FOUR
THANE
I don't know why I asked him to leave with me.
No—that wasn't true.
I knewexactlywhy.
The fact that somewhere between the terrible Christmas music, the burger and fries, and a debate about whether glitter should be classified as a controlled substance, I'd stopped thinking about tomorrow's press conference.
Most of all, it was the simple fact that I didn't want to say goodnight.
Instead, I was standing in the middle of my hotel suite watching Kieran slowly turn in a circle.
His gaze moved from the sitting area to the floor-to-ceiling windows before settling on me.
"Okay," he said. "How many kidneys did this room cost?"
A laugh escaped me. "At least three."
Kieran nodded solemnly. "That's what I was afraid of."
"Good news, though. Mine are still intact."
"I'll feel better once I verify that."
I shook my head. "You are a very strange person."
"That's fair."
His smile lingered for a moment before fading into something more thoughtful. He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around the room again.
"Thane..."
The change in his tone immediately caught my attention.
"Yeah?"
He shifted his weight. "I don't know your last name, and I don't need to."
I frowned slightly. Something about the way he said it made me pay closer attention.
"But I should probably tell you something." He gestured vaguely between us. "I don't do this."
My eyebrows lifted. "Kidney theft?"
That earned me a look. "You know that's not what I mean."
I smiled. "Yeah. I know."
"I don't do one-night stands."
The confession hung between us for a moment.
"I know."
Kieran looked skeptical.
