he’d step away and tell me I’d badly misread the situation. Maybe he’d kiss me back. There was no way of knowing what would happen unless I just… did it.

So I did.

I took a deep breath, stepped forward, narrowing the gap between us, and cupped his jaw with one hand. Kieran’s breath caught in his throat as I touched him and a second later, my mouth was brushing his. Electricity coursed through me as we touched and when Kieran made a soft noise of surprise in the back of his throat, I released him and started to back off.

Instead of pulling away, Kieran pulled his hands from his pockets and moved them to my waist, tugging me closer. His lips parted and his tongue dipped into my mouth, dragging a soft groan from me. I matched his energy, moving my hand back to his jaw and my tongue against his, relishing the feeling of his firm body against my own, the rough texture of his short beard against my palm, and the sound of his breathing becoming ragged and desperate.

After several long seconds of kissing, I pulled back, my breathing shallow, my heart racing. Before I could say anything, Kieran moved toward me and kissed me again, hands still firmly on my waist, fingers curled into the fabric of my T-shirt, tugging it tight across my back.

We kissed for what felt like a long time, both of us letting out soft little moans every few seconds. Kieran’s hands found their way under the hem of my shirt and he pressed his palms against the muscles of my lower back. Heat built between us and our kissing picked up pace, became less exploratory and more feverish.

I want him. The thought raced through my mind and I groaned at the idea, wondering if he felt the same. If the press of his thick cock against my own erection was any indication, he wanted me, too.

After several long moments of hungry, eager kisses, the phone in Kieran’s pocket rang loudly, once, then again. It startled us apart, both of us panting as we took a step back from one another, putting space—too much space—between our bodies.

Come back, I wanted to scream. I’m not done. I want more.

He dipped his head and looked at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. When he looked back at me, his lips were damp and pink from the impromptu make-out session we’d just had. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his hand as he slid his fingertips down his collarbone, wondering what his skin tasted like.

More. I want more.

His cheeks were flushed pink, though whether it was from exertion or blushing, I couldn’t tell.

Before I could say a word, Kieran smiled slowly. “Thank you.”

I couldn’t help it. A quiet laugh bubbled out of me. “Thank you for what?”

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” His confession was soft and embarrassed.

Heat washed through me. “Me too,” I admitted, realizing it as the truth.

He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, which was still ringing. When I dipped my eyebrows questioningly, he glanced at the display. “My friend Micah,” he explained.

I nodded. “I’ll just… I’ll leave you to it.”

With that, I headed back to my bedroom, shut the door firmly behind myself, and collapsed onto the bed.

I didn’t sleep well, thinking about that kiss nonstop, and when I woke the next morning, I was a riot of emotions, my mind racing the moment I entered consciousness.

In an effort to avoid running into Kieran, I went into the shop earlier than usual the next day, beating both Garrett and Emma. Soon, I’d settled in at my station to draw while I waited for my first client of the day, hoping to distract myself from thinking about Kieran.

Garrett was next to arrive, coming in to set up stations and return a few phone calls and emails before the buzz of the day began. When he spotted me already working, he laughed. “You feeling okay?”