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I put the roller down and crossed the room, pulling him to me immediately. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but the look on his face had softened me immediately, and I wanted nothing more than to hold him.
“Hey,” I said when we parted. “Is everything okay?”
Kieran nodded immediately. “Everything’s fine. For now.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth for a few seconds before speaking. “They want me to come back to the show.”
My throat tightened and I swallowed hard, giving him a slow nod. “And?”
His cheeks flushed pink, visible even through his close-cut facial hair. “I decided to stay.”
It wasn’t what I’d expected to hear. Not at all. “You did? Why?” I held my breath as I waited for him to continue, not sure why I felt like whatever he said next would change everything.
“A lot of reasons. I don’t want to be on TV anymore, for one. They offered to bring me back on as a behind-the-scenes consultant, but I turned that down, too.” He hesitated for a few seconds and just before I was about to speak, he started talking again. “I don’t want to go back to Port Grandlin.”
I nodded slowly, taking it all in. “What do you want?” I knew realistically it was more likely about his job than anything else, but I still hoped he might say something else. Something about me. It was too much, too soon, but a glimmer of hope sparked in my chest all the same.
“I want to stay here, in Pine Bluff. I want to start my own business, doing interior design in the local area. I’m familiar with small towns and it seems like there’s space for me here. Like I could find work. Be welcomed. Port Grandlin is great, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t have anything there to go back to.”
“And here?” My voice was hoarse.
“I have something I’d like to stay for. Someone.”
My heart fluttered and I couldn’t manage to find words to respond.
“If he wants me to, that is.”
I smiled slowly. “If?”
He shrugged and raised his eyebrows briefly, giving me a small, playful smile. “I wouldn’t want to assume anything.”
“Right, of course. You know what they say.”
He laughed softly, just a quick exhale through his nose. “I only have one hesitation.”
“What’s that?”
“Lena.”
My stomach turned. “It’ll be fine,” I said, not entirely sure I believed it. “She’ll be happy about it.”
He let out a skeptical little hum. “You think so?”
I shrugged and waved one hand in the air to dismiss the question. “What’s the worst that could happen? She’s grumpy for a few days, saying I stole her best friend? She’ll get over it, once she sees that it’s…” The words caught in my throat.
“It’s what?” Kieran prompted after a moment.
“Real. Once she sees that it’s real.”
His face flushed again, a deeper pink this time, and he nodded. “Yeah. It is.”
As relief flooded through me, I closed the gap between us again and pulled him in for a kiss. Our mouths met hungrily, lips parting and tongues moving together in an instant. We kissed for a long time, until I was dizzy with lust and desperate to do something more than just kiss. Moving my hand between us, I pressed against Kieran’s bulging erection, drawing a groan from his throat. Encouraged by the sound, I rubbed him slowly through his jeans, pressing the heel of my hand along his length.
Kieran’s hips moved in time with my hand, thrusting into my touch, his breathing becoming ragged and uncontrolled. He pulled back a little, breaking the kiss, and instead rested his forehead on my shoulder. “Fuck, I—” He moaned in pleasure as I stroked him and turned his head into the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin. My own cock ached to be touched, leaking shamelessly into my boxer briefs.
“Should we take this to the back room?” I murmured.
