“Well, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk specifics.” Kyle’s expression flared with desire, silently challenging me to go first.
I glanced around. There were tables on both sides of us, and close, too. My voice was skeptical. “Here?”
“No one’s paying attention to us.”
I chuckled. “You’re wrong. There’s a woman at the end of the bar who seems plenty interested in you.” His head turned. “Shit, don’t look at her!”
He ignored me. The woman was sitting with two girlfriends, laughing and appearing to have a good time, but every now and again her gaze would wander over our direction. More specifically, Kyle’s.
Not that I could fault her; he looked gorgeous. He wore a navy blue sport coat over a simple white dress shirt, a few buttons undone, and blue jeans. His hair was parted on one side with just a hint of unruliness, and there was his delicious few-days-old beard.
When he caught her looking, the woman’s head snapped forward and she stared at her drink like it was the most exciting thing she’d ever seen. We were too far away to see if she was blushing, but her posture suggested she was embarrassed.
“You should go get her number,” I said. What the fuck was I doing? “She’s cute.”
Kyle’s attention jerked back to me, his face blank. “I’ll pass.” What was he thinking about? “That wouldn’t bother you?”
Yes, of course it would. I absolutely hated the idea, but I’d painted myself into a corner with my teasing and his dumb requirement of not talking about feelings. I shrugged. Was it still a lie when it was done with body language?
His expression didn’t change at all. A lifetime passed.
“All right, then I guess I will.” He turned in his seat to face her, preparing to stand.
Chapter
THIRTY
What the fuck? Impulse took over when the woman’s gaze connected with Kyle’s.
No. He was mine.
I was dimly aware I was acting like a child, but couldn’t stop myself. I launched over the table, grabbed the back of his head, and jerked him into my kiss.
It seared over my lips and I loved the familiar taste. Bourbon, and lust, and the flavor that was distinctly him. It was like he was ready for it. He’d called my bluff, and this kiss was his victory. Oh, hell. Let’s just make it a victory lap, then. His hand pushed my hair out of its way and cupped my cheek, deepening the kiss until I was burning from the inside.
>
When we finally drew away from each other, I was short of breath and his mouth pulled into a dazzling smile.
“I lied,” I choked out. “It’d bother me.”
He looked pleased as he swiveled in his seat, returning his full attention to me. “Good. If the roles were reversed, I know it’d fucking bother me.”
I settled back down into my own seat, adjusting the cloth napkin. “Then, full disclosure, I had a client hit on me today.”
“Yeah?” Up went Kyle’s shields, and his eyes shuttered. “How’d that go?”
“Since the guy’s currently going through a divorce?” I grimaced. “Yeah, no thanks.”
Naturally, I left out the part where the client was Tariq Crawford.
The enormous football player had finished up his appointment with Henry at the same moment I was coming back from filling my bottle at the water cooler. He’d flashed a disarming smile and struck up a conversation. From his easy-going attitude, you never would have guessed he’d just come from a meeting regarding his divorce.
It all seemed pleasant and without purpose until he’d moved to stand a little too close. His voice had dropped low as he asked if he could have my number. You know, just in case he couldn’t get in touch with Henry. I pasted on a smile, not wanting to make such a huge client feel uncomfortable, and politely reminded him I was no longer involved with his divorce.
“Is that your only reason for turning him down?” Kyle asked, pulling me from my memory. His face was emotionless, but he seemed stiff.
“No,” I said. “I had other reasons.”