Page 19 of Wells

Locke grins wider.

"Atta girl. And you said he's hot?"

My stomach flips, and I roll my eyes hard enough to hurt. "You're such a male slut. Unfortunately for everyone involved, he's too hot for his own good."

Locke claps once and points at me.

"Oh, this is perfect. Did he have a ring on?"

"It is not perfect. The man has the personality of a penny. And no, not that I would care anyway, he did not have a ring on."

"A penny?"

"Flat, cold, and moderately interesting because it's copper."

Locke laughs so hard he has to cover his mouth. I cross my arms and glare at him.

He holds his hands up, but his grin does not fade.

"Okay, okay. What else? Describe him."

I sigh just as the image of Wells Stone flickers back into focus. Tall, sharp, dark hair and eyes that gave nothing back.

"And you're irritated about that. It sounds like a dream come true, if you ask me."

"Unlike you, a good-looking man isn't all there is to earning my attraction."

"You're irritated in a way that has energy in it. I have a sneaking suspicion we aren't that different when it comes to what attracts us, and a grumpy hottie is definitely top of the list."

"Stop reading into things."

Locke laughs again and leans back on his hands.

"Okay, but you're taking the job anyway."

"Obviously. I need the money, and the work is exactly what I want to be doing."

"See, aren't you glad you expanded your job search beyond Mark Rudy and medical billing?"

I pull my knees up onto the couch and wrap my arms around them. The apartment is warm. The light coming through the window softens everything.

"Yeah. Thanks for the nudge. You're good for me."

Locke's grin fades into something gentler. "You know what this means though, right?"

"What?"

"Your dating life just got a lot more complicated."

I frown and drop my legs off the couch.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a dating life."

Locke leans forward and props his chin on his hand, grin spreading wider.

"I think what you need is to get laid. Properly. By someone who isn't Cas."

Heat flashes up my neck, and I grab one of the throw pillows and chuck it at his face. He catches it without flinching.