Page 125 of The Route to You

That much is true.

But you’re ridiculous for asking.

Kyle watched her for several moments and then nodded. “Okay.”

She smiled to herself as he shut the door.

It might not be a smart idea, and this arrangement could end badly, but Kyle seemed all right with it. Unaffected.

She needed to remember that.

And if Kyle could handle this and just being friends, then she could too.

No matter what I feel for him.

31

SLOAN

“Hey,” a deep male voice said from behind Sloan.

She turned as she was loosening her smock and found herself staring at a handsome man, maybe a few years older than her, with dark hair and hazel eyes. “Oh, did you forget something?” she asked, looking around the studio.

Most of the other painters from the class that night had already taken their paintings and gone, though a few women lingered on the sidewalk laughing and talking. This man had been with someone else, and she’d assumed on a date.

“No, I just was curious.” He smiled and held up his painting of a night sky and trees.

He clearly doesn’t paint often.

“About the painting?” She frowned at him.

“About you. Are you single?”

She almost choked, her eyes darting to the bar where Delilah was still cleaning up. Thank goodness she’s here.

Sloan glanced back at the man. “Um⁠—”

What could she say?

Yes?

Because that was the truth.

Also true . . . she currently lived with her ex-boyfriend, whom she’d gotten into an unspoken routine of crawling into bed with every night for the last three weeks. The first few times, she’d invited him.

Now he just came and got into bed from the start of the night.

But that was also it. No sex. No almost kisses. No light touches.

Nothing.

If there’d ever been any longing on Kyle’s part, he certainly found a good way to hide it permanently.

During the day, they never even talked about their sleeping arrangement, even though the thought of it had sent her more than once into the shower with her vibrator.

“I take it that’s a no,” the man said, slicing through her thoughts.

Her face flushed and her gaze whirled back to him. “Oh, sorry. Um, no, actually, I am single.”